Variety (December 1958)

VIDEO

TV FILMS

RADIO

MUSIC

STAGE

Pubtuhed Weekly *t 154 W’est 46th Street, New York 38, N. Y., by Variety, Inc. Annual subscription. $15. Single copies, 33 cents.

Second Class Postage Paid at New York, N. Y.

COPYRIGHT, 1B58. BY VARIETY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-^

VOL. 213 No. 1

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1958

96 PAGES

TAIR LAPr RADIANT $10>000,000

^st Show Biz in New Anti-Rel^on | ||[|,-J|||||[ [{[CORD Have So Few Made So Many

Russo Drive; Part of'Sober 7-Yr.Plan| R||||||[|i||Y RRnRSl I^^r So Much as Hollywood Stars

By IRVING R. LEVINE

(Moscow Correspondent, NBC)

Moscow, Dec. 2.

Managers of state-owned radio
and television stations in Russia
are being urged by Soviet Ministry

Performers Tax-Liable
On Theatre Deals: Gov’t

Washington, Dec. 2.
The Internal Revenue Service
of Culture authorities to step up j has issued a ruling on responsibility
for Federal admission taxes in
cases where performers lease a
theatre, but do not lease its box-
office.

The decree is that the performers
are liable for the tax collection in
such instances. The responsibility.
I IRS says, goes wMth the lease of
I the theatre, even though actual
I ticket sales may be handled by an¬
other agent of the lessee.

“their struggle against religion.”

The appeal on behalf of atheism
appeared on the pages of Soviet
Culture, the newspaper published
by the Ministrj- of Culture, and it
blamed religion for encouraging,
of all things, drunkenness.

The article entitled “The Battle
Against Religious Survivals" claim¬
ed the religious holidays have long
provided an excuse for paying hom¬
age to the “green snake,” an
old Russian expre.ssion for describ¬
ing alcoholic drink. What's more,
stated the newspaper, in a final
clincher argument, there are quo¬
tations in the Bible that encourage
drunkenness. Such expressions
are quoted as “Give wine to those
distressed in soul,” and “let him
drink and forget his poverty and
not recall his suffering.”

It was claimed that one village
near the railroad centre city of
Kursk has the tradition of celebrat¬
ing Easter in the churchyard. This
is accompanied by much vodka

Book Co., AuAor
Sue RCA, Warren
On 'Lolita Dish

G. P. Putman & Sons doesn’t
like the idea of a diskery cashing
drinking and inevitably winds up , in on its bestselling novel, “Lolita.”

The Broadway production of
“My Fair Lady” will hit the
$10,000,000 gross mark New Year’s
Eve week. The Herman Levin pro¬
duction, believed to be the top-
grosser in Broadway history, will
be in its i47th week at the Hel-
linger Theatre at that time.

Running behind “Lady” in
Broadway gross tallies are the
Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals.
“South Pacific” and “Oklahoma,”
with respective takes of around
$9,000,000 and $7,000,000 at lower
scales. The figures for all three
show's represent New' York totals,
exclusive of touring income.

“Lady” is also figured likely to
wind up as the biggest grosser in
the original cast album field. The
Columbia Records package, costar¬
ring Rex Harrison and Julie An¬
drew's, has thus far racked up
around 1,500,000 LP sales for an
estimated $7,500,000 take on the
basis of an average of $5 an album.

It’s just about edging out Colum¬
bia’s original cast set of “Pacific.”
which was released in 1948 and is
believed to be the top-selling pack-
(Continued on page 92)

Red Skelton’s First Chi
Cafe Date in 2 Decades

Chicago. Dec. 2.

Red Skelton has been set for his
first Chi nitery date in over 20
\ ears. Comic will likely open May
29 at the Chez Paree. where he ap¬
peared long ago, for an engage¬
ment just short of three weeks.

Chez firmed up more stars for
1959 bills, signing Tony Bennett
and Count Basie for a late April
stand (following Dean Martin',
and Johnny Mathis, who'll pre¬
cede Skelton. It’ll be the first
Chez date for MathLs, heretofore
a Black Orchid regular, and due
at the latter spot Dec. 4.

^ More and more Hollywood is
I playing footsie w ith that old but
too-often accurate cliche anent
famiiiarit\ breeding neglect. The
ticket-bus er hardly meets a
s^fanger anymore on the screen;
and how long will it be before the
■'old Iriend^’’ remain welcome?

.N'eser in recent t.mes have so
few .siaib ajtpeared in so many pic¬
tures. The avalanche of Brigitte
Bardot i-, to be ignored, for this is
a special situation involving dis¬
covery of a s.-'r.-ational import com¬
modity and the du-t ng olf of more
of the same irom out of the vaults.

' Priority con'- deration for the
purpor.e at hand centers on the old
handv ol c nematic-- -tho'e “vali¬
ant" and relai vc'.> few who are

in a quarrel.

It Is up to radio, television, pix
and the theatre to join in a more
concerted propaganda campaign,
demanded Soviet Culture, to dis-
(Continued on page 95)

Bourbon St Having A
(High)BaU With Names
Vs. R^ar (Girl) Acts

New Orleans, Dec. 2.

Bourbon St., boulevard of the
striptease and dixieland jazz, has
begun to take on a new look with
the start of the racing season at
the Fair-Grounds course here. The
past w^eeks have seen two spots
drop girl shows and replace them
with name entertainers such as the
Four Aces, the Gaylords, the Cor¬
nell Sisters, A1 Kibbler, the DeJoh®
Sisters, Dinah Washington and
others.

While the cost of bringing in
this type of entertainment is con¬
siderably higher than that of for¬
mer shows, the operators feel that
it will pay off in the long run, al¬
though none of the spots have
hung out the SRO sign as yet.

Starting the new policy along
(Continued on page 95)

Publishing firm has filed suit in
N.Y. Supreme Court against RCA
Victor and Robert Warren asking
for a temporary Injunction and
to enjoin defendants from publish¬
ing. advertising and selling its
“Lolita” disk. Novelist Vladimir
Nabokov joined his publishers in
in the action.

The complaint claims that be¬
cause of the secondary meaning
of the title, “Lolita,’\the right to
use the title in activities outside
the book business has become a
valuable property right. Suit
charges that with full knowledge
of the rights of the plaintiff and
with intention to take advantage
and trading on the gaod w'ill, RCA
and Warren used the title as a
song. In addition, complaint claims,
in writing the song Warren has
drawn upon the material in the
book and tried to capture the mood
of it and to capitalize on its suc¬
cess. Book is about the love of
40-year-old man for a 12-year-old
girl. Tuae was recorded by Tony
Martin. ^

The suit further charges that the
defendants have engaged in a pro¬
motional scheme calculated to mis¬
lead the public into believing that
a connection exists between the
book and the song.

SD,M.fiOIITVSets
Abroad by 1%2

Washington, Dec. 2.

There’ll be more than 50.000.000
, tv sets in foreign lands, with over
1200,000,000 people watching them
I by 1962, U. S. Information Agency
television chief Romney Wheeler
predicts.

I What with prospects for an inter-
' American tv network by 1960 and
a trans-Atlantic one by 1962,
Wheeler said the growth of tv
abroad will provide the U. S. with
a fine^ opportunity to tell the world
about the American way via video.

But the official said the “hard
sell” will be avoided in this effort.
"We only want them to get to know
us—^to understand us a little better
—and to see for themselves that
we don’t resemble, even remotely,
the Communist-inspired image of
America.”

Wheeler’s prediction of 50,000.-
000 overseas tv sets within four
years compares with an estimated
21,585,000 now In use.

Meanwhile, USIA reported that
tv stations outside the U. S. and
Canada are expected to top 700 by
the end of 1958.

Senate Springing
Quiz of Hoodlums
In Jukekx Field

Washington. Dec. 2.

The Senate rackets committee
raises the curtain Thursday (4>
on wh.^t is expected to be a sen¬
sational expose of shady shenani¬
gans in the coin-machine industry.
Prime emphasis will be on the
huge jukebox biz. but alleged gang¬
ster links with slots, pinball and
other entertainment devices are
also slated for airing.

Chairman John L. McClellan
(D.-Ark. • said the key question
to be resolved is whether labor
unions in the field were organized
for legitimate aims or as an “en¬
forcement arm for managemeni.
acting in collusion, to allegedly
monopolize the industry.”

About TOO witnesses are on tap
for the hearings, expected to run
about three weeks. They will in¬
clude, according to Sen. McClellan,
some of the nation’s “top hood¬
lums.”

Committee aides said activities
in some 15 or 18 cities will be
probed. Effort will be made to find
out how and why certain “shady”
characters became distributors and
the methods they used in placing
jukes and other machines. Initial
phase will cover Newark. Cleve¬
land, New Orleans, Los Angeles,
Providence and Denver.

Show opens after more than a
year of staff investigations by the
committee.

croppine up ji
; <productio.i-v\ i
i some n::

: could c.-(.;.pe
ITonyCuri .\i
! Brynncr. .SopM

r’ o-^l oi the big
pi.tu:c< Take
r '’.doni and who
Hu.-t Lancaster,
( Hepburn, ul
Loren. Gregory

Peck. John \Va>nc, William Hol-
jden. Alter "Ten Cnm;nandments”
land. now. “To i Hur.” liow can
Charlton He ton he overlooked in
a Bibl e. I .'.jx-c ai? The slapstick
type of c-o:ned> almost ha.s got to
ha\e bMiw Lew.:;, and for a mati¬
nee idol tlKMc'-; Eock Hudson.

Tlie.'-c ai e ; mong the names that
dominate te ■ picture busine.ss of
late—llicrc a.e others, of course,
but not loo many.

Mi'^.s Loren is now on view in
Paramount's “Houseboat " and for
'Continued on patze 14'

Tropicana Flirts With
Paris’ Folies Bergere;

Can It Afford 20G Tag?

The Troptcana. Las Vegas, is eye¬
ing the siiow I urrent at the Folies
Bergere. Pari.s. But before any¬
thing concrete can happen, the
Folies Bergere’s asking fee of $20.-
000 weekly for the title alone ana
royalties on the production will
have to be negotiated. It’s hardly
likely that the Tropicana, still not
out of the financial woods, will go
’ for this kind of coin for a title
alone.

Meanwhile, pending negotiations,
, the Tropicana has inked Leon
Leonidoff to become producer as
! of Feb. 1, when the present show
• produced by Monte Proser winds
: up its run. Leonidoff produced the
: show at the Deauville Hotel, Miami
i Beach, for part of last season,
j In addition to the royalties,
j there are the usual costs of talent,
i (Continued on page 80)

Television Network Talent Cost Chart

(Staris on Page 28)

2

!lfI5€lZJLANY

P^WFf

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

U^Jo'Censor Bilt Nixes Some Films
As Too Honest for Isolated’ Reds

The U.S. Government stakes the4
position that it is unwise to send ‘
into the Iron Curtain countries
American films that would lend
themselves to misinterpretation by
a people who would judge them
without the proper frame of ref¬
erence.

This is the explanation of why
Washington has frowned on the
sale to the Eastern bloc of such
titles- as “Giant,’’ “A Star Is Bom,”
“Rebel Without a Cause,” “Street¬
car Named Desire,” etc. i

In discussing the attitude of the
State Dept, last week, Turner Shel¬
ton, chief of the U.S. Inforraatton
Agency’s motion picture division,
stressed that it was, iii no sense a
question of censorship. “With the
exception of the countries where
exporters benefit from the media
guarantee program, and^ also ^ of
sales to Russia by companies which
want to work in the framework of
toe cidtural exchange pact, we ex¬
ercise absolutely no control,” he
laid. “We don’t have the authority
to tell anyone what he can or can¬
not sell.

“However, the people who deal
with the Czechs, the Poles, the
Hungarians, etc. quite voluntarily
submit to us lists of pictures whmh
they intend to sell, and they elicit
(Continued on page 95)

SHEILm(WAMmtS
AIL IN mop INFIDEL’

By FBED^HIFT

There is very little that Sheilah
Graham does not tell about her¬
self in “Beloved Infidel (The Edu¬
cation of A Woman)” (Holt; $3.95).
It’s more of a self-confession, at
times even a self-indictment, than
an autobiography and it makes the
reader alternately admire the col¬
umnist for her individualism and
aggressiveness, and also dislike
her for her callous use of people
as stepping stones in her quite re¬
markable career.

But the real value of this book,
(Ckratinaed on page 95)

CaHas-Horok Separating?

Have Sol Hurok and Maria Cal-
las separated as concert manager
and artist? Hurok isn’t sure,

I says “it’s a long negotiation.”

I Meantime Miss Callas has done 9
concerts for Hiuok. Currently in
1 Milano for her birthday, she’s due
back in States in January for a
television date set by Hurok, plus
Philadelphia and St. Louis concerts
and her “I Puritan!’ at Carnegie
Hall for the American Opera So¬
ciety.

Maria Callas, Clean Capacity
San Francisco, Dec. 2.

A concert by Maria Callas, ac¬
companied by San Francisco Sym¬
phony members under the baton
of Nicola Rescigiio, grossed more
than $35,000 at Frisco’s 8,500-seat
Civie Auditorium last Wednesday
(26) night' j

House was scaled from $2.20 to
' $6.60 and sold out.

12,000 Hear Van Cliborn;
Tex. Fees: For Kids, $500;
2-JO, $4,000; 5 PJL 6G

Austin, Dec- 2.

One Van CUbum concert wasn’t
enough for Ontral Texans, so
wheels turned at the last minute
with the result that the Texas-
reared pianist played two concerts
in his appearance Nov. 23 at Greg¬
ory Gynmasium on the U. of Texas
campus.

Clliburn was originally sched¬
uled to play a single 3 pjn. per¬
formance, hut clamor for tickets
was so far-reaching, extending
throu^out Central Texas, that he
was booked for a 2:30 and a 5
pm. performance. Arrangements
were made by University’s Cultural
Entertainment Committee, which
( (3ontinu6d on page 16)

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on# yoar

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Pitch For Culture

V.S.A.

* * *

one of the many Editorial Feotnres
in the npeoming
53d Anniversary IS umber

of

P^&mErr

Canadas Laborh
Rap Vs. ’04 Curb
Of Sunday Films

Toronto, Dec. 2.

With an Ontario membership of
65,000, unanimous approval of a
resolution calling for . Sunday mo¬
tion pictures acroi« Canada was
carried by Local 112 of the United
Automotive Workers of America
(CIO), meeting in convention here.
The resolution will be passed upon
next week by the Canadian coun-.
dl of the unidn, which is expected
to follow the Toronto majority
policy as in the past. (The only
Province in this country allowing
Sunday showings of films is
Quebec, where those under 16
must be accompanied by parents
or guardians.)

Said Gerald Clarke, chairman of
the Political Action Committee of
toe . Toronto District Labor (3oun-
cii, who proposed^ toe resolution;
“Organized labor is for a more
open Sunday in, Canada despite the
claims of those who support, the
Lord’s Day Alliance Act. This
Act (passed in 1904) represents the
feelings and opinions of a small
minority pressure group.” Clarke
claimed that the ban of Svmday
movies in Ontario (which has a
third of Canadas population cen¬
tralization) was “expediting the
flow of Toronto citizens in par¬
ticular to Buffalo on Sundays
where movies are shown.”

Move follows the unanimous
resolution of the Motion Picture
Theatres of Ontario Assn., in con¬
vention here, that a survey shows
90% of the voters in favor of Sun¬
day movies; that chiefs of police
want Sunday showings of films to
keep ymmgstera off the streets—
after church service hours.

USSRS^tracks
Prove Scratdi;

Americans who have been screen¬
ing the Soviet films purchased for
distribution in the .Stat^ say.
they’re astonished at the poor qual¬
ity of the soundtracks in toe Rus¬
sian pictures. It’s a problem par¬
ticularly with a film like “Swaij
Lake,” where the music Is im¬
portant.

Several executives familiar with
the Communist orbit features say
(the scratchy, noisy quality of the
toacks comes as no sunnrise to
them. However, they point out,
the one exception in this respect Is
Czechoslovakia, which has very i
modem equipment and turns out
sound ecruivalent to tracks record¬
ed in Hollywood.

Old Order Changeth

Taooos of toe Hearst papers
have changed since 1941.

When “Citizen Kane” was Is¬
sued theatrically in ’42, the
N. Yi Journal American did
not carry any ads on the pic
and Hearst columns were de¬
void of any mention of the pic
or Orson Welles, Film was
seen as too close a parallel on
the life of William Randolph
Hearst.

Since that time the elder
Hearst died. When WOR-TV,
N. Y., ran the film on its “Mil¬
lion Dollar Movie” last we^
the N. Y. Journal American,
like the other metropolitan
dailies, accepted a sizable ad -
heralding the telecasting of
the pic.

^Don Y Sass Boss \ Sez Roberta

By ROBERT J. LAp5)RY

Roberta Peters, a veteran of the Metropoitan Opera, this
being her eighth season and she a “matron” of 28, is like colora¬
turas generally in that she drinks hardly at all and only champagne.
Though there is little or no evidence that she was ever tempera¬
mental, her advice to “young” aspirants could be printed on the
reverse side of Rudolf Bing’s calling cards: study hard, get plenty
of sleepr be on time for rehearsals, know what you're doing, never
sass the management.

Miss Peters is an almost idyllic example of a feminine gender
Horatio Alger. She proceeded in one unswerving line from age 13
when she was excused from the public schools of the Bronx to
prepare (literally) for the Metropolitan. Everybody, including the
girl, seemed never to doubt the destination as proven by a re¬
fusal at 16 of a bona fide job offer in a Broadway musical, though
her parents were poor.

It helped that Jan Peerce was a friend of the family but at
19, coloratura acquired a manager named Sol Hurok, who picked
her from a studio audition. At 20, Hurok had her set to debut at
the Met in a small role, she never having sung in her life on any
stage. (The American Short-cut!) 'Then Nadine Connor came down
sick. With a few-hours notice, and no run-through with cast. Miss
Roberta proceeded to execute a true-life plot development worthy
of a Mario Lanza film, going on in “Don Giovanni,” while her
fellow-singers whispered stage business, and told her where to
cross next.

This season she’s singing “Magic Flute,” “Fledermaus,” “Rosen-
kavalier,” “Figaro” and “Lammermoor.” On Feb. 22 she makes her
21st appearance with Ed SuUivan on tv, believed highest frequency
for an operatic singer, |nd is a regular repeater on the Firestone
Hour. " : =' ' • ‘

Gypsy Markof Rips GI Setup For
Entertainers; Robbed, jigged, Starved

Hworii^ Anderson

Minneapolis, Nov, 25.

A $550,000 new -wing and floor
for toe $3,000,000 Northwest Vari¬
ety Club Heart Hospital on the U.
of Minnesota campus will be
named after Arthur W. Anderson,
local Warner Bros, branch man¬
ager and a former chief barker
who played a prominent part in
making the entire project a suc¬
cess.

The new portion of the hospital
will be dedicated at a banquet on
toe campus Jan. 15 when the uni¬
versity will be host to Anderson
and Variety dub officers and
members.

Walt Disney to Enre^eans:
‘I Want My Films Sioini
To Rnsuan Andimices’

Walt Disney would like to have
his productions played in Russia.
The producer stated this in a taped
recording which he did for Radio
Liberation and which was just
beamed to the Soviet Union.

In the broadcast,, hiade under
the aegis of the U.S. State Dept.,
the producer said he has no thoughts
about visiting Russia. But as for a
deal for his product, “It is just a
matter of being able to -negotiate
proper arrangements,’’ he com¬
mented.

Disney related that two years
(Continued on page 16)

"f Gypsy Markoff, one of the World
War II “soldiers in grea^paint,”
who lost permanent use of her
right hand for her necessary pro¬
fessional accordion-playing, hut
who was compensated in part by
toe U.S. Government is back from
a four-week tour of U.S. Army
installations in France. and (jler-
many with a decidedly dim view
of entertainment and entertain¬
ment facilities.

She and a line of eight girls,
plus emcee Harry Ellis, reached
the capping climax of a not too
happy four-week tour when she
and four of the girls in the line
were robbed of $579 in the GI
base near Toul, France. Tbehr
handbags also contained Amexco
checks but these were not touched.
Miss Markoff lost .$250, one girl
$100, two girls $IB() each and the
other femme was robbed of $60.

.While the commanding ofiBcer
was incensed that Anjerican. GIs
should be guilty of such larceny.
Miss Markoff and the girls say
“tjhe Army should be red In the
jface for not having done something
about it by now.” She detailed the
personal hardships experienced
chiefly because of long two and
three-hour rides, in cold omnibuses
through incessant rain, from the
towns to the service clubs at which
they entertained. In the-ease «f
the larceny at Toul, drinking at
GI service clubs is tabu but toe
girls sensed immediately that sev¬
eral were "high.” Dressing room
facilities are usually makeshift,
ranging from writing rooms to la¬
trine retreats for any costume
change^ so while the shows are
(Continued on page 16)

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ABEL GREEN. Editor

Volume 213

Bfumber 1

INDEX

B ills .

_... 86

86'

'Casting News.

Night C^ub Reviews .,

85

Chatter .

.93

94

Film Reviews.

Pictures ...

_ 3

House Reviews ...

Radio ..

.... 22

Inside Legit .

Record Reviews .....

.... 70

Inside Music _

Frank Scully ....

.... 92

Inside Radio-Tv

Television ..

...'. 22

International .

. 11

Television Reviews ..

.... 38

Legitimate .......

TV Films ..

24^

Literati ...

Vaudeville .

.... 80

Music ..

_... 69

Wall StTPPt .

_in

1

DAILY VARIRTY

(Publisbed In Hollywood by Daily Variety, Ltd.)
515 a year. 520. Foreign.

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

PICTURES

S

RACKMIL OUGHTA TELL: EXHIBS

4 -

Democrats Impact on Exhibs?

On the basis of the recent Democratic victory, exhibitors—per
Theatre Owners of America—spot the following trends in Wash¬
ington:

(1) A climate favorable to the extension of the minimum wage
law, indicating, according to TOA, that the industry may be faced
with a fight to prevent extension of the coverage. Legislation on
the subject has been dormant for several years.

" (2) Little likelihood' of additional admission tax relief in view
of anticipated greater Government spending.

(3) Liberalization of aid to small businessj In which film houses
could directly benefit:

(4) A Congress more repetitive to the outlawing of pay-tv be¬

cause of the defeat of some Congressmen believed to have
favored toll-tv. _____

Exchange Contract Talks Open; lATSE
Seeks Wage Hike, Mgt Stands Pat

The major film companies, ne¬
gotiating for a new contract with
the International Alliance of The¬
atrical Stage Employees for some
2,000 to 2,500 front and backroom
employees-at the 32 exchange cen¬
ters, reportedly have requested a
year’s moratorium on the talks
and continuation of the present
contract which expired on Nov.
30. The lA, In turn, is asking for a
general wage hike, increase in
payments to the pension fund, and
reduction in working hours from
37^ hours to 35. The film com¬
panies based their request on the
current economic conditions of the
Industry.

As a result of a vote taken
among the various exchange lo¬
cals, it was decided that the nego¬
tiations would be held on a na¬
tional level, with officials of the
International office running the
strategy and conducting the talks
for all the local unions Involved.
The lA negotiating team consists
of Walter Diehl, assistant Inter¬
national presient;' Louise Wright,
International v.p. and representa¬
tive of the film exchange employ¬
ees, and Harlan Holmden, Inter¬
national general secretary-trea¬
surer.

Three or four meetings have
been held so far with the film
.companies, but, according to ah
informed source, “they haven’t
gotten very far.’’

About 50% of the employees in¬
volved consists of bookers and
clerks. The other half is made up
«f shipper, inspectors and other
backroom staffers.

Save-the-Theatre
Plea Nosedives

Port W-ashington, Wis., Dec, 2.

, Exhibitor Dustie Martin, disillu-
sioned and in debt, closed the
Ozaukee, town’s only theatre, after
: the final performance last Satur-
: day (29). -

Boxoffice has been fair to poor
since Martin took over the filmery
last April. The local gazette pub-
lished his appeal to townsfolk for
' $1,800 In public gifts to keep the
I 500-seater going, but “not a buck”
had come in. Said Martin, “I’m
I quite disappointed in the town.”

s; ------

I GORDON SCOTT HAPPILY
BACK IN LOIN-CLOTH

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Gordon Scott’s new contract
with Sol Lesser Productions for
Tarzan features, following his pre¬
vious statement that he wouldn’t
re-sign, runs four years, calls for
immediate pay increase plus slid¬
ing raises over years.

Scott leaves immediately for
London, continuing on to Africa in
about two weeks to start “Tarzan’s
Greatest Adventure.”

Pact permits outside pix. Actor
broke with agent. Milt Rosnec, who
opposed mbve, but Rosner con¬
tinues to rep Vera Miles, actor’s
wife.

Walter Meyers, his previous
agent, handled new deal for Scott.

Spam t Vox Pop Topt

Madrid, Dec. 2.
Annual vox pop poll of film
fan mag “Triunfo,” an impor¬
tant trade event in Spain’s
film industry, has turned up
following:

Best Producer—^Benito Perojo,
“La Violetera”

Best Aetreas —Sarita Montiel,
same picture

Best Actor— Vincente Parra
Best Director —^Ladislao Vajda
B^ Foreign Fflm —“Nights of
- Cabiria” (Italy) with kudos
to its director, Federico Fel¬
lini, and actress-^vife, Giuli-
etta Masina.

One tJJS. Mention —Heniy

Fonda, “12 Angry Men”
(UA)

Jay Frankel Climates
Russia and Satdiites’
Potential at $1,500,000

Assuming current conditions
continue and there’s no interna¬
tional upset, the Communist orbit
including Russia can be worth
aroimd $1,500,000 a year to the
Uj S.^^lm Industry, J. Jay Frankel,
prez of M. J. P. Enterprises, esti¬
mated in N. Y. last week,

Frankel, whose outfit has the ex¬
clusive Warner Bros., Paramount
and RKO representation for the
Iron Curtain countries, said the
amount^ could grow “gradually”
arid that he was getting requests
for films from virtually all of the
Communist nations.

M. P, J., which is the exclusive
film purchasing agent for the
Czechs in the States, has a deal to
sell Prague 10 films for a total of
$125,000. Four of the ten already
have been bought, including -“War
and Peace” ($15,000), “Old Man
and the Sea” ($15,000). “Moby
Dick” arid “East of Eden.” The
Czechs have made a $44,000 pay¬
ment towards the full amount.

Additional titles to be bought by
the Czechs include “Roman Holi-
(Continued on page 16)

Jack Warner Cheery

A “vast potential for profitable
operations in the business of
"producing and distributing mo¬
tion pictures for theatrical
exhibition” is within Jack L.
Warner’s cone of vision. The pres¬
ident of Warner Bros., in. a letter
to stockholders this week, said the
first quarter of the new fiscal year
expectedly will show a substantial
upbeat over previous periods. He
adds that in effect he’s high on the
results shown by quality pictures,

Warner states that as a result of
the upbeat the company has been
going after, and acquiring, “many
of the most sought-after film pro¬
perties,including books, plays and
talent Company now has more
than 30 “major” properties' in
Various stages of preparation for
release.

The- “major attention” is given
theatrical productions, said the
prez,'but still “significant success”
has been achieved in telefilm-mak¬
ing.

Fearful over the uncertainty sur¬
rounding Universal and unable to
obtain a definite commitment from
prexy Milton R. Rackmil about the
company’s future status, a group
of exhibitors have unofficially pro¬
posed the idea of forming a syn¬
dicate to buy Out the company. Ex¬
hibitor interest in such an idea is
based on the trepidation that the
loss of another important supplier
of films would result in untold
direct and indirect damage to the
nation’s theatres which are al¬
ready suffering from a short sup¬
ply ot product.

It is the opinion of exhibitor
leaders that everything possible
must be done to keep Universal, or
for that matter any other film
company^ alive and in active pro¬
duction. “If there is any danger
about the future of Universal,”
said one exhib leader, “Rackmil,
out of fairness to the industry,
ought to tell us.” He added that
if the rumors concerning Univer¬
sal are true, “we Ought to be given
a chance to try and keep the c6m-
pany alive.” However, he indi¬
cated that theatremen, as well as
the rest of the industry, are com¬
pletely in the dark as to Rackmil’s
intentions.

A Congress Fret

Sam Pinanski, a leading light In
Theatre Owners of America, ex¬
pressed the view that if there is
any danger concerning Universal,
the subject should be brought up
and discussed, by the newly-or¬
ganized American Congress of Ex¬
hibitors. He ventured the view
that perhaps exhibitors, acting as
a unified body, could perhaps lend
some aid in helping a troubled
company out of its difficulties. He
said he had been approached by
many theatremen who have asked
him what could be done to pre¬
serve U and other companies as
active providers of product.

Concerning Universal’s short¬
ened production program—^seven
pictures as compared, with 34 a
year ago—several theatremen ex¬
pressed the hope that they would
have the opportunity to sit down
with Rackmil to discuss the situa¬
tion and see what can be done to
(Continued on page 14)

Trend for Yank

Distribution rnergers overseas at
I times create strarige situations. For
instance, 20th-Fox is now handling
the RKO films in Ecuador. Deal
originally was for Metro to handle
the RKO releases there.- But
then Metro turned over its product
in Ecuador to 20th, and the RKO
contract was transferred too.

The Metro- 20th cooperation
abroad is widening. With 20th
taking on Metro in New Zealand,
M-G in turn now js releasing the
20th product in Chile and Peru,
and Metro also is distributing 20th
in Viethnam and Siam, 20th is re¬
leasing Metro in Venezuela.

Though the Metro-20th coopera^
tion appears to be accelerating, and
both companies in turn are hud¬
dling with other outfits on similar
mergers elsewhere, some execu-?'
tives still have their misgivings.
They argue that handling a com¬
pany’s fUms to a competitor for
distribution deprives one outfit of
its longstanding identification in a
given market. Also, the cost of
giving up offices and personnel in
some places are exceedingly high
and almost nullify savings from
mergers.

Nevertheless, what with pres¬
sures from all directions to econo¬
mize, this type of merger is seen
as a dramatic gesture to prove the.
companies are at least trying, j

Hit 96, U Preferred Drops to 83;

Decca Repeats 25c Dividend

UA Repeats Divvy: 40c

The United Artists board,
meeting in N. Y. yesterday
(Tues.), declared the regular
quarterly 40c dividend on the
common stock.

It’s payable Dec. 26 to stock¬
holders of record Dec. 12,1958.

Limited Reciprocity Not
Acceptable to Czechs;
Only Deal Now’s M.J.P.

The Motion Picture Export
Assn, has offered a limited reci¬
procity deal to the Czechs, but was
turned down with a pointed ref¬
erence to the problems already
posed by a similar arrangements^
between the U.S. and the Russians.

Offer was made in Washington
by MPEA prex Eric Johnston some
time ago in conversation with
Ladislav Kachtik, the Czechs’ ex¬
port head. Johnston said that, if
the Czechs were to buy his mem¬
ber companies’ films, he’d use his
personal Influence to see that the
majors took on some Czech pic¬
tures in the States.

Kachtik since then has signed
a deal with J. Jay Frankel’s M.J.P,
outfit under which M.J.P. becomes
the Czechs’ exclusive agent when
it comes to the acquisition of Hol¬
lywood product. Frankel in turn
has first refusal right for the
States on all Czech productions.
Frankel represents Paramount,
Warner Bros, and RKO in their
Iron Curtain deals.

Johnston’s offer occasions sur¬
prise since this is the second time
that MPEA has gone for the re¬
ciprocity idea. It did likewise in
the Soviet deal, though the term
“exchange” is studiously avoided
in the agreement. However, both
parties pledge the wdest possible
circulation for th&- respective
purchases. The U. S.- State DepL
has urged exhibitors to make ev¬
ery effort to book the Russian fea¬
tures so as to assure the showing
of the Hollywood films in the So¬
viet Union.

In the past, MPEA has taken a
rigid position against reciprocity
in its relations with foreign in¬
dustries and governments. In ari
interview with Variety recently,
Kachtik said he wasn’t interest^
in ally reciprocity deals for Czech
films. “We’d rather just seU and
buy,” he said.

Although no official disclosure
was forthcoming last week after
the Decca and Universal board
meetings, insiders insist that ne¬
gotiations for' Music Corp. of
America to buyout U’s studio
realty holdings for $10,000,000 to
$15,000,000 are continuing be¬
tween attorneys for both compa¬
nies. All that was revealed was
that Decca had declared a regular
25c quarterly dividend.

Meanwhile, U’s preferred stock,
which zoomed 23 points in seven
days to 96, dropped to 83 this
week. Some sources attributed the
decrease to profit taking while
others maintained that the initial,
skyrocketing was due to “a lot of
people who believed that the com¬
pany would retire the shares” at
$105 par value in order to effect
a merger with Decca Records,
which owns 82i/6% of U’s common
shares. One Wall Streeter, close to
the Decca^U situation, said he
didn’t see any reason for the re¬
tirement of the preferred shares,
especially since Decca owned over
80% of the common.

The activity of U’s preferred
shares was somewhat bewildering
to Wall Streeters as well as some
holders of the shares. Commented
one source: “Somebody has inside
information.”

Meanwhile, the confusion that
has surrounded U in recent weeks
continued as prexy Milton R. Rack-
mil maintained his silence and re-
I fused to issue any clarification of
I the MCA-U deal. MCA officials
lhave acknowledged that the talks
I are taking place, but Rackmil has
1 refused to coni^m or deny the
■ reports.

Reed, Greene in Spain

Madrid, Dec. 2.

Sir Carol Reed and Graham
Greene are currently scouting lo¬
cations in Southern Spain for a
J. Arthur Rank production of
Greene’s latest novel, “Man from
Havana,” which the novelist will
screenplay himself.

Greene told press here that
screenwriting was not an unfathom¬
able technique and while he knew
scripters with greater talent, he
preferred his own screen adapta¬
tions as a guarantee the original
opus would not be mutilated.

“Man from Havana” is slated to
roll next April, principally on lo¬
cation in Spain, with Alec Guiness
in the lead.

Universal prexy Milton R. Rack-
mil, general counsel Adolph Schi-
mel, and foreign manager Americo
Aboaf have gone to London to con¬
clude the deal \vith James Car¬
reras’ Hammer Productions for
the delivery of several horror pic¬
tures to Universal. The deal Was
originally initiated by Alfred E.
Daff, recently out as executive v.p.
of the company.

. Following his London visit,
Rackmil will go to Paris for meet¬
ings with U’s Continental staffers.
At the completion of his business
there, he’ll take the polar route
to L. A.. He’s due at the Universal
studio on Dec. 12. 1

Reprieve Due For
French Film Aid

Paris, Dec. 2.

As of this week it looks like an
extension of the Film Aid Law is
inevitable, but for exactly how long
is still in question. Though passed
by Edouard Ramounet, Minister of
Commerce and Industry, under
whom the film industry is placed
with administrative guidance by
the Centre Du Cinema, Antoine
Pinay, Finance Minister, has held
off signing till now.

It is only Pinay’s signature hold-
irig up the extension. He feels that
too much money is spent on push¬
ing the sensational aspects of the
French film (Brigitte Bardot et. al.),
and is against subventions on prin¬
ciple. However, he offered a six-
month extension—till July, ’59 for
it runs out in Jan., ’59).

W6’S$20-MILBANK
CREDIT NOW $5,000,000

Warners is apparently cutting
down on its obligations. Decipher¬
ing its audit-Latin, a bank credit
of $20,000,000 has seemingly been
reduced to $5,000,000, with a re¬
striction on dividends ($1.20 per
year) removed.

Still maintained are require¬
ments for a certain, unspecified
working capital and a limit on the
amount of company stock which
the company may buy in.

In the past fiscal year WB bought
in 48,100 of its own common shares
on the open market at a> cost of
$950,000. Outstanding were 1,745,-
196 shares, exclusive of the 737,-
051 held in the treasury.

LeRoy Crew Back West

Producer-director Mervyn Le¬
Roy and his crew returned to the
Coast this week following the wind¬
up of New York location shooting
for “The FBI Story.”

Footage was taken at the
Yankee Stadium, Central Park,
midtown streets and other Gotham
areas.

4

HCTOUSS

'W«dite§day, December 3, 195ft

Of Bose Wbo Fancy Selves Talented,
Aptitude Tests Show37% 'Just Amt’

In a small, cluttered little office
in the heart of Broadway, a ftlej
cabinet is crammed full with
dashed hopes and joyous expecta¬
tions, In this age of mechanization,
a way has finally been found to re¬
duce the scope of talent to a couple
of typewritten pages that say
either ■“yes” or “no” with the ir¬
refutable logic bom of “scientific
testing.”

The office belongs to The Bureau j
of Artistic Aptitude Testing, which 1
is headed by Ted Adair, a former
show biz \\Tmderidnd who started
dancing at the age of two and pro¬
gressed up the step ladder of kid
acts, revues, carnivals and vaude
to appear in niteries, films and on
tv, ending up as a choreographer
for some top tv programs.

The idea of talent testing came
to him back in 1947„ when he was ^
ill and had to spend considerable
time on his back. “It used to make
me sick, watching all those kids;
come into New York, some of them
■without any "talent at all and justi
drawn by the ^mor of Broadway,
or by the promise of some fake
talent outfit that ■‘tested*^ them,
found them brimful of ability and
sent them off in the-■wild blue
yonder. I began to think what
could be done to give these young¬
sters, and others too, some reliable
guidance.”

Adair began testing batteries or
psychological performance tests
and consult^ w-tb various psycho-
lo^cal testing services. He startea
with private referrals from schools,
etc. and didn’t actually elicit cus¬
tomers until a year ago. During
the prior five years he kept check¬
ing and re-checking his questions
to come up with the right kind of
tests.

Tested to Date

“We’ve tested 1,200 people so
far,” he related recently. “That’s
our validity point. V.'e’re the first
and only service that tells people,
honestly, what their real aptitudes
are, in which direction they should
proceed, etc. We find out their
motivations, drives, v^hy tney think
they’re talented, v/hat made them
think they had a future in show-
business, to what extent they can
take direction and have the capa¬
bility of study, and so on.”

Inhibition, said Adair, isn’t the
stumbling block most people sus¬
pect. “We’ve foimd quite a lot of
inhibited people who actually find
release in being on tbs stage,” he
said. “Once they’re up there, they
lose themselves 'completely.”

Evaluations are on both the psy¬
chological and the performance
level “Quite a lot of people are
suspicious of us,” Adair said
frankly. “They come in and the
first question is ‘What’s tlie gm-
mick? What school are you tied
up with?’ Of course, we aren’t tied
up with any school. We’re simply
running a service.”

Based on his statistics so far,
379c of all people who’ve come into
his office think they’ve got talent,
but do not. Keeping in mind that
he tests for all fields, not only in
the acting profession, Adair esti¬
mated that 43% had enough abil¬
ity to warrant further study, and
about half of these had sufficient
talent to earn a living from their
chosen profession.

“Sometimes we discover hidden
talents through the tests,” Adair
related. “An elderly lady came in
to us. She ■w'anted to write. We
found that her real ability was in
art, painting to be exact. She took
our advice and has been quite
successful at it.” Ke pointed to the
wall opposite his desk, to a large,
amateurish painting. “She was so
grateful to us, she came in and
presented us with one of her
W'orks,” he said.

Talent vs. ‘Warmth’

The talent people in show biz
tend to take the results of his
tests ■with a grain of salt, Adair
admitted. “But,” he added, “you’ve
got to remember that films aren’t
really overly inte^^ted in talent.
They are more concerned with a
warm personality and good looks.
We find the theatre and television
a lot more honest."

Bureau of Aptitude Testing em¬
ploys four psychologi^ Procedure
is the following: Client first gets
an interview, which also helps
Adair .screen- out crackpots and
establish whether the talent is
“serious.” There follow's a four to
five hours objective and subjective

psychological test, and a simple
I.Q. test (that’s more impoitani
for writers and directors).

This in turn is followed by a per¬
formance test involving reading,
improvisation, rhythm, test for
pitch, etc. “Sometimes we get per¬
formers coming in here who feel
they aren’t progressing, and -they’d
like to find oht why,” Adair ex¬
plained. Average age of those who
plunk down their $75 for the test
is 20 to 30. The Bureau doesn’t
test kids under 10.

Do all the dients take the
Bureau’s advice? ’‘Most of the
time," said Adair. “Of course,
there’s always the boy or the. girl
who wem’t give up. We had S:
dancer in here once. The test;
showed she didn’t have enough
talent to make a career of it, but
she kept plugging anyway. She’s
now in the chorus line of one of
the nightdubs.” He shrugged re¬
signedly. ' V

“We can only test talent h«?e,"
he said. “We can’t anticipate the
lucl^ breaks.”

Filin'Snedis’As
Sunday Salvagfir
Vs. Television

Minneapolis, Dec. 2.
With television continuing to
make inroads on business Sunday
nights, •which before video used
to be one of the week’s best,
“sneak ime-vu6s” on the Sabbath
evening is being resorted to here
for the first time in an evident ef¬
fort to bolster the boxofflce.

The State, the leading local
loop Minnesota Amusement Co.
(United Paramount), experiment¬
ally introduced what’s hoped will
be a business builder last Sunday
night (23). It “sneak pre-vued” a.
major picture along with its xegur.
lar attraction, “In War and Peace."

This is a single feature town.
“Sneak prevuing” consists of ad¬
vertising and offering a second im¬
portant ^cture for a single even¬
ing showing along with the regular.
top attraction, but without an¬
nouncing the name of the added
film. Previously, it has been con¬
fined to occasional Friday nl^ts.
It’s expected that the Simday night
“sneak prevuing” will be only oc¬
casional, too.

Joseph Friedman, Paramount ex¬
ploitation chief, calling on circuit
execs around the country, to dis¬
cuss the promotion for “The Buc¬
caneer.”

Turkey Day and the long holiday
weekend are proving a real exhibi¬
tors feast in current session. Only
minor drawback was that in several
key cities, such as Pittsburgh, Bos¬
ton and Buafflo, heavy snows and
cold weather nipped soaring trade.:
Even in some these the strong fare
was able to overcome this handicap.

N^w champ at the wickets is;
“Mardi Gras” (20th) which was
fourth a week ago. “Houseboat”-
(Par), first last round, is winding;
up a strong second. “Home After
Dark” (WB) is coming from far
back in the pack to, cop third"
: money.

“South Seas Adventure” ((Cine¬
rama) will finish fourth. It was
fifth last round. “Tunnel of Love”;
(M-G), second a week ago, will cap-;
ture fifth position. “South Pacific”;
(Magna) is winding up sixth as;
compared with third last session.

“Windjammer” (NT), which was
ninth last stanza, is taking seventh
place. “Gigi” (M-G), long high on
the list, is landing in eighth spot.
“Last Hurrah” (CoU, eightii last
week, rounds out the Big Nine this
farme.

“Party Girl” (M-G) and “Old
Man and Sea” (WB) are the nmner-
up pix, neither showing marked
strength.

“Anna Lucasta” (UA) looms as

New York to L« A

Munri Barber'

Buddy Basch

Marge & Gower Champion
Henry Denker
Oscar Katz
Leo Lax
Mervyn LeRoy .

William MacQuitty
Paul Muni
Maureen O’Hara
David Niven
' James E. Perkins
Lee Sherman
Gene Tierney

L. A- to N. K.

Leonard Anderson
Patricia Barry
Philip Barry Jr,

Barbara Bel (^eddes
Jim Boles
Shirley Bootii
Gilmor Brown
Billie-Burke
Sdney CJarroll
Ilka Chase
Alexander H. Cohen
Harold Cook
Ann Cofio
Vic Damone
James Dobson
Paul Douglas
Anthony Franciosa
Y. Frank Freeman
Henry Ginsberg
Leonard H. Goldenson
Leo A. Handel
Sobert Horton
•Victor Joiy
Anatole Litvak
Howard Meighan
Mac. McClain .

Tony Randall
Joe Rines
Franchot Tone
Don Weis
Keer n Wynn

Europe to U. S.

Mrs. Barney Ba^ban
Joseph P. Blnns
James Cagney
Leo CariUo
Jeanne Crain
Vera Ellen
Conrad N. Hilton
Pierre Huss
Dick Joseph
Richard Kom
Harold Lloyd .

Leonard Lyons
Nicole Maurey
Lauritz Melchior
Spyros P. Skouras
Horace Sutton
Art Van Horn
Earl Wilson
Cohir'* V^right

U. S. to Europe

Americo Aboaf
Anthony Asquith
Maurice Chevalier
Richard Davis
Charles P. Heidt
Jerome Hines
Arthur Laurents
Laurence Olivier
Susan Oliver
Milton R. ^Uckmil
Adolph Schimel
Karl de Vogt
Cornel Wilde

one of the more, promising new en¬
tries. It is g^eat la Chi and smash
in L.A. “Geisha Boy”"(Par), also
new, shapes big in CM. “Rockets
Galore” (Rank), also a fresh en¬
trant, looms lofty in Boston. “I
Want To Live” (UA), another ne-w-
comer, shapes socko in C!hi, mighty
in L.A. and great in N.Y,

“Reluctant Debutante” (M-G) Is
okay in WasMngton. “Around
World in 30 Days” (UA), smash
in Chi, is great in luA.

“Man of West” (UA), fair in-
Minneapolis, looks okay in Frisco,;
“Dr. Laurent” (T-D looms gdod in •
Washington. ,

“In Love and War” (20th> shapes'
fine in Philly. “Bell, Book and Can¬
dle” (Col) still is stout in L.A. “Me:
and Colonel” (Col) is good in Balto'
and. tidy in Oipaha.

“Night Heaven Fell” (Kings)
looks socko in Minneapolis. “Big
Country” (UA), is rated big in both
K.A. and Toronto.

‘“My Uncle, Mr. Hulot” (Cont),
smash in N. looms torrid in Bos¬
ton. “The Blob” (Par) shapes slow
in Toronto. '

“White Wilderness” (BV>, good
in Balto, is rated fast in St. Louis
and okay in Pitt, “Tarawa .Beach¬
head” (Col) looks nice in Chi and
fair in Philly.

'■(Complete Boxoffiee Grosses
on Pages 8-9) i

National Boxoffiee Survey

Holiday Booms Biz; ‘Mardi Gras’ No. 1, ‘Houseboat’
2d, ‘Dark’ 3d, ‘So. Seas’ 4th, ‘Tunnel’ Sth

:: New York Sound Track

■“Sloh, ■Son of Blob” is sequel title suggested by -Cly^e . Gilaa e ur ,
Toronto Tel^am film critic, after seeing “Blob.”

Whatever happened to that brief, defiant “bump” Susam Hayward
did in “I Want to Live?” It was in the version passed by the N.Y.
censor, but isn’t in the one showing on Broadway.

Bob Hope at the -Motion Picture Pioneers dinnen It’s been a tough
season on tv. Even Bishop Sheen has been off the air, and look at the
sponsor he had! I understand though he’s coming back in a series
called “The Sheriff of Vatican Chty.” , . , Britain’s Kemsetfc More
eventually plans to give up acting for directing.

Tiliie (Mrs. Barney) Balaban back in New York this week after an
extended stay in Europe ... “Nine Lives,” said to be the first, Nor¬
wegian picture to be released in this country (Louis deBoriiemont
has the rights), has been booked for the Guild Theatre in Rockefeller
•Center.

(tolumbla hopes that lightning strikes twice. Roger Vadim, once mar¬
ried to Brigitte Bardot and regarded as the “Svengali” who discovered
; her and made her the.world-wide sex symbol, will direct a screen test
€Ef his second wife, Danish model Annette Btroyberg, ior the lone fem*
■me role in Carl Foreman’s “Guns of Navarone,” which Col win re¬
lease , . . ‘The Three Bamboos,” a novel published by Macmiflan 16
years ago, is arousing Hollywood kiterest. Written -by Rabert titandlrb
whose “Elephant Walk” was filmed by Paramount, “The. Tbtnee Bam¬
boos” is a story of the rise of modem Japan . . . Ernie Emerling,
Loew’s Theatres pab-ad cMef, in Cincinnati to address the Independent
Iheatre Owners of Ohio and Indiana ^ . . John HiHdrlng, tormerly
president, named chairman of the hoard of General Aniline A Film
Corp. Philip M. Dinkins, Who has been v.p.-general manager of the
company’s dyestuff and chemical division, was elected president

Walter Slenk says he will never live in Hollywood although he
spends six -months a year there/for tv and filra assignments. ’"ThCTe’s
a dearth of culture out there,” he said- “In fact, the only time anyone
seems to have an art exhibit hi Hollywood is when they can come up
with enough money to rent some kleig lights.” . . . Anthony Aaqulih.
who directed "The Doctor’s Dilemma” for Metro, returned to England
after a brief Gotham visit ^ -, Seventh annual convention of the Texas
Drive-In Theatres Assn, will be held Feb. 16-18 at the Adolphus Ho¬
tel In Dallas.

For the second ^ar TelePrompter handled the closed-circuit ar¬
rangements for the recent Parke-Bemet art auction. Among show
bizites at the event were Greer Garson, Loretta Young, Rise Stevens.
Lucy Monroe and Robert W. Dowlinc . . . Hngh E. Gage named v.p.
of Wilding Picture Productions, Chicago outfit spedalizing in bud-
ness films and industrial shows. He’ll headquarter in N.Y, Imd will
be in charge of the eastern sales division .. . Norbert Anerbach, CcQum-
bia International’s Continental sales manager, and Erich Muell^.
managing director for Germany, in New York for- conferences with
prexy Lacy Kastner and other executives.

Laurence Harvey, co-star of touring Old Vic, talked mi^ty tandidly
to Toronto newspapermen while there last week. He -called the men
who ran British film industry “a bunch of idiots,” He could think of
only three topnotch directors; David Lean, Anthony Asquith and
Carol Reed — “although Carol has slipped a bit lately." He hated
Renato Caatellanfs direction in the film "Romeo and Juliet,” in which
Harvey co-starred, because the text was “distorted” and Castellanl
made him “sound like a violin by forbidding to use bass register at
afl.”

Arthur L. M*yer teUs about the importer who discovered i^on re¬
ceipt of his foreign picture that two middle reels Were missing. He
decided to show it anyway and both press and public made with the
cheers. As a matter of fact one critic noted “the foreign flair for sig¬
nificant omission,”

According to a recent Radio Moscow broadcast, the new Soviet se-ven-
year program calls for the building, of 14)00 new pic houses in Rus¬
sia .. . Same plan also would equip Russian pic studios to enable
them to produce 1,160 (type tmspeedfied) films per year.

Rome producer Count Pecei-Bloiut at the St Regis until mid-De¬
cember to study Yank co-production deal as well as American thespe
for a Robert Wyler pic property he’s just optioned entitled “Ah Amer¬
ican in Rome.” , , , Pic would he made in Rome in color next spring-
summer, with a mixed Yank-Italian. cast

The “boxoffiee” at the New York Stock Exchange is just fine. At-
tenxiance at the visitor’s gallery passed the 5,000 .mark last Thursday
(27) for a new record . . . Harold Robbins figures on -earning up to
$200,000 on his indie production of “Never Jjove a Stranger." Gotham
playoff alone will pay off the bank notes . . . Harold Rand in a whim¬
sical mood, offering green stamps to editors who accept his publicity
blurbs for Buena Vista product . . . Dino DeLanrehtiis would have
liked to have a Paramoimt horaeoffice exec at the premiere in Naples
of “Tempest” (in wMch Par has a heavy stake) but no one could
make it.

Fredric March’s complete career is itemized in the Dec. issue of
Films in Review, 61 feature films from 1929 to 1956 being cataloged
by Romano T«bL

Actor Ralph Bellamy was so green when .he applied for his first
stage job in Chicago, he asked if any “ingenue” parts were available.
So. he told Joan Hananer, Toronto Star.

Balaban Katz circuit in CMcago bought into the legit advertiring
columns over the weekend to blurb the “Bolshoi Ballet” pic booked
for a single day at two of its outlying houses at upped prices. Chain
logically figured that was the place .to solicit longhairs, especially for
a one-day showing. *

Actor-stager Don Costello writes In to tell about a crowded (and
diverrified) sch^ulc. Just done a tv pilot, had bit parts in a couple
of N.Y.-made features and a tv series, designed a couple of nitery
turns, wrote .a play, composed 16 (count ’em) pop tunes and posed for
a couple of album covers.

Original idea to have Scot actrar Jimmy Logan in role of late Jack
Buchanan in film biog was put to Herbert Wilcox by Ctordon Irving,
Now Auld Lang Syne sheets are making headlines of the suggestion
as brand-new.

When t he W riters Gnild of America-West execs' were east recently
to huddle with the WGA-East on a national policy x>ertaining to screen
and vidpix credits, it wound up with »an informal engagement party
for the writers’ attorney, Richard Jablow, and Judy Fink, metroi>oli-
tan golting champ and associate editor of the new mag, Golf. £rik
Bamoraw, prez of WGA-E and also the national chairmup of the. Writ¬
ers.’ Rdmnnd Hartmann, pres of the Coast branchy Ken Eagiiind, prez
of the film branch of WGA-W, Leontfd Freeman, v.p. of the tv branch,
Mdville Nimmer, Coast attorney for the writers, and the two execu¬
tive secretaries (Evelyn Borkey, N.Y., and Michael Fraafcfin, Holly¬
wood) were part of the celebrants.

Coast writer execs spoofed certain words that certain Hollywood
writers have gone in for, of late, ^ch. as euchred, didj^omy^ tletni^
advocate. -One Australian writer threw everybody- ::^th Tairnliinkuin,”
meaning par for the course; and Leonard Spicgelgass and Hez4>eii.
Baker were sure to ilghtai any serioros discussion, when It reached an
(Continued on page 10)

Wednegday, December S« 1958

P^IEff

PICTVItES

s

TV ‘FEES’ FOR FILM PLUGOLA

Kenneth More Sees British Features
Crimped By Faint-Hearted Bankers

Par Calms Hands
At Famous Players

Toronto, Dec. 2.

In a move apparently designed
to bolster morale among members
of Famous Players Canadian, Para¬
mount has sent the message that
management of this exhibition¬
broadcasting company will remain
unchanged upon Par’s sale of a
substantial portion of its stock in¬
terests.

Canadian personnel had no hint
of the new Par disposition of
shares in FPC until a report on a
projected deal appeared in Variety
last week.

American film company now
holds 51% of the outstanding com¬
mon issue and intends to reduce
these holdings to 24%. Price of
$15,000,000 already has been of¬
fered by an unidentified group but
no decisions yet on whether Par
will sell at that figure or hold out
for more.

In any event, J. J. Fitzgibbons,
president of FPC, and his manage¬
ment team will slay on. Par has
assured, presumably with this to
be a stipulation in whatever kind
of deal is entered^

SCREEN ACTORS FAVOR
FUSION WITH AIRCASTER

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

By a “substantial majority,”
membership of Screen Actors
Guild approved a board recom¬
mendation to explore the possibil¬
ity of merger with American Fed¬
eration of Television-Radio Actors
and any other actors’ unions with¬
in, the umbrella of the Four A’s.
Action was taken at a membership
session held on Tuesday night
(Nov. 25).

At the same meeting a motion
to limit the board’s move to in¬
vestigation of merger with AFTRA
only was beaten.

It’s known SAG board actually
was presenting the move solely
with the idea of a potential merger
with AFTRA in mind, and actually
had broadened its motion to en¬
compass other, actor guilds mainly
as a courtesy.

San Francisco’s Mayor In
Festival Bid to IFFPA

San Francisco, Dec. 2.

Mayor George Christopher, on
eve of International Federation of
Film Producers’ Paris meeting,
cabled that body urging that it
endorse San Francisco as fourth
“A” film festival city, following
Cannes, Venice and Berlin.

“San Francisco is keen to host
another film festival,” wrote the
mayor, indicating that an “A” rat¬
ing would mean city funds would
be forthcoming for 1959 festival.

Christopher’s message followed
cabled endorsement sent Federa¬
tion by TOA President George
Kerasotes, who “strongly urged”
that Frisco be named fourth site
for an “A” fete.

Frisco Not Sanctioned

Paris, Dec. 2.

The Federation of International
Associations of Film Producers
completed its meeting here Fri.
(28). Of the 14 demands for in¬
ternational film festival participa¬
tion, only four were recognized for
full-scale FIAFP backing as com¬
petitive fests:

Cannes—^May 1-15 ’59.

Berlin—June 26-July 7.

San Sebastien—June 5-14.

Venice—^Aug. 23-Sept. 6..

Federation will meet again In
eary ’59 to discuss other requests.
No others were given the nod due
to insufficient data and clarity in
their demands. The Commie bids,
Karlo\ v Vary and Moscow Film
Fests, where nixed.

Harry Belafohte has a cross-
collateralized six-picture deal with
United Artists. “Odds Against
Tomorrow” will be the first film
under that deal.

By FRED HIFT

I The deterioration of the British
industry is due in large part to a
lack of faith among the money
men, British actor Kenneth More
said in N. Y. last week. It was clear,
he added, that “we just can’t af¬
ford a purely native industry.”

In Manhattan to help plug the
Rank Organization's “A Night to
Remember,” in which he stars and
which is opening at the Criterion
on Broadway, More said “We
should have a better opportunity
than before, but unfortunately
we’ve lost the trust of the bankers.
That’s the first thing which we’ll
have to reestablish.”

The difficulty of finding financ¬
ing was cited by More as-discour¬
aging to the independents in Brit¬
ain. “They’ve been hounded out
of the industry,” he said. “With
attendance slipping, there just
isn’t the money around these days.
A lot of our ace producers have
drifted away. There was a time
when we had freedom in Britain
to make all sorts of pictures. This
isn’t true any more.

. International Success

“It’s comparatively easy to make
films that win artistic accolades.
It’s quite a different thing to pro¬
duce pictures which not only have
quality, but are also internationally
successful. Television killed our
‘small’ films, which were typically
British and were enjoyed by an
awful lot of people.. Today it’s
only international stories and casts
that make the grade,”

More himself won’t appear in
any film in which he doesn’t have
an American costar. Apart from
“Night to Remember,” he’s also in
the upcoming “Sheriff of Frac¬
tured Jaw,” playing opposite Jayne
Mansfield. The comedy stands to
make £400,000 (about $1,100,000)
in Britain alone. Produced by
Danny Angel, it’s released by 20th-
Fox. “It’ll be a goldmine for us,”
said More, who gets 5% of the
profits.

Actor Is under contract to Rank
to make seven films in five years
on straight salary (“John Davis

doesn’t believe in giving percent
age deals,” he explained). So far,
he’s made “Night to Remember”
and “The 38 Steps” under that ar¬
rangement. More also is due to
make three in five years for Angel
and 20th. “Sheriff” was the first
one; under that contract. His next
picture will be “Northwest Front¬
ier” for Rank. Lauren Bacall
will costar.

Not Good at Business

More said he could easily get a
production deal of his Own, releas¬
ing through British-Lion, but “I've
got what I want, and I’ve never
been lucky in business anywas'. I
think too many actors also try to
be their own administrators these
days, and I see them walking
around with worried faces. Some
people have the flair for it, of
course. I don’t.”

Television has absorbed many of
Britain’s unemployed actors, More
said. “As a matter of fact, it’s
very hard to cast a film in Britain
today;” he observed. But he him¬

self won’t go on television. “If I
do, it’ll kill the theatre business
that night.. That’s true of any big
actor in Britmn today. It was ter¬
rible what happened to the theatres
the night Laurence Olivier went
on. : Nobody went. So people like
myself stay off television, though
they offer fantastic sums. I was
offered £123,000 (about $640,000)
to appear in one tv series; and most
of that money would have been
taxfree in one way or another.”

More said “Night to Remember,”
which tells the story of the Titanic
sinking based on the Walter Lord
book, for the first time showed
British studios meeting the sup¬
posed technical superiority of Hol¬
lywood. “It’s absolutely authen¬
tic,” he said. “As realistic as they
come. They built one 40-foot
working model of the Titanic. It
cost £7,000 (about $19,000) and it
was sunk later on. -The picture has
British character acting at its very
best. It, should be a smasher in
the States.”

DISmiBSMING.

ilONGEillOED

By HY HOLLINGER

Ever since the film industry has
recognized television as a potent
medium for so-called “free” plugs
on current and upcoming pictures,
there have been numerous policy
conflicts between the filmites and
the videoites. First the tv pro¬
grams wooed the picture people,
for anything connected with the
.“movies” during the early stages
of television was considered likely
to bolster-the new medium. As tv
mushroomed and became the all-
powerful outlet it now is, the pic¬
ture business suddenly found it¬
self in the position of the wooer
rather than the benefactor.

At present, the competition
among the film companies to obtain
plugs on some of the high-rated
shows has become so keen that the
tv shows can be selective to the
point of only doing business with
those companies w-illing to pay a
“fee” for this service. The tv-ites
regard the word “fee” as a mis¬
nomer and maintain that the only
charges involved are those over
and above the normal production
costs of a particular program.

‘Payoff’ Scale

However, according to one pub-
ad executive, “no one is as blatant
as tv. They come right out and ask
for money.” The exec, w'ho under
the circumstances prefers to re¬
main anonymous, declared that the
payoffs can run from $25 to $20,-
000. The latter, of course, is the
exception and involved the cost of
filming a special tv sequence on a
foreign location. In addition to the
cost of transporting special repre¬
sentative ^ of the tv show to the lo¬
cation and the cost of filming and
editing the tv spot, the stars of the
picture, in return for allowing
themselves to be shown on televi¬
sion, demanded as payment a “sam¬
ple” of the tv sponsor’s product.

In this particular case, it was a
$4,0C0 automobile. Since it w'cis the
film company and nof the tv show
which was anxious to get the filmed
sequence on the coaxial cable, the
film company was forced to go out
and buy three cars.

In other, cases, the film .compa¬
nies have had to pay $25 for a spe¬
cial makeup man, $50 for a men¬
tion when they give away free
tickets to a Broadway opening or
a regular Main Stem run of a pic¬
ture, $500 for models for special
fashion spots. $1,000 for dancers
for the introduction of a song from
a picture, and various other fees
for merchandise on giyeaway shows
when a picture is mentioned in
the course of a program. In all
cases, the tv shows refer to these
charges as “incidental costs” above
the usual budget of a particular
program.

Rationale

While the picture industry may
complain and, at the same time,
continue to pay these fees, the
tv-ites justify these charges on the
ground that if the film companies
wanted to go out and buy the time,
it would cost considerably more.
In addition, they maintain that the
film companies, in essence, are get¬
ting a free ride on programs paid
for by sponsors and that the in¬
tegration of special film spots in¬
volves extra production effort. So,
they state, why shouldn’t the film
companies pay for these services?

Not all the film companies con¬
sider the money wasted. In addi¬
tion to the national exposure the
title of a picture receives, many of
the filmed sequences can be used
again for the film company’s own
exploitation efforts. Some of the
material is sent abroad for use In
trailers. Moreover, it Is edited
down and employed for special tv
commercials.

Marvin Fails, for 12 years ex¬
ecutive secretary of the Society of
Independent Motion Picture Pro¬
ducers until org cut its activities
several months ago, checked into
William Morris Agenr/ in Holly¬
wood as a member af its legal
department.

ABied Artists’ ‘Want to Live’

There’s been an awakening among exhibitors about the neces¬
sity of keeping Allied Artists in business, according to Maurice
“Razz” Goldstein, sales manager of the film company. Goldstein,
W’ho has been making a tour of exchange territories for luncheon
meetings with theatremen, said he has found exhibitors receptive
to AA’s situation and that bookings are beginning to come in for
W’hat Goldstein termed “good exploitable product.”

Goldstein pointed out that Allied Artists is now in a transition
period and in order for the company to bridge that gap and em¬
bark on the big picture policy it now has on its drawing board, it
must be able to corral as many dates as possible for its current
program.

The new attitude toward AA and its position in the industry
stems from Goldstein’s appearance at the recent Miami Beach
convention of Theatre Owners of America, Goldstein made such a
strong impression for AA’s case at the session that prexy Steve
Broidy thought that it might be a good idea for Goldstein to con¬
tinue to deliver the company’s message in person. As a result, the
sales chief is scheduled to cover the whole country for a series of
meetings w'ith local exhibitors. He’s already been to the northwest,,
hitting five cities in five days. This week he’ll hit Philadelphia,
Washington, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cleveland.

As part of the general aw'akening, Broidy has designated the
13-week period starting Jan. 1 as “Razz” Goldstein Appreciation
Drive. That’s the stanza set aside for the company’s sales drive.

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 34 HOLLYWOOD 21 CHICAGO M LONDON. W, C. 2

154 W. 44Hi St. 4404 S«Hi«t Ilvd. 412 N. MlehlfaH Ave. t St. Mertle't Piece

Trefelger Sqeere

6

WednetdiiyT December 3^ 1959

V1IJ» REVIEWS

usmfr

Separate Tables

Topnotch Tenioii of tlifr ituro
Ht. Bolstered by marquee
sames and excellent perform¬
ances.

United Artist* release of Harold Hecht
(Hecht-HUl-Lancaster) production,

KiU Hayworth. IJeborah. Ken-> David
Niven. Wendy HiUer and Burt Lancaster.
Features Gladys Coopw. Careen
hilt. Felix Aylmer. Hod pylor ^
Audrey Daltom Directed hy Delbert
Mann. Screenplay, Terence Battfean;^ and
John Gay. based on. a play by fettuan;
camera* Cbarles Lans editor* Marjorie

Fowler and Charles Ennis; murfc. partd
Raisin; sony. '‘Separate Tables, by
Harry Warren ana Harold Adamson-
Previewed in N.Y., Nov. 20, '58*. Ru nni n g
time, 9g MINS.

Ann Shankland .Rita Hayworth

Sibyl Raaton-Bell _... Deborah Kerr

Major Pollock ...David Niven

Miss Cooper .. Wen^ HiRer

John Malcolm . Bun Lancaster

Mrs. pJdlton-Bell . Cladys Cooper

Ltdy Malheson.Cathleen Nesbitt

Mr. Fowler. Felix Aylmer

Cbarles . Rod Taylor

Jean . Audrey Dalton

Miss Meacham ..May Hallatt

Doreen___ Priscilla Morgan

Mabel . Hilda Plowright

On marquee value alone, “Sepa¬
rate Tables” has the earmarks of a
boxoffice hit. The names of Rita
Hayworth. Deborah Kerr, David
Niven, Wendy Hiller and Burt
Lancaster should satisfy any
theatreowner and represent the
bait to attract general audi¬
ences. But the Terence Rattigan-
John Gay screenplay, based on Rat-
tigan’s hit play, is more than just
a framework for a galaxy' of stars-
It is a provocative and intellicent
film, adult in theme ah’d execution,
and bolstered hy some of the best
performances of the year.

Producer Harold Hecht and his
colleagues in the Hecht-Hill-Lan-
caster organization deserve credit
for undertaking a story that does
not meet the conception of what is
generaUy considered sure^-fire mat¬
erial in today’s market. More im¬
portantly, it has the ingredient.^ to
interest and draw the more dis¬
criminating filmgoer. As such,
“Separate Tables” emerges as a
film that can comfortably plav dis¬
criminating as well as the larger
general situations.

As a play, “Separate Tables”
consisted of two separate vignettes
set against the same English hoard¬
ing house and served as an acting
tour de force for Eric Portman and
Margaret Leighton. Much of the
appeal of the play was due to the
remarkable change in character¬
ization they were able to make
as they assumed different roles in
each of the segments. However,
Rattigan and Gay have masterfully
blended the two playlets into one
literate and absorbing full-len^h
film. Four performers selected to
play the separate roles more
than meet the thespian require¬
ments. It won’t come as a sur¬
prise if Niven, Miss Kerr and Miss
Hiller are cited for Academy
Award notice.

Basically, Rattigan’s story is a
character study of a group of resi¬
dents at a small British seaside
town of Borunemouth, described
in the film as a tourist spot in the
summer and a haven for the lonely
and the desperate in the winter.
The majority of the residents are
tortured by psychological problems
and unhappy pasts.

As a phoney major, with a made-
up Sandhurst background, Niven
gives one of the best performances
of his career. His nervous man¬
nerisms, "eh whats,” “good shows”
and boring lies of his World W^ar
II adventures in the desert cam¬
paign are a cover up for basic
inadequacies and fears. He is fi¬
nally exposed when he’s caught
molesting women in a theatre. '

Miss Kerr is excellent as a plain, i
shy girl completely cowed hy a 1
domineering and strong mother,
finely portrayed by Gladys Cooper,
Miss Kerr, who has an attachment
for the equally mixed-Tip major,
has some of the most touching
scenes in the film and her final re¬
bellion against her mother
emerges as a scene that will be re¬
membered.

A separate hut integrated story
concerns Lancaster, Miss Hayworth
and Miss Hiller. As a writer hurt
hy life and living a don’t-care ex¬
istence at the out-of-the-way hotel,
Lancaster turns in a shaded per¬
formance. Miss HaywOxCh is
equally good as his former wife
whose narcissism and desire to
dominate men leads to Lancaster’s
downfall. Miss Hiller is the effi¬
cient manager of the hotel who
finds her romance with Lancaster
shattered on the arrival of his
physically attractive and fashion¬
able ex-wife. She presents a
moving and touching performance.

Topnotch portrayals are also
given by other assorted residents
of the hotel, including Felix Ayl¬
mer, who dwells in the past mem¬
ories of his school teaching days;
May Hallatt, as an outspoken, in¬
dividualistic horse player; Cathleen
Nesbitt, as a good-hearted but meek
follower; Rod Taylor, as a medical

student, and Audrey Dalton, at his
girlfriend.,

Delbert,. Mann, who guided
, “Marty” to an Academy Award,
i has again cofiie up with a sensitive
■ and painstaking. directorial Job.
And producer Hecht has seen to it
that the p r od u c t i og values are first
class. Technical assets, including
Charles Lang Jr.’s black and white
photography, Marjorie Fowler and
Charles Ennis*’ editing, and the pro--
ductipn design of Harry Horner
are all top-draw. David Rakisin
has provided an appropriate musi¬
cal score and Harry Warren and
Harold Adamson have a good oyer-
the-titles tune tn “Separate
Tables.” Incidentally, the “Sepa-
; rate Tables” of the title refers to
I the hotel’s policy of seating each of
its guests at different tables In '
the dining room. Holl.

Xowhere to Go

(BKITISH-METROSCOPE)

Sound acting and a well-made
crime yam add up to good en¬
tertaining; pic lacks marquee
value, especially for UJ5,

London, Dec. 2.

Metro release of a Michael Balcon pro¬
duction. Stars George Nader, Maggie
Smith, Bernard Lee. Directed by Seth
Holt. Screenplay, Seth Holt and Ken¬
neth Tynan, based on novel by Donald
Mackenzie;, camera. Paul Beeson; editor.
Harry Aldous; music. Dizzy Reece. At
Metro Private Theatre, London. Running
time, t7 MINS.

Greg .... George Nader

Sloane .. Bernard Lee

Mrs. Jefferson .Bessie Love

Bridget.Maggie Smith

Inspector ScOtt . Geoffrey Keen

Rosa . Andree Melly

Cameron.Howard Marion Crawford

Dodds I.Arthur Howard

Dodds n . John Welsh

Rosemary . Margaret McGrath

Sullivan . Harry Corbett

Bendel —. Harry Locke

Anna Berg . Lilly Kahn

Pet Shop Man . Lionel Jeffries

Policeman . John Turner

Welsh Garageman.Lane Meddick

Man on Tractor .. Charles Price

“Nowhere To Go” is a well-made,
literate crime yam with the usual
polished stamp of the Ealing stable.
Good acting is insured by a soimd
cast of established British thesps,
plus Hollywood actor, George Na¬
der. But there is precious little
marquee in the cast, especially for.
U.S. consumption.

The pic gets away to a slick start
with Nader being helped by Ber¬
nard Lee, his outside accomplice,
to break jail. He is serving a 10-
year sentence for swindling a
wealthy widow out of the $154,000,
proceeds from the sale of a rare
coin collection' Following the
jail break, a flashback shows the
plausible manner in which Nader
cons the widow and salts the cash
away in a safe deposit before the
police get their hooks on him.
Now, away from jail, he starts his
plans to recover the money and
get out of the coimtry. But every¬
thing goes wrong. His accomplice
double-crosses him, his crook
friends squeal on him, he is robbed
of the key to the safe deposit box
and the accomplice dies after
Nader has roughed him up.

Thwarted on all sides and with
a murder rap to face, he is a con¬
vict on the run. The lone person
to lift a finger to help him is a
rich, offbeat Bohemian girl who
specializes in helping lost causes.
But, believing that the girl is turn¬
ing him into the cops, Nader makes
a final desperate break in the
"Welsh hills and is shot by a farmer
and dies.

Seth Holt, who wrote the screen¬
play with Kenneth Tynan, has di¬
rected tautly and the dialog is rea¬
sonably brisk. The London and
Welsh locations are authentic.
Paul B e e s o n’s black-and-white
lensihg is sharp and well edited.

Nader’s performance as the
plausible, ice-cold crook who finds
his plans going frustratingly astray
and who gradually finds himself
out on his own is an intelligent
study. Bernard Lee gives solid
support as his greedy accomplice.
The heroine, Maggie Smith, pro¬
vides an interesting new face and
this, her first starring role, sug¬
gests that she has a worthwhile fu¬
ture in pix.

There are a number of useful
performances in smaller roles.
Geoffrey Keen, as a very authentic
dick; Bessie Love, as the garrulous
widow; Andree Melly, as a night¬
club waitress, Howard . Marian-
Crawford, as the urbane ciuh prop¬
rietor, and Harry Corbett as a
sleazy crook all add their quota to
a sound all-round cast

The music of Dizzy Reece, played
by his own quartet, adds consider¬
ably to the atmosphere. It is off-
he^, staccato and exciting, and
particularly helps to set the inood
at the start. Rich.

Sports ThriHs Of the Century
Inci has been authorized to con¬
duct an entertainment business in
New York, with capital stock of
200 shares, no par value. Norman
B. Heller was filing attorney at
Albany.

EoMlyhearta

DlMPpoinl&g film with Mbst-
graiery Clift and Robert Ryan
for the marquee.

Hollywood, Nov. 28.

United Artists release of a Schary
Production- Star* Montgomery Cbft, Rob¬
ert Ryan. Myma Loy, Dolores Hart: in-
tr^uces Maureen. Stapleton; features
Jackie Coogan. Mike KeUin. Frank Over-
ton. Onslow Stevens. Frank MaxwelL
Produced by Dore Schary. Directed by
Vincent J. Donehue. Screenplay, Dore
Schary, based on the~l)ook "Mise Lonely-
bearts" by Nathanael West and the play
by Howard Teichman; camera, John
Alton: music, Conrad SaCnger; editor,
Aaron Stell. Previewed at the Academy
Theatre, Nov. 21, '58. Running time, 101
MINS.

Adam "White .......... Montgomery Clift

WUliam Shrike . Robert Ryan

Florence Shrike .... Myma Loy

Justy Sargent . Dolores Hart

Fay Doyle .. Maureen Stapleton

Pat Doyle.Frank Maxwell

Gates . Jackie Coogan

Goldsmith .. Mike iveliin

Mr. Sargent ............ Frank Overton

Older Brother.. Don Washbrook

Younger Brother ..John Washbrook

Mr. Lassiter Onslow Stevens

Edna -. Mary Alan Hokanson

Bartender . John Galludet

Jerry . Lee Z i mm er

Dore Schary’s first film is so-so.
For the first half it’s tedious, usual¬
ly uneasy trip to nowhere. There
is progress in much of the film’s
latter half, and United Artists will
have to hank on this and a fine
though distinctly offbeat and
“tortured” performance by Mont¬
gomery Clift to hdp the film.

The property is cliche-ridden—
the idealist who becomes dis¬
illusioned at the hands of the
cynic; the cynic who, in the end,
is softened hy success of the
idealist. Schary penned the screen¬
play from Nathanael West’s “Miss
Lonely hearts” and Howard Teich-
mann’s play of the, same name. In
its original version, the idealist
is killed, but at Schary’s discretion
he goes off to become even more
idealistic while the bitter man
plucks . a A)se, wraps it in white
paper and rushes off to forgive
his wife for being an adulteress 10
years ago. The change is more
elevating^,jl certainly less sordid
than the original, but it isn’t suffi¬
ciently motivated and thus appears
out of harmony with the rest of
the film.

. There are touches of warmth in
Schary’s script, most of them
building the appealing character
of young Clift. Not so with the
cynical newspaper editor, as played
by Robert Ryan. Here Schary’s
dialog—a kind of maudlin skeptic¬
ism—grates heavily, and Vincent
J. Donehue's direction makes
something less than a man put of
the character, the effect being
more irritating than dramatic.
Otherwise, Donehue handles the
actors strongly as he deeply etches
contrasts and human frailties. A
good deal of the story is told in
closeup.

Setting for the clash is a mid-
western newspaper whose feature
editor (Ryan) has minimum . use
for his fellow man. Clift joins
the Chronicle and is assigned the
“Lonelyhearts” column with which
he is to answer, problems and
build circulation at the sanfe time.
A battle is waged between the two
as Clift becomes involved with Ms
“patients” wMle Ryan calls them
fakers. The writer is challenged
into following up one of the letters
and finds MaureeU Stapleton whose
sad story has her husband a
cripple and incapable of making
love to her. Clift obliges the love-
starved woman and, when he’s led
to heUeve the story was a fabrica¬
tion aimed at “a little action,” he
falls apart. In rather contrived
fashion, however, everything falls
into a happy ending.

Dolores Hart, as Clift’s fiancee,
brings honest love from a be¬
wildered man and, in so doing,
glows with a spirited sensitivity.
Myma Loy, as Ryan’s wife,
handles with taste a part that
offers practically nothing to do.
Lxamatic values gain considerably
with the work of Miss Stapleton
who, in her first film role, proves
a powerful character actress. Ex¬
cellent support comes from Frank
Maxwell as the impotent husband,
Jackie Coogan and Mike Kellin as
two hack reporters, Frank Overton
as Miss Hart’s father and Onslow
Stevens who, to complicate matters
as Clift’s father, is imprisoned for
having murdered ms wife and her
lover.

Film fades in with a documen¬
tary flavor, and John Alton’s
photography remains in low-key
throughout. Mood is maintained
by work of art director Serge
Krizman and composer Conrad
Salinger, and film editor Aaron
Stell appears to have put together
with, precision what thera.was to
splice in the first place.

Schary’^s atteinpt at adult fare
was an. earnest one even if it
didn’t quite come out of the clouds.
His mark as an independent pro-^
ducer will be welcome, but
“Lonelyliearts” doesn’t look to be

the film that will make it. There
is nothing quite as devastating as:
deliberately “adult” fare that
doesn’t come off. Regardless of
how literate the dialog juid how'
sincere the message, pictures like
this still must tell their story in
terms of the screen, with all its
limitations'and advantages. “Lone¬
lyhearts” benefits from. Schary’s
skill and integrity as a filmmaker
and It’s “offbeat” in an acceptable
sense. It’s obvious there’s room
today for pictures that “say some¬
thing.” Ron.

The Doctor^s Dilemma

(BRITISH-COLOR)

Lush version of stagey Bernard
Shaw period play, Usofol arty
theatre entry, with advantage
of stellar names.

Metro release of a Comet prodnction.
Stars Dirk BoRarde, Leslie Caron; fea¬
tures Robert Morley, John Robinson,
Felix Aylmer, Alastair Sim, Directed by
Anthony A^uitb. Screenplay, Anatole de
.Gnmywld, Irom Geprge Bernard Shaw's
play; camera, Robert Kraaker; editor,
Gordon Hales: music, Joseph Kosna. J^e-
ylewed at Metro Private Theatre, Lon¬
don. Running time, 91 MINS.

; Jennifer Dudehat . T.eslie Caron

Louis Dudehat ... Dick Bogarde

Cutler Walpole .... Alastair Sim

Sir Ralph Bonington.Robert Morley

Sir Patrick Cullen . Felix Aylmer

Sir Colenso Ridgeon.... •.John Robinson

Dr. Blenkinsop . Michael Gwynn

Emmy .Maureen Delaney

Redpenny . Alec McCowen

Newspaper Man Colin Gordon

Minnie Tinwell .....Gwenda! Ewen

Mr. Lancaster . Terence Alexander

London, Dec. 2.

The success of “My Fair Lady”
has whooped up a George Bernard
Shaw vogue here; “The Doctor’s
Dilemma” thus was made into a
pic. The magic initials “GJB.S.”
can surely be the only excuse for
this one which takes the British
motion picture hiz back to the ex¬
citing, but troublesome days of
Korda. In a film world which must
face up grimly to the realistic eco¬
nomic facts of present day life,
“Dilemma” looks a risky prestige
venture.

It is handsomely produced,
dressed and directed. It has Shaw’s
dialog and some good actors. But
even with the names of Leslie
Caron and Dirk Bogarde it still
lines up merely as a worthwhile
artyhouse booking. In Britain, it
has been cynically suggested that
its main hope of economic survival
is that the run-of-the-mill ducat
buyers will be confused into the
belief that it is another of the
highly successful “Doctor” series
wMch has starred Bogarde in pix
inspireff by the humorous novels
of Richard Gordon.

Shaw’s stringent wit still shines
in this film, but, staged in 1903,
his comments on Harley Street
(London’s medical row) and the
doctoring profession have hy now
lost much of their impact “Di¬
lemma” remains, relentlessly, an
easy-on-the-eye Mmed version of
an out-of-date play. As a reminder
of the plot, it concerns a young
woman married to an artist who
is a complete bounder—a sponger,
a potential blackmailer and a man
who can’t resist other women.

But she is blinded hy hero-wor¬
ship. He suffers from consump¬
tion, she pleads with a doctor to
save Ms life. He thinks that he
would do better to use Ms limited
serum on a more worthwhile case.
And so the young artist dies, still
a sMning knight in armour to the
starry-eyed young wife.

Bogarde gives a stimulating per¬
formance as the selfish young artist
and is particularly convincing in
hLs final, highly theatrical death
sequence. Miss Caron is often mov- j
ing in her blind belief in her man,
but never suggests the strength
necessary to fight the cynical doc¬
tors. These are played as cari¬
catures.

I^oducer Anatole <ie Grunwald
has spared no expense in lining up
a team which gives Shaw’s lusiy
medicinal characters the works.
Jnhn Robinson is suitably siff-
upper-lipped as the bachelor spe¬
cialist who knows Bogarde’s repu¬
tation and prefers to save another
man, despite Ms liking for Miss
Caron. Alastair Sim, Robert Mor¬
ley and Felix Aylmer play the roles
of Harley Street fuddy-duddies
with rich fun and vigor. There Is
also a good, neat performance by
the ever-dependable Colin Gordon
as an obtrusive journalist

Dedicated direction hy Anthony
Asquish and lush costumes by Cecil
Beaton all add up to the richness
of ..tMs film. But none of them can
disguise the plain, .implacable fact
that “Dilemna” is an extravagant
whim. Admirers of Shaw’s witty
tilting at the cMcanery of medicine
in the early part of this century
v/ill still prefer the play. The emo¬
tional angle to the plot still stands
up to modern day examination. The
reason for making the film is more
difficult to assess. RicTL i

Houe on Hanted

FrxMii the producers of “Maca¬
bre;” tMs well-made ghhat
story should'build <mi that suc-

HoHywood, Nov. 28.

Allied Artists r^ease of William Castle-
Robli White production. Stars Vincent
Price. Carol Ohmart; features Richard
LonX, Alan Marshal. Carolsm Craljf. Pro¬
duced and directed by William Castle.
Screenplay, Robb ’White; camera. Carl E.
Guthrie; music. Von Dexter; editor. Roy
Livingston. Previewed at Academy
Award* Theatre, Nov. 24. '58. Ronnins
time. 7S MINS.

Frederick Loren ........ Vincent Pries

Annabelle Loren.. Carol Ohmart

Lance Schroeder .. Richard Lone

Dr. David 'nrent.. Alan Marshal

Nora Manning . Carolyn Craig

Watson Pritchard . Elisha Cook

Ruth Bridgen .. Julie Mitchum

Mrs. Slyke* .Leona Anderson

Jona* ... Howard Hoffman

In the welter of grim and grisly
pictures that make up the hulk of
exploitation fare these days, there
are few genuine ghost stories. Al¬
lied Artists did exceptionally well
with one of these, in “Macabre,”
earlier this year. Now the same
producers, William Castle and
Robb White, have come up with
another in the same vein. The
present item, “House on Haunted
Hill,” should build on the success
of the former, to he a top exploi¬
tation grosser for its class.

WMte’s screenplay, which Castle
produced and directed, is the one
about the group of people who

g romise to spend the night In a
aunted house. In this case, it’s
pure monetary gain. Vincent ]^ce,
owner of the house, is offering
$10,000 to anyone who lasts out
the night. There is a gimmick in
the plot which explains the
screams, ghosts, bubbling vats of
lye and perambulating skeltons,
when it’s finally explained that
Price’s wife, Carol Ohmart, has
rigged the whole thing with her
lover, Alan Marshal. They intended
to have Price accidentally shot so
she could get his money and be
free to marry Marshal.

“Haunted Hill” is expertly put
together. There is some good hu¬
mor in the dialog which not only
pays off well against the ghostly
elements, hut provides a release
for laughter so it does not explode
in thd suspense sequences. The
characters are interesting and not
outlandish, so there is some basis
of reality- Castle keeps things mov¬
ing at a healthy clip.

Robb and Castle have a new
gimmick on “House on Haunted
Hill” called “Emergo.” This device
. is an illuminated skeleton mounted
on trolley wires, moving out from
the side of the screen over the
heads of the audience. It is a rea¬
sonably effective mechanism that
will add to the picture’s promo¬
tional aualities, without detracting
from the film if theatre-owners
elect to dispense with it
Vincent Price gives a suave per¬
formance that carries suggested
menace but is acceptable when it
turns out the menace is coming
from the other direction. Miss Oh-
mart is good as the wife, and
others who contribute include
Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Car¬
olyn Craig and Elisha Cook.

It may seem like a small point,
but it won’t to exhibitors, to note
that Carl Guthrie’s photography is
appropriately moody but not so
low-key that It won't be suitable
for the drive-ins. Von Dexter’s
music and the special effects by
Herman Townsley contribute to
the mood. Potcc.

Toni Thiunb

(SONGS; COLOR)

Novelty musical based on
fairytale looks like a winner
for holiday dates, strong on
general release, and good re-
isinie prope^.

Hollyw'ood, Nov. 28.

--.r—i^dulas Fodor; base^L

on the Grimm Bros, fairy tale; camera,
Georses Pertnal; mii*ic. Dousla* Gamley
and Ken Jones; editor. Frank Clarke.
Previewed at the studio, Nov. 18, *58. Hun-
nine time, 92 MINS.

Tom Thumb ...Rus* Tamblya

Woody .... Alan Yoone

lyaa... Terry-ThomA*

Trniy... Peter SeUert

Anna ........ Jessie Mktthcw*

pie Forest Queen...June Thorbum

Jonathan '. Bemani Mile*

Tho Cobbler .. Ian Wallico

and

The Puppetoon*

The only thing lower case about
this production is the Metro spell¬
ing of “tom thumb.” Otherwise
film is top-drawer, a comic fairy
tale "With music that stadcs up
alongside some of the Disney
classics of similar nature. <jeorge
Pal’s fun-filled production for
Metro will have a broader appeal
than Just for kids, and should he
a winner for the studio on its orig¬
inal playdates as well as packing
perennisd, re-release appeal.

With the captivating special
effects SO ingeniously used, and
likely to provide the greatest word-
of-moutk on “tom thumb,’* it
(Continued on page 20)

Wedncgday, December' 3, 1958

PSfitffFr

picTunBs

SEE RKO EX-MPEA IN 1959

Stars-With Payoffs in Stratosphere

Some of the top studios are doing a burn with the way inde¬
pendent producers, such as those aligned with United Artists, are
consenting to what they consider “astronomical” payoffs to stars.
Story in last week’s Variety related that Marlon Brando, John
Wayne and William Holden now receiving $750,000. per picture.

Brando is to receive $750,000 for his work in “Orpheus Descend¬
ing,” Martin Jurow-Richard Shepherd production.

Money-minded execs at the homeoffices in New York are of the
opinion that the top performers and their agents are being en¬
couraged to demand such payoffs simply by the willingness of the
indie producers to shell out. And as the indies go along with the
top-bracket payoffs, so, too, must the big studios in order to latch
on to the valuable marquee names.

Said a v.p. of one of the big companies in Gotham this week:
“It’s getting to be an impossible situation.” _

Skouras Again Decries Cash

Demands of Actors & Directors

London, D'ec; 2. 4-

Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox
prexy, lashed out again at exces¬
sive production costs in Hollywood,
w'hen he was feted by British in¬
dependent exhibitors at a Savoy
dinner to celebrate the fifth an¬
niversary of the launching of Cine¬
mascope in Great Britain. The oc¬
casion was organized by W. J.
Fooks, a Cardiff exhib, who pre¬
sided at the function.

Business in the United States,
said Skouras, has seldom been so
bad but, at the same time, Holly¬
wood had never been so prosper¬
ous.. The degree of prosperity, he
added, w’as almost grotesque.

Skouras began by describing the
role of the distributor as a buffer
block between producers and ex¬
hibitors. On the one hand, distribs
had to contend with exhibitors who
beefed that rentals were too high
and, on the other hand, with pro¬
ducers who complained that the
return to them was too small. They
both argued that distribution costs
were too high, but this, said the
20th toppr, w'as due to the Consent
Decree. In pre-war days 275
prints sufficed, whereas now 400
were needed. Color was then the
exception and now more general.
Further, there was the tendency
tow’ards longer films.

As evidence of the serious trend
of rising costs. Skouras said 20th
had paid $500,000 for the rights to
John O’Hara, new novel, “From
the Terrace,” which was to be a
new vehicle, for Mark Robson.
There were cases of stars receiv¬
ing a fee of $800,000 plus 1 % of
the gross and directors demanding
$250,000 per picture and 259o of
the profits. All this, he warned,
would reflect on exhibitors, not
only in the United States, but
throughout the world.

He made an appeal to the indus¬
try to put its house in order so
far as production costs were con¬
cerned and warned of the dangers
of losing ground to the Russians.
They would certainly step in if
Hollywood, Britain, France and the
other free couritries were compelled
to go out of business. While insist¬
ing he was not an evangelist,
Skouras insisted that it was urgent
to save the industry from destruc¬
tion and stop paying fabulous
salaries.

In a final brief reference to loll
tv, the 20 th prexy referred to the
excellent way in which the British
industry had presented the sale of
pre-lfl48 backlogs to tv via FIDO
and suggested that some arrange¬
ment should be made to stop the
release of features for subscrip¬
tion-television until at least five
years after their release. The new
medium, when it comes, should be
used to the advantage of the whole
Industry, he urged. *

Directors Honor Clair

• . Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Screen Directors Guild has
selected Rene Clair’s “Porte
Des Lilas” as “best directed’-
non-English-speaking film of
1958.

Clair W’ill be brought here
for Directors annual., awards
dinner Feb. 7, as guild guest.

Tacific’32WeeksmNabe

Dallas, Dec. 2.

After a, run of 32 weeks and
three days at the Wynnewood The¬
atre, “South Pacific” (Magna) the
third Todd-AO technicolor film
ended its run at the Rowley United
Theatre.

W. S; Samuel, manager of the
house estimated that 130,000 pa*
trons viewed the film in the nabe
house located six and a half miles
from downtown Dallas,

Third U.S. Film
Loan to Japan
Power Co. Looms

Tokyo, Dec. 2.

The American film industry’s
third loan to Japanese industry,
running to about 3,000,000,000 yen
($9,000,000), is virtually set but
Won’t be finalized until the Diet
recesses.. Reason is that the loan
is a hot political issue which might
rouse Commynist and other oppo¬
sition in the Diet.

As in the past,, the loan is to the
Japanese hydroelectric power de¬
velopment company. It’s at the
usual a'Tc interest, but fol* only six
years, and the amount remittable
when the deal goes into effect is
larger than before. The Japanese
Government guarantees repayment
in dollars, but only at the prevail¬
ing official exchange rate at the
time the remittance is made.

Irving Maas, the Motion Picture
Export Assn, rep in the Far East,
deliberately left Tokyo for Manila
while the Diet entered its closing
days. However, it did not recess,
as had been expected, and so the
loan hangs fire. Eric Johnston,
prez of MPEA, now isn’t expected
to arrive here until early in 1959.
He originally was due in Tokyo
during November or December.

RKO, still forking over around
$1,000 a week In dues, will remain
a member of the Motion Picture
Export Assn, until it has exhausted
its present supply of product. It’s
expected to bow out in the spring
of 1959.

RKO’s status in the Association
was discussed at a recent meeting
between MPEA president Eric
Johnston and Tom O’Neil, head of
General Teleradio, which owns
RKO.

There’s been a good deal of dis¬
cussion among MPEA members re
the RKO standing in the trade
org, particularly since RKO is
virtually out of business. It is
not producing films, and it isn’t
distributing them either, having
turned over its films in the States
to Universal and abroad to the
Rank Organization in most areas.
Yet, RKO continues to draw im¬
port licenses via its MPEA mem¬
bership.

Johnston and O’Neil are said to
have agreed that RKO should con¬
tinue in the Association as long
as it has some unreleased films in
Jts vaults. There are only two
left. It’s highly unlikely that—as
some have suggested—RKO will
remain an MPEA member “on
paper only,” so as not to make an
ostentatious display of a crumbling
Association.

Apart from that, MPE.4 is in no
hurry to ditch RKO, which still
contributes some $52,000 a year -in
dues. Its regular (domestic) pay¬
ments come to close to $800 week¬
ly. In addition, it’s assessed for
MPEA expenses out of foreign
blocked funds, along with the
other companies. If and when
RKO drops out, the gap in the
MPEA budget will be felt.

What worries MPEA members
more, however, are the inevitable
echoes that will come from abroad.
Though the Association is prepared
to fight this argument, it expects
that various countries will seek
to reduce their overall license
allotments to MPEA on the
grounds that it no longer speaks
for either Republic or RKO and
therefore is entitled to fewer per¬
mits. The MPEA reply to this
is that, if a company drops out,
the others fill the gap.

Warner Stock at $24.62 H^h Despite
Aug. 23 Year-End $1023,060 Loss

Gift Fit for Queen

San Francisco, Dec. 2 .

Spyros Skouras is giving
Greece’s Queen Frederika a
little gift.

It’s a complete color. Cine¬
mascope record of the Queen’s
21-day visit to the U.S. and
20th-Fox crew was very much
in evidence as Queen made her
official founds in Frisco last
week. Cameraman Tony Muto
and rest of crew is following
Queen all over nation and
footage will be presented to
her at tour’s finish.

Warner Bros, had a loss of $ 1 ,«
023,000 for the year ended last
Aug. 23, compared with a profit
of $3,415,000 for the preceding
year. This obviously is a rough
financial rap for the company to
take but nonetheless does not inter¬
fere with the continuing dividend
rate of $ 1.20 per year.

Further, despite the downbeat,
trading in Wall Street is reflect¬
ing substantial optimism, the WB
shares haying hit a new high of
$24.62V^ per share. And the word
has been spread around the
Gotham financial area that the
film corporations first quarter of
fiscal 1959 will show an imporant
profit.

Among the highlights of the bal¬
ance sheet at the end of fiscal
1958: cash on hand is about the
same, at $13,223,000; current assets
less current liabilities are $ 34 ,*
736,000, down from $40,956,000; net
worth (book value), is down from
$44,857,000 last year to $40,774,000
this year; total income for 1958 is
listed at $72,316,000, compared with
$80,279,000 last year.

According to a statement sub-

Mililary Priority Over
Theatres Fought Via
Forces’ Booking Dept.

A special Theatre Owmers of
America committee will meet next
month in Washington with the
Armed Forces Booking Dept. In
order to correct what the exhibitor
proup terms “the highly unfair and
improper competition of military
installation theatres that play new
product ahead of nearby commer¬
cial theatres.”

The committee, according to
TOA, will employ a dignified but
firm approach. In the meanwhile,
TOA members are being solicited
for facts and figures relating to
the menace of the G.I. competition.
At the same time, TOA has urged
its members to get In touch with
their Senators and Congressmen to
obtain their support In fighting the
“unfair competition.”

The TOA committee, chair*
manned by Robert J. O’Donnell,
consists .of Burton I. Jones, Burton
Kramer, Robert R. Livingston; Al-
betr M. Pickui and Ernest Q.
Stellings.

Ulcerated, Wald Idles

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Jerry Wald has been bedded by
an . attack of ulcers. He’ll be out
of the turmoil for at least 10 days.

Malaise has ended his immediate
plans to holiday in Europe and
Manhattan.

Lauis A. Green
Gets No Aid From
Loews Itself

Louis A. Green, the Loew’s Inc.

J _ _t_ 1-1. 1 1 J -Tk^uvji lu a otaiciiiciit auu-

board member who has launched fitted by president Jack L, War-
a proxy fight against the company, per, advances to independent pro-
is preparing a list of stockholders ducers are responsible for the defi-
prior to launching his proxy sollci- cit in the new year. Such losses
tation campaign. Green initially accounted for a red ink entry of
requested that the management $3 000 000 .

Consolidated balance sheet shows
“b ground that total current assets of 554,419.000
his position was mimical to the and current liabilities of $24,-
1511, . I?® .™®Pbny and, in 683.000, the. latter including a

effect told the insurgent director 85,0000,000 ba'nk loan due Aug.
to obtain the names as best he 14 , 1959 ,

could. As a consequence. Green’s ' __

reps will have to go through the . .

names at the stock transfer office. D. A. Brandon Goes Free

thferd^fltoweerin'lhemean-, h Bomb Indicfments

while, he is said to be preparing; IT * Cl

a slate of directors to present to ^ 116u lO t!)4 uDIOD mriI6

t^he stockholders when he makes • Corpus Christi. Tex., Dec. 2.

his solicitation. The date for the + u • ta *

start of Green’s fight, via the mail- charging D. A.

ing of a letter to stockholders, is "'IL bbrnbrngs

not known, but a spokesman for

Green stated that the ^stockhnlderc efforts to bring the union

!?wm"bfs'ofMfe1 ^ Sn‘Brill', 11^51^0”^

At the same time, Green is making 4 .„. j of^hparintrf^n
arrangements for the retention of ; ^et court Ld completely rlmored

Irn'lv ’ Bbandon and his coLfendant. Lein

proxy solicitation firm. , Wilson Malone, from further prose-

Loew s officials appear to be cution in the two cases.

taking the threat, of a fight calmly.;

They feel that there s sufficient j^jge Briggs in reaching his deci-
hme to answer any^charges that ^i^n was that the location of the
Green may make. He has a lon„ Avalon and Bellaire Theatres,

.Tv.’ " ■^ the indictments, were not

mg that the annual stockholders specifically identified. Both thea-
(Gontinued on page 10) Jtres were totally or partically de-
! stroyed Oct. 9, 1954, during a di.s-
' ; pute between union men and the-

I O’Seas Grosses Comfort 20th-Fox

Fighting hard to overcome a scarcity of top releases (and grossers)
in the third and fourth quarter, 20th-Fox last week reported a $6,590,991
net for the 39 weeks, ended Sept. 27, 1958. Figure compares with a'
$5,523,858 net for the comparab^ period in 1957. j

The third quarter was down slightly, dropping to $1,357,982 from i
$1,553,993 last year. That’s attributed at 20th to a lack of strong;
films coming through from the studio. Also, a couple of highly-touted |
pictures have been disappointments.

The fourth quarter, will be even tougher for 20th, though it has
some top product coming out in the last two months of December!
(“Inn of the Sixth Happiness,’ etc.) and will have “Mardi Gras”;
and “In Love and War” going for It In the subsequents. “Roots of
Heaven” also will be hitting in a general release. In the final ac¬
counting, only the first three weeks of the month wiU show up on
the 1958 books however.

To what extent the foreign rriarket is helping to pull 26th’s chest¬
nuts out of the fire Is pointed up by the fact that, where the domestic
end racked up $750,000 in billings one recent week, foreign did a
whopping $1,700,000 in its International drive week devoted-to prexy
Spyros P. Skouras. Total foreign billings for 1958 will bs just below
the 1957 high of $47,000,000. 20tn must bill about $1,000,000 domestic¬
ally to break even.

The $6,590,991 net for the 39 weeks ended Sept. 27, 1958, amounted
to $2.87 per .share on 2.293,186 shares of common outstanding. The
1957 net equalled $2,13 per share.

Total film rentals. Including tv sales, for the 39 weeks ran to
$87,987,176 against $89,419,401 in 1957. Total Income was $94,136,723
against $96,556,893 iast year. Amortization dropped to $37,869,239 from
$48,610,878. with, total expenses $57,728,144 against $59 748,841 last
year. Distribution and administrative expenses went down by over
$1,000,000 to $22,119,132 for the 39 weeks In 1958.

The $6,590,991 net was after provision for $3,750,000 In U. S. and
$2,137,910 in foreign Income taxes. Last year, total tax provisions
came to $6,351,068.

atre managers. Brandon is biz
agent for the local projectionists
union.

Carl R. Cude, indicted with
Brandon and Malone in the two
cases, pleaded guilty to both counts
more than two years ago, has
served his sentence and was re¬
leased about nine months ago.

Brynner Party in Madrid

Madrid, Dec. 2.
Yul Brynner arrived in Madrid
last Sat. (29) as star replacement
for the late Tyrone Power. He was
accompanied by Paul Radin, vice-
prexy of the actor’s own Alciona
Productions, screenwriter Peter
Viertel, make-np-man Tom Tuttle
and press agent Steve Brooks,
Brynner will make his initial
camera appearance as King Sol¬
omon in Edward Small’s biblical
epic “Solomon and Sheba” next
week, refilming Old Testament
foot identifying the deceased actor
in the same role.

Edward Small’s production rep¬
resentative Ben..Goetz and screen¬
writer George ;§ruce arrived earl¬
ier this week. Producer Ted Rich-
ihond stated that Brynner has a
termination date of Feb. 10 to meet
another film commitment, but that
production on “Solomon and
Sheba” would probably continue
until the end of February.

FnW REVIEWS

Separate Tables

Topnoicli Tenion of Ibe tUro
bit. Bolstered by narqiiee
names and excellent perform*
anees.

United Artists release of Harold Hecht
(Hecht-HiU-Lancaster) production- Stars
Rita Harworth. Deborah Kerr, David
Niven. Wendy Hiller and Biirt Lancaster.
Features Gladys Cooper, Careen Ne^
bitt, Felix Aylmer, Rod ^ylor ^
Audrey Dalton- Directed by Delbert
Stlann. Screenplay, Terence Rattigan; and
John Gay, based on a play by Ratt^an;
camera, Charles l-ang Jr.» editor,^ Marjorie
Fowler and Charles £nnis; music, David
Raksin: song, **Separate Tables," by
Harry Warren and Harold Adamson.
Previewed in N.Y., Nov. 20, *58. Running
time, 9t MINS.

Ann Shankland.. Rita Hayworth

Sibyl Railton-Bell . Deborah Kerr

Jlajor PoUock .- David Niven

Mrs. Pjilton-Ben . Gladys Cooper

L^dy Matheson.Gathleen Nesbitt

Mr. Fowler. Felix Aylmer

Charles Rod Taylor

Jean .. Audrey Dalton

Meacham .. • May Hallatt

Doreen . Priscilla Morgan

Mabel..Hilda Plowright

On marquee value alone, “Sepa¬
rate Tables” bas the earmarks of a
boxoffice hit. The names of Rita
Hayworth. Deborah Kerr, David
Niven, Wendy Hiller and Burt
Lancaster should satisfy any
theatreowner and represent the
bait to attract general audi¬
ences. But the Terence Rattigan-
John Gay screenplay, based on Rat-
tigan’s hit play, is more than just
a framework for a galaxy^ of stars.
It is a provocative and intelligent
film, adult in theme and execution,
and bolstered by some of the best
performances of the year.

Producer Harold Hecht and his
colleagues in the Hecht-Hill-Lan-
caster organization deserve credit
for undertaking a story that does
not meet the conception of what is
generaRy considered siur^-fire mat¬
erial in today’s market. More ini-
portantly, it has the ingredients to
interest and draw the more dis¬
criminating filmgoer. As such,
“Separate Tables” emerges as a
film that can comfortably plav dis¬
criminating as well as the larger
general situations.

As a play, “Separate Tables”
consisted of two separate vignettes
set against the same English board¬
ing house and served as an acting
tour de force for Eric Portman and
Margaret Leighton. Much of the
appeal of the play was due to the
remarkable change in character¬
ization they were able to make
as they assumed different roles in
each of the Segments. However,
Rattigan and Gay have masterfully
blended the two playlets into one
literate and absorbing full-length
film. Four performers selected to
play the separate roles more
than meet the thespian require¬
ments. It won’t come as a siu>
prise if Niven, Miss Kerr and Miss
Hiller are cited for Academy
Award notice.

Basically, Rattigan’s story is ja
character study of a group of resi¬
dents at a small British seaside
town of Borunemouth, described
in the film as a tourist spot in the
summer and a haven for the lonely
and the desperate in the winter.
The majority of the residents are
tortured by psychological problems
and unhappy pasts.

As a phoney major, with a made-
up Sandhurst background, Niven
gives one of the best performances
of his career. His nervous man¬
nerisms, “eh whats,” “good shows”
and boring lies of his World War
II adventiures in. the desert cam¬
paign are a cover up for tosic
inadequacies and fears. He i§ fi¬
nally exposed when he’s caught
molesting women in a theatre.

Miss Kerr is excellent as a plain,
shy girl completely cowed by a
domineering and strong mother,
finely portrayed by Gladys Cooper.
Miss Kerr, who has an attachment
for the equally mixed-Up major,
has some of the most touching
scenes in the film and her final re¬
bellion against her mother
emerges as a scene that will be re¬
membered.

A separate hut integrated story
concerns Lancaster, Miss Hayworth
and Miss Hiller. As a writer hurt
by life and living a don’t-care ex¬
istence at the out-of-the-way hotel,
Lancaster turns in a shaded per¬
formance. Miss Hayworth is
equally good as his former wife
whose narcissism and desire to
dominate men leads to Lancaster’s
downfall. Miss Hiller is the effi¬
cient manager of the hotel who
finds her romance with Lancaster
shattered on the arrival of his
physically attractive and fashion¬
able ex-wife. She presents a
moving and touching performance.

Topnotch portrayals are also
given by other assorted residents
of the hotel, including Felix Ayl¬
mer, who dwells in the past mem¬
ories of his school teaching days;
May Hallatt, as an outspoken, in¬
dividualistic horse player; Cathleen
Nesbitt, as a good-hearted hut meek
follower; Rod Taylor, as a medical

student, and Audrey Dalton, ai his
girlfriend*

Delbert. Mann, who guided
“Marty” lo an Academy Award,
has again cothe up with a sensitive
and painstaking: directorial job.
And producer Hecht has seen to it
that the production values are first
class. Technical assets, including
Charles Lang Jr.’s black and white
photography, Marjorie Fowler and
Charles Ennis" editing, and the pro¬
duction design of Harry Horner
are aR top-draw. David Raksin
has provided an appropriate musi¬
cal score and Harry Warren and
Harold Adamson have a good over-
the-titles tune In "Separate
Tables.” Incidentally, the “Sepa¬
rate Tables” of the title refers to
the hotel’s policy of seating each of
its guests at different tables in
the dining room. HoZZ.

Kowhere to Go

(BRITISH-METROSCOPE)

Sound acting and a well-made

crime yam add up to good en¬
tertaining; pic lacks marquee

value, especially for U.S.

London, Dec. 2.

Metro release of a Michael Balcon pro¬
duction. Stars George Nader, Maggie
SmiUu Bernard Lee. Directed by Seth
Holt. Screenplay, Seth Holt and Ken¬
neth Tynan, based on novel by Donald
Mackensie; camera, Paul Beeson: editor,
Harry Aldous; music. Dizzy Reece. At
Metro Private Theatre, London. Running
time, 17 MINS.

Greg .. George Nader

Sloane .. Bernard Lee

Mrs- Jefferson ..— Bessie Love

Bridget. Maggie Smith

Inspector Scott . Geoffrey Keen

Rosa . Andree Melly

Cameron.Howard Marian Crawford

Dodds I ..Arthur Howard

Dodds n . John Welsh

Rosemary . . Margaret McGrath

Sullivan . Harry Corbett

Bendel .:.... Harry Locke

Anna Berg ... Lilly Kahn

Pet Shop Man . Lionel Jeffries

Policeman . John Turner

Welsh Garageman.L^ne Meddick

Man on Tractor .i... Charles Price

“Nowhere To Go” is a well-made,
literate crime yam with the usual
polished stamp of the Ealing stable.
Good acting is insured by a sound
cast of established British thesps,
plus Hollywood actor, George Na¬
der. But there is precious little
marquee in the cast, especially for,
U.S. consumption.

The pic gets away to a slick start
with Nader being helped by Ber¬
nard Lee, his outside accomplice,
to break jail. He is serving a 10-
year sentence for swindling a
wealthy widow out of the $154,000,
proceeds from the sale of a rare
coin collection. FoUowing the
jail break, a flashback shows the
plausible mannei* in which Nader
cons the widow and salts the cash
away in a safe deposit before the
police get their hooks on him.
Now, away from jail, he starts his
plans to recover the money and
get out of the country. But every¬
thing goes wrong. His accomplice
double-crosses him, his crook
friends squeal on him, he is robbed
of the key to the safe deposit box
and the accomplice dies after
Nader has roughed him up.

Thwarted on all sides and with
a murder rap to face, he is a con¬
vict on the run. The lone person
to lift a finger to help him is a
rich, offbeat Bohemian girl who
specializes in helping lost causes.
But, believing that the girl is turn¬
ing him into the cops, Nader makes
a final desperate break in the
Welsh hUIs and is shot by a farmer
and dies.

Seth Holt, who wrote the screen¬
play with Kenneth Tynan, has di¬
rected tautly and the dialog is rea¬
sonably brisk. The London and
Welsh locations are authentic.
Paul B e e s o n’s black-and-white
lensing is sharp and well edited.

Nader’s performance as the
plausible, ide-cold crook who finds
his plans going frustratingly astray
and who gradually finds himself
out on his own is an intelligent
study. Bernard Lee gives solid
support as his greedy accomplice.
The heroine, Maggie Smith, pro¬
vides an interesting new face and
this, her first starring role, sug¬
gests that she has a worthwhile fu¬
ture in pix.

There are a number of useful
performances in smaller roles.
Geoffrey Keen, as a. very authentic
dick; Bessie Love, as the garrulous
widow; Andree MeUy, as a night¬
club waitress, Howard Marian-
Crawford, as the urbane club prop¬
rietor, and Harry Corbett as a
sleazy crook all add their quota to
a sound all-round cast.

The music of Dizzy Reece, played
by his own quartet, adds consider¬
ably to the atmosphere. It Is off¬
beat, staccato and exciting, and
particularly helps to set the mood
at the start. Rich.

Sports Thrills Of the Century
Inc. has been authorized to con¬
duct an entertainment business in
New York, with capital stock of
200 shares, no par value. Norman
B. Heller was filing attorney at
Albany.

EoMljheartB

DlMppoinitiBir film with Mont* .

emnery Clkt and Robert Ryan

for the marquee.

Hollywood, Nov. 28.

United Artists release, of a Schary
Production. Stars Montgomery Clift, Rob¬
ert Ryan. Myma Loy, Dolores Hart: In-
trodnecs Maureen. Stapleton: features
Jackie Coogan. Mike KeUln, Frank Over-
ton, Onslow Stevens, Frank MaxwelL
Produced by Dore Sebary. Directed by
Vincent J. Donehue. Screenplay, Dore
Schary, based on the’boofc “Misi Lonely-
hearts" by Nathanael West and the play
by Howard Teicbman: camera, John
Alton: music, Conrad Salinger: editor,
Aaron Sfell. Previewed at the Academy
Theatre, Nov. 21, ’58. Running time, Ittl
MINS.

Adam White Montgomery Clift

William Shrike ........... Robert Ryan

Florence Shrike . Myma Loy

Justy Sargent . Dolores Hart

Fay Doyle .Maureen Stapleton

Pat Doyle...Frank Maxwell

Gates . Jackie C^ogan

Goldsmith ... Mike Kellin

Mr. Sargent ............. Frank Overton

Older Brother . .. Don Washbrook

Younger Brother... John Washbrook

Mr. lissiter .. Onslow Stevens

Edna . Mary. Alan Hokanson

Bartender . John Galludet

Jerry . Lea Zimmer

Dore Schary’s first film is so-so.
For the first half it’s tedious, usual^
ly uneasy trip to nowhere. There
is progress in much of the film’s
latter half, and United Artists will
have to hank on this and a fine
though distinctly offbeat and
“tortured” performance by Mont¬
gomery Clift to h^p the film.

The property is cliche-ridden—
the idealist who becomes dis¬
illusioned at the hands of the
cynic; the cynic who, in the end,
is softened by success of the
idealist. Schary penned the screen¬
play from Nathanael West’s “Miss
Lonelyhearts” and Howard Teich-
maun’s play of the same name. In
its original version, the idealist
is kiUed, hut at Schary’s discretion
he goes off to become even more
idealistic while the bitter man
plucks a A)se, wraps it in white
paper and rushes oft to forgive
his wife for being an adulteress 10
years ago. The change is more
elevating and certainly less sordid
than the original, hut it isn’t suffi¬
ciently motivated and thus appears
out of harmony with the rest of
the film.

There are touches of warmth in
Schary’s script, most of them
building the appealing character
f of young Clift. Not so with the
cynical newspaper editor, as played
by Robert Ryan. Here Schary’s
dialog—a kind of maudlin skeptic¬
ism—grates heavily, and Vincent
J. Donehue’s direction makes
something less than a man out of
the character, the effect being
more, irritating than dramatic.
Otherwise, Donehue handles the
actors strongly as he deeply etches
contrasts and human frailties. A
good deal of the story is told in
closeup.

Setting for the. clash is a mid-
western newspaper whose featme
editor (Ryan) has minimum use
for his fellow man. Clift joins
the Chronicle and is assigned the
“Lonelyhearts” column with which
he is to answer problems and
build circulation at the same time.
A battle is waged between the two
as Clift becomes involved with his
“patients” while Ryan calls them
; fakers. The writer is challenged
into following up one of the letters
and finds Maureen Stapleton whose
sad story has her husband a
cripple and incapable of making
love to her. Clift obliges the love-
starved woman and, when he’s led
to believe the story was a fabrica*
tion aimed at “a little action,” he
falls apart. In rather contrived
fashion, however, everything falls
into a happy ending.

Dolores Hart, as Clift’s fiancee,
brings honest love from a be¬
wildered man and, in so doing,
glows with a spirited sensitivity.
W^nma Loy, as Ryan’s wife,
handles with taste a part that
offers practically nothing to do,

. Dramatic values gain considerably
with the work of Miss Stapleton
who, in her first film role, proves
a powerful character actress. Ex¬
cellent support comes from Frank
Maxwell as the impotent husband,
Jackie Coogan and Mike Kellin as
two hack reporters, Frank Overton
as Miss Hart’s father and Onsiqw
Stevens who, to complicate matters
as Clift’s father, is imprisoned for
having murdered ms wife and her
lover.

Eilm fades in with a documen¬
tary flavor, and John Alton’s
photography remains in low-key
throughout. Mood is maintained
by work of art director Serge
Eirizman and composer Conrad
Salinger, and film editor Aaron
Stell appears to have put together
with precision what thera-was to
splice in the first place.

Schary’s attempt at adult fare
was an. earnest one even if it
didn’t quite come out of the clouds.
His mark as an independent pro¬
ducer will be welcome, but
“Lonelyhearts” look to he

WedMadaj, Dedember S, 1959

the film that will make it. There
Is nothjng quite as devastating as
deliberately “adult” fare that
doesn’t come off. Regardless of
how literate the dialog and how’
sincere the message, pictures like
this still must tell their story in
terms of the screen, with all its
limitations'and advantages. “Lone¬
lyhearts” benefits from Schary’s
skin and integri^ as a filmmaker
and it’s “offbeat” in an acceptable
sense. It’s obvious there’s room
today for pictures that “say some¬
thing.” Ron.

The Doctor^s DUemma

(BRITISH-COLOE)

Lnsh version of stagey Bernard
Shaw period play. Useful arty
theatre entry, with advantage
of stellar names.

Stars Dirk Bogarde, Lesl i e Caron: fea¬
tures Rolsert Morley. John Robinson.
Felix Aylmer, Alastalr Sim. Directed by
Anthony Asquith. Screenplay. Anatole de
.Grun'vald. from George Bernard Shaw’s
play; camera,. Robert Kraaker: editor.
Gordon Hales: music, Joseph Kosna. Fre-
yiewed at Metro Private Theatre. Lon¬
don. Running time, 91 MINS.

Jennifer Dudebat . Leslie Caron

Louis Dudebat .......... Dick Bogarde

Cutler Walpole .. Alastalr Sim

Sir Ralph Bonington..Robert Morley

Sir Patrick Cullen . Felix Aylmer

Sir Colenso Ridgeon.John Robinson

Dr. Blenldnsop . Michael Gwynn

Emmy . Maureen Delaney

Redpenny . Alec McCowen

Newspaper Man .. Colin Gordon;

Minnie Tinwell . ...Gwenda EWen

Mr. Lancaster .. Terence Alexander

London, Dec. 2.

The success of “My Fair Lady”
has whooped up a George Bernard
Shaw vogue here; “The Doctor’s
Dilemma” thus was made into a
pic. The magic initials “GH.S.”
can surely be the only excuse for
this one which takes the British
motion picture biz back to the ex¬
citing, but troublesome days of
Korda, In a film world which must
face up grimly to the realistic eco¬
nomic facts of present day life,
“Dilemma” looks a risky prestige
venture.

It is handsomely produced,
dressed and directed. It has Shaw’s
dialog and some good actors. But
even with the names of Leslie
Caron and Dirk Bogarde it still
lines up merely as a worthwhile
artyhouse bookhig. In Britain, it
i has been cynically suggested that
its main hope of economic survival
is that the run-of-the-miU ducat
buyers will be confused into the
belief that it is another of the
higMy successful “Doctor” series
which has starred Bogarde in pix
inspireiT by the humorous novels
of Richard Gordon.

Shaw’s stringent wit still shines
in this film, but, staged in 1903,
his comments on Harley Street
(London’s medical row) and the
doctoring profession have by now
lost much of their impact. “Di¬
lemma” remains, relentlessly, an
easy-on-the-eye filmed version of
an out-of-date play. As a reminder
of the plot, it concerns a young
woman married to an artist who
is a complete bounder—a sponger,
a potential blackmailer and a man
who can’t resist other women.

But she is blinded by hero-wor¬
ship. He suffers from consump¬
tion, she pleads with a doctor to
save his life. He thinks that he
would do better to use his limited
serupi on a more worthwhile case.
And so the yovmg artist dies, stiU
a shining knight in armour to the
starry-eyed young wife.

Bogarde gives a stimulating per¬
formance as the selfish young artist
and is particularly convincing in
hLs final, highly theatrical death
sequence. Miss Caron is often mov¬
ing in her blind belief in her man,
but never suggests the strength
necessary to fight the cynical doc¬
tors. These are played as cari-
catures.

Producer Anatole de Grunwald
has spared no expense in lining up
a team which, gives Shaw’s lusty
medicinal characters the works.
John Robinson is suitably siff-
upper-lipped as theNbachelor spe¬
cialist who knows Bogarde’s repu¬
tation and prefers to save another
man, despite his liking for Miss
Caron. Alastair Sim, Robert Mor¬
ley and Felix Aylmer play the roles
of Harley Street fuddy-duddies
with rich fun and vigor. There Is
also a good, neat performance by
the ever-dependable Colin Gordon
as an obtrusive journalist

Dedicated direction by Anthony
Asquish and lush costumes by Cecil
Beaton all add up to the richness
of .this film. But none of them can
disguise the plain, implacable fact
that “Dilemna” is an extravagant
whim. Admirers of Shaw’s witty
tilting at the chicanery of medicine
in the early part of this century
v/iU still prefer the play. The emo¬
tional angle to the plot still stands
up to modern day examination. The
reason for making the film is more
: difficult to assess. Rich.

HfHUe on Hannted Milt

From the prodneen of ^‘M^ea-
bre,” this well-made ghbat
story ahould’build on that suc¬
cess.

Hollywood, Nov. 28.

Allied Artists r^ease of William Castle-
Robb White prodaction. Stari Vincent
Price. Carol Ohmart; features Richard
Lonf, Alan Marshal. Caro.^ Craig. Pro¬
duced and directed by william Castle.
Screenplay, Robb White; camera, Carl E.
Guthrie; music. Von Dexter; editor. Roy
Livingston. Previewed at Academy .
Awards Theatre. Nov. 24. '58. Running
time. 7S MINS.

Frederick Loren .. Vincent Pries

Annabelle Loren . Carol Ohmart

Lance Schroeder .. Richard Long

Dr. David Trent.Alan Marshal

Nora Manning .... Carolyn Craig

Watson Pritchard .......... Elisha Cook

Ruth Bridgera .. Julie Mitchum.

Mrs. Slykes .. Leona Anderson

Jonaa .. Howard Hoffman

In the welter of grim and grisly
pictures that make up the bulk of
exploitation fare these, days, there
are few genuine ghost stories. Al¬
lied Artists did exceptionally well
with one of these in “Macabre,”
earlier this year. Now the same
producers, William Castle and
Robb White, have come up with
another in the same vein. The
present item, “House , on Haunted
Hill,” should build on the success
of the former, to he a fop exploi¬
tation grosser for its class.

White’s screenplay, which Castle
produced and directed, is the one
about the group of people who
promise to spend the night In a
haimted house. In this case, it’s
pure monetary gain, Vincent Price,
owner of the house, is offering
$10,000 to. anyone who lasts out
the night. 'There is a gimmick in
the plot which explains the
screams, ghosts, bubbling vats of
lye and perambulating skeltons,
when it’s finally explained that
Price’s wife, C^ol Ohmart, has
rigged the whole thing with her
lover, Alan Marshal. They intended
to have Price accidentally shot so
she could get his money and he
free to marry Marshal.

"Haimted Hill” is expertly pnt
together. There is some good hu¬
mor in the dialog which not only
pays off well against the ghostly
elements, but provides a release
for laughter so it does not explode
in th6 suspense sequences. The
characters are interesting and not
; outlandish, so there is some basis
of reality. Castle keeps things mov¬
ing at a healtliy clip.

I Robb and Castle have a new
gimmick on “House on Haunted
Hill” called “Emergo.” This device
h is an illuminated skeleton mounted
on trolley wires, moving out from
the side of the screen over the
heads of the audience. It is a rea¬
sonably effective mechanism that
will add to the picture’s promo¬
tional aualities, without detracting
from the film if theatre-owners
elect to dispense with it.

Vincent Price gives a suave per¬
formance that carries suggested
menace hut is acceptable when it
turns out the menace is coming
from the other direction. Miss Oh¬
mart is good as the wife, and
others who contribute include
Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Car¬
olyn Craig and Elisha Cook.

It may seem like'a small point,
hut it won’t to exhibitors, to note
that Carl Guthrie’s photography is
appropriately moody hut not so
low-key that It won’t be suitable
for the drive-ins. -Von Dexter’s
music and the special effects by
Herman Townsley contribute to
the mood. Powe.

Tom Tliiimb

(SONGS; COLOR)

Novelty musical based on
fairytale looks like a winner
for holiday dates, stronr on
general release, and good re¬
issue property.

Hollywood, Nov. 28.

Metro release of Georse Pal prodae-
tion. Stars Russ Tamblyn, Directed by
Pal. Screenplay, Ladislas Fodorj based
on the Grimm Bros, fairy tale; camera,
'GeorSes Perlnal; music, DousIm GaJ^ey
and Ken Jones; editor, Frank Clarke.
Previewed at the studio, Nov. 18, *58. Run- -
ninf time. 92 MINS.

Tom Thumb ...Rusx Tamblyi

Woody .. Alan Yoons

Jyan .. Terry-ThomM

Tony.Peter Seller*

Anna.Jessie Mhtthcfwa

pie Forest Queen.June Thorbum

Jonathan .. Bernard Mile*

The Cobbler .. Ian Walla<ie

and

The Puppetoona

The only thing lower case about
this production is the Metro spell¬
ing of “tom thumb.” Otherwise
film is topriirawer, a comic fairy
tale with music that stacks upi
alongside some of the Disney
classics of similar nature. <5eorge
Pal’s fun-filled production for
Metro will have a broader appeal
than just for kids, and should he
a winner for the studio on its orig¬
inal playdates as well as packing
perenniid, re-release appeal.

With the captivating special
effects so ingeniously used, and
likely to provide the greatest word-
of-mouth- on “tom thumb,” it
(Continued on page 20)

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

PiSRtEff

PICTIJRES

SEE RKO EX-MPEA IN 1959

Stars-Whh Payolls in Stratosphere

Some of the top studios are doing a burn with the way Inde¬
pendent producers, such as those aligned with United Artists, are
consenting to what they consider “astronomical” payoffs to stars.
Story in last week’s Variety related '.that Marlon Brando, John
Wayne and William Holden now receiving $750,000 per picture.

Brando is to receive $750,000 for his work in “Orpheus Descend¬
ing,” Martin Jurow-Richard Shepherd - production.

Money-minded execs at the homeoffices in New York are of the
opinion that the top performers and their agents are being en¬
couraged to demand such payoffs simply by the willingness of the
indie producers to shell out And as the indies go along with the
top-bracket payoffs, so, too, must the big studios in order to latch
on to the valuable marquee names.

Said a v.p. of one of the big companies in Gotham this week:
“It’s getting to be an impossible situation.”_. _

Skouras Again Decries Cash

Demands of Actors & Directors

London, Dec. 2. -

Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox
prexy, lashed out again at exces¬
sive production costs in Hollywood,
when he was feted by British in¬
dependent exhibitors at a Savoy
dinner to celebrate the fifth an¬
niversary of the launching of Cine¬
mascope in Great Britain. The oc¬
casion was organized by W. J.
Fooks, a Cardiff exhib, who pre¬
sided at the function.

Business in the United States,
said Skouras, has seldom been so
bad but, at the same time, Holly¬
wood had never been so prosper¬
ous. The degree of prosperity, he
added, was almost grotesque.

Skouras began by describing the
role of the distributor as a buffer
block between producers and ex¬
hibitors. On the one hand, distribs
had to contend with exhibitors who
beefed that rentals were too high
and, on the other hand, with pro¬
ducers W’ho complained that the
return to them was too small. They
both argued that distribution costs
were too high, but this, said the
20th toppr. was due to the Consent
Decree. In pre-war days . 275
prints sufficed, whereas now 400
were needed. Color was then the
exception and now more general.
Further, there was the tendency
towards longer films.

As evidence of the serious trend
of rising costs. Skouras said 20th
had paid $500,000 for the rights to
John O’Hara, new novel, “From
the Terrace,’^ which was to be a
new vehicle for Mark Robson.
There were cases of stars receiv¬
ing a fee of $800,000 plus 1% of
the gross and directors demanding
$250,000 per picture and 25% of
the profits. All this, he warned,
W'ould reflect on exhibitors, not
only in the United States, but
throughout the world.

He made an appeal to the indus¬
try to put its house in order so
far as production costs were con¬
cerned and warned , of the dangers
of losing ground to the Russians.
They would certainly step in if
Hollywood, Britain, France and the
other free countries were compelled
to go out of business. While insist¬
ing he was not an evangelist,
Skouras insisted that it was urgent
to save the industry from destruc¬
tion and stop paying fabulous
salaries.

In a final brief reference to loU
tv, the 20th prexy referred to the
excellent way in which the British
Industry had preVented the sale of
pre-ffl48 backlogs to tv via FIDO
and suggested that some arrange¬
ment should be made to stop the
release of features for subscrip¬
tion‘^television until at least five
years after their release. The new
medium, when it comes, should be
used to the advantage of the whole
Industry, he urged. ^

Tacific’ 32 Weeks in Nabe

Dallas, Dec. 2.

After a run of 32 weeks and
three days at the Wynnewood The¬
atre, “South Pacific” (Magna) the
third Todd-AO technicolor film
ended its run at the Rowley United
Theatre.

W, S; Samuel, manager of the
house estimated that 130,000 pa¬
trons viewed the film in the nabe
house located six and a half miles
from downtown Dallas.

Directors Honor Clair

‘ . Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Screen Directors Guild has
selected Rene Clair’s “Porte
Des Lilas” as “best directed”
non-English-speaking film of
1958.

Clair will be brought here
for Directors annual awards
dinner Feb, 7, as guild guest.

Third D.S.Fih
Loan to Japan
Power Co. Looms

Tokyo, Dec. 2.

The American film Industry’s
third loan to Japanese industry,
running to about 3,000,000,000 yen
($0,000,000), is virtually set but
won’t be finalized until the Diet
recesses. Reason is that the loan
is a hot political issue which might
rouse Communist and other oppo¬
sition in the Diet

As in the past, the loan is to the
Japanese hydroelectric power de¬
velopment company. It’s at the
usual 39c interest, but foT only six
years, and the amount remittable
when the deal goes into effect is
larger than before. The Japanese
Government guarantees repayment
in dollars, but only at the prevail¬
ing official exchange rate at the
time the remittance is made,

Irving Maas, the Motion Picture
Export Assn, rep in the Far East,
deliberately left Tokyo for Manila
while the Diet entered its closing
days. Howevef, it did not recess,
as had been expected, and so the
loan hangs fire. Eric Johnston,
prez of MPEA, now isn’t expected
to arrive here until early in 1959.
He originally w^as due in Tokyo
during November or December.

RKO, still forking over around
$1,000 a week in dues, will remain
a member of the Motion Picture
Export Assn, until it has exhausted
its present supply of product. It’s
expected to bow out in the spring
of 1959.

RKO’s status in the Association
was discussed at a recent meeting
between MPEA president Eric
Johnston and Tom O’Neil, head of
General Teleradio, w^hich owns
RKO.

There’s been a good deal of dis¬
cussion among MPEA members re
the RKO standing in the trade
org, particularly since RKO is
virtually out of business. It is
not producing films, and it isn’t
distributing them either, having
turned over its films in the States
to Universal and abroad to the
Rank Organization in most areas.
Yet, RKO continues to draw im¬
port licenses via its MPEA mem¬
bership,

Johnston and O’Neil are said to
have agreed that RKO should con¬
tinue in the Association as long
as it has some unreleased films in
Jts vaults. There are only two
left. It’s highly unlikely that—as
some have suggested—RKO will
remain an MPEA member “on
paper only,” so as not to make an
ostentatious display of a crumbling
Association,

Apart from that, MPE.A. is in no
hurry to ditch RKO, w'hich still
contributes some $52,000 a year in
dues. Its regular (domestic) pay¬
ments come to close to $800 week¬
ly. In addition, it’s assessed for
MPEA expenses out of foreign
. blocked funds, along with the
other companies. If and when
I RKO drops out, the gap in the
; MPEA budget will be felt.

What worries MPEA members
more, however, are the inevitable
echoes that will come from abroad.
Though the Association is prepared
to fight this. argument, it expects
that various countries will seek
to reduce their overall license
allotments to MPEA on the
grounds that it no longer speaks
for either Republic or RKO and
therefore is entitled to fewer per¬
mits, The MPEA reply to this
is that, if a company drops out,
the others fill the gap.

Warner Stock at $24.62 High Despite
Aug. 23 Year-End $1,023,000 Loss

Gift Fit for Queen

San Francisco, Dec. 2.

Spyros Skouras is giving
Greece’s Queen Frederika a
little gift,.

It’s a complete color. Cine¬
mascope'record of the Queen’s
21-day visit to the U.S. and
20th-Fox crew was very much
in evidence as Queen made her
official rounds in Frisco last
week. Cameraman Tony Muto
and rest of crew is following
Queen all over nation and
footage will be presented to
her at tour’s finish.

Louis A. Green

Military Priority Oyer
Theatres Fought Via
Forces’ Booking Dept.

A special Theatre Owners of
America committee will meet next
month in Washington with the
Armed Forces Booking Dept, in
order to correct what the exhibitor
^oup terms “the highly unfair and
improper competition of military
installation theatres that play new
product ahead of nearby commer¬
cial theatres,”

The committee, according to
TOA, will employ a dignified but
firm, approach. In the meanwhile,
TOA members are being solicited
for facts and figures relating to'
the menace of the G.I. competition.
At the same time, TOA has urged
its members to get'In touch with
their Senators and Congressmen to
obtain their support in fighting the
“unfair competition.”

The TOA committee, chair-
manned by Robert J. O’Donnell,
consists .of Burton I. Jones, Burton
Kramer, Robert‘R. Livingston, Al-
betr M. Pickus and Ernest Q.
StelUngs.

Ulcerated, Wald Idles

Hollywood, Dep. 2.

Jerry Wald has been bedded by
an attack of ulcers.. He’ll be out
of the turmoil for at least 10 days.

Malaise has ended his immediate
plans to holiday in Europe and
Manhattan.

Loew s Itself

Louis A. Green, the Loew’s Inc.
board member who has launched
a proxy fight against the company,
is preparing a list of stockholders
prior to launching his proxj- solici¬
tation campaign. Green initially
requested that the management
turn over the list, but Loew’s offi¬
cials declined on the ground that
his position was inimical to the
welfare of the company and, in
effect, told the insurgent director
to obtain the names as best he
could. As a consequence. Green’s
reps will have to go through the
lengthy job of copying down the
names at the stock transfer office.

Green should have the list by
the end of this week. In the mean¬
while, he is said to be preparing
a slate of directors to present to
the stockholders when he makes
his solicitation. The date for the
start of Green’s fight, via the mail¬
ing of a letter to stockholders, is
not known, but a spokesman for
Green stated that the stockholders
“will be solicited in due course.”
At the same time, Green is making
arrangements for the retention of
a public relations counsel and a
proxy solicitation firm.

Loew’s officials appear to be
taking the threat of a fight calmly.
They feel that there’s sufficient
time to answer any charges that
Green may make. “He has a long
way to run,” said a source, mean¬
ing that the annual stockholders’
(Continued on page 10)

Warner Bros, had a loss of $1,-
023,000 for the year ended la.'^t
Aug. 23, compared with a profit
of $3,415,000 for the preceding
year. This obviously is a rough
financial rap for the company to
take but nonetheless does not inter¬
fere with the confinuing dividend
rate of $1.20 per year.

Further, despite the downbeat,
trading in Wall Street is reflect¬
ing substantial optimism, the WB
shares having hit a new high of
$24.62^2 per share. And the word
has been spread around the
Gotham financial area that the
film corporations first quarter of
fiscal 1959 will show an imporant
profit.

Among the highlights of the bal¬
ance sheet at the end of fiscal
1958: cash on hand is about the
same, at $13,223,000; current assets
less current liabilities are $34,-
736,000, down from $40,956,000; net
worth (book value) is down from
$44,857,000 last year to $40,774,000
: this year; total income for 1958 is
listed at $72,316,000, compared with
$80,279,000 last year.

According to a statement sub¬
mitted by president Jack L. 'W’ar-
ner, advances to independent pro¬
ducers are responsible for the defi¬
cit in the new year. Such losses
accounted for a red ink entry of
$3,000,000.

Consolidated, balance sheet shows
total current assets of $54,419,000
and current liabilities of $24,-
683,000, the latter including a
$5.0000,000 bank loan due Aug.
14, 1959.

I O’Seas Grosses Comfort 20th-Fox

Fighting hard to overcome a scarcity of top releases (and grossers)
in the third and fourth quarter, 20th-Fox last week reported a $6,590,991
net for the 39 weeks ended Sept. 27, 1958. Figure compares with a
$5,523,858 net for the comparable period in 1957. ■.

The third quarter was down slightly, dropping to $1,357,982 from
$1,553,993 last year. That’s attributed at 20th to a lack of strong
films coming through from the studio. Also, a couple of highly-touted
pictures have been disappointments.

The fourth quarter will be even tougher for 20th, though it has
some top product coming out in the last two months of December
(“Inn of the Sixth Happiness,” etc.) and will have “Mardi Gras”
and “In Love and War” going for it In the subsequents. “Roots of
Heaven” also will be hitting in a general release. In the final ac¬
counting, only the first three weeks of the. month will show up on
the 1958 boolK however.

To what extent the foreign rdarket Is helping to pull 20th’s chest¬
nuts out of the fire Is pointed iip by the fact that, where the domestic
end racked up $750,000 in billings one recent week, foreign did a
whopping $1,700,000 in its International drive week devoted-to prexy
Spyros P. Skouras. Total foreign billings for 1958 will be just below
the 1957 high of $47,000,000. 20tn must bill about $1,000,000 domestic¬
ally to break even.

The $6,590,991 net for the 39 weeks ended Sept. 27, 1958, amounted
to $2.87 per ,share on 2.293,186 shares of common outstanding. The
1957 net equalled $2.13 per share..

Total film rentals, including tv sales, for the 39 weeks ran to
$87,987,176 against $89,419,401 in 1957. Total Income was $94,136,723
against $96,556,893 .last year. Amortization dropped to $37,869,239 from
$48,610,878. with, total expenses $57,728,144 against $59 748,841 last
year. Distribution and administrative expenses ..went down by over
$1,000,000 to $22,119,132 for the 39 weeks In 1958. .

The $6,590,991 net was after provision for $3,750,000 In U. S. and
$2,137,916 in foreign income taxes. Last year, total tax provisions
came to $6,351,068.

D. A. Brandon Goes Free
In Bomb Indictments
I Tied to’54 Union Strife

! Corpus Christi, Tex., Dec. 2.

^ Two indictments charging D. A.
Brandon with theatre bombings
have been quashed, ending four
years of efforts to bring the union
; leader to trial. The action by Jud.ge
Cullen Briggs brought to an end
two days of hearings in 117th dis-
i trict court and completely removed
: Brandon and his codefendant. Leon
i Wilson Malone, from further prose¬
cution in the two cases.

The main factor considered by
Judge Briggs in reaching his deci-
j sion was that the location of the
Avalon and BelLaire Theatres,
named in the indictments, were not
: specifically identified. Both thea-
j tres were totally or partically de-
I stroyed Oct. 9, 1954, during a dis-
; pute between union men and the-
. atre managers. Brandon is biz
I agent for the local projectionists
i union.

I Carl R. Cude, indicted with
I Brandon and Malone in the two
I cases, pleaded guilty to both counts
more than two years ago, has
I served his sentence and was re-
; leased about nine months ago.

Brynner Party in Madrid

Madrid, Dec. 2.

Yul Brynner arrived in Madrid
last Sat. (29) as star replacement
for the late Tyrone Power. He was
accompanied by Paul Radin, vice-
prexy of the actor’s own Alciona
Productions, screenwriter Peter
"Viertel, make-up man Tom Tuttle
and press agent Steve Brooks.

Brynner will make his initial
camera appearance as King Sol¬
omon in Edward Small’s biblical
epic “Solomon and Sheba” next
week, refiiming Old Testament
foot identifying the deceased actor
in the same role.

Edward Small’s production rep¬
resentative Ben Goetz and screen¬
writer George Bruce arrived earl¬
ier this week. Producer Ted Rich-
ihond stated that Brynner has a
termination date of Feb. 10 to meet
another film commitment, but that
production on “Solomon and
Sheba” would probably continue
until the end of February.

nCCIHB «B*SSBS

PMtlWFS

H^ceinber -3,

LA. Booms; 'Locasta Smash $25,100,
To LVe Wham 20G, IWardtfiras’ Hep
22(3, Tarty' Oke 12|4 (j, ‘Dark' $16,400

Los Angides, Dec. 2. ^

BofE trade looms this week at
local,first-runs with natural boost
from long holiday weekend. In
fact, it looks to be the biggest
stanza since Labor Day week.
Leading the b.o. parade is ‘"Anna
Lucasta,” with smash $25,000 at
two theatres.

Actually, a stronger showing is
being made by **I Want To Live,”
with a mighty $20,000 in opening ^
se.'Jsion at the 1,170-seat Fox Bev- j
erly. “Mardi Gras” is rated good
$22,000 for four houses. “Party
Girl” looms okay $12,500 in two
spots.

“Home Before Dark” in second
week, three locations, shapes mod¬
est $16,400 in three spots. “Bell,
Book, Candle” is beaming for
proud $13,80&. in third lap at War¬
ner Beverly. Hard-tix engagements
are coming through big,, being
headed by “Windjammer,” which

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross

This Week .$487,400

(Based on 21 theatres)

Last Year .$546,900

(Based on 22 theaiTes)

lardiGras’M
$13,000 in Indpls.

Indianapolis, Dec. 2.
Biz generally was stout at first-
runs here this stanza despite a

_ ^ , blizzard that lasted over Thanks-

looks WOW’ $25,000 in 34th frame j ^ving weekend. Young crowd

at Chinese.

Estimates for This Week
Fox Beverly IFWC) (1.170-90-.S2)
—“I Want to Live” (UAb Mighty
$20,000. Last week, with Los An¬
geles, New Fox, Loyola, Uptown,
“Defiant Ones” (UA) (8th wk. Fox
Bev; 1st wk. others), “Terror Texas

t WJS. oinersf, xeiiui -icAda,-- --

Town” (UA) (except Fox Bev),!

$18,500. '

Orphenm, Hollywood (Metroooli-
tan-FWC) (2,213; 756; 90-$1.50)—

“Anna Lucasta” (UAT. Smash $25.-
000. Last week. “Big Country”

(UA) (3d wk), “Cop Haters” ^UA'

(Orph) i3d wk). “Gun Runners”

(UA) (Hollywood) (1st wk). $6,500.

Pantages, Los Angeles, Uptown,

Loyola (RKO-FWO—(2,815; 2.097;

1.715; 1.298; 90-$1.50) — “Mardi
Gras” (20th) and “Blood Arrow”

(20th). Good $22,000 or near. Last
week, Pantages with State, “Flesh
Is Weak” (DCA), “Blonde in Bond¬
age” (DCA) (Pantages, split week
with reissues of "Tobacco Road,”

“Grapes of Wrath”), $4,300.

State. Hawaii (UATC-G&S)

(2,404; 1,106; 90-$1.50) — “Party
Girl” (M-G) and "Haunted Strang¬
ler” (M-G). Okay $12,500. Last
week, Hawaii with Hillstreet,

“Earth to Moon” (WB). “Colossus
of New ’l^ork” (Par), ditto.

Downtown, Iris, El Rey (SW-
FWC) (1,757; 825: 861; 90-S130)—
“Houseboat” (Par) and “When Hell
Broke Loose” (Par) (Downtown)

(2d wk). Okay $14,400. Last W’eek.

$16,000.

ffilstrcet (RKO) (2,752; 90-,$1.50)

—“From Earth to Moon” (WB) and
“Colossns of New York” (Par) (2d
wk). Fair $4,200.

Downtown Paramount. Wiltem,

Vogue (ABPT-SW-FWC) (3,300;

2.344; 825; 90-$1.50)—“Home Be¬
fore Dark” (WB) and “Mam’zelle
Pigalle” (Man) (Downtown Par) (Pd
wk). Modest $16,400. Last week,

$ 20 , 100 .

New Fox (FWC) (765; 90-S1.5b)—

“Defiant Ones” (UA) and “Terror
(Continued on page 10>

flocked to Circle for “Mardi Gras,”
whch is leading town at great
figmre. It will hold. “Tunnel of
Love” at Loew’s is solid. “House¬
boat” looks big in second round.
Estimates for This Week
Circle (CockriU-DoUe) (2,800; 75-
90i—“Mardi Gras” (20th). Great
Last week, “Restless
Years” (U) and “Appointment
With Shadow” (U), $7,000.

Keith’s CC-D) (1,300; 75-90)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk). Big
$8-000 or near. Last week. $12,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427; 75-90)—
‘Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and “Dun¬
kirk” (M-G). Nifty $8,000. Last
week, “Defiant Ones” (UA) and
“Cop Hater” (UA), $7,000.

Lyric (C-D) <850; $1.24-$2.20)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (32d wk).
Tall $8,000. I^t week, $7,500.

‘Mardi Gras’ Sharp IIG,
‘Colonel’ 5G, ‘Tunnel’ 3G

Omaha, Dec. 2,

Aided by the early Xmas shop¬
pers, downtown first-runs are shap¬
ing up very good this week. “Mardi
Gras” is especially strong at Tri¬
states flagship, the Orphuem. It
undoubtedly will hold. “Me and
Colonel” is tidy al the Brandeis.
In the. second-week division,
“Houseboat” is nice at the Omaha
but “Tunnel of Love” is only fair
at the State. Hard-ticket “South
Pacific” remains sturdy in sixth
stanza at the Cooper.

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (Cooper) (694; 90)—
“Me and Colonel” (Col) and Cor¬
onation short. Tidy $5,000. Last
week, “Old Man and Sea” (WB) (2d
wk), $2,000 at $1.25-$1.50 scale.

Cooper (Cooper) (708; $1.50-
$2.20)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(6th wk). Sock at near-capa,city
$12,000. Last week, same.

Omaha (Tristates) (2,066; 90-
$1.25)—“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk).
Shapes nice $6,000 after $7,500
bow.

Orphenm (Tristates) (2,980; 75-
<20th). Strong
$11,000. Last week, “Case of Dr.
Lnurent” (T-L), $4,000.

State (Cooper) (850; 90)—“Tim-
nel of Love” GVI-G) (2d wk). Fair
$3,000. Last week, $5,000.

New Fix Tilt St Loo;

‘Mardi Gras’ Lirdy IGC!,
Tnnnd’ Robust $13,000

St. Louis, Dec. 2.

New, strong fare is boosting
the takes at many first-runs here
this stanza. “Mardi Gras” at the
Fox shapes lively, “Tunnel of
Love” is rated fancy at Loew’s
After a nice week at Loew’s “Last
Hurrah” has moved over to the
Orpheum for good returns. “South
Seas Adventmre” continues strong
at Ambassador. Smash second-
weeker is “Houseboat” at the St.
Louis.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW-Cinerama) (1,-
400; $1.20-$2.40)—“South Seas Ad¬
venture” (Cinerama) (5th wk).
Robust $12,000. Last week, ditto.

Apollo Art (Grace) (700; 90-
$1.25)—“Summertime” (UA) (re¬
issue). Good $2,500. Last week,
“Capt. From Koepenick” (Indie)
(3d wk), $1,700.

Fox (Arthur) (5.000; 65-90)—
"Mardi Gras” (20th) and “Party
Crashers” (Par). Lively $16,000.
Last week, “Tank Force” (Col)
and “Gunman’s Walk” (Col),
$ 10 , 000 .

Loew’s (Loew) (3,200; 60-90)—
‘Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and “The
(Continued on page 10)

^ougeboaf Wow 12G,
Seattle; ^nneF 8G

Seattle, Dec. 2.

Fall weather is helping to im¬
prove the boxoffice here this
stanza. Few newcomers are topped
by “Tunnel of Love,” fairly good
at Music HalL “Mardi Gras” is
rated swell in second Coliseum
round. “Houseboat” is soaring to
a giant figure in second Fifth
Avenue week, arid ahead of the
first frame.

Estimates for 'Ilii? Week

Blue Mouse (Hamrick) (800;
$1.50-$2.50) — “South Pacific”
(Magna) (27th wk). Great $8,000.
Last week, $6,100.

Coliseum (Fox-Ever^een) (1,-
870; 90-$I.50)--“Mardi Gras”

(20th) and “Flaming Frontier”
(20th) (2d wk). Swell $9,000. Last
week, $10,800.

Fifth Avenue (Fox-Evergreen)
(2.500; 90-$1.50) — “Houseboat”

(Par) and “Young as We Are”
(Par) (2d wk). Giant $12,000. Last
week, $10,500.

Music Box (Efamrick) (850; $1.50-
$2.80)—“Gigi” (M-G) (8th wk).
Likely okay $5,000. Last week,
$5,300.

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,200; 90-
$1.50)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
and “Appointment with a Shadow”
(U). Fairly good $8,000. Last week,
“Earth To Moon” (WB) and “Win-
dom’s Way” (Rank), $5,200.

Orphenm (Hamrick) <2,700; 90-
$1.50) Stageshow% Last week,
“Home Before Dark” (WB) and
“Mark of Hawk” (U), oke $7,400.

Paramount (Fox-Evergreen) (3,-
107; 90-$1.50)—“Last Hurrah”
(Col) and “Ghost of China Sea”
(Col) (2d wk). Slow $6,000. Last
week, $5,400.

'Mardi Gras’ 17G,
Pliilly;?artyM5G

Philadelphia, Dec. 2,

Rash of new films is making for
a healthier boxoffice here this
round. The huge crowd in town
for the Army-Navy grid contest
was no help to biz at the cinemas,
actually taking people from the
raidtown area in the afternoon.
“Party Girl”^ is rated fast at .the
Arcadia while “Mardi Gras”' is
equaUy big at the Fox. “Home
Before Dark” looms fairly brisk
at Stanley. “Tunnel of Love” is
only okay at Trans-Lux, with no¬
tices mild.

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (S&S) (536; 99-$1.80)—
“Party Girl” (M-G). Fast $15,000
or near. Last week, “Houseboat”
(Par) (6th wk), $9,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,480; $1.20-$2.40)—
Windjammer” (NT) <5th wk).
Brisk $10,500. Last week,. $10,000.

Fox (National) (2,250; 65-$1.49)_

"Mardi Gras” (20th). Sock $17,000
or close. Last week, “High So¬
ciety” (M-G) and “Swan” (M-G)
(reissues), $6,500.

Goldman (CJoldman) (1,200*
$1.50 -$2.60)—^“Old Man and Sea”
(WB) (3d wk). So-so $6,500. Last
week, $8,500.

Midtown (Goldman) (1.000; $1.20-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(36th wk). Good $7,500. Last
week, $8,000.

Randolph (Goldman) (1,250; 65-
$1.80)—“Last Hurrah” (Col) (3d
(Continued on page 10)

Cdd Hits Hob; Imief Fair $U^0II0,
'Mardi Gras’ Okay 14G, 'Houseboat’ 15G

K«y City Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week .$2,395,900

(Based on 22 cities and 241
theatres, chiejly first runs, in¬
cluding N, Y.)

Last Tear .$2,750,600

(Based on 22 cities and 247
theatres.)

IWardi Gras’ Pleasing $1^400, Ciney;
‘Tunnel’ Dandy lOH ‘Darfc’ Mo

Cincinnati, DeCi 2.
Grosses at Cincy first-runs are in
a sharp climb this week in face of
almost complete loss of Friday (28)
biz due. to record local snowfall
which avalanched other lines of biz
as well. Upbeat stems from a
splurge of class product and sim¬
ultaneous release of “Mardi Gras”
at Rube Shoris downtown Keith’s
and suburban Twin Driv6-In big¬
gest in this area.

Holding the lead for second
week is “Houseboat” befty at the
Albee. Newcomers “Tunnel of
Loye,” Is fast at the small Grand
while “Home Before Dark” looks
trim at the Palace, “Mardi Gras”
shapes plenty good In its two loca¬
tions. Hard-ticket “South Seas Ad¬
venture” in fifth wei remains
firm but Is feeling early effect of
Yule approach, which also applies
to “South Pacific.”

Estimates for 'This Week
Albee (RKO) (3,100; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk). Swell
$12,000 after $14,()00 preem. Holds
for third.

Capitol . fSW-Cinerama) (1,376;
$1.20-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (5th wk). Okay
$15,000 at first stage of pr^Xmas
slowdown. Last week, $22,000.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 90-$1.25)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M^). . Fast
$10,000. Last week, “Mark of
Hawk” (U) and “Tanganyika”' fU),
at 75-$1.10 scale, $4,500 in 5 days.

Keith’s (Shor) (1.500; 90-$1.25)—
"Mardi Gras” (20th). Pleasmg $7,-
500. Stays a second week. Last
week, “Last Hurrah” (Col) (2d wk),
$5,200.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 90-$1.25)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB). Trim
$10,000. Holds for second stanza.
Lart week, “Decks Ran Red”
(M-G), $6,500 at $1.10 top.

Twin DriVe-ln (Shor) (2,800 cars;
90-$1.25) — “Mardi Gras” GOth).
Good $8,500 or near despite loss
of Friday (28) night because of
snow. Holds.

Valley (Wiethe) (1,300; $1.50-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(31st wk). All right $4,500. Last
week, $5,000.

'Mardi Gras’Trim
$9100 Tops Balto

Baltimore, Dec. 2.

Holiday traffic hypoed the box-
office here and exhibs had one of
their happier weeks in recent
months. Big guns were '“Mardi
Gras” in first at the CJentury;
“Houseboat” in third at the May-
fair; “White Wilderness” in second
at the Little. “South Pacific” looks
nice in 35th round at the New.
“Last Hurrah” is solid in first at
the Hippodrome. “Tunnel of Love”
is lean in second at the Stanley.
Estimates for This Week

Century (R-F) (3,160; 50-$l,50)—
"Mardi Gras” (20th). Good $9,000.
Last week, “In Love and War’*
(20th) (2d wk), $3,400.

Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50-

$1.25)—^“Lovers of Paris” (Cont).
Nice $3,000. Last week, “Only
French Can” (UMPO). (2d wk),
$ 6 , 000 .

Five West (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$1.25)—“Inspector Maigret” (Lop-
ert) (2d wk). Nice $3,500 after
^,000 opener,

Hippo^ome (R-F) (2,300; 50-
$L25)—^“Last Hurrah” (Col). Warm
$7,000. Last week, “From Earth
To Moon” (WB), $3,500.’

Little (R-F) (300; 50-$1.25)—

“White Wilderness” (BV) (2d wk).
Good $3,000 after same in first

Mayfair (R-F) (900; 50-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk). Nice
$7,000 after $8,000 in second round.

New (R-F) (1,600; $1.50-$2.50)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (35th wk).
Upped to $4,500 after $3,500 in
previous week.

Playhouse (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$L50)—“Me and Colonel” (Col)
(8th wk). Good $3,000 after ditto

^StiudSy^R-F) (3,200; 50-$lG5)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d wk).
Fair $5^00 after $7,000 opener.

Town (R-F) (L125; 50-$lG5)--
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d wk).
Good $6,000 after $8,000 in first

Slow Sloughs Fitt B.O.;
‘Dark’ INanal at $8,500,
‘Hoflsehoat’ Hep 8G, 2d

Pittsburgh, Dec. 2.

It’s murder this week at wickets.
Blistering snowstorm and freezing
weather came suddenly out of no¬
where day after Thanksgiving to
knock the bottom out of every¬
thing, and send the holiday takes
tumbling. “‘Home Before Dark”
was away big at Stanley when the
winds came and looks only "very
slim on week. However, it is bet¬
ter than ‘Xast Hurrah” at Harris
in second week. However, “House¬
boat” shapes fairly good in second
stanza at the Penn.

Estimates for This Week

Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 80-$1.25)—
“Mardi Gras’< (20th) (2d wk). Be¬
ing blown down with others by the
ice front. Will be lucky to reach
even mild $4,()00. Last -week,
$ 8 , 000 .

GuUd (Green) (500; 99-$1.25)—
“Injector Maigret” (I^pert). Fine
notices, no help against plmnmet-
ing temperatures. Won’t oven get
$1,M0, but oke. Last week, “Ar¬
senic and Old Lace" (Indie) Mid
“Inspector General” (Indie) (reis¬
sues) (2d wk), $2,000.

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 8D-$1J25)
—“Last Hurrah” (Col) (2d wk).
Rather dull considering excellent
reviews. Not a chance of recouping
in this weather, dismal $4,000. Last
week, $6,500.

Penn (UA) (3300; 80-$1.25>—
“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk). At
least the holdover had a good
Thanksgiving going for it, which
.should help to around $8,000. Last
week, below hopes but still big at
$18,000.

Squirrel Hill (SW) (900; 99-$1.25)
—“White Wilderness” (BY) (4th
wk). Okay $2,200. Last week,
$3,500.-

. Stanley (SW) (3,800; 80-$1.25)—
(Continued on page 10)

■ ^ Boston, Dec. 2.

Xmas shoppers are out early
here. This coupled 'with sub-zero
weatho: is sloughing trade in cur-^
rent session. Little new, product
this frame. “Tunnel of Love” is a
major disappointment being only
fair at State. “Mardi Gras” is nice
at Paramount and Fenway.

“Home Before Dark” is bolding
well in second round at the Me¬
morial. “Houseboat” looms fair at
Met in second. “Party Girl” is hep
at Pilgrim in second. “Old Man
and Sea” held well at Astor after
going off hard ticket to grind in
fifth stanza.

“Gigi” is perking in 14th at the
Gary. “Windjammer” is still boffo
at the Boston in 15th session.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (B&Q) (1.371; $1.25-$1.50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (6th
wk). Oke $4,000. Last week, $4,500.

Beacon Hill (Sack) (678; 90-$1.50)
—“No Sun in Venice” (KI) and
“Model” (Indie) (2d wk). Neat
$6,000. Last week. $8,000.

Boston (SW-Cinerama) (1,354;
$1.25-$2.65)—^“Windjammer” (NT)
(l6th wk). Great $20,000. Last
week, same.

Capri (Sack). (1,150; 90-$1.50)—
“Man in Raincoat” (Indie) and
“Torero” (Indie). Fairish $4,000.
Last week. “Cary and Bishop’s
TOe” (Indie). $3,000.

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 75-$lG5)—
“Rockets Galore” (Ratik) (2d wk).
Second week started Sunday (30).
First week, slick $6,000.

Fenway (NET) (1.376; 60-$1.10)

— ‘Mardi Gras” (20th) and “When
Hell Broke Loose” (20th). Trim
$4,000. Last week, “Spider” (AI)
and “Brain Eaters” (AI>, $3,000.

Gary (Sack) (1.240; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (14th wk). Perking to
big $14,000. Last week, $12300.

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 90-$1.50)
—“My Uncle, Mr. Hulot” (Cont)
(3d wk). Clicking $10,000. Last
week, $12,000.

Memorial (RKO) (3.000; 60-$1.10)
—^‘Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d
wk). Hotsy $14,000. Last week,
$17,000.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357;. 70-
$L1D)—“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk).
Fair $15,000. Last week. $18,000.

Mayflower (ATC) (683; 75-$135)
—^'“Omonhead” (WB) and “Frau-
leiH” <20th) (2d runs). Oke $3,200.
Last week, “Yoimg Lions” (20th)
and “Men With Cars” (Indie) (re¬
issues) $3,000.

Pazanwant (NET) (2357; 70-
gl^lO>_“Mardi Gras” (20th) and
“When Hell Broke Loose” (20th).
Good $10,000. Last week, “Spider”
(AI) and “Brain Eaters” (AD,
$9,000.

Pflgrlm (ATC) (1,000; 6()-$1.10)—
'Party Girl” (M-G) and “Street of
Sinners” (Indie) (2d wk). Hep
$5-500. Last week, $8,000.

Saxon (Sack) (1,000: $1.50-$330)
—j“South Pacific” (Magna) (34th
wk).' Stout $11,000. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

Trans-Lux (T-L) (730; 75-$1.25)

— “Hitler’s Sins” . (Indie) and
‘Blood of Bataan” (Indie) (2d

nms). Oke $3,000. Last week,
“Mile. Striptease” (DCA) (2d run)
and “Slop'd*' in Bondage” (DCA)
(2d wk), $5,000.

Orphenm (LoCw) (2,900; 90-$1.50V
—^“Last Hurrah” (Col) (6th wk).
Lusty $8,000 or near in 6 days.
Last week, $12,000.

State (Loew) (3fl00; 75-$1.25)—
Tunnel of Love” (M-G), Fair
$10,000. Last wedc, “Relnctant
Debutante” (M-G) (3d wk), $5,0P0.

6LB BOPS TORONTO;
•SEAS’SNAPPY $9,500

Toronto, Dec. 2.
Two-day blizzard, with first snow
«f the season, has dented the city’s
weekend film biz. Lack of incom¬
ing product and apathy of patron
interest in new fare also is blamed.
“La^ Hurrah” and “Nice Little
Bank that Should be Bobbed” both
are lean. Bright spot is first foiir
days of “South Seas Adventure,”
which sold out for weekend per¬
formances, with tumaways. Still
big on holdovers, however, is “The
Big Country,” now in fifth stanza;
“Cat on Hot Tin Roof” in seventh
frame, ahd “Mardi Gras” holding
well in second stanza.

Estimates far This
Carlton (Rank) (2,518; 75-$1.25)
—“Nice Little Bank that Should he
Robbed” <20th). Slight $7,500. Last
week, “Streetcar Named Desire”
(20th) (reissue), $10300.

Century, Downtown, Glendale,
Midtown, Oakwood, Odeon, Prince
of Wales, Scarboro, State (Taylor)
(1,336; 1,059; 995; 1,089; 1,393; 752;
1,200; 684; 694; 50-75)—“The Blob”
(Par) and “I Married Monster from
Outer Space” (Par). NSG $19,000.
Last week, “Ride Crooked Trail”
(Continued on page 10)

.Wednesday, December 3, 1958

P^SRtPFf

HCirUBfi GROSSES

9

New Ffas Help Qii; ‘Lncasta Great
DO, ‘Geisha’ Roaring 38G, ‘Dark’
Bright 19G,‘To lire Lusty 28G, 3d

.Chicago, Dec. 2.

Loop’s overall biz this round will
rely heavily on new product for
a generally fine torie. Oddly
enough,; Xmas shopping teeoff
looms a favorable factor here.
“Anna Lucasta” initialer at the
Oriental figures to land a great
take and one of its best grosses
of the year at $40,000. “Geisha
Boy” bow at the Chicago expects
a hefty $38,000.

Other new entries include
“Home. Before Dark,” rated big
$19,000 at United Artists. First
week of “Crawling Eye” and
“Cosmic Monsters” should notch
a nice $9,000 at the Loop.

State-Lake’s “I Want to Live”
Is torrid in third frame. “Tunnel
of Love” looms fine in Woods
fourth week. “Mardi Gras” shapes
socko in second Roosevelt term.
“Houseboat” is posting a great
Esquire fourth.

“No Sun in Venice” is rated fine
in second week at the World.
Surf’s second round of “Inspector
Maigret” is shaping good. Garridc’s
second round of “Hong Kong Con¬
fidential” and “Tarawa Beach¬
head” should be lively.

Of the hard ticket films, “South
Seas Adventure” is boffo in
Palace 10th round. “Gigi” is hold¬
ing steady in 21st Harris week.
“South Pacific” continues solid in
36th McVickers frame. “Around
in 80 Days” looks terrific in 87th
stanza at Todd’s Cinestage.

Estimates for This Week

Capri (Dowd) (585; $1.25-$1.56)—
Reissues. Last week, “Fire Under
Her Skin” (Union), $5,200.

Carnegie (Telem’t) (485; $1.25)
—“This Angry Age” (Col) and “It’s
Never Too Late” (Indie). Fair
$2,100. Last week, “Boot Polish”^
(Indie), $2,500.

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 90-$1.80)

■—“Geisha Boy” (Par). Big $38,000.
Last week, “Last Hurrah” (Col)
(3d wk), $19,000.

Esquire (H&E Balaban) (1,350;
$1.50)—^“Houseboat” (Par) (4th
wk). Great $11,000. Last w'eek,
$18,500.

Garrick (B&K) (850; 90-$1.25)—
“Tarawa Beachhead” (Col) and
“Hong Kong Confidential” (UA)
.(2d wk). Nice $8,000. Last w'eek,
$ 11 , 000 .

Harris (Todd) (984; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (21st wk). Steady at
$16,000. Last week, $15,000. .

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.50)—
“Crawling Eye” (DCA) and “Cos¬
mic Monsters” (DCA). Good $9,000.
Last week, “Quantrill’s Raiders”
(AA) and “Cole Younger Gun-
fighter” (AA). $7,000.

McVickers (JL&S) (1.580; $1.25-
$3.30)—“South '^Pacific” (Magna)
(36th wk). Fancy $23,000. Last
week, $20,000.

Monroe (Jovan) (1,000; 65-90)—
“Apache Territory” (Col) and
“Ghost of China Sea” (Col). Good
$6,000. Last, week, “Diamond
Safari” (20th) and “Wolf Dog”
(20th), $4,300.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 90-$1.50)
—“Anna Lucasta” (UA). Great
$40,000. Last week, “Queen of
Outer Space” (AA) and “Littleest
Hobo” (AA) (2d wk), $11,000.

Palace (SW-Cinerama) (1,434;
$1.25-$3.40)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (10th wk). Sock
$34,000. Last week, $29,000.

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 90-

$1,80)—“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d
wk). Smash $20,000. Last week,
$23,000.

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 90-
-$1.80)—“I Want to Live” (UA) (3d
wk). Hep $28,000. Last week,
$35,000.

Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; $1.25)
—“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert)
<2d wk). Good $2,500. Last week,
$3,000.

Todd’s Cinestage (Todd) (1,036;
$1.75-$3.50) — “Around World”
(UA) (87th wk). Wow $21,500. Last
week, $15,600.

United Artists (B&K) (1,700; 90-
$1.80)—^“Home Before Dark” (WB).
Great $19,000. Last week, “Party
Girl” (M-G) (3d wk), $14,000.

Woods (Essaness) (1,200; 90-

$1.50)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
(4th wk). Nice $15,000. Last week,
$18,000.

World (Teitel) (606; 90)—“No
Sun In Venice” (Union) (2d wk).
Good $3,500. Last week, $4,900.

Fortune Productions Inc. has
been authorized to conduct an en¬
tertainment business in New York,
with capital stock of 200 shares,
no par value. L. Arnold Weiss-
berger and Aaron R. Frosch are
directors and filing attorneys.

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re¬
ported herewith from the vari¬
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
without usual tax.. Distrib¬
utors share on net take, when
playing: percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in¬
come.

The parenthetic admission ■
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax.

‘Houseboat’ Hot
$9,000, Prov. Ace

Providence, Dec. 2.

Loew’s State has the lead in to¬
tal coin this week with “The Tun¬
nel of Love.” Other stands are also
on the happy side with Majestic
actually the strongest in town with
“Houseboat.” Albee’s “The Defiant
Ones” is stout in second. “Party
Girl” looks fair at Strand.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-80)—
“Defiant Ones” (UA) and “Enemy
From Space” (UA) (2d wk). Stout
$7,500 after $8,500 in first.

Majestic (SW) (2,200; 65-90)—
“Houseboat” (Par and “Howdy
Partners” (Par). Hotsy $9,000. Last
week, “Home Before Dark” (WB),
$7,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 65-80)-^

“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and “Dun¬
kirk” (M-G). Fast $13,000. Last
week, “Last Hurrah” (Col) (3d wk),
$5,000.

Strand (National Realty) (2,200;
65-80)—“Party Girl” (M-G) and
“No Place to Land” (Indie). Fair
$6,000. Last week. “The Spider”
(E) and “Brain Eaters” (E), $5,800,

D.C. Sagging But ‘Dark’
Dandy 18G, ‘Mardi Gras’
IQG, ‘Windjammer’ i7G

Washington, Dec. 2.

Biz generally went soft this ses¬
sion with “Tunnel of Love” and
“Mardi Gras” sliding far below
smash expectations. Bad skies and
Thanksgiving exodus contributed
to downbeat. Big exception, “Wind¬
jammer,” which weathered it fine
at Warner’s for a smash session in^
seventh week. “Gigi” at Keith’s’
€till is dandy in third Keith’s
round. “Home Before Dark”
shapes good day-dating the Am¬
bassador, and Met.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador - Metropolitan (SW)
(1,490; 1,000; 90-$1.25)—“Home Be¬
fore Dark” (WB). Sock $18,000.
Last week, “Enchanted Island”
(WB) ■•and “Appointment With
Shadow” (li), $8,000.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 90-$l.25)
—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d wk).
Weak $10,000, but remains. Last
week, $15,000.

Columbia (Loew) (904; 90-

$1.25) — “Reluctant Debutante”
(M-G) (7th wk). Okay $4,200. Last
week, $5,200. Stays.

Keith’s (RKO) (1,850; 90-$1.25)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (3d wk). Dandy $12,-
000. Last week, $14,000. Holds
over again.

MacArthur (K-B) (900; $1.10)—
“Gideon of Scotland Yard” (Col).
Fine $6,000. Last _ week, “Pot
Boille” (Cont) (2d wk), $3,500.

Ontario (K-B) (1,240; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (7th wk). Nice
$6,500. Last week. $5,800.

Palace (Loew) (2,390; 90-$1.25)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk). Down
to $10,000 after $14,400, disappoint¬
ing for opener. Stays.

Plaza (T-L) (276; 90-$1.50)—“Dr.
Laurent” (T-L) (3d wk). Weaken¬
ing to $4,000, but stays on. Last
week, big $6,500.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; $1.25-

$1.80)^“Last Hurrah” (Col) (5th
wk). Fine $5,500. Last week, $7,-
500. Holds again.

Uptown (SW) (1,100; $1.25-$2.50)
—^‘Old Man • and Sea” (WB) (3d
wk). Good $6,500. Last week,
same.

Warner (S-W) (1,300; $1.25-$2.40)-
—“Windjammer” (NT) (7th wk)
Smash $17,000. with three extra
shows. Last week, $14,500 with two
added performances.

‘MARDI GRAS’ROUSING
IIG, PORT.;‘TUNNEL’8G

Portland, Ore., Dec. 2.

Big lineup of . sturdy product is
paying off here at most spots in
the current round. Standout is
“Mardi Gras,” rated smash at Fox.
“Tunnel of Love” looms lofty at
Liberty while “Houseboat” at Para¬
mount shapes fine, also in open¬
ing session. Both “Gigi” and
“South Pacific” are pushing ahead
of their previous weeks’ figures.

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) ‘ (890; $1.50-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(27th wk). Pushed to big $7,500.
Last week, $6,700.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.50)
—“Mardi Gras” (20th) and “Dia¬
mond Safari” (20th). Rousing $1.1,-
000. Last week, “Earth to Moon”
(WB) and “Wind Across Ever¬
glades” (WB), $6,200.

Guild (Indie) (400; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (15th wk). Upped to
nice $5,000. Last week, $4,100.

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,865; $1-
$1.50)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
and “Decks Ran Red” (M-G). Lofty
$8,000. Last week, “Gun Runners”
(UA) and “China Doll” (UA),
$3,900.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.50)—“Home Before Dark” (WB)
and “Out of Clouds” (Rank). So-so
$6,000. Last week, “Tarawa Beach¬
head” (Col) and “World Was His
Judy” (Col), S6,300.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; $1-
$1.50)—“Houseboat” (Par) and “As
Young As We Are” (Par). Fine
$8,000. Last week, “White Wilder¬
ness” (WB) and “Once Upon
Horse” (U) (2d wk), $7,500.

‘Houseboat’ $8J

Louisville, Dec. 2.

Top grade product at all down¬
town houses brought nice business
Thanksgiving Day (27), and many
first-runs were headed for to really
big takes. But a steady snowfall
Friday (26) with about six inches
of snow in all sloughed trade.
Traffic was slowed to a walk. How¬
ever, “Houseboat” shapes big at
the Kentucky. “Mardi Gras” looks
fairly nice at Rialto.

Estimates for This Week.

Brown (Fourth Ave.) (1,200; 90-
$1,25)—“Gigi” <M-G) (3d wk).

Still okay at $6,000 after second
week’s $7,000.

Kentucky (Switow) (900; 60-90)
—“Houseboat” (Par). Rolling to
big $8,000 in spite of bad weather.
Last week, “Desire Under Elms”
(Par) (2d wk), $6,000. '

Mary Anderson (People’s) <1,000;
60-90) — “Home Before Dark”
(WB). Mild . $4,500. Last week,
“Onionhead” (WB) (2d wk), $5,500.
i Rialto (Fourth Ave.) (3,000; 60-
85)—“Mardi Gras” (20th). Fairly
nice $9,500, but crimped by storm.
Last week, “Mark of Zorro” (20th)
and “Villa” (20th), $5,000.

United Artists <UA) (3,000; 60-
90)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G). Fair
$8,500 for 9 days. Last week,
“Badlanders” (M-G), $5,000.

Storm Hits Buff B.O.;
‘Tuiiner Mild $10,000

Buffalo* Dec. 2.

A big blizzard is bopping the
Buffalo boxoffice in the current
session, with few of the new entries
being able to weather the storm.
Probably the best showing of the
newies is being made by “Home
After Dark,” rated okay at the
Center. Actually the strongest pic
is “Houseboat,” which shapes good
in second Paramount round.

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G). Mild
$10,000. Last week, “Party Girl”
(M-G) and “Cop Hater” (UA),
$ 11 , 000 .

Center (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-90)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB). Okay
$8,000. Last week, “High Society”
(M-G) and “Seven Brides Seven
Brothers” (M-G) (reissues), $5,000.

Century (UATC) (1,410; 70-90)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) and “Frontier
Gun” (Indie) (2d wk). Mild $5,000.
Last week, $7,600.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 70-90)—
“■White Wilderness” (BV) and “Ap¬
pointment With Shadow” (U), Slow
$8,000. Last week, “Restless Years”
(U) and “WRd Heritage CU), $6,000.

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-90)
—“Houseboat” (Par) and “Party
Crashers” (Par) (2d wk). Good
$9,000. Last week, $15,000.

Cinema (Martina) (450; 70-90)—
“Gigi” (M-G). Down to $1,200. Last
week, “Old Man and Sea” (WB)
1 (3d wk), $1,500.

Hobday Helps B way; ‘Moon Good llG,
‘Home' Sweet 122G, 4th, ‘ToLive Lusty
$27,000, ‘Mardi Gras' OK 32G, Both 2d

The long Thanksgiving Day holi¬
day weekend iS spelling boxoffice
prosperity at. Broadway deluxers
this stanza. Cqld, crisp weather
(Sunday-Monday was the coldest
period this fall) obviously hurt
Sunday trade while Monday saw
the usual post-holiday sluff-off.
Upbeat did not have the benefit of
the usual batch of new pix, but
numerous second - weekers did
handsomely. ’

Some idea of how business
climbed is gleaned from the fact
that the Music Hall, In fourth w'eek
with “Home Before Dark” and
stageshow, soared to $100,000 in
four days, or better than the whole
third session. Final stanza looks
to wind up with a smart $122,000.
The Christmas stageshow and
“Auntie Marne” opens tomorrow
(Thurs.).

; Lone newcomer, “From Earth To
Moon,” looks like good $11,000 at
the Odeon, First holdover week
of “Mardi Gras” finished with okay
$32,000 at the Paramount.

“I Want TO Live” held with great
$27,000 in second session at the
Victoria. Film started its third
week yesterday (Tues.), and looks
to be around for some time. “Tun¬
nel of Love” with stageshow is
heading for an okay $55,000 .in
initial holdover stanza at the Roxy
and will stay on.

“Houseboat” looks to stay very
strong with $32,000 or close in cur¬
rent (3d) session at the Capitol.
“Big Country” is climbing to a
fancy $16,000 in ninth round at
the Astor, topping the eighth by a
big margin.

“Gigi” continues to amaze on
continuous-run policy at the Sut¬
ton, edging ahead of third week to
wow $25,400 in fourth round. “My
Uncle Mr. Hulot” held with rousing
$24,400 in fourth stanza, day-dating
at Baronet and Guild. “Horse’s
Mouth” topped the opening week
figure to land a smash $25,300 in
third week at the Paris.

Best hard-ticket pic was “South
Seas Adventure” which pushed to
nice $27,500 in 19th stanza ended
last Saturday (29) at the Warner.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1.094; 75-$2)—
“Big. Country” (Ua) (9th wk). Cur¬
rent week ending today (Wed.)
looks to soar to fancy S16,000. tak¬
ing in Thanksgiving Day. Eighth
was $12,500. Stavs on until “Sepa¬
rate Tables” (UA) opens on Dec.
18.

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25-32)—
“My Uncle, Mr. Hulot” (Cont) (5th
wk). Fourth round finis:hed Sandav
(30) was rousing $12,300. Third,
$13-200..

Capitol (Loew) .(4.820; $l-$2.50)
—“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk). This
session ending tomorrow (Thuri^.)
looks to h’t smash $32,000 or near.
Second, which included Thanksgiv¬
ing Day, was big $36,000. Con¬
tinues.

Criterion (Moss) (1,671; $1.80-
$2.50)—“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(9th wk). Eighth w’eek concluded
Sunday (30) showed pickup to
$11,600 with four extra shows. The
.seventh, mild $9,500. “Night To
Remember” (Rank) opens the night
of Dec. 16.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$l 80)
—“Pepote” (UMPO). Ooened Mon-
dav (D: Last week. “Orders To
KiU” (UMPO) (2d wk), feU to mild
$6,400. First. $8,000.

5.5th St. Playhouse (Moss) (300;
$1.25-$1.80) — “Flesh and Desire”
(Ellis) (2d wk). First round ended
yesterday (Tues.) was fairish
$2,700.

Guiid (Guild) (450: $1-$1.75)—
“My Uncle. Mr. Hulot” (Cont) (5th
wk). Fourth session concluded Sun¬
day (30) climbed to big $12,100.
Third, $11,300.

Normandie (Trans - Lux) (592;
$1.80-$2.80)—“Tosca” (Indie)- (6th.
wk). This week ending tod^v (Wed.)
looks to hit solid $5 900. Fifth was
$7,600. “Separate Tables” (UA)
opens Dec. 18, playing day-date
with Astor,

Palace (RKO) (1.642; 90-32) —
“Roots of Heaven” (20th) <8th wjc).
The seventh session and second at
current popscale, grind policy end¬
ed yesterday (Tiie.«:.) was trim $15.-
000. Sixth was $14,500. Past week
was headed for bioher figure hut
badly clipped by Friday’s rain and
wind storm.

Odeon (Rank) (813; 90-31.80)—
“From Earth To Moon” (WB) (2d
wk). Tnitial round finished yester¬
day (Tues.) was good 311.000. In
ahead, “Ni«ht Heaven Fell” (Kings)
(5th wk-8 days). $5 800.

Paramount (AB-PT^ (3.665; $1,-
$2)—“Mardi (20Jh) ^3d wk).

Second frame finished Monday tl)

w'as okay $32,000. First was $35,-
000. “Inn of Sixth Happiness”
(20th) is due in next, with preem
the night of Dec. 11.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80)—“Horse’s Mouth” (Lopert)
(4th wk). Third stanza ended Mon¬
day (1) was smash $25,300, which
tops the opening week’s total.
Second was $24,200.

Radio City Musm Hall (Rockefel¬
lers) (6,200; 90-$2.75)—“Home Be¬
fore Dark” (WB) and stageshow
(4th-final wk.) Current stanza end¬
ing today (Wed.) is pushing to
dandy $122,000, with big lift from
Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Third was $95,000. Christmas stage-
show with “Aunt’e Marne” (WB)
opens tomorrow (Thurs.).

Rivoli (UAT) (1.545; $1.25-$3.50)

— “South Pacific” (Magna) (9tli
wk). Eighth .session finished Mon¬
day (U was fine $26,000, with three
extra shows. Seventh was $20,000.

- Plaza (Lopert) (525; $1.50-$2) —
“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert) (8th
wk). Present session winding up
today (Wed.) looks like lofty $7,200
or near. Seventh was $6,800. “Inn
of Six+h Happiness” (20th) opens
Dec. 12.

Boxy (Indie) (5,705; 90-$2.50) —
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) with stage-
show (2d wk). This round ending
tomorrow (Thurs.) is heading for
okay $55,000. First was $66,000,
including Thanksgiving Day. “Sev¬
enth Voyage of Sinbad” (Col) opens
Dec. 17.

State (Loew) (3,450; •50-$1.75)—
“Jewel Box Revue” onstage with
“China Doll” (UA), Opens today
(Wed.). Last week, “Party Girl”
(M-G) (5th v.’k-8 days), was fair
$11,000 after $9,000 in fourth re¬
gular w'eek.

Sutton (R&B) (561; 95-$1.80) —
“Gigi” (M-G) (5th wk). Fourth
round Saturday (29) was

wham $25,400. Third was 324,800.
Saturday’s biz topped $5,000 while
$4,078 was taken in Friday despite
miserable weather. Stays indef.

Trans-Lux HZd St. (T-L) (540; $1-
$1.50) — “What Price Murder”
(UMPO) (4th wk). Third stanza
finish'^-d Sundav (.30) was moderate
$4,000 after 37,200 in second.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,0()3; 50-$2)
—“I Want To Live” (UA) (3d wk).
Initial holdover week ended Mon¬
day (D w.as great 327,000, being
helped by Thanksgiving. First was
$30,000.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,600;
31.80-$3.50>—‘South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (20th wk).-The
19th stanza finished Saturday (29)
was nice $27,500. The 18th week,
$23,100.

Mpk Bk Fli-d Albeit
‘Mari Gras’ Happy 14G;
‘TnnneF Light 5G, 2d

Mlnneaoolis, Dec. 2.

Newcomer “Mardi Gras” is cut¬
ting the widest boxoffice swath
currently, being smart at State.
Another important fresh entery,
“Man of West” looks fairly good
at Orpheum. Teeing off on
Thanksgiving and weekend school
holiday were gross boosters all
along the line;

“Tunnel of Love” is big in sec¬
ond Lyric round. “Houseboat” also
is solid in second. Hard-ticket
holdovers, “South Pacific” and
“Windjammer” in their 23d and
third weeks, respectively, con¬
tinue nicely. “The Night Heaven
Fell” still is brisk in second round.

Estimates for This Week

Academy (Mann) (947; $1.50-
$2.65) — “South Pacific” (Magna)
(23d wk). Good $6,500. Last week,
$ 8 , 000 .

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65) — “Windjammer” (NT) (3d
wk). Favorable newspaper critics
and columnists 'appraisal helping
boxoffice momentum here. Loud
$15,000. L'’st week. 318,500,

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 90-$1.25)
—“Houseboat” (Par) (2d wk). Pa¬
trons’ enthusiasm believed helping
this one. Solid $6,000. Last week,
$ 8 , 000 .

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 80-$1.25)—
“Tunnel of Love” <M-G) (2d wk).
Fair $5,000. Last week, $9,000.

RKO Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 85-
90)—“Man of West” (UA). Fairish
with $5,000. Last week, “Last Hur¬
rah” (Col) (2d wk), $5,000.

RKO Pan (RKO) (1,800; 85-90)—
“Whole Truth” (Col) and. “Apach«
Territory” (Col). Fairly satisfac-
torj^ 34.000. Last week, “China
Doll” (UA) and “Hong Kong Con-
(Continued on page 10)

'VARIETY'S' LONDON OFFICE
t St. Martin's Placa, Trafalgar Sqiiarg

INTEBNATIOIVAI.

11

12

I?fTEKXAT10NAI.

VARIETY'S' LONDON OFFICE
I ft. Martin's Flacsi Trafaliar Sguara

French Film Weeks Enchant Paris

Trend Favors Such Special Gestures-—Beat
International Film Festivals

French film industry believes its
purposes can be much better
served via “film weeks” for French
features than through participation
in international film festivals, Rob¬
ert Cravenne, delegate general of
Unifrance, stated in N. Y. recently.

“We think we’ve hit on the right
formula, for us at least,” he ob¬
served. “When we stage a film
week, as we did in New York and
many other places, we send some
stars and directors, and we create
a lot of attention.”

He specifically exempted the
U.S. where, he felt, it was best to.
simply send stars when a specific
picture opens. “Here we find
that people don’t remember a week
later what was shown at a film
week. Elsewhere, the echoes come
In for a month or more, and a lot
of talk is created. The lag be¬
tween the showing of a film at the
film week in N.Y. or some other
American city, and its actual book¬
ing into a'theatre is too big,” he
said.

Unifrance, which is set up to
publicue French films abroad, and
whose president is Raoul Ploquin,
is staging film Weeks in Athens and
Tel-Aviv during December. There’ll
be another one in Spain in Febru¬
ary and one in Holland in March.
Another film week is skedded for
Moscow and one, too, for Scandi¬
navia. There’s nothing between
May and September since the Uni¬
france delegate will be busy with
the international fests—Cannes,
Berlin and Venice.

Cravenne was frank In stating
his view that there are entirely,
too many of these festivals.

Unifrance is expanding along
with the foreign income of the
French industiy. For the year
ended in October that income ran
to 6,000,000,000 fr. (about $14,000,-
000), Cravenne reported. That’s an
increase of $3,000,000 over the
same period in 1956-57. He said
the figures indicated that, every i
day, one million persons all over |
the world see a French film. The;
original goal of $14,000,000 w^n’t j
to have been reached until 1960.

“The problem is,” said Cra¬
venne, “a good part of our 1958
Income was due to Brigitte Bar-
dot. What happens after her?”

Untonce now- has 17 offices,
covering 24 countries. It recently
opened a bureau in Japan and is
opening a new one in Montreal
soon.

french Ger’t Bankrolls
3 New Author Tryouts

Paris, Dec. 2.

The French government’s Bu¬
reau des Beaux Arts, which has for
many years given large^ subsidies
to such established groups as the
Paris Opera and the Comedie-
Francaise, has just experimented
with the production of shows by
three new playwrights. The presen¬
tations, offered for successive
single-week engagements ending
last Saturday (29), were at the
small but well designed and
equipped Theatre de Tertre.

The purpose of the showcase
presentations was to get critical
and producer attention for the au¬
thors. If the plays had been well
received the project was to have
been - continued, but the shows
were generally not up to expecta¬
tions. The entries, in the order of
presentation, were Jean Flechet’s
two long one-acters, “La Voie
Emilienne” (“The Emil Road”)
^6 “Zenith le Sus”; Christian
Mottier’s “Un Soir avant Demain”
(“Night Before Tomorrow”) and
Pierre DaUe-Nogare’s “Les Gus.”

Anglo-French Fix Pact

London, Dec. 2.

The Anglo-French Film Agree¬
ment Is to be extended for a fur¬
ther year up to the end of next
foptember as a result of negotia¬
tions between the Board of Trade
and the Centre-National de la
Cinematographie.

Under the new pact, British films
will be accorded 33 dubbing li¬
censes, but there is a possibility of
a review after six to nine months.'

Bill Haley Comets Ups
Kids and Spanish Cops

Madrid, Dec, 2,

Juves at the Barcelona Sports
Palace danced in the aisles and
filled the air with seat cushions
last Sat. (22) while Bill Haley
and his Comets presented the first
public concert of rock ’n’ roll in
Spain. Police intervened to halt
proceedings.

Governor of Barcelona* followed
with a ban on a scheduled Sunday
night show. Ten - thousand seat
Palace was almost filled for opener
and sold out for the second, unde¬
livered program, '

Official gubernatorial statement
said the promoters had staged the
rock ’n’ roll spectacle without
authorization.

New Plays by German
Anthers Sparking Fall
Season in W. Germany

Frankfurt, Nov. 25.

The German theatre, which since
the end of the last world war has
been presenting mainly German
productions of top Broadway plays
and rehashes of the European
classics, is taking -a big step for¬
ward this fall season for the first
time by offering about 30 new I
plays by contemporary German I
authors. i

All of these are being given
their ffrst performances this year.
Included yare Erich Kaestner’s
“The House of Memories,” Heinz
Stauder’s “The Blue Light”; Guen¬
ther Weisenborn's “The Family
From Nevada,” and Richard Moer’s
“When the Thistles Bloom:”

In addition to the 30 new works
by German authors, the leading
theatres in West Germany have
scheduled 105 plays by foreign
dramatists which will be given for
the first time in this country. First
performances of plays by interna¬
tional playwrights include the
works of Thomas Wolfe (“Look
Homeward, Angel”), Eugene O’Neill
(“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”),
John Osborne, William Inge
(“Dark at Top of Stairs”), Jean
Paul Sartre, Christopher Fry and
Leslie Storm.

“Diary of Anne* Frank,” which
will be in its third season, is re¬
scheduled for many houses in West
Germany. Two other plays, which
premiered here last season,
O’Neill’s “Touch of the Poet” and
Robinson Jeffers’ “Medea,” are
re-scheduled.

Japan Producers Plan
Fest in Munich in ’59

Tokyo, Nov. 25.

The Japan Motion Kcture Pro¬
ducers Assn. (Eiren) decided to ac¬
cept the invitation to hold a six-
day Japanese Film Fair at the Film
Casino in Munich beginning next
March 6.

Six features, one from each
Japan major, and a like number
of shorts are expected to be shown
at tkis fair. A Japanese delegation
of from 15 to 20, inclqding not less
than six actresses, certain to be
kimono-clad, will visit Germany.
The Fair is said to be the first of
its kind in Europe. It will be held
with the cooperation of the Ger¬
man Export Union.

FARCE TRANSLATES OKAY

Mexico City Goes For ‘Who Was
That Lady?’

Mexico City, Dec, 2.

Spanish version of “Who Was
That Lady I Saw You With?” trans¬
lated by Lucille Henderson, is a
hit at the Insurgentes Theatre here.

^ Manolo Fabregas, Maricruz Oliv¬
ier and Jose Galvez, in stellar roles,

: have caught the spirit of the Nor-
rinan Krasna farce and turned in
excellent performances.

Critical opinion of major dailies
and weeklies is that “the cbmedy
conserves aU its humor value, its
farce and satire” a&d that it is “an
agreeable, funny, gay and sym¬
pathetic” theatrical piece. ' ,

Mexico’s Pix Fest Seen |
Boosting Trade Pacts,
Co-Production Projects

Mexico City, Nov, 25;

The visible result of the recent'
World Review of Film Festivals
here is that Mexico has become
coproduction-minded on a major
scale. Jorge Ferretis, Mexican
Film Bureau head «(a dependency
in the. Department of State), held
productive talks with Jacques
Flaud, topper in France’s film in¬
dustry; Gian Gaspare Napolitano,
j special rep of Egidio Ariosto,
Italy’s film chief, and Jiri Marik,
head of the Czech film biz.

I All preliminary negotiations
point not only, to a wider exchange
[Of films betvreen the respective
[nations and Mexico, but also step¬
ped up coproduction activity. Simi¬
lar talks are going on with Sweden,
Japan and Yugoslavia. In an ag¬
gressive drive to get the ailing in-'
dustry out of the red, Ferretis will
invite talks with other nations.
Mexico wants to go truly interna¬
tional and not depend oh just a
few Yank pix filmed down here
plus one or two Hollywood-Mexi-
can coproduction deals.

Russia, too, wants a film ex¬
change and coproduction ^eals
with Mexico. Russian delegates
to the festival were busy taking
[down data on Mexican film policy
I and probing the possibilities of a
wider film exchange. A few Rus-.
sian pictures have been released
here but only a sporadic basis.'
Mexico, however, will insist on
more equitable film pacts with for-
; eign nations. Fdrretis pointed out
that arrangements such as the
I FrenchMexican pact which re-
; leased nine Mexican films in
France to 18 French distributed
here are not wanted.

Mexican producers are eager for
coproduction deals and top execu¬
tives, of well-financed producing
units, are readying European
jaunts to hunt for profitable co¬
production pacts.

Carlos Plazo Izquierda, Vene¬
zuelan exhibitor, is in Mexico to
produce his own films since he
cannot obtain enough Mexican
product for his houses. Venezue¬
lans go for the so-called “ranch-
ero” (Mexican cowboy) pix feat¬
uring adventure and .loud singing.
Gabriel Alarcon, head of a Mexi¬
can exhibition chain (The Gold
Chain), is making deals with a
group of producers to provide i
product for his houses. Also, he
is tying in with Izquierda for
Central and South American re¬
lease of the films.

This has been a banner year for
exhibition of Mexican films, nos¬
ing out Hollywood product slowly,
with ratio of exhibition time now
more on a 50-50 per cent deals,
with odds sometimes in favor of
Mexican product. In the past,
HoUywood had from 60% to
75% of Mexican exhibition time in
the big cities at least.

This year Peliculas Nacionales
has distributed 86 films through¬
out the republic, a ^new record
figure for national product. This
year may see 16 more film s than i
in 1957. I

Okay‘Gloiy’to Play In
Berlin’s French Sector

Berlin, Nov. 25.

The United Artists film, “Path
of Glory,” finally has been okayed
by the French military authorities
in West Berlin. Pic was preemed
here earlier this month, with the
exception of this city’s French
sector.

General. Lacomme, French city
commander here, informed Senate
authorities that the ban on “Glory”
has been lifted. He made it, how¬
ever, compulsory that exhibitors
let patrons ..know via a trailer that
this film does not intend to insult
the honor of the French army.

Leo Lax’ 25tliHliii Anoi

Paris, Dec. 2.

Leo Lax is getting film industry
congrats on his 25th anni in film
biz. Besides having the lead spe¬
cial effects lab here, he has
branched out into film production,
distrib and dubbing.

Lax also makes advertising pix
used in theatres here. He is the
European rep for the National
Telefilm AssOcs.

It’s a Tleasure’

London.

Editor, Variety:

I see mentioned in Variety the
fact that I have already announced
for London presentation a new play
by the late Frederick Lonsdale un¬
der the title of “The Pleasure Of
Your Company” and that I am to
be asked to change this title in
view of Sam Taylor’s great success,
"The Pleasure Of His Company,” i
in New York.

So far I have received no ap¬
proach but reading this and know¬
ing that Roger Stevens would
readily do the same for me, I am
too pleased to look for another
title.

Emile Littler j

[Takarazaka Opera Girls
Protest Workmg Setup;

I Asking G-Point Reform

I Tokyo, Nov. 25.

I Members of the Takarazuka Girls
! Opera Troupe are protesting over
I “feudalistic” working conditions
and are expected to hold a general
meeting Dec. 10 to submit a six-
point proposal to the management;
The girls of the Toho musical
unit, fictionalized in James A.
Michener’s “Sayonara,” will seek
a number of changes, including an
increase in beauty preparation ex¬
penses and the abolition of mid¬
night rehearsals.

Now unionized, the 279 members
will ask for a labor contract, in¬
creased pay and guarantees of
accident compensation. Troupe
members start at a monthly salary
of $11.11 plus allowances. Dis¬
satisfaction over conditions became
heated following an accident last
April in which one was killed dur¬
ing a performance when her hoop
skirt caught in a stage niechanism.

A spokeswoman for the troupe
says, “Midnight rehearsals often
tire us to death. As thifigs stand
now, we are afraid we can’t per¬
form to the complete satisfaction
of the fans. It is forbidden for us
to talk among ourselves on how
much we earn, and we can’t tell
how much our friends get.”

Cagney Wants to Axoid
Playing in Own Biopic

London, Nov. 25,

Following the windup of “Shake
Hands With Devil,’,’ at Ardmore
Studios, James Cagney returned
here to be honored with a lunch¬
eon at the Guards Club, hosted by
the British Film Institute. After
the food-fest, Cagney moved over
to the National Film Theatre to
emcee a program of excerpts from
some of his outstanding films. He
was interviewed by Derek Prowse
and kept a full house happy with
some quips about his pix, Holly¬
wood and the acting profession.

Among the film clips shown
were scenes from “White Heat,”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,”
“Come, Fill the Cup” and “Yank¬
ee Doodle Dandy.” Following the j
films and Cagney’s anecdotes, the |
star faced a barrage of questions.
Asked whether he proposed ap¬
pearing in his own screen biog¬
raphy, he replied: “Gosh, no. That
would be a horror film. Horribly
dull!”

ITALO ACTRESS TO MEXICO

Silvana Pampanini May Appear in
Mex Film, Television Show

Mexico City, Nov. 25.

Italian actress Silvana Pampa¬
nini is expected to return here
soon, the lure being a chance of
appearing in Mexico-produced pic
and in tele. It is learned that pro¬
ducer Jesus Sotomayer has offered
the actress 70,000 pesos ($5,600)
for a role in a Mexican film, with
a percentage of the take from
Italian exhibition receipts;. The Na¬
tional Assn, of Actors has not as
yet approved the contract, await¬
ing arrival of the Italian star.

Some six television producers,
although denying interest in pact-
ing Miss Pampanini, are also eager
to sign the actress fdt one or more
tv programs. Miss Pampanini made
a big hit here on her recent visit in
connection with the World Film
Fest. She got top press publicity
and was a favorite with the show
biz press and lensmen.

Yank Filins Still
Dominate Italy

Rome, Nov. 25.

InitiaT fall season b.o. returns
from the Italian key cities show
Yank pix continue to dominate the
first-run situation. Ten of first 12
pix are American films.

According to these early reports,
“Bridge on River Kwai” (Col) is
well in the lead, followed by
“Bravados” (20th) and “Bonjour.
Tristesse” (Col). “Around the
World in 80 Days” (UA) is ne.xt
on the basis of this season’s box-
office alone. The pic piled up
healthy figures last season also.

It was followed by “The Key”
(Par), “Run Silent, Run Deep”
(UA), “Karamazov” (M-G) and
the French-made “Inspector Maig-
ret” (Titanus).

First Italian pic on list, “La
Sfida” (Lux) is next, followed by
“Kings Go Forth” (20th), ‘Merry
Andrew” (M-G) and “Sad Sack’
(Par).

Czech Film Biz Slumps,

Only Capacity

Frankfurt, Nov. 25.

The film recession has even hit
Czechoslovakia, according to re¬
ports received here. Current film
situation in this Red country has
3,345 theatres with 951,625 seating
capacity.

During 1957, there were 1,062,-
844 shows with a total of 186,210,-
000 patrons, 53,950 viewing Czech
films, the others seeing fpreign
product. In that year, business
was at an average of 52% capacity.
In the first half of 1958, it slumped
to only 49V'2%.

Current productions being made
Include a psychological drama
called “In the 12th Hour”; “The
Last Journey Back”; a comedy
called “Luck Comes on Sunday”
and a co-production with Hungary
titled, “Umbrella of Mr. Petrus.”

Les MacDonnell Made
M. D. of Moss Empires

London, Dec. 2.

Leslie A. MacDonnell has been
named joint managing director of
Moss Empires. He will shcire the
post with Prince Littler, who con¬
tinues as- chairman. The new ap¬
pointment is a sequel to the re¬
cently announced resignation of
Yal Parnell from the Moss Empire
managing directorship in order to
devote full time to his commercial
tv interests. Parnell remains a
member of the board, however.

MacDonneU’s new appointment
will date from the start of next
year. Until a few years back, he/
was a partner in the Fosters
Agency, but severed his association
and has since concentrated on per¬
sonal management.

Irish Open Anti-Tax War

'Dublin, Nov. 25.

Bill Bergin, prexy of Irish Thea¬
tre and Cinema Exhibitors Assn.,
has fired the first shot in a new war
on the entertainment tax here. He
shot off a letter to every member
of the Dail (House of Representa¬
tives) to hit them on their return
to session from a vacation. He
reiterated the frequent plaint that
there’s been a faUing-off in attend¬
ances and added that prices have
reached their peak. They can’t be
increased further without risking
an additional drop in biz.

Last year's campaign didn’t pro¬
duce cut in the entertainment tax,
but resulted in eliminating the im¬
port duty on films. This time, the
cinemas want more direct aid.

‘Finland Week’ in Stnttgart

Stuttgart, Nov. 25.

Opera, ballet and concert per¬
formances with Finnish stars,
shows of Finnish cultural films
and recitals of works by Finnish
composers are slated for “Finland
Week” here Dec. 6-13.

Muasorgski’s opera “Boris Go¬
dunov” opens the event at the
State Theatre, Dec. 6. Kim Borg
sings, a lieder recital the foUow-
ing night At Villa Berg on Dec.
9, Nils-Erik Fougstedt of Helsinki
conducts the South German Broad¬
casting Symphony, with Einar
Englundr also of Helsinki, as solo¬
ist. Finnish State Ballet performs
at the Lieder Hall Dec. H.
Finnish films will be shown Dec.
9-11.

'VARIETY'S" LONDON OFPICI
• St. Martin's Placa, Trafalgar Sguar*

P^kRIETY

INTERUrATIONAi:.

13

Blockbuster Fix Brighten Paris

Biz Upbeat Stifles Film Crisis Cry; ‘Days,’ ‘Kwai,*
‘Lions,’ ‘10 Cs’ Top U.S. Films

Paris, Dec. 2.

A batch of record-breaking first-
run film entries has somewhat al¬
layed the usual cries of film crisis
here. Although the first three
quarters of the 1957-58 season saw
a 11% decline in cinema attend-,
ance, the last quarter’s business is
going great and .may forecast bet¬
ter times at the wickets next sea¬
son if it keeps up.

Now pulverizing records here in
their Paris openings are “Les
Amants” (The Lovers), the con¬
troversial pic by Louis Malle
which has a 2G-minute love scene;
*‘Les Tricheurs’- (The Cheats),
about certain youths of today; and
“En Cas De Malehur” (In Case of
Accident), Brigitte Bardot’s first
“serious” role as she leads a prom¬
inent, aging lawyer astray.

The only drawback to these big
runs are that these pix are all
forbidden to minors and will have
trouble in subsequent-runs. Same
goes for surprisingly solid taker
here, ^‘Le Mtroir A Deux Faces”
(The Two Faced Mirror), about a
homely woman made beautiful by
surgery.

However, coming in for big
money and familv patronage are
Jacques Tati’s “Mon Ohcle,” the
Eusso Cannes prizewinner, “Fly¬
ing Cranes” (now dubbed ^n
French), and a group of comedies
and dramas of French origin plus
such mighty Yank entries as
“Bridge on River Kwai” (Col),
“Young Lions” (20th), . “10 Com¬
mandments” (Par), “Around World
in 80 Days” (UA) and others.

Half of Pii Shown In
Israel in’58 From U.S.

Jerusalem, Dec. 2.

Almost half of the 395 films ex¬
hibited during the first 10 months
this year were of U.S. origin, ac¬
cording to statistics released by
the Israeli Film Censorship Board
here. Product made or co-produced
by German companies ranked sec¬
ond, which is remarkable since
these pix were first introduced
here only in 1957, They are mostly
low-cost pix.

Yank product still is the most
popular in this country, and the
American films enjoy the longest
runs in the biggest cinemas. There
were 170 Yank pix released and 71
German (including Austrian).
French ranked third and British
fourth.

Indian and Egyptian pix were
Imported especially for the Orien¬
tal population living in Israel.
Egyptian films are imported
through refugees from hostile
Egypt, and no royalties are paid
to the producers.

^oolf Gets Sequel To
‘Sailor’ For Pix Prod.

London, Dec. 2.

John Woolf has acquirph screen
rights to “Hornett’s Nest” a sequel
to “SaUor Beware,” three months
ahead of Its West End presentation.
He bought the film rights to
“Sailor” within a week of its open¬
ing. According to Eric Glass, the
agent who represents the authors,
Philip King and Falkland Carey,
Woolf is paying $70,000 for the
lights as against $56,000 paid for
originaL *

Presented by the late Jack Wal¬
ler, “Sailor Beware’’ ran for about
three years at the Strand Theatre,
where it grossed around $1,500,000.
The film version also was a b.o.
hit.

Titanus Prexy Honored

Rome, Nov. 25.

Goffredo Lombardo, Titanus
Film prexy, has been made Cheva¬
lier of the French Legion of
Honor at ceremonies held in Paris.
Award was presented by Jacques
Flaud, director general of the
French industry, who motivated
the important honor for Lombar¬
do’s distinguished production ef¬
forts in the international field.

Flaud also reminded the many
pic industry toppers at the gather¬
ing that Lombardo’s father, Gus¬
tavo, produced the first Italo-
FrCnch co-production back in 1912
—a film version of Dante’s “In¬
ferno. Lombardo was in Paris for
the Italo-French film pact talks, .

Alexander Gibson’s Post

Glasgow, Nov. 25.

Alexander Gibson, 31-year-pld
musical director of the Sadler’s
Wells Opera, is named as the next
chief conductor of the Scottish Na¬
tional Orchestra. '

He will succeed Hans Swarow-
sky, the present conductor, next
August. The appointment is for
two years in the first place.

Gibson is the first British con¬
ductor to hold the post since Sir
John Barbirolli in the 1930s.

Commie Bertold Brecbt
Controversial in Death;
Berliners Unforgiving

Berlin, Nov. 25.

Although playwright Bertold
Brecht died last year, his contro¬
versial spirit lives on. A new
public row has recently erupted
in West Berlin over whether his
plays should be produced here. He
was formerly verboten here, but
his “Threepenny Opera” was fe- j
cently revived and two others of
his works are reportedly in prep¬
aration by the municipal theatre.

The anti-Brecht sentiment stems
from the late author-producer’s
Communist membership, particu¬
larly as expressed in some of his
last poetry, which some West Ber¬
liners regard as not only tactless ;
but infamous. (For example,
Brecht supported the violent sup¬
pression by Russian forces of the
uprising in East Berlin in 1953.)

In any case, Brecht’s theatrical
fortunes appear to be waning.
More significant than the attacks
upon his personal and professional
reputation by such noted local
critics as Iven George Heilbut is
the fact that the recent revival of
“Threepenny Opera” was a disap¬
pointment. The show’s modest
reception stemmed not so much
from any inadequacies of produc¬
tion but from the feeling that the
work itself has become dated.

If the reported new presenta¬
tions being readied by the munici¬
pal theatre actually go through and
are well received, Brecht’s stand¬
ing may be redeemed. But either
abandonment of the two produc¬
tions or their indifferent public re¬
ception would probably put the
playwright into eclipse, at least
in West Berlin.

Loew’s Clears Up World
Rights to ‘4 Horsemen’

Barcelona, Nov. 25.

Negotiations to clear w'orld
rights for film, radio and tele on
Blasco Jbanez’ “Four Horsemen,”
which began the past spring, have
finally been finalized. Loew’s, Inc.,
Is reputed to have paid about $462,-
000 to obtain full rights.

Heirs of author Ibanez, living in
Spain, made it necessary to make
this country the place in which to
settle this important affair. -The
Moctezuma Company of Mexico,
which, also held rights to the
“Horsemen” literary work, sent
reps here to settle the transaction.

Oldie Dual-Bfll Clicks
For Comedie-Erancaise

Paris, Nov. 25.

It took a dual-bill of a pair of
Eugene Labiche’s century-old com¬
edies to give the staid Comedie-
Francaise its first hit of the' season.
Jaunty , versions of “La Poudre Aux
: Yeux” (“Wool over the Eyes”) and
“Les Trente Millions De Gladiator”
("The Gladiator’s $30,000,000")
have done the trick. The show Is
at the Salle Richilieu, the C-F
house.

Jean Myer directed both plays
with the right lilt and bouyancy.
The Dignimont-sets are ravishing,
and the acting is light and properly
racy.

Defend O’Donovan may make
the first British-Soviet f ilm ^ based
on an Artie air-transport, crash
One-third would be shot in Eng¬
land, one-third in Russia, one-
third In Labrador or Alaska.

McHenry Boatwright Is
Concert Click in Japan
Despite Lack of "Name’

• Tokyo, Nov. 25.

Negro baritone McHenry Boat¬
wright is disproving a concert
management theory that only a
“name” foreign artist can success¬
fully tour Japan. The 32-year-old
singer, without a high-pow’ered
publicity buildup, or years of rec¬
ord sales, is drawing the sort of
attendance usual only for the more
institutionalized artists.

Of Boatwright’s first 23 concerts
in Japan, all but three played to
capacity houses. He’s reaching both
sophisticated and rustic audiences.
In Tokyo’s Sankei Hall and Yoko¬
hama’s Fryar Gym, standees lined
the walls. In the sticks, Boatwright
has received the adoration of the
bobby sox set, being besieged for
autographs at the scene of the con¬
cert. Schoolgirls trail his car back
to the hotel and reappear the next
morning at the train station to see
him off.

Boatwright was warned before
coming that the Japanese don’t
always make a display of their ap¬
preciation. He was told not to be
surprised or unhappy if the audi¬
ences didn’t applaud. But from his
opening concert in Tokyo, he has
been called back for at least three
or four encores at every perform¬
ance.

The attentiveness of the young¬
sters is significant when it is con¬
sidered that Boatwright sings not
pop numbers, but a program in¬
cluding German lieders, Brahms
and Ravel.,

After his 30th concert in Japan,
Boatwright goes to Manila for two
concerts and Hong Kong for one.
On his return to the U.S. he will
tour southern colleges with, the
San Francisco Symphony. His last
American appearances were with
Eugene Orman dy and the Phila¬
delphia Symphony, three concerts
at their home base, one in Carnegie
Hall and one at the Hollywood
Bowl. After' those engagements,
Ormandy called Boatwright one of
America’s really great singers and
predicted a brilliant future for
him.

‘SERGEANTS’PARIS HU;
BEAUCOUP U.S. IMPORTS

Paris, Nov. 25.

“No Time for Sergeants” (“Ser-
gent Je Vous Aime”) has opened
to enthusiastic reviews and smash
business at the 1,200-seat Sarah
Bernhardt 'Theatre, and appears a
cinch to explode the jinx against
U.S. service comedies In Paris. The
idea of such a hoodoo apparently
stemnied from the quick folds of
French editions of “Mister Rob¬
erts” and “Teahouse of the Au¬
gust Moon.”

Helene-Frederique Lara and
Randal Lemoine did the French
adaptation of “Sergeants,” with
Jacques Fabbri in the leading role
of the comically bumbling draftee
and Gabriel Jabbour, Pierre Per-
net and Pascal Mazzotti in princi¬
pal supporting parts. Fabbri has
staged the show, with scenery by
Roger Harth, based on Peter Lar¬
kin’s original designs for the
Broadway production. Joseph
Brandel and A. M. Julien are the
producers.

Other new hit versions of U. S.
plays include Louis de Vilmorin’s
adaptation of William Gibson’s
“Two for the Seesaw,” Jean-Pierre
Aumont’s adaptation of Irwin
Shaw’s “Lucy Crown” and Andre
Obey’s adaptation of Reginald
Rose’s film story, “Twelve Angry
Men.” Holdovers fromjast season
include “Diary of Arihe Frank,”
“View from the Bridge” and “Cain
Mutiny Court Martial.” In addi¬
tion, there are the British imports,
“Look Back in Anger” and “Love
of Four Colonels:”

Handel Anni Set for ’59

Boim, Nov. 25.

Germany will commemorate the
200th anni of the death of Georg
Friedrich Handel with a number'
of special concerts set for 1959.
“Messiah” will be done in Frank¬
furt and Cologne in mid-ApriL
There will be performances also of
“Belshazzar” in Berlin, Munich,
Hamburg and Mannheim while
“Israel in Egypt” is to be given in
Stuttgart and Munich.

“Julius Caesar,” “Xerxes,”
‘Ezio,” “Acis and Galatea” and
“Agrippina” are also scheduled.
Climax of celebrations of the aijnl-
versary will be a special ceremony
in Berlin.

3d Rank Chain Would Ease Booking
Setup for Many Indies With 1611 To
250 Houses, Rank s Winckles Clanns

Extend AA-Dutch Deal

Allied Artists has extended its
contract with N. V. City Film of
Holland under which the latter
distributes AA product.

Kenneth Murray, AA’s European
representative, and H. P. H. Juten,
for N. V. City, worked out the deal.

New Brit Film Prod.

Co., Sydney Box Assoc.,
Making 6 Pix Annually

London, Dec. 2.

A new production-distribution
company which will make a min¬
imum of six features a year in
Britain, and as many again as
joint co-production ventures in Eu¬
rope, was announced last week by
Sydney Box. Associated with him
in the new venture are his sister
Betty E. Box, Ralph Thomas, Peter
Rogers, David Deutsch and Wil¬
liam McQuitty.

The new company, to be known
as Sydney Box Associates, starts
its first picture Jan, 17. Outfit will
have its own sales force, which
will make distribution deals, but
the physical release will be han¬
dled by the Rank Organization. All
interiors for the British pix will be
made at Rank’s Pinewood studios.

The Rank Organization, Box ex¬
plained last week, would not be
providing any of the finance which
had been arranged privately with
two of the big five banks. The
budget for his first six British films
would be in the region of
$2,500,000.

I All the European co-productions
j would also be completed in British
studios so as to safeguard their
quota tickets. .Box revealed that
he has already made a deal for
one joint venture with Bavaria
I Films of Munich, and he was clos¬
ing two others with independent
French producers.,

Robert Wyler Story Set
For Filming in Rome

Rome, Nov. 25.

An option for a Robert Wyler
story property, “An American in
Rome,” has been signed by a Ro¬
man combine headed by Count
Ferdinand Pecci-Blount. Latter
group is said to have important
financial backing in the Eternal
City. Count- Pecci-Blount is cur¬
rently in N.Y. to look over Yank
participation in the picture project
by an American major as well as
set some of the U.S. members of
the cast, and is due back here
Dec. 23.

Pic would be shot under direc¬
tion of Robert Wyler in Rome next
spring or summer, and in color.
Male leads should be American,
with Paul Douglas, Paul Newman,
Stephen Boyd being mulled.

O’Brien Warns Irish
Studio Vs. Wage Trims

Dublin, Dec. 2.

What w'as regarded here as a
warning against clipping produc¬
tion costs by imposing different
working conditions at the Ardmore
Studios, Ireland’s first production
center, to those in force in English
studios was given by Sir Thomas
O’Brien, general secretary of the
National Assn, of Theatre and
Kine Employees, when on a visit
here. O’Brien made his comment
at a dinner with film trade and
local union officials afterwards. He
said “we are hoping that condi¬
tions of employment for techni¬
cians and other workers in Ard¬
more will hot prove different from
those in London!,”

Camera crews working in Ard¬
more are members of the English-
based Assn, of Cine Technicians,
but the majority of other studio
workers are in the Theatre and
Cinema Workers branch of the
Irish Transport and General Work¬
ers Union.

London, Dec. 2.

The composition of the potential
third circuit to take the place of
the Gaumont-British chain, which
will virtually disappear under the
Rank rationalization plan, was re¬
vealed last 'week by Kenneth
Winckles, joint managing director
of the Rank Organization. He said
that all the constituent groups had
accepted the principle and nothing
stood in the way of its immediate
operation.

Spearhead of the new booking
group will be the company’s thea¬
tres outside the Rank “A” Circuit,
varying from 160 to 250 houses,
depending on circumstances and
commitments. Additionally, ' dt
would include some 60 Essoldo the¬
atres, 53 Associated British halls,
43 cinemas in the Sir Alexander
B. King group and 27 Granada
houses.

The new circuit would have par¬
ticular strength in the greater Lon¬
don area, where there would be as
many as 110 probable outlets, with
a potential gross of $210,000 week¬
ly as against an estimated $225,000
weekly for the Rank “A” chain.
Strength of the group throughout
the country, including London,
would be in thej-egion of 450 thea¬
tres. But with added support from
certain indies, it might well extend
to close on 500 cinemas.

Sees Third Outlet As Logical .

In money - earning capacity,
Winckles estimated that the poten¬
tial gross of the entire third circuit
would be between 80% and 90%
of the Rank and ABC groups, pro¬
viding a healthy and worthwhile
outlet for all distributors. He re¬
garded the creation of the third
outlet as the logical and practical
step to follow the rationalization
plan. Winckles conceded, however,
that distributors would have to go
to the bookers of each of the cir¬
cuits involved and would not be
able to embrace the entire circuit
by making a deal with one in¬
dividual.

By virtue of Rank’s superior
strength in the new setup, he re¬
garded Richard Hamer, who
booked for Odeon and Gaumont,
as the man w’ho would play a domi¬
nating role. It W'ould not be pos¬
sible, however, for Hamer to in¬
fluence the other outlets even if
he wanted to do so.

The new third circuit will gradu¬
ally come into operation next year,
coinciding with the introduction of
the Rank “A” chain. The proposed
shuttering of 80 theatres, an¬
nounced last month by John Davis
as part of the rationalization pro¬
gram, would proceed cn a gradual
basis, and would be spread over a
number of years.

iOC Chief Surprised, Vexed

JTinckles added that the major
details had been worked out and
agreed with James F. Pattinson,
20th-Fox’s topper in Britain, whose
company was mainly responsible
for the creation of a fourth circuit
after the Rank-20th split some five
years ago. The existing arrange¬
ment whereby Rank and the indies
were given a choice of selected
batches of 20th-Fox pix, would
continue for the time being. The
existing contract w’as due to run
until next May. He had also dis¬
cussed the situation with other dis-
tribs, including Arnold Picker,
United Artists foreign veepee, dur¬
ing his recent trip to London.

Winckles also felt that the crea¬
tion of a third circuit on the lines
suggested would ease the booking
situation for many independent
theatres and chains. In some cases
providing the additional choice of
I some 50 programs a year. He be¬
lieved it would prove to be bene¬
ficial to the exhibiting Industry,
without being in any way detri¬
mental to the indie producer.

After Kenneth Winckles had
made his announcement, D. J.
(Jack) Goodlatte, managing direc¬
tor of ABC said that, speaking for
his own company, he was bound
to make It clear that far from hav¬
ing agreed to ansrthing, it had not
even been consulted regarding the
formation qf a third circuit. It
was, therefore, a surprise to him
to find that 53 ABC theatres had
been included.

14

PICTURES

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

Century Circuit ‘Believes* Hat
8:40 Main Feature Policy Helps

Century Theatres, which re-
cently introduced a policy of show¬
ing the main feature at 8:40 p.m.
at 22 out of 34 of its theatres, still
finds it difficult to measure the
results from a business standpoint.
“We think it helped,” declared a
spokesman, “but we haven’t ana¬
lyzed it yet that carefully.” How¬
ever, the chain appears to be con¬
vinced that “most patrons prefer
the policy.”

In a majority of the theatres
where the 8:40 policy prevails, the
spokesman said that least three-
quarters of the patrons leave after
the main feature. Asked, why un¬
der those circumstances, the chain
did not introduce a single feature
policy, he declared: “We have to
creep before we crawl.”

As a protective measure to at¬
tract as many patrons as possible.
Century is continuing the old pol¬
icy—starting with the secondary
feature at 8:40—in surrounding
theatres of its chain so that if a
filmgoer prefers the old system,
he can still find a theatre playing
that policy a short distance away.
This system is particularly em¬
ployed in areas where the circuit
anticipates transient business. j

Century introduced the 8:40 pol¬
icy about a year a?o in 12 of its j
theatres on a Sunday through !
Thursday basis. A few weeks ago j
it extended it to 22 theatres on ap =
every-night-but-Saturday basis.

No Czech Refund

The Columbia Pictures deal
with the Czechs ftfr “Picnic”
has been called off, but Prague
Is losing $10,000 on the deal.

Agreement originally was
for Col to sell “Picnic” for that
amount. At the same time. Col
agreed to take on two Czech
films for distribution. Then
two things happened: tl) Col
didn’t take the two films. 12)
The Czechs’ screening board
nixed "Picnic.”

However, the purchase price
already had been paid and
Prague didn’t even ask for a
refund. •

TOA’s Special War
Chest Versus Toll

«IKA’RESUMES, so
DO CATHOLIC PROTESTS

St. Paul, Dec. 2.

Officers of the St. Agnes Catholic
church’s Men's club took city offi- .
cials here to task for permitting |
the foreign film “Monika” to. re- !
open at the.Garden, located oh the j
fringe of the loop here, after hav-|
Ing once stopped it. I

The permission was given after ^
the theatre’s management pe.'mit- |
ted some “slight modifications”
and agreed to advertise “for adults |
only” and not to admit children. |
In a letter to the mayor, L. J. j
Schneider, the club's secretary, i
pointed out that the picture had ;
been branded as “improper” by the ,
police when they made the Garden :
management halt it. |

Replying to Schneider, Robert
Peterson, public safety commis-1
sioner pointed out that. in most'
cases like “Monika” it is not the ;
picture that is objectionable, but
the type of advertising used for it. .
He said the police department ;
sends policewomen to view all pic- ;
tures that are belived to be ques- !
tionable. j

Peterson also requested the city
attorney to advise Schneider re¬
garding the city's duties and limita- i
tions in such cases.

Initial police action against
“Monika” occurred after a com¬
plaint from a school teacher who
saw a number of children in t1!e
audience.

In this predominantly Catholic
city “And God Created Woman” :
recently was shown for the first 1
time without any police or other
action resulting.

In order to implement the reso¬
lution passed at its Miami Beach
convention—to “undertake all ne¬
cessary action to outlaw^ paj'-tv”
as a “threat to the public interest”
—^Theatre Owners of America has
launched a fund-raising ^campaign
for this purpose.

In an appeal for funds, the ex¬
hibitor organization notes that
Congress will begin to hold hear¬
ings in January on the toll-tv issue
and that TOA must prepare a na¬
tionwide grassroots campaign “to
help Congress arrive at legislation
which will effectively ban all forms
of pay-tv.”

For the guidance of exhibitors,
TOA has suggested a formula on |
which to base contributions. Sched-
ule follows:

Four-wall theatres—up to 500 |
seats, $5; up to 750 seats, SIO; up
to 1,000 seats, S15: up to 2,500 !
seats, S20; over 2,500 seats, $25. |

Drive-in thea.'res—up to 300 cars, i
$5; up to 500 cars, $10; up to 600 '
cars, $15; over 600 cars,= $25. '

GAtll CURCI CHANGES HANDS

New Booker For Theatre Named
For Opera Singer

JIM LEVnr BARKER
OFCLEVEANDTENT

Cleveland, Dec. 2'.

James Levitt, branch manager of
Buena Vista exchange in Cleve- j
land, was named Chief Barker of ’
local Variety Club, succeeding Dan :
Rosenthal. Irv Shenker of Berio '
Vending Co. was elected first as- i
sistant barker; Ted Levy of Buena !
Vista, second assistant; Irving Mar- !
cus of National Screen Service, '
doughguy; Lewis Horwitz of Wash- :
ington Theatre Circuit, secretary, i

Board of directors for next year ‘
will include Jack Lewis, manager ;
of 105th St. Theatre; Barney
Weitz of 20th-Fox, Joe Weinstein
of StanlejvWarner; William Twig,
of Warner Bros, film exchange; Le
Roy Kendis of .Associated Theatres;
Dan Rosenthal of United Artists;
Abe Kramer and Marshall Fine of
Associated Theatres circuit; Henry
Greenberger. of Community Cir¬
cuit; and Jack Silverthorne, of the
Hippodrome. Delegates picked for
international Variety Club’s con¬
vention in Las Vegas next March
are Silverthorne and Rosenthal.

Never Have So Few

Continued from page 1
an immediate followup will be
spotlighted in the same company’s'
“Black Orchid.” In release within
the period Of a single month were
20th-Fox’s “Bravados” and United
Artists’ “Big Country,” both star¬
ring Gregory Peck. Making the
rounds now are United Artists’
“Defiant Ones” and “The Vik¬
ings,” and due shortly is Univer¬
sal’s “Perfect Furlough”—and all
three have Tony Curtis as star.

Metro’s “Badlanders” and Buena
Vista’s “Proud Rebel” have Alan
Ladd as top name. Cary Grant
was competing with himself via
Warners’ “Indiscreet” and Par’s
“Houseboat.” Spencer Tracy had
exposure via WB’s “Old Man and
the Sea” and the immediate suc¬
cessor to this, Columbia’s “Last
Hurrah.” Miss Bardot, the unique
situation, has been over-exposed in
terms of her pictures, as well as
her scantily-clad person.

Again and Again

The aforementioned pictures and
players are offered at random to.
get across a point that’s presenting
a serious threat to the welfare of
the film-making business: Too few
stars are seen in too many pictures.
The trade itself is. in a state of
quandary as. to the remedy—al¬
though recognizing that a problem
exists that requires remedy. Feared
is a public rebellion anent the
same, old familiar faces over and
over again. .

Heavy of the piece, perhaps, is
the hanker. Money men in back of
the new productions insist on
“marquee names” before they’ll
advance the financing. Gary Coop¬
er, Grant, Lancaster, Curtis are a
form of insurance for them; the
banks, having put up about 60%
of the budget requirements more
or less have assurances of recoup¬
ing their investment wuth such per¬
sonnel for the billing.

Star nomenclature has become
a necessity in order to obtain the
financing and this brings in the
tax angles. Numerous top-calibre
players are disinclined to work in
more than one or two pictures per
year because the income simply
would go to the Government. This
situation, in turn, diminishes the
supply—and the price to the pro¬
ducer goes up. A payoff of $750,-
000 for an actor’s chores in a single
picture is almost becoming com¬
monplace.

But this is. an intra-trade matter
and, while serious, is less signifi¬
cant than the as-yet-unknown ulti¬
mate reaction of the customers.

Hollywood's top studios, when
they had the big stables of stars,
were careful to space apart the
various pictures in which any one
individual appeared: This is not
so easy' an^TOore, what with the
flexibility now given talent; they’re
free to make pictures at all stu¬
dios virtually and a bunching-up is
the result. •

Over-expo$ure already has had
its pitfalls in television; this is for
sure. Isn’t it likely, ask some film
business observers, that the ticket-
buyers will some day have had a
surfeit of the old familiar faces on
the screens, of theatres?

So why not develop new faces?
Answer is, again, the banks are
very timid about the gamble that
might be entailed.

20th Sees Todd-AO Label Worthwhile

Concedes Overused ^CihemaScope’ Name No Longer
Of Itself B.O. Potent

Trappings of Yesteryear

Cnicago, Dec. 2.

Pickwick Theatre in subur¬
ban Park Ridge observed its
30th anni last Wednesday (26)
by charging 1928 admission
and concession prices.

Backtracking extended to
period attire for ushers and
other personnel—derby hats,
brilliant plaids, flapper dresses
with beads, etc. A 1928 auto
camped in front for the day
with'^lacards to help bally the
occasion.

Admissions were 35c for*
adults, 10c for kids. Popcorn
was a 5c treat, as were big
candy bars. Suckers went for
a penny, and a handful of
chocolate “kisses” brought 2c.

Dr. Laurent’Okay
For Chicago Adults

Trans-Lux Distributing this week ;
won its fight for an exhibition per- j
mit for “The Case of Dr. Laurent” i
in Chicago. The city issued a pink j
(for adults only) .slip to the film '
which deals with natural child¬
birth.

T-L took the case to court W'hen
the Chicago police censor banned
the Jean Gabin starrer. On Nov.
17, the city made a motion to drop
the complaint. When the judge
granted motion to strike out the
city’s motion, Chicago dropped the
fight and issued the permit.

Felix Bilgrey bandied the case
for Trans-Lux.

FRANK MANTZKE VERY
CHEERY ON ‘CONGRESS'

Minneapolis, Dec. 2.
Giving his blessing to the Spyros
Skouras move toward an American
Congress of Exhibitors, Frank
Mantzke, North Central Allied
president, who attended the New
York meeting, feels “this is the
greatest thing that, ever happened
to the industry.”

“Bringing the producers and ex¬
hibitors closer together, as this
promises to do, has been long over¬
due,” Mantzke says he believes.
“It’s bound to eliminate some of
the important troubles that have
beset theatreowners during the
past several years. Unless I miss
my guess, we’re now on our way to
better exhibition days.”

Before making a definite com¬
mitment for his organization of
, himself, Mantzke says that “of
; course, we must await the working
I out of the new body’s details by
; the committee which has been ap-
i pointed to perform the task.”

Current efforts by 20th-Fox to
buy into the Todd-AO Corp, fie In
with the company’s belief that the
Todd-AO label is one which the
public respects when it comes to
roadshows. Conversely, 20th execs
unhappily conceded that Cinema-
Scope has been “bastardized” to
the point where it virtually means
little any more at the boxoffice.

Todd-AO is owned jointly by
Magna Theatre Corp. and the
American Optical Co. Magna owns
62V6% of the stock and American
Optical Latter so far has

shown no willingness to part with
any of its stock to 20th. In any
case, 20th will make several pix
in the Todd-AO process where it
feels the projects rate roadshow
treatment.

Pressure to look into Todd-AO
came primarily from the sales de¬
partment, which has been im¬
pressed with the performance of
“South Pacific” in the T,odd-AO
system. Picture has shown remark¬
able staying power, maintaining it-^
self in some midwestern houses
for close to 40 weeks.

20th has its own CinemaScopo
55 process, a w’ide-area negative
system, which has never been
used at the exhibition end. Two
films were shot in the system, but
wAe reduced to regular 35m prior
to exhibition. That’s part of the
reason why 20th execs feel that the
Cinemascope tag has lost its charm
for special showings.

“Around the World in 80 Days,”
the Mike Todd picture, also was
shot in Todd-AO and exhibited
both in that process and also in a
reduced version. Going by 20th’s
figures, the reduction lacked the
b.o. sparkle of the original and in
some cases has been outdistanced
by “South Pacific” in Todd-AO.

'PEYTON PLACE' SEHLEMENT

Author and Publisher Pay Couple
Charging Libel

Albany, Dec. 2.

Kallet Theatres, based in Oneida,
Madison County, have withdrawn
from one of their Cat.skill Moun-1
tain situations, the Galli Curci in •
Margaretville, }

The new operators are Clark and
Roswell Sanford, who have en¬
gaged Ray Smith, recently retired
Warner Bros, branch manager
here, to handle the buying and i
booking. This became effective i
Monday Q). j

The Galli Curci is named after
the famed Metropolitan Opera
Company soprano, Avho main¬
tained a home in Margaretville for.
many years. The spot is in Dela-I
ware County; population of the’
village is around 900. ^

The theatre, which seats about |
575, is a year-round operation, j
Incidentally, the Galli Curci j
makes the fourth theatre for
which Smith does the buying-book¬
ing, Others are: Playhouse in Man¬
chester, Vt.; Sidney in Sidney;
Palace in Oneonta.

Loewis and RKO Loans Figure in ‘Country,’
‘Vikings,’ ‘Witness for Prosecution’

Exhibitor money, to the tune,
of $4,000,000, is riding on three
United Artists releases—“The Big
Country,” “The Vikings” and
“Witness for the Prosecution.”
Coin was a loan to L^A from
Loew’s and RKO Theatres last
year and earlier this year.

No profit participation is in¬
volved nor, under the consent de¬
cree, can there be such participa¬
tion. Loans are due in Sept, 1959
and May 1960.

Money w-as advanced to UA
a time when the company w'as
tight for financing, i.e. before It

• offered its stock to the public. UA
i at one point Considered calling
: off the loan, but negotiations were

too far advanced and it was de-

Laconia, N, H., Dec. 2.

An out-of-court settlement was
made Nov. 26 in the $250,000 libel
suit brought by Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Makris of Laconia against
Grace Metalious Martin of Gil-
manton, author of “Peyton Place,”
and the Julius Messner publishing
firm of New York City. The
amount of the settlement was
kept under wraps.

The IV^kris couple had charged
defamation by being depicted as
characters in the controversial
novel, which was adapted into a
successful movie.

Trial of the case was scheduled
to open in Belknap County Su¬
perior Court here, Dec. I.

! cided to go through with it. The
j Loew Theatres loan was for $2,-
; OOO.OOO. RKO Theatres came up
iwith $1,000,000 first and then a
‘second $1,000,000.

“Witness for the Prosecution”
has been yery successful, ($3,300,-
000 domestic) and so has “The Vi¬
kings,” which wdll gross about $15,-
000,000 worldwide, “Big Country”
has been a slow starter but, with
the* foreign market, is expected to
show a profit.

Susan Hayward Ballyhoo

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Susan Hajnvard hops to Europe
Saturday on 17,000-mile overseas
public appearance tour, to hypo
her starrer, “I Want To Live,” as
part of United Artists’ stepped-up
promotion campaign abroad.

She’ll attend pic’s Rome opening
Dec. 3, visit Paris, Milan, Frank¬
fort, Berlin and other European
cities with pic.

Miily No Talky

Continued from page 3 — i

expedite and increase the com¬
pany’s output.

Whether Rackmil and U’s pow-
ers-that-be would be willing to
sell out to an exhibitor group re¬
mains an unanswered question, but
it appears that theatremen, fight¬
ing for continuance of their sup¬
ply lines, would make a strong ef¬
fort to obtain the necessary coin
if such a move is necessary for
preservation of Universal. It’s
acknowledged in exhibitor circles
that the thought of the formation
of a sjTidicate had been discussed,
but, as far as is known, it hasn't
gone beyond the preliminary talk¬
ing stage.

As a recent committee meeting
of the American Congress of Ex¬
hibitors, S. H. (Si) Fabian, presi¬
dent of Stanley Warner, is attrib¬
uted to have said that SW would
buy Universal “to keep it going”
if the theatre circuit were not re¬
stricted from doing so by the Gov¬
ernment’s consent decrees.”

Vital Supply

Meanwhile, it’s obvious that the¬
atremen, who have already seen
their sources of supply diminished
by the demise of RKO and Re¬
public, are willing to go to great
lengths to prevent the disappear¬
ance of another important film
manufacturer. They apparently
realize that their owif livelihoods
are at stake and if another film
company should shutdown, it
probably means that more thea¬
tres will have to close because of
a lack of sufficient playable films.

On the basis of recent unifica¬
tion moves among exhibitors, it
seems that exhibitors, perhaps for
the first time, are cognizant that
they truly have their backs to the
wall and that their own existence
depends on the continuation and
healthy existence of the present-
day film companies. There is, too,
a realization that mere talk can no
longer bring about the desired re¬
sults and that theatremen—if they
are to survive—must be prepared
to lend assistance, even if it means
putting up cold cash, to preserve a
struggling film company.

L. D. Sipe and George Stephen¬
son have purchased the three
Kingsville, Tex., driye-in theatres
formerly operated by Chester W.
Kyle. They include the Rancho,
King’s and Brahama.

Wednesday, December 3, 195ft

k

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DANIEL M, ANGEL presents

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16

nCTClIES

Wedne§daj, December 3^ 1958

Rules UnloQ Vote Must Be for All
Houses on Spanish-Lingo Circuit

The N.Y. State Labor Relations
Board last week dismissed the
petition of the United Independent
Theatre Employees, an indie union
representing certain! employees at
Spanish-language film houses, for
permission to conduct, a vote for
union representation at the Free¬
man Theatre in the Bronx, an af¬
filiate of the Interboro chain.

In declining jurisdiction, the
State board' apparently agreed with
the argument of William Gold, In¬
terboro attorney, that the union
could not take a vote at one house
but must base its election on the ,

Robbins View:

engaged in interstate commerce, a
precedent set in a previous case
involving a N.Y. theatre,^ and that
therefore the SLRB had no juris¬
diction over the case.

The United Independent Thea-

Trans-Lux Ups Divvy

'Trans-Lux Corp. has raised
. Its dividend 10c, paying an an¬
nual divvy of 30c on the com¬
mon stock for 1958, according
to' Percival E. Furber, board
chairman. The 1957 dividend
was 20c.

The 30c divvy is payable
Dec. 16, 1958, to stockholders
of record Dec. 9, '58. It’s the
highest paid by Trans-Lux
since 1937 when it was also
30c.

Closed-Circuit Feeds To
Theatres Keys Tomorrow

Although now a producer, (the
. _ , . f , current “Never Love a Stranger”

tre Employees represents porters, _ Harold Robbins is a.

pshiers, doormen, ushers ^d ma-. of industry and has

irons employed at some 25 definite thoughts about how

tres, all of whicn p ay Spanish-- ^ ^ distribution

language product. About a year , g brought down
ago the Freeman Theatre convert-, 7 ,

ed to a Spanish-language policy i . solution: Closed-circuit tele-
and shortly thereafter, according i vismg of features to theatre
to Gold, the union demanded the screens.

right to bargain for the employees, i Robbins related this week that
However, Interboro maintained such manner of print transmission
that a single theatre constituted : was investigated some time ago by
an improper bargaining unit and the research committee of the Mo-
that the union, if it wanted to gain tion Picture Assn, of America and
jurisdiction, must speak for the found to have had merit. He was
same employees across the board a member of the committee and
In the Interboro chain, which has an exec at Universal at the time,
theatres in four boroughs of New, However, he said, the matter
York City. • was dropped and has yet to be

-- picked up again.

Ti • T 17 L*L*i C i The film-maker, whose next is

l;riY6-lll LXmDltCr oeen > to be “79 park Avenue,” based on

,• /V 1 nr* \ novel as was “Stranger,”

iompeiui? (Keany Wins) said that before world war II the
® ' Tk • n ‘ fireak-even gross on a. picture was
In StaniPV rnrs Stunt s of negative costs.. By

Albany, Dec. 2. [ And, now it’s up to 2109o

The Stanley Warper Strand I . This is way out of line, insists
Wednesday night *26.>, in the finals Robbins, and he.wants to emulate
of the Downtown Albany Mer-; fhe practitioners of closed circuit
chants Association’s “Guess the ’ tv as it has been put to use with
price Contest,” presented the un- i special sporting events. The print
usual sight of a well known area [ charges alone would represent a
exhibitor competing with 40 other' substantial saving, he argues,
men and women in an evaluation Robbins acknowledges.that there
prize for which W’as a | some flaws in present methods
1959 Dodge sedan. gf fy wired transmission but fig-

The showman not identified as { ures these could be elimiated if an
such w^ Morris H. Klein, who ? earnest attempt is made toward
with hi^ brother, Raphael, oper- I permanent installations and facil-
ates drive-ins at Glenmont, Cox- \ ities via telephone company con-
sackie, Hudson and Hunter, as well! duits.

as the indoor Hunter in Hunter (a I Robbins’ main concern is what
summ^ situaUon.. Their niother, ^ jjg terms the plight of the indie
Mrs. Frieda Klein, of Hunter, is j producer who, faced with heavy
a.so associated in the theatres oP' j charges against his pictures, has a
erations. \ difficult time in coining out on top,

Klein, who had won a $50 gift • commercially,
certificate by not only hitting on I He adds 'this: “Even when an
the nose four merchandise 'prices • exhibition contract is signed and
but also by coming closest to guess- > my picture plays off I find the
ing the value of a gift certificate ! ‘adjustment’ must set in.” He said
in a “mystery chest*’ displayed in i the deal might be for 40% of the
the windows of The Knickerbocker ‘ gross and then, via latter-day ne-
News, did not win the finals, al-: gotiation, * the exhib pares this
though his estimate, $4,250, of the I down to 30 <^g.
value of a. diamond ring, a watch,
a mink stole and other clothes, was
one of the five nearest.

A Troy widow, Mrs. Helen Kra¬
mer, who had copped two prelimi¬
nary prizes in local stores, made an
exact estimate of the total value—

$5,222. She made a base estimate
of $5,000 and added three numbers
from her address.

The new car, displayed outside
the theatre, was turned over to
Mrs. Kramer and her driving son,
a 27-year-old school teacher.

Norm Jeordan (who uses the
nom de radio of “Sherwood,” on
deejay shows over WPTRi emceed
the match-down. Vince Micele, of
the merchant’s group, worked with
Jeordan and with Al Swett, Strand
manager.

Fraiikal Estimates

sssss Continued from page 3 sis

day,” “Saypnara,” “Captain Horatio
Hornblower” and “Sunset Boule-
I vard.” “The Brave Ones’! also is a
j Rkely choice.

Trankel said he had a deal pend¬
ing with the Russians, but couldn’t
go through witii it until final de¬
tails of the 10-picture Motion Pic¬
ture Export Assn, agreement with
the Soviets were ironed out. Mos¬
cow hasn’t as yet picked its full
complement of U.S." features. The
Americans are buying seven Rus¬
sian pictures in return.

Since it has bought quite a few
features from Iron Curtain coun¬
tries, M. J. P. is organizing its owin
distribution, Frankel reported. Out¬
fit has purchased a large number
of Yugoslav puppet shorts which
are being sold to American tv.

Frankel said he had requests for
films from East Germany, Hungary,
Poland ‘and Roumania and he has
16 viewing prints circulating
through all of these countries. Only
place where he isn’t selling is Al¬
bania and Bulgaria. Reason is that
the U.S. doesn’t maintain diplo^
matic relations with these coun¬
tries.

. Not content with buying and sell¬
ing films in trade with the Sdviet
bloc, M. J. P. also is going into
coproduction with the Czechs and
the Poles. Richard Davis of United
Motion Picture Organization in
N.Y. is involved in the Czech pro¬
duction deal.

Frankel said his deal with the
Czechs, for the first time, called
for a firstrun distribution guaran¬
tee, the kind of assurance the
Czechs had not been willing to give
in the past. Dubbed or subtitled
versions made by the Czechs must
be approved by a Frankel “agent ”
i.e. the U.S. Embassy.

Discussing the Frankef* arrange¬
ment, an exec of one of the majors
repped by RL J. P. in the Com¬
munist orbit said the deal was
highly satisfactory to his company.
“It doesn’t pay to have a man sta¬
tioned in Paris just selling bui
films to these countries,” he com¬
mented. “They don’t pay the prices
that would make it worth while.”

According to Frankel, the Czechs
won’t buy any U.S. films (even if
it’s one that he doesn’t represent)
unless it is through his agency. He
figures that he’ll come to a similar
understanding with other of the
satellites.

Wait Disney

Continued frpm page. 2

i ago he sold the cartoon feature,
: “Bambi.”,and a couple of shorts to
the- Reds.

' Curiously, Disney was vague
; about a picture he released to the
Russians in war time. In response

• to an interviewer’s question about
i such a film deal he answered he
1 did not remember the title. ^

! Asked what the feature was
j about, Disney replied: “I think it

• was one of those things I made. I
i do not want to mention that.”

Red Niehols Not Self
In His Own Biography

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Red Nichols, who' is being bio¬
filmed by Sravelson & Rose in
“The Five Pennies” at Paramount,
will make his screen bow as an
actor in film, but not as himself.
He’ll play an Eskimo in a comr
edy sequence.

Appearing with him in a sing¬
ing skit will be D? ny Kaye, who
portrays Nichols in film.

DeMiile: Film Ad-Ways Rut-Bound

Sees Trailers Second to Newspapers in Selling Films
—^Vet Readying Boy Scout Feature for 1960

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Cecil. B. DeMiile, now 77, who
already has launched plans for
his next Paramoimt production,
"On My Honor,” the story of the
world Boy Scout movement and
the life of its founder, Lord Robert
Baden-Pow’ell, claims ftlm advertis¬
ing is outdated and should be dras¬
tically revamped to bring it up to
the level of today’s audiences.

“Some film advertising hasn’t
changed materially since I did
'Squaw Man’ in 1913,” DeMiile
stated at press conference. He
demonstrated some of bis ideas,
particularly as to trailers. DeMiile,
now presenting “Buccaneer,” pro¬
duced by Henry Wilcoxon for Par,
has made special trailer for pic.
He believes trailers greatest form
of advertising for films next to
newspaper ads, but must be used
in new sense today, not in the man¬
ner of 25 to 40 years ago.

Showing evolution via trailer of
i his 1934 production, “This Day and

Age,” through “Greatest Show on
Earth,” and “10 Commandments,”
to- new one for “Buccaneer,” vet¬
eran said “trailers formerly called
attention tp picture itself. Now
•they should call attention to rea¬
sons why audiences should see pic¬
ture.”

He also criticized other adver¬
tising, which “must get out
of its rut,” both • in concept ’ and
usage, “in- too many cases,” he
said, “these ads have no distinc¬
tiveness; one ad could do just as
wen for any pic with just the title
changed.” “Honor,’* (Boy Scout
film) will he a production by
DeMiile, his Motion Picture Asso¬
ciates and Paramoimt and is slated
to roll early in 1960 on a multi¬
million dollar budget. Decision
was finalized by DeMiile follow¬
ing meetings last week in London
among "Wilcoxon, Lady Baden-
Powell and Lord William Rowal-
lan, chief of Boy Scouts Assn.. of
British Commonwealth.

Columbia’s Postponed Meetmg Dec. 15

Nine Directors to Jbe Elected, New Exec Contracts
Validated—Ditto Stock Options

A meeting of Columbia Pictures
stockholders, to replace the regular'
annual meeting which did not take
place on Oct. 8, has been called
for Dec. 15 at the company’s home-
office. According to the proxy
statement, purpose of the meeting
is to elect nine directors and to
approve the employment contract
of first v.p.-treasurer Leo Jaffe
and stock options for Jaffe and
produgtion chief Samuel J. Briskin.

Proxy statment also discloses
that the company paid $973,970 to
directors and officers as a group
during 1957. Salaries listed in¬
clude $147,000 for the late Harry
Cohn, as prexy; $153,250 to Abe
Schneider whp became president
in March of this year; $130,000 to
Abe.Montague who became execu¬
tive v.p. at the same time, and
$78,0.00 to Ralph Cohn, president
of Col’s telepix subsidiary. Screen
Gems.

-The salaries of Harry Cohn and
Ralph Cohn included expense al¬
lowances, for which no accounting
is required, with $21,000 to Harry
Cohn and $5,200 to Ralph Cohn.
Under Harry Cohn’s employment
contract, a death benefit of $1,000
per week for 300 weeks is payable
to his widow or, in the event ot
her death, to his descendants. Dur¬
ing the fiscal year ending June, !
1958, payments amounted to $17,- i
000, which is not included in Harry
Cohn’s aggregate remuneration.

Jaffe, who started with Colum¬
bia in 1930, became first v.p. and
treasurer on March 7, 1958. In
July he was elected to the board
of directors. The company entered
a new employment agreement with
Jaffe on July 25, 1958. Pact, a
seven-year agreement starting July
25, 1958 and ending July 24, 1965,
calls for a weekly salary of $1,500,
same as his previous contract. The
salary is subject to review by the
j board after three years. Pact also
has a clause which would givfr
Jaffe $500 a week for advisory
service' at the termination of the
present or further contracts for
the same number of weeks for
which he wiU have received weekly
payments under the contract. In
case of Jaffe’s death, the $500
weekly payment goes to his wife
or designated descendants. In addi¬
tion,.-Col has agreed to obtain a
$100,000 life insurance policy foi
Jaffe, part of which wiU be paid
by the company. On maturity oi
the policy, the company is set to
receive a return of the premiums
paid.

Stock Options

As part of his new contract, Jaffe
also received a new stock option.
Initially he received an option for
$5,000 shares of common stock at
$15.31875 per share when he as¬
sumed the post of first v.p. on
March 7, 1958. This option may be
exercised in whole or in part after
Sept. 7, 1959 and until May 14,-
1967. Market value of the common
stock on March 7 was $16,125. A
further option for 5,000 shares
was granted Jaffe when he entered
his new contract. Option, at $16.27
per share, is exercisable in whole
or part after Jan. 25,* 1960 and
until July 24, 1968. Market value
on July 25 was $17,125. By reason
of the company’s 21 - 2 % stock divvy
granted March 7, 1958, both op¬
tions were increased to 5,125
shares at prices of $14,94511 and
$15.87317 per share.

Briskin, who had a stock option
for. 1.5,00.0.shares at $14.13125 pel
share, had the option raised to
15,375 shares and the price de¬
creased to $13.78658 by reason of
the stock divvy. Briskin’s op¬
tion is not exercisable until the
completion of his first year of em¬
ployment. At that time, the option
is effective and. exercisable in
whole or in- part to the extent of
50% of the shares. After the sec¬
ond year of employment, it’s sim¬
ilarly effective for the remaining
50%. The option expires July 20,
1964. Market on April 21, 1958,
time option wag granted to Briskin,
was $14,875.

• Proxy statement indicates that
Fico Corp., which ovras 35,358
shares of Columbia common stock,
had issued 8,208V6 shares of capi¬
tal stock on Sept. 30, 1958, of
which Schneider, Montague and di¬
rectors Alfred Hart and Donald S.

Stralem held 500 shares, director
Mendel B. SUberberg 375 shares,
Ralph Cota 125 shares, Jaffe 250
shares, and Hemphill, Noyes &-Co.
of which director Leo M, Blancke
is a member, 333^^ shares. -
- Silberberg and Jaffe have noi
been previously elected to the
board by the stockholders. In ad¬
dition, those nominated for the
board include Schneider, Blancke,
Montague, Stralem, Hart,. Ralph
Cohn and A. M. Sonnabend.

Gypsy Markoff

Continued from page 2.

on there is nobody on guard where
the girls leave their personal ef¬
fects.

This particular jaun^ was un¬
dertaken, .via Special Services, on
a $7 per-diem basis, the only com¬
pensation save for Army air trans¬
port to Europe and back. This
was Miss Markoff’s first experience
entertaining the Army; her ex¬
perience at Air Force * bases has
been more pleasant where there
was consideration for warm meals
and the like.

Because of the two and three-
hour bus hops over bad roads in
the rainy weather, leaving around
5 p.m. and not returning to their
hotels until midnight, they lost
out on meals, whether GI or pri¬
vately paid for. They frequently
wound up with a tuna fish sand¬
wich. If getting back to their
hotels even five minutes aftet-
midnight they were shut but.

Miss Markoff also accents the
undisguised spleen by the French
against “les sales Americains”
(dirty Yanks); she says she didn’t
let on her knowledge of French
(having worked on the Continent
extensively over the years) and
was shocked by the average bour-
ge.o Is enmity against the U.S. It
was climaxed in Verdun, which
is near a! large GI detail, when.
she was charged $7 a night, for a
room that she felt wasn’t even
worth the $1 tariff. In Metz, Nancy
and places like that the “Go Home
US” signs are frequent, she avers.

This jaunt was done as some¬
thing of a lark because Miss Mar¬
koff had some unfinished business
in Paris and the seven girls had
never been to Europe. They all
wound up sick, cold and broke and
just collapsed for the three-day
leave they had in Paris.

Van Gliburn

—Contmued from page 2 ^

provided Cliburn as centerpiece
of school’s Festival of Fine Arts.

Glibum was paid on an ascend¬
ing scale for his .day’s work. He
received a fee of $500 in connec¬
tion with his morning dress rehear¬
sal, to which University students
and school children were admit¬
ted. His fee for the 2:30 perform¬
ance, which corresponded to
his original contracb concert was
$4,000. But when the University
negotiated for a second perform¬
ance it paid $6,000 for it.

Over 12,000 witnessed Van Cli-
burn’s two appearances, with the
gym filled to near its capacity of
7,000 for the early afternoon, per¬
formance. Some 4,000 attended
the second performance. A great
number of those attending were
students admitted on pre-paid en¬
tertainment fee- titled “blanket
tax.” Children were admitted to
the dress rehearsal for $.50. Single
admission tickets went to the pub¬
lic for $3,50.

Underscoring pianist’s frantic
but gold-plated itinerary was fact
that signals broke down and Uni¬
versity Symphony Orchestra stood
by Saturday night for rehearsal
which Cliburn knew nothing about.
He motored into Austin in the wee
hours after a swing througli Ar¬
kansas, and a quick stop in his
home town of Kilgore, and, with
one hour’s sleep went through
Sunday’s rehearsals and two per¬
formances in finest fettle. He was
made an admiral in the Texas
Navy in p'm ceremonies, after
pleasing with his touted rendition
of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1
in B-Flat Minor, plus aU the en¬
cores the public wanted.

RED-HOT

NIGHT-TIME

NOW

“Sure to be
a boxotfice
sensation!
Eartha Kitts
performance
is great'
Sammy Davis
makes the
screen jump
and ]ive
with nervous

~ Z lL y i-Vo CD
REPORT

fhiL,F lORbAiVd

;en vofe

xC ^SG THAN THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE HiT

Sim DAViS, ID.
astanny"

. 'fill;? lOON

THRU

UA

18

PICTITRES

\ ’;' ' .y, December 3, 1958

ALLIED ARTISTS

Starts, This Year ..

77.

This Date, Last Year ---

26

COLUMBIA

Starts, This Year .

,23

This Date, Last Year.

37

"THEY CAME TO CORDURA'

(GoeU I*rods.>

(Sbootiixf in Utah)

Prod.—^William Goetz
Dir.—^Robert- Rossen „

Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van
Heflin, Tab Hunter, Richard Conte,
Dick York* Michael Callan, Robert
Keith, James Bannon. Ed Platt, Sam
Buffington, Arthur Hansen, Carlos
Romero, Maurice Jara
(Started Oct. 6)

"THE MOUSE THAT ROARED"

(Shooting in iSigland)

Prod.—William Shenson
Dir.—Jack Arnold .. „

Jean Seaberg, Peter Seller. David Ko-
soff, William Hartnell. Timothy
Bateson, Monty landis, Austin Willis

"THE LAST angry MAN"

(Fred Kohlmar ProdJ

(Shooting in N.YJ
Prod.—Fre^ Kohlmar
Dir.—Daniel Mann ^ ^ ,

Paul Muni. David Wayne, Betsy Palmer,
Joann.*! Moore, Joby Baker, Nancy
Pollock, Billy Dee WalUams. Claudia
McNeil, David Winters, James O’Rear
(Started Nov. 10)

"IDLE ON PARADE"

(Warwick Prod.)

(Shooting in London)

Prods.—^Irving Allen. A. R Broccoli
Assoc. Prod.—Harold Huth
Dir.—John Gilling

William Bendix. Anthony Newley, Anne
Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries, David Lodge,
Sydney James. Sean Kelly
(Started JJov. 10)

. WALT DISNEY

Starts, This Year . 6

This Date, Last Year ,..... 2

METRO

Starts, This Year.. .25

This Date, Last Year - 20

"BEN-HUR"

(Shooting in Rome)

Prod.—Sam Zimbalist
Dir.—William Wyler
Charlton Heston. Jack Hawkins, Stephen
Boyd. Haya Harareep, Hueh Griffith.
Ssm Jaffe, Martha Scott, Finlay Cur¬
rie. Cathy O'Donnell
(Started May 21)

'NORTH BY NORTHWEST"

Prod.-Dir.—^Alfred Hitchcock
Cary Grant. Eva Marie Saint, James
Mason

(Started Aug. 26)

[Euterpe Prod, for Metro)

Prod.—Joseph Pasternak
Dir.—Ch-rles Walters
David Niven, Shirley MacLaine, Gig
Young, Claire Kelly. Elisabeth Fraser,
Carmen Phillips. Myrna Hansen, Dody
Heath

(Started Dec. 1)

PARAMOUNT

Starts, This Year. .A.-

.13

This Date, Last Year.....

.78.

"THE FIVE PENNIES"

(Dena Piets.)

Prod.—Jack Rose
Dir.—Melville Sbavelson
Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong. Barbara
Bel Geddes, Harry Guardino, Bob
Crosby, Susan Gordon, Tuesday Weld,
Bobby Troup. Ray Anthony, Shelly
Manne, Valerie Allen
(Started Oct. 6)

"DON'T GIVE OP THE SHII"'

Prod.—Hal B. Wallis
Dir.—Norman Taurog
Jerry Lewis. Dina Merrill, Diana Spen¬
cer, Mickey Shaughnessy, Robert Mid¬
dleton. Mabel Albertson
(Started Oct. 2D

"ONE-EYED JACKS" °

(Penneboker Prods.)

Exec. Prods.—George Glass, Walter
Seltrer

Prod.—Frank P. Rosenberg
Dir.—Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy
Jurado. Pina Bellicer, Ben Johnson.
Slim Pickens, Timothy Carey, Ray
Teal, Sam Gilman
(Started Dec. 2)

20th CENTURY-FOX

Starts, This Year .77

This Date, Last Year . 25

"WARLOCK"

Prod.-Dir,—Edward Dmytryk
Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda. An¬
thony Quinn,. Dorothy Malone, Dolores
Michaels, Tom Drake, Richard Arlen,
Don Barry, Wallace Ford, Regis
Toomey, De Forest Kelley. Ann
Doran. Robert Adler
iStarted Oct. 13)

New York Theatre

r-Ri9I0 CUT MUSIC MUL—|

Rocktl«ll«i CmIv • CIMMO

<«AUNTIE MAME” surhni
ROSALIND RUSSELL

I Tvetta . eiiu !•••«.* tm cum

It RCMUBI^ tti KCamH!l>

A WA»N« MOS. P>CTU»C
gnjwtiwaciMi-iWTeMwmsiMii

-THE SNOW BIRCH"

Prod.—Sydney Boehm
Dir.—Henry Hathaway _

Susan Hayward, Stephen Boyd, Ken
Scott

(Started Dec. D

UNIVERSAL

Starts, This Year. .. 7

This Date, Last Year. . 27

WARNER BROS,

Starts, This Year .........12

This-Date, Last Year..... .21

-THE FBI STORY"

(Shooting in Washington, D.C.)

Prod.-Dir.—Mervyn LeRoy
James Stewart, Vera MUes
(Started Aug ID
-THE PHILADELPHIAN"

Dir.—Vincent Sherman
Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Diane
Brewster, Brian Keith, Robert Vaughn
(Sept. 25)

INDEPENDENT

Starts, This Year - -78

This Date, Last Year ..... 737

SOLOMON AND SHEBA"

(Theme-Copa for U.AJ
(Shooting in Spain)

Prod.—Ben Goetz
Dir.—King Vidor

Yul Brynner, Gina LoUobiigida, George
Sanders. Marisa Pavan
(Started Sept. 15)

"THE BK;^ FISHERMAN"

(Rowland V. Lee ProdJ
(For Buena Vista)

Prod.—Rowland V. Lee
Dir.—Frank Borzage
Howard Keel, Susan Kobner, John
Saxon, Herbert Lorn, Beulah Bondi,
Alexander Scourby,. Rhodes Reason.
Henry Brandon. Brjan Hutton. Tom
Troupe. Martha Hyer, Ray Stricklyn,-
Donald Curtis
(Started Oct. D

"THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY"

(MPL Prod, for UA)

(Shooting in Mexico)

Prod.—Cheste Erskine
Dir.—Robert Parrish
Robert MitchUm, Julie London, Gary
Merrlli, Jack Oakie, Albert ^-Dekker,
Peter Armendariz. Leroy "Satchel"
Paige, Victor Mendoza. Charles Mc-
Graw, Max Slaten, Mike KeUen, Jay
NoveUo, Chester Hayes
(S.arted Oct. 6)

HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM"

(Amer.-International Piets.)

(Shooting in England)

Prod,—Herman Cohen
Dir.—Arthur Crabtree
M'chael Gough, June Cummingham,
Shirley Ann Field, Godfrey Keen,
Beatrice Varley, John Warwick,
Auctin Trevor, Gerald Anderson,
Alalou Panters, Dorinda Stevens, How¬
ard Greene
(Started Oct. 20)

"PORGY AND BESS"

(Samuel Goldwyn Prod.)

(For Columbia)

Prod.—Samuel Goldwyn «

Dir.—Otto Preminger
Si'iney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge.
Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr., Brock
Peters, Leslie Scott, Diahann CarroU,
Ruth Attaway, Clarence Muse
"THE HORSE SOLDIERS"
(Mahin-Rackin-Mirisch)

Prods.—Martin Racldn, John Lee Mohln
D'r.—^Tohn Ford

John Wayne, William Holden. Constance
Towers, Hoot Gibson, (Hiuck Hayward,
Dan Borzage
(Started Oct. 28)

"A HOLE IN THE HEAD"

(Sincap Prods, for UA)

Prod.—Frank Gapra
Dir.—Fr-'nk Capra
Fr-^k Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson,
E'ernor Parker. Carolyn Jones,
Thelma Ritter, Keenan Wynn, Eddie
Hodges

(Started Nov. 10)

"TAKE A GIANT STEP"
(Kecht-Hill-Lancaster)

(For UA)

Prod.—-Tules Epstein
Dir.—Philip Leacock
Johnny Nash, Estelle Hemsley, Frede¬
rick O'NeaL Beah Richards. Ruby
Dee, Ellen Holly. Pauline Meyers,
Frances Foster, Larry Larson, Dee
Pollack. Douglas. Nash, Leo Castillo
(Started Nov. ID

"DAY OF THE OUTLAW"

(Security Pics, for UA)

Prod.^—Sidney Harmon
Dir.—Andre deToth
Robert Ryan, Burl Ives, Venetia Steven¬
son, Dan Sheridan. Dabbs Greer,
William Schallert, Nebemiah Persoff
(Started Nov. 13)

"CAST A LONG SHADOW"

(iUrisch-Murphy for UA)

Prod.—^Walter Aiirisch
Dir.—^Thomas Carr

Audie Mui-phy, Bob Foulk. Denver
Pyle. Wright King
(Started Tic. 1)

"THE SAD HORSE"

(Associated Prods, for 20th)

Prod.—^Richard E. Lyons
Dir.—James B. Clark
David Ladd. Chill Wills, Rex Reason,
Patrice Wymore, Gregg Palmer. Eve
Brent, Leslie Bradley. William Yip,
Dave DePaul
(Started Dec. D

BRITAIN

COLUMBIA

Starts, This Year .7
This Date, Last Year ...... 6

"THE MOUSE THAT ROARED"

(Highroad Productions)

Prod.—^Walter Shenson
Dir.—Jack Arnold
Peter Seilers, Jean Seberg
(Started Oct. 27)

"IDLE ON PARADE"

(Warwick Film Productions) ^

Prods.—Irving Allen & A. R. Broccoli
Dir.—John Gilling

WaUaip Bendix, Anthony Newley, Anne
Aubrey '

(Started Nov. 10)

EROS

Starts, This Year ..77

This Date, Last Year .7 7

"SERIOUS CHARGE"

(Alva Films Ltd.)

Prod,—Mickey Delamar
Dir.—^Terence Young
Anthony Quayle, Sara Churchill. An-^
drew Ray
(Started Oct. 3D

PARAMOUNT

Starts, This Year -..... 3

This Date, Last Year ...... 2

"THE MAN IN THE RUE NOIR"

(Hammer Film Productions)

Prod.—^Michael Carreras
Dir.—^Terence Fisher
Anton Diffring. Hazel Court
(Started. Nov. 17)

RANK

Starts, fhjs Year .77

This Date, Last Year.... ..13

"TIGER BAY"

(Shooting in Wales)

Prod,—John Hawksworth
Dir.-r-J. Lee 'Thoihpson
John Mills, Horst Buchholz
(Started Sept. 15)

"FERRY TO HONG KONG"

(Shooting in Hong Kong)

Prod.—George Maynard
Dir.—Lewis Gilbert

Curt Jurgens, 0»->^en Wells, Sylvia Sims
(Started Nov. 10)

"SAPPHIRE"

Prod.—Michael Relph
Dir.—BasU D^den
Michael Craig,*' Nigel Patrick, Bernard
MUes. EarL Cameron
(Started Nov, 17)

RENOWN

Starts, This Year .. 3

This Date, Last Year .3

"BEYOND THIS PLAGE"

(Setton-Sloane Productions)

Prods.—^Maxwell Setton and John R.
Sloane

Dir.—Jack Cardiff
Van Johnson, Vera Miles
(Started Nov. 3)

REGAL

Starts, This Year. ...i.... 7
This Date, Last Year ...... 0

'JACK THE RIPPER"

Prod.—Monty Berman and Robert Baker
Dir.—^Robert Baker

Betty McDowall. Ewzn Solon, Andre
Muller, Eddie Byrne
(Started Nov. 10)

ANGLO AMAL.

Starts, This Year .7 7

This Date, Last Year....... 8

'CARRY ON NURSE"

Prod.—^Peter Rogers
Dir.—Gerald Thomas '

Shirley Eaton, Wilfred Hyde White
Susan Stephen, Kenneth Connor
(Started Nov. 3)

'HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM"

Prod.—Jack Greenwood

Dir.—-Arthur Crabtree

Michael Gough, Geoffrey Keen, June

f hippi ri gha TTi

(Started OCL.ato : V . i-i

Whenever Paul Rotha, Britain’s
historian of the film, comes up
with a new book, it’s something ctf
[•an event. In his latest, “Rotha on
the Film’’ (Essential Books; $7.50),
he reprints a collection of his writ¬
ings on the screen medium, rang¬
ing from 1928 up to 1956. Since
he is an astute critic and observer,
his evaluations and observations
are interesting and to the point,
though probably of interest pri¬
marily only to Ihose who know
and appreciate their film history.

The-collection of writings in this
DoOk is drawn from a truly bewil¬
dering array of magazines and
newspaper.?, and Rotha, being pri¬
marily a -filmmaker, speaks about
his craft with an authority that is
as unmistakable as it is the fruit
of many years of watching, learn¬
ing and experience.

One might argue that this tome
is of interest primarily to British
people, inasmuch as a good deal
of the material in it pertains to
the British industry. For instance,
there is a 1930 piece in which
Rotha proposed a film museum in
London, and there’s also a 1945
memorandum which Rotha and
John Grierson prepared for . Sir
Stafford Cripps.

Rotha’s comments are most
pungent and pertinent for U.S.
readers when he evaluates indi¬
vidual lilins and the men who
made them. His comments are in¬
cisive and always geared to a spe¬
cific poirit-of-view, l.e„ the realiza¬
tion that a film, beyond merely
beins a picture, must serve a
bijgher purpose if it is to live and

Spaniards Relentlessly Out-Fox U.S.

New York Distribs Sec Selves Systematically Forced
Out of Own Sales Branches

Missing Writers

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Writers* Guild of America,
West, Is holding checks for
10 writers, address unknown—
or their heirs—^for work on
RKO short subject? sold to
Matty Fox for tv release.

Sought are Roy T. Bashore,
Hugh Falkus, Lew Liton, dum¬
ber Lyon, Ted Murkland,
Josef Ranald, Jean Meredith
Stevens 'and Ron Weyman.
Also sought are heirs of Dud¬
ley Hale and Oviatt McCon¬
nell.

COOLING-OFF SETS IN
ON‘HIGHBROW’CRITIC

Albany, Dec. 2.

. The “suspension” of pass privi¬
leges at the first-run Strand for
Ormonde Plater, Knickerbocker
News critic—^for alleged unfair
reviewing, particularly of “House¬
boat”—^lasted only a few days.

In fact, the management held
that Plater’s pass for the Strand
could not have been “lifted,” inas¬
much as he does not have a
“courtesy” admitting him “^to that
theatre only. Rather, it is one for
all four Stanley houses here—and*
not taken up.

Alfre(i G: Swett, Strand man¬
ager, did protest vigorously to
Managing Editor Robert Fitchen-
berg, about Plater’s “highbrow”
critiques, and in the sharp dis¬
cussion, the possibility of the cfitic
paying his'^vay in may have been
suggested. However, this ap¬
parently was not meant seriously.

The Strand had a publicity tie-in
with The Knickerbocker News on
the Albany Downtown Merchants
Association’s “You Guess the
Price” contest, the finals of which
were held in the theatre Wednes¬
day (26). The emphasized con¬
tinuation of the “quarrel” was im¬
practical. Action of the paper in
printing a letter from a woman
challenging Plater’s review of
“Houseboat” was another mollifier.

It developed, however, that Swett 1
not only talked with George Frank,
advertising manager of the Gan- j
nett daily, as well as vdth Fitch-
enber^ about Plater’s “unfavor¬
able” reviewing, but that a year
ago. Swett and Bill With, manager
of Fabian’s Palace, complained to
three %executives of the paper.

They were: Herald H. Salisbury,
general manager; David H. Beetle,
editor, and Charles L. Mooney,
current promotion director and
columnist..

Plater’s youth reportedly was
one of the points then raised.

Not Definite, But Foresee
Coyne Going Spiritons

While Robert W. Coyne states he
has yet*to make any decisions on
the matter, trade anticipation is
that the exec will resign shortly as
president of the Council of Motion
Picture Organizations to becoirfe
president of the Distilled Spirits
Institute,

However, Coyne will continue
his association with COMPO in an
advisory capacity, presumably to
take on certain assignments in the
legislative field. Thus, he’s not
severing his link with the picture
business entirely.

Meanwhile, the COMPO board,
exec committee and full member¬
ship are to meet in New York next
Tuesday (9) to work out an operat¬
ing program for the industry or¬
ganization. This likely will include
plans for public relations, research,
institutional publicity, such as for
the Academy Awards, and com¬
batting adverse legislation.

Program adopted ^vill be pre¬
sented to the Motion Picture Assn,
of America with the hope the lat¬
ter will resume its financial sup¬
port of COMPO. If this support is
okayed, COMPO thereupon will
approach exhibitors for member¬
ship fees.

Renominated as the Theatre
Owners of America representative
on the COMPO triumverate is
Samuel - Pinanski, Boston circuit
operator, with Albert M. Plncus, of
Stratford, Pppn.^.as his.^t.e'rjQat?.

Several of the major companies
are steaming oyer the situation in
Spain where they see themselves
gradually being maneuvred out of
the market.

Attempts have been made to
get Motion Picture Export Assn,
members to impose a voluntary
limit on sales to Spanish inde¬
pendents, but this is being resist¬
ed by some of the majors.

Those who propose some action
maintain that, unless it’s taken,
the Spaniards will achieve what
they appear to have had in mind
for some time, i.e. to have local
Outfits take over the release of the
American product.

Earlier this year. In return for
lifting their embargo on ship¬
ments to Spain, the Spaniards is¬
sued 18 licenses to the U.S. dis¬
tributors. This was to be followed
by overall deal covering the.
year starting in September.
There’s been no deal. Instead,
some 40 licenses were handed to
Spanish independents who’ve been
busily buying films from the
American companies in Paris and
New York,

One foreign exec last week put
the number of pictures purchased
at over 100. The Yank outfits now
are willing to take pesetas, which
they spurned in the past. They
now need the money to keep their
local outfits going. There’s fear in
N.Y. that, if the situation con¬
tinues, the MPEA will find it im¬
possible to make a deal in Spain,
which will have more than
I enough American product even if
; the U.S. distribs were to pull out.

There’s much bitterness about
the situation since, even when the
embargo was on, American films
continued to be sold to Spain by
independents. Frank Gervasi, the
MPEA’s Mediterranean rep, has
been in Madrid recently. He’s now
in Paris, confabbing with Griffith
Johnson, the MPEA v.p., who flew
there last week via London.

CINEMA EDS’AWARDS
FOR FIX AND VIDEO

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

American Cinema Editors were
to present eight winners for best
editing in 1958 at the fifth annual
critics’ award ceremonies held to-
nigjht (Tues.) at Romanoff’s. Nomi¬
nations made by ACE membership
were voted on by critics of some
200 publications throughout the
country, with-awards divided be¬
tween motion pictures and tv.

Winners in the motion picture
section included Peter Taylor, best
editing of dramatic feature, “Bridge
on the River Kwai,” Columbia;
Alma Macrorie, comedy feature,
“Teacher’s Pet,” Paramount; Nor¬
man Palmer, documentary feature,
“White Wilderness,” Disney; Adri¬
enne Fatan, musical feature,
“Gigi,’* Metro.

In tv: Edwafd W. Williams, Best
Editing of single episode, dramatic,
“Poison,” “Hitchcock Presents” se¬
ries; Robert Hoover, single episode,
comedy, “Kathy’s Romance,” in
“Father Knows Best” series; Frank
P. Keller, documentary episode,
western, “Rope of Cards,” in
“Maverick.”

‘Best Produced’ Nominees

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Screen Producers Guild has
nominated four features as “best
produced films” of first quarter of
1958, with selections for second
and third quarters to be disclosed
shortly.

Quartet includes ‘The Long, Hot
Summer,” produced by Jerry Wald;
“Cowboy,” Julian Blaustein; “The
Brothers Karamazov,” Pandro S.
Berman; and “Teacher’s Pet,” Wi>
liam Perlberg.

Guild wiH make its annual award
; at banquet held in late January,
when Samuel Goldwyn will be
kudosed its Milestone Award.

Cjn M*I(* MAILOI^RAIIDO Look
Lik« an inaxparianced Actor

RIP ROGERS

■ Out t( TtwN. ■ tall caiUst KEwttn S-3678
WIra, Writ# S(-D8 ItosMvelt Ave.. Wt'tdiidt.

Lant Islind. New Yrk

jiniK THAW IIUNPO
Nttil • laWifif Rof•'*

Wednesdaj, Dec«iiber 8, 19S8

P'^ssiEihr

PICTURES 19

NOT-JUST-FOR-KIDS YULE FARE

Standard & Poor
Rates Pix Stocks

standard & Poor’s is playing fa¬
vorites. Of all film stocks on the
New York Stock Exchange, S&P
selects only United Artists and
Disney Productions as “meritorious
holdings.” Most others rate okay.

As for theatres, the financial-
appraisal outfit notes “seriously
reduced” attendance and advises
clients to size up the exhib outfits
in terms of their potential Income
from diversified fields. Ticket
sales, it’s estimated, in 1958 will
he only moderately larger than the
45,000,000 registered in 1957.

Here’s a capsule reproduction of
the S&P review of the various com¬
panies—

American Broadcasting - Para-
monnt Theatres. Per share earn¬
ings this year ought to be $1.40,
tip from last year’s $1.10. The pre¬
ferred provides a good yield.

C<diimhia. Both the common and
preferred are speculative Issues.
This year ought to be in the'black,
due in large part to television op¬
erations and the theatrical “Bridge
on the Hiver Kwai.”

Decca^ Universal (which so
greatly influences the record com¬
pany’s earnings) is way off. Earn¬
ings for the year look to be only
75c per share, compared with $2.48
last year.

Disney. The stock is well worth
holding. Reissues and tv a big help.

Loew’s. Earnings may go up
substantially under the new man¬
agement and shares may be held
as a speculation on future develop¬
ments.

National Theatres. Slight in¬
crease in earnings foreseen. 'This
would be above the 55c per share
estimated for fiscal 1957-58.

Paramount. Earnings uncertain¬
ties here, due to the nature of op¬
erations. Income should be up
moderately. “Commitments may
be, maintained.”

20th-Fox. Earnings seen going
up to $3.40 per share. Speculative
shares seem reasonable priced.

United Artists. Earnings figure
to go up in 1959, over the estimated
$2.85 net for 1958.

Warners, Little appeal.

WARNERS QUOTA DRIVE
SLOGAN: ‘JACK’S BACK’

Warner Bros, is pulling a switch
on routine in the form of a sales
drive. Sales drives are routine
enough but this one has a special
peg; the billing is, “Welcome Back,
Jack,” and the reference is to
president Jack L. Warner who is
now back on the Coast following
recuperation from injuries sus¬
tained in an automobile accident
in France.

It’s to be a worldwide campaign
from Dec. 28 to April 4 and the
salute to Warner is under the
sponsorship of Benjamin Kalmen-
son, exec v.p.; domestic sales man¬
ager Charles Boasberg and Wolfe
Cohen, president of Warners Inter-

■ national.

Sales personnel are urged to
back the product now ready for
release in addition to upconiing
features, th^ latter taking a spot¬
light via their adaptation from

■ papular novels and plays, and with
most of these acquisitions seeing
Warner in a key role.

Tax As B.O. Tipoff

. -Chicago, Dec. 2.

Windy City film biz in Septem¬
ber, reflecting traditional post¬
summer decline, provided city
with $87,271 from the 3%- admis¬
sion tax (which won’t apply to
first-90c starting first of the year,
per recent legislation). Figure
compares with $98,€i2 for August.

Total amusement taxes for Sep¬
tember amounted • to $147,579,
against $lfi7,191 in August. For
first ten months of the year, levy
on theafare admissions, figures to
$849^9^4Mmap»ed-40'$860,852 for

^Orderly Release^ Getting Lip Service;
Distribs Still Favor Holiday Spans

Having set their Christmas-New-
Year’s bookings, the film compa¬
nies are already engaged In a
scramble for preferred Easter and
summer playing time. Despite the
recent exhibitor campaign for '^a
so-called orderly release of prod¬
uct, the distributors cling to the
policy of holding three important
pictures annually for Christmas,
Easter and the summer.

In recent years, tremendous
competition has developed among
the film companies for preferred
playing time diming these periods
of the year. As a result, the-cam¬
paigns, particul^ly' those aimed
at influencing -exhibitors, are be¬
ing launched earlier than hereto¬
fore. The objective of these drives

is to convince theatremen of the
importance and appeal of each
company’s offering. As a result,
the barrage of publicity and ad¬
vertising, although ostensibly
aimed at the public, is in reality
geared to influence'the exhibitor.
In addition, the film salesman will
be out shortly in an effort to line
up dates for the Easter and sum¬
mer pictures, some of which are
completed while others are still in
a production stage. The selling is
based on the name values or the
property involved.

In spite of exhibitor efforts to
change the rigid release systems,
the distributors continue to cling
to their policy of demanding pre¬
ferred playing time during the
holiday season. An example of this

rigidity Is perhaps indicated by
the recent experience of a mid¬
west circuit. With three obvious
children’s pictures available for
this Christmas Metro’s “tom
thumb,” Columbia’s “7th Voyage
of Sinbad” and Buena Vista’s
“Tonka”—the chain asked it if
might book all three pictures by
rotating them around the circuit.
Its plan was to play the pictures
one week before Christmas, one
week during, and one after
Christmas.

In all cases, it was pointed out,
each of the pictures would receive
bookings at some of the circuit’s
theatres during Christmas w'eek.
However, the distribs turned down
the suggestion and demanded
Christmas week playing time onli*.

Jack Warner at Studio

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Jack L. Warner, prexy of
Warner Bros., returned from
Europe Thanksgiving Day and
checks back into the studio
sometime this week.

Vet film figure is still re-
cuping from serious injuries
sustained in auto accident in
France last August.

Re‘South Seas

Toronto, Dec. 2.

Arrival of the latest Cinerama
production, “South Seas Adven¬
ture,” found the Canadian critics
sounding more critical than the.
Manhattan scribes, to wit:

Jack Karr, Toronto Star: “Until
its promoters get around to doing
a plot picture with professional ac¬
tors, it seems to have shown us
about every trick it has up its
sleeve,”

Alex Barris, Toronto Telegram:
“Like the earlier Cinerama travel¬
ogues, it was eye-filling but not
exactly compelling.”

Stan Helleur, Toronto Globe &
Mail: “Enjoyed most of it and cer¬
tainly recommend it to the travel-
minded and for children. In con¬
struction it’s built like a giant
home movie, with almost naive at¬
tempts at plot lines ...”

The agenda and organizational
setup of the new American Con¬
gress of Exhibitors, prepared last
week by the six-man executive
committee, will be presented to
the full Committee of 26 of the
new overall exhibitor group at a
meeting to be held Dec. 12 at the
Hotel Astor, N. Y.

At the same time, the executive
committee has added 26 additional
exhibitors to its group of exchange
area chairmen who have been
designated to serve as liaison .rep¬
resentatives with grassroots thea¬
tremen. These exhibitors will be¬
come members of the original
Committee of 26, thus increasing
this group to 52 members. -

Named to the. committee were:

Harry Hendel, Allied Motion Picture
Theatres of West. P?.., Pittsburgh; C.
Elmer; Nolle, Jr. Allied Theatre Owners
of Md.; .Baltimore; Abe Berenson. Allied
Theatres Owners of the Gulf States, New
Orleans; Herman Hunt, Norwood. Ohio;
Jack Armstrong, Bowling Green. Ohio;
Morris I/bwenstein, Oklahoma City;
Andrew Gibson. Batavia, N. Y.; C. L.
Patrick, Columbus. Ga.; B. M. Keniied,y,
Birmingham. Ala.; H. F. Kincey, Char¬
lotte, N.G.; Gene Lutes, Frankfort, Ky.;
Gerald Shea, New York; Nathan Greer,
Santa Fe, N. Mex.; Harold Brown, Detroit;
J. Fred Brown, Fort Smith, Ark.; Bobt.
Hosse'. Memphis; Spyros Skouras Jr., New
York; Wilbur Snaper, New York; V. C,
Smith. Devon, Pa.; Tom Friday. Scranton.
Pa.; Ted Manow, Greensburg, Pa.r J. J.
Rosenfield. Spokane. Wash.; A1 Forman,
Portland. Ore.; Edward Clark. Metropolis,
DL; George Aurelius. Salt Lake City; and
Morton Thalheimer, Richmond. Va.

Kennedy Filins Inc. has been au-
.thorized to conduct an entertain-:
ment business in New York, with
capital Stock of 100 shares, no par

MOd Weather & Climate Hurtful;
love and War,’ ‘Houseboat,’ ‘Hurrah’
Flashy in November Estimates

Variety's regular weekly
toxoffice reports are summar¬
ized each month, retrospec-.
tively. Based on an average of
24 key situations, the source
data constitute an adequate
sampling of current releases
but are not, of course, fully
definite. An index of relative
grossing strength in the U.S.-
Canada market, the monthly
report does not pretend to ex¬
press total rentals.

By MIKE WEAR
Although the month of Novem¬
ber this year included Election
Day, Veteran’s (nee Armistice)
Day and Thanksgiving, many exhi¬
bitors were anything but happy
over the lineup on w:hich they
had to depend. The result is that
the past month proved to be a
very spotty one in most of the se¬
lected key. cities checked by
Variety. Indian summer weather

12 NoTember Topniks

1. “In Love and War” (20th).

2. “Houseboat” (Par).

3. “Last Hurrah” (Cbl).

4. “South Pacific” (Magna)

5. “So. Seas Adventure”
(Cine).

6 . “Gigi” (M-G).

7. “Party Girl” (M-G)

8 . “Wmdjammr” (NT).

9. “Defiant Ones” (UA).

10. “Home Before Dark”

(WB).

11. “Cat on Tin Eoof” (M-G).

12. Big Country” (UA)

along with a dearth of sturdy fare
with some exhibs using reissues
was reflected in many disappointing
first-run playdates around the
country. Perhaps the lone encour¬
aging note is that some of the
product released in the closing
weeks of the month holds big
promise.

New winner at the wickets in the
past month was “In Love and War”
(20th), which Was first or near
that place most of November. Pic
racked up nearly $600,000 gross in
the four Weeks covered. “House¬
boat” (Par), also new, finished
second. This Cary Grant starrer
promises to be heard from even
more in the future since this show¬
ing covers only three weeks. It was
just getting started as the month
ended.

'*Last Hurrah” (Col), obviously
brought but to cash in on the No¬
vember elections; wound up third.
The Spencer Tracy starring vehicle
failed, to finish high in every key
city, at times reflecting a dis-inter-
est in the star, possibly because
. away from the screen too lohg,
#^outh Pacific”Allred

fourth place, the same as in Oc¬
tober.

“South Seas Adventure” (Cin¬
erama), with additional playdates,-
moved up from eighth position for
October to fifth spot. “Gigi”
(M-G), winner of second-place in
October, finished sixth.

“Party Girl” (M-G), a new en¬
trant, managed to land seventh
money. “Windjammer” (NT),
which was 10th in the preceding
month, copped eighth position in
November. “Defiant Ones” (UA),
fifth ib October, took ninth money.
“Home Before Dark” (WB), a
newcomer wound up 10th though
a bit uneven.

“Gat on Hot Tin Roof” (M-G,
first in both September and Octo¬
ber, still displayed sufficient stam¬
ina to , capture 11th place last
month. “Big Countr 5 -” (UA),
which won seventh place in Octo¬
ber, finished 12th.

“Old Man and Sea” (WB), ob¬
viously a big disappointment at the
b.o.; “Man of Wesi” (UA», “Tor¬
pedo Run” (M-G) and “White Wil¬
derness” (BV) were the runner-up
pix for the month. The latter two
films also were in the runner-up
category for October.

Besides “Houseboat” and “Home
Before Dark.” newcomers which
likely will show prominently in
weeks to come, there were several
other pictures on the horizon for
December on the holiday, season.
“I Want to Live” (UA) shapes a
smash grosser, based on two first
dates. “Mardi Gras” (20th) also
fits in this category, displaying
enough strength to finish fourth
one week. “Tunnel of Love”
(M-G), another promising new en¬
trant, wound up second, also in
final session of montli,

“Reluctant De.butante” (M-G),
a runner-up in October, won run¬
ner-up rating three different weeks,
“bnionhead” (WB) finished lltli
one stanza-.- “Barbarian and Gei¬
sha” (20th), sixth in October, was
a runner-up pic another w'eek.
“Blood of Vampire” (U) won run¬
ner-up rating another"session.

Reopen Texas House

San Antonio, Dec. 2.

After being shuttered for about
a ‘ year, the Empire Theatre has
been reopened this week under
lease to the Big D Film Center of
Dallas, The house was formerly
operated by the Interstate Theatre
Circuit, then was taken over by
Trans-Texas Theatres and operat¬
ed as a Spanish-language film
house.

The new operators report they
may at times supplement the
screen fare with variety acts on
the stage.

. At present there is a three fea¬
ture screen program at the 1,500-
seat house with admission 50c for
adults and 25c^r.j'c£l^dF^- !

Come Christmas this year and,
for the first time in quite a while,
s(5me good films for children will
be available at the theatres.
They’re not pictures specifically
made for youngsters, but rather
films with an appeal for the entire
family, which makes ’em attrac¬
tive holiday fare.

There still exists a great scarcity
of features for the under-10 set, a
group which Hollywood appears to
have abandoned almost entirely to
television. Virtually no one in the
U. S. today is making—or can af¬
ford to make—film entertainment
for the smallfry.

The result is that either parents
don’t take their youngsters to the
theatres at all, or else they go and
expose the child to a film that is
80^ ideal and 20% tailored to
generate adult interest, which usu¬
ally means that it’s either “sexy’*
or else of the “scare ’em to death'*
variety.

Two good examples of this are
“The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” a
wonderful adventure tale which
also qualifies as a horror thriller
in spots, and “Geisha Boy,” in
which Jerry Lewis clowns and then
gives way to a strip act.

Suitable Features

Titles which will he available
this Christmas, and which should
make excellent fare for the juve
set, include “Tom Thumb” from
Metro. “Tonka” from Walt Dis¬
ney, “Geisha Boy” from Para¬
mount, “7th Voyage of Sinbad”
from Columbia,” “The Buccaneer,”
also from Par, “lUn of the Sixth
Happiness” and “Mardi Gras”
from 20th-Fox, and the English-
dubbed version of “Mon Oncle’*
from Continental Distributing.
That’s the film starring Jacques
Tati.

The need for suitable film fare
for children is generally recog¬
nized, though so far little has been
done about it. The companies at
one time were able to call on their
libraries, which contained “clas¬
sics” made specifically with the
child audience in mind. These
pictures now have been sold to
television and aren’t available to
theatres.

At the Motion Picture Assn, of
America, this lack of pictures has
strangled the Children’s Film Li-.-.
hrary. However, Margaret Twy-
man, the MPAA’s community rela¬
tions director, is currently work¬
ing on a “Recommended Children’s
Service” which will advise exhibi¬
tors on how to put together a good
children’s program.

The exhibitor interest in such
shows is there. RKO Theatres, at
Christmas time, on Dec. 20 to be
exact, will run a Christmas cartoon ^
show in most of its houses in the
metropolitan area. “We’d much
rather have had a feature, but
there just isn’t anything good to
be had,” a spokesman for the chain
said. It’s pretty much the same
story all over the country.

Some individuals are w’orking on
solutions. Cinema 16 has its chil¬
dren’s shows at the Beekman The¬
atre in N. Y. Walter Reade Jr. is
putting together his “Adventure”
series, which will be built around
British and other European fea¬
tures for youngsters. Some of the.se
films will be dubbed for the pur¬
pose. The package will be sold by
Oscar Morgan starting early in
1959.

John Price Chiefs Assn.

Houston, Dec. 2.

John Price of the King Center
Drive-In Theatre has been elected
prez of the Greater United Houston
Theatres A^n., succeeding Alvin
Guggenheim, manager of the Yale
Theatre. Installation ceremonies
will be held on Jan. 1.

Other officers elected includes
John Arnold, Interstate Theatres,
replaces Homer McGallon, man¬
ager of Loew’s State as veepee, and
Guy Price, Trail Drive-In, secre¬
tary-treasurer, replaring Cotton
Griffith A® Tidwell Drive-In
•T lieaUe. ' ' " v . v

20

nCTIJRES

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

Film Reviews

Continued froni pa^e € :

Tom I'immb

should not be obscured that this
is really a musical comedy. It has
five good songs, two by Peggy
Lee, two by Fred Spielman and
Janice Torre, and one by Spielman
and Kermit Goell. There are musi¬
cal production numbers, lavish and
colorful. And w'hile the basis for
the picture is a children’s story,

.Its handUng gives ^t plenty of
diver.sion for adults.

The screenplay by Ladislas
Fodor, from the Grimm Bros, fairy
tale, is as pure simple as it can be.

A childless couple, Bernard Miles
and Jessie Matthews, are past the
age when they can expect to have
a child of their own. They get a
miniature son, Russ Tamblyn, when
wood-cutter Miles spares a special
tree in the forest surrounding their
home, and is rewarded by the
Forest Queen, June Thorbum.

Complications in the story come
from Tom’s size, only five and one-
half inches. There are villains,
Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers,
attempting to use Tom for their
own evil purposes. There is ro¬
mance between Alan Young, a
neighbor, and M'ss Thorburn, final¬
ly un-bewitched (or whatever the
technical term is) from a fairy
queen to a real, live girl. Every-
thinn ends happily, unb'ke some
fairytales. The merry villagers are
singing and dancing, the villains
are put into chains and lovers and
families are united.

Highlights of the production are
the musical numbers and the
special effects. Alex Romero staged
the dance numbers, in Avhich
Tamblyn does some of the most
■ athletic and exciting dancing he
has had a chance at since “Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers.” Geor¬
ges Perinal’s photography, in color, _

w’ith special effects by Tom Howard,! Gerard
catches all the fun and liveliness
of the staging, and keeps tom’s per¬
spective firmly in hand. There is
an absolute minimum of washout
or wavering in the super-imposed
photography.

Alan Young, as Tom’s chief life-
sized friend, has charm, and Miss
Thorbum is a queen whether fairy
or life-size. Terry-Thomas and
Peter Sellers make a class c pair
of comic villains, a hilarious com¬
bination of Rudolph Rassendale
and Joe Weber ,complete with
funny hat and Dutch low comedy

and out of bed on the Paris Left
Bank-

But it is not as sexy as it sounds,
for most of the shenanigans are
only suggested or talked about.
Pic is bogged down by . too much
dialog and pontificating by these
youthful people who remain most¬
ly symbols rather than real char¬
acters the audience can feel
empathy for.

Story is mainly about a young
man from the good side of the
tracks who gets involved with this
free-wheeling crowd. He falls for
a girl and she for him, but their
code eschews romance and her
naive desire for a sports car even
leads to doing a bit of blackmail.

Pic. has various side issues.
Shorn down to concentrate on the
main theme, this could have art
house-possibility.

Direction of Marcel Came is
somewhat turgid and he is not
helped by the fairly wooden work
of a group of mostly unknown
actors. The only ones giving some
substance to their characters are
Pascale Petit, as the doomed girl;
Laurent Terzieff, as the machiavel¬
lian type; and Roland Lesaffre, as
the more substantial brother of
the mixed-up girL

Technic^ credits are fine, but
this film pussyfoots around the
problem and ends up giving aU
sides. Mosk.

JLe i^Iiroir a Deux Faees
(The Mirror Has Two Faces)
(FRENCH)

Paris, Nov. 25.

Gaumont release of Franco London
Film production. Stars Michel Morgan,
Bourvil; features Yvan Desny, Elisabeth
Manet, Gerard Oury, Sandra Milo. Di¬
rected by Andre Cayatte. Screenolay,
Oury, Cayatte: camera. Christian Matras:
editor, Paul Cayatte. At Berlitz, Paris.
Running time, 105 MINS.

Marie-Jose .. Michele Morgan

Tardivet ... Bourvil

Gerard . Yvan Desny

Veronique .... Elisabeth Manet

Bose . Gerard Oury

Ariane .. Sandra Milo

in the John McPartland-Jerome
Bixby screenplay, based on a story
by Lester William Berke (son of
the late producer). Its plot is
based on what happens When a
missile from outer space gets into
the earth's atmosphere, and by the
heat of its velocity starts cindering
cities and population. It’s im¬
pervious to ordinary means of
destruction, until atomic scientist
■Robert Loggia devises a make¬
shift, with a “baby” hydrogen war¬
head inside a Nike fnissile. This
works and destroys the missile
before it gets to New York City,
although it has already crisped
Ottawa and points between.

Best points of the production-
a joint U.S.-Canadian effort—are
the results of the research on the
stock footage by Berke and pro¬
ducer Lee Gordon. This, with the
runaway missile, provide the
greatest interest and reality. Ed
Sutherland, who edited, has also
done a capable job. and Kenneth
Peach’s photography fits weU.

The actors are . less happily
served by the screenplay, which
is not always too clear on sequence
and goes overboard heavily for
melodrama. Dialog tends to be
oratorical, particularly in high-
echelon scenes involving civilian
and military officials. Of the cast,
Loggia, Larry. Kerr, Ellen Parker,
Philip Pine and Marilee Earle
come off best. Powe.

Slick melodrama has a gimmick
in taking an ugly duckling wife
and transforming her into the
beauteous Michele Morgan. Then
it studies the effects on her family,
love life and the pros and cons on .
whether people are equipped for |
these sudden almost fairy tale
transformations.

DALLAS PREEM DINNER
TO SEE NEW ORLEANS

Dallas, Dee. 2.

Paramount Pictures wUl stage a
Southwest premiere dinner and
screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s
“The Buccaneer” here on Thurs¬
day, Dec. 11.

A highlight of the affair will be
a closed circuit tv picture direct
from New Orleans which will give
guests a first hand account of the
festivities taking place there. De-
Mille will address newsmen via
the special line which is being car¬
ried into. 30 cities around the na¬
tion.

The film will be shown here at
the Majestic following the dinner.

Kenyon Davies to Ottawa

..Ottawa, Dec. 2.
Kenyon Davies, for 10 years

___! manager of the Odeon, London,

Though pic has some sudsy | Ont., has taken over as manager
aspects, it is well made and could | of Bob Maynard’s 1,000-seat Fran-
emerge a good arty house entry : cais Theatre here. It occasionally
accent)” There is a wild parody of : three-day stage shows plus i

thfadUntoe fiL fi-ht ??Se be-' , ; double feature, and one day ai

“YhfsTair"^^^^^ thatl a French biU. Bernard

Is exciting in itself without any < remains assistant man-1

real fear or damage. i selfish, oafish, petty little teacher. i ’

Bernard Miles is properly stolid j She bears his boorishriess even ; Maynard, branching out of show
as Tom’s father, and Jessie Mat- ! though the film makes out that she ; business, has taken over Hull, Que.,
thews, matronly and graying, is ; is sensitive, intelligent and fine ^ agency (across the river) for Cana-
fine as his foster mother. Stan j underneath deserving a face to I dian Tire Corp. Ltd. He still, how-
Freberg does the voice for one of [ match. ! ever, also owns 511-seat triple-

Ihe puppets, on “The Yawning [ Fate brings this about when her : feature Rialto here
husband has an accident with the tt t, • . /

auto of a plastic surgeon who | Bessin, who for years owned
offers to remake her face as com- •: 858-seat Glebe Cinema

pensation. She does it on the sly j ^®re, as. artie, vaudfilmer then re-
and it brings on the film’s com- vival house, is right out of show
plications as she finds true love. {business. He finally turned Glebs
The husband ends up killing the ; into a Volkswagen showroom, re-
doctor. . . i cently made a seven-figure offer to

11 tmesome in : buy city-owned Ottawa Transporta-

ferb^Uy! but'rSely transp'S'siug i e^tBr^pSS^^^^ “ mooted to

filmically. Miss Morgan does well i Politics,
with the homely aspect hut is
much too well groomed and a film
star to ■ make her metamorphosis
really taking. Bourvil is compe¬
tent as the husband. Technical
credits are fine. But ex-lawyer,
now director, Andre Cayatte, has
allowed too much explanation to
bog the action. Mask.

the puppets, on “The Yawning
Man” song, and Dal McKennon,
for another, “Con-Fu-Shon,” with
humor.

The production preserves the
m’ld horror of most fairy tales
without letting it get out of hand
for the youngsters. Pal’s direction
is equally sensitive to the differ¬
ence betw’een the gory and the
gorgeously scary.

At the screening here for adults
and kids, it was somewhat surpris¬
ing (and heartening) to see the
numbers of teen-agers who at¬
tended and obviously enjoyed the
film.

Miss Lee’s “tom thumb’s tune”
Is obviously the big winner from
the score, conducted with bounce
by Muir Mathieson. The jingly
song will probably be the winter’s
big novelty tune, with several re¬
cordings already out or on the way.
The miniature work was done here
in Hollywood, based on Pal’s Pup-
petoon figures, and the life-size
work in London, with scoring there.
In this respect, Frank Clarke’s
film editing is especially notable.

POWT.

Les Tricheurs

(The Cheats)

(FRENCH)

Paris, Nov. 25.

Corona release of Silver Films-Cinetel
production. With Pa.'^cale Petit, Jacques
Charrier, Andrea Parisy, Laiircnt Terzieff.
Roland Lesaffre. Direcied by Marcel
Came. Screenplay, Came, Jacques Sigurd;
camera, Claude Renoir; editor, Albert
Jurgenson. At Marignan, Paris. Running
time, 125 MINS.

Mic . Pascale Petit

Clo . Andrea Parisy

Bob .Jacques Charrier

Alain .Laurent Terzieff

Roger . Roland Lesaffre

This film purposts to treat a
certain type of French youth
whose maladjustments and anti¬
social behavior mainly take the
form of a yen for Yank jazz,
philosophizing about their free sex
habits as showiri^ their disdain of
bourgeois habits, doing dangerous
things, drinking and hopping In

The Tost Missile

Routine science fiction, high¬
lighted by some fair special
effects and well-used st^k.

Hollywood, Nov. *28.

United Artists release of William Berke
production. Stars Robert Loggia and
Ellen Parker. Produced by Lee Gordon.
Directed by Lester William Berke, Screen¬
play, John McPartland and Jerome Bixby;
based on a story by Lester William Berke;
camera, Kenneth Peach; music. Gerald
Fried; editor, Ed Sutherland. Previewed
at Goldwyn studio, Nov. 26, '58. Running
time, 70 MINS,

David Coring ..Robert Loggia

Joan Woods . Ellen Parker

General Barr .Larry Kerr

Joe Freed « .. Philip Pine

EUa Freed .,....... Marilee Earle

TV Personality . Fred Engleberg

Ella’s mother . Kitty KeUy

Secretary of State.Selmer Jackson

Yoiuig ... Joe Hyams

Bradley . Bill Bradley

“The Lost Missile,” last pro¬
duction by the late 'William Berke,
should fit neatly into the science-
fiction exploitation market. It is
strong on its use of stock footage
and special effects, less so in its
portrayal of human elements. But
it is tightly made and should he a
satisfactory entry. United Artists
is releasing,

there fs plenty left "unexplained

New Mex Prez

; Continued from page 12 :

area, historical monument, iederal
buildings, cathedrals, etc. are
involved). The producer must use
a sizeable amount of Mexican tech¬
nical personnel (to assuage the
Mexican film industry union);
Mexican talent has to be used,
if not in stellar roles, then in at
least major speakmg parts. Guar¬
antees have to be given, in the
form of a bond, that salaries to
Mexican personnel will be paid.

The official Film Bureau here
also likes to see a screenplay
beforehand so that scenes con¬
sidered detrimental to Mexico (if
action concerns Mexican themes)
can he eliminated.r Further, an
official Bureau observer goes along
to see that the screenplay in re¬
vised version is followed. .

It . sounds as though there are a
lot of pitfalls for the unwary pro¬
ducer. Theres are—but thejr- can
all be bypassed. All of the
officials of the Film Bureau, from
head Jorge Ferretis down to the
lowliest assistant, are ready and
eager to help Hollywood and other
foreign producers hurdle all
stumbling blocks successfully.
They are trained film executives
and R pays to use their.free serv¬
ices. Further, they pave the way
through other federal dependen¬
cies that are not so friendly or co-

Iglesias Chain

Continued from page 12

through new thea&e construction.
In the years ahead the chain plans
a revamping of its existing thea¬
tres as well as new multi-thous¬
and seat movie houses in worker
neighborhoods here and in princi¬
pal cities.

As a matter of fact, Operadora
construction in Baja (Lower) Cali¬
fornia and Chihauhua means, that
these markets will be wrested
from U.S. distributors. The chain,
according to Iglesias, since its in¬
ception has preferred exhibition
of national product whenever pos¬
sible. Therefore exhibition dates
for Hollywood product have been
correspondingly cut. The effects
are not felt as yet, hut still the
old golden days for Hollywood
producers and distributors are
over. A few years back the aver¬
age ratio in Mexican exhibition
time was 60 to 75% Hollywood
product to 25 to 40% Mexico.
The tables have 'turned now and
the ratio is equilibrated at around
50-5() in first-run houses, with
somfetimes the percentage favor¬
ing Mexican product. In the prov¬
inces the ratio is now 60 or more
per cent for Mexican films.

In this city’s 133 cinema houses,
fully 45 are now showing Mexican
product almost 100% of exhibition
time, with only an occasional
Hollywood or foreign film sneak¬
ing in. In the rest of the houses
the honors are about evenly di¬
vided.

Future SUnts

Iglesias, too, has indicated that
as the chain expands its houses,
and particularly in Baja California
and Chihuahua, this will mean
125,000 pesos ($10,000) in film
rentals for producers in these two
border areas alone.

The Chihuahua houses are not
j completed yet, but will be ready
for operation in 1959, at which
time Operadora de Teatros will
have houses ifl practically all the
republic. The Film Bank was able
to buy out American distributor
contracts through Operadora aid,

; with the chain turning over 80
films to supply needs of theatre
owners in the northwest.

Operadora de Teatros has also
had a finger in the production end,
financing Mexican producers un¬
able to obtain money from the
Film Bank.

“I can safely say that, at one
time or another, there is not o/.e
national producer who has not
benefitted from our ample aid,”
Igleasias said. (A further plunge
into the production picture may
be taken by the firm since rival
Gabriel Alarcon has recently set
up a production deal to assure
product for his chain).

Iglesias sees the Mexican film
industry as on the threshold of a
golden era. There has to be a
bette,r understanding with govern-
I ment agencies and the chain will
also fight for higher boxoffice
prices. Iglesias said that the com¬
parative recent acquisition of
candy and soft drink stands in
chain theatres, from concession¬
aires, was a move to “increase
income.” Otherwise receipts would
have showTi a drastic downward
curve, at the 4 peso (32 cents) top
for first run houses here.

The chain operator stressed that
the entertmnment industry in
Mexico, and especially motion pic¬
tures, are far too heavily burdened
with federal, state and local taxa¬
tion. If relief is not obtained in
the new administration of Adolfo
Lopez Mateos, then Mexican pro¬
duction and exhibition may suffer
heavily, Iglesias said.

Finally, Iglesias (who Is also a
director of the Bank of Commerce)
said that “it is not the desire of
current shareholders to hold con¬
trol of this firm. Our greatest,
wish is that it passes on to hands
of those connected with the mo¬
tion picture industry and the pub¬
lic in general.”

This latter statement, unampll-
fied bv the Operadora president, is
probably the answer to rising cries
of “monopoly.” While it cannot he
confirmed, the statement may
mean that a recapitalization Is in
the offing with bonds or shares
offered to the public.

Felldonn Filin Productions Inc.

has been formed to conduct a film
productions business in New York
City. Capital stock is $20,000.
Michael J. Adler and Channcey S.
Olman are directory and fffing at¬
torneys. ‘ ‘ - *

BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS,
ODEON, OnAWA, SUES

Ottawa, Dec. 2.

Because the Ottawa Odeon
filmer is today a pile of rubble as
the result of an explosion that
rocked the city late in October, a
suit for $1,000,000 has been filed
against four defendants.

Claiming damages and lost busi¬
ness during reconstruction, Odeon
Theatre Ltd., and Odeon Theatres
(Canada) Ltd., are asking the
million from the City of Ottawa,
Ottawa Gas Co., Lumor interests
Ltd. (owners of the building be¬
side the Odeon where the blast
was centered) and Addressograph-
Multigraph Ltd., the building’s oc¬
cupants.

Suit is based on a claim the
blast was caused by natural gas,
mixed with air, touched off when
a janitor, the only fatality, flicked
a light switch.

Cincinnati’s Tent 3 Hails
Its Founding: Knights

Cincinnati, Dec. 2.

Three charter members of Cin¬
cinnati Tent No. 3, 'Variety Club,
received gold plated membership
awards at the club’s silver anni
dinner in its Hotel Metropole
quarters. ^

Awards were to William Onie,
chief barker: Noah Schechter,
manager, Shubert Theatre, and
Joe Rolling, Variety’s Cincy
stringer.

Presentations were made by i
Marc Wolf, one of the tent’s orig¬
inal officers and a -former interna¬
tional chief barker. He is now an
Indiana exhibitor.

George Eby, Pittsburgh, present
international chief barker, was
guest of honor.

Newly elected officers of the
tent are Nate Wise, veteran theatre
advertising and public relations
exec, chief barker; Joe Alexander,
RKO Theatres, and William Shane,
assistant chief barkers; James W.
McDonald, independent booker,
dough guy, and Saul Greenberg, at¬
torney, property master.

Trustees include Jack Alexan¬
der, Don Hicks, Jack Kalan, Nat
Kaplan, Abe Meius, Arthur Van
Gelder, and past chief barkers
Onie, Robert McNabb, Edward
Salzberg, Herman H. Hunt and
Vance Schwartz,

‘South Seas’ Hits K. C.

Kansas City, Dec, 2.

“South Seas • Adventure” will be
premiered here at the Missouri
Theatre Dec. 10 much as have been
its Cinerama predecessors. It will
be a benefit with seats upstairs
at $3 per head and downstairs at
$5 per head, probably netting about
$3,000.

This time the sponsoring organ¬
ization will be the Junior-Chamber
of Commerce, seeking to bolster
its fund for aiding the school safety
program. Other organizations have
sponsored the showings in the past.

Regular run of the picture will
begin Thursday (11), also conform¬
ing to the pattern set here. Pres¬
ent picture, “Windjammer,” closes
out Dec. 7, after .13 weeks and four '
days in the house.

Preview of “South Seas Adven¬
ture” will be given for press, radio
and Television on Dec. 9, and house
will be closed on Monday (8), ac¬
cording to Boris Bernardi, man¬
ager.

Some major promotion already
has been devoted to the upcoming
film, as Ramine, the Tahitian gal
who appears in the picture, made
radio, television and press inter¬
views Nov. 17-18.

Dan Terrell Revamps

Metro’s homeofflce publicity de¬
parts nt is being reorganized by
bossman Dan Terrell.

Al Cohan exited Universal to
join Metro as radio-tv contact and
to specialize in the handling of the
MGM-TV shows, “The Thin Man”
and "Northwest Passage.” He suc¬
ceeds Dan Chamberlain .who left
to join Colgate.

Charles Fellerman, a veteran
Metro staffer, is leaving the com¬
pany. He had been handling book,
music and other tieups.

Previously Bernie Serlin, who
had been with Warner Bros, for
many years, joined Metro as as¬
sistant to field exploitation chief
Emery Austin; He succeeded Ar¬
thur Canton who left to head the
N. Y. office of the Coast publicity
firm of Blowitz "

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

USsUEff

PICTURES

21

Popularity Contest—Exchange MgrsJ

Dallas, Dec. 2.

An “Exchange Manager of the Year” will be selected by thea¬
tre owners attending Texas Drive-In Theatre Owners Assn, con¬
vention on Feb, 16 through 18, according to Tim Ferguson, gen¬
eral convention chairman. At the time of registration, each, asso¬
ciation member will cast his vote for one of the exchange mana¬
gers in this area.

The contest has become a convention tradition each year honor¬
ing a different group of industry workers. Last year it was “Booker
of the Year.” _

Meatier H’wood Pk Hurt Arters

Chicago Imported Film Operators Diagnose Their
Case: SufFer From Improved U.S. Releases

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Local art film exhibitors gen¬
erally have been moaning the box-
office blues lately. At least one
exec diagnoses the slough as
largely a case of improved Holly-1
wood product. Also, it’s claimed,
there’s been a short supply of
strong foreign pictures.

Once solid art patronage, this
tradester opines, is paying increas¬
ing attention to such worthy do¬
mestic pix as “Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof" and “Defiant Ones.” Prob¬
ably linked with Hollywood’s qual¬
itative upbeat-is the growing bore¬
dom with imports, or to contempt
bred of familiarity. As the Contin¬
ent has stepped up its exports m
recent yehrs, its product has tended
lo be less art than simply foreign,
with result that the bloom has
faded.

The diminished impact here of
imports, combined wnth the short¬
age factor, is reflected in the trend
to more and more reissues and
sub-run dates of Hollywood cellu¬
loid. Of Chi’s firstrun artys—World
Playhouse, Carnegie, Capri and
Surf—only the latter has so far
held fast for fresh overseas films.

Aforementioned exec also con¬
tends that certain pictures which
should have berthed here in an
art house didn’t. Two that he cites
are “Gigi,” booked for roadshow¬
ing into the Harris legit stand, and
“Reluctant Debutante,” which
opened at a mainstem grind, and
was snapped up by the Carnegie
on its first outlying swing.

The Surf and World, in particu¬
lar, could once grind an import
for four, five or more w^eeks. Not
so today. And not even the names
that once w’ere magic on a mar-
' quee, such as Alastair Sims and
Kenneth More, appear to mean aa
much nowadays.

If the slough were strictly a
sudden phenomenon, that could be
explainable in terms of the period,
traditionally a rather depressed
one, and including, consideration
that the art pix public is likely
to be distracted just now by the
embryonic Chi Symphony season
and the Lyric Opera stand. BuJ the
mUd trade has been upon the art
exhibs for entirely too long a speU
to be dismissid as something
transitory.

Another Viewpoint.

Statements by Barney Bala-
han, Spyros P. Skouras and
other industry leaders to,^the
effect that television is wan¬
ing as a competitor are not
accepted with too much jubila¬
tion by some theatremen. .

“Look what tv has done to
us and is still doing,” com¬
mented the operator of a. for¬
mer presentation house.. His
point was this: In the pre-tv
era there was not too much of
a problem m booking top
names to play in conjunction
with the film bm. Now the top
names are refusing the four-a-
day grind, particularly since
they can receive nearly the
same payoff from a one-shot
on tv.

Possible Coup de Grace For Censor
In K K State Via Fady Chatterley’

N. Y. VARIETY PERKING

Election* Dwe Dec. ll^Now Has
383 Membersliip

Annual election of the Variety
Club of New York, Tent 35, will
be held on Dec. 11. The nominating
committee, under the chairmanship
of Harold Klein, submitted 11
names for Canvasmen — Harry
Brandt, Irving Dollinger, Walter
Framer, Alex Harrison, Jack Hoff-
berg, Jack Levin, Ira Meinhardt,
Sol. Pemick, Robert Shapiro,
Charles Smakwitz and James
Velde.

In a round-up of 1958 achieve¬
ments of the club, it was disclosed
that membership totals 383 and
that group life insurance had been
extended to all members. In addi¬
tion, as part of the club’s heart
project, arrangements have been
made so that any member of the
entertainment business with a di¬
agnosed case of cancer can* now
receive free doctors’ treatment.
This is in conjunction with the
club’s sponsorship of the Trafalgar
Hospital.

As a fund-raising gimmick, club
has been pledged the support of
Broadway theatres and the film
conH)anies for premiere tickets.
Aim is to raise $50,000 via the
“First-,^ighi^ers’;

BANQUET NAT TAYLOR
AS CANADA’S‘PIONEER’

Toronto, Dec. 2.

For 40 years in the film business,
Nathaniel A. Tajdor was selected
as “the pioneer of 1958” by the
Canadian Picture Pioneers when
some 400 delegates from all parts
of the Dominion gathered at their
annual testimonial banquet at the
King Edw'ard Hotel here. Taylor
was presented with a gold and onyx
plaque by Reuben Bolstadt, vice-
president and comptroller of Fa¬
mous Players (Canadian). He oper¬
ates some 60 theatres and drive-
ins,, is head of International Film
Distributors of Canada and Inter¬
national Studies, and Chief Barker
of the Variety Tent of Tpronto.

Present for short speeches of
commendation were Mayor Nathan
Phillips and Fred Gardiner, chair¬
man of the Metropolitan Council of
Toronto. The honor award panel
included J. J. Fitzgibbons, presi¬
dent of Famous Players (Cana¬
dian); Louis Rosenfeld, president
of Columbia Pictures of Canada;
Jack Arthur, producer of the Cana¬
dian National Exhibition grand¬
stand show; Oscar Hanson, presi¬
dent of Sterling Films Ltd.; Ralph
Dale, Odeon Theatre (Rank) of
Canada Ltd.

Also given awards for contribut¬
ing to Uie advancement qf the mo¬
tion picture as public entertain¬
ment,'plus their part in the growth
of the industry in Canada, were
^chm J. Laurie, Toronto, public¬
ity director for United Artists in
(Canada, WiUiam Singleton of Mon¬
treal, former president of Associat¬
ed Screen News and now head of
his own firm; Walter Wilson of
Edmonton and Howard Boothe of
Vancouver.

BILL0RNSTEINT0P.A.3
SCHINE HOTELS IN MIAMI

Bin Ornstein, former Metro pub¬
licist and veteran industryite, has
joined the Schine Hotel chain and
win serve as publicity director for
three hotels the company operates
in the Miami and Miami Beach
area. Ornstein is tbe second Metro-
ite in recent years to segue into the
hotel business, John Joseph, for¬
mer homeoffice publicity manager,
made the move some five years ago
when he became affniated with the
Hilton chain of which he’s now the
national puh-ad veepee.

Ornstein will headquarter at the
Roney-Plaza in Miami Beacli. He
planed south Monday (1) and plans
to move his family there shortly. In
addition to the Roney, the ex-film-
ite will service the McAUister in
Miami proper and the Gulf Stream
aparI^ment-villa combo on the
beach.

Schine Enterprises, of which J,
Myer Schine is prexy, also oper¬
ates a circuit of 100 theatres in
seven states and radio station
WTPR. in Albany. The company
also has extensive real estate and
other holdings, including the Gray
Line. Sightseeing Boats, Parrot
Parade off Miami Beach, Anten¬
nae Systems Corp. and a candy
company.

I Other hotels in the Schine chain
include the Ambassador and Co-
! coanut Grove in Los Angeles, the
Schine Airport Hotel at Bradley
Field just outside of Hartford,
I Conn., the Queensbury Hotel, Glens
I Falls, N. Y., and the Northampton-
j Wiggins . Tavern, . Northampton,
! Mass.

Tor-Free’ Still Popular

Philadelphia, Dec. ,2.

Stanley Warner went to the
Wanamaker department store
in a search for customers and
the idea proved very effective.
Tie-in was to aid “Home Before
Dark,” which opened at the
Stanley iheatre. Thanksgiving
Day. Film house contributed
a free morning showing of pic
in advance of opening. The
store kicked in with large
newspaper ads offering cus¬
tomers a chance to be its
guests at the preview perform¬
ance.

All shoppers were asked to
do was to fill in a coupon and
bring it in—in person—to the
store's Christmas Card shop.

. Invitations numbering up to
the capacity of the 2,900 seat
house were soon grabbed up
and thousands, who were too
late, were left hungry to see
the film. Both Everett C. Cal¬
low, SW assistant zone man¬
ager, and Fred Yost, Wana-
maker’s v.p.,* were “highly
pleased with results.”

f- Acceptance by the U.S. Supreme
Court of the “Lady Chatterley’s
Lover” N. Y. censorship case is
seen by many as sealing the fate
of the New York censor. Reason¬
ing is that the High Court almo.st
cannot avoid, in this instance, rul¬
ing on the legality of most of the
statute and that such a ruling
would almost have to knock out
the pins from under the current
censor setup.

It may or may not be coinciden¬
tal, but observers note two current
facts: (1) Two new Justices on the
Supreme Court, judges who haven’t
participated in past censorship de¬
cisions, have been outspokenly
anti-censorship. (2) The Motion
Picture Assn, of America, never
particularly outspoken on the sub¬
ject of censorship, though active
behind the scenes, has come to life
with a recent speech by Eric John¬
ston in W’hich he vigorously de¬
nounced censorship.

Speech is entitled “Motion Pic¬
tures and Social Responsibility,”
and MPAA is circulating reprints
of it all over the country". “In a
free society censorship is never an
answer or a remedj^” Johnston
said, “It misplaces responsibility.

Peace-Time Entertainment

Buffalo, Dec. 2.

C 9 II this “War Week” at
Buffalo pic theatres. Down¬
town first runs are bally^oo-
ing “Torpedo Run” at the
Buffalo, “Tarawa Beachhead”
at the Paramount, “In Love
and War*^ at the Center and
“UP Front” at the Lafayette.

And If you’re sick of war
films and want'variety, you
can get to anyone of about
l.vo dozen local nabes which
are featuring currently “Hell
Squad,” “T a n k P a t r o 1,”
“Kings Go Forth,” “Dunkirk,”
“River Kwai,” “Paths of
Glory,” “Steel Baynnet,”
“Onionhead,” “War of the
Satellites,” “Stopover Tokyo”
and “Tank Force.”

~ Tennii^ anyone?

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Jerry Wald’s next production for
20th-Fox will be “The Lost Coun¬
try,” picturization of J. R. Sala¬
manca’s novel scripted by Joe
Stefano . . . Robert Wise will pro¬
duce-direct “Odds Against Tomor¬
row” as a Harry Belafonte starrer
for United Artists release, pic to
roll in N.Y. in late January . . .
“The Pit” will be Charles Casinel-
IPs Bon-Aire Productions’ second
exploitation fihn for Howco Inter¬
national, starring Nan Peterson,
Peter Coe and Bob Richards . . .
Tony Curtis bought “The Perfect
Love,” Leslie Stevens’ original of
Eleanom Duse’s love affair with
D’Annunzio . . . Anna Lee into
Mirisch’s “The Horse Soldiers” ...
Steve Cochran inked British actress
Sabrina to term pact and cast her
first as star of “The Hood,” in
which he’ll also st^.

Seven Arts Productions acquired
Charles Beaumont’s controversial
racial-themed novel, “The Intrud¬
er,” as possible next production ...
Henry Levin will direct “Holiday
for Lovers,” Clifton Webh-Gary
Gnwby starrer for 20th-Fox . . >
Stanley Kramer cast his 19-year-
old protegee, Donna Anderson, for
top featirred role in “On the
Beach” . . . Michael Gordon helms
Universal’s “It’s That Time of
Year,” Rock Htfdson-Doris Day
dualer to be co-produced by Mar¬
tin Melcher . . . Walter Wander
handed Richard Berg scripting
chores on “The Dud Avocado,”
which he’ll produce for* 20th-Fox.
... Carroll Baker inked by Jack
Garfein to star in “Mary Ann,”
picturization of Alex Karmel novel
which he’ll roll next summer in
N.Y. . , . Cesar Romero set to star
in two pix for Garcia-Besne Pro¬
ductions, Mexican outfit, initialer
to be “My Private Secretary.”

Tennessee Ernie Ford, setting up
a theatrical feature production
subsid, has tagged it “Bri-Buck,”
after his. two sons, Brian and Buck
. . . Jerry Wald registered “Miami
Beach” and “The Beach at Miami”
with MPAA Title Registration
Bureau as possible tabs for pic
for which he has already secured
cooperation of Miami Hotel Assn.
. . , Cesare Danova costars with
Anthony Franciosa and Leslie
Caron in 20th-Fox’ “The Man Who
Understood Women,” Nnnnally
Johnson production.. . . Boh Gum-
minga bought theatrical film and
tv rights to John D. MacDonald
novel, “The Damned,” and will
first produce property as a feature
in Mexico next year, making his
bow w m^dkeptor

■ i It removes respon<?ibility from the

VARIEH CLUB SPONSORS!ST’S
BERYOZKA DANCERS I

Minneapolis, Dec. 2 . I The “Lady Chatterley” case has
The Northwest Variety club' long been watched as a key to the
women’s auxiliary has made a deal future of prerelease censorship in
with impresario Sol Hurok and the. ^^ow Yorli, one of the few states
U, of Minnesota to bring the Rus-; where censorship is still practiced,
sian all-girl Beryozka folk dancers,' several past occasions, the Su-
now playing to capacity houses in preme (Tourt has reversed the cen-
New York, to the Northrop Me- ! ^o doing has ruled only

raorial Auditorium 011 the univers- : narrow issue” of the indi-

ity campus here for two perform-: , picture involved. “Ladj'

ances Jan. 13 and 14. i Ghatteney was nixed by the cen-

■ , . J e ^ A sor, turned dowTi by the Board of

Net proceeds of the sponsored ^ Regents, which in turn was re-
engagement will go to the \ ariety; ^.^rsed by the lower court. This
club’s $550,000 heart hospital addi^ ruling in turn was upset by tno
tion fund. The heart hospital it- Appellate Division in what, at the

self, on the university camps was time, was interpreted as a strong

brought into being by the local for censorship

bunding and equipp S * : almost immediately became a lot

The hospital, devoted solely to . tougher. In the light of past Su-
the treatment of heart ailments preme Court decisions, however,
and heart ailment research, is the it’s generally assumed that the

only one of its kind in the nation
and, represents a several million
dollar investment.

Justices will again uphold the free¬
dom of the screen, though it’ll take
some fancy legal footwork for the

-—-- ^ Court to avoid passing judgment

■ - , T r . 1-11 on the legality of the N. Y. statute.

Atlanta S Variety Lcnelan it’s said the Court has been re-
Atlanta. Dee. 2. i luctant tc do away with prerelease
George Eby, Pittsburgh, chief ' censorship of films altogether,
barker of Variety International, ‘ The “Lady Chatterley” case Is
will he in Atlanta Dec. 13 to in-. being handled for Kingsley-Inter-
stall new members of Atlanta Tent, j national by Ephraim London, who
No. 21, Variety Clubs of America. | won the original (“The Miracle”)
Tent’s new chiefs are: ! anti-censorship decision from the

Chief Barker, Jon Farmer, High Court,
spieler for WAGA-TV, S orer chain j Question is posed: What hap-
link in Atlanta; first ass’t CB, Ken- | pens should the Supreme Court
neth Laird, Buena Vista Films; j knock out the N.Y. statute? Who

second ass’t CB, Frank White, ad¬
vertising agency rep; Property
Master, George Kreeger, Benton
Brothers Film Express; and Dough
Guy Willard Kohorn, National
Screen.

Crew members: Tom Lucy,
George Jones, Hal Aronson, Leon¬
ard Berch, Bill Hames and George
Mayer.

- Farmer, who succeeds Leonard
Allen,. Paramount’s Sonthem Di¬
vision exploitation chief, and his
group will formally take office
Jan. 1. Under Allen, Atlanta Tent
last year raised $97,000 for Atlanta
Cerebral Palsy School in co-op¬
eration with Atlanta Newspapers,
Inc.

And This, Too—

Kansas City, Dec. 2.

Missouri Theatre staff was
startled to see a patron come
up out of the audience and
’dive headlong through the
screen during one of the ocean
sequences of “Windjammer”
recently^ Diver turned out to
be Willie Fong, a student at
Haskell Indian Institute at
nearby Lawrence, Kans. When
questioned as to why he should
pull such a trick he said it
just seemed like a good idea
at the time, it was reported by
Manager Boris Bernard!.

.Only damage was tearing’of
two of the Vertical louvres of
which the screen is composed.
These were repaired promptly
by stagefiand George Sme§,

—or what—^will take its place? As-
.suraption is that, if all the censor
has left is pornography as a basis
for nixing the release of films, the
office probably w’ouldn’t be con¬
tinued. What worries those who
fight censorship is that the current,
and comparatively mild, setup may
be replaced by a type of police
censorship that prevails in Chi¬
cago, where it is much more strict
and imreasonable than anything
known in New York.

Those close to the situation are
frank in saying that they don’t be-
live that, if the courts do away
with censorship in N. Y. State, this
will be the end of blue-pencilling.
One suggestion already made is
that, if censorshipi ends, the city
dr the state may “license” film
houses, the -permit to be revoked
if “offensive” pictures are shown.
Presumably there would have to
be a board to decide what consti¬
tutes an offensive film.

SID KRAMER EXITS RKO

Departure of Sidney Kramer as
foreign sales manager of RKO was
disclosed in New York yesterday
(Tues.). Thus the exec force at
this'^ow-disappearing film com¬
pany became even further skeleton¬
ized. It’s presumed that Walter
Branson, global sales head, will
take over Kramer’s work as con¬
cerning the playoff of backlog pic¬
tures abroad.

■ Kramer had been with RKO 29
years, his other posts having_ in¬
cluded manager of short subject*
and general sales manager RKO
;;lPathe.

22

RAIIIO-TCLEVISION

P^EEFf

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

*Merry Sputnik’ Wows Moscow Radio
Listeners as Its No. 1 Attraction

Most popular show on Moscow
Radio today is "Merry Sputnik,” a
satirical Sunday afternoon pro¬
gram with Betsy Thatcher (right
out of Mark Twain’s "Adventures
of Tom Sawyer”) as the principal
character. ' '

Jerry Danzig, veep in charge of
KBC Radio Network Programs,
who recently iX urned from a
three-week cultural junket to the
Soviet Union under the auspices of
the State Dept., said that Betsy
traipses through various parts of
the Soviet land poking barbs here
and there. For example, she’ll
visit such international projects^s
the American abstract art exhibit
at the Brussels Fair, Madame
Chiang or spend a day with young
Gen. Trujillo of Hollywood.

Vitale Gubarev, who heads up
the satire department of Moscow
Radio, told Danzig the satire dept,
was created shortly after the first
sputnik was shot into the Volga
sky. A competition for the name
of the program was held with
"Merry Sputnik” emerging the
winning title. Gubarev’s satire and
comedy setup includes four edi¬
tors, producer, assistant producer,
typists and freelance writers. Gu¬
barev is editor-in-chief.

In addition to the 60-minute pro¬
duction of "Merry Sputnik” there’s
a Tuesday evening 15-minute sa¬
tire show with Sputnik-type ma¬
terial, sketches and jokes. Also,
Gubarev is presenting a Saturday
night program tagged "Let’s Have
a Good Rest,” based on letters
from listeners.

In his talks with officials of the
satire and comedy section of Mos¬
cow Radio, Danzig learned that the
purpose of the year-old department
was to rail against red tape, im¬
proper family life, improper labor
attitude, drunkards and hooligan-,
ism. The program is primarily di¬
rected against the individual inter¬
ested only in himself. Among the
example cited by Gubarev’s staff:
the truck driver who carries bricks
carelessly but when he -build a
country house of his own is ex¬
tremely careful not to break the
bricks. Primarily, the approach is
to the individual to correct his
• Continued on page 51)

Tlaylouse 90’ 2-Parter
On Honingway 'Bells’

Ernest Hemingway’s "For Whom
the BeU Tolls” will get a two-part,,
three-hour live production on CBS-
TV early next year in the "Play¬
house 90” series. It marks the first
two-part production in the series
and reportedly the first two-part,
three-hour drama in tv history.

A. E. Hotchner, who has the nod
from Hemingway, will adapt the
Spanish Civil War novel for the
video lanes. Fred Coe will pro¬
duce and John Frankenheimer will
direct. Tentative dates for the air¬
ing . are Thursday, March 5 and
Thursday, March 12.

Examiner Urges
Miami Revocation

Washington, Dec. 2.

Judge Horace Stern urged Mon¬
day (1) revocation of the Miami
Channel 10 award. But he did not
go along with the Justice Dent,
recommendation. seconded by
FCC’s legal office, that three of
four annlicants be automatically
disqualified.

The special hearing examiner
took the position that improper
conduct by contestants should be
weighed against them in any fu¬
ture disposition of the channel by
the FCC. He said their conduct
was not of an “absolutely disqual¬
ifying nature.”

Stern recommended that the
grant be set aside because of im¬
proper pressures brought on ex-
Commissioner Richard A. Mack,
who, he said, should have d'^qinl-
Ified himself froin voting in the
case. Because -Mack particinat^d.
Stern as.'^erted, anplicants for the
award “did not have a heanng be¬
fore an imnartial tribunal.”

Stem’s decis’on was based on
rehearing on the grant held this
fall as a result of disclosures by
House influence investigators. His
recommendations now go to the
full commission for review.

Stern said that snokesmen or
emissaries of both Public Service
Television, which won the channel,
and W’KAT made "grosslv impron-
er” representations to Mack. He
said North Dade Video, a third ap¬
plicant, employed ex-FCC Com¬
missioner Robert F. Jones to win
congressional support for its case,
which would have been imnroper
except that there was no evidence
Jones actually d i d anything
wrong.

Stern had nothing to say against
L. B. Wilson. Inc., sole contestant
to escaoe disqualification recnm-
mendations by Justice and FCC’s
legal office.

ABC Credo: One
Good Xheyenne
Rates Another

Monday night’s the weakest
night on the ABC-TV sked and the
network intendeds to do something
about it. A big plot, it’s known,
is being hatched to install “Chey¬
enne”-in the 7:30 to 8:30 period,
but it all depends on whether
W’araer Bros, can resolve its dif¬
ferences with Clint Walker, who’s
been missing from the hour show
•this season.

This doesn’t mean that there
won’t be a Tuesday night "Chey¬
enne” also, only the latter won’t
be called “Cheyenne” any longer,
but "Bronco.” That's the name
already applied to Walker’s suc¬
cessor, Ty Hardin, so that the
show won't be coming on cold and,
in fact, will be well established
as one of the web's higest raters
by the time ABC hopes to iricept
the Walker return to “Cheyenne”
on Monday nights.

This, of course, is all contingent
on bringing Walker back into the
network fold. With Jack Warner
due to check in at the studio in the
next couple of weeks (following
his longtime recuperation -abroad
from an auto accident), ABC is
confident that he. he can turn the
trick.

With "Cheyenne” riding 7:30
to 8:30, network feels such a lead-
in can only do good to “Firestone
Hour” and sports programming the
balance of the evening.

Bett^ Forsling Exits
As Afi’s Drumbeater; ,
Ontside Org Moves In

Betty Forsling is out as Arthur
Godfrey’s public relations chieftain
at CBS-TV after a brief occupancy
of the “hot seat” assignment and
the Dick Krolik public relations
outfit, an outside organization, is
being called in to bolster the God¬
frey dynasty.

Krolik, since last fall has been
handling Godfrey’s horse show ap¬
pearances, but will now extend his
interests in Godfrey's behalf to'in¬
clude the CBS-TV programs.

The list of publicity workers in
Godfrey’s vineyard has been a long
one in the past decade. During past
year alone, lie had two drum-
beaters, John Derr and Miss Fors¬
ling.

Derr recently went to wo'k for
Maxon ad agency. Miss Forsling is
reportedly returning to her former
Dublic relations enterprise in
Dallas.

ABC Radio News Segs
Attract Three Clients

Grove Labs, Wrigley chewing
gum and Plough Inc. have bought
in as participators on ABC Radio’s
five-minute newscasts. Grove buy
is for 13 weeks, while Wrigley is
in for four.

Grove has beguif sponsoring
weekdayand w'eekend news segs,
and Plough and Wrigley have pur¬
chased time on weekday news.

THE

HONEY DREAMERS

Records Transcriptions
Msmt: ART WARD Direction

Oxford 7-9034 MCA

MARY & PETER OFF HOOK

Avoid Conflict by Shifting CBS
Radio Show To ABC

The Peter Lind Hayes-Mai?
Healy radio cross-the-boarder is
ankling CBS—with sponsor intact
—and moving to ABC sometime in
January, it is reported, Bankroller
A. E. Staley is said to have figured
that it was “senseless” leaving the
show on CBS froni 12:05 to 12:15
every day because it put the two
performers in direct competition
with themselves.

Hayes and his wife have a live
tv show running at the same time
as their CBS Radio venture on
ABC-TV. CBS Radio offered Staley
a new time period for the strip,
but the sponsor,. acting through
Erwin Wasey, Ruthrauff & Ryan,
decided to shift the transcribed
radiocast to a 10-10:10 daily slot on !
ABC. I

Deal with ABC is for 52-w’eek
period.

Scalpone Set to Roll
With ‘Man on Beach’

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Pilot of “Man on the Beach,”
first of four series A1 Scalpone is
planning for CBS-TV, rolls the
week of Dec. 15, probably at Desilu
Culver studios.

Gavin McCleod, Nobu McCarthy,
Max Baer and George Shibata
have been set as stet characters
in the private-eye series localed
in the Malibu-Santa Monica area, ■
and Scalpone is currently hunting
for one more regular in the series
—a femme.

Scalpone is producer-creator' of
the series; Andrew V. McLaglen
will direct; and Gwen and Irwin
Gielgud, who wrote the pilot script,
will be associate producers.

Pilot is being aimed for spring
sale, and airing in the fall of 1959.
Under terms of his deal with CBS-
TV, Scalpone will receive full fi¬
nancing on his four pilots from
the web, and he retains the nega¬
tives. His series will be shot under
the aegis of his La Mesa Produc¬
tions.

Reuven Frank's Nod

Bill McAndrew,. veep of NBC
News, has named Reuven Frank,
producer of “NBC News—Huntley-
Brinkley Report,” “Chet Huntley
Reporting” and “NBC Kaleido¬
scope,” to produce the 1960 con¬
ventions and elections for NBC-TV,
Also named on the production
imit are Eliot Frankel, associate
producer, and Jack Sughrue, di-'
rector.

Costumer Always Right!

Saul Bolasni, costume de¬
signer for Bob Saudek Asso¬
ciates, insisted that designers
of uniforms for N.Y. Phil¬
harmonic to be seen in the
Saudek - produced “Leonard
Bernstein & the Philhar¬
monic” series which preemed
Sunday (30), make pockets for
fiddle players. Fashion design¬
ers at first held out for no
breaks in contour.

Bolasni argued that contours,
shmontours. Violinists must
have pockets in which to place
mutes, ro^in and other items
of their craft. Designers final¬
ly gave in and built breast
pockets as well as piping down
front and on cuffs.

Some Fancy ABC Nipups

First November Nielsen report, just published, makes out quite
a nighttime success story for ABC-TV, with the network coming
off with aUtime rating highs. ABC researchers, in fact, went to
work on the Nielsens and discovered that, in the prime time areas
between 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., ABC takes the lead over both
CBS and NBC on three nights of the week (Sunday, Tuesday and
Thursday), with the following results:

Based on average audience ratings for all commerical time
periods 7:30 to 10:30 Sundays, ABC has 26.5, CBS 25.7 and NBC
19.0. (Network frankly concedes that stretching tlje Sunday rating
area 7 to 11 to encompass “Lassie” and “What’s My Line,” CBS
would emerge the winner.) On Tuesdays, ABC has 26.2, CBS 18.0
and NBC 17.6. On Thursdays, ABC has 20.7, CBS 18.8 and NBC 18.4.

Of the Top 15 shows, ABC comes off with five as compared with
seven for CBS and three for NBC.

Further ABC research intelligence based on Nielsen: Network’s
circulation increased nearly a million homes per average broadcast
minute for all sponsored prograihs—or 13%;

ABC-TV was the only network increasing its share of audience
compared to a year ago. The average ABC-TV program share is
now 31.2%, 12% increase over a like period in ’57;

ABC-TV leads over NBC and CBS in 13 of the 42 half-hours
from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. By comparison, CBS has leadership in 18,
NBC in 11. For those time periods in which all networks compete,
ABC cops 11 of the 33, CBS has 15, NBC seven.

Spivak Looks Back on 11 Years Of
'Meet Press’ as Page 1 News Maker

Hoover Yacumn Cleaner
As New Godfrey Client

Arthur Godfrey who has man¬
aged to sell a vast assortment of
products during his years on the
kilocycles will be pitching vacuum
cleaners starting Feb. 3 on his
CBS-TV morning program.

Hoover Co. signed this week for
an alternate-week quarter-hour on
Tuesdays of the Godfrey stanzas.
Agency is Leo Burnett.

In other daytime biz wrapped up
this week, Whitehall Labs Division
of American Home Products Corp.
signed for quarter-hour, alternate-
hour, alternate-week sponsorship
of “Verdict Is Yours” through Ted
Bates agency and Brown Shoe Co.
picked up six-weeks participation
in “Captain Kangaroo” series on
Saturdays.

Staff Alerted To
CBS Radio Axings;
Figure Put at 100

Despite promises of management
that CBS Radio plans "to keep

One of the major news makers
in video, Lawrence E. Spivak’s
"Meet the Press,” is observing its
11th anni on NBC and many jour¬
nalism authorities maintain it
added another dimension to news¬
gathering techniques. The pro¬
gram has been on regularly sine®
the winter of 1947 with no summer
hiatus a»d possesses one of the
longest records of commercial
sponsorship. It is the second
longest-running show (Gillette
Cavalcade of Sports is No. 1) on
NBC.

Regarded as a rival of news¬
papers for many years, the pro¬
gram today is a definite news
source for key dailies and wire
services. With one exception
"Meet the Press” can call upon
the services of the leading jour¬
nalist for the weekly panel show.
The one exception is the Wall
Street -Journal which still insists
that its staffers have no part of
Spivak’s program. Interestingly,
Spivak's son, Jonathan, is a re¬
porter in the San Francisco office
of the Wall Street Journal. At
the outset, most newspapers. okay¬
ed the appearances of their edi¬
torial personnel on the Washing¬
ton-originated news-breaking pro¬
gram. The N.Y. Times and the
then United Press however took
the position that their news-gath¬
ering reporters should stick to the
fourth estate and have no truck
with broadcasting but gradually
changed their views and okayed.
"Meet the Press” appearances of
(Continued on page 55)

severances at a minimum” most
staffers feel that when the web
ushers in its barter plan with its
affiliates come January, approxi¬
mately 100 workers in various de¬
partments will be axed. Pink slips
are reportedly in the works now.

Shortly after CBS Radio an¬
nounced its curtailed programming
plan for 1959, the employee giwup
asked network toppers what the
future held in store for the net¬
work as welh as its staffers.

Staffers were informed that the
personnel department plans "the
absorption of competent employees,
whose jobs will be eliminated, into
other areas of the company’s oper¬
ation.” It added that qualified
workers would be retained "wher¬
ever possible and, when practical,
the revamping of departments will
be specificMly postponed until its
transferable employees have been
relocated.”

The management memo which
was distributed to workers last
week stressed that the reorganiza¬
tion plan was designed to keep
network radio "on a sound eco¬
nomic basis” and that “Its success
will make possible ever greater job
security for the employees of the
radio network.”

Those on the list to be let out
were hopeful of landing jobs at
CBS Radia o&o stations and among
the web’s affiliates which would be
called upon to do additional local
programming in view of the net¬
work's drastic retrenchment. •

2 ABG-TV Daytime
Shows Facing Axe

It is almost a certainty that
ABC-TV will cancel its daytimer,
"Chance for Romance,” if not on
Friday (5) then within a couple of
weeks thereafter. "Web’s program
department is prepping another
series to fill the daily 2-2:30 p.m.
hole. It’s "Musical Bingo,” the
stanza which 5-Day Pads originally
bought for ABC last summer hut
suddenly switched for a hotspell
run to NBC.

The "Bingo” deal is not com¬
pletely set yet and that’s what
might delay the cancellation of
"Romance.” While the ratings of
"Chance,” which is produced by
Irving Mansfield for ABC, are not
much, if any, lower than those of
the other ABC daytime programs
which preemed last October, there
have been a lot of questions asked
as to whether the subject matter
was "in the interests of good taste
for television,”

"Mothers’ Day,” the ABC 12:30-
1 p.m. cross-the-boarder, may be
the next to be cancelled. Howdver,
there is no definite word on this
one as yet.

ABC has chosen to replace
"Chance” with a show that already
has been on the air on the grounds
that it is not particularly wise re¬
placing one new daytime show with
another new daytime show. On the
theory that new daytime programs
build audiences slowly, • ABC
doesn’t want to begin aU over
again.

WediiiCsday, December S, 1958

flSHEff

RAinO-TEIJBVISlON 23

CBS-TV: THE EYES HAVE IT

Profcofieff 24.3; Beethoven 8.1

That three-way blockbuster competition for the Sunday after¬
noon 5 to 6 audience resulted in a major Trendex victory for the
ABC-TV display—^“Axt Carney Meets ‘Peter and the Wolf/ ” based
on ProkofiefTs classic score. In fact, it s\Vamped“ CBS-TV’s Leon¬
ard Bernstein segment on Beethoven’s Ninth by a 4-to-l score in
the first half-hour.

Here’s how the three-way audience went for it on the Trendexes:

In the 5 to 5:30 period: “Peter and the Wolf,” 21,7; Bernstein,
5.4; NBC-TV’s, “Kaleidoscope" showcase on the Radio City Mu¬
sic Hall, 9.1.

In the 5:30 to 6 period: “Peter and the Wolf,” 27,0; Bernstein,
10.7; “Kaleidoscope,” 9.2. It averaged out 24.3 for “Peter”; 8.1 for
Bernstein and 9.2 for “Kaleidoscope.”

Most Negro Stations a‘Cheap Insult’
To Race, Says Miller (Who Owns One)

By ART WOODSTONE
Richard J. Miller portrayed most
Negro radio today as a “cheap in¬
sult,” a source of self-generated
bigotry, religious quackery, char¬
latanism and a “wallow” of ugly,
primitive and harmful sounds, Milr
ler himself owns a station which
aims at the Negro market.

Miller, who operates KXLW, a
1,000-watter in Sh Louis, said that
any white man who lingers mo¬
mentarily over a Negro station
“hears poor programming and
crummy talk, he hears Negroes ex¬
horting and cajoling other Negroes
to buy, he hears Towdown’ music
and is left with the strong impres¬
sion that ‘they really are different.'
What the white man doesn't know
is that it might very well be a
chain operator or some absentee
landlord programming alT his sta¬
tions with identical trash.”

^‘How come operators don’t try
to peddle-religious fakery to, say,
Italians?” Miller queried belliger¬
ently. “How dare they assume the
Negro is more superstitious?”

The owner of KXLW, who
bought the station last March, esti¬
mated that there are 70 radio sta¬
tions in the United States which
program entirely for Negroes, but
he felt that there werMi’t more
than a half a dozen of them which
were sincere and tried to “program
up” rather than “shoot down”
(which Miller thinks “is far worse
than talking down”). He noted
that WLIB, N. Y., KPRS, Kansas
City, and his own outlet wre
legitimately trying to serve the
commimlty, and to Miller there is ^
a genuine commimity of Negroes,
whether the bonds are racial or
geograohical.

Needed: More Laurels
“What (Ne^o radio) should do
and is not doing is to be able to
point to at least one thing at the ^
end of a year—whether it's an
iron lung, a park bench or a com¬
munity center, something—and say
my station got this one thing that's
worthwhile/'

As Miller sees it Negro radio has
(Continued on page 59)

Riddell s Coast
Berth for ABC

James Riddell, will have been on
the job as executive veepee of
ABC-and-tv exactly seven months
when he departs in February for
a new job within the network's
corporate structure. RiddeU, who
came from the net’s Detroit o&o’s
last July, is slated to become chief
executive officer of the ABC west¬
ern division, replacing Earl Hud¬
son.

Hudson has been given a new
five-year pact by Leopard Golden-
son, prexy of the parent Anierican
Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres,
as ah “advisor” to Riddell. Hudson,
who is nearing an age where he
himself is understood to have con¬
sidered retirement, will retain his
veepee stripe in ABC and in addi¬
tion to his consultancy chores will
act for the network -on “special
projects” as weU as stick to the
board of directors of the Disney¬
land park operation,

Switch for Riddell has been in
(Continued on page 62)

Ouch!

Patti Page wasn’t doing too weU
oh the ratings on her Wednesday
night ABC-TV slot, so they de¬
cided to move her to Monday night
at 10 In the hopes of building her
audiences.

It started this week with the fol¬
lowing Trendex results:

Desi & Lucy --- 32.4

Arthur Murray -15.1

Patti Page .......... 4.9

$4,00,000 Bayuk
Sponsor Deal On
NBC-TV Sports

Bayuk Cigars, maker of Phillies,
is currently negotiating an esti¬
mated .$4,000,000 sports deal with
NBC-TV calling for sponsorship of
a host of sports events in 1959.

Already set is sponsorship of
one-half of the National Basket¬
ball Association games and one-
half of the major league baseball
“Game of the Week” on Saturday.
Bayuk’s buy on the web also In-
(Continued on page 66)

By GEORGE ROSEN

If that CBS-TV eye shows an
inclination toward sneaking in an
occasional wink, chalk it up to the
fact that Bill Paley-Frank Stanton
& Co. are once more off to the
races with some spectacular and
unprecedented gains — profit and
otherwise.

To say that the Columbia cor¬
porate operation, thanks chiefly to
the tv network and the owned-
and-operated stations, will have it
almost as good as the universally-
touted British commercial tv en¬
trepreneurs is to bestow the high¬
est of “Midas Touch” accolades.
Yet that’s precisely the position
in which CBS Inc. will find itself
when it closes out the year with a
net income (after taxes) of approx¬
imately $26,000,000. It’s estimated
that total net earnings (before
taxes) will hit somewhere in the
neighborhood of $55,000,000 (com¬
pared to $48,000,000 last year), with
the tv network accounting for a
before-tax profit of $23,000,000
(CBS Radio, which is due for a
streamlining in the wake of its
trimmed broadcasting pattern, will
reportedly lose upward of a half-
miUion dollars.)

What makes that $26,000,000 net
profit BO remarkable (consolidated
net income . for the first nine
months was $16,522,000), is the
fact that this “never had it so
good” status comes in perhaps tv’s
most nervous and anxious year in
a decade, with sponsors hard to
come by. Only six months ago,
when Lou Cowan (after warming
up in the 20th floor bullpen for
two years) stepped in as CBS-TV
prexy, with. Merle Jones moving
over to prexy the other half of
the profits (o & o), you could cut
the tensions around 485 Madison
Ave., with a knife. Columbia was
smarting from the upgrading of j
NBC-TWs stature during ’57-’58
semester. In fact,. in some areas
NBC was not only challenging
CBS' supremacy but managed , to
top it. 'There was no doubt about
(Continued on page ^)

WhOe Others Push Panic Button
Culligan Steers NBC Radio Into
- New Vistas as AM’s Torchbearer

A Tale of 2 Oboe*

How will mom and pop solve
this piece of sibling rivalry?

At precisely 8:30 p.m. Sat¬
urday, Dec. 6, the Boston Sym¬
phony will go on the air over
WQXR, N.Y. The soloist will
be Ralph Gomberg, oboist, who
will do Handel’s “Concerto for
Oboe.”

At precisely the same time
the N.Y. Philharmonic will go
on the air over CBS Radio.
The soloist w'ill be Harold
Gomberg, oboist, and brother
of the aforementioned Ralph
Gomberg. Harold will play Vi¬
valdi’s Concerto for Oboe.”

Is this a dilemna for the
Gomberg family?

Town Trendex;
TV’s Hot Sunday

The Rosalind Russell “Wonder¬
ful Town” two-hour special on
CBS-TV Sunday night (30) swept
everything before it on the over¬
night Trendex returns, averaging
out with a 26,2 rating for the 120-
minute course and nearly doubling
Dinah Shore’s Chevy outing in the
first half hour. „

Here’s how it broke down by the
half-hour:

From 9 to 9:30, “Town” got a
27.0 against Chevy’s 14.4; from
9:30 to 10 “Town” copped a 27.6
with Chevy getting 16.7. From 19'
to 10:30 it was 27.6 for “Town”
and 21.0 for Loretta Young. In the
(Continued on page 55)

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

MEW YORK 3«
154 W, 46tii Sr.

HOLLYWOOD 28
6404 Smuct BWd.

CHICAGO 11
$12 N. Micklgaa Av«,

LONDON. W. C. 2
8 St. Martin's Piae*
Trafalgar Sqnara

^ ^ By JO RANSON

Since the recent ominous an¬
nouncement of CBS Radio’s barter
system with its affiliates, the NBC
Radio Network has racked up some
16 succulent orders, including re¬
newals for a total amount of more
than $2,700,000 in net revenue.

NBC Radio now regards itself as
undisputed network radio leader
in the land. Two years ago it was
looked upon as third in ratings,
fourth in sponsored hours and
third in clearances. It was unde¬
niably third in prestige in those
days. Credited with restoring NBC
Radio to its present preeminent
role is Matthew J. Culligan, NBC
veep in charge of the radio net¬
work.

Part psychologist, philosopher,
poet and persuasive pitchman, Cul¬
ligan attributes a measure of NBC
Radio's restoration to its now domi¬
nant role in AM broadcasting on
marketing, merchandising and ex¬
ploitation campaigns. The NBC
exec’s rapid-flowing vocabulary is
lush with such clinical and be-
havorial psychology phrases as
memory - vision, imagery - transfer,
engineered circulation, to mention
a few. This in turn is successfully
buttressed with a programming
technique tagged “Stardust” .and
other latter-day devices d^i^ed
to turn tv viewers into NBC Radio
listeners,

‘Menltl Images'

Undoubtedly his most talked-
about contribution has been the
concept of “Imagery Transfer” by
means of which major American
advertisers keep alive, by skillfully
placed low-cost radio commercials
“the mental images they have cre¬
ated in the public mind at great
cost through the visual media.”

Sibling to the “Iihageiy Trans¬
fer” concept is Culligan’s “Engi¬
neered Circulation” pitch which he
describes as an amalgam of re¬
search. commercial cony and care¬
fully timed delivery. - The object of
“Engineered Circulation” is not
(Continued on page 66)

New ABC Yen For
Don McNeill TV’er

Chicago, Dec. 2.

ABC-TV is setting up a night¬
time berth for a new show with
Don McNeill, longtime host of
American radio net's “Breakfast
Club,” starting sometime in Jan¬
uary. Program idea is an out¬
growth of a “Breakfast Club” fea¬
ture known as “Ask the Star,”
wherein members of the studio
audience toss questions at visiting
celebraties who answer them off
the cuff. McNeill wUl^be the cata¬
lyst and will own the* package.

Ad lib sessions for tv will be
held immediately aft'^r the “BC”
broadcasts from the Sherman Ho¬
tel in Chi and will be recorded on
video tape for playback in the
evening.

McNeill has had twn previous
flirtations with tv, once with a
simulcast of his radio opus, but
both earlier shows were unsuccess¬
ful.

ABC DICKERS Wlffl
MORT SAHL COLLAPSE

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

ABC-TV overtures to sign come¬
dian Mort Sahl appear to have
eoUapsed.

Leonard Goldenson, prexy of
ABPT, has been negotiating for
Sahl, but the comedian said here
he is not interested in what has
been presented to him thus far,
that it appears the talks “have
nome to no fruition.”

24

TV-FIIJHS

U^IEFf

Wedneeday, December 3, 1958

U^. Telefilm Distribs Flock To

Japan like It’s a Subway Ride

Tokyo, Dec. 2.

Winding up a 16-day sales visit,
Samuel Gang told Vartzty' that
the Japanese Government is going
to have to regulate foreign tv
sales here the same way. it re¬
quires motion picture distributors
to earn import licenses. -

The director of foreign sales for
■ National Telefilm Associates said
It would have to be done to pre¬
vent discrimination among telefilm
distributors who are now flocking
here as if it were only a subway
ride away. Gang thought the b-
censes would be based on a dis¬
tributor's previous sales here and
the size of its overall library.

His view also gave consideration
to the Finance Ministry ceilings
that limit a station to nine half-
hour imported shows with total
w^eb payment of $300 per 30-minute
segment.

While here on this, his second
Japan visit. Gang sold two new
series, a replacement series and a
package of features to Japan net¬
works.

New Tokyo station Fuji TV
bought 52 weeks of “How To
Marry a Millionaire” which begins
Dec. 15 in Osaka and in January
In Tokyo. Commercial stations
have tie-ups in five national areas
that amount to webs.

Another new Tokyo outlet, Nip¬
pon Educational Network, signed
for a 52-week run of “This is
Alice.”

NTV bought 39 weeks of “U.S.
Marshall” for network use to re¬
place “Sheriff of Cochise” w’hen
latter completes its run.

Gang also sold “Ten Top Fea¬
tures,” which includes “High
Noon,” “The Men,” “Cyrano de
Bergerac” and “Gulliver’s Travels”
to NHK, the semi-Government
web. Features will run twice each
over the period of one year, begin¬
ning in January.

Starting at the end of this month
on the NTV network will be a
package of cartoons including
^‘Betty Boop,” “Little Lulu” and
“Talkatoons” which G.^ng sold last
April.

Gang is on a six-week Far East¬
ern sales trip. Japan was his first
stop. He proceeds to Hong Kong,
Manila and Sydney and expects to
be back at his New York office
Dec. 12.

Turkey Treat

WOR-TV, N. y., copped dual
sponsorship for a cinematic show
on Thanksgiving Day, an unusual
twist for the N. Y. market .where
all the sponsor dough on features
rides in participations.

Vic Tanny Health Salons and
Earl Scheib Auto Paint Shops
teamed up for the telecast of “Tall
in the Saddle,” starring John
Wayne and Ward Bond.

Scranton Corp.
Yens Blurbery

The expansion ambitions of
Scranton Corp. get bigger all the
time. The holding company,
bossed by Alexander Guterma, re¬
cently bought Mutual Broadcasting
and shortly before that Hal Roach
Studios and is on the lookout now
for a company with an established
telefilm distribution setup. But
the latest blueprint calls, also for
purchase of an outfit which makes
tape and vidfilm commercials. .

Guterma said last week that
Scranton had “informal talks.” with
Elliott, Unger & Elbott, one of
the major bliirb makers in New
York. A spokesman for the E-U-E
; outfit said that “nothing came of
! the discussions with Dr. Guterma,”
and that the company had no in-
j tention of selling,
i Reason Guterma is believed to
I have found E-U-E attractive is be-
I cause the commercial-production
I house recently bought out the stu-
; dio setup of the defun-'t Ai Just'n
Vidicam blurbery and installed its
video tape equipment there.

Guterma said that Scranton is
still on the lookout for a syndica¬
tion arm to complement the Roach
Studios.

Vidpix Chatter

Tilgrimage Play
As a Roach Spec

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Hal Roach Studios will produce
on video tape hour’s “special”
of the Hollywood Bowl’s “Pilgrim¬
age Play.” Production for the
“special” will begin Dec. 17.

Project will be under the super¬
vision of William Sterling, Roach
exec, who will produce the re¬
ligious show for telecasting. Sterl¬
ing negotiated with KTLA, Los An¬
geles for facilities, services and
personnel to tape the production
at the Pilgrimage Theatre. KTLA’s
William Brown will direct. Top
name is being scouted to host the
spec.

The “Pilgrimage Play” is said to
be one of a, series planned at
Roach “specials.” Roach execs
say at this time they don’t know
how the show will be pitched, but
apparently they would prefer a na¬
tional airing as opposed to possible
syndication.

Roach Studios had to utilize
KTLA facilities because their own
tape equipment won’t be installed
until the middle of next year. “Pil¬
grimage Play” is shown each sum¬
mer at the Pilgrimage Theati'e,
owned by the City of Los Angeles.
Property is administered by the
Hollywood Bowl Assn.

Holliman Gets Lead

In Serling Series

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Earl Holliman has the lead in
the pilot of “Twilight Zone,” new
Rc^ Serling-CBS-TV series, rolling
this week at Universal Interna¬
tional.

Serling ^nd Bill Self are co-pro¬
ducers, and Robert Stevens is di¬
rector. Series format is scientific-
tion-fantasy-imagination.

YDLE BEUNGS FOR
NTA FILM NETWORK

The NTA Film Network has
picked up some Christmas holiday
biz, with Minnesota Mining and A-
C. Gilbert riding for short term
spreads.

Since the bow of the w'eb last
October, A & P and White King
Soap have bowed out as partici¬
pating sponsors.

Minnesota Mining for its scotch
tape took two minute spots on the
net’s daily “TV Hour of Stars”
and one minute spots in “This Is
Alice” and “Man Without A Gun,”
A. C. Gilbert for its trains and
toys took one-minute spots on
“Gun”, and “Alice.”

The lost quickee A & P and
White King Soap biz was spotted
in “Alice” and “Gun.”

The roster of biz on the 115 sta¬
tion lineup other than the newly-
written holiday sponsors now in¬
cludes: American Tobacco, which
is fully sponsoring “How to Marry
A Millinaire;” Dumas Milner for
Perma Starch and Pinesol which
has one-minute spots Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays in “TV
Hour” and one-minute spots in
"Alice” and “Gun”; Vicks Chemi¬
cal w'hich has three minutes daily
in “TV Hour” and one-minute
weekly in “Alice”; and Philco.
which has one-minute daily in “TV
Hour.”

Charles Bronson, star of “Man
With A Camera,” was in N.Y. last
week for a round of p.a.’s . . .
Ed Aronoff, MCA tv publicity
director, vacationing in Florida

. . Dan Chamberlain, MGM tv
publicist, has ahfcled to join Col¬
gate in product publicity. His
spot is being filled by A1 Cohan
. . . Permafilm, Iric., has appointed
Laboratories Alex of Buenos Aires
as exclusive agent in that coimtry
. . . Dolores Donlon has been set
for the title role in “The Duchess
of Denver” segment pf “The
Texan” series. She also appears
in Ziv’s “Bold Venture.” . . . Over
400 stations have aired special
United Community Fund appeals
delivered by stars of five Ziv
shows. Roster includes Broderick
Crawford, Adolphe Menjou, Lloyd
Bridges, Richard Carlson and
Wendell Corey ... HFH Produc¬
tions now is filming tv commercials
for Babo & Glim, Nestles, Stand¬
ard Oil of N.J., Nabisco Thins, Ad
Council, Fletchers Castoria and
Fig Nevkons & Lorna Doones

NTAVpNet
Income for Year,
$406,983 Decline

National Telefilm Associates’ net
income after proyision for Federal
income taxes amounted to $687,048
for the fiscal year ended July 31,
1958, a drop of $406,983 from the
previous fiscal year.

NTA board chairman Ely A. Lan¬
dau attributed the decline largely
to expenditures incurred to acquire
and promote programming of
NTA’s tv stations, WNTA-TV,
N. Y. -Newark; and KMSP, St.
Paul - Minneapolis. Expenditures
were required to establish these
i stations on a competitive basis
, with the leading .stations in their
■ respective markets, Laudau added.

The annual report stated that the
’58 net income bf $687,048 was
equal to 63 cents per share on the
1,089,575 shares outstanding at the
end. of the year. This compares
with net earnings of $1,094,031 or
$1.07 per share on the 1,017,850
shares outstanding at the end of
the fiscal ’57.

Gross income for the 12-month
period totaled $15,497,595, an in¬
crease of 41.2% pver the previous
year. Income before amortization
and provision for Federal income
taxes amounted to $9,872,033 as
compared with. $6,74*7,932 a year
earlier. Reflecting: an increase of
83,658,184 in amortization charges
(.*54.599,801 in ’57 to $8,257,985 in
'58', income before taxes declined
from .82,148,031 to $1,614,048. De¬
cline also reflected initial onerating
losses of WNTA-TV and KklSP.

NTA reported exhibition con¬
tracts written for a total of $17,-
795,757 as compared with $17,720,-
134 in the previous year. Net de¬
ferred film rental income, at July
31, ’58, totalled .$3,203,244 as com¬
pared. With $2,843,101 reoorted in
the previous year. Total current
assets of the company on July 31,
’58, totalled $36,947,894 and com¬
pared w’ith $25,575,356 of total cur¬
rent liabilities.

WGN-TY’S BUNDLE
OF HALF-HR. SERIES

Chicago, Dec. 2,

WGN-'TV has purchased five new
half-hour series and a cartoon
package to supplement its mid-sea¬
son programming when football
games and the weeknight po-^t mor-
tems go by the boards. Cal Nat’s
“Flight” and “Danger Is My Busi¬
ness” will get prime time slotting
during the week, the latter as the
Chi indie’s first half-hour series to
be beamed in color. Screen Gems’
“Rescue 8” wiU also get a choice
weeknight berth.

Still unscheduled are CBS Films’
“Navy Log” and ITC’s “Sgt. Pres¬
ton of Yukon,” both recent pur¬
chases by the station. Jayark has
sold WGN-TV^a bundle of Bozo

'Bozo' Animated Series

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Charles Shows will be head
writer and story editor for Larry
Harmon Productions’ series of 156
“Bozo, the Clown” animated car¬
toons for tv-

Series will be distribbed by
Reub Kaufman’s Jayark Fims Corp.

Ziv Pnxy

John L. Sinn

ku kls ewa aaswer to

Satisfying the Public^s
Appetite

* * *

oRoriicr Editorial FeatHro In thn
npceming

53d Anniversary Number
of

UBIETY

Top 20 National Syndicated Shows

(Based on U.S. Folse Spot Film Report for October).

Compilation of the top 20 syndicated shows in the U.S. is based
on 22 basic markets, representing about 16,391,500 tv homes.
Pulse, in compiling the list, utilizes a weighted average keyed to
the number of sets in each of the 22 markets. The weighted aver¬
age takes in only the markets in which the program has been tele¬
cast. In order to qualify, a property must be telecast in at least
ten of the 22 markets. Total number of the 22 basic markets in¬
cluded in the rating compilation for each series is listed in the
brackets.

The markets include Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham; Bostont
Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit,
Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Orleans, New
York, Philadelphia, Providence, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle-
Tacoma, St. Louis and Washington.

Program

No. of Major
Markets

Dist.

NatL

Wght.

Ave.

1. Sea Hunt .

.....(20)...

Ziv .

. 21.1

2. Mike Hammer .....

.MCA.

. 16.7

3. Highway Patrol_

.....(20)...

.Ziv ..

. 16.3

4. 26 Men ...

.....(16)...

.ABC ..

. 13.0

5. State Trooper -

.....(16)...

.MCA .

. 12.6

6. San Fr^cisco Beat .

.(11).-.

.CBS .

. 12.5

7. Sheriff of Cochise ,..

....(15)...

.NTA .

. 12.4

8. Death Valley Days ^

....(19)...

.U.S. Borax .

. 11.8

9. Popeye .

...,.(18)...

.AAP .

. 11.7

10. Mac Kenzie’s Raiders

....(12)...

. Ziv ........

. 10.9

10. Silent Service ___

.....(15)...

.CNF .

. 10.9

11. Annie Oakley ..._

.(16)...

.CBS .

. 10.8

12. Whirlybirds .

.(15)...

.CBS ..

. 10.7

13. Burns and Allen _

.(13)...

.Screen G’s .

. 9.9

14. JefFs Collie .

.(15)...

. ITC .

. 9.6

15. Superman..

.(17)...

.Flamingo ...

. 9.3

16. Wild Bill Hickok ...

.....(20)..,

.Screen G’s .

. 9.2

17, Target .

.(16)...

. Ziv _____

. 9.1

18. Man Without A Gun

.(20)...

.NTA .

. 8.9

19: Huckleberry Hound

.(19)...

.Screen G’s .

. 8.6

NTA Sez Nielsen Tallies Support
'4th Web’; 96% Home Saturation

RTESTape-nim Panel

Current economic advantages of
producing and distributing film,
as opposed to video tape, will be
explored tomorrow (Thurs.) by
John Mitchell, v.p. of Screen Gems.

Mitchell will be part of a work-
ship panel luncheon of the Radio
and Television Executives Society.
Other speakers on the panel in¬
clude IMward Stifle, Eastman-
Kodak; William Blohm, Du Pont
Films; William Van Praag of Van
Praag Productions; and Clay
Adams, CBS producer. All the
speakers will address themselves
to the topic ^of “The Future of
Film in Television Production.”

GmndmanDubs
On Latino Front

Henri Grundman, who operates
dubbing studios in Spain imder the
same name and acts as Latin
American sales rep for telefilm
companies, has just concluded a
deal with Telestar Films.

Under the deal, Grundman will
dub five Telestar series in Span¬
ish and act as Latin American rep
for the shows. The series are
Topper,” “White Hunter,” “Mr.
and Mrs. North,” “Crossroads,”
and “Readers Digest.”

The Grundman operation fol¬
lows this pattern in many cases.
Henry Grundman Inc. gets the
tv licensings rights for Spain;
Grundman also gets selling rights
for the Latin American market;
in return, he dubs at a rate of
about $550 per episode, payment
not being made until revenues
pour in from Latin American
sales on the basis of a pilot.

The studios in Madrid and Bar¬
celona, under Grundman’s aegis,
have a capacity of processing 60
half-hours per month. Grundman
has also handled a wide array of
CBS Films shows and is now dub¬
bing in Spanish second year pro¬
duction of the “I Love Lucy”
series. Latter is distributed in the
Spanish-speaking market by Tele¬
vision Inter-Americana. Grundman
also is doing test dubbing on
“Gunsmoke” in Portuguese for
CBS Films. Outfit also handles
Trench-dubbing. J

■f Latest Nielsens answer two vital
questions posed at the NTA Film.
Network when it w’as launched in
October—^whether the non-coaxial
fourth web would be able to cover
the country with its affiliates and
whether it would be able to deliver
a sizable number of homes with its
six-and-a-half hours weekly pro¬
gramming.

According to a special Neilsen
report for the tw'o weeks ended
Nov. 8, the web has a coverage fac¬
tor of 96.5% of the U.S. tv homes.
The average audience tabulation of
its three half-hour series, telecast
in the evening, ranges from 11.9 to
13.5. Translated into homes
reached the 13.5 average audience
for “Man Without a Gun” is 5,481,-
000 homes.

Under the NTA week setup affili¬
ates telecast the programs at dif¬
ferent times in a variety of mar¬
kets With the ofificial cost of $15,-
000 per minute commercial on the
three half-hours, NTA states that
its cost per thousand for such a
show as “Gun’’ works out to $2.74.
The c-p-m for “This Is Alice,” ac¬
cording to NTA, is $2.80.

The NTA web daytime 60-minute
strip “TV Hour of Stars” drew a
Nov. 8 Neilsen for the two weeks
(Continued on page 55)

Stark & Layton
Sued on'Flack’

Holl^ood, Dec. 2.

An unusual suit involving film
syndication was filed last week in
LA.. Superior Court by scripter
Edmund Morris against Wilbur
Stark and Jerry Layton, producers
of the syndicated “Colonel Flack”
series. Suit seeks enforcement of
contract which called for payment
of $100 “per program broadcast’*
to Morris, with latter contending
this applies to every station broad¬
cast of syndicated series.

Contract st^s from a deal Mor¬
ris had with Stark-Layton when
he wrote “Flack”" pilot for them
in 1953 for “Alcoa Album'.” Deal
called for 10% profit participa¬
tion when series was sold, which it
subsequently was later that year
on Dumont. During Dumont run,
the contract was amended to drop
participation and provide for flat
per-program payment. Morris
contends S ark-Layton, since put¬
ting “Flack” on film for CBS syn¬
dication, have ignored his demands
for payment and filed suit.

We&esday, December 8, 1958

USr^Ft

TV-mMS

2S

’59: THE BRITISH ARE COMING

‘Clear It With Stellings’ MllJflIl TEST FDII Major Stu(li(»,Loiigtmie Holdouts,
SsySSSsISilSrH": Cfl-PiDllCTlOllS NowHa¥e$25,(K)0,(ll)0mTelepix

the exhibitors committee planning to buy up the post- UU I IIULJUU I lUIIU »

heatrical reissue and hold them off for tv. Stellings, Cl H II* 111 1 n

:omment on the move of Samuel Goldwyn to sell his By MURRAY HOROWITZ ShAlAfC KII H WAAn

: 55 pix to tv, said “I’m sure Goldwyn won’t sell before Co-productions between Amerl- UlIVTf a ilUlUllg rill II TtUUU UUOJ

A new password appears to have entered into the controversy
of selling post-’48’s to tv. It’s “clear it with StelUngs.’’

Ernest G. Stellings, former prexy of Theatre Owners of America,
heads up the exhibitors committee planning to buy up the post-
'48’s for theatrical reissue and hold them off for tv. Stellings,
asked to comment on the move of Samuel Goldwyn to sell his
package of 55 pix to tv, said “I’m sure Goldwyn won’t sell before
he talks to us.”

Goldwyn is propping “Porgy and Bess” for theatrical distribu¬
tion at this time. _^___

Dangers of ‘Show Biz In a Huny’
Pinpointed hy T^pix Quandary

Outlook is less than favorable 4^-—-----

for the large number of expected ^ 1 ^ ^ > CD A

network casualties comes January ^ JJHI1C6 rStriV S uiiU
freshly-planned

xeiepix. . dicated live teenage, series started

Reason stems from the required fourth year, completely sold out
time to get into production on sponsor-wise in 12 markets,
brand new filmed shows. Unless sponsored by local

the greenhghtis gi«n imme^ate- bottlers such as Coca-

ly, most of the telefilm houses are p i Pensi-Cola and Di* Penner
not ready to jump Into Production P, behn'ed^almost

not ready to jump into production

ana lunme nr inception by Alan Sands,

for airing the following month i p„ducer-writer.

Some telefilm producers on the ^ ' _ ■

Coast have been gambling, buying;

up scripts in the hope that they’ll : ||t ■ j fTO

get the nod for a January replace- ; WvQfkny (» I I I
ment. It makes them better , f I 1 CIUlvl O 11
equipped to jump into the breach.

But for them, time is running out, « « •

Telefilm producers need at least LfYCS LlXpHIlSIOIl^
from four to six weeks to “tool

up,” lineup the stars, get a pro- C 1. M Cl

duction crew, presuming they al- XAf \r^n75IQ

ready have prepared scripts and llwff lb/Iull£iUO

a producer and director ready to

function. The more time alloted Not catching its breath since
for pre-production, the better the 1 the takeover of Television Pro¬
quality usually. With the econom- ! grams of America. Independent
ics of the biz dictating a shooting i Television Corp. continues to ride

By MURRAY HOROWITZ

Co-productions between Ameri¬
can and British tv interests, which
for the most part have had less than
a popular commercial success on
this side of the Atlantic, will get
their major test next year.

Heavy dough is riding on these
co-production ventures, with a
large number of vidpix houses in
the U.S. represented. Upbeat in the
number largely is attributed to the
growing importance Of the Com¬
monwealth markets. (England, Aus¬
tralia and Canada can return
25% of the total cost of the series).

Growing characteristic of many,
of the ventures is the close liaison
being established to w'atch Over
production. Big effort is to avoid
insular British traits and speech
not readily understandable by the
American public.

I From the viewpoint of some top
' telefilm execs, more is at stake
than the fate of their own particu-

‘B& A,’‘Collie’Make It

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

I There is approximately $25,000,-
000 in production coin involved in

ciinriinotion ^ varlous vidseries being pro-

nf duced at the major film studios to-

the bovs day-studios which only a few

„ ' . , . _ years ago were reluctant to enter

Of all the number of off-network telepix production. In addition
rerim properties dumped into the virtually every studio is plotting
syndication hopper for this season, more series for the upcoming sea-
only two comparatively new en- son. '

tries have i^ade the Pulse top 20 While the majors’ overall pro-
report for November. They ^e duction total doesn’t compare with
Burns and Allen and Jeff s that of the indie telefilmers as yet,
‘x. printed they are approaching the indies,

m this issue is based on October b^jh in output and concentration
ratings in the top 22 markets. qjj additionai teleshows.

Columbia and W-arner Bros,
r**! TA I majors in vidpix, Colum-

I KS PllftIC KQaIt subsid. Screen Qems,

■ vOlJ I lllllv Uuvli which is turning out such series
■ as “Father Knows Best,” “The

1 ■ IT i A A Donna Reed Show.” “Alcoa-Good-

InrA IM A K Theatre.” “The Ed Wynn

null iixiO) DUt Show.” “Shirlev Temple Story¬
book,” “Behind Closed Doors” and
“Jefferson Drum.”

• The Burbank lot is producing a
Ct I lUlUvl hefty ouota of vidnix, in series
■ such as “Maveri -k,” “Chevenne,”
At least one syndicator has re-i “Sugarfoot,” “lawman.” “77 Sun-
joined the National Assn, of Broad- set Strip” and “Colt .45.”

-casters. It's CBS Films and Leslie Walt Disney’s comoany. one of
; Harris, CBS Films topper, let it th" to enter tv, is active turn-
be known in his letter of reappli- , ing out the hour-’ong “Walt Dis-
cation that he, along with the • ny Presents” and the half-hour
other film syndicators, would like * serie.'?. “.Zorro.”

. to see the NAB mend its ways and ? MGAI-TV thus far has only “The
stop treating syndication as the j Thin Man” series, but is working
second-class citizens of broadcast- ; on several new projec'r. As for
ing 120th-Fox Television, which has

Harris’ protest and the „on-' "““bar of vidseries in th«

memher,ship status of the majority Wteprintmg an en-

o£ syndicators stems from i^e i r,"’

.NAB ruiing which prohibits fiim ' *. P.' kfhrtin Manuiis.
syndicators from exhibiting at the i “'f

, , . . ■ li* _ • J-Ui# J. Cil iitta u.ccii .ficiuicu, ajLiiiuai. xiiaxi me xauc paiLicu-

and get series rolling in December . inception by Alan Sands, lar properties. If the telefilms are

quality usually. With the econom- ! grams of America. Independent
ics of the biz dictating a shooting i Television Corp. continues to ride
schedule of from two to three days ; the expansion bandwagon,
per episode, everything has to be ! The Walter Kingsley-helmed op-
ironed out prior to putting the eration now is on the prowl for a

segment before the cameras.

; top production exec to ride herd

Blame . for some of the poor ; on its many projects, both in Holly-
quality in vidpix is attributed by ; wood and abroad. Leon Fromkess,
many top execs in the biz to the ! the production head of the ab-
lack of time needed for prepara- > sorbed TPA, has pulled out of the
tion. It’s getting to be a situation : job. (See separate Fromkesa
of “wait-and-huriy-uo” with con-: story.)

sequent loss in quality. j On the national level, this is

Among those on the Coast who i what the ITC production roster
bought scripts gambling on a mid- - looks like at this point: “Tom
season nod are Don Fedderson for ; Swift,” “Four Just Men.” “Cannon-
“The Quiet Man;” Ida Lupino and ! ball,” the Satevepost series, for-
Howard Duff for “Green Peacock.” [ merly called “The Best of the
Jack Webb, even prior to his sale Post,” but which will be retitled,
of “D.A.’s Man,” had done a pilot ; and “Interpol.” All of these will
and 13 scripts. . CBS-TV' has , be pitched at the spring selling
bought additional scripts, beyond season for fall airing.

the pilot on “Attorney.”

“Four Just Men.” by Sapphire,

Shortened seasons, exemplified and “Interpol” bv P. Arthur Rank
by the shortterm deals of less : will he produced in Britain. “Can-
than 26 weeks, serves to snueeze ! nonball,” now being telecast in
the potential of telefilms finding j Canada, was pitched last spring for

network berths.

this season in the U.S., but didn’t
latch on to a national sale. The
_ _ I Satevepost series, 18 episodes of

17 _ I _ ’Which have .been completed, will

rromKcss, uorflon i ^^vamped with a host

^ addition to these projects, the

., m ! Jack Wrather sparked ITC ouLfit

K AlVIQin n I AOtn ' following series riding na-

IVCllldlll cl ICClIll ti.onally: “Lone Ranger,” “Lassie,”
j “Fury” and the “Gale Storm
Hollywood Dec 2 Show.” A decision will be made
Leon Fromkess and MUton Gor-tTiis winter on whether to put re-
don have set up a new indie outfit; ‘ Fury’ and “Gale Storm”

for the production of both vidpix; syndication mart.

and theatrical features.

Oh. the market-by-market level.

Move follows Fromkess’ resigna-, ITC hopes to have a minimum of
tion last week from Independent, four first-run entries yearly. (TPA ;
Television Corp., company formed 1 ran at the pace of three a yeark ’
by Jack Wrather after his pur^- Current big push in syndication is
chase of Television Programs of the off-network “Sergeant Preston j
America, of which Fromkess was' of the Yukon” entry. Another en-!
exec vp in charge of production,, try is likely to be unveiled shortly. ■
Gordon was prexy of TPA. ( Organizationally, outfit plaiis to '

At time of TPA sale to ITC, j have a sales division of 75 men in :
both Fromkess and Gordon sold j the U.S., according to topper |
their stock in company on a capi- | Kingsley. Sales staff number would •
tal gains deal, Fromkess also i encompass those working on the
agreeing to remain to complete i national, regional, syndication and

production of two series, “Fury”
and “New York Confidential.”

New enterprise will mark a re¬
turn to feature production for
Fromkess, who before entering tv
was exec assistant to Samuel Gold¬
wyn and prior to that exec pro¬

rerun level, all separate areas un¬
der the ITC setup.

Fromkess, who before entering tv ZIV IJPS MONTGOMERY
was exec assistant to Samuel Gold- Hollywood, Dec. 2. I

wyn and prior to that exec pro- Howard Montgomery has been '
ducer of the former PRC Pictures elevated to the post of casting di-
and hoard member of old Mono- rector for Ziv TV,
gram Pictures. After leaving He moves up from his casting I
Goldwyn, he produced for MCA’s ' post under Benn Jacobson, who ■
Revue Productions, then set . up : resigned last Wednesday in a dis- ■
Arrow Productions, which grew agreement over the studio’s cast-;
into TPA. J ing policy. 1

to grow, like the motion picture
industry, it must be international
in scope and there must be some
true reciprocity involved—overseas
' productions chalking up hits in the
U.S.

Position of Hollywood guilds in
the matter is considered shiort-

• sighted by the film packagers on
both sides of the Atlantic. Without

‘ the grow'h of the foreign market,
i telefilm production in Hollywood
also w' aid suffer. Present discrep-
. ancles in guild payments between
J U.S. and Britain is expected to be

■ minimized with time.

There are difficulties other than
economics and British insular
traits and accents, though. They

• stem from the nature of the tv
medium in the U. S. For a com-

: mercial success on tv, the telepix
. vehicle shown in the U.S. must
; have mass appeal, a§ opposed to
; selective appeal, “Ro*bin Hood.”

. out of the Sanphire bin, achieved
; that status. But other examples
, in the past are few and far be¬
tween.

Popularity of British motion-p'c-
tures in the U.S. largely is- with
, selected audiences. They are pix
' indigenous^ to Britain. With te’e-
pix needing that wide common de¬
nominator for a commercial suc¬
cess in the U.S., the challenge of
. British vidpix production is of a
different nature.

One major test of the workability
of co-productions will he - CBS
Films’ “Rendezvous,” First 13
. episodes of the series, heading the
: syndication route, were made in
; the U.S. The following 26 are be-
; ing made in London with Associ-
ated-Rediffuslon partnered. Amer-.
lean producer Edwin Knopf has ‘
; been sent over to oversee the se-
1 ries, many episodes of which have
: been penned by American authors. '
. Comparison of the U.S. and Brit-
, ish segments should be of more
: than usual interest.

■ Independent Television Corp. '
‘ (ITO has two coming out of Brit-

; ain “Four Just Men,” starring Dan
i Dailey, Jack Hawkins. Vittorio de
; Sica, and another American star, ‘
I yet unselected. It also is doing “In-
’ terpole” with J. Arthur Rank.

Gross - Krasne - Sillerman has ,

; “Glencannon.” starring Thomas!

■ Mitchell, and “Flying Doctor.” both •

. oeing produced in Britain. Sy ■
i V/eintraub’s Sol Lesser Produc-

! tions has teamed up with J. Arthur
! Rank for a number of skeins. The
' roster includes other telefilmeries ■

; in the U.S., such as National Tele-
[ film Associates. .'

, Study TV Film Cue Marks j

Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers has formed a
new television subcommittee to
study tv film cue mark placement
' and film leader reauirements. ac¬
cording to Axel G. Jensen, SMPTE ’
v.p. • j

Subcommittee is part of the par -1
ent SMPTE Television Committee i
and will be chaired by Norman R.J
Olding, operations engineer for ■
the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. 1

CBS Films Back
Into NAB, But
With a Protest

natron:nonVei«on “ ! .Paramount h.s made pilots via

„ , 2 . . ■ its tv svbnd, Paramount-Sunset,

NAB prez H^nld Fellows in ^ gjjd Allied Artists, which has pro-
ommenting on the CBS Films ac-I v’dserie'?. receTit’y made a

commenting on the CBS Films ac-

ceptance defended the NAB rul- ! conjunct’on wHh ABC-TV.

ing which, he pointed out. al.co
involves station rep houses and

On^y major studio not active in
vidpix nroduct’cn is Univensal-

other associate members. He said international, anhough t^rat lot has

so:ne. but not all syndicators, ere- g teleblurb noeration, and leases
ated a circus atmo.sphere at the to indie vidoix producers.

annual conclaves, replete with gals ^_

in “lion skins.’’ NLRB’s board of ;

directors in imposing the ban felt |

can't regulate it, got rid g 5iM80Ut

Fellows went on to say that the

ruling would be reexamined at the /^kT ^ I ^ ^

next board meetig of NAB. follov.-- I I I

ing the Washington convention. . I iSlkaiiacaCC /

Despite the exhibition ban, syndi- i ^ . i. , .

cators can maintain reception Screen Cems is breaking next

rooms and hospitality suites at ^ half-hour tele-

the convention. Fellows added.
Most syndicators, including CBS

film series for syndication. Show
is based on “Man from Tallahas¬
see,” hourlong series which SG

Films feci though^ftat the rightrhe begS:

T\‘^‘ :ning of the season and is now called

Without that right, many major . -stakeout ”

syndicators^ feel that the tab of xelefilmer explained that tire
about 31,500 yearly just isnt jiatthau-starrer will differ

worth it. It remains to he seen
whether CBS Films’ position will
alter the attitude of other syndica¬
tors.

CBS TOP ECHELON
FOR FILMS CONFAB

from “Tallaha.'^see’’ in that the syn¬
dicated scries will go in more
heavily for action rathhr tlian the
psychological angles. Production
begins next wee’-c, it’s understood.
Stanza will be on location in Flor¬
ida. so that star Matt'nau reported¬
ly will be ankiing his role in tha
Broadway legiter, “Once More
W'ith Feeling.”

That the CBS Films sub.sid en-• _!__

joys the solid backing of the par-; ({i i RnliinS

ent company is evident from the «ivUa uldflo

roster of speakers scheduled, to ad- WiFIi

dress the telefilm subsid's na- Vflin MI fl 06068

, tional sales meeting, scheduled to -d Dec. 2.

1 2 . t T- - Production has gotten under

be held Monday (8) thiough Fii- .^^.gy g^ on the new “Alcoa

day. Presents” telcscrios being pro-

Luncheon speakers include: duced bj* One Steu Beyond Pro-

.Merle S. Jones, prer CBS televi-, I”'' -, h-teded by Col-

. J- • - T /-I Youne. A coa has ordered 26

Sion stations division; Louis G. episodes of the naif-hour sd-fi
Cowan, prez CBS-TV net; Hubbell i series.

Robinson Jr., e.xec v.p. in charge] John Newland directs the first
of network programs; Sig Mickel- • epi.sode, will al.-o appear in them,
sen, CBS v.p. and general manager “Emergency Only,” by Young, is
of CBS News; and Frank Stanton, the first one being shot, witli Lynn
CBS prez. McCarthy, Jocelyn Brando and

Powwow, to be held a‘ the Plaza Paula Raymond in the cast.

Hotel, will be attended by man- Larry Marcus is a.ssociate pro-
agers and account execs from all duccr of the serie.«, which begins
ib sales offices in the U.S. and on ABC-TV at 10 p.m, Tuesday,

16

mABK^lKLEVISION

Wednesday, December 3, 195S

PSrIE^

^nsor Identification ProUem
Grows Increasingly Acute Due To
Program Turnover & Time Shifts

By JACK BERNSTEIN

Sponsor identification, one of
the direct ways of finding out if
the viewer is conscious of the prod¬
uct advertised and prone to buy,
has steadily been on the decline,
the agencymen say, with one of
the key reasons being that a pro¬
gram isn’t around long enough to
pick up viewer attention. Secondly,
tliere’s the fact that network pro¬
grams are constantly moving, seek-
tog a better time berth.

Since the start of the *58-’59 tv
season Pharmaceuticals has had
three programs in the Thursday
8:30 slot on NBC-TV with reports
that a fourth is easily possible if
the audience participation show “It
Could Be You” doesn’t build.
When the season opened “Twenty-
One” was comfortably perched in
the time slot. It gave way to “Con¬
centration” another Barry-Enright
production which failed to get off
the ground. Latter show bit the
dust last week in favor of the lat¬
est entry.

With one-third of the network
programs unlikely to make the
grade, over the season’s run (Tom
McDermott, veepee in charge of
radio-tv at Benton & Bowles pre¬
dicts half of the current nighttime
shows will die and will not be
around for the ’59-’6(> season), and
with a total of 12 shows already
marked for alteration in January,
both national advertisers and cli¬
ents ar^ concerned about sponsor
identification.

Not only have there been re¬
placements but the constant jug¬
gling of time slots has weakened
the advertiser’s power to move the
goods. Nearly 209o of the shows
carried over from last year have
moved into new time periods to
garner better ratings.

L&M’s Shuffle

With only two months of the
television season completed, Lig¬
gett & Myers has already decided
to revamp its lineup bringing in
two new vehicles and moving the
time periods of another set of
programs.

Westerns as a program type have
consistently been low in sponsor
identification, yet the program top¬
pers continue to buy them up for
their clients because of high rat¬
ings. Quiz and audience participa¬
tion pro^ams, which fell under a
black cloud, were always high on
Identiflcation giving rise to the be¬
lief that they^H be around again.

Other factors which have led to
lower sponsor Identification and
advertising worries are the pres¬
ent method of selling off shows un¬
der the magazine concept which
has led to tv viewers to be faced
with multiple plugging. Secondly,
on such entries as Perry Como and
“Playhouse 90,” there are as many
as four bankrollers, sometimes with
cross-plugs, making for additional
woes to national advertisers. Third¬
ly, the split in the three networks
has increased audience turnover.

Some agencies have beat the
sponsor identification problem by
sticking with the same time and
program (regardless of rating) pro¬
viding the agency feels it is hitting
the viewers that are likely to buy
the product Instead of reaching
for the masses as some advertisers,
some agencymen settle for less if
they get the desired, audience.
Sports programs are considered
Ideal for clients pushing men’s
products.

Other methods of beating the
sponsor identification rap: inte¬
grating commercials with the show
and by using the headliner to de¬
liver the plug as a personal en¬
dorsement. Some advertisers have
used their name in the title of the
show.

If the name of the product is re¬
tained by watching a program and
identified with the program,
agencymen believe that the high
cost of lelevision will be worth¬
while for it’s bound to show up in
the sales charts.

. SWITCHES: Calkin & Holden
has lost its second top executive
within a matter of two weeks with
J. Blan van Urk, exec veepee and
d rector of the agency, slated to
leave Jan. 1, to open his own of¬
fices. Two weeks aro M. E. Car-
lock, vice chairman of the board of

, directors, • resigned the agency to
join Burke Dowling Adams as
chairman of the board. He re¬
portedly- left the agency after
other executives had nixed his
plan for merging with Burke Dowl¬
ing Adams.

Blan van Urk, who joined C&H
in 1954 as a Veepee and chairman
of the plans board, stated his rea¬
son for leaving was to open an ad¬
vertising and marketing consulting
firm in February with offices in
Philadelphia.

Lee J. Heagerty, veepee of mer¬
chandising for Grant Advertising,
has resigned to become president
of Hudson Productions, Montreal,
international lip - synchronization
service for films.

LOST * FOUND: Gardner Ad¬
vertising, St. Louis, has picked up
the National Car Rentals account
effective Jan. 15.

Dearborn Chemical Co., Ltd.,
Toronto, has appointed J. J. Gib¬
bons to handle its advertising.

Marathon TV Newsreel has
been named to handle tv and
newsreel p.r. for Volkswagen of
America.

Hicks & Greist has landed the
Metal Textile Corp. accoimt The
agency will handle mostly indus¬
trial advertising.

McCann-Erickson has picked up
the $1,000,000 G. Heileman Brew¬
ing Co. account formerly handled
by Compton Advertising. The
switch in agencies effective Jan.
1, was mutually ^eed upon by
Compton & Heileman. The brew¬
ery has longrange expansion plans
that would put it in conflict with
another account handled by Comp¬
ton.

Campbell-Mithun, which handles
Red Heart dog food with estimated
billings of $1,000,000, has been
axed by John Morrell Zt Co. No
reason was given for the dropping
of CM and it’s expected that a new
agency will not be named for a
few weeks.

REFS: Avery-Rnodel appointed
to rep WAIT, Chicago and WGMS,
Washington.

Katz Agency has released a spot
tv advertising cost summary,
which includes formulas for esti¬
mating spot television budgets.

Edward Meizels, Edward Smith
and Don Chapman have joined thg
Adam Young reppery. Meizels is
ex NBC Spot Sales. Smith comes
from the Christal reppery and
Chapman was media group super¬
visor at. Lennen & Newell.

Chi Agencies

By LES BROWN

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Clinton E. Frank agency snap¬
ped up the Curtiss Candy Cq. ac¬
count, the estimated annual bill¬
ing of which are over $1,000,000.
This brings the fast-growing Frank
agency to the $10,000,000 mark.
Agency was one of 25 screened by
Curtiss.

J. R. Pershall agency and Reach,
McClinton and Co. merged with
Pershall as prez. New agency
will be known as - Reach, McCUn-
ton and Pershall with offices in
the Prudential Bldg.

Chi area Ford dealers allocating
50% of budget for radio but es¬
chewing television this round.

CJunningham & Walsh plucked
College Inn Food "Products ac¬
count.

O’Brien Paint Corp. ankled
Campbell-Mithun for the Clinton
E. Frank agency.

' Charles F. Fleischmann, veep
of Young & Rubicam, named man¬
ager of contact department of Chi
office and continues as account
supervisor.

Needham, Louis & Brorby named
seven new officers Frederick D.
Sulcer, Donald J. Dickens, Edward
C. McAuliffe and Ricker Van Me¬
tre Jr. to associate copy director¬
ships; John W. Amon and C. Frank¬
lin Johnson to exec art directors;
and Dr. Perham C. Nahl to director
of creative research.

Robert W. Dailey quit suddenly
last week as v.p./in McCann-Erick-
son’s Chi office. His assignment
here began last June in a transfer
from the 'Cleveland office of M-E,
where he was viceprez and general

manager. Dailey had been with the
agency 14 years.

Isker & Adajian Inc: has been
formed to take over the accounts
of the defunct Pilgrim Advertising.
Rohland A. Isker and'Armen Ada¬
jian head the new firm.

London Agencies

By BARRY BARNETT

London, Dec. 2.

Neal Kirby has. become a direc¬
tor of Howard and Howard, Ltd.,
the firm of advertising consultants'.
Kirby, who was for 11 years with
Rank Screen Services Ltd., will
have sales and executive responsi¬
bility for the tv side of the busi¬
ness.

J. Lyons & Co., which operates
an extensive chain of restaurants
and. tea shops throughout Britain,
as well as manufacturing numerous
lines of foodstuffs, is propping a
large tv and picture theatre adver¬
tising campaign during this month
for its pastry mixes.

Rank Screen Services Ltd., has
secured the exclusive rights for the
exhibition of advertising films in
the cinema at the British Trade
Fair at Lisbon, which will run from
May 29 through till June 14 next
year. ' ■

Prize winning films from the
fifth International Advertising Film
Festival held earlier this year in
Venice, are being screened today
(Tues.) and tomorrow (Wed.) at the
Odeon and Wimer theatres in Lei¬
cester Square.

Donahue>Coes
Unique Tusion
WithKM&JAgcy.

Mergers never really w'ork be¬
cause usually there is a conflict in
accounts or there is a conflict in
personaiities. In fact twp agencies
never really merge. One shop ab¬
sorbs the other. So stated Walter
AVeir, exec veepee^of Donahue &
Coe, in describing what is regarded
as a* first in advertising circles of
the unusual tieup between Dona¬
hue & Coe and Keyes, Madden '&

: Jones. Under an agreement the
two agencies will, combine facilities
in New York, Chicago and Los
Angeles for the purpose of expand¬
ing services for both agencies. The
agencies will not merge but will be
tied together by a bond with Keyes,
Madden & Jones serving Donahue
& Coe clients in Chicago and the
latter agency repping KM&J in
New York. The Combined billings
of the two agencies will be approxi¬
mately $50,000,000. The agreement
becomes effective January 1, 1959.

Mergers have been the advertis¬
ing story of 1958 with Lennen &
Newell joining with Buchanan Sc
Co. and absorbing Merchandising
Factors, San Francisco;,Emll Mogul
joining with Lewin, Williams &
Saylor; the merger of three Coast
agencies, Honig-Cooper, Harrington
& Min^r, Doner & Peck-teaming
up and the recently formed combo
of Kastor, Farrell, Chesley & Clif¬
ford with Hilton & Riggio.

To avoid the merger but to get
the benefit of a large agency in
marketing, research and merchan¬
dising, Freeman Keyes, chairman
of KM&J, describes the arrange¬
ment as a fusion of the skills of
both agencies. “It enables both
agencies to retain their individual
identity and corporate structure
while achieving the maximum ad¬
vantages of their total facilities.”
Keyes believes that this may set a
■pattern for other, agmicies to follow
who do not wish to merge.

Total personnel numbers in ex¬
cess of . 500 under the new setup
and is spread among the seven
cities in which both agencies oper¬
ate. Thirty-six national advertisers
in aU will be served by the two
agencies.

Individually, Donahue Sc Coe
bills an estimated $30,000,000 of
which 28% is in broadcast while
KM&J handles accounts worth
520,000,000, half of the bilhngs be¬
ing in radio-tv.

San Francisco—S t a n 1 e y G.
Breyer, retiring as manager of
KJBS, will become a partner in
the operation of KSAY. He’ll
join forces with Clair G, Halver¬
son, general manager, and radio
vet Les Malloy, Station is city’s
only locally owned outlet

i; TV-Radio Production Centres

IN NEW YORK CITY ...

Martha Stewart guesting on Robert Q. Lewis’ CBS Radio show, this
week . . . Larry Kert of “West Side Story” and his sister, Anita Ellis,
standby for Pat Suzuki and Miyoshi Umeki in “The Flower Drum
Song,” made their first tv guest appearance together Monday (1) on
Dave Garroway’s "Today” over NBC-TV . . . Ralph Cohn, prexy of
Screen Gems; * Jerry Danzig,^ veep in charge of NBC Radio Network
Programs, and Mike Wallace, ABC-TV interviewer, will discuss Rus¬
sian tv at Academy of TV Arts and Sciences luncheon Monday, Dec.
15 at Waldorf-Astoria luncheon. Trio recently returned from State
Dept, sponsored tour of USSR broadcasting centers . . . WCBS Radio’s
Bill Leonard will spend Christmas holiday in Puerto Rico and Domini¬
can Republic lining up program material for his January shows.. . .
Stan Freeman of WCBS Radio joins roster of CBS-TV talent for “Sa¬
lute to American Jewry” Sunday, Dec. 7. He’ll do his, “Fantasy on
Gershwin Themes.”

Peter Van Doren, cousin of quiz-champ and NBOTV host Charles
Van Doren, scripting “A Book That Lives’* for CBS-TV’s “Lamp Un¬
to My Feet” Sunday (7) in observance of National Bible Week . . .
Robert I. Queen, CBS Radio Press Dept, copy editor, has penned a
manual on “Planning Special Events” which is being considered by
Prentice-Hall... CBS* LowcU Thomas off to Zanzibar to join his son
LoweU Jr. for filming of March episode of “High Adventure.” . . .
Harry Rasky, producer of CBS-TV’s “UN In Action,” back from Pitts¬
burgh where he scouted advance project for Public Affairs Dept. . . .
Milbum McCarthy, head "of public relataohs firm, and wife Eleanor,
off tp Bermuda to celebrate 10th wedding anni . . . Jock Mahoney of
CBS-TV’s “Derringer” in Gotham for a visit . . . Boh Precht, asso¬
ciate, producer of CBS-TV’s “Ed Sullivan Show,” off to India to line
up talent and Ipcales for upcoming India show . . . CBS newsman
Walter Cronkite off to Nassau for 10-day holiday and Richard Hot-
telctleft for South America-to gather'info for CBS’ annual “Years of
Crisis” telecast .... Chet Huntley’s winter lecture Schedule Includes
appearances Dec. 16 at Woodmere (L.I.) Hadassah and subsequent
dates in Dayton,. Lima and Rockville Center, L.I. . . Ian Martin
doubling between his stage appearance in Sean O’Casey’s “Cock-a-
doodle-Dandy” and featimed role on CBS Radio’s “Second htos. Bur¬
ton” soaper . . . Doris .Rich into character role on CBS Radio's “Road
to Life.” . . . Girl who played gun moll in Monday’s (1) NBC-TV pro¬
duction of “Gun Moll” was Lucy Marlow, wife of K.Y. Yankee in-
fielder Andy Carey . . . Wally Griffin doing another Jack Paar. stanza
tonight (Wed.) . . . Choreographer Herbert Moss and producer Perry
Cross signed for Frank Cooper agency representation ... Still photog
(for the tv trade) Gary Wagner throwing his annual dinner-dance bash
Friday (5) at the Sherry’-Netherland for the -vidflacks . .'. Bob How¬
ard writing Jimmy Dean CBS-TWer, imder Joe Bigelow .'. . Bill
Wendell to Hollywood, Fla., for a remote on one of the last “Brains
& Brawn” stanzas . . . Five-minute pre-and-post game periods around
MBS’ Saturday (j29) Army-Navy Game was picked up for sponsorship
by True Magazine. Philco'presented the game . . . Walter WlncheU
originating his Sunday evening Mutual broadcasts from WKAT, Mi¬
ami Beach, for the next several weeks . . . WPIX, an educational tv
outlet during the daytime hours, received an award by the Jewish
War Veterans for its public service programming . . . WLIB had 15
clergymen from all over the country on the air Thanksgiving Day.
Their half-minute message of thanks was used In the WLIB newscasts
each hour and half-hour. ...

WCBS Radio general manager Sam J. Slate was cited by the execu¬
tive board of Manhattan Council Boy Scouts of America for his aid in
scout membership drive .. . Oscar Katz, CBS-TV veep of daytime pro¬
grams, off to Hollywood on biz . . . Group of indie performers In¬
cluding Herb Duncan, Richard Reynold^ Maryann Gudiin, Helen Ver-
bit and Kate Wilkinson invited some 600 talent buyers to witness 90-
minute program of scenes, “Six by Five” on Monday (1) at Theatre
Marquee . * . Carol. Teitel featured in CBS-TV “Lamp Unto My Feet”
Sunday (7) . . . Soprano Nelda Scagsella, who was stricken -with mul¬
tiple sclerosis recently, will make guest appearance on Dave Garro¬
way’s “Today” Tuesday (9). Miss Scanella recently signed with Jim
Geallis imder personal management contract . . . Charles L. Bennis
made manager of radio recording section of NBC Radio Network.
Bennis observes 30 years of service with NBC Dec. lO", . . Jessica
Tandy’s segment on. Hallmark Chrirfmas Show on NBC-TV Sunday
(14) will be playlet, “Miracle of the Orphanage” in which she’ll play
sup^intendent of an orphanage . . . Editorial associate Charles. Ro-
mipe and director Charles N. Hill to the Coast to handle details for
the Ann Sotheru “Person to Person” remote , . . Elmer W. Lower, di¬
rector of operations for CBS N^ws, participated to last week’s guest
lectures at Univ. of Missouri, as part of 50th anni celebration of Missouri
School of JournaHsm. Lower is on leave of absence from CBS News
to do graduate work at Columbia Univ. on Fund for Adult Education
fellowship.

Mildred ’Trares into “Gift of the Magi” next Tues. (9) on CBS-’TV
. . . Joe Julian, who just finished taping “Eternal Light:” for Simday
(14) exposure, leaves today (Wed.) for Staunton, Va., to make a film
for CBS-TV’s upcoming ’T” . . . Barrett H. Geoghegan becomes sales
manager for WABC Radio . . . Air Force Academy grid team gets its
I national video intro Saturday (6) on NBC-TV’s “Wheaties Sports Page,”
in an o.o. of the Academy’s new Rocky Mt. plant . . . Eleanor Corrigan,
formerly of Benton & Bowles flack staff, moving to Ted Bates for video
p.r. . . . Dave Geisel to direct Jan. 7 Timex jazz stanza, with Bill
Hahin producing . . . Freelon (Nat) Fowler, ex ABC-TV pubrelations
film topper, to public relations chieftaincy for local division of Salva¬
tion Army.

WOR shifted The Fitzgeralds’ telecast to the upstairs (bar) Play¬
bill at the Hotel Manhattan, as a means to hypo that room, and also
afford the Mr. & Mrs. team better acoustics. The Zeckendorfs will bally
a throwaway line from one of their broadcasts—“dinner at 8th”—as
part of the hotel’s pitch (it’s situated on 8th Ave., 44th-45th St.).

IN HOLLYWOOD . . .

The campaign launched by Ruth and John Conte to restore “Mat¬
inee Theatre” to NBC-TV by popular subscription has been abandoned
and $312,670 received from donors in the mail will be returned. It
was not near enough, according to the Contes, so the project had to
be dropped. It cost NBC nearly $100,000 a week for the daylight hour
color five-a-weeker . . . Walter Grauman ends his six-year association
with NBC-TV as director to free lance ... Fred Beck, actor-humorist,
drew a role in the Bob Cummings vidpic. Last time before a camera
was 34 years ago as a British T'mmy in “The Better Ole.” . . . Frank
Mullen, now teamed with Franx Ferrin in' the sale of the latter’s
filmed properties, sold the reruns of “Andy’s Ga^g” to NBC and has
a network deal working for “Sabu,” filmed in Africa by Ferrin’s crew
. . . Bill Kayden will produce three pilots of “On the (Jo,” audience
participation show to star Jack Linkletter, for John Gue^L Kayden
formerly teamed with BUI Benningtun on NBC-TV spex , . . Meredith
WUlson (“Music Man”) and, BBD&O’s. Wayne Tiss, who were bandmen
together in Mason City, Iowa, are covering all Rose Rowl bets on
(Continued on page 68)

Wednesday, December S, 1958

RADIO-TELEVISION

27

SOAPS STILL 99S% SAFE

Nielsen Top 10 (Daytime)

As The World Turns (CBS) .....9.3

Price Is Right (NBC) ..........9.0

Concentration (NBC) . ^0

Search For Tomorrow (CBS) ....8.2

Guiding Light (CBS) ... 8.2

Verdict Is Yours (CBS) .... /.7.9

Secret Storm (CBS) . ,..7.9

House Party (CBS) .7.7

Edge of Night (CBS) .......7.6

Brighter Day (CBS) . 7.4

RTAFTRA on Merger:‘SAG

(Coast) Trying to Homswc^ Us

Reaction of members in- the
American Federation of Television
& Radio Artists to steps taken
last week by Coast members of
Screen Actors Guild in favor of
merger Is that they are actually a
deterrent to merger. Feeling among
AFTRAns in New York is that
^‘SAG is trying to hornswoggle us”
by Immediately aiming at a merger
of five rcrforming unions “when
they know dam well that there’ll
be. enough problems facing the
merger of Just two unions, SAG
and AFTRA.”

Contention of a major figure in
AFTRA was that the “ground
swell for merger” forced the SAG
board “to make out like they’d
joined us, when actually they hope
the conditions they make for Join¬
ing the unions will delay the thing
for years.”

Last week at a Coast member¬
ship meeting of SAG, the rank-and-
file defeated a resolution to
merge Just SAG and AFTRA by
554 to 423. A spokesman for SAG
said that on the other hand the
members offered overwhelming ac¬
ceptance of a proposal to eventu¬
ally merge all the member unions
of the Associated Actors Sc Artistes
of America. (A few weeks earlier,
the N.Y. membership of SAG
okayed a merger with AFTRA).

At this point, it's held likely
that the other three unions in the
4A’s will agree in principle to a
complete merger of the five unions.
Word of approval came swiftly
from Actors Equity, of which Ralph
Bellamy is prexy. “Bellamy,” said
a spokesman for the organization,
“has favored merger for years.”
“Ralph was the first to suggest it
and neither our position in favor
of it nor his has changed.’^ A re-
‘ liable report is Jackie Bright, of
the American Guild of Variety Ar¬
tists, and Hy Fain, of the American
Guild of Musical Artists, also favor i
merger.

An ironic twist to this situation, in
which SAG and Equity are at the
moment among the most out¬
spoken supporters of merg^, is
that these two “have resisted it the
most” in years, past, according to
extremely authorative sources in
the 4A’s.

As an AFTRAn was quick to
point out, “They’re aU in favpr of
merger, on principle. They al¬
ways have been, but when they
were offered a workable plan in
1951 (Cornell-UCLA study) they
(Continued on page 62)

kalo TV Sets Giant
Spec to Conunemorate
l,0()0,000tfa Snbscriber

Rome, Dec. 2.

The entire Italian television net¬
work, RAI-TV, will be linked Dec.
13 for a giant spectacular to cele¬
brate the official attainment of a i
million subscribers, (Net is said i
to be well past that figure, but of¬
ficial totals usually lag some
months behind actual sums).

Seventy cameras and all roving ]
units will be mobilized through- i
out the peninsula to contribute to 1
the program, content of which wiU
run the gamut of current RAI-TV
fare.

“Inside” view of new studios in
Naples, as weU as older installa¬
tions in Rome, Milan, and 'Turin
will also be part of the show,
with all action on national scale
to be directed by Alberto Gagliar-
delli, one of the oldest directors of
RAI-TV.

Gnedel’s 'On the Go'

'Hollywood, Dec. 2.

John Guedel Productions is
propping a new audience-participa¬
tion series, "On the Go!” to be
emceed by Jack Linkletter.

WiUiam Kayden will produce
three pilots during next four
weeks, with Irvin Atkins acting
as exec producer arid Lloyd Gaines
directing.

Guarantees On
Stockpiling Key
To Strike Spike

Informal meetings between net¬
works and the American Federa¬
tion of Television & Radio Artists
have led to a narrowing of the
differences on a new two-year con¬
tract for actors. Dickers were
slated to reconvene yesterday
(Tues.) when the networks were
supposed to come across with an¬
swers on stockpiling of programs
in case of strike and one ■ or two
other issues that hitherto have
been critical.

A actual'accord may take sever¬
al weeks more, according to ne¬
gotiators. Stockpiling demand by
AFTRA was intended to prevent
the webs from using previously
made programming to weaken
AFTRA’s strength during a strike.

In fact, the networks have not
conceded this point, nor the one
concerning an amendment to
clause 88b of the current contract,
but it Is reported that there is
considerably more rapport these,
days in the negotiations than at
any time previously. Clause 88
covers the areas of AFTRA’s* juris¬
diction and the union is said to
want it amended to give it control
of all taped programming appear¬
ing on network airtime. It’s held
possible that the union will relin¬
quish this demand for a.guarantee
on stockpiling.

Meantime, in Hollywood, .nego¬
tiations between AFTRA and
L.A.’s four indie telestations over
staff announcers’ wages broke off
when the union advised it could
no longer negotiate on the basis
of company proposals which
would “reduce Income ... as much
as $125' a, vyeek.” Claude McCue,
an AFTRA ” local executive, de¬
clared that unless there is a quick
change in the companies’ posi¬
tion, “a strike Ls inevitable.” A
strike by the indies’ staff an¬
nouncers would not affect the
current network dickers, since
those two contracts are inked sep¬
arately.

Trimer on Congress’

For NBC-TV's Today’

NBC News is planning a five-
part series, “Primer on Congress,”
on NBC-TV’s “Today” Jan. 5-9.

Frank McGee will do the com¬
mentary from Washington. Sub¬
jects will include rules of Congress,
leaders of Congress, Committee
System, Locations and how bills
are acted on.

Specials will be telecast at 7:30

am.

S British Com! mSlEWOOO

miENeS

Where daytime television is con¬
cerned (as with radio before it) the
quiz-audience participation-game
shows and the “personality boys who
can sell” can come and go, but the
surefire formula on the ultimate
Nielsen payoff still remains the
soap opera. Periodically someone
comes up with a “new format” tn
v/oo the housewife and for a whUe |
it may seem that a whole new i
trend has been inspired for day¬
time programming, but when the
chips are down the soaps bounce
back and reassert their supremacy.

Take, for example, the newest
Nielsens (for the first part of No¬
vember). Among the Top 10 there
are six CBS-TV serials, with one
of the: weepers, “As the World
Turns,” leading the whole Top 10
shebang. NBC is represented by.
two shows, “Price Is Right” and
“Concentration” (in the No. 2 and
No. 3/spots, respectively), the re¬
maining:—but highly successful-
vestiges of last season’s big quiz
Sc game daytime yen. The remain¬
ing non-soapers in the Top 10 in¬
clude “Verdict Is-Yours,” which is
an offbeat variant on the soaper
formula (based on heart throb ana
similar motivations) which, in this
case,. simulates a courtroom, arid
CBS-TV's “House Party,” which
owes its audience allegiance to Art
Linkletter and -as such is the lone
Top 10 survivor- of that “in-be¬
tween” period when daytime tv
counted on personalities (Arthur
Godfrey, et al.) to sell the hausfraiL

But otherwise the soaps today-^
as almost always—^rule the roost.
It’s the “Search for Tomorrows,”
the “Guiding Lights,” the “Secret
Storms,” the “Edge of Nights,” the
“Brighter Days” (to round out the
new Nielsen Top 10) that reestab¬
lish themselves as the No. 1 faves
in viewing habit. When a program
shows signs ^f weakness (as is
presently the case with NBC-TV’s
afternoon brace of “Today Is Ours”
and “From These Roots,’’ a Procter
Sc Gamble doesn’t take it lightly.
Every soaper means a mass con¬
sumer turnover, with millions in
sales at stake.- That’s why the NBC
back-to-back parlay is currently
undergoing some drastic reapprais¬
ing and overhauling. Before P&G’s
through, they’ll be Top 10 candi¬
dates, too..

CBS bullishness on soaps goes
way back to early Bill Paley think¬
ing, having always been one of the
basic, radio daytime staples. Day¬
time tv chief Oscar Katz, in fact,
has his own special unit—headed,
by Bert Berman, ex-P&G—^with its
own budget, strictly for serial de¬
velopment. It is now working on
some new soaper forms, including
a “western soaper,” called “The
Sheriff’s Wife,” pilot of which wab
made in PhiUy. It may also install
a new soap opera in the 11:30 a.m.
period (following “I Love Lucy’*:
reruns) which will give the net¬
work a straight runthrough from
11:30 to 2 p.m. on the weepers.

MBS' St. Loo Affil

Mutual has picked up w)EW, St.
Louis, an indie since 1921, as an
affiliate, effective Dec. 15.

WEW deal gives the net affili¬
ates in the nation’s top 10 markets.
Web recently also picked up
WBBW, Youngstown, which
dropped its ABC affiliation.

Net Income for ’58; Envisions 99%
Population Saturation by ’60

They Should Pay Govt.

Sydney, Dec. 2.

Television is exerting its ef¬
fect on Australian postal
workers,' who are demanding
time-and-a-half for night duty
since it precludes them from
watching their home screens.

Postal union secretary J. N.
Lynch, taking the position that
current rate of time-and-a-
quarter, paid because night
work disrupts workers' social
life. Isn’t enough, states:

“Television programs 'are
now a part of the Australian
way of ife. Workers who miss
television must be compen¬
sated.”

It’s 'Buck’ Benny
Vs. ‘Maverick’;

A Nielsen Ripley

Jack Benny Is breathing down
“Maverick’s” neck in the neatest
Nielsen trick of the month, with
both shows, despite the fact that
they compete with each other Sun¬
day evenings, showing up on the
newest Nielsen Top 10 listings.
“Maverick’s” in sixth place (first
time it’s hit the Top 10 honor roll)
while Benny is less than a point
away (29.6).

It’s not surprising that the west¬
erns once more dominate the Niel¬
sen roster. Ten of the top 15 shows
are in the oater category. Here’s
how they line up on the AA (aver¬
age audience) returns:

Gunsmoke .CBS 39.7

Wagon Train .NBC 33.6

Have Gun ..CBS 33.0

Rifleman .ABC 32.0

Danny Thomas-CBS 31.2

Maverick .ABC 30.0

Shirley Temple .. .NBC 29.9

I’ve Got Secret-ABC 29.9

Jack Benny.CBS 29.6

Wyatt Earp.ABC 29.3

Texan . CBS 28.6

Sugarfoot .ABC 28.5

Wells Fargo .NBC 28.4

Hitchcock.CBS 28.4

Real McCoys .ABC 28.2

CBS «in While’

Pilot Due This Month

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

“World in White,” a new CBS-
TV series based on the characters
of Sidney Kingsley’s “Men in
White,” gets under way this month.

Web is planning a pilot on the
series.

As for another CBS-TV series,
“Peck’s Bad Girl,” starring Patty
McCormack and Wendell Corey, it
will be taped beginning this week
following delay of about a week
due to the illness of Corey.

London, Dec. 2.

Commercial tv will be operating
nationally and serving around 99%
of the UK population by the end
of 1960 at the latest. This has been
revealed by Sir Robert Fraser, di¬
rector general of the Independent
Television Authority, who gave
details of the ITA’s plan to set up
three more outlets In the remain¬
ing major zones—South West Eng¬
land, North East Scotland and the
Solway area In North West Eng¬
land and South West Scotland.

In addition to these proposed
stations, the ITA will put into
operation four to six satellite out¬
lets, to be operated by existing
programmers. These will serve
areas not reached by its transmis¬
sions but too small to require or
make financially possible the oper¬
ation of independent program
companies.

These proposals will result in a
total-of 13 service areas. Already
10 companies have been appointed
to supply programs from the ITA
stations and seven are already on
the air. The remaining three out¬
lets, Tyne Tees Television, Anglia
and Ulster TV, will be operating
before the end of 1959.

Sir Robert told a press confer¬
ence that these plants would bring
about the completion of the Au¬
thority's first service. “We can go
no further using existing technical
facilities,” he said. “The present
situation cries aloud for a third
television service. Independent
television’s net income from adver¬
tising this year is going to be about
$112;000,000. Next year it will be
higher. The year after higher still,
sufficient to provide a second ITV
service at no increased cost to the
Exchequer.” There was, therefore,
sufficient revenue to make possible
a third program with no need for
an increase in total advertising ex¬
penditure.

Earl^r the same day, however,
Paul Adorian, managing director of
Associated-Rediffision, the London
weekday outlet, reiterated his
PT oposal for not three but four net¬
works—two for the BBC and two
for the ITA. His plan would mean
that both existing outlets W'ould
have alternative channels—one for
light and the other for serious en¬
tertainment.

Meanwhile, the ITA plans to Im¬
prove the transmitting strength of
its London and Midlands stations.
These improvements will add an
approximate combined figure of
1,600,000 viewers to the outlets.

NBC-TV’s Crossplug
Pattern for Clients
On ‘Cimarron,’ ‘Ellery’

NBC-TV sales dept, is hoping to
climb out of the trenches with the
hour-long productions of Friday
night “Ellery Queen” and Satur¬
day night “Cii^rron City” by of¬
fering them to advertisers on a
one-third sponsorship basis.

If There Weren’t Any Westerns

Here’s how the Nielsen Top 10 (based on the newest returns
for November) would shape up if there weren’t any westerns on

the three-network schedules:

Danny Thomas . CBS 31.2

Shirley Temple Storybook ..NBC 29.9

“I’ve Got A Secret” . CBS 29.8

Jack Benny . CBS 29.6

Hitchcock Presents... CBS 28.4

Real McCoys . ABC 28.2

“Price Is Right” .NBC 27.7

Peter Gunn . NBC 27.5

Ann Sothern Show... CBS 27.3

Name That Tune CBS 27.0

(Latter show, un the published new Nielsens, counting the
westerns, turns up in No. 21 position).

One-third sponsorship of pro¬
grams can now be bought for un¬
der $50,000 and with two-minute
commercials. If sponsor desires,
he can use one minute of his time
on actual date of sponsorship and
get a one-minute commercial cross¬
plug the following week.

NBC-TV first tried the one-third
sponsorship technique last year
when it had some holes In the
“Perry Como Show.” Last year’s
deal, however, did not include
crossplugs.

Currently, both “Ellery Queen”
and “Cimarron” have such adver¬
tisers as RCA, Bell and Howell,
PRlsbury and P&G with limited
half hour buys, but no one-third
takers as yet.

28

BAOio-Traxnsioif

PJaeWff

Wedneiday, Deccmher B, 195>

Estimated Weekly Neliork TV ft-i^am tets

'Nighttime and Daytime Overall Costs Include: Production Expenses^ Actors^ Musicians^ WriterSf
Freelance Directors^ Set Construction^ KoyaUieM, Agency Directors
COSTS DO TVOT INCLUDE TIME CHARGES OR COMMERCIALS
Eigures Are Gros§—^Incfaidiiig Ageacy Cwamimpion

Agencies listed by initials: Anderson-McConnell; Batten^ Barton, jyurstine & Osborne; Benton Sr Bowles;^CampbelhEvmld; Campbell-
Mithun; Carson-Roberts; Cunningham & Walsh; Dorothy, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield; Dople, Dance, Benbach, Dancer, Fitzperald &
Sample; Edtsin, Wasey, fLuthrauff & Ryan; Fergenbaum & Weirhen; Foote, Cone & Belding; Fuller, Smith A Moss; Guild, BaSQom df
Bon^li; Ricks & Greist; J. Walter Thompson; Kenyon & Eckhardt; Kastor, Farrell, Chesley St Clifford; Keyes, Madden Ss Jones;
Lennen & NetseU; McCann-Erickson; MacFarland, Aveyard; MacMantus, John A Adams; Norman, Craig St Kwmmel; Keedharn, .Louis
& Brorby; Ogilvy, Benson & Mather; Reach, McClinton; Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Sayles; Sweeney A James; Warwick A
Deeper; Wherry, Baker & Tilden; Young A Rubicam.

PKOGXAM

N€T-

WORK

COST

SPONSOR

A$iNCY

PRODUCEK

Alcoa Presents .....

.ABC

$37,000

Aluminum Co. of America-

....FS&R.

Airna TfTieatre .-r--.------

.NBC

(Starts Jan.)
43,000
100,000

Aluminum Co. of America....

....FS&R :.

Steve Allen Show .....-

E. I. duPont..

....BBD&O _

.Bin Harbach

jUl Star Golf..ABC

American Bandstand.ABC

40,000

1,765

(Per Quarter)

.Tony Mammarella

Anybody Can Play. ABC

Armstronir Circle Theatre...,^.CTS

As the World Tams. CBS

Bachelor Father .CBS

Beat the Clock. ....ABC

Behind Closed Doors..NBC

Jack Benny Show.CBS

ftlUton Berle Starring in

The Kraft Mnsic Hall ..NBC

The Biff Payoff. CBS

Bold Joamey .ABC

Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.ABC

Bowling Stars .*.ABC

Brains and Brawn... .NBC

The Brighter Day. CBS

Bnekskin..NBC

George Bums Show... .NBC

The Californians.NBC

Steve Canyon . NBC

Chance for Romance ..ABC

18,000
46,000
. 3,100

(Per Segment)

41,000

3,000

(Per Segment)

43,000

55,000

57,000

2,600

30,000

48,000

18,000

39,000

31,000

42,000.

44,000

43,000

44,000

34)00

(Per Segment)

(Jreyiiound . .Grey

N. A. Philips Co.i.... C. J. TaBoche

Polaroid Corp. .DDB

Zenitfa .;... .FCfcB

Miller Brewing Co. ...-...... Matthlsson Peter D^et

Reynolds Metal Co. ..Buchanan Div.

General Mills .. DFS

Lever Bres. —. BBD&O

Vic Chemical Co ... Morse IhL

Carter Pnjducts . SSCScB

Luden’s Bic.. i........... J. M. Mathes

Shuiton, Inc. ... Wesley Assoc.

American Home Foods -...... YicB

Zastco, Inc. X&N

Ches€brongh-Pon(rs ...JWT

Gillette ......North

R. J. Reynolds.Wm. Rsty.

Armstrong Cork Co..... bBB&O ..

Procter & Gamble... -B&B ,........

Pillsbury Mills... c-M. * *

Carnation ... RWR&R

Swift .:..McC-E

Miles Labs . .Geoffrey Wade

Libby, McNeill & Libby..

Sterling Drug.:... jjpg

American Tobacco Co.... l. c, Gumbinner

General Foods .....Y&R

John Guedel
Robt. Costello
Charles Fisher

Lever Bros. _

BeecH-Nut Lifesavers............. YiR

Chesebrou^-Pqnds...JWT

Drackett Co. ....Y&K

Armour .....

Bristol-Myers .. Y&R

Seeman Bros..... NCfcK

Whitehall Labs.........Ted Bates

Liggett & Myers _____DFS .

American Tobacco Co. .... .BBD&O .

Everett Freeman
Jean Hollander

FC&B.....Bud CoUyer

• Sam GUdlu
! Hilliard Marks

Chevy Show .

.NBC

150,000

Cheyenne .

80,000

Circus Boy.

.NBC

20,000

The Dick Clark Show.

.ABC

20,000

Colleslate Football
“Game of the Week”.

.NBC

850,000

Colt .45.

(Per (Quarter
Season)
40,000

Perry Como Show.

.NBC

135,000

Concentration .NBC

(daytime)

2,900

(Per Segment)

County Fair ...NBC

Bob Cummings Shaw.NBC.

3,000

(Per Segment)

45,000

Kr^t Foods . ...jWT ..... Hal Kanter

Colgate-PalDMlive ..*-Bryan Houston ....... Sid Tamben

KaMon Purina ...GB&B JuHan Lesser

Chevrolet ...C-E .Bill Hobin

American Machine & Foundry.c&W ____Matt Niesen

..-McC-E ---Herb Moss

Proct^ & Gamble ............... .y&R.Therese Lewis

0 : • • • ... • • • --- • • Leo Burnett.... Robert Bassler

^Igate-Palmolive ...'McC-E .Rod Amateau

. YftR...Robt. F. Sisk EP

L^P^on . Y&R...Felix Feist

Liggett & Myers .,....McC-E .iDavid Haft

~ „ J Michael Mrahekoff

General. F^ds - - • • -. Y&R... Irving Mansfield

American Home Foods..Y&R. Peter Amell

Chesebrough-Ponds....JWT .* * ^ ^

The Drackett Co. ... Y&R

Beech-Nut Life Savers........Y&R

Johnson & Johnson . ...Y&R

Nestle Co. ..Bryan Houston

General Mills.... DFS

Chevrolet ...C-E ........

Johnson & Johnson.Y&R .

Harold F. Ritchie ....... K&E

.... Knox-Reeves ........ Herbert Leonard

1 . XT 1 . T I Norman Blackburn
BeechrNut Life Savers.Y&R....j. chuch Reeves

.

Libbey Owens Ford...FS&R

Sunbeam Corp.^......_Perrin-Pfuis

WhitehaU Labs. Ted Bates .Wm T. Oir

American Home Products j
Beech-Nut Life Savers ..Y&R

.

Kimberly-Clark .. FC&B

Noxzema Chemical . ••SSC&B

RCA & Whirlpool...K&E

Sunbeam Corp. ...Perrin-Paus

PhanMceutic^ .Psrkson ..EoM. Noah EP

Ch«ebrou«h-Ponds ...JTVT ..Jack Eairen

H, J. Heinz..Maxon

Lever Bros...NL&B

National Biscuit Co. McC-E

Alberto-Culver ;....Geoffrey Wade

Miles Laboratories .. Geoffrey Wade

Amour & Co. ..,FC&B & N. W. Ayer

Pillsbury Mills ......Leo Burnett

Frigidaire ....DFS '

Whitehall Labs .........Ted Bates

sterling Drug .DPS .. Perry. Cross

-Lever Bros.....BBD&O

Frigidaire .....-........,...DF&S

General Mills .........Tatham-Lalrd

National Biscuit ....McC-E

Sandufa ....H&G

R. J. Reynolds......;. Wm. Esty . >

General Foods ___Y&R

(Continued bn page 30)

... Wm. Asher
...Arthur Silver

.... Paul Henning

Talks Out Loud

AtlanU, Dec. 2.

South‘s apparent detennined
fight to avoid integration in public
, schools and growing opposition to
, this political stand is providing
, fodder for mudh pro and con dis«
tussion on radio programs.-

WSB-AM & FM, o&o of Atlanta
Newspapers, Inc., publishers of At¬
lanta Journal and Consritutkm,

: aeveral months ago Inaugurated a
series titled ‘‘Witness,” designed
, to probe into a controversial siib-
ject' and air the thkildng on hotli
sides of subject. Produced hy Elmo
Ellis, this series has won ^o na-
■ tion^ awards; Westingbouse award
for .best iiktorioal tooedcast on
radio & tv during past year; and
Ohio State award for best Public
Affairs radio program of 1957.

Among topics aired previously on
‘Witness” were ‘Why Did Bouth
Lose the CivR War?” and “What
Should We Do About JavenUe De-
Itof^^iency?”

Friday WSB aked "i3ie

Second kHniaters* Manifesto,” m
. aynQwekun discuasionfbgardi^gtoe
Atlanta area pastors in regard to
' race relatienE. puUic schools and
peacetol relations amoc^ all citi-

(First ‘‘Ministers’ l^ianifesto”
plumped for tolerance and modera¬
tion in relations between races.)

Second' manifesto, signed by
more than 300 ^eachers, mged
steps to stay Within law and avmd,
if possible, closing of Georgiabi
public schools.

Program procedure fpllows court¬
room techniques. Jimmy Dnnaway
does the announcing on show and
two other staffers, Aubrey Morris
and Dick McMichaifi, do the to-
terrogating of several elerics..

“Witness” segment Sunday
delved into ‘What’s Wrong Witti
Out Colleges?” while on Snn<^
17) show will hold “Open Mike
on Higher Education.” Boh van
Camp and Elmo Ellis will moder¬
ate these segments and same guests
will appear on both programs.

Sunday, Nov. 23, a special issue
■of Witness aired “School Crisis In
Georgia,” and dealt with educa¬
tional situation in state, sounding
out first-hand opinions of Governor-
nonnnate Ernest Vandiver, Mayor
William B. Hartsfield, Rep. M. M.
<Muggsy) Smith, State Sen. James
S. Peters and (iov- Marvin S. Grif¬
fin.

These prognms have garnered
hi^ listenership since they pro-
. vide sounding boards for talk on
topics that are vital to citizenry.
They are SO-minute segments, care¬
fully produced and well-directed.

WINS Stifters Adi
Adrertism to Me
Business Esevdiere

Though negotiariens were set to
recommence yesterday (Tues.)
with the top management ef
WINS, N. Y. radio independent, a
spokesman for the striking IntCT-
national Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, local 1212, said: "It is
stiU going to be a long time be¬
fore the radio station agrees to a
new contract” Gn t he strength
of this belief, IBEW has begun
a telephone campaign anmng New
York-based advertisers and agen-
, cies “to get them to move their
commercials from WINS to a
union station.”

Station's contract with WINS
«ided Sept. 15, two-and-a-half
months ago, and very few -dickers
, have been held since that time.

Union has already filed tmfair
. labor practice charges against the
station for '“failure to negotiate
in good faith.”

One of the reasons given by
WINS for a delay in negotiations
was the failure of EBEW to meet
with various -middle echelon ex¬
ecutives for talks. However,
IBEW reported by saying that the
men who were in town to for
the station couldn’t okay a con¬
tract. The two men who could,

, prexy Elroy McCaw and manager
Jock Femhead, have been on the
Coast, McCaw recuperating from
an automobile accident and Fern-
bead on a sales junket.

Wediicsday, December 3, 1953

29

:.ti

For her:

Stardust, Formosa^
and an

Music, news and service. KEX creates a fine balance of programming that meets the modem
radio needs of the whole Northwest. Seven talented local personalities.'A careful musical blend of
pop tunesrstandards and new releases. Lively oh-the-spot local news covered by the
outstanding radio news staff in Oregon.' Complete, authoritative national and international coverage*
Weather and trafSc reports; time checks, where-to-go, what-to-do. Vital public service
programniing^ These give KEX^a distinct station personality and the kind of
appeal that listeners habitually"respond tdl

It takes a knowing touch to strike the balance that pays off jn audience leadership. Like all other
Westinghouse Broadcasting stations, KEX has'^ this winning’comblnation. The right local talent.-
I^dership. Top-rated programs. They go together to serve the people of the area like no other
station can. This is why no seUini'campaign is complete withovJt the WBC stations*

KEX Portland, Ore.

WESTINGHOUSE BRQADGASTING COMPANY, INC.

TEL 1 V 18 ION; BOerOM WB*-T? SALTMORl W»rTV PITTSBUBCH OKA-tT CWVILANP rYW-TT IAN FBANCISOO KPIX
BAPIOl BOBTON WBS+WBSA riTTBBUXGH XPM CLSVBLANPtYW FOBT WAYNB WOWO CBXGAOOWIND fOlTUNdiaDI

Wednesday, December S, 1958

P'SutETf

He keeps the kids
in Lake View High

His name is Howard Miller. Occupation: disc jockey... and salesman for education.

Why a salesman for education? Because U. S. Board of Education statistics show

a 40% student ''dropout"' between the ninth and twelfth grades. As the most-listened-to station

in Chicago, WIND used its talent to convince students and parents that ‘'the greatest

danger is dropout, not fallout." Howard Miller led this drive, turning his tremendous selling power

to serve an important community purpose.

Time Magazine calls Miller America's, No. 1 disc jockey. He's the

kini of top local personality you find on all Westinghouse Broadcasting stations.

Personable, talented, colorful—they attract and influence huge audiences. Teenagers
listen to them. Adults listen to them. Advertisers love them. This is why
no sdling campaign is complete without the WBC statiom,

WIND Chicago

K.pnMntedtr AlClUdl«S«!M

00@WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

TELEVISION: BOSTON WBZ-TV BALTIMORE WJZ-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KYW-TV SAN FRANCISCO KPDC
RADIO: BOSTON WBZ+WBZA PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WAYNE WOWO CHICAGO WmD PORTLAND KBX

BAMIO-TELEVISIOIC

S2

P^SSIBFt

DecemWr 3,'19511

PROGRAM

I’ve Got A Secret .
Jubilee U.SJL.

Keep Talkinr ....

Lassie .

Lawman ..

Leave It To Beaver.

Liberace Show -

The Lineup ...

Art Linkletter’s House Party .

Lone BaniErer

Lone Rani^er
Love of -'Life.

Lux Playhouse...

Ted Made and the Origmal

Amateur Hour.

Man With a Camera----

Perry Mason .

Masquerade Party
Bat Masterson_

Maverick ..

Meet The Press ...,
Mick<^ Mouse Club.

Miyhty Mouse Playhouse

The Millionaire ....

Garry Moore Show..

Mother’s Hay

M-Squad ...

Arthur Murray Party
Music From Manhattan.,....
Naked City .......

Name That Tune.

NBC News.

Northwest Passag^e ...

Oh! Susanna ..,

The Oldsmobile Show

Omnibus.

Ozade & Harriet..

Jack Paar Show.

People Are Funny...

person To Person...,

Playhouse 90 ........

Play Your Hunch.

; Coutfameid from pace M i

NiT-

WORK

COST SPONSOR

Pnarniaceuticals ..........

Brillo Mfg. Co...

Pillsbury Mills ......

Corn Products ..

Standard Brands.....

Armour & Co. ...

Miles Laboratories ...

R. J. Reynolds .

Hills Bros. . J_______

Williamson-Pickie ------

P. LoriHardf ...

Lever Bros. ...;.

Campbell Soup ....----

General Mills ..

R. J. Reynolds..

Ralston Purina ..;..

MUes "Laboratories ........

Armour ......

General Foods ... T....

Minnesota Mining ..

Drackett Co. ...

Beech-Nut Life Savers..'.....

Reynolds Metals ^..

Procter & Gamble ........

Lever Bros. ...

Pillsbury Mills....

Kellogg Co, ...

Swift ......

Chicken of the Sea.. *.

Standard Brands.. .

A. E. Staley ....

Atlantis Sales ....._____

Toni ...

Carnation .....

General Mills.

Cracker Jack. ........__

Smith Bros. -....._

General Mills .......

Nestle --

American Home Products ...
Libby, McNeil & Libby.. _..

Atlantis Sales..

Scott Paper...

Lever Bros. ___

Quaker Oats ...

Lever Bros..

Pharmaceuticals ..

General EIectri 9 ...:

National Carbon --

Colgate-Palmolive ..

Mutual Benefit & Accident
Assoc, of Omaha ........

Philip Morris ___

Phillips Van Heusen.

Elgin ..

Sterling Drug,.............

Hamm Brewing Co. ..

Gulf Oil ...

F. Lorillard ..

Kraft Foods & Sealtest_

American Home Products ..

Kaiser Indus. ....

Drackett Co. ......_ i.

Pan American ..:.>..

Procter & Gamble.i

B. F. Goodrich ............

Gold Seal ...

Bristol-Myers __

General Foods ........._

Mattel ..

General Mills 7.

Sweets Co. of America':...'*

General Poods_...._

Colgate-Palmolive ^.

Colgate-Palmolive ...____

Kellogg ......

Pgh. Plate Glass.

Revlon ._

Minnesota Mining ...

Johnson & Johnson.

Beech-Nut Life Savers.....

General Foods .. ...

Lever :^os. ...

Bristol-Myers .;...,

Reynolds Metals

General Mm.s :..

Nestle Co.....

American Tobacco ...;_

Bulova Wafeh...

P. Lorillard ..

Manhattan Shirt . ...

Brown & Williamson.

Quaker Oats..

American Home Products..
Bristol-Myers .............

Bulova .....

Nestle Co. .. *

RCA ...

R. J, Reynolds ...

Nestle. Co. ............._

Oldsmobile .....

Aluminium Ltd...

Eastman Kodak..

Quaker Oats ..

Participating..

R. J. Reynolds..

Toni .....

P. Lorillard _

Revlon ...

National Carbon ...........

American Gas Assoc. ..

Kimberly-Clark ...

Allstate .

Lever Bros. ..

(Per Segment) Scott Paper ..

Gerber Prod.

Swift ....

(Continued on page J4)

.CBS

....ABC

32,000

12,000

.CBS

21,000

_CBS

... .ABC

37.000

37,000

....ABC

38,000

... .ABC

3,000

(Per Segment)

... . CBS
....CBS

.-»44,000
* 3,300
(Per Segment)

....ABC

25,000-

....CBS

25,000

....CBS

3,000

(Per Segment)

....CBS

43,000

....CBS
... -ABC
....CBS

18J)00

34,000

80,000

;.. .NBC
....NBC

19,000

41,000

....ABC

80,000

... .NBC
.,..ABC

6,000

3,000

(Pei* Segment)

....CBS

3,000

....CBS

....CBS

41,000

115,000

....ABC

3,000

(Per Segment)

...NBC

41,000

ooo

)

20,000

20,000

41,000

...-CBS
,.. .NBC

24.000

1,500

...NBC

42,000

... .CBS
...ABC
... .NBC
...ABC

47,000

45,000

85,000

47,000

,...NBC

...NBC

45,000

27,500

....CBS

39,000

....CBS

125,000

....CBS

3,000

AGENCY PRODUCER

Parkson

JWT

Leo Burnett
C, L. Miller
Ted Bates
FC&B

Geoffrey Wade

Wm, Esty ......Chester Feldman

N. W. Ayer.. Crossroads TV Prods.

Evans & Assoc.

L&N ..Herb Wolf

JWT

BBD&O ..Robt. Golden

DFS ....Wm. T. Orr

Wm. Esty

Gardner ___........ Joe Connelly

Geoffrey Wade.Bob Mosher

FG&B ... Gil Rodin

Y&R

BBD&O

Y&R

Y&R

Buchanan, L&N

•Y&R .Jaime del Valle
•JWT ......7........ John Guedel

• C-M

•Leo Burnett

•McC-E

•EWR&R

•JWT

•EWR&R

■JWT

•North

•EWR&R

DFS ........ Sherman Harris

Leo Burnett
SSC&B

DFS .Jack Wrather Prod.

McC-E

Ted Bates .A1 Morrison

•JWT
•-JWT
-JWT
■ FC&B

• jvrr

JWT .Jules: Bricken

Parkson .Lewis Grahana

Grey ................A. E. Houghton, Jr.

Wm. Esty.Bm Brady

Ted Bates

Bozell & Jacobs

.B&B
• Grey
■JWT
-DFS
C-M ■

Y&R

.L&N ..X.,. ..Herb Wolf

. N. W . Ayer ..........Frank Pittman

JWT ..Andy White

- Ted Bates

.Y&R ....Wm. T. Orr

Y&R

.JWT ....Lawrence Spivak

.Compton .Walt Disney

. McC-E
.C-M
DCS&S
.Y&R
.GJJ-R
.DFS

, Henry Eisen

. B&B ...Terrytoons

' ,Ted Bates
. Ted Bates..

..,. Don Fedderson

. Leo Burnett .....

.... Bob Banner Assoc.

BBD&O

. C- ;T. LaBoache
. BBD&O ....._

... .Carl Jampd

.Y&R

.Y&R

.Y&R

.FC&B

.Y&R

.Buchanan, L&N
. DFS

.Bryan Houston

- SS(7&B .John Larkin

..McC-E

^-L&N ..

. -Peck

.^.Ted Bates .

Bert Leonard

. - JWT

. -Ted Bates
. ' Y&R.:.

.. McC-E

..DFS

. WXrTi! ..

.. Wm. Esty •

.. Bryan Houston

, , , TpA MilU

..JWT .

. .JWT .

...... Ozzie Nelson.

. . JWT

Bill Anderson

. . Wm. Esty . *...

. : North

L&N ..

Zousmer

..,Wm. Esty .....

..L&N
. . FC&B
.. Leo Burnett
OB&M ..

.. JWT
. D’Arcy
.. McC-E

'Hadio Corp., g(. .nzqsrica is re-
. shuffling its midwest manufactur-
mg operations in an.' effort to in¬
crease production, company says.
Moves involve the RCA plants in
Camlffidge, Ohio; Bloomington,
Ind.; Indianapolis, Findlay, Ohio,
and Canonsburg, Pa., with the
many equipment transfers to oc¬
cur before April, 1959.

In Cambridge, RCA is adding
manufacture of RCA Victor radios
and combination AM-FM hi-fi
: units to the present production of
tape recorders and. a limited num¬
ber of other hi-fi instruments.
Bloomington will continue making
black-white video receivers and
“remain tfie color production cen¬
ter of RCA,** but evidently set |
production there will be hiked be¬
cause the company recently added
an additional 120,000 square feet
to the existing plant
^ An Indiapippolis, where RCA
added 208,000 square feet, plant
wiR assume, the manufacfiire of
tv receivers and ferrite cores and
radios. It'll continue with its
• present line of portable tv re¬
ceivers and electron tubes. Find¬
lay plant will become a facility to
;make the RCA semiconductor and
' expand transistor pn^uctidn. Can¬
onsburg is being viewed to- handle
production of “another v type of
electronic equipment,” according
to RCA, although the specifics of
the manufacturing retooling were
not disclosed.

Pret^ Pat Gates, Refugee
Froin Show Kz, lares’Em
To WFAXHiisiclmie’

Washington, Dec. 2.

It Is hot the doggie, but * beau¬
tiful blonde, in the window that is
attracting listeners to WFAX, the
l,00Q-watt station in Falls Church,
Va., which, covers the greater
Washington audience.

A refugee from show business,
Pat Gates is the only lady deejay
in. the 4rea. Because she once
performed with Tyrone Power and
AnnabeUa in summer stock at
[Westport’s playhouse, plus other
wartime theatre engagements,
many ot her show biz friends have
cmaed the Potomac from their
Washington engagements to ap-
: pear with her in the hig glass win¬
dow of Music Time, the Seven
Comers Shopping District’s large
imusic store which has a miniature
WFAX studio.

[ While suburban poppers press
; their noses against the window,
t she spins her turntables with popu-
[ ]ar songSr has wedged in personal
interviews with Maurice Cheva-
ilier, Nrison Eddy,'Frails Lederer,
Julie Harris, Tj^one Fow4^.

Deejaying in old Virginny six
days n week from 1 2:3b P-m.

fits into Mrs. Gates* life much
better than show biz for tbri^ very
good reasons: her .hubby 5s a Lt.
Col. at the nearby Perftagdti, and
her two children, Pamela, 12, and
Lawrence Alan Gates, 8, keep their
mother busy with their own ac¬
tivities. •

Aside from her 1-2:30 spot, Pat
shares a weekly program, U.S.
Lady on the Air, with another
Army wife, Rose Ann McQuarrie.

Aiming news and interviews for
the military population of the
Greater Washington area (some
50,000 men and families), they
have produced such specialties as
reports on military participation
in _ Queen Elizabeth’s visit, the
only radio interview with the
presidential daughter-in-law, Bar¬
bara Eisenhower, wife of Maj.
John Eisenhower, and score of q’s
& a’s with generals on guided
missiles, the opening of the Suez
Canal.

The show at 2:30 each Monday
is the. only radio or tv show iii
the Washington area specializing
in the service angle.

CLOSE UPPED AT NBC

Richard H. Close, Director of
Represented Stations for NBC
Spot Sales, was upped to Director
of NBC Spot Sales this week.

Close joined NBC in 1933 spend¬
ing most of his time in the spot
Sales Division. He’ll report to
P. A. (Buddy) Sugg, exec veep of
NBC Owned Stations and Spot
Sales.

Wednesday, December 1958

PMsWff

%

40,000 Mends
dropped in .

WBZ Boston threw a whale of a party in Brockton, Mass. On Sept. 22, WBZ aired its first
announcement for the Brockton Block Party, a fund-raising promotion to aid
the Old Colony Association for Mental Health. Three days and 51 spot announcements later,
a crowd of 40,000 showed up. A great community project... and graphic proof that
WBZ is far and away New England's most powerful voice.

You measure the worth of a station in power, coverage, ratings. That's only part of
the story. WBZ, and all the Westinghouse Broadcasting stations, are interested in people
and active in community affairs throughout their coverage areas.

This interest gives the *^0 stations their character and impact. People believe
what the WBC stations say. And that helps you sell. This is why
no selling campaign is complete witkout the WBC stations,

WBZ Boston

fer Crtfla, Woodward. IM.

@0© WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

TBLBVISION: BOSTON WBZ-TV BALTDCORB WJZ-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KYW-TV SAM FRANCISCO KPIX
radio: boston WBZ+WBZA PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WAYNE WOWO CHICAGO WIND PORTLAND KBX

84

RADIO-TEUBVISION

Wednefday, December 3, 1958

Estimated Weekly Network TV Program Costs

Continued from pase 32

PROGRAM

NET¬

WORK

COST

SPONSOR

Plymouth Show.::.

Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre..

...ABC
. . .CBS

26,000

46,000

Plymouth .........

General Foods ....

S. C. Johnson.

Price Is Right....

...CBS

3,200

Chesehrqugh-Ponds

(daytime) (Per Segment) Lever Bros..

Sterling Drug .*

Whitehall Lab.

Sunshine Biscuit ...»
Standard Brands ... /
Frirfdaire ..........

Alnerto-Culver..

Corn Products ......

General Mills ..

Mentholatum ...•,...
Miles Laboratories. ..

Pillsbury Mills __

Sandura ..

Price Is Right ...,
(nighttime)

Pursuit .........

Ellery Queen.

Queen For A Day.

Restless Gun.

The Real McCoys.

Donna Reed Show....
The Rifleman.

Rin Tin Tin....

Rough Riders .

Ruff & Reddy.....

Saher of London......

Schliiz Playhouse -

Search For Tomorrow

Secret Storm ..

77 Sunset Strip.

Phil SUvers Show..

Red Skelton Show .,

Small World.

Ann Southern Show
Sugarfoot.

Ed Sullivan Show...

Sunday News Special ....

Tales of the Texas Rangers
Tales of Wells Fargo.

The Texan .

The Thin Man ....

This Is Your Life ..

Danny Thomas Show ....

Tic Tac Dough ..

< daytime'

Tic Tac Dough
(nighttime)

Today .

Today Is Ours

Voice of Firestone.

Wagon Train..

Wanted—^Dead or Alive ,
Wednesday Night Fights
What’s My Line?.

Wheaties Sports Page....

.NBC

28,500

.CBS

55,000

.NBC

40,000

.NBC

3,200 .

(Per Segment)

.NBC

45,000

.ABC

43,000

.ABC

39,000

.ABC

39,000

.ABC

36,000

.ABC

39,000

.NBC

12,000

-NBC

14,000

.CBS

42,000

.CBS

3,000

(Per Segment)

-CBS

3,000

(Per Segment)

-ABC

75,000

....CBS

49,000

... . CBS

46,000

....CBS

35,000

....CBS
... -ABC

43,000

65,000

....CBS

95,000

....CBS

‘ 6,000

....ABC

....NBC

12.000

42,000

...CBS
....NBC
...-NBC
... . CBS
... -NBC

42.000

41.000

49 000
48.000
3,000

(Per Segment)

NBC

24,000

• NBC

45,000

NBC

3,100

(Per Segment)

.ABC

47,000

.NBC

85,000

.CBS

44,000

■ ABC

23,000

.CBS

3,300

NBC

-7,500

Lever Bros. ...........

Speidel .

Mennen ..

American Home Products

Procter & Gamble.

RCA ...

Chesebrough-Ponds ....

Procter & Gamble*.

Standard Brands 1..

Corn Products ...

Pillsbury Mills..

Alberto-Culver ..........

Miles Laboratories ..

WhitehaU -Lab.....

Procter & Gamble.......

Sterling Drug ..

Sylvania Electric.

Procter & Gamble .......

Campbell Soup.

Shulton ....

Procter & Gamble....^.,
Miles Laboratories ......

Ralston Purina .....

National Biscuit . Co. .....

P. Lorillard ---

General Foods. ..

Mars ....

Sterling Drug..

Schlitz ....

Procter & Gamble___

American Home Products.

General Mills ..

Quaker Oats ...

Scott Paper .

American Chicle ........

Carter Products.

Whitehall Lab.,..........

American Home Products
Harold H. Ritchie .......

Schick .....

R. J. Reynolds......._

S. S. Johnson.....

Pet Milk ...

OKn Mathiesen .

Renault. ...

General Foods ..

American Chicle ....__

Lvden’s ...

?’^''^rury ....

Edsel ..

Eastman Kodak.

Carter Products ______

American Home Products
Sweets Co. of America...
American Tobacco .......

Buick ...

Brown & Williamson ....

Colgate-Palmolive .......

Procter & Gamble ......

General Foods .. .

Chesebroush-Ponds .....

Alberto-Culver ...._

Procter & Gamble .

Standard Brands ...

Pillsbury Mills ..

H. J. Heinz .....•;

General Mills ...=___

Sunshine Biscuit .

Dow Chemical .>...

Procter & Gamble

Participating ...

Sterling Drug ..;...

t'rocter & Gamble.......

National Biscuit ..

H. J. Heinz.

Armour ...

Swift & Co. ..

Lever Bros...

S. C. Johnson...

Sterling Drug.

Firestone ..

Ford Motor Co..

National Biscuit Co.

R. J. Reynolds..

Brown & Williamson ....

Bristol-Myers .

Brown & Williamson ....
Miles Laboratories ......

Helene Curtis.... ..

Kellogg ..

Fla. Citrus Comm. .......

General Mills _______

(Continued on page 58)

AGENCY PRODUCER

,.. Grant ... Edw. Sobol

...B&B ...Hal Hudson

...FG&B

...JWT ..Rdbt. Stewart

‘ • • BBD&O '

--DF&S.

‘ • - Ted Bates
... C&W
.. - Ted Bates
...DF&S
... Geoffrey Wade
... C. L. MiUer
... Tatham-Laird
... JWT ‘

.. - Geoffrey Wude
I... Leo Burnett
...H&G

- JWT...Robt. Stewart

.NC&K

•Grey...Chas. Russell

. Ted Bates.. Eva Wolas

.B&B

.K&E .Albert McCleery

. .rWT ................ Harry Mynatt

.DFS
Ted Bates

C. L. Miller
,Leo Burnetk
Geoffrey Wade
, Geoffrey Wade

Ted Bates

Leo‘ Burnett ...David Dortort

DF&S

JWT ..... Irving Pincus

Compton

BBD&O ....Tony Owen

Wesley -

B&B .Jules Levy

Geoffrey Wade ....... Arthur Gardner.

Gardner

K&E .... Herbert B. Leonard

L&N.Various

B&B .... E. Roger Muir

Knox-Reeves

DFS .Harry Lee Danziger &

Edw. J. Danziger

JWT ... Jules Bricken

Compton ... Frank Dodge

Ted Bates..Ernie Ricca

DFS i

JWT

JWT

Ted Bates .Wm. T. Orr

Ted Bates

• • Ted Bates
.-K&E

• • B&B ...Edw. J. Montagne

. - Wm. Esty

.. FC&B .Cecil Barker

• • Gardner

• - D’Arcy ... Fred W. Friendly

. • NL&B .Edw. R. Murrow

• - B&B .. Albert Cohen

•. Ted Bates .Wm. T. Orr

- J. M. Mathes

..K&E .. Mario Lewis

..FC&B.

. - JWT

. Ted Bates CBS News

. Henry Eisen Jonas Sienfeld

• SSC&B ...Nat Holt

.. McC’-E

.Ted Bates .Jerry Stagg

.Ted Bates .Bob Welch

- B&B .Axel Gruenberg

•B&B ..Sheldon Leonard

JWT .Howard Felsher

Geoffrey Wade.Barry & Enright

DFS

Ted Bates
Leo Burnett
Maxon

Tatham-Laird

C&W

MacMJ&A

.Grey.Howard Felsher

Barry & Enright
Robt. Bendick

•HFS ..Robt. M. Rehhock

-:.,.. Compton

.. - McC-E

.Maxon

.FG&B

.McC-E

.OB&M

.....NL&B

..DF&S

..S&J ..Fred Heider

• • ..JWT .Howard Christie

......... McC-E

.........Wm. Esty

.. • Ted Bates ... John Robinson

.....y&R..

.Ted Bates .Lester Malitz

------Geoffrey Wade

.McC-E .Gil Fates

.Leo Burnett.Bob Bach

.........B&B

Knox-Reeves.. Jack Lubell

WBC Setting Up
Its Own Reppery

Approximately five months ago
the Westinghouse Broadcasting Co.
announced that it was dropping
Peters, Griffin, .Woodward as-its
rep,, stating it wa^ giving its nation¬
al sales setup a hard look. In the
meantime the repperies licked
their chops at the thought of pick¬
ing up a piece of the estimated
$18,000,000 biUings lost by PGW.
This week Westinghouse has pUt an
end to the anxious waiting by the
reps by announcing that the com¬
pany had decided to rep itself
television. A few weeks back the
company, made a similar decision
to take over the WBC radio group.

Television. Advertising Repre¬
sentatives, an organization formed
by Westinghouse, will be the na¬
tional sales outlet for the five WBC
tv stations to he fully operative
by July 1, 1959. The new reppery
will he headed "by Larry H. Israel,
presently genial manager of
WBC-owned wJZ-TV, Baltimore.
Don^d McGannon, WBC prexy,
indicated Israel will be appointed
to the board of directors of the rep¬
pery and wilt also pick up veepee
stripes.

The WBC tv. stations that will
be repped by TAR are: WBZ-TV.
Boston, WJZ-TV, Baltimore;
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh; KYW-TV.
Cleveland, and KPIX, San Fran¬
cisco.

A few weeks back WBC placed
its six radio stations in the hands
of the AM Radio Sales Corp, an
organization owned by Westing¬
house.

CBS Gets Lion’s Snrr
Of Edison Fonndation
Awards; Statiras (jted

CB&-TV ran off with top honors
at the Thomas Alva Edison Foun¬
dation Fourth Annd^ Awards Din¬
ner at the Waldorf-Astoria Mon¬
day (1),

In the tv and radio category,
awards were given to:

1 — “The Twentieth Century”
(CBS) As ‘The TV Program Best

'Portraying America”; (accepted
by Irving Gitlin, CBS, and Fred¬
erick Groel for Prudential Insur¬
ance Co., sponsor.)

2— “(Conquest” (CBS) a.s “The
Best Science TV Program for
Youth”; (accepted by Irving Git-
lin> CBS, and Monsanto Chemical
Go., sponsor.)

3— “New York Philharmonic
Young People’s Concerts With
Leonard Bernstein” (CBS) as
“The Best Children’s TV Program”
(accepted by David M. Keiser,
president, N.Y. Philharmonic).

Special Edison Foundation cita¬
tions in recognition of distinguish¬
ed public service in the interests
of education went to:

1 “Continental Classroom”
(NBC) physics course conducted
by Dr. Haiwey White; (accepted
by Edward Stanley, NBC).

2— ^Washington County, Mary¬
land, closed circuit tv project,
countrywide in-school tv (accept¬
ed by William M. Brish, supt. of
schools).

3— “The World of the Mind,”
radio scripts on humanities and
science prepared by Broadcast
Music InCi in cooperation with
American Assn, for Advancement
of Science and American Council
of Learned Societies; (accepted
by Carl Haverlin, president of
BMI).

WQED-TV, Pittsburgh, was
named “The TV Station That Best
Served Youth” in 1958; (accepted
by John F. Whitei president. Edu¬
cational TV-Radio Center).

WFMT, Chicago, was named
“The Radio Station that Best
Served Youth” dn 1958 (accepted
by Bernard Jacobs),

Harvey S. Firestone Jr., chair¬
man of Firestone Tire & Rubber
Co., addressed the dinner as did
Dr. O. Meredith Wilson, president
of the Univ. of Oregon and chair¬
man of the American Council on
Education. Walter L. Cisler,
president of the Detroit Edison
Co., presided at the Mass Media
Awards gathering.

MBS DICKERS HEDDA

Hollywood, Dec. 2.
Mutual radio network Is negoti¬
ating with Hedda Hopper for the
Hollywood gossip columnist to have
a filmtown gossip show on the web.

Wednesday, December 5, 1958

ss

His Sponsor
paid 140

Today he paid it for candy. Some day soon it will be this twelve-year old's
contribution to the Fort Wayne Fine Arts Center. Othw sponsors will send
nicklee, dimes, dollars. With radio station WOWO and its talent
spearheading the drive, the people of Fort Wayne will some day create
a Fine Arts Center any city would be proud of.

No wonder WOWO gets action. WOWO's powerful 50,000-watt voice creates

its own rich, responsive, three-state market... 37th largest radio market in the U. S.

Like all Westinghouse Broadcasting stations, WOWO

wins people because it is dedicated to local needs, tastes, and problems,

.People respond to this interest—time after time after

time. That's why no selling campaign is complete mthovl the WBC stations,

WOWO Fort Wayne

' *^f***’'*«'* ^ Orlfln, Voodwani. Inc.

00©WESTINGHOUSE BKOADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

TELfiVISION: BOSTON WBZ-TV BALTIMORB WJ2-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KVW-TV SAN FRANCISCO KPK

radio: boston wbz+wbza Pittsburgh kdka Cleveland kyw fort waynb wowo Chicago wind Portland kex

P^iEFi

WeSnetdoy, December 8, 1958

The store'^locked up tight—but tomoirow's sales a^beipg juade tonight on KYW*s Program
Nighttimeradio with a difference. Program PM is a'^ma^c carpet of sound that travels the
listener through the color and vari^ of life after daric. It follows a squad car’s wailing siren. It
itches the shrill blast of a trumpet belting the blues'. It buttonholes the visiting celebrity. It goes behind
the scenes to probe music, sports, theatre, news. And It sells. After a year of operation on KYW,
Program PM’s share of audience is tops. Advertisinglfevenue for the time period is up 340%.

Program PM sells nightly on five Westinghouse Broadcasting radio stations.

It reflects WBC’s belief that, night or day, the key to sales success is creative programming. Radio
advertisers buy listeners. They buy more on WBC stations because the imaginative use of radio
gives WBC stations undisputed leadership in all their markets. This is why
no Ming camjmgn is complete without the WBC station^.

KYW Cleveland

ip-i ^=5^ y tqu i MWt . J ir P*tan, Ortfto. Woodwvd^ In*.

WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

TELEVISION: BOSTON ^Z-TV BALTMORE WJZ-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TY' CLEVELAND KYW-TV gAN FRANCISCO EPIX
RADIO: BOSTON WBZ+WB2A PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WAYNE WOWO CHICAGO WIND PORTLAND KEt

Wflillictdaf, DecemlMf 9t 1^98

4^'"" ''V

'i''<

^ k

^■wM.
■ \ ■

“I kept thinking
of his poor wife”

^That's what one postcard said. It came in two days after KDKA report^ the rescue of mine
, aisaster victims at Mariana, Pa. This sense of personal identification, this on-the-scene
.believability, is consistently delivered by KDKA news. KDKA captures the actual voices and
"^sounds of the Pittsburgh scene with a staff of reporters who dig for the news, mobile units, beep
^phones and tape recwders. Carefully edited and rewritten wire stories add scope to the news.
iWestinghouse Broadcasting's Washington News Bureau covers major national and
international events, with emphasis on the local slant.

You check ratings and you see that this is KDKA's town... with a lead in 430 out of 496 quarter'
hours surveyed. Comprehensive news coverage is one reason. This same kind of freshness and vitality"
runs through WBC's entire programming range. This is what attracts and holds listeners from sign-oi;
to sign-off... the reason why no selling campaign is complete mthout the WBC stations.

KDKA Pittsburgh

®0®WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

television; Boeroifim-TT' "baltmqrbwjx-tV kttsbdrgh kdka-tv Cleveland kyw-tv SANfSANCisco jcpix*
radio: BOSTON W«+WB*^" PITTSBUllGH KDKA^ CLIjf^^AND KYW FORT WAYNE WOWO CHICAGO WIND rOWLAND MKi;

;Pg«gAer S, 1958

41

were you with it?

If you were one of the sponsors of the
fabulous presentation of ‘'Wonderful Town'^
on Sunday night, you had a wonderful
television experience.

You were part of a broadcast that played
to the largest audience this season for ^
a ‘ ‘special'' entertainment program—a
total of some 50 million viewers. And you
can be sure that you left^a warm and
memorable impression on your audience.

If you were ^y CBS Television Network
advertiser you would be gratified by this
latest demonstration of the network's
talent for contributing such freshness and
vitality to the medium.

It is this extra edge of initiative that
produces not only the biggest audiences
for “special" programs, but for the
average program as well—14% larger at
night, 8% larger in the daytime. In
fact CBS Television Network advertisers
have been enjoying the largest average
nationwide audiences for more than three
years, according to the past ^ consecutive
Nielsen Reports issued since July 1955.

If, on the other hand, you're a television
advertiser who is on the CBS Television
Network, maybe you ought to get with it.

®CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

42

TV.FII3fS

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

_- ri^r?T 1?T»TT¥ Cl? DV »urkr*U AM ART* Variett’s toeekly chart is based on the 22 major markets regularly reported by Tele-

J^Af^IE/TY^ 1 Jb/L.HiFUL.M!. L.1 1 I -O I -LJ 1 I rliUlrtiAIVl 1 « month, in addition to 133 other Telepulse tabulated V.S markets, covered

over the course of a year. Cities tmll be rotated weekly. Tne VARtETi cnart is a compilation of data on syndicated films, as well as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands for local programming and the (♦) for network shows.

BALTIMORE

Stations: WBAL, WJZ, WMAR. TV Homes: 431,500. Survey Dates: October 10-17, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOl^l ‘

RK.. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1 . Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30).WMAR 35.8

2. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30).WMAR 33.3

3. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00) .WBAL 32.5

4. Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30) -WMAR 32.0

5. Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00).. .WMAR 29.3

5. Ann Southern (Mon. 9:30-10:00).WMAR 29.3

5. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00) _WBAL 29.3

5. Real McCoys (Thurs. 8:30-9:00).WJZ 29.3

5. Tales of Wells Farffo (Mon. 8:30-9) . WBAL 29.3

6 . Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 9:30-11:00)_WMAR 28.9

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS AV.

RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. vEarly Show (M-F 6:00-7:30) ... .WJZ 16.3

2. ♦Mickey Mouse Club (M,W,F 5:30-6) WJZ 15.6

3. *Love of Life (M-F 12:00-12:30) ... WMAR 14.9

4. *Guidins: Light (M-F 12:45-1:00) WMAR 14.6

5. ♦Search Tomorrow (M-F 12:30-12:45) WMAR 14.4

6 . vBuddy Deane (M-F 3:00-4:30).WJZ 14.2

7. *Art Linkletter (M-F 2:30-3:00).WMAR 13.5

8 . tPopeye (M-F 4:30-5:00).WJZ 13-3

9. “CBS News (M-F 7:15-7:30).WMAR 12.6

10. tLate Show (M-F 10:30-Signoff).WJZ 12.3

10. *Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.) WBAL 12.3

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED SHOWS

AV.

AV.

1 TOP COMPETITION

AV.

RK.

PROGRAM—DAY—TIME

STA. DISTRIB.

RTG..

SH.

PROGRAM

STA.

RTG.

1 .

Casey Jones (Mon. 7:30).

.WJZ...

... Screen Gems

20.3

47

Name That Tune....

....WMAR

13.3

2 .

How To Marry MiUionaire (Tues. 8 ).

.WMAR,

,...NTA

19.8

32

Sugarfoot .

....WJZ

23.0

3.

Sea Hunt (Wed: 10:30) ..

• WBAL.

... Ziv

17.0

38

... .WMAR

14.3

4

WIVIAR.

.... Ziv

15 8

40

.... WJZ

18.3

5.

Man Behind Badge (Fri. 6:30)......

.WMAR.

.., .MCA

14.3

41

Early Show.

....WJZ

14.3

6 .

.WJZ...

13 8

54

.... WMAR

7.8

7.

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 4:30)..

. WJZ...

.., AAP

13.3

48

Edge of Night .

.... WMAR

8.8

7.

State Trooper (Sun. 10:30K ..

.WBAL.

... MCA

13.3

30

What's My Line.

.. . .WMAR

22.3

8 .

. WJZ...

... ABC

13.0

52

.... WMAR

7.8

9.

Huckleberry Hound (Thurs. 5:00).,.

.WJZ...

.. . Screen Gems

12.8

52

Cisco Kid..

... .WMAR

7.8

9.

Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 5:00) ,...

.WJZ.. .

.. .Screen Gems

12.8

52

Cisco Kid....

.... WMAR

7.8

10 .

Follow That Man (Sun. 11:15)..

.WMAR.

... .MCA

12.3

41

Late Show .

... .WJZ

9.0

10 .

Wild BiU Hickok (Wed. 5:00)__

• WJZ...

... Screen Gems

12.3

51

Cisco Kid .

....WMAR

7.8

11 .

Badge 714 (Mon., Thurs. 6:30)......

.WMAR.

. ..CNP

11.3

32

Early Show.

....WJZ

17.0

11 .

Charlie Chan (Wed. 7:00).....

.WBAL.

... ITC

11.3

28

Early Show.

... .WJZ

18.3

12 .

This Is Alice (Wed! 7:30).

.WMAR.

. ..NTA

11.0

21

Wagon Train.

....WBAL

21.8

13.

Amos ’n’ Andy (Mon.-Fri. 6:00).

-WMAR.

... CBS

10.9

33

Early Show ...'._

... .WJZ

15.8

14.

Death Valley Days (Mon. 7:00).

.WBAL.

... U. S. Borax

10.8

25

Early Show .

....WJZ

21.3

15.

Follow That Man (Tues. 6:30).

. WMAR.

..'. .MCA

10.3

32

Early Show .

... . WJZ

17.8

15.

Sky King (Sat. 6:30)..

-WMAR

.... Nabisco

10.3

30

Early Show .

... WJZ

19.3

HOUSTON-GALVESTON Stations: KGUL, KPRC, KTRK. TV Homes: 351,700. Survey Dates: October 10-17, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1 .

2 .

3.

4.

5.

6 .

7.

8 .

9.

10 .

Perry Comp (Sat. 7:00-8:00) .
Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00^8:30)..
Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30)
Playhouse 90 (Thurs, 8:30-10:00)
Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 8:30-9:00)
Loretta Young (Sun. 9:00-9:30) ..
Phil Silvers (Fri. 8:00-8:30)
Playhouse of Stars (Fri. 8:30-9:00)

. KPRC
..KGUL
. .KGUL
..KGUL
.-KGUL
..KPRC
..KGUL
KGUL

De.silu Playhouse* (Mon. 9:00-10:00), .KGUL
I’ve Got A Secret (Wed. 8:30-9:00) . KGUL

32.6

29.6

29.4

28.9

27.9
27.8

27.6

26.7

26.5
26.4

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. *American Bandstand (M-F. 4-5).... KTRK

2. *News, Wea. (M-F 10:00-10:15).KTRK

3. vLifc of Riley (M-F 6:00-6:30).KGUL

4. ♦Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.) .KPRC

5. tNewsreel. Wea, (M-F 6:15-6:30) ...KPRC

6 . tWorld Today-Sports (M-F 6-6:15) KPRC

7. *News-John Daly (M-Th 10:15-10:30) KTRK

8 . ♦Verdict Is Yours (M-F 2:30-3:00). KGUL

9. tAward Theatre (M-F 10:0Q-Signoff) KGUL
* 9. tConcentration (M-F 10:30-11 a.m.) KPRC

- 110 .

_ill.

-Mil'

13.4 12.

13.3 13.

13,0 .

12.9 IIJ*

12.6 115 .

12.3 15*

11.4 i^-
11.2 !’•
11.21

MacKenzie’s Raiders (Tues. 9:00)..

..KGUL..

.. Ziv

22.7

39

Highway Patrol (Tues. 9;30).

.. KGUL..

.. Ziv

21.3

40

Whirlybirds (Sat. 6:00).. ......

..KPRC...

CBS

19.7

50

Twenty Six Men (Sun. 9:30)..

.. KPRC...

,. ABC

17.9

32

Silent Service (Tues 9:30)..

..KPRC...

.. CNP

17.6

33

Union Pacific (Fri. 8:30) .

..KTRK..

.. CNP

17.0

28

Rescue Eight (Thurs. 9:30) .

. .KPRC...

. JScreen Gems

16.4

28

Death Valley Days (Tues. 9:30)-

..KTRK..

.. U. S. Borax

14.7

27

State 'Trooper (Tues. 9:00) ....

..KTRK..

.. MCA

14.7

26

Harbor Command (Thtirs, 10:00) . .

..KPRC...

., .Ziv

14.6

37

Target (Wed. 9:30) .

:.KPRC...

. Ziv

14.1

26

Sea Hunt (Mon. 9:30) .

..KTRK..

.. Ziv

13.5

24

Soldiers of Fortune. (Sat. 5:00)-

..KGUL..

..MCA

13.5

46

Boots & Saddles (Sun. 8:00) .-.-

..KTRK,.

..CNP

13.4

21

Life of Riley (Mon.-Fri. 6:00).

..KGUL..

..CNP

13.3

39

Big Story (Mon. 10:00)....'..

.-KPRC...

... Flamingo

12.8

33

Decoy (Wed. 6:30) ..

.. KGUL..

.. Official

11.7

24

This Is Alice (Thurs. 9:30).......

..KTRK..

.. NTA

11.6

20

Top Play’s 58 (Sun. 8:30).....

..KTRK..

.. Screen Gems

11.6

19

Popeye (Fri. 5:00) ..

..KTRK..

.. AAP

11.5

45

Californians .KPRC

Silent Service .KPRC

I Led Three Lives.KGUL

What’s My Line.. KGUL

Highway Patrol .KGUL

Playhouse of Stars.KGUL

Playhouse 90 .KGUL

Highway Patrol..KGUL

MacKenzie’s Raiders-KGUL

(News, Wea. . ..KTRK

1 News-John Daly ...... KTRK

Ginger Rogers..'-KGUL

Desilu Playhouse . .KGUL

Waterfront .KPRC

Dinah Shore.KPRC

I World Today-Sports.... KPRC

1 Newsreel, Wea.KPRC

Award Theatre _ KGUL

Wagon Train ...KPRC

Playhouse 90. KGUL

Alfred Hitchcock ........ KGUL

Early Show . KGUL

20.3

17.6
11.1

21.6

21.3

26.7

29.7
21.3

22.7

13.5
13.2
.24.8

25.1

10.2

25.5

12.9
13.2

15.5

23.9

29.7

27.9
*7.9

ROCHESTER

' OP VEN NETWORK SHOWS

. I. Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30) . . WHEC 48.8! 1.

2. Have Gun WiU Travel (Sat. 9:30-10) WHEC 43.5 j 2

3. Bob Hene (Tues. 9:00-10:60) -WROC 42.81

4. Little W'^omen (Thurs. 8:30-9:30)_ WHEC 42.0

5. W’agon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30) . WROC 40.8

6. Person To Person (Fri. 10:30-11:00). .WVET 39.8 5.

7. Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).IWET 39.3 g

8 . Ed Sullivan (Sun. 8:00-9:00) .WHEC 38.9 *

9. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30).WHEC 38.8 ®*

10 . Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30).. :.WrROC 38.3

10. Oh Susanna (Sat. 9:00-9:30) ....WHEC 38.3: 7.

__ _ _ - u r u i- 7-

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. ♦CBS News (M-F 6:45-7:00) .WVET 25.4]®*

2. vCity Edition, Wea. (M-F 6:30-6:45). . WVET 24.1 9*

3. TNews, Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15).... .WHEC ) - 10.

WVET ) 21.8 ’ 11

4. ♦Mickey Mouse Club (M,W,F 5:30-6) WHEC ) 1 ‘

WVET ( 21.4 '

5. *Adventure Time (T.Th 5:30-6:00) WHEC ) I

WVET J 19.4 •

6 . tAnn and Marianne (M,W 5:00-5:30) WHEC 1 113-

WVET) 17.2114.

7. tilth Hour News (M-F 11:00-11:15) .WROC 16.1 > 15

8 . •^ vEarly News, Esso Reporter WROC 14.0:,/

(M-F 6:15-6:30). i

9. ♦Captain Kangaroo (M-F 8-8:45 a.m.) WHEC r {17.

WVET ( 13.5 • 18.

9. tPremiere Theatre, Misc. V/HEC1 !

(M-F ll:15-Signoff).IWET ) 13.5 I

PORTLAND, Me.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

L Perry. Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).WCSH 37.5

2. Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30).WGAN 35.8

2. Price Is Right (Wed. 8:30-9:00).WCSH 35.8

3. Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00). .WGAN 35.3

4. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30).......WGAN 34.8

4. Kraft Music HaU (Wed. 9:00-9:30).. . WCSH 34.8

5. Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).WCSH 34.6

6 . Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).WGAN 34.3

7. Hall of Fame (Mon. 9:30-11:00).WCSH 33.9

8 . I*ve Got A Secret (Wed. 9:30-10:00). .WGAN 33.8

8 . Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30).... WCSH 33.8

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. ‘CBS News (M-F 6:45-7:00).WGAN 18.9

2. tNews, Wea. (M-F 6:30-6:45)....WGAN 18.5

3. *Mighty 90 (M-F 5:00-6:30).WGAN 17.5

4 . .*NBC News (M-F 6:45-7:00)..WCSH 17.2

5. tChannel S-Joumal (M-F 6:30-6:45) .WCSH 16.3

6 . tNews. Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15).WGAN 16.1

7. tNews, Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15).WCSH 14.1

8 . ♦Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.). - WCSH 12.9

9. -(-Fun House (M-F 5:30-6:00)..WCSH 12.3

19. *A» World Turns (M-F 1:90-2:00)... - WGAN 11.5

1 .

1 .

2 .

3.

3.

4.

5.

6 .

7.
. 7.

8 .

9.

10 .

10 .
11 .
12 .

13.

14.

15.

16.
16 i

WVET, WROC. TV Homes

167,400.

Survey Dates: October 10-30,

1958.

..WHEC.

.. CBS

31.8

57

Jefferson Drum .

.WROC

23.8

. WHEC.

.. CNP

30.0

52

Pat Boone .

.WROC

27.3

i.-WROC.

.. ITC

26.8

55

You Asked For It.

. WHEC

21.8

. .WVET.

.. Ziv

23 3

42

Real McCoys.....

.WROC

32 8

..WROC.....

. . ABC

22.8

53

Wrestling .

.WHEC

20.3

. WVET,,...

43

Zorro .

. WROC

30 3

. WVET.

.. Screen Gems 22.5

63

(Plyhs. 5, Bowling, News

WROC

12.5

1 Early News, Esso Rptr.

.wSoc

14.0

. WHEC, WVET NTA

22.3

63

Playhouse 5 ..

.WROC

13.3

. .WVET.

.. AAP

22.3

61

i Plyhs. 5, Handyman’s..

.WROC

13.5

TEarly News, Esso Rptr.

-WROC

15.5

..WROC.

.. CNP

21.8

39

Garry Moore .

.WHEC

33.8

. WHEC.

.. MCA

21.3

40

What’s My Line.

.WROC

32.3

. WHEC. WVET NTA

20.8

61

Playhouse 5 .. .. .

.WROC

13.3

. .WVET.....

.. Screen Gems 19.8

57

(Playhouse 5, News_

.WROC

14.5

\ Early News, Esso Rptr.

.WROC

15.0

..WVET.

.. CBS

17.8

58

(Plyhs. 5, Gourmet Club. WROC

12.0

( Early News, Esso Rptr.

WROC

13.5

. .WVET.....

16.8

67

True Story.

. WROC

8.3

. :WROC.

16 0

25

.WHEC

48 8

. .WVET.

.. AAP

15.6

65

Little Rascals .........

.WROC

11.3

.-WHEC.....

.. ITC

14.8

56

Meet The Press ...

.WROC

11.8

..WROC.

.. NT’A

11.6

85

Faith For Today.

.WVET

—

. -WROC.

,.. Interstate

11.3

56

Popeye ...

.WVET

9.0

'GAN, WMTW. TV Homes: 45,900.

Survey Dates: October 10-30,

1958.

.. . WCSH _

. ABC

32 8

56

WGAN

18.8

...WCSH _

. CBS

32.8

58

WrJAN

17.3

...WCSH...

. Ziv

31.8

70

|(Bernie’s Fashion Show.WGAN

8.5

( Team of the Week. . ..

-WGAN

9:0

...WGAN...

.CNP

31.3

58

Youth Cavalcade.

.WCSH

19.8

...WCSH...,

. CBS

31.3

67

Air Power ...

.WGAN

13.3

...WGAN...

.NTA

28.3

52

•Patti Page. .

.WCSH

21.8

...WCSH...

. Ziv

27.3

71

Small World .

-WGAN

7.3

...WCSH...

. MCA

24.8

59

Man Without A Gun. ...

-WGAN

14.3

... WGAN. ..

. Ziv

24.3

43

Dial 999 ...

.WCSH

20.8

...WCSH...

. Ziv

24.3

52

Bishop Sheen ..

'.WGAN

15.8

...WGAN...

.U. S. Borax

22.8

50

Cimarron City .........

.WCSH

18.3

...WGAN...

.NTA

22.0

39

Dragnet .. *. ...

-WCSH

21.3

...WCSH...

. Ziv

20.8

41

Sea Hunt .

.WGAN

24,3

...WGAN...

.CBS

20.8

52

Flight ...

.WCSH

16.8

...WGAN...

.NTA

20.3

43

.WCSH

17.8

...WCSH...

. CNP

19.8

38

What's My Line .

.WGAN

28,8

... WCSH. ..

.AAP

18.3

66

-WGAN

7.8

.. .WCSH. ..

. ITC

12.8

38

This Is Alice . .: ...

.WGAN

20.3

... WCSH. ..

, Nabisco

17.5

51

Dave Astor ............

.WGAN

15.8

;... WCSH...

.CNP

16.8

42

Our Miss Brooks .......

-WGAN

20.8

...WCSH...

.Guild

1«.B-

71

CapL^Kangaroo

VWQAN

Gray Ghost (Thurs. 7:30)..

Badge 714 (Sat. 10:30) ....

Last of the Mohicans (Thurs. 7:00:
Harbor Command (Fri. 7:00)., .
Twenty Six Men (Sat. 11:00)..,
Wnd Bill Hickok (Wed. 7:00)...
Woody Woodpecker (Mon. 6:00)

Man Without A Gun (Fri. 5:00).
Popeye (Thurs. 6:00) ..

Boots & Saddles (Tues. 10:30)..

Mike Hammer (Sun. 10:30).

This Is Alice (Tues: 5:00).

Huckleberry Hound (Fri, 6:00)-

Annie Oakley (Wed. 6:00).....

Sky King (Sat. 12:00)...

Paris Precinct (Sat. 10:00)...

Popeye (Sat., Sun. 12:30).

Tugboat Annie (Sun, 6:00)_

Roy Rogers (Sun, 11:00 am.).
Little Rascals (Sun. 12:30)....

Twenty Six Men (Sun. 7:00)-

Whirlybirds (Fri. 7:30).

Highway Patrol (Fri. 7:00).

Silent Service (Mon. 7:00).._

Whirlybirds (Sun. 6:30)...

Official Detective (Thurs. 7:30).
MacKenzie’s Raiders (Sun. 6:00)

State Trooper (Sat. 7:00).;_

Sea Hunt (Thurs. 7:00)..

Target (Wed. 7:00)..

Death Valley Days (Sat. 10:30).
Marry A Millionaire (Tues. 7:30)

Dial 999 (Thurs. 7:00).....

Our Miss Brooks (Sat. 6:30)....

This Is Alice (Tues. 7:()0).

Union Pacific (Sun. 10:30)......

Popeye (Sat. 11:00 a.m.)...

Last of the Mohicans ('Tues. 7:00)

Sky King (Sat. 6:00).

Flight (Sat. 6:30) ..

Looney Tones (Sat. 10:00 a.m.)

Wednesday, December 3, 19^

P^StlETT

TV-PlOfS

43

rT>i 7 T 170TTT Cf r’TTTV HV r’TTV l>urfcr*l? A?tf r'TIAUT' Variety's tceefcly chart is based on the 22 major markets regularly reported by Tele-
frA!Rl£/T^T • 1 tuLitjrlJLioJli Lill I -oI-Ltll 1 pyjsQ each month, in addition to 133 other Telepulse tabulated U.S markets, covered

over the course of a.year. Cities will he rotated weekly. The Vahiety chart is a compilation of data on syndicated films, as well as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands for local programming and the (*) for network shows.

SAN FRANCISCO

Stations: KGO. KPIX, KRON, KTVU. TV Homes: 817,700. Survey Dates: October 10-17, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS AV.

RK. PROGRAM-DAY—TIME STA, RTG.

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).KPIX 29.5

2. Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30)-KRON 28.9

3. Desilu playhouse (Mon. 9:00-10:00). . KPIX 28.7

4. Boh Hope (I'ues. 9:00-10:00).KRON 28.2

5. Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00).. .KPIX 27.5

6 . Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30)..KRON 26.8

7. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).KRON 25.5

7. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mori. 8:30-9).. KRON 25.5

8 . Maverick (Sun. 7:30-8:30).KGO 25.0

9. People Are Funny (Sat. 7:30-8:00).. .KIRON 24.9

9. Hall of Fame (Mon. 9:30-11:00)...... KRON 24.9

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS AV.
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1 . ♦NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30)- KRON 13.1

2. tShell News (M-F 6:00-6:15)...._KRON 12.2

3. tPopeye (M-F 5:15-6:00)....KRON 11.8

4 . tBig Movie (M-F 10:00-11:30).KPIX 11.5

5. tNews, Sports Desk (M-Th 11-11:15).KRON 11.1

6 . *CBS News (M-F 6:15-'6:30).:KPIX 10.6

7. tChannel 5 News (M-F 6;00-6rl5)... .KPIX 10.3

8 . *Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.). .KRON 9.9

9. *Qaeen For A Day (M-F 2:00-2:30). .KRON 9.8

10. tAmos ’n’ Andy (M-F 6:00-6:30).KPIX 9.1

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED SHOWS
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. DISTRIB.

1. Sheriff of Cochke (Wed. 7:00).KRON....

2. San Francisco Beat (Sat. 9:30)-- . KPIX.....

3. Highway Patrol (Tues. 6:30).KRON....

4. Sea Hunt (Tues. 7:00)...KRON....

, 5. Science Fiction Theatre (Tues. 10:30) KRON....

6 . People’s Choice (Tues. 7:00).. KPIX.....

7. U. S. Marshal (Thurs. 7:00)....KRON....

8 . 26 Men (Thurs. 7:00).KTVU.

9. .Gray Ghost (Fri. 7:30).KRON....

10. Big Story (Mon. 6:30).KRON.,..

11 . Official Detective (Sun. 10:30).KRON....

12. Silent Service (Sat. 7:00).’.KRON....

13. Dr. Hudson (Wed. 10:30).KRON.

14. State Trooper (Sun. 9:00)..KGO......

15. Rescue 8 (Wed. 6:30)... KRON....

16. Popeye (Moh.-Fri. 5:15)..KRON....

17. Decoy (Tues. 6:30)..KPIX.....

18. Annie Oakley (Sun. 6:00).KGO..

19. Huckleberry Hound (Wed. 6:30)..... KTVU....

20. Divorce Court (Sat. 6:00). .KRON....

AV.

AV.

1 TOP COMPETITION

AV.

RTG.

SH.

PROGRAM

STA.

RTG.

24.5

44

7 O’clock Movie.

.. .KGO

- -11.9

22.2

35

Cimarron City.

...KRON

18.9

18.9

39

Decoy ...

.. .KPIX

11.7

18.5

34

People’s Clhoice.

...KPIX

16.5

17.9

45

Big Movie.

.. KPIX

12.4

16.5

30

Sea Hunt.

...KRON

18.5

15.9

31

Twenty Six Men ....

...KTVU

14.5

14.5

28

U. S. Marshal.

...KRON

15.9

14.3

26

Jackie Gleason .

.. .KPIX

23.2

14.2

32

Name That Tune....

...KPIX

13.2

14.0

33

What’s My Line.-

...KPIX

19.5

13.9

28

Perry Mason .

...KPIX

18.5

13.4

40

Big Movie.

.. .KPIX

12.7

12.5

20

G. E. Theatre .

...KPIX

23.9

11.9

24

Boxing ..

...KGO

16.0

11.8

46

Early Show .

.. .KPIX

5.4

11.7

24

Highw’ay Patrol.

., .KRON

18.9

11.2

35

Movie Time .

...KRON

8.5

10.9

22

Boxing...

...KGO

16.0

10.6

28

f 6 O’clock Movie...

.. KGO

10.9

-

) Perry Mason .:. ..

. . KPIX

17.9

.NTA
. CBS
.Ziv
•Ziv
-Ziv
■ ABC
NTA
.ABC
.CB.S
JFlamingo
•NTA
CNP
•MCA
.MCA

■Screen Gems
.AAP
. Official
-CBS

.Screen Gems
.Guild

MILWAUKEE

Stations: WISN, WITI, WTMJ, WXIX. TV Homes: 298,000. Survey Dates: October 17-24, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1 . Loretta Young (Sun. 9:00-9:30)..WTMJ 33.5

,2. Perry Como (Sat 7:00-8:00).....WTMJ 31.3

3. Dinali Shore (Sun. 8:00-9:00)... i... .WTMJ 31.2

4. Real McCoys (Thurs. 7:30-8:00)..... .WISN 29.5

5. Wagon Train (Wed. 6:30-7:30). ..WTMJ 27.8

6 . Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).WXEX 27.5

7. Restless Gun (Mon. 7:00-7:30).WTMJ ‘ 27.2

8 . Maverick (Sun. 6:30-7:30). .WISN 26.3

9. Steve Allen (Sun. 7:00-8:00)..WTMJ 26.2

10. Californians (Tues. 9:00-9:30).'..WTMJ 25.9

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1 . tWea., News (M-F 10:00-10:30).WTMJ 18.9

2. ♦NBC NewsiM-F 6:15-6:30)....WTMJ 11.8

3. tNews, Wea. (M-F 6:00-6:15).WTMJ 11.5

4. *Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6:00) . WISN 10.8

5. *Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.)..WTMJ 10.4

6 . tAmos ’n’ Andy (M-F 6:00-6:30)_WXIX 10.0

7. tUncle Hugo, Misc. (M-F 4:00-5:00). .WISN 9.9

8 . tLate News, Wea. & Sports WXIX 9.7

(M-F 10:00-10:15).

9. *Concentration (M-F 10:30-11 a.m.)-.WTMJ 9.5

10. tDeadline 12, Wea. (M-F 6:00-6:15). .WISN 9.3

1 ,

Whirlybirds (Sun. 9:30)..

.WTMJ..

,. CBS

25 9

43

What’s My Line.

.. WXIX

19.2

20.2

2 .

State Trooper (Tues. 9:30).^.

.WTMJ..

.. .MCA

24.2

40

Garry Moore .

. .WXIX

3.

Sea Hunt (Mon. 9:30).

.WTMJ..

.. Ziv

23.9

41

Desilu Playhouse .....

. .WXIX

23.2

4.

Highway Patrol (Thurs. 9:30).

.WTMJ..

.. Ziv

20.9

35

Playhouse 90 .

..WXIX

17.2

5.

Flight (Sat. 9:30).

.WTMJ..

, ..CNP

19,5

37

Double Shock .

.. WITI

13.9

6.

Patti Page (Fri. 8:45)...

.WTMJ..

.. Screen Gems

17.7

'28

77 Sunset Strip..

..WISN

18.3

7.

Boots & Saddles (Thurs. 8:00).

.WTMJ..

.. CNP

17.2

28

Pat Boone.

..WISN

23.5

H

.WISN...

15.2

25

. WTMJ

20 9

9.

Douglas Fairbanks (Wed. 9:30)._

.WTMJ..

.. ABC

14.2

26 j

U. S. Steel Hour...-

..WXIX

18.5

10 .

N. Y. Confidential (Fri. 7:30).

.WTMJ.:

., -ITC

13.9

27!

Walt Disney Presents. -

. .WISN

17.2

11 .

Annie Oakley (Sun 6:00).. ..

. WTMJ;.

.. CBS

12.2

31

' Lassie ...

. .WXIX

17.5

11 .

Target (Tiies. 9:30).

.WISN...

..Ziv

12.2

20 .

i State Trooper .

. - WTMJ

24.2

12 .

13.

13.

Afriran Patrol (Tup.s Ifl'ifi).......

.WTMJ..

.. Gross-Krasne
.. Ziv

12.0

11.5

36

Late Show .

.. WXIX

9.9

Martin Kane (Tiipr 9*00).

. WISN,..

19

Californians .

. WTMJ

25.9

Terry Toons (Sat. 10:30 a.m.).

. WTMJ..

.. CBS

11.5

50

Robin Hood .

.. IVXIX

9.9

14.

Parade of Stars (Wed., Sun. 10:30L .

.WTMJ..

.. -MCA

11.2

.31

6 Million Dollar Movie

. WITI

10.8

14.

15.

Popeye (Sun 2*00).

.WISN...

.. AAP

11.2

32

Football .

.. WXIX

19.2

Championship Bowling (Sun. 12:00).

.WTMJ..

.. .Schwimmer

10.5

33

Football ..

..WXIX

16.8

16.

Amos ’n’ Andy (Mon.-Fri. 6:00).

.WXIX..

. .CBS

10.0

31

(News, Wea.

( NBC News.

. .WTIVIJ
. .WTMJ

11.5

11.8

17^

Sky King (Sat. 11:00 a.m.) .

. WTMJ. .

.. Nabisco

9.9

49

Laurel & Hardy

WXIX

8.9

FORT WORTH

Stations: KFJZ, KRLD, WBAP, WFAA. TV Homes: 155,300. Survey Dates: October 10-17, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Death Valley Days (Sat. 9:30)-.,.,.

. KRLD..,

.. U. S. Borax

27.8

48

Command Performance.

KFJZ

14.8

—

2. Man Without A Gun (Fri. 8:00).

.KFJZ...

.. NTA

23.8

38

Phil Silvers . .

KRLD

17.3

1.

Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30)....,...

.KRLD

36.8

3. Big Story (Wed. 9:30)..

.WBAP..

.. Flamingo

22.5

37

Ginger Rogers .

.KRLD

15.3

2.

Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-9:00). ..

.KRLD

28.8

4. Union Pacific (Fri. 8:30)..

.KFJZ...

.. CNP

20.8

34

Playhouse of Stars.

.KRLD

16.3

3.

Price Is Right (Wed. 7:30-8:00)....

.WBAP

28.3

5. How To Marry Millionaire (Fri, 7:30).KFJZ...

.. NTA

17.8

29

Jackie Gleason .

.KRLD

16.3

3.

Tins Is Tour Life (Wed. 9:00-9:30).

.WBAP

28.3

5. Wild BiU Hickok (Wed. 6:00).

.KFJZ...

.. Screen Gems

17.8

51

f News, Wea. ..

.WBAP

11.0

4.

Wyatt Earp (Tues. 7:30-8:00)......

.•WFAA

27.8

1 NBC News.

.WBAP

11.5

5.

: Wagon Train (Wed. 6:30-7:30)_

.WBAP

27.5

6. Casey Jones (Thurs. 7:00).....

.KFJZ.,.

.. Screen Gems

17:3

27

Ed Wynn .

.WBAP

16.3

6.

Bob Hope (Tues. 8:00-9:00).

.WBAP

26:8

. 7. Annie Oakley (Fri. 6:00)..

.KFJZ...

.. CBS

16.8

42

(News. Wea.

.WBAP

8.5

7.

Dinah Shore (Sun. 8:00-9:00).

.WBAP

25.8

1 NBC News.

’.WBAP

9.0

7.

Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9)

.KRLD

25.8

7. Frontier Doctor (Thurs. 8:00).. J -..

.KFJZ.,.

,. HTS

16.8

26

Pat Boone.

.WFAA

17.3

7.

Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 7:30-8)..

.WBAP

25.8

7. Sky King (Sat. ll:00 a.m.).

.KRLD..,

,. .Nabisco

16.8

60

Kiddies Special.

WFAA

6.8

—

7. State 'Trooper (Tues. 9:30).

.WBAP..

.. .MCA

16.8

27

Command Performance.

KFJZ

19.3

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

8. Stories of the Century (Thurs. 7:30).

■ KFJZ:. .

.. HTS

15.8

25

Real McCoys.

WFAA

21.3

_

8. This Is Alice (Fri. 7:00).

.KFJZ-. . .

.. NTA

15.8

29

Walt Disney Presents . .

. WFAA

14.3

1.

tTexas News (M-F 10:00-10:15).

.WBAP

23.6

8. Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 6:00).

.KFJZ...

.. Screen Gems

15.8

42

(News, Wea.

.IVBAP

8.5

2.

tWea., News Final (M-F 10:15-10:30).WBAP

22.5

} NBC News.

.WBAP

8.0

3.

tThree Stooges (M-F 6:30-6:50)....

.KFJZ

15.3

9. Damon Runyon Theatre (Sun. 9:30).

.WBAP..

.. Screen Gems

15.3

27

What’s My Line..

.KRLD

23.3

4.

tNews & Wea.. Misc. (M-F 6:50-7:00). KFJZ

15.2

9. Three Stooges (Mon.-Fri. 6:30).

.KFJZ...

.. Screen Gems

15.3

31

Wagon Train .

.WBAP

28.0

5.

tCom. Periormance (M-F 9:30-11:15).KFJZ

14.3

10. Gray Ghost (Thurs.. 8:30)..

. KFJZ..,

.. CBS

14.8

23

Ernie Ford.

• WBAP

20.3

6.

tRoy Rogers (T, W 7:00-7:30).

.KFJZ

13.5

11. Roy Rogers (Sun. 3:30).....

.KFJZ...

.. CNP

14.3

39

Championship Bowling..

WFAA

10.5

7.

fPopeye (M-F 5:45-6:00).

.KFJZ

12.3

11. Superman (Mon. 6:00)...

. KFJZ...

.. Flamingo

14.3

44 !

f News, Wea.

.WBAP

9.0

8 .

tEariy Show (M-F 4:30-5:45).

.KFJZ

11.0

[) NBC News.

WBAP

9.5

9.

♦American Bandstand (M-F 4-5:30).

-WFAA

10.9

12. Dial 999 (Wed. 7:30).

.KFJZ...

.. Ziv

13.5

21

; Price Is Right.

WBAP

28.3

10.

tstarlight Thea. (M-F ll:15-Signoff) KFJZ

10.6

12. Roy Rogers (Tues., Wed. 7:00)..

.KFJZ...

.. CNP

13.5

22 1 Wagon Train .

WBAP

26.8

CHARLOTTE

Stations: WBTV, WSOC. TV Homes: 62,400. Survey Dates: October 13-20, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1 . Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30)....WBTV

2. Have Gun Will Travel-(Sat. 9^:30-10).WBTV

3. Ed Sullivan (Sun. 8:00-9:00).WBTV

4 . Oh Susanna (Sat 9:00-9:30)-1-WBTV

4 . PhU Silvers (Fri. 9:00-9:30).....WBTV

5. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30)..WBTV

5. Jackie Gleason (Fri. 8:30-9:00)_WBTV

6. Perry Mason (Sat. 7:30-8:30). WBTV

7. Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00)... WBTV

7. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00).WSOC

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. ♦CBS News (M,T,Th,F (6:45-7:00).... WBTV

2. tEsso Rptr., Wea. (M-F 6:30-6:45)... . WBTV

3. ♦Edge of Night (M-F 4:30-5:00).WBTV

4. ♦Our Miss Brooks (M-F 6:00-6:30).. .WBTV

5. tLate News, Wea., Sports WBTV

(M-F 11:00-11:15)..

6. ♦Secret Storm (M-F 4:15-4:30).WBTV

7. -^Brighter Day (M-F 4:00-4':15)..... . WBTV

8. ♦Ldve of Life (M-F 12:00-12:30).. .. .WBTV

9. ♦Search Tomorrow (M-F 12:30-12:45). WBTV
10./, ^eviding Light,- • I^V

50.8

45.8
41.5
40.3
40.3

39.8

39.8
39.0

37.8
37.8

28.8

28.2

21.9

19.9

19.5

19.2

18.9

17.6
17.4

17.3

1. Mike Hammer (Sat. 10:30).WBTV.... .MCA

2. Highway Patrol (Tues. 8:00)WBTV. _Ziv

3. Western Marshal (Tues. 7:30).WBTV.... ;CNP-

4. Sea Hunt (Wed. 8:00)... .WBTV.... .Ziv

5. Amos V Andy (Thurs. 7:30).. WBTV.CBS

5. Sheriff of Cochise (Mon. 7:30).WBTV.NTA

6 . Decoy (Tues. 7:30)....WSOC.Official

6 . Jeff's CoUie (Thurs. 7:00).. WBTV.ITC

7. MacKenzie's Raiders (Wed. 8:30)_WBTV.Ziv

8 . II You Had A Million (Fri. 7:00).WSOC I... .MCA

9. Gray Ghost (Wed. 7:00)..WSOC.... .CBS

10. Target (FrL 8:00). .WSOC.Ziv

18. Whirlybirds (Mon. 7:00).......WSOC.CBS

11. I Married Joan (Mon. 7:00)......... WBTV.Interstate

12. State Trooper (Thurs. 7:00).. WSOC.MCA

13. Union Pacific (Fri. 8:30). ..WSOCT_CNP

14. Man Without A Gun (Sun. 5:00).WSOC.NTA

15. Our Miss Brooks (Mon.-Frl. 6:00).... WBTV..CBS

16. Rescue 8 (Fri. 7:30)..WBTV'.... .Screen Gems

17. Little Rascals (Sat. 5:00)..WBTV.... .Interstate

iiififij .. i.m.s U 0 ;Ui ^^ttooJl .01 'iii

34.3

751

Star Playhouse .

....W’SOC

11.8

33.3

53

Eddie Fisher .

....WSOC

29.3

31.3

521

Decoy .

....WSOC

28.8

30.3

47 1

Wagon Train..

....WSOC

23.8

29.8

55

Lawman .

....WSOC

24.8

29.8

54

Rifleman ..

.WSOC

25.3

28.8

48

Western Marshal ...

-WB'TV

31.3

28.8

56

State Trooper .

....W’SOC

22.3

27.8

47

Price Is Right.

....WSOC

30.8

26.8

53

Arthur Smith.

....WBTV

23.3

26.3

54

What’s My Line.

....WBTV

22.3

23.3

39

Trackdown .

-WBTV

36.3

23.3

51

I Married Joan__

....WBTV

22.8

22.8

49

Whirlybirds ........

....WSOC

23.3

22.3

44

Jeff's Collie .

....WBTV

28.8

21.8

35

Jackie Gleason.

....WBTV

39.8

20.8

61

Mania ...

....WBTV

13,3

19.9

64

Leave It To Beaver..

....WSOC

13.3

19.8

40

RIn Tin Tin.

....WSOC

29.3

19.3

70

AU Star Golf..

.., .WSOC

8.3

fiSRiETf

ired]ie«d« 7 y December 3, 1958

FOR YOUR WIRES

CALLS ...

WATCH

FOR

IMPORTANT
NEWS
SOON!

THE BATTLE
FOR LAW
AND ORDER
IN ‘THE TOWN
TOO TOUGH
TO DIE"

^ .

"Best of the crop . « •

—BILLBOARD

"Top-notchl"

-Miami DAILY NEWS

*!Absorbing . ,

—VARIETY

**Thii is a must!"

-Satv Francisco EXAMINER

"Big time » . >

—RADIO DAILY

. ^'Kepf me ot my set."

—San Francisco BULLETIN

"'X'\

Wedifesdajr, December 3, 1958

45

starring

Pat Conway

AS SHERIFF CLAY HOLLISTEr”

Richard Eastham

AS EDITOR HARRIS CLAIBOURNE

N. V

,T

i <-X

ON ABC FOR ONE YEAR!

» BEAT Dinah Shore Chevy Show.. / times in 8 surveys !

• BEAT I Love Lucy.. 13 times in 13 surveys!

*BEAT The Californians_12 times in 13 surveys!

} • BEAT Pat Boone.11 times in 13 surveys!

BEAT Bob Cummings._11 times in 13 surveys!

• BEAT U. S. Steel Hour_11 times in 13 surveys!

• BEAT Person to Person ... 10 times in 13 surveys!

• and always BEAT Suspicion, George Gobeir Colt .45,
Welk’s Top Tunes, Eddie Fisher, Your Hit Parade, etc.

OUTSTANDING RATINGS IN
MARKETS LARGE AND SMALL

San Dieeo I Baltimore

ARB, July 58

Cincinnati

Lubbock 1 Portland, Ore.

30.5 34.0 31.0

ARB, Feb. '58 ARB, Apr. '58 ARB. June '58

Seattte-Taeoma San Antonio Los Angeles

37.8 27.9 25.4

ARB. Apr. '58 Putse, Mar. '58 ARB. Mar. '58

Nielsen. Oct. '57 thru Apr. '58

Wedneidaj, December 3, 1958

■go

Production now on ITC senes in
Paris, London, Rome, New York,
Hotfywood, and around the world I

ITCs

1959 plans for your future include
world-renowned stars DAN DAILEY,
JACK HAWKINS, and VITTORIO DeSICA,

In the first of ITC’s “series of stature”.

PSRiEfr

Wcdneaday^ December 8, 1958

Wednesday, December S, 1958

49

This is only one of many productions of magnitude
envisioned by ITC, Independent Television Corporation,

Less than ninety days ago* Jack Wrather, Chairman of the Board,
and Walter Kingsley, President of ITC, said: “We’re going to provide
the television industry with facilities — sales, service and products —
without equal anywhere throughout the world,”

By September 22, another announcement was made of “the first of’several expansion
moves planned for ITC both here and abroad.” Jack Wrather and Walter Kingsley
stated that ITC had acquired TPA, Television Programs of America, Inc.,
a leading television production and distribution company.

This'then is ITC’s first “Quarterly Report” to you in the advertising industry.

ON THE NETWORKS:

LASSIE (CBS) — The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning all-family program!

Sponsored by The Campbell Soup Company through Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc. Now in its 5th
year in television.

THE LONE RANGER (ABC, CBS) — The first Western and longest run show produced for television!
Sponsored by General Mills, Inc. through Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample; The Cracker Jack Co. through
Leo Burnett, Inc,; The Nestle Co., Inc. through McCann-Erickson, Inc. and Smith Bros, through
Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles. Now in its 25th year in broadcasting —10th in television.

FURY (NBC) —r Consistently delivering a higher share-of-audience than any other network show!
Sponsored by The Borden Company, Inc. and General Foods, Inc. through Benton & Bowles.

THE GALE STORM SHOW (CBS) — Instantaneous hit, now sponsored for third successful year!
Sponsored by The Nestle Co., Inc. through Bryan Houston, Inc. and Lever Brothers Company
(to start January, 1959).

IN PRODUCTION FOR NA TIONAL SALE:

THE FOUR JUST MEN - Based on Edgar Wallace’s thrilling novels, starring Dan Dailey, Vittorio DeSica
and Jack Hawkins.

CANNONBALL — Stirring human-interest series about truckers on the highway to high adventure, produced
by Robert Maxwell, creator of Lassie.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SWIFT — Daring space-age version of the beloved aH-American classic.
INTERPOL CALLING - Chilling drama of the international police force.

FOR LOCAL MARKETIN6:

SERGEANT PRESTON OF THE YUKON — First time available locally after 3 years on CBS Television.
NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL— Sponsored regionally by D-X Sunray Oil Co., Inc.; Drewrys, Limited.
JEFF'S COLLIE (Syndication title) — the original cast that made Z.ass/e the network’s most honored show;
ARROW PRODUCTIONS:

SUSIE, re-runs of Private Secretary — siarung Ann Sothern ‘ THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
THE ADVENTURES OF TUGBOAT ANNIE • RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE • STAGE 7
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN • MYSTERY IS MY BUSINESS
HAWKEYE AND THE LAST OF MOHICANS • THE HALLS OF IVY • FEATURE ANTHOLOGY

ITC’s objective is to enable you to be a winner in the constant contest for audience.

We think you’ll enjoy talking matters over with us
when you want to increase your sales — and we’d welcome being of service to you.

If you prefer, you can write directly to us. Telephone or wire collect
if you wish. We’re making 1959 strategy-for-sales plans today.
We cordially invite you to join us — to let us make our plans together.

»

We^biesdaf, T>ec«mber S, 1958

V

IndependentTelevision Corporation wasfounded by:

The Jack Wrather Organization.

Associated Television, Ltd. of England (television
station operators, program producers and theater
owners in England and, through Broadcasting
Associates Pty. of Sydney, television station
operators in Australia).

Carl M.Loeb, Rhoades and Co.{investment bankers).

The Jack Wrather Organization itself also includes:
Muzak, The Disneyland Hotel, and, in association
with Edward Retry & Co., KFMB, KFMB-TV, San
Diego, and KERO-TV, Bakersfield.

ITC maintains offices in New York, Hollywood,
Chicago and London, and has representatives in all
Important centers in the United States and in
'eighteen countries throughout the world.

I ITC I

INDEPENDENT

TELEVISION

CORPORATION

488 Madison Avenue ‘ New York 22 • PLaza 5-2100— Walter Kingsley, President

RADIO^TELEVISIOX

51

Wednesday, December 5, 1958

Joke: Top Billing On TV

Who’s kidding whom on star billing?. It isn’t the marquee or
the paid ad that determines headliner status—only the public
has this privilege where it means the most, at the boxoffice.
And yet nearly every single branch of show business continues
to force “stars” down the public’s throat, often to the detriment
Of the boxoffice, or resulting in a boomerang.

What was once the exclusive domain of the motion pictures
has been spiralled into farcical proportions by television. The
difference is that whereas Hollywood plays it pretty nearly
straight with the star values in both print matter and in the
screen credits, video usually hedges its bets. No matter who gets
the billing on the tv screen, the paid ads usually stick to the.
genuine potential pulling power. When they have to pay the
freight on the ads at so much per line, they will not luxuriate
in listing ah incessant stream of So-and-sO “stars” when they
must necessarily be aware that phony lineups and the pay-it-
yourself don’t mix. Moreover, the public at large resents this
kind of spurious push in the aavertising, however much it might
be inclined to be' indifferent to or ignore the “star” values on
the television credit crawls.

Those who direct the destiny of video can’t be very hep when
they cause themselves to be persuaded by agents, packagers, man¬
agers, attorneys, et al., to submit to contracts that legalize “stars”
all of a sudden, lifting them from comparative nonentity levels,
regardless of how promising the.actors are. In other days, star¬
dom was something that usually had to be earned, not neces¬
sarily fought for (assuming that in every era there is always
some sort of battle for billing position, whether top billing or
co-equal status). _

To be sure, television Is making stars faster (and burying them
faster, too), but this fact alone suggests there should be greater
discipline and restraints exercised in separating the McCoy from
the might-be. No viewer, is going to accept a star merely be¬
cause that’s the description in the contract. ^

So how about declaring a moratorium on the starring-costar-
ring-also starring-special guest star stuff and giving the top
billing to top players instead of pandering to the super-partisan
percenters.

Moscow Radio

— Continned from pace 22

manners. A secondary approach is
to minor government officials and
departments not fulfilling their
duty. Moscow Radio officials con¬
ceded they criticized government
ministers but not the top echelons,

Moscow Radio offers three serv¬
ices to listeners. The broadcast¬
ers’ slogan appears to be “each
program should improve the hu¬
man being.’’

Radio and tv news are separafe
with the main emphasis on trans¬
mission of news via radio and un¬
like radio, tv news has no corre¬
spondents in Russia, Danzig said.

In his examination of the Mos-
cow-TV departmental organization,
he learned they offer two' news
programs a day as compared with
14 on radio. Danzig and his Ameri¬
can colleagues were in the USSR
when the Boris Pasternak “Dr.
Zhivago’’ story was getting front
page treatment throu^out the free
world press and similar treatment
on our own radio-tv programs.

However, there was no inclusion
of the Pasternak story in Moscow
news broadcasts. The explanation
advanced by the Moscow broadcast¬
ers was that the Pasternak story
had been given to the dramatic de¬
partment. Danzig also was told
that the story “needed amplifica¬
tion” and that the “newspapers will
handle it” and that it is impossible
to include everything in 20-25 min¬
utes” .^nd that “Pasternak is in the'
newspapers and we try not to re¬
peat everything.”

In his sessions with the Moscow
radio-tv news and satire people
Danzig learned they all belonged to
the Party “and they made no bones
about how they slanted the news,
although their top commentators
said they wrote and edited their
own commentaries.”

^‘As good Party members, no one
told them what to say or read their
copy,” Danzig said. “They know
what should be said.” Both NBC’s
Danzig and Mike Wallace, who rep¬
resented ABC on the cultural and
technical exchange visit, got into
an amiable argument with the So¬
viet broadcast's as to why the
USSR Writers Union tossed Pas¬
ternak out of the Union after he
won the Nobel Prize, and why they
were nevertheless pleased that
their scientists had won a Nobel
Prize.

“It was a session with much give
and take and only one real Party
hack who was senior for the Rus- I
sians occasionally interrupted with
some propaganda speech,” Danzig
said. “We found that when we got

below the level of the brass the
conversation was more informal
and there was a minimum of dodg¬
ing and hedging.”

A complete report of the Ameri¬
can delegation meetings with the
radio-tv groups in Moscow, Lenin¬
grad, Tbilisi and Kiev is now being
prepared. Members of the State
Dept. Communications Exchange
Delegation have agreed to divide
the responsibility of drafting vari¬
ous parts of the report on Soviet
broadcasting. Danzig and Wal¬
lace were accompanied by Ralph
Cohn, prexy of Screen Gems and
Ralph Harmon, veep in charge of
engineering for Westinghouse
Broadcasting Co.

1959 ON WHEELS’

MBS DOCUMENTARY

The five top execs of the major
automobile manufacturing compan¬
ies will participate in Mutual’s doc¬
umentary “1959 On Wheels,” to be
aired Sunday (7) from 3:05 to 4
p.m.

Those participating include:
Henry Ford II, for Ford; L. L.
Colbert, Chrysler prez; George
Romney, American Motors board
chairman; John F. Gordon, prez of
General Motors; and Harold E.
Churchill, prez of Studebaker-
Packard.

The public affairs progam is
aimed to tell the impact of the
American automotive industry on
the nation’s economy.. Lowell
Thomas will participate interview¬
ing GM prez Gordon.

Benny Fields’ Tandem

Benny Fields will have guest
spots on both of the “Joe Frank¬
lin Memory Lane” programs over
WABC-TV, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 8
to plug his new “Benny Fields and 1
His Minstrel Men” album under
the Colpix label, division of Colum¬
bia Pictures.

Fields will appear on Franklin’s
morning show at 10:30 and again
at 1:30 p.m. This is the first timb
Franklin is using a guester on both
programs the same day.

The “minstrel men” with Fields
In the album are Jack Benny on
fiddle; George Burns, songs; Phil
Silvers, clarinet, and Milton Bene,
songs. Fields, in addition to har¬
monizing with the quartet, also de¬
livers “By the Light of the Silvery
Moon,” “My .Blushin’ Rose,” and.
other, yesteryear melodies.

KAYE KAYOED

Busiest Guy in Pitt Couple Months
Ago, Deejay Left With Nothing

Pittsburgh, Dec. 2.

Roof caved in all at once here
for Barry Kaye, deejay here for
last six years bn WJAS and its
successor, WAMP, the NBC o&q
station. A couple of months ago he
was the busiest guy in town on the
airwaves. Now nothing.

First blow came when Holiday
House, where Kaye has been do¬
ing a five-night-a-week interview
strip over WAMP since early sum¬
mer, decided to drop the program,
effective the end of last -week.
Show started out as a two-hour
session, then went to three and
back to two again. .On the heels of
this, station notified Kaye that they
were cutting him loose shortly al
the end of his present contract.
His two-hour platter stanza on
WAMP is being taken over im¬
mediately.

In addition, Kaye’s lateJSaturday
night two-hour tv program over
Ch. 11, which he patterned after
his Holiday House project, is shaky,
too, after six weeks and may be
abandoned momentarily. Kaye’s
plans for the future are still tenta¬
tive. He wants to stick around
town and may go into business.

Tv6 s Tete Cash Joins in Blast
As Fortune Mag s TV Hatchet Joh

MM’s SOOG Yule Push

Minnesota Mining, repped by
MacManus, John & Adams, ,will
shell out an estimated $300,000 in
a Christmas push plugging Scotch-
tape and gift-wrapping. Most of
the budget was allocated for the
“Peter and the Wolf” special aired
Simday 130) on ABC-TV. The spec
ran in the neighborhood of $200,-
000 .

Another $100,000 was budgeted
for spot television with the bank-
roller buying participations in 100
markets.

FCCSezm’On
‘Repeater Stations

Washington, Dec. 2.

Reserving the right to change
its mind, the Federal Communica¬
tions Commission has tentatively
decided against licensing tv “re¬
peater” stations. Action was pre¬
liminary and can be changed when
FCC votes on the formal decision
later.

FCC has been considering po.s-
sible authorization of “repeater”
stations since July 29, 1957. A
number of Western governors had
urged their authorization as a
means of bringing tv service to
sparsely settled areas, particularly
in mountainous country. “Repeat¬
ers” would pick up and retrans¬
mit programs of outside stations
on the same UHF or VHF channels
as the originating outlets.

BBC Votes $1,400,000
Station to Counter
Egyptian Broadcasts

London, Dec(. 2.

The Government has authorized
the BBC to spend $1,400,000 "on a
new radio station which will be
able to compete with the Cairo
radio propaganda programs beamed
to the Horn of Africa. The Govern¬
ment has accepted a report from
Dr. Charles Hill, minister in charge;
of Brit'sh Information Services,
that Southern Arabia and the Horn
of Africa, which inch’d^s ^rit’'^h

Plot Uiat Failed
Win Cost NBC-TV
* $3,1

Last week the NBC-TV program¬
ming brass found itself embroiled
in some frenzied maneuvering to
salvage Bristol-Myers sponsorship
coin to the tune of some $3,000,000.
But it came to no avail. Just when
it looked like NBC might have
come up with the right formula,
B-M upped and dumped the bill¬
ings in CBS-TV’s lap for co-spon-
sorship of the Saturday night
“Wanted—^Dead Or Alive” series.

It all started when B-M asked
NBC for out on its sponsorship of
the Friday night post-fights seg¬
ment. Network, particularly anx¬
ious to retain some sponsorship
auspices for the period, since
otherwise the post-10:30 time
might revert back to the stations,
proposed that B-M cut back to al¬
ternate weeks on the sports seg.
NBC then proposed to cut the Fri¬
day night “Ellery Queen” to a half-
hour (8 to 8:30) and turn over the
8:30 to 9 slot to B-M for a new
half-hour live variety show star¬
ring Ginger Rogers with Alan
Handley as producer and Joe Cates

■ 4 - Fortune mag’s controversial
“TV: The Light That Failed,” was
rapped as “inaccurate” and “super¬
ficial” by Norman (Pete) Cash,
prexy of the Television Bureau of
Advertising. Not sparing the
counter-invective. Cash also tagged
the article as “immature, mislead¬
ing” and “near-pathological” and
that it cast a shadow on the valid¬
ity of all previous analyses by the
Time Inc. publication.

“We at TvB,” Cash stated, “are
not concerned about this article's
affect on television-experienced ad¬
vertisers; these people know better.
But we are concerned that many
business fibres will 'consider this
article as significant . . . (We) re¬
port some of the information we
previously provided Fortune . , .
failed to appear in the article. Any¬
one is entitled to a personal opin¬
ion as long as it is labeled as suca
and not published under the guise
of factual reporting.”

Cash singled out the Fortune
statement, “The networks were
particularly hard hit . . . their
profits dropped from $85,000,000
to $71,000,000,” and then noted that
the magazine’s. w'riters' “failed to
mention the investment which the
networks made in new programs,
new facilities, electronic tape and
color , . . which easily account for
much of the $14,000,000 profit de¬
cline and attest to their interest
in better servicing the advertiser
and the public.”

Issue was taken by the TvB boss
with Fortune’s comparison of tv
with the "500 largest industrial
corporations” and charged “no ef¬
fort whatsoever (was made) to
compare television with the per¬
formance of such other means of
mass communication as magazines
newspapers or radio.” Cash said
that a comparison to Time-Life-
Fortune alone would have showm
a $17,000,000 decline in the first
10 months of 1958, plus the fact
this is only a report on gross rev¬
enue and that Time Inc. published
no information “concerning profit
from this revenue.”

“We doubt,” Cash continued,
“that Fortune considers profits a
measure of quality. Every measure-

as executive producer. _ _ .

Things began to look promising i fhows that 1958 will see net-
' ■ • - ■' ■ --'i work television enjoying a healthy

increase in business with an all-
time high in revenue,”
Approaching what he considers

—and then, goes the report, B-M
took a look at the newest Nielsens
on “Wanted—^Dead Or Alive,”
which showed considerable in-,
roads on the Perry Como competi-! the second point made by Fortune,
tion, and decided then and there i “that some time periods and pro-
on alternate-week allegiance to the! grams were late in being fully

CBS entry. It will share the show
with Brown & Williamson.

B & VJ Get ‘Relief*

Brown & Williamson, which has
carried the ball alone as sponsor
of two western skeins, “Texan” and
“Wanted—^Dead or Alive,” is hav¬
ing no trouble finding alternate
week backers with Standard

Somaliland. SomaU, Ethiopia, and'

Kenya, are Colonel Naaser’a new I “<1 ® "P

the tab on Wanted,

Kenya, are Colonel Nasser’s new
target.

Another move to counteract
Egyptian broadcast propaganda
includes pepping up BBC pro¬
grams.

‘Bold VcBlure’ Sales

Armour and Co., v'a N. W. Ayer,
joined the sponsor parade on Ziv’s
“Bold Venture,” inking for seven
markets.

New local sponsor sales are
Cities Service Oil Co. for Kalama¬
zoo-Grand Rapids, and Central
Hardware Co. for St. Louis. Sta¬
tions signing up for the series in¬
clude WLW-T, Cincinnati; y/LW-
D, Dayton; WLW-C, Columbus;
KOTVi Tulsa; KSL, Salt Lake City,
I^TV, Portland; and KOVR, Sa¬
cramento

Both oaters are carried on CBS-
TV and the network picks up the
additional coin in January with
deals set.

sponsored,” Cash charged the
article “completely overlooked and
showed no apparent appreciation
of the third quarter recession
which hit many industrial compan¬
ies and which delayed their future
advertising. plans in all media.”

Gash also countered the allega¬
tion that video’s audience was
nearing its saturation point, which,
he said, “implies the advertiser
will reach no more homes in the
future than in the past . . .• .“Feel¬
ing from Fortune’s phraseology is
that this near saturation is a nega¬
tive, a feeling rare in an industry
which touts circulation figures in
the minor millions” compared to
tv’s 43,500,000-home average.

Cash also charged that the mag
j “presents no evidence in support”
i of the statement that the tv audi-

GoEel Repacts Bnrch

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Gomalco Productions has done a j jg “getting choosier.” Cash
tornalmut and picked up option of.. Nielsen shows that tv

Bill Burch, producer of The | viewing increased by over an hour
George Gobel Show, for the bal-j pgj, (jj,y pgj. jjome since last year,
ance of the^season Burch, origin- i„„ea3e in network audience

ally inked to produce six shows I ,5,^ gj-jj jg

Will now produce the full cycle of
12 for, Gomalco and NBC-TV.

At one point, Burch and Gomalco
were in a hassle and it appeared
that Burch would be dropped, but
agreement was reached on a new
deal.

Nielsens Top 10 in Britain

(Week Ending Nov. 16 )

Sunday at London Palladium.ATV 80^

Dotto .....ATV 76%

Invisible Man .......ATV 75%

Take Your Pick...AR 74%

Wagon Train ....'GRANAD VAR/ATV 1

Spot the Tune ..'.. GRANADA }■ 73%

The Army Game..GRANADA J

Double Your Money..AR 72%

\’al Parnell’s Startime .ATV 69%

Murder Bag ...,..AR 67%

1958 vs. the same period in 1957
has also been censored from the
article.”

“In a 1951 Fortune article,”
Cash noted, “they call attention to
Chevrolet’s cutback in television
and forget in 1953 that Chevrolet
sponsored more television than
ever.” Fortune refered in the
newer article to C-'cIillac and
Pontiac as examples o: auto:notive
outfits not in tv.

“Fortune’s references to General
Motors overlook th advertising on
television of such GM divisions as
Buick, Oldsmobile and, again,
Chevrolet and Pontiac. Quoting an
agency president without giving
the date of the president’s talk or
his later printed correction . . .
Fortune then switches to Hazel
Bishop citing its sales decline in
1955, the year Revlon’s $64,000
Question” stole much of the Bishop
market through the same medium.”

PSni&Fr

Wednegdaj, December 3, 195S

Arthur Godfrey Time

Suspense

Edward R. Murrow with the News

CBS Radio Network
the most popular, varied

These are some oftkepro^fTUTns which mi^over the past mHmoTtfhskaneatemgtd w

H per cent larger commercial minute NRI audiences than the second network.

in radio to the
varied and impressive

,J ^‘cuts back” from
i, and impressive scheduie
most popuiar,

In every program category, m totaling over V 50 hours a week, all these and W
others, will continue to maintain and increase this audience advantage for advertisers:

scheduie in radio!

u

Wednesday, December S, 195S

ATTENTION

TV Film Producers and Distributors
YOU CAN MAKE MONEY IN

Latin America

Your show is dubbed in Spanish at low cost.
Your show is sold in advance.

WE PERFORM BOTH SERVICES FOR YOU—WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE PAYMENT

Our dubbing
charges are —

ONLY $550

per half hour
episode —

THIS IS YOUR ONLY COST, incurred
only AFTER your show has been sold.

HERE
ARE SOME
CLIENTS

I

CBS FILMS, INC.

SAN FRANCISCO BEAT

YOU ARE THERE

All dubbod and sold

Throughout Latin America

THE WHISTLER

By HENRI GRUNDMAN, INC

FOREIGN LEGION

WE ARE

HELPING

MAKE

MONEY IN

LATIN

AMERICA:

TELEVISION INTER-AMERICANA

I LOVE LUCY (2nd Year Series) o.sw
WHIRLYBIRDS ** okundman, tnc.

BERNARD L SCHUBERT, INC.

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Wednesday, December =3, 1958

UBIETY

BADIO-TELEVISMX

55

'Steve Canyon & the Cold War

Hollywood, Dec. 2,

“Steve Canyon” series producers finally aired their “Operation
Mushroom” segment on NBC-TV last Saturday night, but only
after being indirectly Involved in the cold war, the East-West talks
now going on at Geneva, and behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

Episode deals with a nuclear fission explosion on a Pacific is¬
land, and actual footage of such a blast was used, being cleared
by the Air Force and the Dept, of Defense of such usage.

However, after those clearances were received there was soma
State Dept, hesitancy about the whole thing because of those cur¬
rent East-West talks aimed at halting H-bomb blasts, say sources
with the show.

Those sources said after receiving initial clearances from the
Air Force and Dept, of Defense, they then received word to “hold
off” until a finaf okay came through from the State Dept., which
had qualms about it because of the cold war conversations.

According to “Canyon” sources, the State Dept, felt it might be
bad public relations to show a film of this type at this particular
time. •,

However, a final clearance did come through last week, and
producers Mike Meshekoff and David Haft were free to use the de¬
classified material. _

Spivak: News Maker

i Continued from page 22 ;

their staffers., The UP was the
last of the wire service holdouts
with Hugh Baillie, its chieftain,
finally giving in. U.S. dailies, be¬
fore long, realized they were, get¬
ting invaluable publicity by per¬
mitting their staff men to appear
on the show. Spivak said. Today
panelists get $125 for each ap¬
pearance. When the program
W'as launched the boys got $25 and
later the fee was upped to $50;

‘These Were Our Best’'

To date, Spivak has had the most
perceptive of Washington corre¬
spondents on his program. Among
the best of the lot he singled but
James Heston, Richard Wilson,
Marquis Childs, Jack Bell, Ernest
K. Lindley, Jack Steele,'Richard
Clurman and Roscoe Drummond,
all crackerjack newspapermen
with an uncanny ability at asking
the right questions at the .right
time, Spivak said. As for. ,the
feminine contingent, he regards
May Craig of the Portland (Me.)
Herald, the most colorful and. cer¬
tainly as capable as any male re¬
porter. Her headgear may not
always go over big, but her abil¬
ity to throw questions is an asset
respected by all the interviewees,
on the program. W'hen Lycurgus
Spinks, grand imperial wizard of
the Ku Klux Klah, took a beating
via Miss Craig’s crushing ques¬
tions, he came up to her after the
program was over and drawled:
“Sister, you’ve got fire. You’d
make a fine Klanswoman.” Miss
Craig gave him a frigid New Eng¬
land glare, “Sir,” she snapped, “I’m
against anything the Klan stands
for!”

Other incidents involving news¬
papermen on the program included
the moment after the show when
a friend of Elliot Roosevelt’s
socked Fulton Lewis on the jaw;
the bodyguards surrounding Joseph
Curran, prexy of the MariUme
Union, who threatened to beat up
labor columnist Vic Riesel, and
labor leader John L. Lewis, who
expected the new'spaper lads to
demolish him with merciless ques¬
tions but weathered the interview
successfully and then^ told the
boys offstage: “I thought you fel¬
lows were going to give me a rough
time with your wife-beating ques¬
tions. The next time I get on this
program I’ll really provide you
with needling questions.”

The outstanding programs. in
Spivak’s offinibn were those with
Whittaker Chambers; Gov. Frank
J. Lausche of Ohio and his first
projection as a national figure;
Adlai E. Stevenson’s vLsit in 1952
which helped get him the Demo¬
cratic nomination for president;
Senator Bilbo’s admissiop he was
A member of the Klan; Tom
Dewey’s first mention of Gen. Ei¬
senhower as presidential timber,
and former President Hoover’s
suggestion that what this country
needs is an administrative veep.

Spivak, who in his own right is
no mean slouch as a questioner
and who’s been described as ter-
rier-like on evasive guests, said
that Nelson Rockefeller, governor-
elect of N.Y., was more effective
In answering questions than in
formal speech making.

“Rockefeller doesn’t duck ques¬
tions,” Spivak said. "And his re--
markable w^armth and smile comes
through magnificently on tv.
Whenever he appeared on our pro¬
gram, he came alone, unattended
by-public men and advisers. Rocke¬
feller’s most recent appearance on
^Meet the Press’ was in April of
Uua year at the exact moment

when the second Rockefeller Bro¬
thers Report dealing with the U.S.
military strength was released.”
In the long history of our show,
there w'as never such perfect tim¬
ing,” he said.

Spivak. is certain that tv—with
the piercing quality of x-ray-
presents a personality in an un¬
varnished manner. He is convinced
that it projects the good and
honest in man and exposes the
phiony and charlatan. An. evasion
on ^‘Meet the Press” becomes an
ar.swer, a look becomes an answer
and a “no” reply is frequently a
clue to the character of the in¬
dividual, “You can’t slough off
the tv audience with a ‘no com¬
ment’ crack on ‘Meet the Press/ ”
he said.

How did Spivak feel about the
CBS-TV “Face the Nation” and
similar programs that came in the
wake of “Meet the Press?”

“They’re darned good shows,”
he said. “There’s plenty of room
for all of us.. You get fat and care¬
less if you don’t have competi¬
tion,” ^

Roz’s Rating

Continued from pa^e 23

final 30-minute stretch, “Town” got
a 22.7.

The two-hour spec culminated a
Sabbath, succession of program¬
ming perhaps unparalled in a
decade of bigtime tv, with three
standout entries, for example, rid¬
ing in competition with another
(5 to 6 p.m.).—CBS’ Leonard Bern¬
stein inaugural in his new Lincoln-
sponsored series with the N. Y.
Philharmonicr ABC’s Art Carney
“Peter and the Wolf” special and
NBC’s “Kaleidoscope” go-round on
the Radio City. Music HaU. <See
Trendex results in separate box.)

It was, in particular, an alloui
effort on part of CBS-W, which
spanned the Bernstein preem and
“Wonderful Town” closer wltn
such items as the Truman-Attlee
give-&-take on “Small World” and
the “20th Century” two-part prob¬
ing into drug addiction, with a re¬
peat on the Pope’s consecration
thrown in as an added bonus.

^4th Network’

Continued from page 24

of 4.3 average audience. Official
cost «f the “TV Hour” is $2,500
per minute, working out to a c-p-m
of $1.60. Station line-up on “TV
Hour” is 115 markets; other shows:
“Alice,” 124 sta ions; “Gun,” 125
stations; and “How to Marry a
Millionaire,” 119 stations.

Interesting aspect of the rating
picture is the maintenance or some
climb in the rating structure of
the shows. “TV Hour” went from
3.3 average audience for the two
weeks ended Oct. 18 to 4.3 for the
two weeks ended Nov. 8. Other
shows either held their own or
made similar proportionate rises.

It is the c-p-m factor which is
cueing web plans for expansion, a
c-p-m which NTA web execs con¬
tend stands up and beats a wide
variety of programs on the regu¬
lar nets.

Moorhead, Minn. —KVOX is
celebrating its 21st anni this week.
The MBS affiliate is prexied by
E. J. McKellar and station man¬
ager is Manny Marget.

NTA TELESTUDIOS
MAPS EXPANSION

National Telefilm Associates
Telestudios, indie N. Y, studio
turning' out taped commercials, is
in the process of expansion.

Outfit is doubling its studio
space from its present 1,300 square
feet, taking another floor of the
Rialto Building. Now equipped
with two Ampex video tape ma¬
chines, it expects delivery of a
third machine next month. Within
three months. Telestudios plans to
have a mobile tape caravan in use
for outdoor'shooting.

NTA subsid also is expected to
play a major role in the parent
company’s plans for syndication of
taped programs. It could be the
east coast plant for some of the
productions.

WNTA-TV, Newark-N, Y. outlet,
also owned by NTA, will be an oc¬
casional user of Telestudios. Out¬
let, meanwhile, has received de¬
livery on an Ampex machine and
is in the process of instaUing it.

Roster of Telestudio clients in¬
cludes Kellogg, Speidel, U. S. Rub¬
ber, Prudential, Revlon, Viceroy,
Lipton and Old Gold.

Coast KCOP After

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

By mutual agreement, Tom Dug¬
gan has terminated his contract
with KCOP, station saying it has
accepted his resignation “subject
to resolving of certain contractual
agreements.” By all intents and
purposes, this means that Duggan
has now been permanently re¬
placed by Del Moore as KCOP’s
nightly commentator.

Duggan’s departure from KCOP
was decided yesterday evening
(Mon.) at a meeting involving
Duggan, his lawyer, Paul Caruso,
Duggan’s brother Jim Goss, an -ac¬
countant, with Kenyon Brown, sta¬
tion’s prexy; Alvin Flanagan,
KCOP’s general manager, and
John Hearne, KCOP counsel. Meet¬
ing was comparatively short and
failed to resolve difference between
Duggan and station that erupted
last Tuesday night, when Duggan
allegedly breached bounds of good
taste in attacking his former pro¬
ducer, Irwin Berke. On the same
show he also hit at George Jessel
and film producer Hugo Haas.

Flanagan said yesterday Duggan
was not fired, but Vv'alked out when
he was censured for his remarks
w’hile on the air. Flanagan also
said that a tape of the show sub¬
stantiates Duggan’s claim that he
did not infer that Jessel “owed
allegiance” to a Mediterranean
country. According to Flanagan,
Duggan said “canal zone,” made no
reference to “allegiance.” Flana¬
gan also said that while Duggan
may be controversial there’s noth¬
ing in his makeup or actions that
could indicate he has any bias
against any race or creed or color.

Portsmouth, N.H.—Former Gov.
Charles M. Dale, president of radio
station WHEB here, has announced
sale of the outlet to . Knight
Broadcasting of New Hampshire-,
Inc., subject to approval by the
FCC. Thomas Dale, present man¬
ager, w'ill remain with the new
owners, according to a joint state¬
ment issued by Dale and Norman
Knight, president of the new
broadcasting firm.

Argentine TV Upsurge Forcing Govt.
Hand in Return to Private Ownership

Buenos Aires, Dec. 2.

TV is forging ahead at such an
astonishing pace here, its rather
forcing the government’s hand.
Argentina is way behind other
South American countries in the
field, only because govts, are di¬
latory and the present powers
Would prefer to postpone ultimate
transfer of the country’s radio and
tv systems to private enterprise,
till it is more firmly in the saddle.
In the particular case of tv, the
medium’s leap ahead makes post¬
ponement difficult.

Sets in use are now estimated at
from 250,000 to 300,000, with
1 ,000,000 spectators and a crying
need for more channels. The three
available tv studios are so cramped
and rudimentary that a move is
essential as quickly as possble.

Although Congress is -laboring
to rush through legislation on the
more urgent problems, it’s doubtful
if a conclusive debate on radio or
tv can be scraped through this
year. A preliminary skirmish early
in September ended uncertainly
and left further confusion in its
wake. The provisional Aramburu
Govt had awarded licenses just
before elections in February,
Pres. Frondizi declined to honor,
though it’s now rumored that at
least three have been secretly con¬
firmed, without waiting for Con¬
gress’ approval. Frondizi is adept
at getting action and presenting
his party with' accomplished fact.
Prospects are that the new cham
nels would be in opei*ation by mid-
1959, as the terms of the tenders
were that they should start: within
18 months of bidding.

Need More Channels

More channels are essential to
develop set manufacture and sales
and provide emoloyinent for en¬
tertainment workers. RCA is to¬
day advertising manufacture of
new cheaper priced sets and has
I secured financing of a pay-later
plant with a local Investment-
I Finance corporation.

“Demand for advertising space
I on Channel 7 has now sparked
\ extension of schedules, which start
at noon on v.'eekdays and 9 a.m.
on Sundays. There are only nine
camer'&s to cope with 25 produc¬
tions a day. while the studios in
the Alvear Hotel basement are so
totally inadequate that contractors
are already working on prepara¬
tion of 2,500 square metres of
space in the ALAS tower building
on Alem and Viainonte (which was
built by Peron and his henchman
Aloe with a bunker hideout under¬
ground). The new headquarters of
Channel 7 will have dressing-
rooms, recording studios, rehears¬
al rooms and a prop warehouse’

, Equipment ordered from the
U.S. is due for arrival on Nov. 15.
At present rehearsal space and
equipment is so scarce, one young
tv producer rehearses his nine pro¬
grams in the lobby of the Ateneo
Theatre, between legit shows.

When local video got its start
in 1951. sponsors were few, re¬
luctant and unwilling to pay for
time, which was often donated.
Rates were around $1 for a one-
minute blurb, a price which has
now gone to $100, though every¬
thing is just as improvised as a£
the start, but advertisers find tv
pays off amazingly. Conditions are
so precarious, electrical appliance
demonstrations often flop when a
plug proves to have no current
behind it. TV workers, however,
don’t resent these difficulties, all
are bent on mastering the medium
to have a firm grip on the better
future. These already experienced
are iri too great demand.

By contrast with U.S. conflict be-

tw'een pic and tv industries, Arg.
film producers use tv in hopes of
luring audiences to see their un¬
popular product. Audience de¬
mand for old screen favorites led
to the idea of previewing the
latest pictures, starting with “El
Jefe,” which was thus preemed
last week, in efforts to whet public
curiosity to see it on the screen.

Alberto Gonzalez runs Channel
7’s film section and has a tough
job. He has only 200 shorts, avail¬
able from one month’s program
requirements. Features must be
cut to 20-minute runs, plus five
minutes for advertising, but pro¬
ducers send him the reels so late
he has insufficient time for intelli¬
gent editing. The cost of rolling
tv shorts is ^ound $2,000 per 30’,
which is too’ high for mo.st local
sponsors.

American Westerns in use here
are “The Cisco Kid.” “Jungle
Jim,” “Patrollers of the West” and
“Lassie.” Quiz programs are still
a major attraction: “fix” revela¬
tions from the U.S. fail to shock
here, where corruption is so run
of the mill it’s taken w’ith an accus¬
tomed shrug.

Cartoon Neo-Realism:
Clokey’s ‘Dimensional
Animational’ Technioue

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Those animated plastic and clay
figures crawling and rolling
around in the unu.sual abstract
opening sequences of the “Dinah
Shore Chevy Show” this season
j are the product of a new animation
I technique, invented by Art Clokey
: and produced for the series by his
; Clokey Films.

Clokey, who used the same
technioue in I\BC-'*’V's “Gumby”
kidseries last year and who’s cur¬
rently planning erothcr such se¬
ries, tentativelv t^M'd “Jamie and
Ginger,” calls his technique “di¬
mensional animation.” It differs
from straight animation not only
in the technique employed but in
the fact that it utilizes a three-
dimensional approach and can
operate in the highlv abstract as
well as the neo-realism of car¬
toons.

It’s similar to animation in that
it is shot frame-by-frame. But
Clokey uses no animation boards;
instead, he peop’es a “set,” usually
a painted cardboard about eight
feet square, with clay, plastic or
foam-rubber figures ranging from
less than an inch high to 14 inches
or more. Each of ‘ the figures is
wired within, some even with ball-
and-socket arrangements in the
limbs. C’okc’ films Irs se¬

quences by moving the limbs or
parts of the figurines frame by
frame; or moves them up and
down the “set,” whmh is scaled
off for this purpose. No animation
board is us^'d; the camera is free
and on the floor and can film from
any angle.

In the more abstract filming,
Clokey uses strictly clay figures
which he can keen molding from
frame to frame. For exampde, in
some sequences, he converts a
cube to a pyramid and then to a
ball, stopping each time to mold
the shape of the clay a little closer
to the final form, and finally sub¬
stituting a previously molded
pyramid or ball, as the completed
form.

FCC Takes a Good Look at Itself

Washington, Dee. 2

Jumping the gun to suggest w'hat Congress is certain to do any¬
way, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed new
laws to stop behind-the-scenes efforts to influence the votes of
commissioners and to block FCC members from making speeches
for money.

The recommendations Avere made in a letter from FCC Chair-
mah John C. Doerfer to Rep. Oren Harris (D-Ark.), chairman of
the subcommittee which has been investigating FCC.

Harris announced his group will meet next on Dec. 10 here to
start to work on a report of the 1958 probes, including recom¬
mendations for new laws. The two suggested by Doerfer are cer¬
tain to be proposed by the subcommittee. Another cinch from
the subcommittee is a suggested code of ethics for all U.S. regu-.

Talbot O’seas Distrib
On TSC Rear Screen Unit

London, Dec. 2.

Talbot Television is handling
United Kingdom and European dis¬
tribution of the TSC 4000 Rear
Screen Projection unit, manufao
tured in New York by the Televi¬
sion Specialty Co.

The unit has been demonstrated
to the tv industry in a studio at
Television House, which was at¬
tended by the technical experts of
all the major networks. It has al¬
ready been ordered by Tyne Tees
Television, the new commercial
outflt which begins to operate in
the north of England next month.
It is being marketed here at an
jJfielufiive price of $3,080.

S6

In the U.S. A.—

In Great Britain ~

4st

in Nieisen ratings in aii teievision

starring WARD BOND

U.S.A.*-NBC Television (Ford Motor Company, National Biscuit Company, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company) • GREAT BRITAIN — Granada TV Network
SOURCE: Nielsen Total Audience— U.S.A., November, 1958. Nielsen — Great Britain, week ending October 26, 1958.

5»

BABIO-TELEVISION

WedneidaY, December S, 1958

LA Newscasters Ph; Important
Civic Rde in Correcting Abuses

Hollwood. Dec. 2.

Local television personalities
•were the key fibres in some ma«
jar news breaks here recently,
M th KTTVs Paul Coates figuring
heavily in the surrender of William
K. Howard, one of Mickey Cohen’s
‘•wanted" buddies who surrendered
through Coates after having played
dead for t\vo years, and KCOP
newscaster Baxter Ward receiving
official ccmmcndation for his ex¬
posure of practices hy county
coroner Theodore Curphey which
led to a grand qury investigation.

' Such breaks are almost common-
p’.ace in the freewheeling atmos-
phere of L. A. news coverage by
television here. Coates also re¬
ceived official nods for his crusade
against malpractice in homes for
the aged, a subject still under in¬
vestigation by , city, county and
stale agencies, and for passage of
a smog statute banning burning of
crude oil. KNXT’s Bill Stout has
received official credit for passage
of statutes, as have other L. A.
ncwsca.sters.

Along with a freewheeling ap¬
proach to local news commentary,
as opposed to straight newscasting.

is t%e extremely fluid mobile cov¬
er^ offered by twa indies,
KTTV and KTLA, the latter with
its new Telecopter, which sees the
indies cutting into regu^pr pro¬
gramming with on-the-spot remote
coverage of major local news
breaks. KTLA's telecopter recent¬
ly covered four major stories in
one afternoon, two large brush-
fires, discovery of the body of tv
actor Tom Pittman and the crash
of the Marine, Corps jet into a
Santa Fe train. With tape equip¬
ment now installed at the indies,
they are further able to tape their
remotes for quick inclusion into
regular newscasts.

That’s an added plus in terms of
coverage, but the key to the impact
of television news on the audience
here is the local newscaster, who
takes on the mantle of a personal¬
ity and is given wide freedom of
expression by the stations. Coates’
cross-the-board 25-minute “10:15
Report” is a news-interview show,
on tape, with the Mirror-News
coliminist using it as the setting
for in-depth exposures. It’s one of
the top-rated shows at that hour.
Ward operates more as a straight

newscaster, since his 15-ininiite,
11 pjn. strip involves newscpting
as well as commentary, hut his rat¬
ings are high above the station’s
average.

Stout, at KNXT, has his own
five-minute nightly strip within
the station’s ni^tly hailf-hour
“Big News” -wrapup, a setting
similar to the old Bill Leonard
“Feature Report” on WCBS-TV,
N. Y., with the exception that
Stoiit concentrates on hard news.
He takes one current and contro¬
versial story, and does an in-depth
exploration of jDoth side^ of the
question, sometimes leaning over
towards one side hut in every case
doing plenty of digging and secur¬
ing generous quotes from the peo¬
ple involved.

Other local newscasters who
have secured loyal followings
through this hard-hitting approach
to loc^ news are Lew Irwin, for¬
merly radio-only but now with a
nightly berth on KABC-TV;
George Putnam, the KTTy anchor
newsman, who doesn’t hesitate to
drop an ^itorial hat but who gen¬
erally does so more often on na¬
tional and international news than
on local; and Clete Roberts, w ho’s
been in hiatus since exiting EINXT
but who’s starting his own news
stanza on KTLA.

Some of the hard-and-fast net¬
work news execs would probably
frown on the commentary tech¬
nique as used here—in some cases

THIN HAN’WINS

26-WK. RENEWAL

MGMrTV’a “Thin Man” is one oi
the few short-termers in the vid-
pix field to win a renewal. Colgate
picked It lip for another 26 weeks
on NBC-TV Friday nights at 9:30
p.m.

It started its second season with
a 13-week 'order, under the new
production reins of Bob Welch,
who came over to the show after
being program consultant at Ted
Bates where he acted as studio
liaison with MGM-TV; Format was
changed to gain a greater accent
on comedy.

Those network vidpix short-term
skeins either axed or in shaky posi¬
tion include “The Ed Wynn Show,”
“Behind Closed Doors,” “Man With
A Camera,” and “Invisible Man.**

the personal prejudices of the
newscasters take, precedent over
their public-service consciousness,
and the^re often anything but ob¬
jective in their presentations. But
the result is interesting, often ex¬
citing copy that sometimes results
in real correction of abuses.
Equally important, it pays off in
audience, with L. A. newscasts a
stable rating factor in an other¬
wise up-and-down audience pic¬
ture at each of the stations.

Estimated Weekly Network TV Program Costs

PROGRAM

Who Bo You Trust.

Paul W'irchell Show.
Ed IVyr.n Show

Yancy Derrinffcr ...
Top Dall’-r ....

To Tell The Truth.

Trackdown .

Treasure Hunt ....

NET-

WORK

COST

...ABC

3,000

(Per Segment)

...-ABC

21,000

NBC

42,000

... CBS

41,000

... .CBS

3,100

(Per Segment)

.... CBS

28.000

CBS

43.000

....NBC

3,000

(Per Segment)

; ContinBed from page 34 ;

SPONSOR

Johnson & Johnson ..

General Foods-^.

Campbell Soup ---

Amana ...

Hartz Mountain .

General Mills.

Liggett & Myers .....

Bulova .......

S. C. Johnson .......

Colgate-Palmolive ....

AGENCY

.Y&R .

. Y&R
. B3D&0
. McFA

.( ~n. Hartman
.DFS

.McC-E ..

. MeC-E

-NL&B .

. Ted Bates-

PRODUCER

.Don Fedderson

True Slory

Twentieth Century ..

U. S. Steel Hour.

The Verdict Is Yours .

-NBC 3,00.0

(Per Segment)
. CBS 33.000

-CBS 63,000

.CBS 3,200

(Per Segment)

Carter Products ...

Philip Morris ---

American Tobacco .
Soccny Mobil Oil ..
Cheseb' ough-Ponds
Lever Bros. .
Procter & Gamble .
Pharmaceuticals ..

H. J. Heinz.

Brlllo .

Corn Products ...

Pillsbury Mills -

Frigidaire .

Sterling Drug.

General Mills .....
Whitehall Lab. ...
Bow Chemical Co.

Alberto-Culver _

Mentholatum .....
Sterling Drug.

SSC&B ........

. Leo Burnett

,BBD&0 ..._

. Compton

-JWT ..

. JWT
-Y&R
. Parkson
. r;'raxo n
.JWT

- C. L. Miller
. Leo Burnett
.DFS
.DFS

. ’^'•tham-Laird
. Ted Bates
MacMJ&A
. Groff rey Wade’

. JWT

DFS .

. Don Appel

.Ben Feiner, Jr,

.Richard Sale
.Merrill Heatter

.Gil Fates

.Vincent Fennelly

-Bud Granoff

P-udential .

U. S. Steel.

General Mills...

Toni ...

Atlantis Sales..

Standard Brands ......

Bristol- Myers .

Carnation Co...

Libby, McNeil & Libby.

Quaker Oats .

Scott Paper .

RMcC ..

BBD&O .

DFS .

. Tatham-Laird
.JWT
. Ted Bates
.Y&R
. EWR&R
. JWT

.Wilbur Stark

.Burton Benjamin
.George Kondblf
.Eugene Burr

You Bet Your Life.

-NBC

52,000

Lever Bros......

...BBD&O .

.... John Guedel.

Toni Co..

... North

Loretta Young Show....

-NBC

48,000

Procter & Gamble..

.. B&B-.

Your Hit Parade...

..CBS

41,000

American Tobacco ...

...BBD&O ..

,.... Perry Lafferty

Zorro ...

..ABC

38,000

Seven-Up . .:...

.. JWT .

,.... Walt Disney

AC Spark Plug ...

.. D. P. Brother

SPECS, SPECIALS, ETC.

Bell System Music Series.

-NBC

176,000

American Tel & Tel..

-N. W. Ayer.

Frank Capra

Bell System Science Series.

..ITBC

225,006

American Tel & Tel..

-N. W. Ayer.

.Bill Nichols

Conquest .*.

.-CBS

125,606

Monsanto .....

-Gardner..

DuPont Show of the Month.

..CBS

165,000

K I. DuPont ....

... BBD&O .

..... Various

Hallmark Hall of Fame..

..NBC

185,000

Hallmark ...

_FC&B ...

.Mildred Freed

Alberg & Geo.

-•

Schaefer

High Adventure with Lowell Thomas

-CBS

175,000

General Motors ..

. . C-E .

Jdilton Freichtman

Bob Hope Show(s>.

..NBC

275,000

Buick ..

. . McC-E .

Jerry Lewis Show(s)..

..NBC

235,000

U. S, Time Corp..

...Peck ..

Dean Martin Show..

.-NBC

235,000

U. S. Time Corp....

...Peck ..

Miss America Pageant.

..CBS

150,000

Philco .

. ..BBD&O .

Oscar Awards .

..NBC

300,000

Academy of MP

Unassigned

Arts & Sciences..

Our Hearts Were Young And Gay..

..NBC

175,000

Rexall ..

...BBD&O .

Shirley Temple’s Storybook.

. -NBC

175,000

National Dairy Products.___

... N. W. Ayer.

Hill Bros. Coffee.....

.., N. W. Ayer

John H. Breck....:.

.. N. W. Ayer

Ten Little Indians..

-.NBC

Rexkli .

...BBD&O .

Pontiac Specials ...

INBC

200,000

Pontiac ....

McMJ&A.

less

Wonderful Town...

-CBS

575,000

Westclox ......

.. B&DD

Robert Fryer

P & G . . ...

.. .Grey .. .^.

Carling Ale .:..

... Lang, Fisher

VaticaHtoHave
Own TV Station?

Rome, Dec. 2 .

Reports that the Catholic
Church was planning to set up a
television station in Rome’s Vati¬
can City have consistently made
the rounds since the recent elec¬
tion of Pope John XXin, despite
ofQcial denials of the planned
move. (To back their claim,
sources here cite significance of
an early visit of new Pope to the
Vatican Radio Station right after
election).

Talk of a Vatican tv station
Started several years ago, follow¬
ing a first experimental telecast
from temporary installations dur¬
ing, the Holy Year, 1950. Since
then, various reports have circu¬
lated regarding the Vatican plan,
aided by news of the Vatican’s
continued enlargement of its radio
facilities both inside the Vatican .
City and outside Rome, on land
granted extraterritorial rights by
Italy so that the Vatican could
strengthen its transmitters and
erect new longrange antennas.

Towards the end of his reign.
Pope Pius Xn is now said to have
considered the erection of a tv
setup—and plans are said to have
been ordered drawn up for either
a large or a small station. Studio
would be in the immediate vicinity
of St. Peter’s square.

Observers here tend to,-be skep¬
tical over the announced plans,
pointing that at least as reported,
a Vatican-located tv station could
only reach a limited area in the
Rome region. In order to reach
further afield, concessions would
have to be granted by the Italian
government for retransmission fa¬
cilities. or else the Vatican would
have to make an arrangement
with RAI-TV to carry its programs
at least on a part-time basis.
Apart from the technical prob¬
lems involved in such a move,
other political problems are evi¬
dent. RAI, in any event, has de¬
nied that “at least up to this mo¬
ment” such a move has been con¬
templated.

Good TV Blurb Should
Be 705^ Picture, 30^
Words: Sarrut Formula

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Gallic blurb maker Andre Sar¬
rut, visiting here last week to help
set up his U.S. sales branch, Tele-
france, passed the following obser¬
vation on video commercial? in
America:

“They are made, one must sup¬
pose, by radio people. There is too
much voice in them, too much talk¬
ing. In television the picture speaks
very well by itself, and the words
should be saved for saying only the
most important things. When I
think of a commercial, it is 70% pic¬
ture and 30% words—^not 100%
words by a yammering voice and a
picture incidentally trying to keep
up with what is being said.”

Asked if maybe American con¬
sumers didn’t need a harder sell
than Europeans, Sarrut shrugged:

“From my experience, motiva¬
tions are the same all over the
world. Good commercials are inter¬
national. It is only the bad ones
that are national,”

EDSEL AS ALTERNATE
SULLIVAN SPONSOR

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Edsel re-entered television over
the weekend as alternate co-spon¬
sor of “Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS-
TV, having taken over half of
Mercury’s stake in the show. Auto
companies are in the Mercury-Ed-
sel-Lincoln Division of Ford Motor
Co. but have sepiuate ad agencies.
Eastman-Kodak as skip-week spon¬
sor is not affected by the Edsel
buy-in.

L^coln also re-entered tv on
Sundijr <30) as sponsor of “Leon¬
ard Bernstein and the New York
Philharmonic” on CBS,

Last year Edsel had cosponsored
“Wagon Train” on NBOTV, a
show wjiich this year has been
taken over by parent company.
Ford. It also underwrote tire Bing
Crosby-Frank Sinatra spec of last
season. Foote, Cone & Belding is
the agency.

RADIO-TELEVISIOX

59

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

Negro Stations

Continued from page 23

FCC s Ufatch Dog Status on Station
Programming Defended by Hyde

leaped on an insidious program
pattern established in the early
’50s by a ‘^certain station” in Ten¬
nessee. He noted while that station
is now a saner formula for Negro
radio, its copyists mechanically “go
from rhythm & blues to religion,
back to r&b, then to religion
again.” He stressed that- all any
observer has to do to prove this is
go from market to market long
enough and he’ll recognize the
pattern.”

Miller enumerated some of the
approaches a legit operator takes
In trying to sell Negroes. “It’s silly
to believe Negroes patronize only
Negroes. We try to play a lot of
the music by white artists and we
shy as much as possible away from
r&b, we solicit programming by
the NAACP and now the Urban
League, we program spirituals but
not the fake comniercial religion
that’s rife in Negro radio.”

Since the sounds of Negro and
“white radio” are alike, except
for specific community projects, he
felt an effective way to let the Ne¬
groes know you’re programming
for them and to create a commu¬
nity atmosphere is to advertise in
their periodicals, put billboards up
in their part of town and work
closely with them on favored
projects.

His attack, he said, was working.
KXLW is making money, and he
assumed stations such as WLIB
and KPRS are making profits as
well.

many of them who figure they can
peddle costume jew'elry to their
image of a Negro.

Today, Miller asserted, .Negro
radio stations still go big for spir¬
itual stuff, but the solicitations
have been replaced by seemingly
reputable radio advertisers. “The
stations try to be all things to all
people, giving the spirituals and
quackery to older Negroes, on the
assumption that this alleged moral
healing process is all they have
left in life before they go to the
gravej” he said in defining the
situation. “They bang oiit r&b for
the younger people.”

Here MiUer stopped ahd mused:
“Did you realize that white an¬
nouncers for a w'hite audience are
allowed the dignity of using their
own names—William B. Williams,
Martin Block or whoever. But the
Negro deejay doesn’t have his own
name. He’s-~given the name of a
clown, a name in keeping with the
false and grotesque stereotype of
the idiotic smiling Negro. He be¬
comes Uncle Snuffy, Dr. Gismo,
Radio Daddy-0, "'The Cat Man.
Sometimes a chain broadcaster
will give only the same music and
religion to each station he owns,
but his jockeys, will have the same
name in five different towns.”

Recalling the major issue, Miller
opined,. “The irony is the white
man who listens in is not really
hearing what the Negro wants to
hear.” .

Brit/i ‘Instam’ Ratings

London, Dec. 2.

Television Audience Meas¬
urement Ltd., British outfit, is
working oh an instantaneous
rating system developed by its
engineers with a view to put¬
ting it into operation in the^
New Year. Bedford Attwood,
governing director of TAM
says . that work is sufficently
advanced to justify it being
dubbed “Instam.”

The company is not pre¬
pared to reveal just how the
system would work, but it is
believed that tv outlets would
be able to have instant rating
reports on their programs.

David Fairy Tale Series
Being Filmed in Germany

Frankfurt," Dec. 2.
“The Shoemaker and the Gob-
,lin” is the first of 39 fairy tales
that American filin producer Alan
A. David is making in Germany
for subsequent showing on U.S.
screens. He is currently shooting
in the famed little Renaissance
town of Rothenburg on the Tau¬
ber River, a location known for its
old towers and heavy walls, for
its romantic canned figures and
houses from the Middle Ages.

Script author Paul Mason and
photographer Wegee and camera¬
man Wolf Schneider are here in
Germany w'orking with him. The
roles of the figures are being
played by German actors.

Washington, Dec. 2.

Federal Communications Com¬
missioner Rosel H. Hyde declared
Saturday (29) that the Commis¬
sion has a “grave responsibility”
to determine w'hether broadcoast
licensees have “kept faith with the
public trust.”

Hyde’s remarks were in obvious
reply to earlier charges by fellow
Commissioner T. A. M. Craven
that FCC’s programming policies
are "censorial,” “illegal” and “im¬
practical.” Craven’s blast came
in connection with FCC proposals
for streaming license renewal
forms.

Hyde said it would be “sad in¬
deed” if FCC forms for reporting-
programming and other informa¬
tion were used as a “limiting fac¬
tor” and replaced broadcasters’
initiative to serve the public in¬
terest.

At the same time, however, Hyde
said the FCC is charged with the
responsibility to see that licensees
have been meeting with public in¬
terest test when they, apply for
renewals.

The Communications Act, he
added, “does not purport to spell
out for the broadcaster just how he
must go about the business of serv¬
ing the public interest.” And the
answer “could never be reduced
to a set formula appropriate at
all places, times and circum-
I stances,” Hyde asserted.

1 In order to improve the quality

of broadcasting, Hyde said he is
“convinced that the better way
must be found in somehow stimu¬
lating interest of licensees who
may not have the vision to per¬
form as weU as they know how.”

Hyde spoke before the National
Assn, of Television and Radio Farm
Directors in Chicago.

NTA’S $1,000,000

FOR BRITISH FIX

National Telefilm Associates is
close to making a deal for 30 odd
British pictures out of the Asso¬
ciated British Pictures library.

Understood that the price is
around $1,000,000. Among the
titles is an Alec Guinness starrer
“The Last Holiday.” British ABPC
outfit recently made a deal with
NTA for theatrical distribution of
two ABPC pics.

Grainger, Nasser Partner

Hollyw'ood, Dec. 2.

James R. Grainger will partner
with the Nasser brothers, owners
of General Service Studios, on a
pair of upcoming vjdpix series.
Duo includes “Virginia City,” re¬
volving around the old Comstock
mine, and “Headquarters,” police
story. Allan Dwan will direct both.

Grainger, formerly prexy of Re¬
public Pictures and RKO, has been
in retirement

Format Unchanged

Miller viewed Negro radio in its
crude, pandering origin in the
early 1950s. “I haven’t seen w'here
it has changed.”

According to him, what is now
Negro radio was brazenly called
“race radio” in the beginning.
There were only three platter
jockeys on “race radio” who were
Negroes at that time, the rest of
them were whites “who thought or
maintained they understood the
Negro, how the 'trigger worked;
how to ‘put it on him’ (get him to
buy).”

“They never talked up to the
Negro,” MiUer said. “The object
was to sell him the shiny, gold
wristwatch, even though he didn’t
need it—to cajole him into it.”
There was a rash of jewelry chains
bankroUing “race” programming
around 1950 and there still are

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Wednesday, December S, 1958

P^istiESr

61

hare-apparent

The drumbeats roll. TTie clarions soxmd. And the prophetic notes of
the November Nielsen echo across the land.

^ Harken now to the people's \wll—and herald the people’s cham¬
pion! For the Nielsen returns make the portent clear : the television
network most likely to succeed to the Number One position is
youthful, winsome ABC. Its future looms regal. Its present is iteelf
little short of majestic.

Witness: ABC is already the No. 1 network on three nights of
the week—Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday !* ,

Witness: For nighttime programming, ABC is the only ne^ork
whose ratings are up over last year... the only network whose
share of audience is up over last year. ..the only network whose
number of homes is up over last year.*

Witness: Of the 33 commonly competitive evening half hours,
76% of ABC's time periods are enjoying larger shares of audience.
Corresponding figures for the other two networks, 42% and 45%.t
Witness : Of the 33 commonly competitive evening half hours,
ABC is now No.l in twelve. Another network also leads in twelve
—while the third network is first in only nine.t
Our competitors, we*ll wager, are ready to crown us.

Source: Nielsen’s 1st November Reports 1958 vs. 1967, Sunday through Saturday, 7:30-10; 30 P.M., NYT,
* National Report, Average Audience per minute fpr ^ sponsored evening programs.
fNielsen Multi-Network Area (24 competitive markets). Share of Audience.

ABC TELEVISION

62

RAI»IO-TELEVISIO?r

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

ASSOCIATED-REDIFFUSION LIMITED

—^ g-

MR. JOHN SPENCER WILLS
ON

CHOICE OF PROGRAMMES

Tile Third Annual General Meet¬
ing of Associated-Rediffusion limited
was held on November 25th in Lon¬
don, Mr. John Spencer Wills, the
chairman, presiding.

In moving the adoption of the re¬
port and accounts for the year ended
April 30, 1958, the chairman said:—

At our general meeting two years
ago. when we had lost £3,250,000 of
v'our money, I said I w’ould like to
pay a heartfelt tribute to you, the
shareholders, for your courage in
supporting a venture which, shackled
by innumerable statutory restrictions
and given but a short guarantee of
life, could only be regarded as either
a wild gamble or an act of faith. You
can imagine with what pleasure your
directors have been able to report to
vou a profit for the year ended April
30, 1958, of £4.800,000 and to pay you,
in respect of the current year, your
first monetary reward; this, as you
know, was an interim dividend
equivalent to 11 per cent, net on
the total Ordinary capital of five
million pounds.

The results which I am happj’ to
put before you to-day are due. in the
mam. to the recognition by adver¬
tisers of the value of our medium,
but useful contributions to our suc¬
cess have been made by the network¬
ing arrangements Which we have
with the other contractors, by the.
TV Times and by Television House.
I propose to say a few words about
each of these matters.

ADVERTISEMENTS

The very substantial growth in our
advertisernent revenue is. I think, a
reflection of the success of those
advertisers who wrere sufficiently
far-sighted and courageous to sup¬
port us in the early days, when the
prophets of gloom spoke loudest.
Stories of sales successes following
television advertising are legion but
the best evidence of the success of
our medium is to be found in our
order book. You will not be surprised
at this v.'hen I tell you that our poten¬
tial audience is now 10 times as big
as it was when we started three years
ago. The increase of some 20 percent
which we have made in our original
advertisement rates is insignificant
in relation to the tenfold increase in
our audience over the period but
your diicctos's are inclined to think
that it is. in your interests not to
raise our basic charges further at
pre.=:er.l.

We have naturally had to .strengthen
our sales &taff to deal w’ith the
greatly ir.crea'-ed volume of business
but wre have also s engthened it on
the servicing side. We now have a
capable staff whose job it is not only
to persuade advertisers to use the
medium but also to helo them to use
it to the greatest possible advantage.

Before I leave the subject of ad¬
vertising T think I had better say
that I hope no one will conclude from
my remarks that our order book is
full and that w‘e have no room for
more. Such a conclusion would be
quite mistaken and I would like to
make it clear that we shall be de¬
lighted to hear from any who are
contemplating using our medium for
the fir.st time or extending their pres¬
ent uhe of it.' ;

NETWORKING

In each of my previous addresses
to you, I have emphasized that I re¬
gard networking of programmes as
essential to the success of inde¬
pendent television. Evgn to the four
major contractors it continues to be
important: the smaller stations could
not exist without it. I am glad to be
able to report the continuance of sat¬
isfactory networking arrangements
between the contractors. Since the end
of the previous financial year, new'
programme contractors have com¬
menced operating in Scotland, Wales,
and the West and Southern England.
Many of our programmes are being
supplied to those areas add, whilst the
effect on our results for the past
financial year was small, there will
be useful additions to our revenue
for the current, financial year from
these sources. Similar benefits will
also accrue in due course from the
supply of programmes to the new
contractors for the Tyne Tees area,
in w’hich independent tele'vision
transmissions are due to commence
in January next year, and for the
Anglia area, in which it is expected
that transmissions ■will commence
duing the latter half of next year.

TV TIMES

The TV Times —another pioneering
contribution which we have made to
independent television—^has been the
official programme journal of aU the
major programme contractors since
their commencement. Within the last
few months we ha've been glad to
welcome Southern Television into
that enterprise. We publish a separate
Southern edition for tlie area and
the initial response of the public has
been excellent; it augurs well for the
future of the Southern edition and of
the TV Times generally, I am glad’
tp add that arrangements have re¬
cently been made with Anglia Tele¬
vision for the publication of their
programmes in a separate Anglia
edition of the paper in due course.

Advertising space in the paper has
sold weU, which is not surprising in
view of the very large circulation and
of the competitive rates charged. A
year ago I reported to you a Weekly
net sale of over 2,400,000 and I am
glad to be able to tell you to-day that
the figure is now approximately
million. The TV Times Christmas
Extra, W'hich we published experi-
ment^ly last year, achieved a meas-
, ure of success sufficient to justify
PUT deciding to publish a further
issue this year.^

The contribution which the TV

Times—and. to a lesser extent, the
Christmas Extra —has made in stimu¬
lating interest in independent tele¬
vision generally is, in my •view, a
very valuable one.

TELEVISION HOUSE
Such parts of Television House as
are not used for our own purposes
have continued to be fully let; our
tenants include three other pro-

f ramme companies. Independent
'elevision News Limited and the In¬
dependent Television- Companies As¬
sociation. The substantial expenditure
which the board authorized in the
very early days with a view to the
provision of a worthy centre for
Independent . Television in London
has proved to be well justified. It
has been a commercial success, but
I think we are entitled to take some
credit to ourselves for having de¬
cided to make such a centre avail¬
able at a time when confidence in
the future of the industry w’as in
short supply.

PROGRAMMES

'Television now enters into the daily
life of most of the inhabitants of the
"United Kingdom. This is a sobfering
thought; it carries with it a serious
responsibility. So much is said about
tele'vision, and by so many people,
that it seems to be desirable to re¬
state the outlook of your board upon
some of the major aspects. We have
a duty to preserve a proper "balance"
in the subject matters of our pro¬
grammes. We wish to serve majorities,
and minorities. We continue firmly to
believe that during the i>eak hours,
■when many millions of -viewers are
enjoying their evening’s entertain¬
ment after a hard day’s work, we
must broadcast the programmes
■which most of them want. In this
we naturally do not always succeed;
public tastes change and our judg¬
ment is not always correct. Mainly
away fro.n peak hours we seek to
please the minority groups and we
do, as a fact, broadcast a large num¬
ber of hours of “minority” pro¬
grammes.

Let our “intellectual” critics take
consolation in the thought that the
minority of to-day may become the
majority of to-morrowl Perhaps I
may be forgiven for ■wondering if
they realiv would find this a con¬
solation. for I suspect they ■would
hate nothing more than to find them¬
selves In a majority.

Through the cooperation of the
progrr.’r.ne co.mpanies. independent
television hrs provided the public
with a wide variety of good -pro¬
grammes covering the fields of
drama, light entertainment, current
affairs, religion, politics, science, the
Arts, sport and general news. Our
own c r>t:'ibution in each of these
fields Its been at least commensu¬
rate with our standing as a leading
programme company and our con¬
tribution in the field of drama has
been particularly notew.-orthy. Of 278
major plays produced for the week¬
day network since 19o5, we have
produced 177; 79 of the 177 were
original plays or adaptations ■written
soecially for television by British
authors. "VVe should like very much
to increase the number of original
television plays but we have not
been able to discover “the vast un¬
tapped re-'ervoir of latent talent
awaiting discovery,” which has been
said to exist. We are. however, doing
all we can to encourage new writers
and persuade established writers to
devote their talents and energies to
our medium.

I must also mention our schools
programmes. As you know. We w’ere
responsible for the first television
service for schools in the British
Commonwealth. We were greatly
helped in this by our Educational
Advisory Council under . the chair¬
manship of Sir John WoLfeiiden and
we are deeply grateful to Sir John
and the other members of the Coun¬
cil for their invaluable help. In
view of the pressure of other resixm-
sibilities. Sir John recently found it
necessary to resign from the Coun¬
cil; whilst expressing our thanks to
him. I should like also to thank Sir
Sydney Caine, the Director of the
London School of Economics, for
very kindly accepting the chairman¬
ship of the . Council. Our schools
programmes are now transmitted in.
the Midlands, in Scotland, in Wales
and the West and In the Southern
England area as well as in our o'wn
area and they are being used pn a
continually increasing scale.

ADDITIONAL TELEVISION
SERVICES

There is much discu^ion about the
desirability of additional television
services. It is not always realized
that this must be considered under
two quite different headings; the
first, the broadcasting during more
hours of the day by the existing
providers of programmes (the B.B.C.
and, through the I.T_A., the inde¬
pendent contractors) and the second,
the possible creation of ne'w pro¬
viders of programmes, so that view¬
ers may have a choice of more
than two programmes at any one
time of the' day.

As to the first, I still fail to under¬
stand why there should be imposed
upon us and upon our viewers any
limitation of the hours of television.
We ought to be allowed to broadcast
during all 24 hours of the day If we
wish. It is obvious, that we should
not be likely to do so but "why
should anyone prohibit us? A re¬
moval of the present limitations
would give us more chance to please
minorities and to experiment with
new ideas. ,

As to the second - hfeadJng, the
choice to viewers o£ mpre than two
programmes at any one time (in

addition to the choice they now have
of different programmes at different
times), anything I add to What has
already been said about it may pos¬
sibly be regarded as tainted by
selfish motives but I must never¬
theless say what. I think. I am not
for the moment concerned with the
question whether wave-lengths can
be made available for one more or
for two more additional programmes.
The more important question seems
to me to be whether one or. more
additional programmes are first,
desirable and, secondly, practicable.
On the question of desirability, if
the quality cound be maintained, rriy
answer would be bound to be in thc-
affirmative; television is a public
service and the Wider the facilities
available to the public, the better.
On . the question. of practicability. I
must confess that I am in some
doubt whether there is a sufficient
supply of satisfactory ‘ material and
talent for additional services on the
lines of the existing I.TA.. and BJB.C.
services. For it must be remembered
that any. call for a third or a fourth
programme really refers mainly tP
peak hours and, although some
critics may sometimes complain that
peak hour programmes are not suf¬
ficiently “high-brow,” a great deal of
hard work by very talented people
goes into them. The performances
are seen by so many viewers that
they can rarely be reneated and ma¬
terial is consequently consumed at
an alarming rate. Anyone connected
with either of the two existing serv¬
ices knows only too well how diffi¬
cult it already is to find the right
material and talent in sufficient
quantity to satisf.v the never-ending
needs of the service. If there is any
substance in the views I have ex¬
pressed. it cannot be in the public
interest to create one or more new
similar services to share the limited
resource.s; the existing services
would, in such circumstances, find it
difficult to maintain, let alone im¬
prove, their present standards. A
betten. answer mi.ght be to provide
both I.T.A. and B3.C. with an addi¬
tional service solely for educational
programmes (I use the word “educa-
foncl” in its broadest sense) and
specialized programmes with minor-
itv appeal. Such service.^ would
make it possible to provide more
programmes for minorities covering,
for examole. oPera, ballet and classi¬
cal music, apart from which there
might v.'ell be distinct comrhercial
advantages in helping to make the'.e
specialized acti'vi.ties financially more
self-supnorting. We should ba will¬
ing to narticipate in such a service,
notwithstanding that it would have
to be subsidized by our existing
service.

INDEPENDEiNT TELEVISION

AUTHORITY

I am glad to say that the happy
relationship between ourselves. and
the Independent Television Author¬
ity. which I mentioned last year, has
continued. We- are grateful to Sir
ivene Kirkpatrick, the Chairman, Sir
Robert Fraser, the Director-General,
and the of the Authority for

f'eir helpfulness at all times. The
Standing Consultative Committee
which was set up under the terms of
the programme . comnanies* contracts
vi+h the Authority has proved most
valuable in oroviding a forum for
discu-sion of the many problems
which arise.

OTHGR CONTRACTORS AND
INDEPENDENT TELEVISION NEWS

I have already referred to the
benefit of networking and would like
once more to thank the other pro¬
gramme comnanies for their coopera¬
tion and help. ,

The Independent Television News
programmes have continued to hold
their place among the outstanding
successes of independent television
and we are grateful to the News
Company for them.

STAFF

Our O'wn, management and staff
again deserve our warmest thanks;
although I mentioned last year that
we had reached the stage of reason¬
ably smooth running their job is
still an. exacting one. They have
played a valuable part in what I
regard as a iriost striking achieve¬
ment. namely, the establishment of
independent television as an integral
part of the British way of life in
a period of l^s than thr^ years
and I am sure'^you would wish me
to voice your appreciation of their
efforts.

THE FUTURE

Although operating costs have
risen considerably, profits have-con¬
tinued at a good level during the'
ciurent financial year. Costs must be
expected to rise further ■with our
continued efforts to improve our
service—^for we are not, and never
shall be, complacent.

You will have seen the reference
In the directors’ report to additional
capital^ expenditure of approximately,
one million pounds for new studios
and equipment; this relates to a new
large studio, convertible into two
studios as and when required, to be
built at our Wejnbley premises.
Further capital expenditure will un¬
doubtedly be necessary from time to
time in order to ensure that our very
expensive facilities and equipment
keep abreast of the rapidly changing
techniques aiid demands of -tele¬
vision.. Nevertheless, now. we have
ploughed back the whole of last
year’s profit, the necessary resources
for our continued development are
assured and I think we can face the
' futinre with’wery confidence.^ . ^ ’

The report * and accounts ‘'were
unanimously adopted. . r(Advt.)i

CBS-TV

- ; Continued from page 23

it—’58-59 was a critical year in
; Col-umbia’s thinking and seeming-
! ly everybody (from the highest to
the lowest) was more or less put
on trial.

Thus it was that, back around
April, when Columbia’s prestige
i was unquestionably downgraded,
! board chairman Paley and corpo-
i rate prexy Stanton were weighing
I the advisability of “cutting to
size’’ and incepting some drastic
trimming to counter the losses.
: The other alternative was to flaunt
the ’57-58 turn of events and gam¬
ble on an allout investment in
: manpower and actually expand
; the administrative-creative op-
i eration. The ball was tossed to
' newly-installed prexy Cowan.

\ Cowan and exec veepee Hubbell
I Robinson chose the latter course,
i (Vividly recalled is the specula-
j tion as to how Cowan and Robin-
I son would “hit it off.” Call it the
I “neatest trick of the year,” but
[the manner in which they subse-
! quently teamed up to right the
I program wrongs and restore CBS
j to its No. 1 supremacy will go

■ down as one of the more memor-
i able footnotes in the onward-&-
: upward Columbia ascent.)

i Those both from w’itliin and out-
i side the company who'have been
; keeping close tabs on the CBS
j progress report are of the opinion
i that Cowan rates a good chunk of
; the credit for effecting the revital-
; ization in the undisputed CBS
; leadership—a leadership reflected
in the Nielsen daytime and night¬
time story (with Columbia way out
.in front on both counts); on new
‘ programs (among the brand new
i entries in the "Top 15, CBS has
I eight); the SRO status on all major
‘ public affairs programming; the
I recapturing of its onetime erai-
j nence in news fits greatest victory
{being in the recent election cov-
^ erage) and in the CBS profits
: statement.

But primarily it’s a story of how’
‘the Cowan-Robinson gamble paid

■ off—an unprecedented investment
. in manpower that now finds the
' network creative staff at alltime
' peak.

N.Y. AFTRA

s;;— Continued from page 27

CANADA TV IN

ECKSTEIN TRIBUTE

Otaw'a, Dec. 2.

Entire half.hour of “Tabloid,”^
CBC-TV 7 p.m. network show, will
be a birthday tribute to. Billy
Eckstein, vet composer pianist, Fri¬
day (5). Montreal-horn onetime
infant prodigy, now playing nightly
in Catalogna Lounge of Hotel Dor¬
chester, Montreal, will be 70 next
day (6). This is first time one
subject has occupied whole show,
now six years old.

“Tabloid” is produced by Ted
Pope, with interviewers Max Fer¬
guson (also multi-voiced “OF Raw-
hide”' of network radio Percy
Saltzman, Joyce Davidson, John
O’Leary- and Gil Christie.

Riddell

—^ Continued from page 23 j
the cards for some weeks. First
of all, Riddell was something of an
unwilling candidate for the New
York post which made him No. 2
rhan to Goldenson at ABC. He had
been well ensconced in Detroit,
where his family, his home and his
strongest biz ties were, but,he ac¬
ceded to a request by Goldenson
and the board of directors, finally,
to become the man through which,
most, if not, all radio and tv net¬
work operational decisions had to
pass before they became law.

Riddell’s original concern wus to
uplift ABC Radio, a field in which
he is still fairly active. But, in
time, he was earmarked to step into
the tv picture on an intensive basis.
Oliver Treyz, ABC-TV prexy, was
to report to Riddell, but since
Treyz has gained considerably in
stature at ABC, the situation has
evolved where he reports for all
intents and purposes directly to
Goldenson.

Riddell's new job calls for
straight veepee stripes but he will
continue as a member of the board
for AB-PT’s ABC division. It has
j been conjectured that since Riddell
I is moving coastward, and that’s
I where the greatest share of the
net’s programming c 0 m e s from,
he’ll in time be actively engaged
in program supervision and con¬
trol in addition to running the
Coast o&o’s.

Charlotte, N.C.—Charles M. Mar-

each found different reasons to re-; s
■ ject it. We just have to begin on}«
a narrower, more sensible basis, i'
: with AFTRA and SAG given the j ^
I power to go ahead and merge by J
= themselves. After all, if nothing "
i else, they have electronic tape in
' common.”

' Actually, the top men in SAG
i strongly opposed a merger with
\ AFTRA. Their opposition was no
j secret. Among the reasons they
! gave was that a merger would
; necessitate a gigantic and cum-
: hersome umbrella organization for
i administration. Among the reasons
I which have not been mentioned
! publicly too often is the attitude of
! higher-ups in SAG to the AFTRA
I hierarchy. There appears to have ,
been a profound alienation of feel¬
ings between the two groups, dat¬
ing back to the time of Television
Authority and earlier.

The Gotham members of
AFTRA, many of them, at any
rate, explained this week that they
wUl gladly accept “an agreement
on principle” of merger once
they’ve established that the two tv
unions can go ahead alone. They
feel that an agreement on principle
with the other three unions would
be valueless, because if one of them
were to pull out in objection to a
specific merger plan, “it would
give SAG an excuse to drop the
whole thing.”

There were certain sources that
believed there was no immediate
need for an extensive study on. ■
merger prior to taking formal
steps toward it, because they felt
that the study by Cornell and
UCLA “was very workable and
may still be,” (SAG will not pro¬
ceed with merger, its members
agreed, unless a specific plan was
first presented.)

Butler, Pa.—^FCC approval for =
purchase of WACB, .Kittanning, is
being sought by Joel W. Rosen-
blum, local radio man. Rosen-
blum is prexy of WISH here, pio- I
neer indie outlet in Western “Penn- I
sylvania, and also operator of
WTIG, Massillon, Ohio. At 30, he
4s one of the youngest radio execs 1
in the country, with three outlets I
to his credit.

; shall, v.p. and longtime employee
I ol WSOC Broadcasting Co,, has
■ been appointed director of mer-
I chandising and research for WSOC-
: TV and WSOC Radio.

jfOHMMYjmami

Luncheon served Noon fo 3 Fid.
Mondojr thru Fridoy
COCKTAILS—DINNER—SUPPER
848 Second Avenue ot 45th Street
Member oil chorge clubs
MU 4-7250-OpcR 7 doys

reOeptionist

Doubling os Model—for Photog-
rophy Sfudio — 5 Day Week —
Salary Open.

JOSEF STUDIOS
Us L 34 St. MU 3.1i3«

BROOKS

COSTUMES

' 2eMMUS(.,N.Y.C>T«LH.7.jaae I

ACCENTS CORRECTED
RESULTS!

Regardlesa of Initial difficulty

C. DAVI

PlioR*: JUdsoR 2-4444

(Off Timet Square, N. Y.)

NEAPOLITAN
CUISINE

Open Daily Noon-MIdnIte
COCXTAILS • Air-c«nd.

ite a-Siee. tieit*

W^SnetdaT, Deceml»^ 1958

64

• VednesdayV December 5^ ' 1958

BADIO-TEUEnSlOy

P&Ra^

AND

RATING

25.8 in
BALTIMORE!

28.9 in
PORTLAND,

(Sowrc«: ARB, 1958}

And

**Camonballiiig’’
to tbe top at
every stop it
makea! j
Climb aboard.•• |
and watch ]
those audience
shares climb too!

For details.

call

Foreign TV Reviews

Continued from pa^e 39

only things,” he once wrote, “that
are worth being discussed seri¬
ously are the funny things . .

Hans.

MITGEBRACHT AUS NEW YORK
With Wern er R aecker, narrator
Producer: NWRV (Hamburg) in col¬
laboration with NBC, New York
70 Mins.; Fri., 8:20 p.m.

West German TV, from Hamburg
This was a treat for those who
like American show biz, Werner
Baecker, oFNWRV, had been to
New York to inform himself about
stateside tele. In collab- with
NBC’s International Div., he pre¬
sented excerpts from U.S. video
shows over the West German tv
screens. So domestic televiewers
had the opportunity to make them¬
selves familiar with some of
America’s most popular programs,
such as “The Perry Como Show,”
“Meet the Press,” “Dinah Shore
Show,” “Life of Riley,” the con¬
troversial “Twenty-One” quiz show,
etc.

- One thing struck the German
viewer right away: Pure enter¬
tainment plays a much more sub¬
stantial role in America’s tele set¬
up. Of course, they haven’t got
those troubles with cash and head¬
liners over there. But it’s also un¬
derstood in view of the fact that
the American sponsors are natur¬
ally interested in reaching as many
people as possible. So light enter-^
tainment gets priority. In Ger¬
many, large part of the regular
program consists of educational,

1 cultural and political items.

I Best remembered details of
Baecker’s presentation w'ere “Meet
rthe Press” with Madame Chiang-
Kai-shek, the lavish splendor of
the “Dinah Shore Show” (guest
star Ethel Merman), the “easy-
does-it” way with which Perry
Como delivers his songs and the
technical perfection of the various
programs. Speaking of Como, lat¬
ter’s show may soon also come to
Germany. (At present, 10 Eu¬
ropean tv nations are bringing it.)

Woven in was a fashion show.
Shown were those gowns which
the German haute couture recent¬
ly presented in N.Y. Baecker then
introed a new program, “The.Ac¬
tual Shop Window.” to the domes¬
tic tele public: He's sitting with
various headliners and other pro¬
minent people in a shop and peo¬
ple behind the windows can join
in conversation via the mike of a
reporter. At this initial occasion,
Baecker interviewed German boxer
“Bubi” Scholz, new European mid¬
dleweight champ, pop singer Fred¬
dy (Quinn), among others. This
“window” thing looks like a good
bargain. It should make its rounds
here. Another contribution to
make Germany’s tele better, more
colorful and multi-sided. Narra-
tor-interview'er-emcee Baecker did
a fine job. Hans.

PAUL AND JULIA
With Bruno Huebner, Christian
Doemer, Klaus W. Krause,
Brigitte Ran, Wolf Ackva, Walter
Janssen, Willy Reichert, Liesl
Karstadt

Producer: Bavarian Radio
Director: Kurt Wilhelm
Writer: Hugo Hartung
85 Mins.; Thurs., 9 pjn.

West German TV, from Munich
This one was written by Hugo
Hartung, w.k. German author, who
gained special prominence here
via his book, “I Often Think of
Piroschka,” which later became a
successful film and then also a
stage play. One awaited his “Paul
and Julia” with particular inter¬
est; perhaps one expected too
much. This tv offering was nothing ^
special. In factj it is a solid dis¬
appointment, despite qualified
actor and good direction.

Flaw lay with an utterly old-
fashioned (and banal) story. Latter
centered around first love: An
aged professor turns over the
leaves in his old photo album and
discovers in it a picture of a girl
with whom he had his first tender
romance some 55 years ago. He
remembers every detail of it: How
he first met her, how he, an 18-
year-old high school boy then, did
everything to be near to her, how
this romance then reached its
climax in a lonesome park, etc.
(All these details were retold in
flashbacks).

The whole thing v/as a mixture
of overly familiar situations (there
was the usual corny “dream vis¬
ion,” the conventional rival, et
al.), oldhat jokes and cheap senti¬
mentalities. The considerable lack
of imagination gave the impression
as though this version of premier
amour, was written by author’s
left hand.

Christian (Doerner enacted the
young lad and Bruno Huebner the
same person 55 j^ears later. Bnth
were adequate performances. Brig¬

itte Rau was Julia, Juliet respec¬
tively, named so because she’s an
actress (playing the title role in
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”)
in this. An okay performance,
nothing more. Best polished per¬
formance was turned in by come¬
dian Willy Reichert who played
the role of a stage inspector.

Kurt Wilhelm made the most of
this material. Without his direc¬
torial skill, this could have been
morbidly dullish. Score (with utili¬
zation of a TschaikoW'sky theme)
and production dress were also
much better than the dissatisfying
script. Hans.

BOY WITH THE MEAT AXE
With Richard Pasco, Virginia Mask-
ell, Sheila Allen, Sean Connery,
Vilma Ann Leslie, Norman Pitt,
others -

Writer: Ray Rigby
ProdUcer:.,^Sydney Newman
Director: Philip Saville
< 65 Mins., Snn., 10 p.m.

ABC-TV, from Manchester.

ABC-TV presented a new play
by Ray Rigby which was based on
the domestic triangle theme.
“Boy With The Meat Axe” made a
try at high drama via a route, sewn
with seamy happenings and large
dose of despair. It was, however,
a play which had power and also
showed that the author has a flair
for writing about real people and
their troubles. Acting was good
with notable performances by
Richard Pasco and a newcomer to
tv, Sheila Allen. Direction by
Philip Saville was fluent and Voy-
tek’s sets first class.

Story was unfolded in a series
of flashbacks by Pasco following
his trial.for the murder of his wife.
It told of his personal domestic tri¬
angle as a man who, after seven
years of married life, finds that
nagging, no real future prospects
and a load of bills, drive him to
look for another woman’s affec¬
tions. The final show’down comes
when his wife attacks him with a
kitchen knife and in trying to pro¬
tect himself, he forces the Imife
into her. ■ He’s acquitted of murder
and goes to start life with the other
woman, but the final scene instead
of being a good old fashioned
happy ending, holds the underly¬
ing threat, that he’s letting himself
in for a new dose of the life he’s
just escaped. Bary.

A LOOK AT NEW YORK
With Michael Ingrams
Director: Michael Ingrams
Writer: Michael Ingrams
Editor: Paul Weld Dixon
15 Mins., Tues., 11 p.m.
Associated-Rediffnsion from Lon¬
don

With several weighty feature
productions behind him, including
a personal glimpse at the Russians,
Michael Ingrams has turned his at¬
tention to New York City. With
the technical facilties of CBS, In¬
grams. in two 15-minute programs,
has set out to present an intimate
portrait of New Yorkers at work
and play. It’s a tough subject to
condense for such short offerings,
but even though the peek is scanty,
the programs wiU provide Britons
with some insight into what life
across the Atlantic is really like.
Ingrams’ script is flowery, but he
has the knack of making it sound
intimate.

The first report had Ingrams up
in the scaffolding of a sl^scraper
talking to the construction men.
He discovered that though the pay
was good, the wives at home
weren’t happy with their menfolk’s
work. There were'shots of Har¬
lem and the Bowery, the latter
presented as a place where drunks
litter the sidewalks and doorways
and drink themselves into oblivion.

’ Bary.

CANZONISSIMx4

With Ugo Toguaoi, Achille Togll-
ani, Claudio Villa, Gloria Chris¬
tian, Aurelio Fierro, Nilla Pint,
Anna D’Aunico, Johnny Dorelli,
others

Writer: Garinei-Giovanhinl
Director: Antonello Falqui
60 Mins.,' Wed., 9 p.m.

RAI-TV, from Rome

Another in a long line of Italian
video shows built around popular
songs, “Canzonissima” shows bet¬
ter writing and effort (and a higher
budget—some say $10,000 per) than
the rest. Linked to a popular vote
in turn tied to a national prize lot¬
tery, shows spotlights “top seven”
tunes voted by audience every
week and sung by some of country’s
top singers.

Restricted to Italian songs of all
times, show immediately ran into
an unexpected snag. Though in
early weeks, some 7,000 songs were
voted by over 1,500,000 listeners,
1 op seven songs remained the same.

I (Interesting sideline note on Italo

likes is fact that three of top seven
and four of top 14 songs are Nea¬
politan). Trouble wiU be remedied
in future.shows by readii^ Ust of
top winners, then performing other
songs to relieve viewer monotony.

In their various styles, singers
aU perform capably, with numbers
often backed by dances imagina¬
tively outlined by Yank choreog¬
rapher Donald Saddler. Two
breathers are taken during stanza
for parodies or comedy inserts fea¬
turing Ugo Tognazzi, almost al¬
ways effective. ' Hawk.

THE ENCHANTED APRIL
With Ann Castle, Gwen Watford,
Phyllis Neilson-Tcrry, Delena
Kidd, Robin Lloyd, Victor Bar¬
ing, Bruno Bamabe, Angela Kre-
feld, Thorley Walters, Frank
Shelley, Thea Holme, Kenneth
Collins

Director: David Boisseau
Adaptation: Thea. Holme
Designer: John Clements
80 Mins., Wed.> 8:30 pm.
Associated-Rediffusion, from
- London

But for several performances
which were far in excess of the
quality deserved by this play, “The
Enchanted AprU” would have
emerged as a trite piece of senti¬
mentalism. Its construction was
akin to a fairy tale where everyone,
including the witch, winds up un¬
convincingly living happily ever
after foUowing a series of events
which are strictly for the birds.
The saving performances referred
to were given by Ann Castle, Gwen
Watford and PhylUs Neilson-Terry,
who managed to hypo the proced-
ings into a tolerable offering.
David Boisseau’s sugary production
matched the tone of the piece.

Action was set in the 1920s with
two middle-class English ladies,
tired of the way they were being
taken for granted by their hus¬
bands, deciding to rent.a castle
in Italy for a month and get away
from their spouses. To cut costs
they got anothi^r, two dames to
come along as paying guests. The
castle they found “enchanting,”
and its spell made them aU into
lovable creatures who were re¬
conciled with their husbands.

Bary.

BETTER LATE

With Duncan Macrae, Patricia
Raine, Jimmy Thompson, April
Olrich, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Joan
Pethers, Salvatore Pantalone,
Rita Cameron, John Howard,
Una Stubbs, Teddy Green,
Katherine Feather, Richard Gar¬
ner, The Eric Robinson orch.
Words and Music: Donald Cotton,
Cliff Gordon, Ken Hoare, Cyril
Ornadel

Producer: Michael Mills
40 Mins., Tues., 10:40 p.m.
BBC-TV, from London
The BBC has chosen a difficult
time of the day to get bright, airy
and flippant with a revue type
show such as "Better Late.” This
offering displayed a brittle charm
completely unsuited for late-night
audieflees. It was pretentiously
witty throughout a series of in¬
consequential sketches which were
linked somewhat brashly by Dun¬
can Macrae.

Al times there were signs that
the show might have something if
its basic ingredients were anchored
more firmly to earth and if it had
an earlier slot. Sketches included
an overlong presentation of a
newscast a la ah American tv spec¬
tacular, a ballet school routine as
well as several flowery but familiar
dance routines. Bary.

CANNE AL VENTO
(Reeds in the Wind)

With Cosetta Greco, Carlo D’An¬
gelo, Franco Interlenghi, Jose
Greci, Lida Ferro, Roldano Lupi,
others

Director: Mario Land!

60 Mins., Sat.T-40 p.m.

RAI-TV, from Rome

Ambitious serialized video ver¬
sion of one of Nobel prizewinner
Grazia Deledda’s novels, “Canne al
Vento,” in early Installments ap¬
pears headed for limited success,
due mainly to stodgy, slow-moving
material. As usual in such RAI ef¬
forts, acting Is well-rehearsed and
•generally satisfactory, sets are
elaborate, lensing is tops.

Standing out in the veiy large
cast are Jose Greci (the Madonna
in Metro’s “Ben Hur'' production),
who makes the most > of a minor
part; Cosetta Greco, well cast as
the cold, unmoving female lead>
Noemi; Carlo D’Angelo as Efix, a
well-acted key role; and Roldano
Lupi, as Don Predru.

Direction by Mario'Landi keeps
action moving despite story, lim¬
itations. Hawk, ,

ACTION
THAT
GETS
A BIG
REACTION

BILLINGS •KGHL
“LANCERS” ^.9

Competition 13.3

SCHENECTADY

WRGB

“LANCERS’119.1

Competition 16.8

(Sourest ARI,19M)

To the rescue;-
in any spot
where ratings"
diplAtoi)-'
quality
adv^ture >
"series of 26
filmed halfr
hours that
spells actiod>

every minute^
—and succeed
every market!^

For details...call

SCREEN

GEMS

IN&I

Wcdiicada^r, Decemlicr 3, 1958

65

The Winner!

Big talking point in&itish TV this Fall has been the head-on clash
between the bbc’s ‘6.5 Special’ and ABc’s^lick, new ‘Oh Bo/, ‘the
big beat spectacular’. Both shows are tailored for teenage tastes with
‘Oh Bo/ concentrating on big production numbers and non-stop
sound.

Who's winning ? abc by lengths. October share of audience for ‘Oh
Bo/ was 77% with ratings rising sharply every week.

The BBC sometimes makes things easy for the opposition. Here’s a
case where they diii’t. We’re happy to have some real opposition.
We’re even happier to beat it to the ground.

Britain’s

ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

I, Hanover Square^ London W,l
A Member of the Associated British JHcture Corporation

66

kasio-teuevision

USuiM^

We&ieadayt Decemlter 8, 1?58

IN

FULL

SWING

FROM

BEAUMONT

TO

BUFFALO!

Here’s the
happiest
program ever
to set the
nation
singing and
dancing to
country music!
And your host
Tex Ritter
couldn’t be
lighter!

Come on in.,,
the ratings
are fine!
BEAUMONT 28.1
BUFFALO 21.0

(Sourt: ARB, 1958)

For details...call

SCREEN

NBC Radio’s New Vistas

; Continued from page 23 ;

only to influence listeners to buy
the products but to use what they
buy moro often, Culligan has pro¬
claimed.

Culligan feels that network radio
has an almost ideal advantage in
its ability to deliver “use” com¬
mercials “at the very time the
consumer should be making up his
mind about consumption of a prod¬
uct.” This, he feels, applies to
many product categories, , and
through the engineered copy ap¬
proach, and time of delivery, cus¬
tomers will buy and what’s more
important, use the sponsor’s
product.

Between 1953 and *57 NBC Radio
was rocked with a cumulative loss
of approximately $9,200,000. Na¬
tional advertisers, infatuated with
tv, were forsaking the precincts of
network radio. The 15 big adver¬
tisers who were the chief support¬
ers of network pre-tv had aban¬
doned the medium. The blue chip
clients were beginning to play
: video footsie, and payments to
radio stations dropped and network
affiliates had to look elsewhere
for their dough. Culligan was asked
to step in at the lowest ebb in NBC
Radio’s history and with Bob Sar-
noff's support managed to revitalize
the much-harassed and reeling
radio network.

Sponsored hours increased dra¬
matically. In the first Quarter ol

1957 NBC Radio trailed CBS Radio
but soon the figures, under Culli-
gan’s administration, changed rap¬
idly. Today, NBC Radio has nearly
half of all sponsored hours in net¬
work radio. Recent figures show
NBC Radio with 48.1?S and CBS
Radio with 33.4ro.

Field Day For Affils

With the upswing in radio
broadcasting, NBC Radio managed
to bring back the top 15 advertisers
including Level* Bros., General
Foods, American Home Food,
Standard Brands, General Motors,
Bristol Myers, R. J. Reynolds, Lig¬
gett & Myers, Brown & Williamson,
Grove Labs, Miles Labs and Camp¬
bell Soups. Furthermore, station
clearances and station compensation
increased. Over all station clear¬
ances for network offerings jumped
from 74?c to 859r- As for station
compensation, 1957 saw a 75Co in¬
crease over the previous year and

1958 will be 9490 over last year.

The average NBC affiliate more
than tripled its income from the
network in 1958 over 1956, accord¬
ing to the NBC figures. Commer¬
cial biz on the network is up 20%
over last year and 201 affiliates
have shared in the increase of rate
compensation.

This week another coup was suc¬
cessfully pulled by CuUigan’s aides
when news of the affiliation of
KOMA, Oklahoma City, with NBC
Radio was heralded. Todd Stbrz,
prexy of the Storz Broadcasting
Co., a former high priest in the
fight against network affiliation,
decided affiliation with NBC would
be more advantageous. Until last
spring KOMA was a CBS Radio
affiliate.

Both Culligan and Sarnoff feel
that CBS R'adio’s recently an¬
nounced retrenchment policy will
undeniably benefit NBC Radio and
that a goodly number of the rival’s
afiiliates wiH be joining NBC Radio
shortly. By the end of 1960 Culligan
predicts NBC Radio will have an
additional 12 to 20 affiliates. As
many as 10 from the CBS Radio
chain will be on NBC, he says. He
is confident NBC Radio will be the
most profitable of all radio webs.
In contrast, he predicts the second
network will.be in financial diffi¬
culties and, as for the third net¬
work, it will always be undergoing
new management because no one
will want to hold^n to it very long.

The tremors resulting from CBS
Radio’s ■ recent cutback apparently
whipped the NBC Radio sales force
into a frenzy of additional time
selling with attendant results. The
flock of orders and renewals on
NBC Radio came from such spon¬
sors as Lever Bros, for Pepsodent;
American Safety Razor Co.; Elgin
National Watch Co.; A Stein & Co.
for Perma Lift products; Life
Magazine; Gillette Co.; Brown &
Williams for Viceroy Cigarets;
William Wrigley Jr. for Wrigley’s
Spearmint; Lever Bros, for Air-
Wick; Lewis-Howe Co.; Raybestos
Division of Ray Bestos-Manhattan;
Time Magazine; Waverly Fabrics;
Malboro Cigarets and. the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. These advertisers bought
into such features as “Monitor,”
“NBC News-on-the-Hour,” “Night-
line” and numerous sports events.
The Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences bought the night

Inside Stuff-Radio-TV

Choreographer John Butler, doing a Nijinsky leap over his own re¬
cent surgery, is staging five television dance routines during Decem¬
ber. They are CBS’ “Look Up And Live” (Dec. 7^; the Sugar Ray Rob¬
inson routine on NBC’s Steve Allen show; a Dec. 14 repeat for “Look
Up And Live”; then the annual NBC reprise of Gian-Carlo Mennotti’s
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” and a second Allen assignment,

Butler is mounting the tableau sequences for this Thurs. (41 Im¬
perial Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria and he re-staged the ballet sequence
for the Met Opera’s resumption in repertory of “Flederinaus.”

There should be some real “hot” film on CBS-TV Sunday (14)

1 when the Public Affairs ^ept. airs its “Conquest” science spec re-
I porting on cancer research and the study of volcanoes. Seems the
“Conquest” camera crew was showered with hot ash while filming
the volcano segment at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, and the volcano
suddenly erupted without W'arning. After a hasty retreat and a quick
change of lenses (the one on the Mitchell camera was nearly, melted),
the “Conquest” crew went back to finish the job. Web says it’s-the first
on-the-rim coverage of a live volcano in eruption.

Bill Miltenberg, chief engineer for RCA Victor, is on the Coast for
confabs with Bob Yorke regarding the new recording studios on Sun¬
set and Vine. This Vas the old NBC studio site which RCA recently
took over for new recording studios. According to Yorke, the new
diskery quarters should be available by the first of the year. In addi¬
tion to two recording sound rooms, the RCA building is making office
space available to outsiders for use.

Fifteen national civic, religious, labor and community organizations
I have joined forces to sponsor a dramatic television presentation in
[ honor of the 10th anni of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A teleplay, “Small Explosion,” by Allen Rivkin, wUl be telecast over
the ABC-TV network on Sunday (7) from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Story deals
around community reaction to a foreign exchange high school teach¬
er and how the principles of human rights apply in an American com¬
munity. Cast has Indian actress Mohana, John Beal and Burt Brincker-
hoff.

of April 6 for the Academy Award
presentations.

For the last quarter of this year,
Culligan reports “News-on-the-
Hour” 100% sold out; “Monitor”
is 96% soldout; the 10 a.m. to 12
noon block is 60% buttoned up,
and the afternoon 2 to 4 o’clock
period is 62% gone; “News of the
World” from 7 to 8 p.m. is 75%
disposed of, and “Nightline” is
42% sold. Four half-hour reli¬
gious programs are sold. “Three
Star E^tra” is all commercial as is
“National Farm and Home Hour.”

Contributing considerably to
NBC Radio’s progranuning struc¬
ture has been the “Stardust” con¬
cept wh.erein topflight show biz
personalities are used in brief
vignettes "throughout the broadcast
day. Culligan has corailed such
b.o. figures as Marlene Dietrich,
Leo Durocher, Bob Hope, George
Gobel, Fibber McGee and Molly,
Burns and Allen, Dr. Norman Vin¬
cent Peale and others to bolster
the schedule with specially record¬
ed material. This is supplemented
with “Analysis Stardust” featur¬
ing the network’s roster of news¬
men featuring Chet Huntley, David
Brinkley, etc. Since most NBC-TV
talent would be fair game for
“Stardust,” Culligan is angling for
such additional worthies as Dinah
Shore, Perry Como, Steve Allen
and others for his “Stardust” ar¬
ray. He has convinced his pres¬
ent crop of performers that radio
gives -them that additional expos¬
ure so valuable in enhancing an.|
entertainer’s reputation. Further¬
more, “Analysis Stardust” affords
many NBC newsmen a chance to
sound off on their favorite themes
and creeds, an opportunity not al¬
ways available on the video lanes.

‘Image-Russia’ Series

Perhaps Culligan’s piece de re¬
sistance, from a programming point
of view, is about to be unveiled in
the NBC Image Series. This am¬
bitious project starts rolling in
January, with ah in-depth series
tagged “NBC Image-Russia,” to be
aired in a prime even Monday-
through-Friday spot. This will be,
according to Culligan, “the first,
most complete, most authoritative,
most unbiased audio history” of all
aspects of Russian life. Bob Con-
sidine, vet journalist and broad¬
caster, has been signed as the
■’authenticator” on . the, program
and Arlene Francis is being con¬
sidered as a member of the^“cast”
to explain the “home” angles of
the Russian series.

Virtually all NBC Radio Image
Series pro^ams will be of a hard¬
hitting. news-making nature. Cul¬
ligan is thinking of following up
the “NBC Image—Russia” with an
“NBC Image—American Press” in
which the various print media,
dailies as well- as mags will get
frank, wide-ranging treatment. The
current Fortune, which contains a
machete-wielding job on tv, in all
probability will get a powerfully-
document reply in the proposed
upcoming undertaking.

Additionally, the NBC News De¬
partment, Public Affairs Depart¬
ment, the "Monitor” and “Night-
line” production units will be as¬
signed to gathered material for
“NBC Image—American Humor,”
“NBC I.mage—Europa,” and “NBC
Image—Show Biz”.

In these and other “NBC Image”
endeavors, network affiliates will
get an effective service; a blend
of objectivity and showmanship,
Culligan says.

The impression gleaned at NBC
Radio-is that while panic buttons
are being pressed at other AM
webs, there is remarkable sang¬
froid at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, stem¬
ming largely from Culligan’s con¬
flagration.

Bayuk

Chicago educational station WTTW embarks on. a series of . dramatic
shows in January, the plays being prize-winners of the recent Video-
Stage ’58 national competition. While it’s unusual for the station to
undertake shows that do not tutor the audience, station justifies the
presentation of live plays by noting the education they will afford to
non-pro actors who-will be-performing opposite professionals in the
series.

Half-hour scripts in the Video-Stage ’58 competition were judged
I by CBS producer Fred Coe; ex-NBC producer Brice Howard, and Ed¬
ward Stasheff of Educational TV and Radio Center, U. of Michigan.

GEMS

l.iNC.

Although he’s in Chicago this week with the rest of the Arthur God¬
frey troupe, announcer Tony Marvin is continuing to do his daily
Gotham radio show on WABC live. WBKB, ABC-TV’s o&o in Chi, has
availed its facilities to Marvin, and is piping his show to its New York
sister station.

Continucil Iroiu page 23
eludes half sponsorship of the
National Invitational Tournament
hoop games and full sponsorship of
the Sugar Bowl (Clemson Vs.
L.S.U.) and the Senior Bowl
games.

Bayuk will pick up the tab as
co-sponsor, on a regional basis, of
at least five basebaU teams.

Sponsorship of the Pittsburgh
Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Philadel¬
phia, Phillies, on both radio and
tv, -and the sponsorship of the
Chicago Cubs, on radio only, and
the Baltimore Orioles, on tv, is set.

The giant sports package is be¬
ing put together by the Feigen-
hauin & Wermen agency out of
Philadelphia,

ft!

9

3

OF

A

KIND

THE

SUCCESS

STORY

KIND!

Action Hit 1.

‘'Ttass OF THE
TEXAS KAIGEBS"

Roping top ratings
in markets across
the country!

20.2 in Seattle-Tacoma .

24.2 in Omaha
17.0 in Chicago

(Soure*: ARB, 1958)

Action Hit 2.

‘wai JIN"

Taming the
competition with
its fabulous
audience shares:
Sacramento 55.9%
Norfolk 63.2%
Washington 47.5%

(Source: ARB, 1958)

Action Hit 3.

"jniAim"

Zooming to a
22.4 rating in
Knoxville and
to new highs
in Cincinnati,
Boston and other
markets. Just
right, for
right now!

(Seurcei ARB, 1958)

For details...call

SCREEN

GEMS

llNa

ITednei^T', December

67

KTLA MAKES
NEWS IN
LOS ANGELES..

adds Clete Roberts,
the west’s number one
newscaster, to its
powerhouse programming

Now, more than ever,
thannel 5 is

YOUR “PARAMOUNT”,
TELEViSiON BUY
IN THE BIG, LUSH
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MARKET

Peters, Griffm, Woodward, Inc
Our National Representative,

Will Be Happy to Tell You More-
In Person!

THIS AD APPEARED IH THE LOS ANOELES TIMES. EXAMINER.
HERALD-EXPRESS. MIRROR NEWS, AND YALLEY TIMES.

:iii;il

MONDAY
thru FRIDAY
6:30-6:45 P.M.

and this week
starting tonite
6:50 to 7 P.M.

SPieiAl jf OAU'

ttiilntl fHit i9ktii
tt kit nmi mli Utt

.„mmm im first timbi

68

RAMO-TELEVISIOBr

From the Production Centres

Contlnced from pase 2fi ■ ■

youknowho . . . Richard O’Leary, formerly with KTTV and KHJ-TV,
has been named assistant sales manager of KABC-TV. He replaces
Malcolm Klein, who moves to N.Y. as manager of WNTA-TV,

IJS CHICAGO . . .

Two displaced persons of the September program pogrom at “WNEQ
are re-situated. Dorsey Connors has landed a regular radio assign¬
ment at WGN, in addition to doing local spots for Linco and First
Federal Savings on “Jack Paar Show.” And Len O’Connor has taken
over “Weekend News Review” and the two local news inserts on “To¬
day” at the NBC station . . . WBBM singer Bill Lawrence doubling at
Ray Colomb’s Club on southside, doing four shows nightly with
Johnny “Scat” Davis band . . . WLS claims nearly 73,000 responses
to its Luckj* Listener promo during first week . . . WNBQ readying
live musical strip to replace “Bingo” now that National Tea has
dropped the show . . . WGN-TV film director Ed Warren in Hollywood
this week to o.o. new syndicated shows now in production . . , Trib tv
writer Dicjc Blakeslee home from the hospital after major surgery
T . . Don McNeill’s “Breakfast Club” clocked its 1,000th rebroadcast
for Armed Forces Radio Service last week . . . Jack Taylor starting
his own deejav show on WGN oh Saturday . . . Phil Bodwell, director
of “Live Bowling” on WNBQ, picked by NBC-TV to direct network’s
pickup of final round of World’s Match Game Invitational Bowling
Championship on Gillette Cavalcade of Sports . . - National Assn, of
Educational Broadcasters picked WBBM’s “Impetus” for distribution
to 105 radio stations ... Ed Hitz, NBC-TV v.p. in charge of central
division sales, notched his 30th year with the web on Monday (1),

/A SAN FRANCISCO ...

Phil Lasky, overall boss at Westinghouse’s KPIX, called together
general managers of the Frisco area’s three other major tv stations
(KRON, KGO, KTyU), met with Tommy Freebaim-Smith, secretary
of the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, about forming a
Northern California branch. Feeling is that the decade-old Northern
California Academy of Television, which never had strong station
support, has lapsed into a death-like coma . . . KROW’s Pat Henry and
Dave Larsen, program director of KNOB-FM, Los Angeles,.expect FCC
okay for their new Alameda-based jazz FM station by mid-December,
are shooting for a late-March opening, plan 13 hours daily airtime of
all kinds of jazz, have already interested Wally Ray, John Hardy and
Phil Elwood in possible participation. The 1.000-waiter’s also aiming
for tape shows from Frank Evans, Los Angeles, Nat Hentoff, New
York, expects to be first Northern California outlet to accept hard-
--= 4-^----

Linpistics Series May
Get WABC-TV Nite Slot

Dr. Henry Lee Smith Jr.’s “Lan¬
guage and Linguistics,” a video se¬
ries covering the nature of lan¬
guage, its structure and develop¬
ment” may soon get an airing in
the N. Y. area over WABC-TV.

A. L. Hollander, program man¬
ager of the Gotham video outlet of
ABC, is mulling over' possibility of
presenting the comprehensive sur¬
vey in a midweek nighttime spot.

Series is one of several on social
sciences produced at the META
studios in N. Y. for the Educational
TV and Radio Center, Ann Arbor.
Smith of the Univ. of Buffalo staff
first came into broadcasting promi¬
nence. some years ago when he did
a “Where Are You From?” series
over WOR.

“Language and Linguistics” is
made up of 13 programs and deals
with such subjects as “Language
and Writing.” “Sound of. Lan¬
guage,” “Dialects.” “Grammar,”
“The Alphabet” and “Language
and* Meaning.”

Frank Jacoby directed the series.
Programs are of 30-minute dura¬
tion.

LINCOLN CELLAR, FORMERLY OWNER
AND OPERATOR OF A GROUP OF WEST¬
ERN RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS,
NOW TAKES PLEASURE IN ANNOUNC¬
ING ■^HE FORMATION OF

LINCOLN DELLAR & COMPANY

SELECT RADIO AND -TELEVISION PROPERTIES

THE EXPERIENCE OF 25 YEARS IN THE
BROADCASTING INDUSTRY IS NOW
AVAILABLE TO THPSE INTERESTED IN
THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF BROAD¬
CASTING PROPERTIES IN THE WESTERN
STATES.

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS • APPRAISALS • FINANCING

1470 EAST VALLEY ROAD • SANTA. BARBARA. CALIFORNIA.
TELEPHONE WO.ODLAND 9-0770

EASTERN AFFILIATE
R. C. CRISLER & CO.. INC.

P'SRiETt

Vedneiday, December 3, 1958

liquor spots . . . Caryl Coleman, ex-“Success Story” producer, screened
a new “Ask Your Neighbor’’ series for ad agency execs, hopes to land
a sponsor and, possibly, national release via ABC. Tom Franklin’s em¬
ceeing . . . Stan Breycr, of KJBS, set to become Les Malloy’s partner
at KSAY next May. One of the conditions of sale of ex-dee jay Mal¬
loy’s KATT, Pittsburgh, last spring was that he stay out of Frisco
area radio field for a year.

WBIRTenaNod
Upheld by Court

m WASHINGTOIS . . .

WTTG-TV aired the annual suburban Silver Spring, Md., balloon
parade Friday (28) under Hecht Co. (dept, store) sponsorship . . . Ben
Strouse, WWDC prexy^ preparing to enter hospital for minor surgery
. . . CBS news chief Washington correspondent Eric Sevareid elected
a “Fellow” of Sigma Delta Chi. professional journalism fraternity,
recognizing his ^’many outstanding achievements in the profession of
journalism” . . . Art Lamb has lined up a 13-week series on his WKC-
TV “Our Town” show on health problems, being produced in coop¬
eration with the local public health department , . . Ellen Wadley of
CBS. back from vacation . . . WUST, which recently got new owners,
is now getting new studios; officdPs now are two Diener brothers,
Milton and Daniel, and William H. Simons (husband of ex-FCC Com¬
missioner Frieda Hennock) . . . WPGC of Morningside, Md., asking
FCC permission to move main studio into Washington.

IN LONDON ...

Roy Rich, program controller for Southern TV, just back from Cy¬
prus where, together with a film unit and reporting team, he’s been
lensing a feature strongly angled for the South of England by talk¬
ing to servicemen from those parts , . . Tonight's (Wed.) edition of As¬
sociated-Rediffusion’s “Only Yesterday” will spotlight the. Lindbergh
kidnap trial... “Command In Battle,” Viscount Montgomery’s BBC-TV
series about his outstanding battles, begins Dec. 12... Henny Young-
man appeared in Associated Television’s “Sunday Night At The Palla¬
dium (30) . . . ABC-TV aired the first christening ever performed in
a British tv studio as part of its “Living Your Life” religious series
... BBC-TV will air scenes from the British tuner, “Expresso Bongo,”
on Dee. li. Show is currently running at London’s Saville Theatre
. . . Granada-TV is dropping “Twenty One” at the close of the year.
Outlet will bring back another money game, “Criss Cross Quiz,” the
British version of “Tic Tac Dough.” ,

IN BOSTON . . .

WHDH-TV, Channel 5, hosted 700 at Sidney Hill Country Club
Tuesday (25) celebrating first anni . . . WBZ set up radio coverage of
the Public Consistory of Cardinal designate Richard J. Cushing di¬
rect from the Vatican with on the scene commentary by Rod Mac
Leish, who arrives in Rome Dec. 9, and will report on the arrival of
Cardinal Cushing in Rome via direct lines to WBZ . . . Francis E. “Din-
ny” Whitmarsh, WBZ-TV news supervisor, is the author of Vol. 15
in . the series, “Famous American Athletes of Today,” just published
by L. C. Page ... . Disk jock Dave Maynard added to roster of WBZ
personalities as host of the “Dave Maynard Show” Mondays through
Fridays, 6-8 p.m., and Sundays 7:30 a.m. to 12 . . . John McLellan hosts
jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi on his “Jazz Scene” program on WHDH-
TV . . . Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster fly to Hub Monday ( 8 ) join¬
ing Pat Boone and his caravan and guest on Louise Morgan show on
WNAC-TV before da^e of Boston Police ball that night . . . Cy Dnrgin,
Boston Globe drama and music critic, starting new program, “Seat
On The Aisle” on WBCN and Concert next Monday through Friday
from 8 to 8:05 p.m.

IN PHILADELPHIA . . .

George Cyr, director of tv programs at WRCV-TV, accepted an
award citation from the Engineering and Technical Socitiei? for “Ca¬
reers In Science,” station’s special panel discussion series. Session
is produced and directed by WRCV-TV staffer Harry Osman . . . WFIL-
newscaster Gunnar Back out with bursitis. John Roberts subbing . .
WRCV-TV’s weather girl, Marilyn Grey represented station in the Lit
Bros. Thanksgiving Paraije in Trenton, N.J. . . . WIP aired highlights
from the U. of Pennsylvania’s 1958 Mask and Wig production, “Off the
Top” (3p). Station’s theatre critic Bob Laurence produced and nar¬
rated hour-long stanza . . . Grace CoUins, Ben Gimbel’s Girl Friday
at WIP, exits for New York next month . ‘. . Charles O’DonneU, for¬
merly with WIBG and WCAU-TV, has replaced Frank Lucidon on
WIFL-TV’s “All Night Show” . . . Hudson Pulp and Paper has pur¬
chased a one-year sponsorship of Bob Collier’s five-minute Sat. news¬
casts over WCAU-TV.

IN MINNEAPOLIS ...

Norman F. Best, erstwhile Columbia Broadcasting radio producer,
named vice president-general manager of Campbell-Mithun agency
here . . . WTCN Radio disk jockey Ken Anderson raised money for
family of a sheriff killed in line of duty by “selling” a half-hour of
his radio show to the highest bidder to take it over ... WDGY shake-
up finds departure of sales manager Ed Hunt, program director Bill
Armstrong,, news director Joe Della Maly and disk jockies-announcers
Bill Bennett and George Rice . . . John Russell and Peter Brown, leads
of new ABC syndicated “The Lawmen” series, here to visit sponsors
. . . Gene Wilkey, former WCCO Radio general manager and now at
KMOX-TV, St. Louis in same capacity, vacationed here . . . WDGY
“Wishbone” contest for children’s most original Thanksgiving dec¬
orated turkey wishbones had toy shop certificates for prizes .;. .
WCCO-TV invited folks to see themselves on tv later by attending a
taped Randy Merriman show subsequently aired.

IN CLEVELAND . . .

Charles Getz, KYW flack Into New York . . . WCRF-FM made debut
(23) as first all-religious station . . . Ken Courtright pacted for WWIZ
disk stint . . . Sanford Markey, KYW radio and tv news director, on
I North Africa, Mid East reportorial jaunt . . . Joe Portaro kicked off
WEWS half-hour Sunday hair-do telecast . . . Sharric Anne Milner
named to WHK publicity post . . . Westinghouse top officials includ¬
ing Don McGannon, Dick, Pack, A. W Dannenbaum and Dave Part¬
ridge in for three-day visit . . . Bill Brusman, formerly WHK, now
with Nelson Stem . . . Neil Flanagan, KYW, named chief of editorial
research.

IN PITTSBURGH . . .

Joel W. Rosenhlum, who owns WISH in Butler, Pa., and WTIG In
Massillon, O., has just bought WACB In Kittanning, Pa. . . . Joe Tuck¬
er, sports director of WWSW, just chalked up 22-years at that sta¬
tion's microphones . . . Rex Dale, WAMP deejay, Is announcer “Heath-
cliff” on Ch. ll’s Saturday afternoon wrestling shows . . . Leonard
Kapner, veep of Hearst broadcasting interests here, and his wife to San
Francisco for a month on business and pleasure. They’ll spend some
time out there with their son, Herky, of tha Air Force, who is sta¬
tioned at Monterey, Cal. . . . Hank Stohl and George Elaenhauer have
become regulars on Jeff Jordan’s early morning “Pittsburgh AM” hour
on KDKA-TV . . . Jim Snyder, news director and assistant program
director at KDKA radio, speaks to Penn State U. journalism students
next Monday ( 8 ).

Washington, Dec. 2.

U. S. Court of Appeals here, in a
case centering on multiple owner¬
ship issue, has upheld the award of
channel 10, Knoxville, to- WBIR,
Inc. The vote was two-to-one.

-Tennessee Television, Inc., ap¬
pealed from the Federal Commu¬
nications Commission decision,
contending the grant to WBIR vir¬
tually disregarded the diversifica¬
tion and anti-monopoly policies of
the Communications Act. Scripps-
Howard Radio, Inc., the other un¬
successful applicant, didn’t appeaL

According to Tennessee Televi¬
sion, WBIR stockholders, includ¬
ing the Taft family of CincinnatL
held interests in 12 radio and tele¬
vision outlets in various cities at
the time of the award.

In the majority opinion. Judge
Charles Fahy said there was a “cer¬
tain theoretical soundness” in Ten¬
nessee Television’s contention that
three of four preferences accorded'
WBIR by FCC were by-products of
its multiple ownership. These
were prior performance, experience
and program implementation.

But he said Tennessee Television,
as a broadcasting newcomer, could
not rest its case on this alone. And
the FCC decision was based in
good part on the weakness of Ten¬
nessee Television in other respects,
including cooperation with local
groups for programming. Judge
Warren E. Burger concurred.

Judge David L. Bazelon, dissent¬
ing, said FCC “effectively nulli¬
fied” its anti-monopoly policies by
deciding in favor of WBIR. He
argued FCC failed to- offer a “con¬
vincing explanation” of its stand
that the multiple ownership issue
was outweighed by other factors

THAT'S SOME
RUG CLEANER

WSN-TV commercials get
results because WGN-TV
programming keeps folks
watching. For proof, let
our specialists fill you in on
some WGN-TV case his¬
tories and discuss ° your
sales problems.

In your Chicago scrios with

W@N-TV

RADIO AND TV STATIONS

that iiMrate en a Par Inquiry haals,
plaata «ontact ma. eiva complata
datalls In hrat lattar. This It a Mall
Ordar aparatlen.

JAMES FLOOD

PO Bax 1211 Orand Cantral ttatlan
Naw Yark 1^, N.Y.

Wedneiday, December 3, 1958

MUiSlC

S9

THE

h Any Contradnal Fuss With AHM

With .the current pact between-f
the -disk industry and the Ameiacaii'
Federation ei Musicians due to run
nut at the end of this year, the
maior companies are generally
■playing it cool as far as advance
xecordtng Is concerned. There has
been no talk of any recording
atrike to date, but unlike prevwras
pact negotiations with the AFM,
the majors are not even preparing
ior such a contingency.

Mitch Miller, €oiumb4’s i>op
artists & repertoire chief, s4id
that laying in a stock of masters as
a hedge against a possible strike
■was »ext to impossifale. “It’s tough
enough to find good tunes (hning
a normal recording schedule with¬
out trying to pile up some in the
bank,”’ he said.

Arnold JMaxin, MGM Records
proxy, also stated that it’s pointless
trying to mastermind the future.
If the conipanies start laying in a
stock of masters now, he pointed
out, theyTl probairiy have to eat
• most of them next ye^* RCA "Vic¬
tor was aim maintainiBg a normal
xecording schedule.

& addition to the fact that the
ARM is expected to try to avoid a
strike in view of the new rivalry
from the Musicians Guild of Amer¬
ica, the disk«ies arc not basically
worried about a strike even if it
oocurs. One a&r man pointed out
that with the jet age, Mexico or
Europe are only a few hours away
and as much recording as neces¬
sary can be done overseas.

Another factor in the situation
favoring the diskeries is the dissat-
Isfaction of the recording musi¬
cians with the AFM. The looters
are generally miffed at the last
pact negotiated .ivith the disk in¬
dustry in which a 20% wage hike
for the working musicians was, in
effect, diverted to the Music Per¬
formance Trust Fund.

This time, the AFM will seek a
20% raise for the recording musi¬
cians to allay their grievance. Her¬
man D. Kenin, who replaced James
C. Petriilo as AFM prexy, is known
to be much more ready to trade
payments into Ihe Trust Fund for
better job opportunities for^ the
musiciaiis.

Merc Gels Into
Tape Cartridges

Mercury Records is readying a
move into the stereo tape cartridge
market The Minneapolis Sym-
phonj^s recording of Tchaikovsky’s
“1812 Overture’’ in the classical
division and “Let’s D^ince’’ by
David CarroU’s orch in the pop
field are already in production and
scheduled for release around the
first of the year.

Irving B. Green, Merc’s prexy,
said that the firm is prepared to
produce cartridge merchandise as
quickly as playback equipment be¬
comes available to the consumer.
The “1812 Overture,” incidentally,
will also be available in both stereo
disk and open-end stereo tape
form. The stereo disk and tape
Versions will be available for the
Yule season.,

UA IN DISK TIE WITH
SHEAEFERONTyW

Sheaffer Pen Co., which is bank¬
rolling the CBS-TV production of
“The Gift of the Magi” next Tues¬
day iS) is tying in with United
Artists Records’ album based on
the show^ Sheaffer has prepared
promotional material for its sales¬
men and.40,000 retail outlets to
spotlight the album as a Christmas
gift UA has supplied the- -pen
company with 5,000 jackets, for the
retailer displays.

The UA album of the sbow,
while not taken from the sound¬
track, will also star Sally. Ann
Howes with -Ell Wallach. as narra¬
tor. ' Richard Adler wrote the
score. .

Oterafier’sHI^ Disks

Maurice Chevalier is back in
New YOTk, after personals ia
Washington, for recording; sessions
with MGM. He’s catting an al¬
bum, “Songs of the Fabulous ’30s”.
and a single, “Nobody Throws
Those Buli," from the “Whoop-Up”’
legituner score by Moose Charlap
and Norman GUmbel.

First session was held yesterday
(Tues.) with another due tomor¬
row -(Thurs.l.

Uoyd Dium Nowr
Cap'sAiRTo^
h Exec Reyaiop

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Gapitol Records is revampaitg its
top executive staff to cope with
the increased activity and diversifi¬
cation of the emnpany, according
to prexy Glenn E. Walliehs.

Lloyd W, Dimn has been, named
veepee of the a&r division while
John. K. Maitland supplants him as
v.p. of sales and merchandising.
Gordon R. Frazer succeeds Mait¬
land as director of sales and BiR
Tallant moves up to mercihandising
director, Frazer’s form^. post.

Election of Maitland as a mer¬
chandising and sales veep adds a
fourth striper to the top exec
structure of the label. The other
three are Daniel C. Bonhright, ad¬
ministration and finance; James W.
Bayless, manufacturing and en¬
gineering, and Dunn. Lou Schur-
rer, who has heen director of ad¬
vertising and package design,
moves over with Dunn.

Tommy Dorsey orch under
Warren Covington, hooked for
three days, Dec. 5 to 7, at South¬
eastern Sports Car Show at
Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta.

By HERM SCHOENFELD

The current cha cha cycle is no
flash in Tin Pan Alley and is gonna
stick around for a while, according
to some savvy music biz veterans.

The key to their estimation of
the new cha cha’s staying power
is Jhat the kids have now learned
how to dance to the Latin rhythm.
The same teenagers who have been
rocking and roliing are now shak¬
ing their hips to the dia cha
tempos with -the same TcBsh.
Where some kids have not been
able to n^otiate the cha cha tech¬
nique, they simply do a modified
Lindy Hop mid thus get by.

In ^rt, the new cha cha
rhythm has incoipoiated a beat
which is akin to that of rock ’n’
roH and to which the kids re¬
spond. This is -contrasted to the
Cha cha song of a couple of years
ago, “Sweet and Gentle,” which,
while a big bit, didn’t set the
Juves to daueiug ns the present
round of rha jpim numbers are
doir®.

Tipoff to the strength of the
cha -cha cycle are the disk jockey
shows headed by such rock ’ri* roll
pied pipers as Dick Clark and
Alan Freed. Both are accenting
niunbers with the Latin beat and,
on the Glark :^ows, hootfiing by
the kids to the cha cha indicates
to some that this tempo may be¬
come as popular with lads as it
is in the Miami Beach circuit

The link between the cha cha and
the rhythm & bhies dements has
already been spotlighted in the
current instrumental, “Blue Cha
Cha,” written by Stan Lebowsky
and etched by Monte Kelly for
Carlton Records. This has been the
(Continued on page 78)

Decca’s 25c Diyvy

Decca Records’ board declared
a i^egular quarterly dividend of 25c
at its meeting last Friday (28) in
New York.

Melon is payable Dec. 29 to stock¬
holders of record Dec. 15.

^-Par in Tie With EMI on Albums
For No Confict With Capitol

Non^park Plugs

The Playmates, Roulette
diskers, are discovering that
a hit record doesn’t neces¬
sarily mean lucrative tv guest
shots. In fact, the vocal group,
currently running strong with
“Beep Beep,” is getting turn¬
downs because of the lyrics
In the tune.

Working against the Play¬
mates in the lyric are refer¬
ences to the Nash and Cadil¬
lac cars. It’s reported '‘that
a guest shot on the Dinah
Shore Show (NBC-TV) was
nixed because of the show’s
Chevrolet sponsorship. Even
jinn-auto sponsors are holding
back on booking the group to
sing the “Beep Beep” click
because they feel they’re sup-
.. plying time for'nuffo plugs.

Oflmddson Heirs
SueBVConQahn
Of Infrmgement

A new dispute stemming from
copyright renewal rights has brok¬
en out over a flock of tunes writ¬
ten by the late Walter Donaldson.
The latter’s two daughters, his
only survivors at the time of his
death in 1948, have brought suit,
via the Donaldson Publishing Co.,
against Bregman, Vocco & Conn
Music few: alleged infringement of
several songs, including “Any¬
thing Ynu Say,” “Because My Baby
Don’t Mean Maybe Now,” “Cause
I’m In Love,” “Just Like a Melody
Out of the Sky,” “Cut of Town,
Gal” and “When You Said Good¬
bye.” Suit was filed in N. Y. Fed¬
eral Court last week.

The Donaldson songs, for which
(Continued on page 78)

-4- ABOParamount had tied in with
EMI (Electric & Musical Indus¬
tries) for the release of latter’s al¬
bum product in the U.S. Deal will
not conflict with EMI’s Capitol
Records association because ABC-
Par will latch on to the album
artists not contracted for U.S. dis¬
tribution by Capitol. (EMI owns
90% of the Capitol sto<±.)

The deal was initiated by Sam
Clark, ABC-Par prexy who recent¬
ly returned to New York after a
European trek. The affiliation will
include the EMI disks made in
England as well as those produced
by its affiliates in Italy, Germany
and France. Clark expects the con¬
tract ,to go into effect mid-Febru¬
ary with a six-album kickoff.

The^ plan, according to Clark,
will ^ve ABC-Par a selection of
about 30 albums for releate in a
six to 10-month period. Clark is
now eyeing the roster of EMI and
its affils to decide which artists
he can release in the U.S. that ara
not contracted to Capitol. The al¬
bums will he in the pop and light
classical field.

Another point in the selection of
albums to be released here under
the ABC-Par banner will be wheth¬
er the packages have been cut for
stereo as well as monaural. Clark
expects the stereo boom to go into
full swing next year and that he
won’t be interested in LPs that
can’t be pitched at the monaural
and stereo markets simultaneously.

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual A^dyerlislng Rates Prevail

Specied Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 34
154 W, 44rii S».

HOLLYWOOD IS
4404 Swwet tlvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. MIckiqM Ave.

LONDON. W. C. 2.
t St. Mortin’s Place
Trafalgar Sqoara

Metro-Pak (Md)

Loew’s Inc. is branching out into
the background music field. The
system will be called Metro-Pak—
the Musical Voice of MGM. Music
will be selected from the MGM
diskery catalog of etchings cut by
David Rose, George Shearing, An¬
dre Previn, Dick Hyman, Larry
Clinton, among others.

The Metro-Pak is already oper¬
ating in "VVoolworth, Newberry and
Grand Union stores, and the Ar¬
thur Murray Dance Studios in the
New York area. Sidebar to the
Grand Union placement is that
Louis A. Green, who is challer^-
ing the Loew’s management in the
proxy battle, is a leading stock¬
holder in Grand Union.

The device, a music cartridge
Vdiich is a continuous, self-con¬
tained reel-type tape container, la
combined with sound repro ducin g
equipment, pre-amplifier, ampli¬
fier and speaker. The tape la
pulled from the center and after
passing the playing head, is auto¬
matically wound 'on the outside of
the cartridge reel.

Individual or multiple messages,
nr muskal selections of varying
length, can be repeated as desired,
limited only by the length of the
tape in the cartridge.

SEE MANDn RETMNIN6
LOCAL 802 PREXYS®

There was little doubt in musi¬
cians’ union circles that A1 Manull
would be reelected prexy of I/xal
802, N.Y. unit of the American
Federation of Musicians, in the
balloting that took" placje last night
(Tues.). Some 10,000 lcx;al members
were exjpected to participate in
the elections which began after
VancETy went to press. Manuti’s
rivals for the top spot were two
Independents, Ed McMullen and
Murray Storzack, both of whom
ran vdtbout any organized group
•support.

Ai Knopf, Incumbent vice-prej^,
was running without any opposi¬
tion, as was Hy Jaffe for the secre¬
tary’s post and Max Arons for
recxjrding secretary. There were,
however, .contests for nine posts
on the exec board and nine on the
trial board. A tbtal of 24 candidates
tvere figured to have good chances
to be elected against some of the
incumbents.

70

MUSIC

PSsilEff

^ednegdaj, Decemli^r 3, 1958

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

By MIKE GROSS

Sunny Gale (Decca): “WHEEL
OF FORTUNE” (Laurel*) will spin
strongly again with its updated
beat for the teen market. “THREE
O’CLOCK" (Northern*) tries to
ring the bell with a school angle
but it’s a strained lyric affair al¬
though the beat may catch the
teeners.

Johnny Desmond (Colum-bia):
“WILLINGLY” (Shapiro-
Bernstein*) gets Johnny Desmond
off to a good start in his first for

orful instrumental line that’s also
gooa for programming.

Morty Palitz Orch (Josie): “ESO
ES EL AMOR” (Southern*) follows
the cha-cha pattern but with an
approach that’s different enough
to attract special,, attention. “THE
GROCER’S CHA-CHA" (Zddiact)
win keep the teen customers in a
hip-swinging mood.

Harry Simeone Chorale (2Qth-
Fox): “THE LITTLE DRUMMER
BOY" (Delaware*) should beat its

Best Bets

AMES BROS...RED RIVER ROSE

(RG\. Victor).. • -Wlieii Summer Comes Again

The Ames Bros,’ ^’Red River Rose" (Duchessf) has a ha^y march¬
ing air that will get the side rolling for a hefty spinning payoff.
""When The Summer Comes Again" (Winnetonf) is built along a
warm melodic line for okay spinning returns.

♦ ♦ ♦

SAL MURE.MORSE CODE

(United Artista) . . ....Deaire

Sal Mures ‘‘Morse Code" (Normaf) gets its message across with
a hot heat and a zingy vocal that guarantees top play on all levels.
“Desire" (Normaf) has enough of a rocking punch to score with
the younger set.

* ♦ ♦

McGUIRE SISTERS.MAY YOU ALWAYS

(Coral) . Achoo-Cha-Cha

McGuire Sisters’ “May You Always" (Hecht-Lancaster & Buz-
zell*) » in the straight ballad groove getting a vocal push that will
carry it into scoring positiot}. “Achoo-cha-cha" (Iris-Trojanf) is
another attempt to cash in on the cha-cha craze but it doesn’t look
likely to make a dent in the spinning circles.

* ♦ *

DEL VIKINGS.HOW COULD YOU

(Mercury) .... Flat Tire

The Del Vikings’ “How Could You" (Gili) should send the vocal
combo into the top spinning brackets again via the slow, rocking
beat that goes over so well in the teen market. “Flat Tire"

(Brendaf) is a novel rocker with some juke potential.

♦ * ♦

MONTE KELLY ORCH.THE BLUE CHA-CHA

(Carlton) .. WiHingly

Monte Kelly’s “The Blue Cha-Cha" (E. B. Marksf) fits right \
into Latino terp mood that the kids are sioinging to these days
and its headed for unde exposure all over. “Willingly" (Shapiro-
Bernstein*) is a richly melodic rendition of the French tune that
will keep those who like instrumental programming quite happy.

* ♦ *

TEDDY RANDAZZO..RICHER THAN I

(ABC-Paramount) .. .It’a Magic

Teddy Randazzo's “Richer Than F’ (Montaukf) is headed for big
returns in the ballad sweepstakes, mostly because of his socko
vocal treatment. “It’s Magic" (Witmark*) is freshened up for
current juke approval.

LAWRENCE WELK

Proudly Presents
“DICK KESNER AND HI3
STRADIVABIUS’’
(Brunswick Album No. 64044)

Colmnbia. It’s a pretty ballad of
French origination and the crooner
makes it mean something for the
U.- S. market “APPLE” (Leonia*)
Is a moderate dish to set before
the disk spinners.

Ed Townsend (Capitol): “RICH¬
ER 'THAN I" (Montaukf) is a phUo-
sophical ballad that will win fans
because of the effective vocal puU.
“GE'TTING BY WITHOUT YOU”
(Bennie Benjamin*) is a dramatic
baUad entr'y that gets a forceful
reading for an okay spinning
chance.

BiUy Mure (RCA Victor): “TARA
LARA" (Bernie Scherert) spot¬
lights BiUy Mure's guitar in a
samba setting that’s sure to get
lots of exposure from the jockeys
and the juke crowd. “HAGGIS
BAGGIS” (Broadway*) is a frisky
item that the spinners ought to
look into.

Alan Dale (MGM): “LOVE
EYES” (Saunders*) twinkles with
a good beat and a potent vocal that
will draw attention. It’s from the
upcoming legituner “Whoop-Up.”
!‘AS YOUNG AS WE ARE” (Fa¬
mous*) has a pleasing baUad feel
that’s pegged for tasty program¬
ming because of Alan Dale’s ro¬
mantic balladeering.

Karen Chandler (Sunbeam):
‘’BELONG TO ME" (ChappeU*)
has an interesting melodic line
that’s built to the hilt by Karen
Chandler’s vocal, setting it up for
deejay play. “TILL THE END OF
TIME” (Joy*) gets a new spinning
chance via thrush’s intelligent
handling. .

Herb & Betty Warner (Dale):
“SLOWLY” (Republict) is devel¬
oped along slick ballad and har¬
mony lines that gives it a chance
to move in on some turntable time.
Flip is an instrumental version of
the same tune by “Bugs” Bower’s
group for fair juke potential.

Frank Chacksfield Orch (Lon¬
don): “MY HEART'S IN PORTU¬
GAL” (Kolitht) continues the rich,
melodic groove associated with the
Chackfield style and the program¬
mers will go for it. “RODEO”
(Campbell, Connelly*) rides a col- J

way into deejay turntable time be¬
cause of the standout mood pur¬
veyed for the holiday season and
after. “DIE LORELEI” (Robbins*)
displays the harmony technique of
The Voices of the Junior Chorale
that s good for occasional spins.

Lombardo Orch (Capitol):

BLUES CHA-CHA”
(Handy Bros.*) points up the cha-
cha attack on standards and Lom¬

bardo helps It along nicely. “EX¬
ACTLY LIKE YOU CHA-CHA”
(Shapiro-Bemstein*) is exactly like
the other cha-cha versions of oldies
but the orch makes it tasty pro¬
gramming fodder.

Dean & Jean (Ember): “TOO
YOUNG TO KNOW” (Singlow-
Angelt) spells out teenage roman¬
tic frustration in a rocking ballad
form which always seems to fi nd
some sort of market. “WE’RE
GONNA GET MARRIED" (Sing-
low-Angelt) rocks down the spine
ning aisle in familiar fashion.

Ray Charles (Atlantic): “TELL
ALL THE WORLD ABOUT YOU"
(Progressivet) is in the authentic
r&b idiom but it’s doubtful if it
will cross over into the pop areas.
“THE RIGHT TIME” (Crossroadst)
continues to point out that Ray
Charles is one of the top exponents
of the r&b groove.

The Yachtsman (Destiny): “IT’S
SO HARD TO BE YOUNG”
(Bourne*) is pegged at the jeans
crowd in Isric and delivery and
the kids will take to it easily.
“NOW” (SueRobt) swings in a
frenzied style that may be a bit
too much even for the coinbox
contingent.

El Capria (Paris): “THEY’RE
ALWAYS LAUGHING AT ME”
(Gretat) has a catchy quality that
looks good for juke action. “IVY
LEAGUE CLEAN” (Gretat) may
fit pre-college tastes with its rock¬
ing beat, but it’s doubtful.

The Deuces Wild (Specialty):
“THE MEANING OF LOVE” (Ven-
icet), a solid rocking ballad with
a message pitched at teenagers, is
harrhonized in typical style by this
team. “I’M IN A WHIRL” (Ven-
icet) is routine rhythm stuff.

Tony Reese (Port): “JUST
ABOUT THIS TIME TOMOR¬
ROW” (Prentice*) has a bouncing
beat and good lyric which this
singer handles with zest. “LES¬
SON IN LOVE” (Maggiet) is a
slow rhythm ballad also delivered
■strongly.

Herb & Betty Warner (Dale):

(Continued on page 78)

Sally Ann Howes: “Gift of the
Magi” (United Artists). Out in
front of the upcoming tv special
of Richard Adler’s musical version
of O. Henry’s “The Gift of the
Magi,” this cast album (sans Gor¬
don MacRae who is pacted to Cap¬
itol) makes for a topflight trailer
and should do well in the market
after the CBS-TV showcasing Dec.
9. Adler has fashioned seven
charming tunes for the story that
set up the mood effectively. His
ballads, “A Better Word Than
Love” .and “Christmas In Your
Heart,” shape as standard material.
Adler’s wife, Sally Ann Howes (of
the legituner “My Fair Lady”)
comes across winningly in the
groove as does Alan Case in the
tunes that MacRae will handle on
tv. Howard St. John and Bibi Os-
terwald also come off well in their
brief vocalizing chores. The LP is
rounded out with a narration by
Eli Wallach. He gets the story
across in a straightforward man-
nA*.

Johnnie Ray-Billy Taylor Trio:
“ *TiU Morning” (Columbia). The
pairing of Johnnie Ray with the
BiUy Taylor Trio (borrowed from
ABC-Paramount) works out into a
hep musical package. The combo
lays . down a sharp Instrumental
heat and Ray matches it with some
nifty vocal renditions. “It AU De¬
pends On You,” “I’m Beginning To
See The Light,” “They Can’t Take
That Away From Me” and “I’m
Confessin’ ” are among the stand¬
outs. “Teach Me Tonight,” a pop
click of several years back, seems
out of place in an otherwise good
assortment of tunes.

Ames Bros.: “Smoochin’ Time’
(RCA Victor). Although the title
is in the teenage vernacular, mel¬
ody and harmony are the keys to
this Ames Bros, package which
ought to give it adult acceptance.
Repertoire, too, wiU also attract
the older disk buyer. It includes
“My Foolish Heart,” “Two Sleepy
People,” “Fools Rush In” and “It
Only Happens When I Dance With
You,” and the vocal combo gives
’em all a flavorsome treatment with
a solid assist from Sid Ramin’s
orch.

Mike Nichols & Elaine May:
“Improvisations Set To Music”

(Mercury). The Nichols & May
team move into the disk field, after
scoring in niteries and on tv, with
a funny package. Working without
script or rehearsal, according to
Mercury, the duo improvised eight
routines that hit a high humorous
average. The piano setting by
Marty Rubinstein fits into their
madcap takeoffs. Best thing about
the package is that the material
seems to stand up under repeat
play.

Shirley Temple Hits: (20th-Fox).
The 20th-Fox audio engineers have
done a masterful job in bringing
the tunes from vintage Shirley
Temple soundtracks into this LP.
The tunes from “Bright Eyes,”
“The Littlest Rebel,”. “Captain
January,” “Curly Top,” “Poor

P^nlETf

JO Best Sellers on Coin MachinesH

1. TOM DOOLEY (7) .

2. irS ONLY MAKE BELIEVE (8) .

.. Conway Twitty ...

. MGM

3. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (3)_

.. Teddy Bears .

4. LONESOME TOWN (1) ...

5. PROBLEMS (2) .

6 . I GOT STUNG (2).

7. IT’S ALL IN THE GAME (12) ...

.. Tommy Edwards ..

.MGM

8 . BEEP BEEP (3) . .

9. TOPSY (10) .

.. Cozy Cole

.. Love

10. CHANTILLY LACE (6) ....._

Second Group

OLD BLACK MAGIC ..

Primn.R'mrfh.

DAY THE RAINS CAME ..

(Raymond LeFevre .

*' ( Jane Morgan .

BIMBO.MBEY

Jimmie Rodgers ...

..Roulette

THE END .

Enrl Cirnrtf-

QUEEN OF THE HOP ..

A 4-^^

GOTTA TRAVEL ON...

.. Bobby Darin ......

.. Billy Grammer

. JVTOTlltTTXCTXt

I’VE GOT A FEELING.

. . Ricky Nclsnn

« • « . iTHpBTtCLl

JEALOUS HEART .

(Tab Hunter .

. LOVER’S QUESTION ..... Clyde MePhatter . Atlantic

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES... . Platters . Mercury

{Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 10]

■»♦♦♦♦ M f M f »»»♦♦♦»»♦♦♦♦♦ i 4- .

Little Rich Girl,” “The Bluebird,”
“Stowaway,” “Rebecca of Sunny-
brook Farm,” “Baby Take A Bow”
and “Stand Up and Cheer” add up
to a potent piece of memorabilia.
Although it’s definitely a Shirley
Temple package, some billing
should have been given to James
Dunn, BiU Robinson, et al., who
are also heard on^ the tracks.

Betty Johnson: “The Songs You
Heard When You Fell In Love”
Atlantic). A well-rounded pot¬
pourri of romantic songs make up
this appealing package for Betty
Johnson. Thrush’s warm and con¬
fiding quality are tailor-made for
the material and she’s able to get
the mood across the grooves via
some topflight arrangements by
her husband, Charlie Grean. “Red
Sails In The Sunset,” “Dancing In
The Dark,” “Always” and “Good¬
night Sweetheart” help establish
the romantic mood.

George Hamilton IV: “Sing Mo
A Sad Song*’ (ABC-Paramount).
The late country composer-singer
Hank Williams is the peg for this
package. Nine of the dozen songs
were penned by Williams and tho
other three are also suited to the
hillbilly mood. Hamilton is a young
crooner with an authentic feel for
the alfalfa beat and he makes tho
most of such as “Your Cheatin’
Heart,” “Cold, Cold Bleart” and
“Half As Much.” Package was neat¬
ly arranged by Don Costa with
Nick Peito helming tho orch.

Enid Moder: “No Cover. No Min¬
imum” (Decca). A lot of the vocal
excitement that Enid Mosier stirs
up in night clubs has been brought
into this package. She’s got a styl¬
ized approach that wrings the most
out of a lyric and gets the tune’s
message across in no uncertain
terms. “T'morra T’morra,” “ 'Swon-
derful,” “Taking A Chance On
Love” and even “St. Louis Blues”
get a new spark when she takes
over.

.Sherry Britton-Tom Poston:
“The Best of Burlesque” (MGM).
There’s not much zip in this
original cast package of “The Best
of Burlesque” which ran last year
at the off-Broadway Carnegie Play¬
house. Dlskery waited close to a
year before getting it out and it
could have left the whole thing
imder wraps. It’s presented via a
stilted narrative written by Jack
Vaughan and delivered awkwardly
by Sherry Britton with some rau¬
cous music and two hurley skits
as a sampling. Tom Poston comes
off okay as top banana in the skits
but it’s a long time between laughs.

Gerry Mulligan-Shelly Manne-
Art Farmer: “I . Want To Live”
-CUntted Artists).. .Composer John¬
ny -Mandel has penned some artful
jazz passages for the score to the
Susan. Hayward starxer, “J V^ant
To Live,” and a floch of topflight
jazzsters have been rounded up to
play it on the soundtrack. ' This is
more than just background music.
It’s full-bodied composition that
stands up alone as a modern ^^zz
sampling. Shelly Manne (drums),
Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax). Art
Farmer (trumpet). Bud Shank
(alto sax), Frank Rosolino (trom¬
bone), Pete Jolly (piano) and Red
Mitchell (bass) pitch in with some
nifty tottling.

Hugh . Shannon: “Disgustingly
Rich!” (Harlequin). Nitery pianist-
singer Hugh Shannon has taken
11 tunes that are relatively obscure
and given them a light and sophis¬
ticated reading. Although most of
the tunes never made the hit
parade, they’re still a delight to
hear and Shannon sings ’em all in
an amiable manner. Included in
the package are the title song by
Rodgers & Hart, “The Great In¬
doors” by Cole Porter, Al Bern¬
ard’s “Birmingham Poppa Your
Memphis Mama’s Come To Town”
and the Gershwin-Caesar & Bryan
(Continued on page 79)

Blumberg Sales Topper

For Allied’s Subsid

In a reorganization of AUied
Record’s American Sound Corp.
division, Walter Blumberg has
been set as eastern sales manager
and Alvin Smolin as manufactur¬
ing head.

Overall management of Ameri¬
can Sound wUl' emanate from Al¬
lied’s Hollywood headquarters un¬
der the direction of Daken K.
Broadhead. Smolin reports to Sam¬
uel Salzman, manirfacturing vee-
pee of AUied, while Blumberg
wUl report to Ned Herzman, Al¬
lied’s national v.p. Win Adams wiU
continue working in the transcrip¬
tion field and Ernest Krebs will
continue to handle the coordina¬
tion and finance duties.

Wcdnefdaj^ Decembier S, 195S

MUSIC

71

PTSSEff

IVanning Up Tliem Rossiaii Cats’With

Ui. Jazz (Moscow Fair Starts July 4)

-----—

Sbidman’s ‘Seiecthre’ Groove For
Epk andOkeh in ’59 Expansion

---^-f

San Francisco, Dec. 2.

Ralph J. Gleason, Frisco Chron¬
icle Jazz coltnnnist who is syndi¬
cated in 15 dailies across'the na¬
tion, is sparking a movement to
send top U. S. jazzmen to Russia
next summer.

Gleason pointed out that there
Is a ‘hnounting tide of interest in
American jazz music on the xmrt of
peoples behind the Iron Curtain”
and cited example after example to
prove this thesis.

He noted that the U. S. and So¬
viet Russia have signed a broad
cultural exchange pact and pointed
out the U. S. State Dept, is plan¬
ning participation in next sum-
ia«r’»**Moscow Fair, including a
$750,000 exhibition hall. Then he
asks:

“Beginning right now, why
doesnTt the U. S. State Depths cul¬
tural affairs divisimi start plan¬
ning for the proper presentation of
iaze music at the fair? Not* a half¬
hearted attempt, as was done at
Brussels, but a full-scale presenta¬
tion of the whole panorama of this
vital American contribution.

‘The Russian people—as with
all people everywhere—^love it
when they have the opportunity to
hear it. At the Soviet Youth Con¬
gress, British jazz -musicians were
the heroes of the day. We did
not attend.

“Let’s not make that mistake
again. Let the U. S. send over the
best jazz musicians of the country.
Let’s begin by sending over Loins
Armstrong, whose birthday is July
4 and whose band is a living dem¬
onstration that Little Rock is not
America.”^

Gleason pointed out that the
fair’s opening day is July 4 and
that the U. S. could follow Arm¬
strong with Duke Ellington, Count
Basib, Woody Herman, Miles Davis,
Dave Brubecky George Lewis, Turk
Murphy, Kid Ory, -Eaid Hines, Diz¬
zy Gillespie—“all the top creative
artists of jazz.”

He continued:

“Let’s present them day after
day, week after week, as long as
this cultural exhibition is in prog¬
ress.

“Let no futiure bookings and no
problems interfere. Let the Presi¬
dent of the U. S., if need be, appeal
directly to all concerned^ musi-
- cians, agents and promotets, itcf re-
linqu^ whatever booki^^ -are
. necessary ‘ in * Order to ' present—
’^th'ho tabobs and no problms at
*all—;-the wei^t of ^American

“This is our own, best intema-
ctional language. If we fail to use it
properly once aga&i. It will be dis¬
graceful.”

In one of the. strongest pitches
a columnist has ever made, Glea¬
son urged jazz fans to write direct¬
ly to Secretary of State John Fos¬
ter Dulles, asldng that jazz he made
a part of the U. S. exhibit at Mos¬
cow and added: “If we-^-the jazz
loY«a of America—do take action
on this matter, perhaps we can
make Louis Armstrong’s promise
*to warm up them Russian cats’
come true. It’s certainly worth
trying.”

1st GerBuin Jazz Fair

AtW.BerimmJan.

Berlin, Dec. 2.

The West Berlin Congress Hall
will- be the site of the first Ger¬
man jazz fair. Festival is being
arranged by New Jazz Circle Ber¬
lin in behalf of t^ German Jazz
Federation and will run Jan. 16-
25. Fair is intended to give jazz
friends, musicians, record collec¬
tors, etc., an inside track on what’s
what in the field. German disk-
eries and radio stations will also
take part.

The fair will encompass the
showing of jazz films, a jazz ballet
presented by members of this
city’s Municipal Opera Ballet, lec¬
tures by German and foreign jazz
experts, concerts, jam sessions and
a jazz ban.

Berlin has been chosen for the
fest as many visitors from East
Germany are expected. Fair is to
became an animal event such as j
the German jazz festival which Is
held in Frankfurt each year. i

Melachrino ta Atlanta

Atlanta, Dec. 2.

George Melachrlno and his 50-
plece orch will give a concert
Wednwday, (3) at the 2,200-seat
Tower Theatre, which is “home”
I to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
This will mark British maestro’s
first Atlanta appearance.

I Britisher is booked into Atlanta
I by Sam Rothberg, realtor, owner of
[ building containing Tower, which
started in life as Erlanger Thea¬
ter, and how Is used as spot for
road shows and symphony con¬
certs.

Roulette Accents Stereo
In %iias Stocking Plan’
(Gifts to Dealers, Natck)

Roulette Records is launching a
special distributor and'dealer sales
program which will be in effect
until the end.of the year. The pro¬
gram, tagged the Christmas Stock-
: ing Plan, includes 12 new stereo
albums, Hie release of a sterea de¬
monstration LPy the entire stereo
tratalog, and the release of seven
new monaurgl albums.

In Jhe program the distributor
: and dealer ^will receive any two
stereo albums free with Hie pur¬
chase of any 18 stereo LPs. All
the stereo albums are included ex¬
cept the stereo demonstration LP.
The Stereo demonstration LP wQl
he given free to the distrib and
dealer with the purdiasc of any
(Continued on page 78)

f — f imJfg

A 1 Stillman

waxes poetic la a bright treoHsa oa

The Cliche-B-C Of
Lyric Writing
* * *

.aaeriier Editorial Fpofuro la tka
Mpeemtaf

S3d Anniversary dumber

of

P^stiEfr

VENDS SUES ABC-PAR,
PAMCOONPRICEPAIR

Venus Music filed suit in N. Y.
Federal Court last week, against
ABC-Paramount and Pamco Mu-1
sic, seeking a declaratory judg¬
ment declaring that the plaintiffs
are the sole owners of the tunes
“Why*^ and “Just Because,” com¬
posed by Lloyd Price. The action
asks for damages and an account¬
ing of all the monies derived by
the defendants from the alleged
appropriation and conversion on
the alleged infringement

The complaint claims that on or
/about March 12, 1952, an agree¬
ment was reach^ between Venus
and Price whereby latter agreed
to assign all rights to any soifgs he
composed, Venus claims that dur¬
ing the contract, he composed the
two songs. The suit charges "that
Price breached the contract by as¬
signing the rights to the two songs
to the defendants without the con¬
sent of the plaintiffs. Pamco is a
music publishing subsid of the
ABOParamount diskery.

Carosone on Stereo Label

[ Rome, Nov. 25.

AH future recordings of the Re-
nato Carosone combo are to be re¬
leased by Philips Records via a
new label. Stereo, following a new¬
ly negotiated pact.

Both Philips and Stereo are
linked In this country to Milan’s
Melodicon Company. Carosone
currently on another European
swing following a click series of
Italian video appearances, previ¬
ously released through Fontana.

Carosone is said to have a con¬
siderable personal stakes in the
new Stereo label.

It’s 'Backward Mempbis’

[ To AFM Local for Nix
By C. of C. of Monber^

Memphis, Dec. 2.

Memphis Musicians Union (Lo¬
cal 71>, is wrapped up in a rhu¬
barb with the local Chamber of
Commerce for snubbing its mem¬
bership to the bureau. The union
has tried to join the chamber as
part of its civic duty for the past
six years, Vincent Skillman, prexy
of the local, said. “Each time we
apply, we get turned down,” he
stated.

Skillman In a no-punches-pulled
statement said: “We were told the
■Memphis chamber doesn’t want
unions, and that it is general
chamber policy throughout the
country not to accept unions in
(Continued on page 72)

With A1 Shulman now directing
the affairs of Epic Records, the
label is blueprinting a push into
1959 based on expansion and se¬
lectivity. Shulman, who took
over as Epic’s general manager
two months ago, is gearing his
staff, headed by pop artists A
repertoire chief Joe Sherman, and
packaged goods director Jim
Fogelsong, for a buildup of the
label and its subsid, Okeh Records,
as well as a more selective release
schedule.

Shulman figures that more time
should be spent on the selection
of disks to be put into market be¬
cause of the competition for spins
and the plethora of labels. “Too
many run-of-the-mill disks get is¬
sued,” he says, “and only result
in waste of time and effort.” The
selectivity scheduling will be ap¬
plied to albums as well as single
releases-

For the Epic buildup, Shulman
is planning to enlarge its classical
roster as well as strengthen its
international ties for U.S. release
of foreign disks. He also plans
to get into the running for original
cast albums from Broadway and
eff-Broadway as well as pitch for
Hollywood soundtrack sets. The
expansion program calls for a
move-in on the jazz field which Is
which is being geared for a take¬
off soon after the first of the year.

On the Okeh end, Shulman Is
planning to broadeir its marketing
potential. Heretofore relegated to
the rhythm & blues field, Okeh
wiU now get into the pop and coun¬
try & western competition with the
addition of new talent for these
particular fields. A hefty budget
has been allocated to Okeh for the
pop and c&w drive.

Shulman also |>elieves that an
indie label must have close ties
with distributors, dealers and
field force. To knit the liaison,
Shulman, Sherman, and Jim
Fogelsong are beginning to spend
more time on the road for promo¬
tional as well as public relations
purposes. Label now is working
with 31 distributors around the
country.

New Zealand Deyelops
Its Own Elvis-Type Idol

.Auckland, N. Z., Dec. 2.

Repeating Elvis Presl^’s ’ U.S.
rock ’n’ roll triumph is teenage
singer Johnny Devlin in his home¬
land, New Zealand. Devlin’s rec¬
ord sales in seven months have
already reached, on comparative
population figures, the equivalent
of the U.S, “1,000,000” category. In
the last seven months his fan mail
has grown from zero to 300 letters
per week, most of them from teen¬
age girls and couched in familiar
“I think you’re the most” vein.

In addition to a regularly week¬
ly stint in an Auckland dancehall,
Devlin has made several profitable
excursions to neighboring smaller
towns.

Under a 12-month contract to
the local Prestige label, Devlm
has been leased to Coca Cola, sing¬
ing six numbers which ace tied in
with- their radio advertising over
the national hookup.

Pickwick, Raeburn In
BWI Disk Distrib Deal

Pickwick Sales Corp., parent
company of the Design, Stereo
Spectrum and Cricket labels, has
tied up with bandleader Boyd Rae¬
burn’s Island Artists Ltd. for the
distribution of the Design line In
the British West Indies. Design Is
a lowprice ($1.98) label.

Raeburn now plans to make
Nassau bis home base coming to
N. Y. only for hand dates and hud¬
dles with Design execs.

flaynm Quits ^

Walter Ha 3 mm is leaving his post
as national sales manager for Epic
Records. A replacement will be
named by diskery’s general man¬
ager AI Shulman at the ehd of
the week.

Hayum had been Epic’s sales
manager for the past year. Pre¬
vious to that, he had been in the
field for Epic and its parent com¬
pany, Columbia Records.

Scoreboard

OF

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Complied from Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retait Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

8

9

10

NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
•rriued at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enur
merated above. These findings are correlated with data from wider sources, which are exclusive
luifh VAHTtTY.The positions resulting from, these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de¬
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent (coin machines, retail
disks) ond three ways in the case of tunes (coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music),.

TALENT

ARTIST AND LABEL TUNB

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol).....__Toln Booleyt

TEDDYBEARS (Dare)... To Know Him, Love Himf

POSITIONS
TUs Last
Week Week
I I

3

4

2

5

8

10

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)....

CONWAY XWITTY (MGM). It’s Only Make-BeUevef

PLAYMATES (Roulette) .. Beep Beept

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)..

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence) .. 'jLove^^ M

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

1
2

3

4

5

6

7

8
9

10

♦ ASCAP

My Lif ef

TOMMY EDWARDS (MGM)...

^ ' (Love Is All We Need*

PLATTERS (Mercury) ... Smoke Gets In Your Eyes*

COZY COLE (Love).... Topsy*

TUNES

TUNE PUBLISHER

fTOM DOOLEY ..... Beechwood

|TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM .... Warman

*irS ALL IN THE GAME______ _ Remick

*BEEP, BEEP ......... H&L

♦I GOT STUNG...... Gladys

fLONESOME TOWN. Eric

*DAY RAINS CAME.. Garland

flT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE. Marielle

*TOPSY . Cosmopolitan

fPRC^LEMS .. A-Rose

t BMl

72

MUSIC

U^WFr

Wednesday, December 3, 1^53

Cap Renews Jonah Jones; Jack Kane
To Dot; Seeco s Pacts; Other Signings

Jonah Jones has signed a new-
longterm pact with Capitol Rec¬
ords. The trumpeter joined the
label two years ago.

Jones has grooved four albums
for Cap thus far. They are “Muted
Jazz.” “Swingin’ On Broadway,”
“Jumpin’ With Jonah” and
“Swingin’ At The Cinema.” The
Jones packages" are produced by
Dave Cavanaugh.

Jack Kane To Dot
Dot Records has added Canadian
musical. conductor Jack Kane to
its roster. According to Bob
Thiele. Dot’s artists & repertoire
head. Kane will cut his own albums
as well as serve as musical director
for other artists on the label.

His first album is scheduled for
release in the near future and he
has just completed conducting and
arranging a new* LP for Steve
Allen.

Seeco’s Additions
Added to the Seeco banner last
week were the Dynamics, Vince
Wayne, Ronnie & Lila, and Kenny
Adams.

Label latched on to Wayne,
Ronnie & Lila and The Djmamics
via master-purchases. Adams’ deal
calls for releases in the singles
and album field.*

British Disk Bestsellers

London, Dec. 2.

Hoots Mon... Rockingham XI

(Decca)

It’s An In Game

.... Edwards

(MGM)

It’s Only Make Believ^. Twitty *

(MGM)

A Certain Smile

(Fontana)

Bird Dog .

Everly Bros.

(London)

Tom. Dooley ....

... .Donegan

(Pye-Nixa)

More Than Ever.

.M. Vaughan

(HMV)

Come Prima ...

(Durium)

World Go Round

(RCA)

High Class Baby

.... Richard

(Columbia)

Vanguard Renews Kunz

Erich Kunz, leading baritone of
the Vienna State Opera, has signed
a new three-year pact with Van¬
guard Records. He’s scheduled to
do a series of German folk and
popular tunes in addition to two
more packages of German univer¬
sity songs.

Shasta Pactees

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Jimmy Wakely’s diskery. Shasta
Records, has inked Tex \Villiams, .
country & western singer who for- 1
merly worked under the Capitol 1
and Decca banhers. Also inked by
Shasta recently were Tommy Dun¬
can, “Cousin” Herb Henson and
Bonnie Sloan.

Stall Plan to Remodel
Orchestra Hall in Chi; j
Ponder New Auditorium

Chicago. Dec. 2.

Tentative plans for remodeling
Orchestra Hall here have been
suspended for a year to consider •
the possibility of building a new
auditorium to house the Chicago
Symphony Orche.'tra.

The matter is being studied, by
a committee appointed by the Or¬
chestra Assn, trustees and headed
by William M. Spencer. It’s fi.g-
ured that $2,000,000 would be re- =
quired to renovate Orchestra
Hall, while about $7,000,000 would
have to be raised for a new struc¬
ture.

The idea is that the proposed
new auditorium would have twice
the seating of the orche.stra’s
present spot, and more advanced
acoustical design. It would have
to be financed mainly by public
■doriations. The Orchestral Assn, in¬
dicated it could contribute what- |
ever price Orchestra Hall might ’
bring on the sale block, guessed at
around $1,000,000.

Facilities for producing opera
would not be included in the new ■
building, but it’s proposed to have .
an educational music centre. Al¬
lowing for the fund drive and ac¬
tual construction, it’s figured that
completion of the project would be
between two and four years away.
Orchestra Hall will serve in the
meantime, sans remodeling.

The 54-year-old concert audi¬
torium has been the subject of:
much controversy in Chicago mu- i
sic circles in recent years. I

Name Ann KuIImer Mgr.
Of Connecticut Symp

Bridgeport, Dec. 2.
Ann Kullmer, prexy of Inter-
AUied-Artists, is new manager of

• the Connecticut Symphony Or-
I chestra.

i A conductor in her own right
; and longtime specialist in symph
■ management. Miss Kullmer has
^ been brought in by Kenneth E.
: Raine, new CSA head, to build a

• broader following for the Bridge¬
port-based organization.

Memphis AFM

——, Continued from Page 71
Chambers of Commerce from
Coast to Coast.”

He blasted back with a report
that the president of the Tulsa,
Okla., chamber is a member of the
Tulsa Musicians Union (Local 94)
and that other' AFM members
were included on the rolls in St.
Petersburg, . Fla., and Corpus
Christi, Tex. ,

J. Thurston Roach, prexy of the
local C. of C., said that “this is a
policy matter to be decided by the
board of directors of the chamber
here and I will be glad to take it
up with the board.” Roach is head
of a printing firm here.

An odd twist of the Memphis
chamber’s rejection to the local
union is that the- C. of C. here is
currently on an all-out drive to
enlist members of Memphis’ grow¬
ing list of business • execs and lo¬
cal enterprises with the theme,
“Fo'rward Memphis.” Skillman
slapped back at that statement by
labelling refusal of his union, as
“Backward MemphisI”

Skillman asserted that at three
national conventions of the AFM
it was urged that locals join their
Chambers of Commerce. “We’ve
been snubbed by the Memphis
chamber,” he said, “and what’s
more, they didn’t send us an ap¬
plication for a long time and when
they did, they didn’t process it.”
Local 71 recently sent a $50 mem¬
bership fee with its application,
and the local prexy added, “All w^e
got back was our $50 check. No
note, no explanation, no nothing.”

Inside Stuff-Music

Eight of the 12 recording album covers selected for final judging In
the 1959 Los Angeles Art Directors Show, were created and produced
by Capitol Records. According to Marvin Schwartz, art director for the
label, seven of the Cap covers were chosen from the Capitol-EMI
classical line, while the eighth cover was selected from the Cap-FDS
(Full Dimensional Sound) line.

Covers selected include “Bach Organ Music” by Fernando GermanI,
“Concert Favorites” by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “Proko¬
fiev’s Classical Symphony” by the Philharmonic orch, “Scriabin Pre¬
ludes” by Gina Bachauer, “Sibelius Program” by the Royal Philhar¬
monic orch, “Suor-Angelica” by Victoria de Los Angeles, and “Tdiai-
kovsky’s Fourth Symphony,” Royal Philliarmonic orch. The Cap-FDS
package selected is “For My True Love” by guitarist Laurindo Al¬
meida. A total of 4,000 pieces of art of all types. was submitted for
judging, with 270 accepted. The winners will be disclosed next Febr
ruary.

A new electronic instrument, called the I’ondiline, was introduced
into the recording field last week at an RCA Victor recording session
in New York with the Mexican bandleader, Esquivel. New device in¬
vented by George Jennyi combines elements of various percussion in¬
struments and can also carry a m^ody with'a clarinet-like sound. 'The
Mexican bandleader, whose full name is Juan Garcia Esquivel, spociaL
izes in offbeat sounds, using such instrument as Brazilian tubes and
jawbones for his effects.

Decca Records is cooperating with the National Tuberculosis Assn,
in the sale of Christmas Seals this year via the release of the or¬
ganization’s official 1958 campaign song, “If I Can Help Somebody.
The song has been cut by Roberta Sherwood and Red Foley for the
campaign and Decca is covering the disk jockeys with the back-to-
back xcnditions. .

An Hawaiian tune, “KaKaU Nei Au,” written in 1926 by the late
Charles E. King, keeps turning up repeatedly in new versions over
the years. Latest adaptation of the song was by A1 Hoffman and Diclc
Manning in a number titled “The Hawaiiah Wedding Song. Back m
1951, Bing Crosby cut the same tune under another title. Here Enas
The Rainbow.” Leeds Music publishes the song.

Los Peregrinos (The Travelers), trio accompanying Bolivian singer
Raul Shaw Moreno, plans an extensive study of Mexican
sic. In the search for “authentic songs born in the hearts of
pie ” and “actually now in oblivion,” the trio plans a tour of all the
(Continued on page 78)

Rosemary’s Fourth Label;
Set & Single for Coral

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Rosemary Clooney, who has al¬
ready cut shellac for three differ¬
ent labels, has added a fourth to .
her credit. Songstress, now a free
agent since exiting the Columbia
diskery, will cut an album and a
single disk for Coral. Buddy Cole
will-backstop on both sessions.

Miss Clooney previously record¬
ed. in addition to Col, for MGM
and RCA Victor. Following her
Coral sessions, she is set to cut
additional platters for the MGM
waxerj- under Coast veep Jesse
Kaye’s supervision.

BETAIL ALBUM BEST SELLEBS

-P^HIETY-

Survey of retail album best
sellers based on reports from lead¬
ing stores and shoxoing comparative
ratings for this week and last.

National
Rating
Th-s Last

: Oi

^ ! 'S

'f ii

I i
I ‘ •&

t I : 5

a o

Id

bo j

^ I P.

<u ^

Q

!l

SI

W ; I

C . '
M .

C ‘

^ ‘
'C

W O

if

a j 'o

1

1

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

Only the Lonely (W 1053).

7

6

5

8

1

1

5

1 1 ..

8

1 2 -.

3

6’

10.

5

9

1

6 123

2

3

SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)
Soundtrack (LOG 1932)..

1

7

7

2

5

6

6 .. ..

1

2 .. ..

1

3

1.

3.*

9

3 108

3A

6

VAN CLIBURN (Victor)
Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250)..

3

8

3

5 .. 1

2

3 .. ..

6

1

10

5 ,74

3B

5

GIGI (MGM)

Soundtrack (E 3641)..

9

1

3

6

3

7

7

3

7

1

7 74

5

2

MITCH MILLER iColumbia)

Sing Alone With Mitch (CL 1160) ..

4

8

3

1

2 .. ..

5

5 .. ..

5

2

2 73

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol;

Kingston Trio (T 996)- - 2

MITCH MILLER (Columbia!

Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1243).

TO 5 5 4 2

MUSIC MAN (Capitol)
Original Cast (WAQ 990)..

6 .. 10 9 .. 3 3

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)

But Not For Me (LP 628).. 5

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia) . .
Johnny’s Greatest Hits (CL 1135).

NAT KING COLE (Capitol)
Very Thought of You (W 1084).

SOUTH PACIFIC (Columbia)
Original Cast (B 2579-80).

13 13

HARRY BELAFONTE (Victor)
Sings the Blues (LC 1006).

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Swing Softly (CL 1165).

RAY CONIFF (Columbia)
Concert in Rhythm (CL 1163)...

16 16

MY FAIR LADY (Columbia)
Original Cast (CL 5090).

17 14

MANTOVANI (London)
Gems Forever (LL 3032).

7 .. 7 .. .. 97

4 2

4 4 ..

10 .. 6 .. 7

18

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

Meny Christmas (GL 1195).. 6

19 22

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)
Ahmad Jamal (LP.636)..

2 9

JONAH JONES (Capitol)
Swinging at the Cinema (T 1083).

21 15

PAT BOONE (Dot)
Stardust (DLP 3118).

-tr-

JUDY GARLAND (Capitol)
Judy in Love (T 1036) .

FOUR FRESHMEN (Capitol)
Voices in Love (T 1074).

BENNETT PLAYS RODGERS (Victor)
Victory at Sea, Vol II (LM 2226).. ..

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

King Creole (LPM 1884)... 10

59

42

41

34

29

27

24

22

21

20

17

16

11

10

9

7

6

5

4

Wednesday, December 5, 1958

P^SUEfY

»flTSIC

73

Hispavox,Orfeon
Accent Mexico’s
Disk Expansion

Mexico City, Dec. 2.

Two major expansion moves for
Mexico’s recording industry are
on the way- The Hispavox Co. of
Madrid is investing capital in its
Mexican subsidiary, Gamma S.A. de
Mexico, founded four months ago.
Spanish-language disks will he cut
^ well as distributed here.

Top singing talent used by par¬
ent firm includes Manolo Caracol,
Luisa Fernanda, Monna Bell, Raul
de Castillo, Luis Ortega and Lydia
Scotty (latter currently in Mexico).

Apart from cutting and produc¬
ing records under the Gamma
label, a drive to sign up Mexican
talent wiU begin soon.

On the local scene, Orfeon Rec¬
ords is rhshing to completion its
Coyoacan plant (on the site of the
old Azteca film studios). Facilities
include recording studios, presses,
printing plant, etc., with latest
equipment acquired in the U.S.
Enrique Cantu, artistic director of
the diskery, said the plant will
probably be inaugurated in April
or May.

Orfeon plans no new etchings
in December, using the time to. sift
its catalog and prepare new re¬
cording plans. Firm already has
distribution pacts in Colombia,
Venezuela. Puerto Rico, Bradl, Ar¬
gentina, Canada, the U.S., SpaiU,
France, Cuba and Africa. Goal is to
achieve worldwide distribution in
1S59, Cantu said.

Coast’s Bel Canto Forms
Stereo Record Clnb; 5
Pop Sets, 2 Classicals

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

A stereophonic disk club has
been formed by Bel Canto Records,
indie coast label. Diskery wUl in¬
clude a certificate in each album
sold, six of which will entitle the
collector to draw one Bel Canto LP
gratis.

Label' is releasing five new
packages in the pop field plus
two in its classical series. Pop
LP’s are “Introducing Si Zentner
and His Dance Band,” which fea¬
tures the former Jimmy Dorsey
and Harry James trombonist Si
Zentner; “Didn't It Rain,” Negro
spirituals recorded by the Exciting
Voices; “Fran,” Fran Lacey, an
L.A. housewife making her vocal
debut; and ^‘Larry Fontine and The
Beale Street Buskers,” a Dixieland
outfit.

The classical packages are “Quin¬
tet for Piano and Strings, Opus
81," by Dvorak, and “Quartet in G
Minor for Piano and Strings,” by
Mozart. .

Shaindlm’s Todd-AO Pic

Jack Shaindlin, Louis d6 Roehe-
mont’s musical director, trains to¬
day (Wed.) to Hollywood to super¬
vise and conduct the music for
Todd A-O’s “The March of Todd
A-O.”

He will conduct a 60-piece
orchestra. His last assignment for
de Rochemont was musical direc¬
tor of CiheMiracle-s “Windjam¬
mer.”

Radio as Treak Show in Sound’

To Stan Kenton; TV 'Hypnosis’ Rap

Gala Sets Feb. Release
With British Dishers

London, Dec. 2.

Gala Records, Britain’s first cut-
price label, which has been oper¬
ating for five weeks, will begin,
recording its own British artists
in January for a Feb. 1 release.
Monty Lewis, the label's topper,
said that while no one has been
signed yet, the emphasis would be
on new talent comparable with the
U.S. diskers already issued on the
label.

He added that a well known
British artists & repertoire
man was being appointed but de¬
clined .to reveal his name. It’s be-
. will issue some

Jensen, Anger Join WBR ! stereo disks in the near future.

Kenneth R. Jensen and Harry
Anger have joined Warner ^-^Bros.

Records. Jensen, formerly an ac¬
count exec with the Martin Co.
and Craig & Reid, ad agencies,
takes over as manager of the
editorial department at the Coast
headquarters.

Anger was set as manager of
promotional services based in
New York. He recently was with
the promotion department of RCA
Victor.

RCA’s Kayes Abroading

Alar Kayes, manager of RCA
Victor’i longhair artists & reper¬
toire operation, left last week for
a two-week trip to Europe.

He’ll visit RCA’s disk affiliates
and subsids abroad to examine the
European market for classical
disks.

In its initial announcement It
was stated that Gala platters
would be retailed through picture
theatres as well as supermarkets,
chain stores, etc., but Lewis now
says that disks wiU not be issued
through theatres imtil early next
year, mainly because of inabili y of
the diskery to cope with retail
demands. This, however, is. ex¬
pected to be solved soon by instal¬
lation of additional hew American
pressing equipment'

AFM AWARDED ROUND
FROMERBVS.MGA

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

American Federation of Musi¬
cians won a round in its fight
against the Musicians Guild of
America when the National Labor
Relations Board ruled that the
AFM’s protests against the MGA’s
union-shop agreement with the
major studios had “merit.” NLRB
stated that “unless the Guild and
the producers settle this matter,
this office will prepare a formal
complamt.”

AFM specifically protested a
clause in the MGA contract which
requires tunesmiths to join MGA
within 30 days after their first
studio employment. This is the
only way they would become eli-
j?lbie for future pic work. Cecil
F. Read, MGA chairman, stated
that the clause conformed to the
Tsft-Hartley Law and he “v/el-
comed” the NLRB to make a test
case of it.

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and last week.

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To Know Him Is To Love Him.......

1

2

4

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2

2

2

2

1

2

1

9

7

2

5

10

113

2

1

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

Tom Dooley.....

2

1

8

1

1

1

9

5

2

8

4

1

3

4 104

3

4

PLAYMATES (Roulette)

Beep, Beep ..

6

6

5

4

4

7

3

4

6

1

5

4

6

82

4

3

CONWAY TWITTY (MGM)

It’s Only Make Believe...

3

7

3

1

3

7

4

3

3

65

5

6

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

I Got Stung.

8

4

7

4

1

6

1

7

6

2

64

6

10

PLATTERS (Mercury)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes...

8

1

2

10

2

6

8

1

50

7

7

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

One Night...

7

4

3

10

1

2

3

47

8

13

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence)

Problems .

9

6

10

2

2

2

35

9

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty)
Chipmunk Song---

2

4

5

32

10

5

COZY COLE (Love)
Topsy-..

4

7

6

5

5

8

31

11

18

BOBBY DARIN (Atco)
Queen of the Hop.

5

3

6

5

6

30

12A 8

TOMMY EDWARDS (MGM)

It’s All in the Game... - - -

5

4

6

6

10

6

29

12B 24

ROYALTONES (JubUee)

Poor Boy..

5

4

5

1

29

\u

CLYDE McPHATTER (Atlantic)

A Lover’s Question..

7

3

6

3

9

27

15A 22

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)

I Got a Feeling, . .

5

7

10

4

7

8

25

15B 15

JACKIE WILSON (Brunswick)

Lonely Teardrops.. ...

1

5

2

25 j

17

9

RICKY NELSON (ImperiaD

Lonesome Town .

10

9

9

3

1

3

22

18

11

DORSEY-COVINGTON (Decca)

Tea for 'Two Cha Cha ..

9

10

3

4

18

19

17

FOUR COINS (Epic)
The World Outside .

9

9

3

7

16

20

14

BIG BOPPER (Mercury)

Chantilly Lace . .

7

9

2

15

21A 19

FATS DOMINO (Imperial)

Whole Lotta Lovin’....

7 .

4

n

21B ..

TONY DALARDO (Mercury)

Come Prima...

8

3

11

21C 22

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence)

Love of My Life..........

4

7

24

23

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

Call Me...

6

6

10

25

JIMMIE RODGERS (Roulette)
Bimbombev ..

8 .

7

9

9

-t" Radio has degenerated into one
big "freak show in sound,” accord¬
ing to , bandleader Stan Kenton.
“Creative radio is a thing of the
past,” he claims. “Except, of
course, for a few isolated stations
and the FM’s, it is necessary to
shout and subject the public to
strange noises to get on the Top
40 lists.”

Kenton claims that the biggest
reason the band business is still
struggling is that people just don’t
want to hear music that tries to
progress and grow with time. He
says that most of us are losing the
struggle against conformity and
compares the automobile business
with the music business.

“In the auto world,” he pointed
out,, “function in design places sec¬
ond to ornamentation. The mod¬
ern car looks like a Christmas tree
and the modern pop tune is very
much the same v/ay—overly or¬
chestrated, overly noisy and over¬
ly performed. The subtleties, the
nuances and the necessary shad¬
ings of varying artistic influences
are a thing of the past.”

Rock ’n’ roll, according to Ken¬
ton, was a very healthy thing for
a while because at least it had guts
and it was different. However, he
added, it failed to develop, becom¬
ing stagnant, and now it’s just an
echo of a promise.

Music, which Kenton calls “the
greatect food of creative thought,”
: has been w’atere.d down to tones
I of gray and feeble pastels. “When
• music attemp s to live in brilliant,
I expressive colors it is rejected be-
I cause it starts the wheels of
; thought to work within the individ¬
ual, and most people are too lazy
to cope with anything in the art
forms that makes them think. Ken-
; ton also contends that tv has be-
■ come the greatest “mass hypnotist”
i and another cause for the declining
' state of Ihe band business today.

Kenton is concentrating on
school and college dates so he can
get to music fans at the “formative
stages.” He’s now on a national

(Wed.). This will be followed
by a two-weeker at the Crescendo,
Hollywood, and four weeks at the^
Tropicana, Las Vegas.

Brit Deeiay in Germany
Sued by G.L on ‘Janina’

Wiesbaden, Germ., Dec. 2.

Capt. Bernard V. Beronio, of the
7499th Support Group, stationed
here, has just brought suit against
one of the two disk jockeys in
Germany, claiming that he has vio¬
lated copyright laws.

Beronio has sued British-born
John Paris, who is a disk jockey
and singer over Hessischer Rund-
funk, local radio and television out¬
let. He claims that Paris took a
Beronio tune and sold it to a Ger¬
man film producer. Tune, “Janina
Kann Nicht Artig Sein” (Janina
Can’t Behave Herself), was alleged¬
ly used in the Opitz-CEO Film,
“Kuesse die Toeten, oder Eva, ein
Maedchen aus Baumholder” (Kisses
That Kill, or Eva, a Girl from
Baumholder).

Morton Downey Jr. Goes
Into Camp of Imperial

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Morton Downey Jr., son of the
singer-turned-businessman, has
signed to an exclusive recording
pact by Lew Chudd’s Imperial
Records.

Downey’s Initial single is
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
b/w “Proud Possession,” slated for
distribution this week. In addition
to warbling, Downey Is a writer
and is currently working on the
score for a forthcoming film. The
baritone leaves this week on a
Pacific Northwest trek to plug his
disk.

Meinberg to MGM Wings

Ray Meinberg has joined the
MGM disk combine to handle the
sales and sales promotion depart¬
ments of the diskery’s subsid
labels, Metro and Cub.

Before the MGM assignment,
Meinberg had been in sales pro¬
motion at United Artists Records.

TrediiesdaT, December 3, 1953

Wednesday, December S, 1958

75

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THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

FINIAN’S RAINBOW

ORIGINAL CASTS ON HIGH-FIDELITY RECORDS BY

COLUMBIA

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You heard it here first: NEIL SEDAKA

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RCA VICTOR pop single...THE DIARY

47/7408

ir«dKeBdaXi J^cember 195S

Guy Downstairs, Dixie on Other Side
Of Heaven in Roosevelt Ivy’ Bash

Inside Stuff-Music

^ Continued from page 72

7i MUSIC '____ VodaeaJaj, December 3, 195S

Guy Downstairs, Dixie on Other Side I Inside Stuff-Music

Of HpilVPil in Rnncpyplt ‘Iw’ Ra«h Records, Tjdent, Art . ” '

vl flvllVCll 111 1 VUU 5 CYCII ivy UmMI n « T r „ states vil the Mexican republic, using all the time necessary to com-

Eris Productions Inc., formed In ^ jihrary of folklore music and song. Goal Is to “erase the false

New York’s Hotel Eooserelt was 4 —^-—-' New York to present Israeli plays impresaon now existent in foreign lands about Mexican songs,” that

a study in musical contrasts last D 1 <r 11 English, has e3q)anded out into aU are raucous ‘iranchero ditties.” The repertoire to be compiled by

Friday (23) night. It ranged from BOOK Oil t*0iK'Dla6S a variety of other'fields. It is also the Travelers will be recorded and distributed on a worldwide basis,
the serene Guy Lombardo rhythms “Folk Blues’^ by Jeny Silver- involved in the distribution of Is- lStS°?o ^a^fen^^recordinS*

In another o£ the maestro's Roose- cS^emUy "^an^g^ a^n^^iMton as well^s interview oldtimers in the hinterlands, to obtain "the best

velt Grill openings to the stomping gmef“arraige^rfo?^aiee. pia^ for abort Ja of the top Israeli of truly representative Mexican folklore music of 50 to 100 years back.

Srfor So." rthfNSghLXo"»" "t^h".i”med a suhsidi- In Dwljht Macdonald's New Yorker profile of Eugene GUbert, head

. • , j j fu rt- in New York. Author spends much ary talent agency, the Israeli Art- of a firm that specializes in suiyeying teenage bujmg habits, the rec

The dixielandere, under the ae^is roaming the country in iets Bimeau. Both Eris and lAB ord business comes in for a brief but effective onceoven In the sec-

of Stan Rubin who concocted this ^ ® material, and in are sponsoring an Israeli Chanukah oiid part of a two-part report, which ran in the Nov. 29 issue, Mac-

plying 101^ ^^ to hT owu Coucert at Town Hail, N. Y., on donald says that In rock ’n’ roll “one may observe in their purest

th? enjoyment as well as the pufaHc’s. the eve of the Jewish holiday forms the teenagers’ defiance of adult control, their dominance of

He also Tccords Ms work. Dec. 6. The program will feature certain markets, their tendency to set themselves up as a caste, and

neces^a!^ to' accommodate Book offers exc_^mt selection tiie Oz f olks^g_ j^oup pi tost the tribal ^d special dialect ^

New York’s Hotel Roosevelt was
a study in musical contrasts last
Friday (23) night. It ranged from
the serene Guy Lombardo rhstihms

Book on ToU( Bines’

CrOVk'd iNCiguuuiuuuu

The'dixielanders, under the aegis j?
of Stan Rubin who concocted this time roaming the
“Ivy Jazz Band Ball,” held form search of new nm
in the Terrace Room, the Grand Plto^g folk ni^sic
Ballroom and the specially taggeo enjoyment as weU a
Jazz Band Ballroom. All that space He also r^ords ms
was necessary to accommodate . Book offers exca

than 1,750 ticket buyers at;

$10 a couple and $8 a ticket for illustrated,
stags. It was a “bring your own” ■ ■—

shindig with the hotel supplying
setups. Matthew Walsh, the hotel’s |

exec assistant manager, however, *

restricted the room-service delivery Conti

of setups or booze to the hotel .

DomUsm

_-__ , xu in . -> i n 6i n fe me Lixuai xabufLur -bum. - / .< . »»

weU-designed and Ella Goldstein, tenor Nico Feld- in referring to liie adult objection to the sexy nature of rock n
an and whistler Clara Imas. roll, Macdonald credits Variety’s coinage “leerics.” He also picks up
The lAB talent roster, inciden- the blast made at the disk jockeys by Columbia’s pop artists & rep-
Ily, covers about 70 artists, some ertoire chief Mitch Miller for “abdicating your programming to the

man and whistler Clara Imas.

tally, covers about 70 artists, some ertoire chief Mitch Miller
also represented by otiier agencies, eight-to-fourteen-year-olds.'
In such cases, lAB has an agree¬
ment by whiidi it arranges book- xhe Music Publishers J

Publishers Assn, is making available to music groups

Behind the Scenes in the

S stops or bX-^™the^ contixmei tr*m page «9 = being distributed by the loan of a series of 60 colored slides: “Behind the Scenes in the

rooms in which the underi!^ii^ he wrote words and music, were Eris totode “i^ll 24 Doesn’t to- Music Publishing I^dustiy.’’ The sddes_ are m ti.o Airequlpt

were staying for the. Thanksgiving originally published by Die firm magazines to use with an Air equ p g •

hotriW^eTa^^gen Donaldson. Donbas & Guinble ea e y jockeys can €et cuffo programming assiste from Berklee

™ - School of Mrtic, Bostoh. which g.ecUrtesmja^ S^fa™ 5

the Roosevelt whUe 900 more were sequertly sold to BYC which took ?,'?'*^rr ^le^M^rre^i^^d the most

holed up at the Hotel Biltmore over ownership of the copyrights. HayHUHl-Mltchell Team Vhey win provide pertinent information

dfxlelaod hash i ^

S|otd"tree'oSt‘r’^?ew« « rt a new muste PuV a.^ats=

dates seemed to be having more jn the songs ta Donaldson Music lishmg company is now m the plan- and assist disx joexejs in

fun th^ the management. The 1955 xhe plaintiffs charge that ning stage by John Hayman and ^ _ ■ "a

BVC has claimed and averted_the Malcolm MitebeU. It’s under- . __ill O

material on jazz ainato, aiii>TT^,x. to-—-- ^ ^^ __

and assist disk jockeys in obtaining complimentary copies of recom¬
mended LPs.” _!-

l j f ; .T BVe has claimed and asserted tne Malcolm Mitchell It’s under- 1

SeK"pi''iLe'S«™aS,"Sr':.rS,-p!?.i"s,THS Jocks,Me$i Disks

r.r.^”i;s 5 s !3 -'H'SLksSS « mskko'seasbp

cutups to some frantic lerping ac- 2!}^c P^^hsn television promotion, says the firm Using the free port of Hamburg, the Eame tune rocked, slovdy, by

tivity. 1 tisof would publish only British songs. a warehouse and the Bugs Bower combo. .

check and shut the doors to late- +hat BVC bTreauired to account general manager

comers at 12-30 am to ton the t - London’s Cafe de Paris until it -dmropean scucb t^arisimas

cr^d tom gtoS;?out rf Lnd 1^1?" ceased operating as a ritzy nitery style of the U.S, distribufaon pat- ^Coral): “I Lnp

“An afSh (/Sis ^ort ^is i^mgemtos; and that ^ months bfek. ^ tern. Plan is being carried out by CHRISTMAS” (Willow*) is

fn ha^P - r, “ 0,12 ...n'? BVC pay damages rf not less than m n ns x. European sales man- holiday offering. “JINGLE BELL

nrobablv be th?Iast ” Wp nianr'?i ' - ager. He’s currently forming a rqcK” (Cornell*) is Ji fair work-

the last. He plans to! - - ^ bases around the over of Bobby Helms’ 1957 click.

tainment for the ^nnder^ad^ on ‘Eyes of TeX.’ Ms. to U. Chd”Cll3 Continent and who wiR receive Winifred Atwell (London):

future holiday weekends ^ whi(* Dallas, Dec. 2. .- Continued from page 6S - merchandise ‘J^^etty from the; I'GOHDEN CAI^ ^ an^^^^

“stimrtrting^Xr''’"™ wS[ such cycles, as '“^"'l.fslte 'Ssisn prexy! ^ves," maki^t a^r^™, pr<^

But as to as the crews were presented to ufticials of the V H^buS'llfst’^ ,

concerned, duxisiand is the thing, versity Nov. 27, before the annual I Blue Violins, etc. _ , : j-? q rru Kovc (Biff B)*

According to Johnny Rowe (Holy • Texa.s-A&M football game in Aus-: I" Hie meantime, the cha cha . they go to distributors m the U ^ »qIn-?aI SNOWDEER” (Miller*)
Cross., who was there taping inter- tin.. Thanksgiving Day. . I oraxg has re^u^^ed | "We can press and |h.P to the free SANTA S SNOWD^R^.^.^^

ris until it European sales organization on the Christmas Disks

ritzy nitery style of the U.S. distribuHon pat- <Coral): "I LI^

tern. Plan is being carried out by CHRISTMAS” (Willow*) is a perky
Tom Brusk, European sales man- holiday offering. *‘JINGLE BELL
ager. He’s currently forming a rocK” (Cornell*) is jbl fair work-
sales force with bases around the over of Bobby Helms’ 1957 click.
Continent and who will receive Winifred Atwell (London):
merchandise direptly from the ^'GOLDEN CAROL” is an adapta-
central Hamburg warehouse. tioh of the p^ennial ‘Green-

Cy Leslie, Design prexy. said, sleeves,” making it a sur^re pro-

Gha'Gha

; Continued from page I

“SANTA’S SNOWDEER” (Miller*)

i..rossi, wno was there taping inter- tin. Thanksgiving Day. I uuaw- we cdu pteoa ... — _ fit into

views for the college station,] It will be placed on permanent: 0^.®^ catalog, port of Hamburg for less money holiday programming sclied-

WCHC, dixieland is the beat on ' loan to Texas U. by its owners, i ^he oldi^, v^ieh got the rock n than it would cost us to manufa^ ules ^j^-WHlTE WONDERLAND”

the campus. “Rock ’n’'roll,” he i Dr. James L. Johnson, Amarillo, roll treatment, are now back with ture our records overseas from the seasonal mood

said, “is for the 14 to 16-vear-olds! and Lewis G. Johnson, Jr., of cha cha versions. [tape.” This, he added, will enable ajjgquately.

but the 18 to 23 age group Is solidly ^ Jacksboro. Father of the two was “Tea For Two Gba Cha” kicked Design to keep its European prices AlVin (Warner Bros.):

pro-dixieland and it gets most olia roommate of John Lang Sinclair, off the cycle followed by “I Want down. “SANTA -GLAUS WHEQl^D. MY

the college station programming i who penned the song on a kcrap To Be Happy," both cut by the --—-- ’LECTRIC TRAIN” (BfelliH^l^uns

time. And when the undergrads 1 of laundrv paper in 1903. The Tommy Dorsey hand, batoned by Cap’s Distrib Shift along the novelty track for

come to New York,” he added “it’s father got the manuscript from Warren Covington, for DeCca. ' Hollywood, Dec. 2. moppet appreciation by_l^v-two-

for some more dixieland at ’ such ■ Sinclair. These were followed by cha cha Robert E. Mustoe replaces Don. and-a-half-ye^ V|^l^ v^u-

spots at Eddie Coxiaon’s, the Stuv-1 John had urged Sinclair to versions of every conceivable — Elliott as sales manager of the 59™?’i

vesant Casino, Central Plaza, or -'^Tite the song for the “Variety and some not so conceivable— Charlotte branch of Capitol Rec- DEER .1?^ Nitol^ ) wiU be n ^

Cap’s Distrib Shift

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

the Metropole on Broadway.’

I Minstrels.” Lyrics for the popular oldies, including “My Yiddishe ords Distributing Corp.

ited to those who like baby talk in

Although the bash was sched- i were suggested by an expres- Momme” and “My Old Kentucky Latter was recently named dis- meir qisks. t pv-ris (MGM)'
uled to run from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., fsion often used by the late Texas Home.” Next, one disk jockey trict sales manager of the southern ..c^^XA. CLAUS JR” (Wemant)
things quieted down to a slow paee*U. prexy. W. L. Prather, that “the wdse^racked, wTll be “The Star district of ^he^^phonograph sales | unpretentious little Yule item
about 1 a.m. It still had been a i of Texas are upon you.” Spangled Banner Cha CRia.” ”

ouuui. A rt.iii. JLL still naa oeen a i
long dancing-listening night ana ~
the crewcut crowd seemed just
plain pooped. Gros.

New Italo Show Biz Mag
With a Pop Record Insert

Rome, Nov. 24. :

A new musical and show busi¬
ness magazine, II Musichiere, Is
slated to be published weekly in
Milan. Feature of the publication,
which is in the hands of Honda- :
dori, the w.fc. Milan publishing ■
house, would be a record insert. I
Recording is said to be via a
new plastic-coating process and
allows up to 300 playings. Price
of the new magazine remains un¬
disclosed, hut it will reportedly;
sell for less than 100 lire (15c). ■

Name, II Musichiere, is deliber- j
ately taken from the Italian tv ;
"musical quiz game written by Ga- |
rinei and Giovannini. Last-named !
were at one time thinking of edit-!
Ing the paper in addition to sundry •
other activities in local show biz
field, but r^nounred mamly be¬
cause they HQ in Rome, w'hile pa¬
per is published in Milan, as are
other Mondardori publications.

Ehike’s Holiday Blue Note

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Duke Ellington, per a two-year’
tradition, returns to the Blue Note
over the Xtnas-New Year’s holi-'
days. Stand -opens Dec. 17 and
winds Jan. 4.

J^entoB. opens tomorrow

division of CRDC.

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

is an unpretentious little Yule item
with a pleasant lilt. “LITTLE
GREEN GIRL” (Diana*) is a nov¬
elty about a gal from outer space
that will have trouble getting off
the ground.

’ + ASCAP. 1- BMI.

- P^IETT -

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
13 cities <indt showing com¬
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

* ASCAP t BMI

Roulette

National
Rating
This Last
wki wk-

Title and Publisher

tTom Dooley (Beeduvood)..

tKnow Him (Warman).

♦It’s AH'in Game (Remick)..
♦Day Rains Came (Garland).
♦World Outside (Chappell)..

iLonesome Town' (Eric)._

*T3ie End (Criterion).

tNon Dimenticar (Hollis)-

♦Tea For -Two (Harms). . .v...

tCbantiUy Lace" (Glad)..

♦Topsy No. 2 (Cosmopolitan).
♦CSiase Momibeam (Witmark).

tCail Me (Meridian).

♦Near Yon (Supreme). ......

tO^dy Beliey o (Marielle)

MoDa Iftttlgito: t ioa Ur// .joaiUffdi a’R

—^ Contlnaed from Page 71
[> seven monaural albums from the

) new release,

C Ifv Jerome, veepee in charge of
^ sales, indicated that a heavy pro-
^ motional campaign has been blue¬
printed to support the program.
> The promotion will include a spe-
) • cial salesmen’s order pad listing all
the' albums included in the plan,
i window streamers for the dealers

? on the stereo demonstration LP,

i co-op mats for local newspaper ad-

= vertising and full disk jockey cov-

l erage and reviewer’s service on all

the albums.

The promotion will be topped
with a consumer incentive deal. In
every stereo demonstration album
there will be a special bonus cou¬
pon. This coupton, plus the pur¬
chase riip tom the record .store
for the purchase «f m. full-price
; Roulette .stereo ehum> wiR enable
, the bi^er to 'select finother stereo
album tom the catalog at half the
retail eost. The stereo demonstra¬
tion disk wiR eantalh excerpts from
- , LPs by Jimmie Rodgers, Count
Joe-Williams,
I ^ Maehii^r Tiito Rodriguez, Mayi^d

^ Ferguson, among..oth»s;' It hai a

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

MU.^IC

79

On The Upbeat

New York

Columbia Records’ transcription
division has set Arthur Streiger as
account exec. He reports to Floyd
Glmert,.the department’s national
sales manager . . . Al .Lerner is
new accompanist and conductor
f''r Jimmie Rodgers, Roulette
d. sker. '

Don Costa, ABC-Paramount’s
■pop a&r chief, bought Bill Maul¬
din’s home in Rockland County . . .
Boston disk promoter Ruth Shapiro
brapching into personal manage¬
ment with monotagged Italian
singer Enrico and thrush Bobbi
Baker, formerly of Baker Sisters.
. . . Jackie Paris returns to the
nitery scene with an engagement
at the Debonair Club beginning
tomorrow (Thurs.) . . . Morgana
King currently vocalizing at the
Versailles, Greenwich Village spot.

Stan Freberg’s spoof at the com¬
mercialization of Christmas on his
Capitol etching, “Green Christ¬
mas,’’ has been banned by NBC’s

GREAT

I GO CHASE A MOONBEAM {

I Jerry Vale Columbia 4*1230 |

i GREAT SOMEBODY !
j GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE i

I The Southwest High School Choir 1
I 0. B. Dahle, Director Columbia 4*1285 J

EACH TIME YOU KISS ME I
I THEBOX I

I The Four Voices Columbia 4*1281 j

Philadelphia affiliate, WRCV . . .
Roger Stone, 12-year-old son of
Dick Stone, professional manager
at Famous Music, has penned
“Shaky Little Baby’’ in collabora¬
tion with Hal David. It was cut
by Reed Harper & The Notes for
RCA Victor . . . Ziggy .Lane rec¬
ording his own tune, “Have You
Read The Bible Today,’’ for
Carousel Records . . . The Four
\oices set to tape six shows for
Peter Lind Hayes’ ABC-TV show.
They’ll also appear “live’’ from
Dec. 22 through Dec. 26 . . .
Tommy Mara, Felsted disker, be¬
gins a 10-day stint at the Boule¬
vard, Queens, Dec. 5. He’s also
due on. the Dick Clark ABC-TV
show Dec. 5 . . . The Rover Boys
booked for a two-weeker at the
Beverly Hills Club, Cincinnati,
starting Dec. 19.

Phil Bodner Is the clarinetist
with the Metropolitan Jazz Quar¬
tet and not Phil Booner as typoed
in last week’s album review of
MGM’s “Great Themes From The
Classics” . . . Orrin Keepnews,
Riverside Records a&r topper,
guests on Nat Hentoff’s WBAI-FM
show Sunday (7).

Hollywood

John Scott Trotter will cut a sec¬
ond album for Warner Bros. Rec¬
ords . . . Roger Wagner’s new Cap¬
itol album will be tagged “Songs
That Mother Taught Me’’ . . . Gale
Robbins will wax an album for
Andre Troffel, Columbia Records
rep in Mexio, for release in that
country . . ; Rudy Vallee teams up
with Buddy Cole for “Love Songs
After Dark.’’ a'new album for the
Warners diskery , . . Lay Lmvy,
former Coral promotion rep, dis¬
charged from the Army after six
months at Camp Gordon in
Georgia . . . Debbie Reynolds cut
her first sides for Dot Records
Monday (1).

Julie London checks into Liberty
Records Dec. 10 to wax new
“London By Night’’ album . . .
Producer Jerry Wald making the.
d.j. rounds plugging the musical
score in his 20th-Fox production,
“Mardi Gras.’’

London

The Stargazers, vocal outfit, is
being featured in a new Radio
Luxembourg show . . . Peter Sisters
headed for the South of France
after several British tv dates . . ,
British jazzman and trumpeter
Humphrey Lytellton’s second book,
“Second Chorus,’’ has just hit the
bookstands . . . Johnny Franks has
left the exploitation staff of the
David Toff music pubbery.

Conductor - composer Stanley
Black has rescored and re-recorded
in stereo several of his earlier LP
releases for Decca ... Sir John
Barbirolli, conductor of the Halle
Orchestra, is to m^ke a three-
month tour of Canada and America.
His first concert will be' in Winni¬
peg, Can., tomorrow (Thurs.) . .
Dutch accordionist Harry Mooten
wiU make his British debut in a
BBC-TV program Dec. 6 ... British
comedian Roy Castle has waxed
his first titles for Pye Records . . .
Frankie Vaughan has written a
song entitled “Honey Bunny Baby”
for his latest picture, “The Lady
Is a Square.”

? tom*^
thumb's
J tune w"

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FOLKWAYS RiCORDS

WORLD'S LEADER IK AUTHENTIC
FOLK MUSIC

NEW HIGH FIDELITY RELEASE*
EVERY MONTH.

Write for » complete citalor of 400
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Chicago

Sonny Stitt and Three Sounds
current at "the Sutherland Hotel
, . . Cozy Cole five moves into the
Preview Lounge Dec. 26 for two
weeks . . . Virgil Mason orch held
over at Toledo’s Hillcrest Hotel .,. .
Jo Ann Miller to the Monteleone
hospice, New Orleans, Dec. 16.
Chirper has a Jan. 1 date at the
Cipango in Dallas , . . Cy Coleman,
who seldom strays from Gotham,
is at the London House here . . .
Los Nortenos Trio opens at the
Gaucho Room, Van Orman Hotel
in Ft. Wayne, Dec. 15 for a month
... Carmen McRae signed by the
Chi Blue Note for a week starting
Jan, 7 . . . Cafe Continental here
booked Pat Moran Trio and Mary
Ann McCall for Dec. 3 .. . . Jerri
Winters current at the Sahara, Chi
. . . Buddy Laine’s band, one-night-
ing it around the midwesti has De¬
cember dates in LouisviUe, Daven-r
port, la., and Galena, Ill. He’ll
be the New Year’s eve dansapator
at the Chevy Chase Country Club
in Wheeling, Ill.

Philadelphia

Columbia Records waxed an al¬
bum featuring Tony Bennett and
Count Basie at the Latin Casino
over weekend. The spot, gets a
credit. In the title “Basie and Ben¬
nett at the Latin.” Roulette, which
holds the Count’s contract, will f{et

Bennett or an artist of similar sta¬
ture for a reciprocal session . . .
Hal Roach is taking young local
vocalist Frankie Avalon to Holly¬
wood for a film try . . . Dave Ap¬
pel & The Applejacks current at
the Bambu in Clifton Heights . . .
Max Roach Quintet into the sub¬
urban Rendezvous today (Wed.) . . .
Glen Ross orch booked for one-
nighter at Sunnybrook Dec. 6 . . .
Ted Forrest Four plays the 19th
Hole Tavern this week . . . Four
Coins slated for the Erie Social
Club Dec. 20-21 . .. Billy Hope orch
working El Rancho, Chester, Pa.,
Dec. 1-6.

San Francisco

Perez Prado orch plays an after¬
noon date next Sunday (7) at the
Sands Ballroom, Oakland . . . Mark
Murphy booked into George An¬
dros’ Pack’s II . . . Estelita, with
Paul Gilbert, into' Bimbo’s 365 Dec.
18 . . - Mills Bros, follpw Gogi
Grant into the Fairmont Dec. 18,
and John Raitt’s booked for Jan.
15-Feb. 11, replacing Edith Piaf
. . . Miles Davis Sextet being set
for a Blackhawk date early next
year . . . Don Duffy quit as Easy
Street manager . .. Bob Hodes Jazz
Band took over from Marty Mar¬
sala group at KeviTiie Doll . , .
Dukes of Dixieland booked for
Easy Street in mid-January . . .
Maya Angelou returned to the Pur¬
ple Onion.

Pittsburgh

Wally Gingers band tagged for
a four-week return to New York’s
Roseland Ballroom in June . . .
Weela Gallez opened indefinite en¬
gagement Monday (1) at Kenil¬
worth Restaurant's Gold Key
Room, following Lady Holland . . .
Giro Rimac unit, booked into the
Chateau for four weeks, has had
option picked up through New
Year’s . . . Jimmy Doyle, organist
at Blue Room, was fonnerly of
vaude team of Doyle & Dubin . . .
Anthony Mowed, drummer, has
joined Jack Reynolds in latter’s
African Story Teller performances.
They’re going to Chicago shortly
under the sponsorship of Mrs.
Ahmad Jamal . . . Frank CuUey
and his organ trio into the Hi Hat
for a stay . . Jose Morocco, pi¬

anist-organist, at Chez Dee Lounge
. . . Howdy Baum will be playing
leader (at the piano) when his band
replaces A1 Marsico at New Arena
Monday (8).

Album Reviews

^ Continued from page 70

concoction “I Was So Young, You
Were So Beautiful,” among others,
that have received little, if any,
disk coverage. Shannon gets a
vocal assist on “Doodle-De-Do”
from Rosebud Cheriewho’s better
known to the jazz buffs as Blossom
Dearie. Backing comes . from
Jimmy Stuts (bass), Stanley Katz
(drums) and Parke Hiil (guitar).

Charles Byrd; “Jazz At The
Show'boat” (Offbeat). The Show-
boat, Washington jazz club, has
been a stomping ground for
guitarist Charles Byrd and the
package is a representative offer¬
ing of his work there. His jazz
guitar gets plenty of play here and
should win lots of fans outside the
Washington area. Byrd switches
to the classical guitar in “Anthol¬
ogy of Guitar Music—Sixteenth
Century” on the Washington label
and shows that he’s got both styles
down pat.

“The Sounds of Christmas”
(Warner Bros.). The-sounds in
this package come from music
boxes, bells and chimes and they
are all appealing. Repertoire is
standard for the Yule season, but
the sounds give it an unusual ap¬
peal that will draw interest.

Buddy Cole: “Pipes & Chimes of
Christmas” (Columbia). The hymns
and carols of the Christmas season
get an interesting treatment here
by Buddy Cole at the pipe organ.
His touch is clear and precise and
the sound is completely in keeping
with the material. Gros.

‘Anna Lucasta’ Track
Getting Late Release

Hollywood, Dec. 2.

Contrary to the regular practice
of releasing an album score from
a film either before the pic opens
or simultaneously with the open¬
ing, High Fidelity Records Is re¬
leasing the soundtrack score of
UA’s "Anna Lucasta” a month after
the .film is in distribution.

Diskery reasons that word-of-
mouth. on the film, and the re¬
views will spur potential album
sales. Elmer Bernstein penned the
original «Gore.

Midnight Rally of the Folkniks;

By LEN LEVINSON

Folkniks of New York had them¬
selves an aural ball at Carnegie
Hall Saturday (29) midnight with
“The Whole World Sings,” one of
the most showmanly ideas ever
presented in the folk music con¬
cert field: first half, 30 ethnic
singers and dancers, each doing his
top number; then for the late ac¬
tion, let them all entertain in
small combos in a folk-swing ses¬
sion.

Result wa 5 a well-routined pro¬
gram which was reluctantly halted
by overtime overheadaches after
VA hours of warm audience re¬
ception. Top tiers of Carnegie
went clean, but lower floor didn’t
capacity out, resulting in a Mex
standoff between budget and b.o.
But the folks’ enthusiasm for folks
entertainment cues a spring r^
j peat which should sell out. Half-
a-dozen tv specialty potentials
were spotlighted and this source
could even snowball a new pop
trend—people songs.

The ballad bash marked a step
forward for such fests, high-lighted
not only by talent, but by good
routining and sound, almost in-
obtrusive introing and a three-
stage staging which utilized areas
and mikes at left, center and right
stage. Result: practically no lags
and 46 numbers offered in 185
minutes running time. Show was
long on song and short on dancing,
only two nationalities being rep¬
resented in latter dept., El Quadro
Flamenco taking care of gypsy
guitar, piercing wail and hate-the-
floor hoofing and Oz < Oranium*
Zahar) Israeli group, which lean¬
ed over backward to give almost
equal time to Arabic dances.

Since almost everyone clicked
like a boy with a stick and a
picket fence, it is difficult to single
out individual performances, hut
ready for anyone’s television var¬
iety show are Leon Bibb, a threat
to Harry Belafonte, with rich
voice and persuasive personality,
Theo Bickel, who put the crowd
in his watch-pocket with a special¬
ty as a Teutonic musicologist dem¬
onstrating the western “Ghost Ri¬
ders in the Sky,” 'Will Holt, with
ballad of a man trapped in the
Boston subway for lack of a nickel
to buy a transfer, plus a ringing
rendition of the Kurt Weil “Bil¬
bao” (English lyrics by Holt from
Bert Brecht’s original).

Elly Stone hit with both comedy
and straight ditties. Cynthia Good¬
ing proved a real pro with authen¬
tic numbers. The well-drilled Tar-
riers swung spirituals and tradi¬
tional American chants. Elizabeth
Land, a chic gospel belter with an
exciting voice and Gene & Fran¬
cesca, who do sophisticated things
with folk songs.

Throw a beam of approval to
Brownie McGee, bluester; Pat and
Tom Clancy and Tommy Makem,
Irishers; Mort Freeman with Yid¬
dish and Hebrew numbers; Lord
Burgess, the Calypsonian, backed
by a fervid penny-whistle tooter;
BiUy Faier, Logan English and
Tony Kraber, Usanians; Phil &
Danny, who did a capella Yugo-
slavic scat (or Tito-Tito); Alex
Hassilev, personable south-of-the-
boarder; and Jacques Menahem,
who personified the UN character
of the fest—he’s a French-Greek j
j singer of very Mexican ballads.

Common denominator of this 1
tune tonsil convention was guitar j
backstopping, the greatest being'

Juan Garcia de la Mata of the
Flamenco troupe. In addition to
an occasional banjo or accordion,
there was the capable inobtru.'^ive
piano, of Ellis Larkin, who al.«o
worked with Buck Clayton, Vie
Dickinson, Buddy Tate. Roy
Gaines and Bert Dahlender in a
real swinging early-jazz demo
which occupied intermission—an¬
other touch of showman.ship.
Program was presented by Art
D’Lugoff and Skip Weshner Jr,
Latter, son of the film distrib,
proved a smooth, skilled emcce.
He conducts “Accent on Sound.”
nightly WBAI-FM program which
is the rallying point of folkniks of
the metropolitan area. As a pano¬
rama of the music and dances
which spring spantaneously from
the people, this on was a natural
gasser.

CONNIE

FRANCIS

Sings

NEVER

BEFORE

from I'way Musical

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K 12738

MUSIC BY

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BOBBY HACKETT

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VACBEVILLB

P^JSrIMFt

'WeSiLeaidmff P^ember 1958

Tout Vegas Conventkm And. to Phq;
That Whatta-We-Do-in-Winter Gap

By JOE SCHOENFELD

Las Vegas, Dec. 2.

“Six-to-five it never takes off!”

That’s gambler talk and a stand¬
ing gag here aimed at a highly
futuristic building rapidly nearing
completion in the middle of a
sandy waste a quarter of a mile
back of the neon-lighted Strip. To
the unknowing, the striictare
looks like a gigantic space-ship;
actually it’s*the modernistic Clark
County Convention Centre that
Vegas hotel operators are hopeful
will eventually buttress their sea¬
sonal dog days.

If Vegas becomes a success as
a convention city, the casino own¬
ers see the probability of New
Year’s- Eve business 365 days in
the year. As is, Vegas has been
enjoying boom biz only about six
months out of the year; the con¬
ventions can take care of the
other six months (mid-Qctober to
mid-December and January
through April) by keeping the ho¬
tels filled with junketeers.

The Convention Hall has been
spearheaded by the hotel-casino
operators, led by IVL B. Dalitz, of
the Desert Inn, and Ben Goffstein,
of the Riviera, and Clark Coimty
went ahead on the $6,500,000 con¬
struction after it was assured re¬
payment of a bond issue via a
room tax at all the hotels, whether
the rooms are cuffed or paid for.

Building has a main auditorium
with a seating capacity of 8,000
if centre is empty (for a prizefight,
it can seat 10,000). It also has an
exhibition hall area of 90,000
square feet. Off the exhibit hall
area are 17 rooms which, via mov¬
able partitions, can accommodate
meetings of 25 to 1,000 persons,
Blue-Sky Parking

As for parking space, it’s almost
limitless. Plus the auditorium’s
own area, the nearby defunct
racetrack’s vast parking area is
also being made available to the
convention centre.

The number of conventions al¬
ready booked appear to assure the
success of Vegas as a convention
site. Opening convention will by
the Variety Club International
(Vegas has a particularly active
tent) March 30-April 2. at which
1,500 delegates are expected. But

the first convention . to tax the
new auditorium’s full capacity will
be the Air Force Assn.’s World
Congress of Flight, April 12-19>.
which is expected to draw 10,000
delegates.

Other big conventions booked
include Air Force Assn., in. 1960;
National Council of Catholic
Women, with 7,000 attendees ex¬
pected, in 1960; American Mining
Congress, 10,000, and NatL EIcct
trical Contractors Assn., 5,000,
also in 1960. The American Min¬
ing Congress has 'also committed
itself for conventions in Vegas in
1964 and ’68, while the Inti.
Assn, of Fire Chiefs; with a mem¬
bership of 5,000, has rented the
auditorium for Sept. 24-28 irt 1961.

One of Vegas’ strong selling
points to organizations and others
I seeking a convention site is the
town’s vast amount of first-class
hotel rooms. Vegas has 11,000 ho¬
tel rooms, of which 8,000 are
grade-A, far higher in ratio as
well as in number than any other
city in the world. Since every ef¬
fort is being made to channel the
big conventions into the dog-day
periods, every hotel is pledged to
cooperate toward maldng suffi¬
cient rooms available for conven¬
tioneers.

Bettors Will Find a Way

Hotel operators claim they’ve
j had no difficulty disabusmg or-
i ganization officials of any fear
i that conventioneers might go over-
j board on gambling losses in Vegas,
i For one thing, the hotel men point
out that an individual’s credit can
i be held down; secondly,, the
. weak-willed who would go over¬
board on gambling in, Vegas would
! also go overboard in any other
; city where sneak gambling,
whether it’s the nonies or dice,
. can easily be fouM.
j The one thing the hotel ops
‘ have demanded of the Auditori¬
um’s management—and have it
as an agreement—is that no en-
. tertainments be booked that could
be considered opposite to what
; the hotels offer. In other words,
there’ll be no ice shows^ circuses,
. rodeos, etc., booked into the Audi-
. torium. A fight, auto shovy, etc,,
' will be okay, however.

FrmtMvrt CorrMpanrfaaf

Hazel GiiHd

wo»d«rs

Americans Big Roving
Audience

(Where Are (he Showt far
GPs?)

* * *

another Editorial Foofaro !■ Hm
. flpcomliig

53d Anniversary Number

ol

P^KiEfr

j Shep Fields orch booked for the
j Alamo Club's New Year’s Eve
shindig in the grand ballroom of
i the Hilton Hotel, Sart Antonio.

Heart for S.CIaiis;
Amateurs in Act

Boston, Dec. 2.

There’s been nary a call for a
Santa Claus act at any Hub book¬
ing agency this Xmas season.

It’s sad, but true, the Hub book¬
ers report, that the once lucrative
booking of cherubic S. Claus play¬
ers is a thing of the past.

“They buy a Santa Claus suit
and hire a guy off the street,” says
booker Danny White.

“We even have a very good lady
Santa Claus on our list, but no
takers,” says Frank Adams of
Adams & Soper.

Department stores hire their
Santa Clauses by the week and
provide a suit too. The children’s
parties and the office parties w’here
old St. Nick used to drop in, pass
out the gifts and sometimes do a
bit of magic bn the side, are gone.

A decade or so back, reminisces
booker Harry Drake, he’d book
Santa Claus solid. Carriage trade
kiddie parties in those days de¬
manded the presence of Santa and
ofttimes Santa would play as many
as five parties the same day. Fat
actors used to score weU in De¬
cember.

But no more.:. Outside of an air¬
plane or helicopter delivered by
Santa Claus, calls for the old fash¬
ioned “ho ho ho” variety are a
scarce item, and as one old Santa
said to another making the rounds
of agents in the Little Bldg’,
“Thats’ show biz.”

LesKe MacDonuelTs Uve’ Format

New Moss Empires’ Joint Chief Scouting^ States For,
Talent

London, Dec. 2. -

On the eve of his departure for
New York on the Comet last Sat¬
urday (29) Leslie A. MacDonnell,
newly appointed joint mana^ng
director of Moss Empires, outlined
his thoughts on plans for revitaliz¬
ing the live theatre, particularly
in the Provinces. While in the
States MacDormell will be on a
talent prowl.

In the first place MacDonnell
would like to .harness television
to help the theatre. One proposal
he has in mind is to make over¬
tures to the various tv program¬
ming companies, inviting them to
share imported; talent—^p^ticularly
American stars—with his circuit.

If one of the webs is bringing over
a top artist from the U.S. fof just
a couple of tv dates, MacDonnell
reckoned it would make sense if

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DATES

4 Yeorrs in the Making

RAY ROMAINE and CLAIRE

Delightfully Different

Palace Theatre
New York
■ Dec. 10th. 1954
Tivoli Theatre
Sydney, Australia.
Tivoli Theatre
Melbourne. Australia.

Chevron Hotel
Melbourne, Australia.
St. James Theatre
Auckland. N. Z.

St. James Theatre
Well.n 3 ton. N. Z.
Regent Theatre
Palmerston North, N. Z
Majestic Theatre
Christchurch. N. Z.

Her Majesty's Theatre
Dunedin. N. Z.
Chequers
Sydney, Australia
Scotts Hotel
Melbourne. Anstralia
Theatre Royal
Adelaide. Anstralia
Her Majesty's Theatre
Perth. Australia
Sunday Night from the
Palladium T.V. Show,
London, England
Empire Theatre
Liverpool

Hippodrome Theatre
Birmingham

Plantation Club
Rabat, Morocco
Casino Marrekech
Morocco
Armed Forces
Kaiserslautern
Haus Vaterland
Hamburg
Casino Fedala
Morocco
Armed Forces
Rabat. Morocco
Cine-Vox Theatre
Casablanca
Le Chalet
Kinitra, Morocco
Cabarette Consulat
Tangier (2 times;

Emsallah Gardens Casino Charbonnieres
Tangier France

Le Roi de la Biere Smeraldo Theatre

Meknes, Morocco Mil a n . Italy

Restaurant Valland
'' Goteberg, Sweden

Moulin Rouge Ideal Theatre

Brussels Turin Italy

Moulin Rouge Palais De Parc

Paris (2 times) Le Pereux, France

Villa Rosa Wintergarten

Madrid , Nurnberg

Georg Palast Armed Forces

Hannover Orleans, France

Empire Theatre Ambassadeurs

Newcastle, England Paris

Palace Theatre Ted Ray T.V. Show

Manchester London

Regal Theatre Gerry’s Inn T.V. Show
Great Yarmouth, England London

Dorchester Hotel Aboard the Orcades

London South Pacific

Casino De Enghein Aboard the Orcades
France (2 times) Red Sea

Casino Deauville Aboard the Liberte

France North Atlantic

Morocco Club Solbakken

Madrid (2 times) Denmark

Casablanca-Mexico Club Palais des Fetes
Barcelona Metz, France

Trocadero Club Grand Theatre

Palma De Majorca Nancy, France

Rigat Club Eden Theatre

Barcelona Colmar, ’ France

Casino Campione Palais des Fetes

Italy Strasbourg. France

Amphitheatre
Istanbul, Turkey
Olympia Music Hall
. Paris

Fontoria Salon
Madrid

Tito’s Palma De Majorca
(2 times)

Astoria Variety
Bremen. Germany
Arizona, Club
Bremen. Germany
Hungaria Restaurant
Zurich. Switzerland
Esquire Club
Zurich. Skitzerland
Palladium, Dusseldorf
Germany
Armed Forces
Mctnnheim
Casino Estoril
Portugal

ARRIVING IN NEW YORK Dec. 8th. 1958

•

OPENING CASINO THEATRE. TORONTO.
Dec; 11th. 1958

Enquire: c/o Andersen. Sewevd, Po.

Sam Sflyder’s Aqiiatica
In South African Pact
For 14-Wk. Tennis’Tour

Boston, Dec. 2:

Sam Snyder, producer of Sam
Snyder’s Water Follies, 35-person
company, is produeng an aU-new
show for 1959, which he has inked
for 14 weeks with the South Afri¬
can Producing Co. Ltd., Joharines-
hurg, to play South Africa and
southern Rhodesia following the
American tour.

Two reps of the South African
Producing Co. flew into the Hub
this week to ink final contracts for
the S.A. tour, first for the shaw,
and first time a water show has
played the territory. The Water
Follies, which has played in Aus¬
tralia, and. was at the Brussels
World’s Fair, opens its tour in
Capetown, for three weeks, Nov.
23; Johannesburg, fo'ur weeks; Dur¬
ban, two weeks; Pretoria, one
week. The water show then plays
four weeks in Southern Rhodesia,
opening in Salisbury.

On its S.A. tour, the Follies will
play on tennis courts, which have
big seating capacities. The Johan¬
nesburg court is a 10,0Q0-seaer.

The Hub producer has been dick¬
ering for the last two years for
the S.A. date. The South African
company brings three shows a year
there, Snyder said, but this is the
first time they have booked in an
aquacade. All equipment will be
brought over by ship, with two
portable pools, special lighting
equipment, and stage, comprising
35 tons of equipment.

The tour is on a guarantee basis,
Snyder said. The American tour
of Water Follies opens March 23
and closes Oct. 18. The teeoff spot
is Columbus, O. and Canada is
included.

Tropieana

Jlontinued from page 1 sss

! sets, along with the staggering
; cost of transporting the show from
I Paris to Las Vegas,
j The vogue for the Paris nuae
! shows started at the Stardust, Las
' Vegas, where the Le Lido layout
i has been doing consistently good
j business since its opening last
I July. Havana’s Riviera conse-
I quently became interested in im-
* porting the layout intact from La
NouveUe Eve, Paris. Nothing has
been finalized on that show as yet.

First Las Vegas cafe to introduce
hare-busted babes was the Dunes
which has been doing good busi¬
ness with a Harold Minsky pro¬
duction. El Rancho Vegas tried a
nude layout for a few nights,, but
protests forced impresario Beldon
Katleman to put bras on the
chorus.

they could be offered a four to
six weeks Provineial tour as well.
Such a step would help to spread
the load all round and would be
beneficial to tv, to the theatre and
certainly to the artist.

At the same time, he has plans
for changing, the conventional for¬
mat of the vaude show. Instead of
the regular week-in. week-out for¬
mula of a string of acts, MacDon¬
nell envisages the possibility of
getting some of the important pro¬
duction companies to mount shows
which Moss Empires and, after they
have merged, Stoll Theatres, too,
could underwrite and amortize over
a given number of weeks. Addi¬
tionally, he believes thatt the hit
resort Summer shows should not
be allowed to fold automatically at
the end of the season, but should
be kept going and presented as a
package wherever possible. There
would not be a rigid booking pat¬
tern and he hoped that shows
would be held over for as long as
they were paying their way at the
boxoffice.

MacDonnell said that his brief
from his Moss Empires colleagues
was not to look for the fast buck,
but to plan a long-term poPey
which, it was hoped, would pay
off in due course. The theatre chain
had enormous reserves and re¬
sources and was willing to plough
in money to bring-new life to the
theatre.

As a result of his new appoint¬
ment, which takes effect from the
first of the year, MacDonnell is
winding up his agency business. He
has declined offers for a direct
sale of his company as this could
have placed him in an invidious
position.

Val Parnell, who relinquishes his
post as managing director at the
New Year, will continue ta be in
charge of th London Palladium.

Tex. Cafe’s Negro Acts

Houston, Dec. 2.

Under the Tidelands Club enter¬
tainment policy, Sjeveral Negro en¬
tertainers will be floorshow head¬
liners during the year.

Rose Murphy (“Chi Chi Girl”)
and her trio who opened yesterday
(MonJ.

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W^negdaj, December 8, 1958

P^iE'rf

VACDEVnXE '81

AGVA ‘CLUB PLAN’ ON THE PAN

Pyro Displays at Fairs Get Religion;
'ChemicaDy-Surrounded’ Bible Bits

Louisville, Dec. 2,

Religioso theme is new idea for
fairs and outdoor events being used
by an Ohio fireworks manufactur¬
er. Company, which has been in
the fireworks display biz for years,

- now has a new gimmick called
*‘Chemorama,” spreading chemical
action all around the arena, with
speaker placements giving the-ef¬
fect of audience surrounded by mu¬
sic and narration. Theme of the
display is the 10 Commandments
and titled “Out of the Darkness.”
Firm has another show' for the
Christmas season titled, “The
Xmas S 1 0 r y.” Fireworks are
backgrounded by organ music and
narrator.

L. “Doc” Cassidy, formerly with
the Kentucky State Fair as special
events and publicity director,
wrote the script; and is the nar¬
rator. He is also Handling the
booking of the two events. Show
carries a crew of six and usually
plays under auspices. Dates were
filled in Jackson, Miss., Stadium,
sponsored by the Junior C. of C.;
Bessemer, Ala., Rotary Club, and j
Meridian, Miss., under Junior C.
of C. auspices. Show’ is hooked
for Bangor, Me., State Fair, June
27 through July 5. '

Religious display, according to
Cassidy, has been seen by minis¬
ters, rabbis and priests, and all
have pronounced it an improve¬
ment over the type of grandstand
show shown at previous fairs, etc.
Fair managements also have re¬
ported an increase in grandstand
attendance. Story of Creation,
Noah’s Ark, and Jacob’s Ladder,
all tied together thematically by
music and narration, appear to be
proving that fireworks, with a bibli¬
cal theme, can be entertaining, and
In good taste, a natural combo for
grandstand shows.

Gruntertainment

Des Moines, Dec. 2.

In a Federal Court action
here Involving the question, of
“free enterprise” In the wres¬
tling business (brought by Har¬
old C. “Sonny” Myers, a St,
Joseph, Mo., wrestler, against
Des Moines promoter P, L.
“Pinky” George and the Na¬
tional Wrestling Alliance, the
judge, picking the jury, refer¬
red to the complainant as an
“entertainer,” He asked the
prospective jurors if any of
them were in the “grunt and
groan business.”

After referring once to “the
wrestling business, sometimes
called a racket,” the judge re¬
treated to a neutral corner by
saying, he didn’t know for sure
just what it was.

Book‘Wyatt Earp
At Brit. Ex-Vauder

London, Dec. 2.

America provides a Christmas ■
attraction for London audiences

MILLER’S RIVIERA NOT
TIED TO NEGRO POLICY

The forthcoming Riviera, N. Y.,
will not be W’edded to a Negro
act ^policy, according to operator
Bill Miller. Miller will open the
spot on Dec. 26 with Larry Steele’s
“Smart Affairs,” a Negro unit,
which may go as long as six
months. Miller plans to follow this
show with a layout, to be topped
by Donald O’Connor. j

Miller says that he is not-com-'i
mitted to any particular policy in- j
asmuch as he’ll go after a wide i
variety of. acts. He says that he’s '■
already spoken to Tony Martin, ana •
is dealing with other headliners
as w’ell.

Miller is currently making alter¬
ations to the nitery, the former
Cafe de Paris, which w’as started
by Lou Walters and folded after
a brief run. A bar is being built _
and certain alterations are being j
made in the kitchen and restrooms.

with the Rank theatre booking of.j
Hugh O’Brian, the Wyatt Earp of;
television. The. Mai’shal of Dodge ■
City is one of Britain’s favorite |
tv importations from the States'
and his two-week booking at the ■
Odeon, Tottenham Court Road, is |
designed not only to attract the;
kids but their fathers as .well. i
The Wyatt Earp setup will in-;
elude song and dance and a tough j
saloon fight. This w'ill be the first t
live show at this house for over •
20 years and the stage is being re-;
inforced to support a stagecoach, j
horses and other props to lend an |
authentic Wild West setting.

Supported by the George Car-
^ den Dancers and Geraldo’s pit
• orch, O’Brian will open on: Dec,

' 26 and run to Jan. 10, for a total
of 30 performances.

PREZ IGLETON'S
F

Revolt .against the administra¬
tive forces of the American Guild
of Variety Artists on the question
of the AGVA Country Club & Rec¬
reation Center is flaring into the.
open. Jn a letter to all members
of the AGVA national board, presi¬
dent Penny Singleton declared
that unless she is assured that the
AGVA Foundation, which operates
the country club, would be con¬
trolled by AGVA in perpetuity, “I
cannot and will not place the ap¬
proval of my office upon further
proceedings of the foundation.”

Miss Singleton declared that in
an exchange of letters between
herself, on the one hand, and the
national administrative secretary
Jackie Bright and union counsel
Harold Berg on the other, she was
not assured that this would be the
case.

Miss Singleton declared: “The
charter of the foundation, as now
drawn, permits wide use of its
funds for almost any charitable
purpose. Under the charter, dona¬
tions can be made from the foun¬
dation to any type of (fund for)
‘charitable, education, correctional
or religious purposes.’ I feel this
is too broad. I believe that charter
of the Foundation should be
amended to state expressly that
its purpos'b is what our member¬
ship thinks it is, namely, a founda¬
tion primarily to give aid and a
home and refuge to worthy and
needy AGVA members, and sec¬
ondarily to provide recreational fa¬
cilities to AGVA members. Our
counsel has responded to this
point that all lawyers draw these
charters differently and that it is
customary to give broad powers
to use foundation funds for many
purposes, but that the directors of
the foundation would use the
funds only for AGVA purposes.
This is an evasive answ'er. in my
judgment. I think that since the
charter is its ‘bible’ and is the
scripture that binds its officers
and directors in their future ac¬
tions, it should be amended so as
to restrict the use of its funds and
(Continued on page 84)

‘Ice Capades From Horse s Mouth
(John Harris) at Pre-Moscow Time

KEN CARSON

singing Star Of The
Garry Moore TV Show
Currently at the S.4N SU S.A.X
Decenilx'i* .^-C. Jericho Turnpike,
Lour Islaiid

Available fur future hookinfr.'^ thru
MERCURY ARTISTS CORP.

730 P’ifJh Avenue, Xcw York
Jl.'dson 6-6oi'()

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Pitt Copa Folding
For‘Private Life’

Pittsburgh, Dec. 2.

One of downtown’s oldest nit-
eries,-the Copa, which Lenny Lit-
man has operated for almost 11
years, fades out of the picture as
a regulation cafe at the end of the
year. Beginning in January, it’ll
go as a private membership spot
, although continuing more «or less
Ijjn the present entertainment pol-
' icy; with a band for dancing and a
floorshow spiked with occasional
(Continued on page 84)

By JOE COHExN

The logistics of bringing a show
to Russia as part of the cultural
exchange program is somewhat
staggering. Transportation and
boarding of about 100 performers
on the roster of “Ice Capades,”
which will play Moscow in June,
are not only a herculean task but
involve sacrifices for performer
and entrepreneur alike, says John
H. Harris, producer of “Capades,”
who completed details for the deal
a couple of weeks ago in Moscow
and stopped over in New York last
week.

And after all problems are
solved and taken care of, “I esti¬
mate my losses on the deal will be
between $40,000 and $50,000. The
performers in the company and
myself will sacrifice their vaca¬
tions. But I'm happy to do so as
my contribution to goodwill- be¬
tween both countries.”

Besides, Harris continued, “there
I have been times when I have in-
I vested as much as $100,000 in a
i single number of ‘Ice Gapadcs’ and
when it didn’t work out, everything
was ditched. I can certainly afford
to invest the amount of the lo.ss
involved as a patriotic duty.”

Harris’ contract stipulates that
; he is to bring his troupe to Russia
’ as early in June as po.ssible for a
two-week stand in Moscow, where-

■ in is located the only suitable site
‘ for the show. Inasmuch as he

■ closes May 18 in Los Angele.s -and
starts rehear.sal for his new show
in Atlantic City in eight weeks, his

: time is limited,
j Split-Second Schedule
I Transportation will be two weeks
; in either direction and there will
] he two weeks’ time in Moscow. His
major problem is to make ship
(Continued on page 84 1

Ted Steele R&R Neat 73G
In 5 Days at B’kip Par

The Ted Steele holiday rock ’n’
roller at the Paramount Theatre,
Brooklyn,' brought a good $73,420
for five days, according to the
theatre’s manager Ge>i':e Pleshette.
Pleshette estimates that the storm i
on Friday (20) followed by cold
weather cut about $20,000 off the
take. Layout closed Sunday <30)

Steele, a deejay at WMCA, N.Y.,
had a cast which included Frankie i
Avalon, Connie Francis, jimmy
Clanton, Cozy Cole, Clyde MePhat-
ter, Big Bopper, Kalin Twins, the
Shields, Solitaires, Dicky Do & The
Donts, Royaltones, Jerry Butler,,
Donny Owen, Clusters, the Twins,
Andy Rose, Barbara Evans, Johnny
Love and the Lloyd Price orch.

Larry Adler’s N.Y. Cafe

Larry Adler has been signed for
hLs first New York cafe date in
many years. He’s set for the Vil¬
lage Gate for four weeks starting
Dec. 19. He’s been working abroad
for several years. ^

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 36
154 W. 46th St.

HOLLYWOOD 28
6404 Sunset Blvd.

CHICAGO 11
612 N. Michigan

LONDON. W. C. 2
8 St. Martin’s Place
Trafalgar Square

EYDIE, VAGABONDS’PEAK
SAT. B.O. AT cm CHEZ

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Bill of Eydie Gorme and the
, Vagabonds gave Chez Paree its big-
I gest Saturday night '22i in months,

1 operators Don M(?dlevine and Dave
I Halper reported. Bonifaces, elated
’ with M’ss Gorme's .stint and box-
‘ office, have paeted .singer for a
three-week return next October or
November.

Show, which finaled last Satur¬
day (29), marked Miss Gorme’s
initial stand at the Chez. Her only
previous Chi appearance was about
a year ago at the Palmer House's
Empire Room,

Pitt’s Percy Klein Near
To Deal on Hirst Barley

Pittsburgh. Dec. 2.

Percy Klein, local hotel (the
Edison) owner who has been oper¬
ating the Casino burlesquery fot
the past year, is on the verge of
acquiring the Hirst circuit’s 45^
interest in the house. Hirst organi¬
zation ran the Casino for three or
four seasons, dropping a bundle,
and Klein stepped in when they
pulled out and got it out of the
red.

Majority stake in the Casino,
55%, is held by the estate of
George Jaffe, who was the peel
wheel’s No. 1 man here for a long
time before his death. Estate is
managed by a brother, Milton, now
boss of the gambling casino at the
Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas and
an old friend and associate of
Klein’s.

N. H.^S ALLEN 'A' SOLD

Wolfeboro, N. H., Dec. 2.

The widely known Allen “A**
summer resort here, which has
featured names during its 25 years
of operation, has been sold by
Allen H. Albee to a company
i headed by Richard S. Robie, Boston
j financier. Albee will remain, as
‘ president and general manager of
the popular resort.

' Albee said an all-time high in
I use of acts is planned for the 1959
i season.

Wednesday^ December 1958

=1:?

•oO*, 3 <sl^ et '*,S (S'® 50 U®"

c

COPACABANA

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Direction

GENERAL ARTISTS CORPORATION

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Wednesday, December 3, 1958

February: ED SULLIVAN SHOW CBS-TV

Personal Management: FRANK RICHARDS,

Hickory 5-2408i Now York

84

VAUDEVllXE

Vaude, Cafe Dates

New York

Deniae Darcel to fill in for two
days starting Friday before the
preem of Sue Garson and Johnny
Pnleo at the Latin Quarter . . .
Mitzi Mason starts at the Nacional,
Havana, Dec. 12 ... A1 Alberts goes
into the Latin Casino^ Philadel¬
phia, iDec. 15 . .. Bob Melvin inked
for El Morocco, Montreal, March 28
. . . Peffsy Kinjr together with Nor¬
man & Dean to the New Arena,
Pittsburgh, Jan. 5 . .. Della Reese
will be on the FontainebleaTi, Mi¬
ami Beach, La Ronde bill Dec. 30
. . . Allen & DeWood to the Roose¬
velt, New Orleans, Dee. 11 . . . Cu¬
ban singer Xiomaro Alfaro and
Beatrice Kraft Dancers bow at the
Chateau Madrid tomorrow (Thurs.)
. . . Gwen Harmon opens at the
Dunes, Las Vegas, Friday (5) . . .
Judy Magee started at In Boboll
last night (Tues.) ... Suzanne Lake
opens at One Fifth Ave. Dec. 9 on
bill topped by Ccdrone & Mitchell
. . . Nat King Cole to the Twin
Coaches, Pittsburgh, Jan. 26 . . .
Tommy Wonder & Don DeUair set
for the Latin Quarter, Miami
Beach, opening Dec. 18 . . . Mar¬
garita Sierra repeats at the Vien¬
nese Lantern Dec. 9.

Chicago

Crandall & Charles set for a
three-weeker at the King's Club,
Dallas, April 6 . . . Jackie Bums
will he there Dec. 15-22, and Dec.
29 opens a four-frame stand at the
White House, Minneapolis . . .
Jimmy Ames set for the Brown

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(thank you ROSS RUSSELL)

ASSOCIATED BOOKING COUP.

• Joe Glaser, Pres.

Hotel, Louisville, Feb. 13 for a
pair, with a March 9 opening at
the King’s Club, Dallas . . . Kay
Martin & The Bodyguards start
April 6 at the Embers, Ft. Wayne,
for three weeks . , . Comedy pair
of Jack Eagle Sc Frank E. Man
will be on the Johnny Mathis bill
at the Black Orchid Dec. 4. The
intimery goes dark Dec. 19 for at
least two weeks for extensive face¬
lifting.

Philadelphia

Joey Bishop current at the Cele¬
brity Room ... Arthur Blake
slated for the Erie Social Club Dec.
6-7, with Three Stooges coming
the following weekend, Dec. 13-14
. . . Cozy Morley working Andy’s
Log Cabin Dec. 2-6 . * . Frankie
Ri^ardson at Pretzels' cafe . . .
Julie Gibson, longtime fixture at
the Wedge, N. Philly, has moved
into the midtown Rathskeller.
Stripper’s manager Bnddy Ottcn-
berg is featuring Wedge-type
operation in new location, with
Ronnie Sterling as comedy lead
. . . Comedian Tony Santoro head¬
ing current bill at ScioUa’s.

I Atlanta

Peachtree Club opened Monday
(1) with bill topped by vocalizing
Sontiilanders, aero dancers Roby &
Dell and exotic Sylvia Kent with
Harry Thomas orch playing for
show and dancing , . . Thrush
Manreen Cainnon and mime Jimmy
Grosso holding over at Henry
Grady Hotel’s Paradise Room . . .
All-girl lineup at the Harem fea¬
tures underwater ballet dancer
Bigrena and exotics Donna LaSalle,
Paula Fox and Joanna with. Buster
Raye as emcee . . . Accordionist
Wade Cregar and dixieland music
by Ralph Mayes' group spotted at
Colonial Hotel’s Bayou •

Kansas City

Connee Boswell set for Hotel
Muehlebach’s Terrace Grill open¬
ing Dec. 5 and plays through Dec.
20 , couple of days longer than the
usual engagement. She follows
Sophie Tucker into the room. Dec.
22 will find Four EsQuires and
Tina Sc Coco opening to play
through Jan. I, which will bring
the room back to regular Friday
openings , . . Phil Foster wiU
follow his present stand at Eddys’
with a return date at the Boule¬
vard, Queens, opening Dec. 16.
He’s due back at the Fontaine¬
bleau, Miami Beach, early in 1959
. . . Teal Joy, current at Eddys*
has her first single coming out on
the Anco label before the holi¬
days . . . Professor Backwards
enters the scene at Eddys’ Dec. 12.
for a fortnight, and house also is
bringing in a line of six gals for
the pre-holiday show.

Pitt’s Copa

Continued from par* 81

names. Emphasis under the new
setup may be on jazz, however.

Copa had a lot of lush seasons,
hooking, among others, Johnnie
Mathis, Johnnie Ray, Patti Page,
Four Freshmen, Sarah Vaughan
and Jimmy Rodgers when they
were unknowns, but lately has been
having rough-going. Thus the deci¬
sion to try something new.

Before Litman took it over In
1948, the spot was the Villa Madrid
under the successive managements
of Etzi Covato, veteran bandleadw,
and Lou Abrams.

VING MERLIN

and LYNDA

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES
Riviera Hotel

Uf Y* 90 s. Nev.

Currently Until Dec, 16th

TIm AnMtag Sian af >nffHAT'S ON YOUR MIND''

Lucille and Eddie ROBERTS

Currently—SHOUHAM HOTEL

WASHItWTON. 0. C. M,». M.C.A.

P'Stnj&fr

Vednesday, December 3, 1958

Puerto Rico Artists
Seeking AFL-CIO Nod

Indications point to a petition
to the AFL-CIO for a charter for
the Artists Assn, of Puerto Rico,
a performer union on the island.
Step, naturally, will be opposed by
the American Guild of-Variety
Artists on the ground that it al¬
ready has that jurisdiction.

Some years ago, the Puerto
Rican union attempted to have
American performers playing there
join the organization. Move was de¬
feated by AGVA. Since then the
matter has lain dormant.

AGVA ‘Club Plan’

\ Coutinned from pas* 81 ;

‘lee Gapedes’

Contiuued from pape 81 ss;

connections from the U. S. so that
he can get a connection to another
ship that will take him directly
into Russia. It hasn’t been figured
out yet whether this can be done
without a layoff. This is the only
feasible means of transportation
because of the size and amount of
baggage involved. He said, for ex¬
ample, that boat-train connections
can be managed, but because of
the size of the Eimopean freight
cars, it woul(in’t be feasible to
transport some of the giant sets
and girders on those cars. Air
transport would be much too ex¬
pensive and impractical and air
transit for the cast and shipping
the sets and props would not be
possible since it’s desirable that
both cast and baggage arrive at the
same time. However, Harris is cer¬
tain that the - problem wUl be
worked out.

Harris’ show wiU be the second
icer to visit Russia. “Holiday on
Ice” is slated for a March showing
in the USSR, Harris said there
has been no suggestion that he4e-
lay his visit to Russia to next y^ar
because of the proximity of both
dates.

Harris, on his trip to Moscow
during which time he completed
the “Ice Capades” deal, described
the Russ capital as a show biz
wonderland. He said that there are
over 8,000 circus acts that* count
up. Every major city supports a
circus on a year-roimd basis. Tui¬
tion and board for apprentice acts
are paid by the 'government to
promising students. I’hey are
trained as part of a government
program, as are all college students
who qualify for higher learning.
Latter also get . their keep and arc
paid salves, according to Hands.

“However,” he said, “our gov¬
ernment could do that too if we
appropriated the profits of Gen¬
eral Electric, General Motors,
Westinghouse, Ford, ‘My Fair
Lady’ and every private enter¬
prise.”

Marathon Poppeteering

Harris saw a puppet theatre
which can run for 45 programs
without repeating. The baUets
contain innovations not evident in
any shows in the United States, he
said. Lighting is excellent and'
every phase of stagecraft is on an
extremely high level.

There are also a different set of,
manners for Russian theatregoers. |
It’s extremely gauche,. for exam¬
ple, to take one’s hat and coat into
a theatre or auditorium or an in¬
door athletic event. If a house
has 2,000 seats, he said, there afe
hat and coat racks to accommodate
that many garments. Everyone
takes care of his own, and there's
an attendant at all times to watch
the clothing. It's all done very
orderly.

Lotsa Food—i Meals Per

Harris paid a daily rate of $25JI0
for a room in a first-class hotel.
This included the privilege of eat¬
ing four meals daily in any of
seven top restaurants, service of a
guide and a car for four hours
dally. Since there were, three in
his retinue, they had guide and
car service for 12 hours daily.

He said that he was permitted
to go anywhere except in areas
where restricted because of secur¬
ity reasons. He talked with Rus¬
sians, found them friendly and all
worried about war with the United
States. He said the Russian people
do not want war. They remember
too well the experiences during
World War II, and would do any¬
thing to avoid a repetition of same.

Harris said that even Russian
people that he spoke to admit that
the United States is today the
greatest country on earth. “1
agree,’' said Harris, “But anyone
who sells Russia short Is crazy,”

properties to AGVA purposes and
to none other.”

She asked that this guarantee
be embodied in the charter'^since
it is not sufficient to place this
guarantee only in the bylaws,
which she said can be more easily
amended than the charter. She
asked for permanent assurance that
the control of the foundation rest
in AGVA, since the present char¬
ter gives no such guarantee. She
said that she had been told by
Bright and Berg that under the by¬
laws of the foundation, a majority
of the directors will always be
AGVA people, thus vesting con¬
trol in AGVA. She said she wasn’t
satisfied with this arrangement.

Miss Singleton also charged that
she had never seen the bylaws.
“I have requested our secretary.]
and counsel to provide me with
a copy. Their response was that
the secretarial staff is loaded with
work, and apparently has not the
time to supply the first executive
officer of AGVA with a copy of
these bylaws. Instead, I was in¬
vited to come to the office and read
the material there. My time in.
New York is limited. I require
these papers for careful study. I
had not thought there could be
any question about the duty of
our administrative personnel to
supply elected officers needed
papers. If there is any question
about that (not only as applied to
the president but any officer or
member of the national board)
I’d like it to he conclusively re¬
solved here and now.

“Since I have not yet seen the
bylaws, I must reserve decision
on their content. ' However, bylaws
of a foundation, I am told, are
easily amended by the directors
themselves. The charter, on the
other hand. Is like a constitution,
which is -fundamental and cannot
easily he changed.” She suggested
that in order to insure control, the
charter contain a provision that at
least two-thirds of the directors
must always be national board
members, and a quorum consist
of the same proportion of AGVA
members.

The AGVA president also told
the board members that she re¬
ceived no satisfactory response to
her plea for the immediate formu¬
lation of a definite plan and operat¬
ing e3q;>ense8. “On this point,” she
said, “I was advised in vague
terms that the budget depends on
eligibility rules and plan of opera¬
tions. This is definitely not satis¬
factory. AGVA funds have al¬
ready been Invested. Can we, as
responsible officers of AGVA, per¬
mit anything more to be done -with¬
out knowing that operation Is feas¬
ible in the future? A study to
determine this should he the first
order of priority.”

Miss Singleton stressed that the
easy Way out for officers would be
to put their stamp of approval on
all measures formulated by the
administration, but she feels that
she cannot treat so lightly her
responsibilities to the membership.
Since AGVA money has already
been committed, the officers stand
responsible for safeguarding it,
she declared, and the time to be
careful is now and this is the
time to ask questions. She said
that she deems it the function of
the administration to advise and ]
recommend, but the officers and
hoard must make the decisions. j

“I will not permit my office of
president to be degraded to the]

status of a rubber stamp. I think
you, as national hoard members,
murf feel the same way about the
dignity and responsibility of your
office, I do not question the sin¬
cerity or integrity of our admin¬
istration. I cirticize it only for a
somewhat cavalier attitude toward
elected officers and I criticize otir
national counsel also for stating in
his letter of explanation to me
that some other lawyer drew the
papers for the foundation. Pre¬
sumably, he feels the responsibil¬
ity rests with the other lawyer.
I think the entire responsibility
rests with us.”

Miss Singleton asked the board
membersnto request that she ap¬
point a committee to study all as¬
pects of the foundation and repor-t
to the February board meeting
with recommendations. She asked
that the committee consist of the
president, first, second and third
veepees and two board members.
She also asked that the adminis¬
tration make all material availabl®
to the committee and it be author¬
ized to retain special counsel, if
necessary.

THE

GOLDEN

GATE

QUARTET

(World Tour)

Curregtiy

INDIA

Booktd Solid l/Bril April 1959
DIr.i BIRNEY GOLDEN

CIRCLE ARTISTS CORP.

41 Woit 48th Streot. N. Y.
M. 7-7100

JEWEL BOX REVUE

World'* Mo*t Unusual Show

Jgst eemplcted S sgecassfal wg*k*
prg-Breodway »■ gt Hlllild*
Thaotrt, Jamaica, L. I. Opans
Dtccmbtr 3rd, Loaw'f State, Ntw
York.

THE JEWEL BOX REVUE INC.

431 Bait 149rii Strttt
Broox, N.Y.

HARBERS

r

New

TWIN COACHES

Pa.

1

and DALE

JUDY MAGEE

'Tfie Continental American"

Corroatly

IN BO BO LI

1591 Sgeoed Avanug

Resarvatlon*

Call Arturo. TR. 9-3777

BILL CLARK
at tha' Piano

The DEEP RIVER BOYS

Starring HARRY DOUGLASS
l■tergattogal To gr

Currantly

TlLlVIStON-RADIO
RICORDINOS
Naw York City

E

mil IIIII111IIiimmil miiiiniiii iiiiiiiiiiinP

Wednesday, December 3, 1958 *

Pl^IETT

NIGHT CLUB REVIHII^S

85

Casa Cugat, N. ¥•

Xavier Cugat Orch (17), with
Giana; Charles Holden Orch (6);
no cover or minimum.

Other than in the hotel rooms
\ and spots like the Stork and El
Morocco, New York hasn’t had a
solid straight dansapation . restau¬
rant for years. Xavier Cugat looks
to fill that void and, on the second
night out—a normally slow
Thanksgiving Eve—he evidenced
that the new Casa Cugat, in the
Shelton Towers Hotel, may be¬
come the new Gotham nitery
click.

Cugie comes to town on the
heels of a hot cha-cha vogue.
There’s a whole school of Latin
dansapation addicts who have
made Arthur Murray a millionaire,
from the rhumba to the samba to
the current cha-cha. Latter is
reflected in the many adaptations
of pop standards—^“Tea For Two
Cha-Cha,” etc.

Cugat, of course, is not only the
No. 1 pioneer of Latin music in
America, for which he has long
been identified as a trailblazer in
this segment of show biz, but he
has been consistently a disk best¬
seller, fortified by an ultra-sense of
showmanship. The brand of
Latino routines that Cugie and his
invariably • glamorous personnel
and staging has presented over the
years enjoys imique audience
identification.

Cugie’s music is just as good to
terp to as to listen to. Latter
values have been demonstrated in
stage personals, on television, etc.,

■ and almost seasonally for hoofology
at the Waldorf-Astoria and oh the
platters.

Sans Abbe Lane (Mrs, C.), he
and his 17 aides, plus a titian road
company of Miss Lane called
Giana, get ’em up on the floor in
droves. They are spelled by a
“society” combo, Charlie Holden’s
sextet. Between them, all the
Hale, Arthur Murray, et aL, les-
sons-takers give their feet full
fling. This is a sampling of where
the customers are the “show.”
That’s true at the posh Stork and
Morocco and ditto,, here, where
there’s no other entertainment, no
talent-booking problems, just the
two solid bands who seemingly
give the hoofers what they came
for.

This is no slouch undertaking.
Only part of Monte Proser’s La Vie
En Rose comprises the 260-capac¬
ity room with its attractive front
and Cugat-designed interior of
which the artist-batoneer’s murals
are part of the general scheme.
Cugie is w';k. for his caricaturing
capabilities and the bar is ingeni¬
ously decored with show biz VIPs,
columnists, et al. Part of the
clever concept is a reverse-mirror
so that, while in a cul-de-sac at
one end of the bar, the mirror re¬
flects to the incomers at the door
the full sweep of the arresting
cartoons.

Parring the dansapation appeal,
the cuisine is the other lure. He
dramatizes that with an original
and novel menu, with accent on
three brands of Latin “groceries”

>—Spanish, Cuban and Mexican; in
addition, there is the standard
“Continental” (French) and Amer¬
ican menu. The wine-card has
taken a leaf from the Forum of
the 12 Caesars (the original . vin¬
tage labels, etc.). Edward Menetti,
ex-Plaza, Rierre and Sherry-
Netherland in N.Y., is maitre d’;
Fernand Miremont, with compara¬
ble culinary credits, is headman
in the kitchen; Ralph Watkins and
Leonard Green (both Embers) are
Cugie’s partners in a room that,
with its facelifting, etc., looks like
the $100,000 investment claimed.

The elongated room has a large
recess back of the bao4stand which
Cugat plans -as the Abbe Lane
flamenco retreat, partitioned off
from the main boite. This project
is a post-Jan. 1 undertaking.

If the dancing public goes for
exciting food (which is good) and
dansapation, Cugat’s got a hit.
There’s no minimum or couvert;
the tariffs take care of that so as
to make any idea of a $5 minimum
academic. Scale compares to the
average good* gastronomic place
but is not astrononiic. Abel.

365 Club, San Francisco

San Francisco, Nov. 27.

Harry Mimmo, Barbara Barr, The
Appletons (3), MororLandis Danc¬
ers (10) unth emcee Bill Carey,
Bill Clifford Orch (9); $1-$1.50
cover.

Harry Mimmo, the Italian-born
satirist and dancer, is at his very
best in this excellent, swift-paced
new show, and Mimmo leaves a big
crowd gasping for laughter.

He comes on with his stock bits
—straightening his bowtie and
checking his suit lapels — and
quickly goes into takeoffs on the
walks of English, French, Brazil¬
ian, Argentine, Mexican and Ital¬

ian people, all “weeth a beeg re¬
speck an’ in a diplomatic way.”

He panics audience with his im¬
pression of Spanish flamenco danc¬
ing, satirizes Fred Astaire’s hoof¬
ing (including a large and unex¬
pected leap into orchestra leader
Bill Clifford’s arms), gives his im¬
pression of Michelangelo sculpting
Adam, Eve and “a leetle baby.” and
tops himself with tap-dance im¬
pression he says he “stole from
U.S. films”—these include takeoffs
on Gene Kelly, Shirley Temple and
the late Bill Robinson. He closes
21 -minute stint with a very simple
“striptease” which he says he saw
on “late, late, late show.”

AH of this is subtle, fast and ex¬
tremely funny.

Barbara Barr, a handsome blonde
in a svelte white gown, offers
pleasant, contrast as she sings
“Let’s Fly Away,” “April in Paris,”
“Easy to Love,” “Love Is Where
You Find It” and a funny, semi¬
blue English novelty called “I
Never Kissed a Man Before.”
She’s a looker with a refreshing
personality and good pipes.

Appletons, man and two women,
do a neat and very funny apache
routine and Moro-Landis line
hoofs well, especially in closing
“Dancing in the Dark” number.
Clifford’s orch is solid. Fifty-five
minute show runs through Dec. 17.

Stef.

Shamrock Hilton, H’st^n

Houston, Nov. 27.
Roberta ■ Sherwood, Billy Wil¬
liams Orch (10); no cover or min¬
imum.

From the moment Roberta Sher¬
wood strolls onstage to “Love Is
A Many Splendored Thing” to the
time she begs off after “Bill
Bailey,” the middle-aged viewer is
constantly reminded of show busi¬
ness as it was in the days of Al Jol-
son. While her glamour is of the
matronly type, one ringsider
pegged her about right when he
said, “While she’s onstage she gets
prettier by the minute.”

In her first stint at the Interna¬
tional Club’s Continental Room in
the Shamrock Hilton, Miss Sher¬
wood receives top applause from
the moment the first spot picks her
up walking through the audience
until she exits in the same man¬
ner with the band playing “Lazy
River,” a tune she certainly can
call her own now.

- She holds the stage for 45 min¬
utes, doing 17 numbers, and when
she says she just might do 50 songs,
the firstnighters were willing.
Many of the songs are standards,
such as “Lonesome Road,” “All
Alone,” “Always” and, of course,
“Lazy River” and “Bill Bailey,”
and on some she accompanies her¬
self with the ever-handy cyinbal.

That Miss Sherwood’s opening
night was nearly perfect speaks
well for the femme’s showmainship,
for she had every excuse for a fluff
here and there. Delayed by the
airline strike, she. arrived from
Florida three hours before show¬
time and had no rehearsal. A few
minutes before she went on the
•stage, the . piano for her accom¬
panist, Ernest D. Lorenzo, was
found faulty and he had to take
over the 88 in the house band.
And the nitery house was slightly
below capacity, but only because
Miss Sherwood was bucking a
Thanksgiving football classic that
dates back before the 1900s.

It isn’t news now to say that
this thrush has warmth and poise
and can turn a tune with the best.
She accepts the heavy palming as
though it’s her due, which of
course it is. While she’s certainly
an institution, there’s no ivy on
her. Skip.

Drake Hotel,^ €lii

Chicago, Nov. 28.

Patricia Wilson, Jimmy Blade
Orch (6); $2.50 cover.

Patricia Wilson has logged time
on the musicomedy boards and in
some of the chi chi supper clubs,
and current stand in the Camellia
House is her first nitery stint here.
She impresses with basically good
piping. Missing, however, was the
moxie to register her sougalog
against the apathy, of the nabobs
who showed for the opener.
Thrush appears to be groping for
the style that lingers, and her
uncertainty is further reflected in
too much self-conscious patter.

Her titles are largely standard
with emphasis on showtunes.
There’s delicate treatment, but
with scant conviction, for “Where
or When,” while her “Something
to Remember Me By” suffers from
a bit too hokey arrangement. “I
Got Rhythm” gets an interesting
torch tempo that chirper doesn’t
quite bring off. Trouble appears
to lodge, as is so often the case,
with preoccupation with all but
the essence of lyrics. Smooth
support, as always, from Jimmy
Blade’s tunesters (6), Denise Lor
is in Dec. 30. Pit,

Hotel Monteleone, N. 0«

New Orleans, Nov. 28.

Tito Guizar, John Gary, Nick
Stuart Orch (8); $2.50 minimum
weeknights, $4 Sat.

Mexican troul idour Tito Guizar,
on friendly “homegrounds” when
he plays this old city on the Mis¬
sissippi’s levees, is as potent as
ever here, judging by the recep¬
tion he ■ received from the full
house of firstnighters. He’s been
a fave here for over 10 years.

His opening this time coincided
with the start of the racing season
at the Fairgrounds course, where
he has a stable of nags quartered
and running.

He had the tableholders singing
with him, clapping their hands in
time to his music and shouting re¬
quests in a way that gave the Swan
Room the atmosphere of a below-
the-border cantina.

Wearing his customary charro
costume, Guizar won the audience
from the moment he brought out
his guitar, propped it on his knee
and started to warble. He was pre¬
pared with an ample supply of new
and romantic faves, sentimental
ballads and Latunes. Guizar alter¬
nates by playing and beating out
the rh 3 ffhm on his guitar. The slap¬
ping lends a throbbing tempo to a
tune.

He runs a full course in some 45
minutes of songs in Spanish and
English, mixing the language for
several of the numbers like
“Around the World.” Smash hits
include “Guadalajara,” “El Rancho
Grande,” “La Paloma” and “Gra¬
nada.”

It’s that kind of a show and
Guizar knows his business when
he has the customers reeling, about
in a sort of refined abandon.

Young baritone John Gary wins
.nice hand with his piping of bal¬
lads. The Nick Stuart orch backs
Guizar neatly and contributes some
creditable moments of music to
the evening’s proceedings. Liuz.

Amato’s, Port-, Ore.

Portland, Ore., Nov. 25.
Jean Shannon & Brooks Bros.

(2) with George Morgenstem,
Fred Barber, Harry Gillum Trio

(3) , Duotones (2); no minimum;
$1.20 cover Sat. only.

Bossman George Amato is pre¬
senting two acts new to this terri¬
tory that combine for 45 minutes
of sock entertainment. New lay¬
out is getting off to a slow start,
but word-of-mouth will no doubt
get the reservation book active
before the two weeks .are over.

Jean Shannon is blonde, stacked
and talented. She is a capable
comedienne equipped with a voice
and mugging and terping ability.
The Brooks Bros. (2) are fine foils
for the gal and team for a fast
paced 25-minute musical comedy
stint. Outfit starts out fast and
continues at that clip throughout.
Trio are on for songs, comedy and
dancing with solid results. Femme
scores big with her solo chirping
of “100 Easy Ways To Lose A
Man.”

Fred Barber is a mimic of mag¬
nitude. Little guy walks on stage
in a boyish, cute manner and starts
to deliver a few standup bits of
gagging. He slowly^ moves into
impreshes df politicians, singers
and entertainers that grabs heavy
mitting throughout. He also dis¬
plays a fine pair of pipes as he
slams out complete tunes of Mario
Lanza, Jolson, Dean Martin, Como
and others. His Churchill, Grou-
cho and Ed Murrow are show-
stoppm's. Also does violin im-
presh clicko. Begs off after 20
minutes. Fer-e.

Utm

Hollywood, Nov. 29.

Arthur Walsh, Bobbi Parker,
Johnny Ferguson Trio; $1 cover.

Arthur Walsh is back at the
Slate Bros. LaCienega Blvd. spot,
where he appeared for seven weeks
last year. This time out, however,
the comedian will have to over¬
haul his act somewhat to draw
them in for his four-week stand.
Walsh has some good material, and
a breezy, flip delivery, but he also
has some stuff which doesn’t belong
in his act. He has potentially a
fine act, but to achieve it he will
have to apply the scissors and some
good jud^ent.

Walsh has some fun heckling
ringsiders in a manner reminiscent
of Don Rickies, a favorite at the
Slate freres. Audience opening
night loved his insults, delivered
in a brash mcuiner. The sag in the
comic’s act is a routine wherein he
asks patrons for requests on what
dances he should do, then hoofs
them, with a variety reaching from
the minuet to r&r. Walsh, is billed
as a comedian; this is what’s ex¬
pected, and this particular part of
his show would seem to have no
place in his act, especially since
it isn’t played for laughs. He could
toss out this whole bit and improve
his stint, When'he returned to

comedy, Walsh scored with a funny
imitation of Johnnie Ray moaning
“Cry,” lip-syncing to a Ray platter.
His impresh of a Japanese wino
was a good bit, too, although over-
long. All in all, Walsh’s turn has
some good humor—some of it blue
—and his act would be tightened
up considerably — and beneficially
—^if he junked the terp bit.

Preceding him on the bill is
Bobbi Parker, a sultry, sexy, sepia
singer making her Coast debut.
Miss Parker, who comes, here from
the east, has a good deal of talent
and is a potent stylist. She is very
good with her slinky “Tea in Chi¬
cago,” and scores also with “Don’t
Know What Love Is,” “Gypsy In
My Soul” and “Blue Skies.” Thrush
is a skilled song-seller, and had the
SRO crowd wdth her all the Way.
She’s booked for two weeks.

Music backstopping by Johnny
Ferguson trio was competent.

Baku.

Flamingo, Las Vegas

(FOLLOW UP)

Las Vegas, Nov. 28.

Estelita, the fiery Cuban looker,
replaces the Dunhills in the Fla¬
mingo Room while the dancing trio
fulfills a two-frame commitment
with Eartha Kitt at the Ambassa¬
dor in L.A. The songstress, in a
vivacious and personality-packed
20 -minute session, effectively sells
“The Cuban Love Song,” Spanish
impreshes of Jimmy Diurante, Lena
Home and Elvis Presley, dn amus¬
ing Cuban hillbilly number, and
“Number one on the Cuban hit
parade, which is always a little
late—‘Waiting For the Robert E.
Lee’.”

Jay Jason, hampered by the con¬
fusion of opening night, has tight¬
ened his turn into a sock 20 min¬
utes, rewarding him with consis¬
tent laughs. A vet comic who has
the knack of correctly feeling out
his audience within the first couple
of minutes, he wisely gauges his
gags to the situation, and proves
himself a master ad libber. Jason’s
outstanding performance here has
earned him a holdover spot in this
show, plus a new three-year con¬
tract. Duke,

Statler-Hilton., Dallas

Dallas, Nov. 28.

■ Somethin' Smith & The Red¬
heads (3), Bob Cross Orch (12);
$2-$2.50 cover.

Somethin’ Smith & Tlie Red¬
heads, debuting before a nearly
full Empire Room audience <27),
made an imprint that augurs hefty
biz in the fortnight here. Smith
tees off on banjo with “Tiger Rag,”
trio follows with “You Always Hurt
the One You Love” and adds the
“Ne\fr Sounds” bit, parodying old
tunes in modern style. Slick seg-
meht is aud singsong with “It’s a
Sin to Tell a Lie,” a big click. “Im¬
pressions of Those Who Didn’t
Make It” adds to the score.

Comedies abet the trio’s 35-min¬
ute stint, with threesome’s tongue-
in-cheeking of “Lullaby,” to the
music of “Moritat.” Impressions
interlard the neat show, then
Smith frets “Sweet Georgia
BrovTi” on banjo, ahead of the
trio’s vocal-instrumental of “Shan¬
ty in Old Shanty Town” for hefty
mitting. Boff act winds with vocal-
instrumental of a rousing “Bill
Bailey” and has to beg off. Trio
gets top assist from the Bob Cross
band.

Act winds Dec. 10, with singer
Tim ICirby opening a fortnight
Deg. 11. Bark.

Edd js% H. r.

Kansas City, Nov. 28.
Phil Foster, Teal Joy, Tommy
Reid Orch (8); $1-$1.50 cover.

The Eddys’ entertainment for
the fortnight is unheralded, but
carries a good measure of cus¬
tomer appeal, combining songstress
Teal Joy and comedian Phil Fos¬
ter, Their 50 minutes include 20
minutes of singing by Miss Joy,
a little Japanese-American girl
with a lot of voice, and the balance
by Foster as the ambassador from
Brooklyn to the U.S.

Miss Joy covers half a dozen
songs and four languages, show¬
ing a voice with considerable
polish and belting over her tunes
in fine style. “I Found a New
Baby,” “If I Had You”' and
“Whoopee” she does in English,
“ ’Deed I Do” in Japanese, “Come
Back to Sorrento” in Italian and
“Cumbanchero” in Spanish. All are
well done in pop style, and she
closes to a nice reception.

Foster is the authentic Brook¬
lynite, complete with “accent,”
Dodger love and all dat stuff. His
humor is on the dj^ side, aimed at
traffic cops, marriage and babies,
bandleaders and a host of other
topics, including impressions of
nobodies, typical Dodger fan and
a mambo singer. Opening show he
started leisurely, but picked up
toward closing to bring the-house
out in full support. Bill holds
through Dec. 11. Quin.

Hotel Roosevelt, N. Y.

Guy Lombardo & Royal Cana¬
dians (15); Al Conte Trio; Cover,
$l-$2.

When Guy Lombardo and his
Royal Canadians came to Cleve¬
land in 1927, and generated a na¬
tional spotlight from their early
beginnings at the Blossom Heath,
a speakeasy-type eatery-dancery
which Avas part of the Cleveland
Yacht Club, it wasn’t long before
the alert Music Corp. of America
heara of this very danceable com¬
bo and signed them. Billy Good-
heart was the agent at the time
with the freres Stein—Jules C. and
the late William H. (Billy)—who
snagged the band and it has been
an MCA pacemaker since. In fact,
it was this sort of merchandise
which made possible the bulwark
of the MCA expansion; it was in
position to tell key hotels and road¬
houses that it could service them
with a rotation of surefire com¬
modities like Lombardo. Ben Ber-
nie, Wayne King, Coon-Sanders, et
al, and in turn the hostelries
leaned more and more on the agen¬
cy’s packages.

A band which has been on the
American scene for almost a third-
of-a-centuiy is, of course, some¬
thing of an American institution.
What is noteworthy is the Lombar¬
dos’ perennial youth; from the
maestro to Iirothers Carmen. Vic¬
tor (both saxes) and Lebert (trum¬
pet) to his durable longtime team
of AFMers, they defy time and be¬
lie years.

With little compromise to their
dedicated “sweetest music this side
of heaven,” the Lombardos are not
blind to the new tempos and, if
never resorting to rock ’n’ roll, can
deliver dansapation tempos as com¬
pelling as any “beat.” What’s more,
in aclmowledgement to the current
cha-cha vogue, their brand of the
Latin variation still falls within the
melodic glissandos of their stylized
sax-and-pianos stylings.

Analysis of the Lombardo mu-
sicianshop at this stage is aca¬
demic, but ever new is the excite¬
ment generated by their return to
the Roosevelt grillroom. This is
their 29th stanza and, once again,
last Friday night’s opening was an
“event.” The new generation
rubbed shoulders with those who
probably first danced and ro¬
manced to the Lombardo terp
tunes a generatioi^ back. There’s
a wholesomeness about a Lom¬
bardo engagement that is also
warm to the managerial exchequer
—he draw's no minimum-check
trade. Tht. Cocoanut Grove in Los
Angeles” Ambassador saw evi¬
dence of that early this fall when
they totted up the average checks
and found them considerably above
par.

Spelling the star band is the
equally deft danspation Al Conte
trio which gets beaucoup out of
its piano-string bass-drums. It
keeps the room perking af lively
pace. Another Roosevelt fixture is
Victor, vet maitre d’ who also has
seen-many a saloon customer pass
in the night. Withal, Lombardo is
beaucoup okay for sound—and b.o,
Abel.

3fister Kelly^s, Chi

Chicago, Nov, 25.
Shelley Berman, Della Reese,
(with Kirk Stuart), Marx-Frigo
Trio; $1 cover, two-drink minimum.

The Invisible telephone con¬
tinues as Shelley Berman’s favorite
“prop” for some of the most in¬
cisive satire in (or but of) saloons.
There’s not a really new bit in the
bunch but, like Danny Thomas*
jack yam, they’re savory with age
and rate hysterics outfront. Session
caught included bit on the uncle
who’s hard put to get past the
moppet on the other end, the one
or the shopper dangling from an
upper story window ledge, and the
social pariah, a deft study in pathos
that gets the knowing nod from
tablers. Comic’s leadoff was an
hilarious recitation on sundry
aspects of air travel. Berman
clearly has benefitted from the
video and niteiy mileage of the
past couple years, the chief
characteristics that make it for him
being a depth of imagination, a
first-rate thesping sense, and per¬
fect timing.

Della Reese registers with the
flock with obvious polish and solid
musicianship, sensibly matching
her catalog to her emphatic intona¬
tion and belting style. It’s a lilting
20 minutes all the way via such
depefidables as “Lady Is a Tramp,**
“I Wonder Why” and “That Re¬
minds Me of You.” There’s no less
delight when she’s joined by her
88 accomp, Kirk Stuart. Dandy
support from the Marx-Frigo
threesome (with Stuart supplant¬
ing Dick Marx).

Bill stays five weeks, with Cindy
& Lindy and Jimmie Komack due
Dec. 29. Pit.

86

REVIEWS

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

Paramount* B^klvn I are spoof musicians in the allegedly
Ted Steele’s Kock’n Bandstand \ Palm Court orch of the British
Shoic with Frankie Avalon, Con*; Broadcasting Corp. They garner
’l ie Francis, Jimmy Clanton, Cozy ma

Cole Comho 15). Clyde MePhatter, | n°

Bip Boppi-r. Kali,. T,rma. SWelds j

(Ji, Solitaires f4) D.cfcey Doo &it„oson,e are harsh musical pair
Tne Donts (4>, Royaltones <4), i ^-ho need polish to soften up act.

Jerry Butler, Donnie Owens, Clus¬
ters <5>, Andy Rose, Twins,
Johjiny Love, Barbara Evans, Lloyd
Price Band (14); “The Gun Run-
n^Ts'* ill A), reviewed in Variety
Sept 17, ’58.

Here we go again. Whenever the
schools are ready to shut down for
a holiday, somebody, somewhere,
is sure to open up a rock 'n’ roll
p.Tckage. This time it’s Ted Steele,
deejay at the N.Y. indie WMCA,
who recruited the bill for teenage
approval during the Thanksgiving
weekend- It was only a short
holiday so the show was booked in
for only’ five days beginning last
Wednesday (26).

The Brooklyn Paramount, long a
stronghold for WINS (now WABC)
jockey Alan Freed, takes on the

Will Hannah manipulates accordion
in traditional fashion, George Bur¬
ton adds domestic comedy in well-
patterned vein, and Eric March is
a crisp foil in comedy. In the danc¬
ing slotting are Walter & Jean
O’Doyle, plus juve terper Ered
Paterson and the eight -Moxon
Girls.

in comedy sketches is Alice Dale,
. a sister of Scot comedian Stanley
! Baxter. She’s wasting her revue
' talents in low, earthy comedy roles,
and should cut these out for her
own sophisticated act in comedy.

Gord.

Alfaamlira. Paris

Paris, Nov. 25.

Henri Salvador, Petula Clark,
xTiieiii ^ vTxa wx,-' Bucfcv Latiuos (3), Page & Bray,

same old rocking values under | (2), Michel

Steele’s guidance. Freed, incident-[ Orch (28); $2 top.

ally, isn’t letting a holiday slip by | -

him either. He’s due for a run ; Henri Salvador can put over a
at Broadway’s Loew’s State during ! ballad adroitl.v, especially his lil-
the longer Xmas vacation. i ting, self-cleffed Martinique-type

In the stage outing, Steele brings ; entries. He can also give out with
a lot of the friendly-folksy man-; well conceived jazz, rock ’n’ roll,
ner that characterizes his WMCA I blues and calypso interludes, both
platter show. It’s a styling that ’ strai.ght or as takeoffs, and handles
the kids take to easily but he does ; a guitar well. Add to this an ac-
go overboard on the intros, dub- complished lowdown clown and
bing virtually every turn with m^mic temperament to encompass
“the greatest’’ and “one of the . all his facets.

nicest guys in the business’’ rou-1 In short, the small dusky per-
tine. They may sell records and . former is versatile and uses all his
keep his radio show rolling, but attributes to the hilt in this new
little moderation would be ad- feur-wCek show which he is head-

MUSIC HALL '

Szonys

Francis Brunn.
Corps de Ballet
lloekelles
II. Paige Ore.

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE
Tivoli

Winifred Atwell
Morecambe & Wise
Gaston Palmer

2 Earls

Ross & Hdwitt
J & D Rees

3 Sylverkingi
Vic Sabrino
Lorraine Bransgrove
Beverly Urquhart

BRITAIN

visable.

Steele, like the other r’n'r pack¬
agers, has enlisted his troupe with
the jock & juke charts as a guide.
There are those w’ho have current
hits, those who have had hits and
those who look like they will have
hit.«. It’s strictly juve fare and it’s
dished out in a massive portion
(show’ runs a little under, t\vo
hours) and they take it all in’even

I’ning at the outsized Alhambra-
?Iaur c3 Chevalier. He has the
t'.Ient and pull, plus the wise
grouping of sock acts and musical
’nark’ng, to make th’s a topnotch
ho^se entry and in for probable
boh' biz.

Petula Clark is a pert British
songstress with a good ear. for
i’hythm. a pleasing voice and a
definite pro aplomb that makes her

though most of their heroes are interlude appealing. A lowdown
limited to only one tune. It’s the F”ench song, delivered in clever
disclick that counts, how’ever. if • French slcn'r. gets to the aud and
the bigger names have two or even iigg m for mitts,
three to their credit twhich is Lucky Latinos (3) are a zssty
rare), they dish it cut. ’ dancing group with dynamic terp

The on-and-ofi pattern runs as ^ ^its of acfo proportions and good
though a stack of di^ have l^en humor and kidding to make this a
piled up to run off a jukebox, p^ck sight entry’ just right foT U.S.
There’s Ijftle show’m^ship m- chances. Page & Bray are a smooth
volved but the kids just seem to dextrous dance team with a
want a rennse of their fave plat- . i-;rorous rhythm that to m^e them
tors and thats the acts g’ve ^ v entry of his calibre,.

TAMMY GRIMES
With Carl Nonnan & Stan Keen
LSongs
25 Mins:

Julius Monk’s Downstairs, N. T. ,

Tammy Grimes’ background is; jimmy Lyon 3
more legit (Neighborhood Play-' Bart Howard
house; with Julie Harris in “The!

Lark,” the “Littlest Revue” at the '

them.

Rundown for the rock ’n’ roll
historians: Show onened with a
driving instrumental by the brnd
and was follow’ed by* the vocal’sts
in this order: B-irbara Ev?ns, the
Twins, the Shields, the Clusters,
the Royaltones. Jerry Butler, the
Solitaires. Big Bopner, Donnie
Owens. Lloyd Price. Johnny Love.
Kalin Tw’ins, Andy Rose. Cozy
Cole. Dickv Doo & The Don’ts,

Clyde MePhatter Jimmy’ Clanton. •

Connie Francis and Frankie A\ a around-the-world batch of

Ion. Had enough. G os. songs accompanied by filmed im¬

ages of the places on a screen be-

IMeribeth Old is an extraordinari¬
ly supple c.ontortionist who twists
'ixto almost impossible shapes with
#'”•'•3, heightened by nifty aero bits.
It is a fine act. Tornedos (2) are a
smooth magico entry doing, some
p.xcsllent sleight-of-hand bits and
tlien a levitation aspect with a girl
held by her elbow on a broom. It
goes o'*’er.

Michel Legrand orch <28) fiUs in
with fine medleys, if somewhat

Pavilion. Glas$*ow

Glasgow’, Nov. 27.

The Southlanders (4), Janet
Brown, Johnnie Beattie, Charlie
Stewart & Ann Mathew, Larry
Davis, Hollander & Hart, Alice
Dale, Eric Marsh, Walter & Jean
O’Doyle, Will Hannah, George Bur¬
ton, Moxan Girls (8), Fred Pater¬
son, Billy Rose Orch.

Here’s a fairly strong layout
numerically, with varied acts, but
of varied quality, ranging from
peppy songsmanship to native
Glasgow comedy in broadest of
accents that appeal only to local
citizens.

The Southlanders, dusky four¬
some, top the bill w’ith harmoniz¬
ing. and to good results in favorite
tunes, then and now. Act knows
how’ to sell a song, and exits to
solid mitting.

Janet Brow’n, Scot-born warbler,
who is, incidentally, enclente and
very noticeably so, proves a useful
addition to principals with impres¬
sions and songalog. She cleverly
conveys the voices of such British
show biz names as Beryl Reid,
Ruby Murray, Charlie Drake, Ber¬
nard Bresslaw and Robert Wilson.
Distaffer, pert and pretty, is aided
at the ivories by Jack Martin.

Johnnie Beattie is a slim-built
Sect comedian with nonchalant
style. He proves pleasant rather
than funny, and conveys well the
character of a plausible crook type.
Act needs considerable sharpening,
however.

Charlie Stewart & Ann Mathew

fore the orch. Legrand’s frantic
conducting, using,h’s springy body
mostly, is also an asset. They do
good background work for the
numbers as w’ell.

With these slick, classy acts, fine
production values and, above all,
the irrepressible clowning, singing
and projection of Salvador, it is
easy to see why vaudeville is so
very much alive here. Mosk.

L'Oaympia, Paris

Paris, Nov. 26.

Philippe Clay, Jacques Brel, Hazy
Osterwald Sextet, Pierre Doris,
George Reich Ballet HOiympia
<10), Puszati Troupe <7), Jean-
Marie Proslier, Dior Sisters (3>,
Colette Chevrot; $2 top.

Dressed in black sweater and
trousers, Philippe Clay is a tall,
gangling, cadaverous type with a
face resembling a benevolent
Frankenstein. He has a pleasant
voice and uses his thin, whiplike
body effectively in his bevy of
songs dealing in the macabre, the
insouciant and dramatic character
studies.

He gets the most out of these
numbers but seems lacking a co¬
herent personal attitude and tends
to overload his stint with offbeat
songs that do nothing to develop
his talents for the unusual and
eerie. A peasant patter song can
be . eliminated on this score. But
Clay is a unique entry whose hard
w’ork and thespic know-how make
this solid song stint. He recently
made a pic in Hollywood and seems

ready for specialized boite chances |
in the U. S., plus video on his sight |
values, provided he chooses hiS;
songs carefully.

Jacques Brel, on the other hand,!,
knows exactly W’here he is going.

Tall, personable,. direct and toothy,
he gives out with excellently self-
cleffed ditties on love and on man’s
addiction to silliness and fears, etc.

However, it is not a sermon but
poetically wTitten, finely delivered
positive . hymns without being
mawkish or unefuous. He has a
fine range to his voice and starts
low to build into rafter-ringing
crescendos. He gets top mitts and
also shapes as a- ripe prospect for
the U. S.

Hazy Osterwald Sextet are a
breezy group who give out with
acceptable swing and jazz in col¬
legiate style and clown to good
effect. Leader is Swiss and the rest
mixed.

George Reich Ballet HOiympia
(10) is a well costumed group who
do two fairly ambitious ballets.
Choreographic ideas are s&iart and
original if the ballets, one during
a rehearsal and the other a more
revue-like opus, are not. Reich is
a supple, athletic dancer and is
building a fine little dance group
whose movements and ideas might
help brighten up the usually lack¬
lustre raus'chall dance scene here.

Reich is a longtime Yank resident.

Pierre Doris overdoes macabre
stories and his melange of sick-
sick-sick Yank and French bits
soon palls rather than titillates. He
wallows in the macabre instead of
using it for surprise and effect. He
got some whistles and should re¬
vise his material. His patter is okay
but he bludgeons instead of tick¬
ling.

Pusztai Troupe <7) is an out-,_

standing teeterboard act that’s fast;
and solid. Dior Sisters (3) cavont j Fey Jover
on three large balls up and down [ J & J pawson
inclines to top response. It has |
solid sight values and is a definite
Yank tv bet.

Jean-Marie Proslier is a fey type
who patters fairly lisibly on cur¬
rent events. Colette Chevrot is a
tall, thin femme wha gives out
tales of everyday woe in a knowing
manner that turns the songs into
comic forays to make her a possible
contender for regubr offbeat sing¬
ing chances here. This is her first
house stint. Mosk.

VARIETY BILLS

WEEK OF DECEMBER 3

NEW YORK CITY

ROXY

Evelyn Brooks
Hines Bros.

Henry Michel
Dorothy KeUer
Troupers
BaUadeers
Roht. Boucher Ore

SYDNEY

Tivoli

Merry Macs
Fredye Marshall
Arnley & Gloria .
Terry Scanlon
Kuban Dancers
Max & Cherie
Simone Monin
Margo Glancy
Nonnan Yemm
.John Broadway
SaUy Richardson
Deidre Green
Susanne & Escorts

ASTON
Hippodrome
•Terry Cantor
Red Preston
Dale Warren
Colleen Laine
Toiya Kee
Lake & Rose
Kenny Cantor
John W-alters
BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome
Nitwits

Magyar Ballet
Libby Morris
Fraser’s Harmonicas
Gold & Cordell
O’NeiU & Haig
BRIGHTON
Hippodrome
Pauline Penny
Mitzi Martell
Sandra

Bobby Dennis.

2 Caroles

COVENTRY
Coventry
David Whitfield

3 Kaye Sis
Jimm.v Wheeler
3 Monarchs
Lane & Truzzi
.3 Merk.vs

Elaine & Rodolph
Grace O’Connor.
Geo. Mitchell Co.
Joan Davis Co.

FINSBURY PARK
Empire

Johnny Duncan Co.
Cliff Richards Co.

Hi-Steppers
Hackford & Doyle
Shipway Twins
Freddie Earle
Vendryes
J & D Adams
LIVERPOOL
Empire
Toni Dam
Marie De Vere 3
Digby Wolfe
Trio Sparkes
Ideal Four
•Tudy Moxon
Joe Church
Miki & Griff
NEWCASTLE
Empire

Earl Sc Vauchan
RoebeUe Trio .
Archie Robbins
Koy Ear)

Joe Black
Eva May Wong
Donovan & Hayes
Skylons

SHEFFIELD
Empire
Ruby Murray
Flack Sc Lamar
4 Jones Boys
Marcies
Saveen

Juggling Brauns
Billy Dainty
SUNDERLAND
Empire
Mudlarks
Jean & Verne
Lorrae Desmond
Rowson & Ross
Joe Henderson
Allen Bros. Sc June
Johnny Laycock

LOS ANGELES

Band Box

BiUy. Gray
Barbara Heller
Guy Rennie
Jackie HUliard
Bob Bailey's oro
Ben Biutt's
Ben Blue
Helen Bolce
Smith Twins
SaUy Blythe
Charles Vespla
Sammy Wolf
Dick Bernie
Richard Cannon
Ivan Lane Ore
Coceanut Grove
Patricia Wymore
Freddy Martin Ore

Crescendo
Mort Sahl
The Treniers
interiudo
Earl Grant
T. C. Jones

Moulin Rouge
Mills Bros.

Jay Lawrence
“Wonderful World"
Slate Bros.
Arthur Walsh
Bobbi Parker
Johnny Ferguson 3
Statler Hotel
Weire Bros.
Skinnay Ennis Oro
Ye LIHIe Club
Cleopatra John’s
Joe Felix
Roger Nichols

LAS VEGAS

NEW YORK CITY

Blue Angel
.\L Davis Sc Spouse
.Martha Wright
Reyneaux
Geo. Matson

Phoenix; Claude Dauphin; Strat¬
ford, Ont.,. Shakespearean Players,
with her husband, Christopher
Plummer, etc.) than it is saloons,
but she brings to the offbeat izozo
niteries a nice, offbeat songalog. Its •
uniqueness is virtually a resurrec¬
tion of obscure Porter, Rodgers &

Hart, Oscar Levant and kindred
items.

-Boniface Julius Monk whose
name adohis both' his uniq^ue
Downstairs and Upstairs XSon of
Downstairs) Clubs—in the recon¬
verted Wanamaker mansion on
West 56th St.—is responsible for
contriving Miss Grimes’ routines,
Aided by expert pianologists Carl
Nonnan and Stan Keen who get
much out of their Stein ways, Miss
Grimes also extractsjnuch from a
repertoire that. tees off with a
Harold Arlen oldie, -Walk Around
The Block” from “Life Begins at
8:40.” thence into the lesser known
“Take Him” from “Pal Joey” (Rod¬
gers & Hart). Others are “Spring¬
time Cometh for the Love of Thee”
by E. Y. Harburg (“Flahooley”),
“We’ll Be The Same,” also R&H,
from “America’s Sweetheart,”
circa 1929, five Rorter items, “What
Shall I Do?”, “You’ll Never Know,”.

“Fit as a Fiddle,” “Doodle-De-Doo”
and “She Doesn’t Love Him,” latter
1929, and not a show tune. “Blame
It On My Youth” is the Levant
(1930) entry, and “Limehouse
Blues” (“Chariot’s Revue”), which
of course cannot be said to be
“lesser known,” and “You’ve Got
To Get Hot” (1936 George White’s
“Scandals”) are the rest of the
repertoire.

liliss Grimes has a youthful mien
as she perches on the piano in the
Helen Morgan manner, in. this in¬
timate downstairs boite, and pro¬
jects In tiptop style. She is for the
class rooms until she extends her
scone into broader, more “pooular”
orbits. Abel,

EVELYN SHARPE

Songs

30 Mins.

Le Cabaret, Toronto
Evelyn Sharpe reputedly came
over to replace Ji>Me Andrews in
“My Fp’” t t’'o went to

(Continued on page 95)

Jay Lawrence
Jimmie Daniels
Three Flames
Murray Grand
Casanova

Chateau Maci
B. Kraft Dners.
Xiomai'o Alfaro
Ralph Font Oro
Panchito Ore
Candi Cortez
Copacabana
Mickey Rooney
Joey Foreman
Janice Harper
Harry BeU
Bob Warren
Lou Donn Ore
Pagan Ore
Downstairs Room
Demi Dozen
Jean Arnold
Jane Connell
Ceil Cabot
Jack Fletcher
George HaU
Gerry Matbews
Stan Keen

No. 1 Fifth Av€.
Cedrone Sc MitcheU
Harold Ponville
Joan Bishop
Hotel Astor
Irving Fields
Hotel Roosevelt
Guy Lombardo Ore
Hotel Plaza
Jacquel’n Francoise
Ted Straeter Ore
Mark Monte Ore
Hotel Pierro
Mimi Benzell
Bill Tabbert
Wilbur Evans
Joseph Ricardel Ore
Alan Logan Ore
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lopez Ore
Hotel St. Regis
Fernanda Montel
Ray Bari Ore.

Milt Shaw Ore

Hotel St. Moritz
Marshall Grant 3
Jn Boboli
Judy Magee
Herman Chittison
Greta Rae

Latin Quarter
Sue Carson
Johnny Puleo
Marvyn Roy
Dick Curry
Pony SherreU
•lo Lombardi Oro
B H-irlowe Ore
Le Cupidon
Sandu Scott
Howard Bed'^r
Ish Ugardi Ore
Catun Ore

International
Jackie Miles
Pat Paterno
Eddie Lawrence Sc
Connie

McKenna Lino
Palmieri Ore
Mike Durso Ore
New Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Carolyn Carpenter
Larry WUde
Steadman
Granado Ore
R S V P
Mabel Mercer
Savoy Hilton
Emile Petti Ore
Town A Country
BurneU Dners
Ned Harvey Oro
Sicari Ore

Two Guitars
Olga Valdi
Ivan Nepa
Xenia Brante
K. Poliansky Ore
Misba Usdanoff
Viennese Lantern
Margarita Sierra
Ernest Schoen
Village Barn
Belle CarroU
Tex Fletcher
Flash Mason
Karen Thorsell
Mickey O’Malley
Lou Harold Ore
Village Vanguard
Ernestine Anderson
Johnny Griffin
Waldorf-Astoria
Harry Bela fonto
MlUard Thomas
Emil Coleman Ore
Bela Bahai Ore

Black Orchio

Johnny Mathis
Joe ParneUo iS)
Blue Angel
Helen Ferguson
Ted Shovon 3
Mighty Panther
Lord Carlton
Lord Christo
Blue Note
Stan Kenton Oro
Chez Paree
Eydie Gorme
Vagabonds (4)

Geo. Cook Ore.
Chez Adorables (9»
Cloister Inn
Will Jordan
Ann Richards
Ramsey Lewi.<! Trio
Conrad Hilton
Harrison Sc Kossl
Noberti
Helga Neff
Hans Leiter
Heinz Kroel

CHICAGO

CharUe Fisk Ork 10
Drake

Patricia Wilson
Jimmy Blade Oro
Gate of Horn
Bob Gibson
Anita Sheer
London House
Cy Coleman
' Mister Kelly's
SheUey Berman
Delia Reese
Marty Rubinstein 3
Marx Sc Frigo
Palmer Houso
Los Chavales
Isabela & Miguel
Ben Arden Ore
Preview Lounge
Harry Epps* Mus-
kat Ramblers
Tony Bellus 3
Sutherland
Sonny Stitt &

Three Sounds

Desert inn

“Newcomers of ’28’’
Paul Whiteman
Harry Richman
Rudy Vallee
Buster Keaton
Billy GUbert
Fifi D’Orsay
Carlton H^es Ore
Dunes

“Minsky’s Folies
International"
Tempest Storm
Norton Sc Patricia
Irv Benson
Marilyn Dann
Samy Bros.

Sharon Randall
Alan Roberts
Tommy (Moe) Raft
Barbara Esko
Murray Brisco
Vickie Denas
Cee -Davidson Ore
El Cortez
Rossi Sc Boyer
Eddie Bush
Versatiles
El Rancho Vegas
Lisa Kirk
Dick Rice Orch
Flamingo
Platters
Jay Jason
Dunhills
Goofers
Don Kirk
Flamingoettes
Jack Cathcart Ore
Fremont Hotel
Honeycones
Deedy & BiU
Gayle Walton
Make Believes
Golden Nugget
Harry Ranch
Lee Sc Faye May¬
nard

Art (Cow Eyes) En-
gler

Sons of. Gold’n Wst
Riviera

“Ziegfeld FoUies”

Jane Morgan
Dickie Henderson
Helen Wood
Andrea Dancers
Ving Merlin
Bill Shirley
Lgue Ann Langdon
^ay Sinatra Ore
De Castro Sis

Sahara

Fred Waring Ore
Mary Kaye Trio

Sands

Nat King Cole
Rowen & Martin
EUa Fitzgerald
Steve Rossi
Texas Copa Girls
Antonio Morelli Or*
ShowBoat
Shirley Scott
Garr Nelson
Showboat Girls
Vic Artese Ore
Silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Beverly HiUs
June Wirth
Alan Clive
Sparky Kaye
Red Marshall
Danny Jacobs
Annie Maloney
Geo. Redman Or*

' Stardust
Lide De Paris
“Ces’t Magnifiqu*"
BiUy Daniels
Happy Jesters
Wingy Manone
Tropicana
Dick Shawn
Dante D’Paulo
Barbara Luna
Carla Alberghettl
Jack Ackerman
Ray Malone
Ray Anthony Ore
D Williams Singer*
Nat Brandwynne
Ore

MIAMI - MIAMI BEACH

Americana
Jose Greco Co.
Howard Brooks
Lee Martin Ore
Nina Ramon
Balmoral
Charlie FarreU
BiUy Mitchell
Mickey Gentile
Jose Curbelo Ore
Clover Club
Moorman & Pica-
diUy Pipers
Bonnie Davis
Bob Novack Ore
Eden Roc
Dorothy Sarnoff
Ford Sc Reynolds
Walter Nye Ore
Jackie Heller
Sonny Kendis' Ore
Luis Varona Ore

Fontainebleau
Murray Schlamm
Sacasas Ore
Pupi Campo Ore
Harbour Loung*
Sammy Walsh
Gilbert & Tracy
Rasha RodeU
Tony Matas

Lucerne

Havana Mardl Gras
Diosa Costello
.Milos Velard*

Don Casino
Toriia Flores
Tony Sc Francella
Juan Romero
David Tyler Oro
The Grate
Joe Mooney Quartet
.Tohnny Smith
Herbie Brock Ora
Phil Ruedy 3

HAVANA

Capri

Juan Guerrero
Gloria y Rolando
Victor Alverez
SomaviUa Ore
Cal vet Ore .

Hilton

Fernando Albuerne
Metamoros Trio
Gladys & Freddy
J. Moreno Ore
Fajardo Ore
Nacional
Granada Ders.
Marco Tovar
Les Buccaniers
Dancing Water*

W Reves Ore
Gina Romand
Manolo Torrent*
Ana y Julio ^
Rfvlera
Olga GuiUot

Mitsoukl Sc Robert*
Gina Martin
Raul de Mesa
Nilo Rodriguez
Conrad Wilson
Felix Guerrero Ore.

Sans SoucI
Alberto Aguila
Gloria Sc Rolando
Victor Alverez
La Serie Ore
Ortega Ore
Tropicana
LeoneUa Gonzales
Xiomara Alfaro
Marta CastUlo
Berta Depuy
Guaracheros
Rolo Martinez
Henry Boyer
Tropicana BaUet
^Suarez Orq
Romeu Orq

SAN FRANCISCO

Backstage

Stan Arnold
Rene Joubert
Alfredo Cortez
Eluard Burt

Blackhawk
Cal Tjader 5
Canterbury
Geo. Alexander
Benny Strong Ore
Easy Street
Turk- Murphy Ore
Pack's
Cathy Hayes
Martin Denny
Fairmont Hotel
Gogi Grant
E. Heckscher Ore
440 Club
Larry Winters
Carol Davis

Cay fO's

Bee Sc Ray Goman
Sylvie St. Clair
Dick Keegan Ore
Hungry l
Kaye Ballard
Tom O'Horgan
Stan Wilson

Jazz Workshop
Virgil Gonsalves 6
On the Lavaa '
Kid Ory Ore
Purple Onion
Coachmen 3
Maya Angelou
Lou Gottlieb
3*5 Club
Harry Mlmmo
Barbara Barr
Moro-Landis Dcr*
BiU CUffbrd Ore.

RENO

Harolds Club

Patsy Shaw
Characters

Harrah's Club
Red Nichols
Kings IV
Ish Kabibble
Lancers
John Atomono
Holiday

Nick Esposito
Mapas
Dorothy Ray
Gallions Sc Ginny
Merl EUen Cohort*
Dubonnet 3
Glen RoUson
RIversId*

John Raitt
Sid Krofft

W«dne8da7, l^c«ml)er S, 1958

fJBGITIMATfi

87

THE FEUD OF MY FRENCH AUNT

‘Music Man’ Has 200% Net to Date;

“Music Man” is nearing the
200% profit mark. As of a Nov. 1
accounting, the net on the two-
company operation was $505,393.
It’s estimated that in the four
weeks since the- audit, the Broad¬
way production, which was fi¬
nanced at $300,000, has piled up
another $74,000. The average
weekly profit on the sellout show
is $18,500.

The national company, which
cost $219,241 to produce. Is vir¬
tually in the black on t^e basis
of income thus far received. That
takes in a $150,000 advance against
profits on the tuner’s Los Angeles
and San Francisco stands, A final
Coast accoimting will be made at
the completion of the musical’s
' Frisco rur later this month.

Sandwiched between the L. A.
and Frisco dates was a 24-perform¬
ance booking at the State Fair Mu¬
sic Hall, Dallas, with the operating
profit for the period liitting $63,-
839. The profit divvy on the two-
company venture as of the Nov. 1
audit totalled $429,600. On the
basis of the regular 50-50 split
between the backers and the man¬
agement, that gives the former an
approximate 71% return on their
investment.

The New York edition of the
Meredith Willson musical, pro¬
duced by Kermit Bloomgarden
and Herbert Greene (in association
with Frank Productions, Inc.) and
starring Kobert Preston, is cur¬
rently in its 51st w'eek at the Ma¬
jestic Theatre. The touring com-
p'any, with Forrest Tucker heading
the cast, opened in L. A. last
August

Fidow of Corse Payton,
‘World’s Worst Actor,’ Dies;
Last Tie to Nabe Stock

By ROBERT J. LANDRY

Death last week at 80 of oldtime
dramatic stock actress . Henriette
Browne, widow of Corse Payton,
serves to recall and memorialize a
t3'pe of show business long since
extinct - neighborhood weekly
charge stage plaj’S at 10-20-30-cent
admission.

Payton himself died at 77 in
1934, very much on his uppers
after talking pictures drove the
final nails into the coffin of stock.
He was for decades the “matinee
idol of Brooklyn” (Newark liked
him, too), a flambouyant, loud-
dressing, loud talking leading man
with scenery to match. In his earl¬
ier travelling days his gaudily-
painted baggage car marked
“Scenery for Corse Payton” was
always parked conspicuously near
the passenger depot of the current
stand.

At the peak of his. popularity,
his florid style of emoting gave
him, some years, a reputed $100,-
000 income. Naturally it didn’t last,
nor his vogue. He could never find
the answer to the pop vaudeville
and feature films which took away
his public.

Somewhere along tlie route oi
his hambone career a critic termed
Payton “the world’s worst actor.”
He adopted this as his billing and
picked up some vaude dates as a
sort of a non-singing, Cherry
Sisters act.

It was perhaps inevitable that
“the world’s worst actor” would,
in pressing for a comeback, an¬
tagonize the Actors Equity Assn.,
W’hich after 1019 imposed rules
regulating hiring and firing prac¬
tices in the spoken tlrama.

Wasted Talent

Chicago, Dec. 2.

Constance Bennett, star of
"Auntie Marne” touring com¬
pany ; currently playing an ex¬
tended engagement here, was
a guest at a recent Drama
League breakfast.

In- introducing the actress,
the toastmaster mentioned that
during the course of the com¬
edy she has 13 costume.
changes. In most cases with
only 30 seconds for each.

“I hadn’t realized it before,”
Miss Bennett commented in
starting her talk, “but at that
rate, if I were a strip-teaser, I
could do a dozen shows a
night.”

‘Drink’ at Limit
Of Its Bankroll

“Drink to Me Only,” the Abram
S. Ginnes-Ira Wallach comedy, cur¬
rently in its ninth week at the 54th
Street Theatre, N. Y., is figured to
have about used up its entire $100,-
000 capitalization. That’s based on
a Nov. 1 accounting and estimated
losses on dwindling business since
then.

As of the audit, production costs
($70,222) and out-of-town losses
($9,678) totaUed $79,900. Another
$18,510 was tied up in uhdistribut-
able assets, which included $1,928,
prepaid insurance; $5,000, advance
to the 54th Street Theatre, and
$11,582 in union bonds.

The total involved in production
[ costs, out-of-town losses and undis-
tributable assets w^s $98,410, with
an operating profit of $1,185 for
I the show’s first four w'eeks on
’ Broadway reducing that figure to
j $97,225. The statement also in¬
cluded a $15,000 sinking fund,
I which brought the total coin out-
(Continued on page 95)

MEE: IT'S HIT

“La Plume de Ma Tante,”
Broadw'ay’s new revue sleeper, has
the two traditional “characteris¬
tics” of a boxoffice smash, (a) It’s
doing standee business plus a
building advance sale, and (b)
there’s a feud on among the pro¬
ducers.

The Paris-via-London musical Is
grossing capacity-plus at over
$41,000 a week at the Royale
Theatre, N.Y., and earning an op¬
erating profit of $6,500-$7,000 a
week. It represents an investment
of $150,000, which indicates it
should recoup its cost by about
the first week of next April.

“La Plume,” which had a 20-
month London run and then a.
provincial tour as a tune-up for
Broadway, was evolved by Robert
Dhery from several of his previous
informal revues in Paris. The
show was presented in England by
Jack Hylton, who saw it in Paris
in 1954. He is partnered with
David Merrick and Joseph Kip-
ness in the U. S. presentation.

The operating setup for the re¬
vue includes the usual theatre
sharing terms for a rhusical (that
is,, the Shubert-operated house
gets 30% of the first $20,000 gross
and 25% thereafter), but there are
understood to be the customary
number of special provisions. Mail
orders have been running about
300 a day, at an average of around
$20 each, aiid there is a steady
(Continued on page 89)

‘Mousekap’ in 7iii Year,
Continuing London Run

London, Dec. 2.

A g a t.h a Christie’s whodunit,
“The Mousetrap,” last week en¬
tered its seventh year at the Am¬
bassadors Theatre, having chalked
up oyer 2,500 performances. It
opened Nov. 25, 1952. Heather
Chasen has taken over the star
femme role, the sixth femme lead
so far.

The film rights were sold some
years ago, but the pic cannot be
made until after the London run.

‘Booth’;

Ferrer Takes Over, Continues Run

Jose Ferrer, star and director of
“Edwin Booth,” has taken over
sole management of the produc¬
tion. He was previou.sly co-pre¬
senter with the Pla3'^vrights Co.
The show opened last week at the
46th Street Theatre, N.Y., receiv¬
ing generally imfavorable notices.
For the initial eight performances
it grossed nearly $14,200, figured
under break-even.

Ferrer’s takeover of the show
followed the refusal of Play¬
wrights to okay continuing ttie Mil-
ton Geiger draiha beyond last Sat¬
urday (29). Ferrer hAs agreed to
be responsible for any further ex¬
penses or deficits for the show, but
the Playwrights’ Standing Equity
and craft-union bonds are being al¬
lowed to remain on deposit to
guarantee payment of wages for
the show.

Apparently still undecided is
the responsibility for the “Edwin
Booth” expenses up through last
week. The contract between Fer¬
rer and the Playwrights reportedly
calls for the latter to underwrite
the show. However, there is un¬
derstood to have been a verbal un¬
derstanding between Ferrer and
producer-realtor Roger L. Stevens
that expenses would not exceed
the $100,000 budget.

Including production costs, op-
"Say Darling,” currently in its • 'erating losses on the Coast tryout

36th week on Broadway, has thus'“'i e=‘Pe'>5os In

ir J 1. a. I New York, the outlay reportedly

far recovered about 60% of its j reached $135,000, to which is add-
$200,000 investment. As of a Nov. led the operating loss last week.
1 accounting, the unrecouped out-!Stevens is said to have been will-
lay on the Jule Stj-ne-Lester Oster- to continue “Edwin Booth;' at
least through this week, provided-
Ferrer would acknowledge re¬
sponsibility for the extra $35,000

Musical Waxworks /

Perhaps the American Acad¬
emy of Dramatic Art should
have a compulsory course in
flute-playing for aspiring ac¬
tors. It can be a factor in get¬
ting a job in legit,

Doris Rich, who plays the
flute as an avocation, actually
did so on stage as one of a
band of strolling players in the
Alfred Lunt - Lynn Fontanne
production of “The Taming of
the Shrew” in 1935. A couple
of weeks ago, Robert Linden,
production manager of the up¬
coming musical. “Redhead.”
happened to ask Lunt if he
knew of an actress who could
play the flute.

So Miss Rich has been
signed for “Redhead,” to ilbr-
tray a waxworks museum own-
. er ■^ho plays the flute.

‘Darling’ Recoups
68% of 2(WG Cost

man production was $76,812, Busi¬
ness since then has been marginal.

The total repayment to the
backers, as of the audit, was $75,-
000. The musical, wdth book by
Richard Bissell, Abe Bun’o\\'s and
Marian Bissell, lyrics by Betty
Comden and Adolph Green and
music by Styne, moves next Mon¬
day (8) from the ANT A Theatre to
the Martin Beck Theatre.

Tniman Lapote to Read
Own Work at Cambridge

Boston, Dec. 2.

Truman Capote has been booked
for a solo program of readings
Dec. 14 at Sanders Theatre, Cam¬
bridge, Mass.

The novelist, to be presented by
the Poet’s Theatre, will read from
his own works, including ’The
Grass Harp,” “Other Voices, Other
Rooms,” and his new book, “Break¬
fast at Tiffainy's."

OUT SOON!

Tfie

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

pre-Broadway cost.

Ferrer demurred, however, so
the Playwrights . withdrew, al¬
though allowing the union bonds
to remain on denosit. Since the
premiere and the disappointing re¬
views, Ferrer has been making
nightly curtain speeches to urge
playgoers to talk up the show to
. Eddie Albert, pinchhitting forit^eir friends. He also took a dis-
David Wayne, who’s on a 10-week :P}ay aj m Mondays d) dailies to
leave of absence, costars with ■ drama as comparable to

Vivian Blaine and J o h n n y ! Broadway hits m which he has
Desmond. , previou sly appeared.

2 ‘Ulysses’ Treatments
For Showng in London;
Okay for ‘Rose Tattoo’

London, Dec. 2.

“Bloomsday,” a dramatization by
Alan McClelland from the James
Joyce novel, “Ulysses,” was pro¬
duced last week at the Oxford
Playhouse, after the producers
made 16 script cuts required by
the Lord Chamberlain. Two other
specified deletions were modified
after protests.

“UlysseS in Nighttown,” Padraic
j Columns adaptation from the same
j novel, is planned for production
I next* spring at the Arts Theatre
I Club. Burgess Meredith, who
I staged the off-Broadway production
j of the play which closed last Sun¬
day (30) at the Rooftop Theatre,
N. Y., is being sought to repeat
the assignment here.

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space ieservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 2i
154 W. 44Hi St.

HOLLYWOOD 28
4404 SHHict llvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. Mlchfgaii Ave.

LONDON. W. C. 2
8 St. Martin's Plact
Trafalgar Sqnort

‘Tattoo’ for London

Liverpool, Dec. 2,
“The Rose Tattoo,” current at
the Shakespeare Theatre Club
here, will probably be presented
commercially in the West End later
this winter or next spring. The
Lord Chamberlain has okayed the
script, after producers Sara Wana-
maker and Anna Deere Wiman ob¬
tained permission from the author,
Tennessee Williams.

Bard’s Stratford House
As Symphony’s New HQ

Bridgeport, Dec. 2,
Margaret Harshaw opens the
Connecticut symph season Dec. 3
at American Shakespeare Festival
Theatre in Stratford. Byron Janis
set for Jan. II.

The Shakespeare house has
pretty much replaced Bridgeport’g
munidpaUy operated Klein Memo¬
rial as the Connecticut organiza¬
tion's concert halL

88

ueerriMATE

PSRlSfY

Wednesday, December .3, 1958

Shows on Broadway

The Flower Dnun Song

Bodgers & Hammersteln presentation
(in association with Joseph Fields) of
two-act (14 scenes) musical comedy, with
music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar
Hammerstein 2d. book by Hammerstein
and Fields, based on the novel by C. Y.
Lee. Staged by Gene Kelly; choreography,
Carol Haney; scenery, Oliver Smith: cos¬
tumes, Irene Sharaff; lighting. Peggy
Clark; orchestrations. Robert Russell Ben¬
nett; musical director, Salvatore Dell’Isola;
dance music arrangements, Luther Hen¬
derson Jr. Features Miyoshi Umeki, Larry .
Blyden, Juanita Hall. Keye Luke. E^J
Kenney, Arabella Hong, Pat Suzuki. ■
‘ Opened Dec. 1, ^58, at the St. James
Theatre. N.Y.; $8.05 top ($12 opening). ,

Mme. Liang . Juanita Hall

Liu Ma . Rose Quong

Wang San .Patrick Adiarte

Wang Ta . -:.Ed Kenney

Wrng Chi Yang...- Keye Luke

Srmmy Fong. Larry Blyden

Dr Li . Conrad Yama

Mei Li .Miyoshi Umeki

Linda Low . Pat Suzuki

Tailor .Harry Shaw Lowe

Mr. Huan. Jon Lee

Helen Chao . Arabella Hong

Prof. Cheng . Peter Chan

Frankie Wing . Ja<* Soo

Head Waiter . George Young

Night (nub Singer . Anita Ellis

Dr. Lu Fong . Cniao Li

Mme. Fong Eileen Nakamura

Dancers: Fumi Akimoto, Paula CHiin,
Helen Funai. Pat Griffith, Mary Huie.
fMarion Jim, Betty Kawamura, Baayork
' Lee, Wonci Lui. Jo Anne Miya. Denise
Quan, Vicki Racimo, Shawnee Smith,
Maureen Tiongco. Mabel Wing, Yuriko,
Jose Ahumada, Victor Duntiere, George
Li. David Lober, Robert Lorca. George
Minami, David Toguri, George Young.

CTiildrem Linda and Yvonne Ribuca.
Susan Lynn Kikuchl. Luis Robert Her¬
nandez. ...

Numbers: "You Are BeauUful, A
Hundred Million ADracles.” Enjoy
Being a Girl," 'T Am Going to IJke It
here,” "Like a God,” "Chop Suey,”
"Don’t Marry Me-” "Grant Avenue.”
"Love Look Awv," *'F.-»n T.->n Fanme,'
"Gliding Through My Memoree,” "The
Other Generation.” ‘'S;*nday,” "Wedding
Parade.”

plot-functional role of a lonely
woman with an amorous eye on the
hero. The ensemble, for which the
producer-authors have succeeded
in finding a surprising number of
Oriental-lookers, is notable for
stunning figures as well as pretty
faces. There’s even a handful of
engaging youngsters in the cast,
including cute Oriental moppet
twins and a bright-as-a-button
dancing juvenile.

Sticlders for superlatives will
point out that “Flower Drum Song”
is not absolutely toi)-quality Rod-
gers-Hammerstein, on a par, for
instance, with the early “Okla¬
homa” and “Carousel” or the more
recent, gigantic “South Pacific”
and “King and 1.” There may be
carping at some of the uninspired
jokes. But “Flower Drum Song”
has what it takes for average audi¬
ences and hefty boxoffice, particu¬
larly with its enormous advance
sale. It’ll do. Kobe.

Cue for Passion

Playwrights Co. & Franchot Produc¬
tions presentation of two-act (five scenes)
drama by Elmer Rice, staged by the
author; setting and lighting. George
Jenkins; costumes, Dorothy Jeakins. Stars
Diana Wynyard. John Kerr; features
Lloyd Gough. Anne Revere, RusseU Gaige.
Robert Lansing, .Tbanna Brown. Opened
Nov. 25, ’58, at Henry Miller’s Theatre.
N.Y.; 6.90 top.

Lucy Qessler ... Joann^f Brown

Grace Nicholson . Diana Wvnyard

Mattie Haines . Anne Revere

Carl Nicholson . Llovd Gough

Tony Burgess... John Kerr

Lloyd Hilton .Robert Lansing

Hugh Gessler .. RusseU Gaige

Rodgers and Hammerstein are i
back in business. With “The Flower |
Drum Song,” which opened Mon-,
day night (D at the handsomely;
refurbished St. James Theatre, the !
musical team has a beautiful show i
which should be good for a long i
run on Broadway and the road, and ;
will make a good picture and a
click record album. i

Given an interesting book, the;
master musical collaborators prac-’
ticaUy never miss. After a four- j
year creative lull, they have an i
unusual, lively and appealing plot ]
in the C. Y. Lee novel about a wed- j
ding mixup in San Francisco’s
Chinatown. The yarn touches amus- !
ingly on the conflict of Oriental i
and western customs and the eter- J
nal warfare between the older and j
younger generations. !

Richard Rodgers has WTitten one •
of his melodious scores for the
show, and although the music;
sounds at moments vaguely rem-:
Ihiscent of some of his memorable;
past successes, it still has a lush \
texture and depth that no other.
contemporary legit composer can;
match. Oscar Hammerstein 2d has i
provided warm and graceful lyrics
and, with Joseph Fields, hns col-,
laborated on a supple and, with few
exceptions, convincingly motivated
book.

The cast is attractive and in sev-
eral cases bewitching, Carol .
Haney’s choreography is original
and worked out, and should
go far toward establishing her in
the fie'd. Gene Kelly has staged
the show proficiently, Oliver
Smith’s scenery is lavish and prop- ^
erly picturesque, Irene Sharaff’s
costumes are becomingly exotic'
and colorful. Robert Russell Ben¬
nett’s orchestrations are unusually
listenabie.

There are no boxoffice stars in
*Tlower Drum Song” and none
emerges, but there are several cap¬
tivating personalities and the com-
pany as a whole is extraordinarily
attractive. Mitoshi Umeki (the wife
of Red Buttons in “Sayonara” film)
has the fascinating look of a China
doll, plus a pleasant singing voice
and an enchantingly imaffected
manner. She is charming in such
numbers as “A Hundred Mill’on
Miracles” and “I Am Going to Like
It Here,” and touching in her
dramatic scenes, with a particu¬
larly delicious way of reading com¬
edy lines. She is believable and
lovely as the strictly-reared Chi¬
nese picture-bride whose paren¬
tally-arranged wedding to an im¬
pulsive Chinese-American youth
almost goes awry.

Pat Suzuki is an engaging per¬
former as the brash cabaret strip¬
per who nearly marries the hero
through a rather contrived mis¬
taken-identity situation, and she
belts such rhythm songs as “I
Enjoy Being a Girl,” “Grant Ave¬
nue” and “Sunday” into audience-
rousing hits. V

Juanita Hall is authoritative and
emphatic as a self-consciously nat¬
uralized American citizen, Keye
Luke (familiar to vet film addicts
as Charley Chan Jr.) is effective
and assured as the youth’s tradi¬
tionalist father and Larry Blyden
fcores in the down-to-earth sing¬
ing-dancing role of a conniving
►itery owner who arranges the
marriage and rights the mistaken-
Wentity snarl.

Ed Kenney is acceptable as the
confused bridegroom, Arabella
Hong has a richly melodious voice
tad a winning personality in the

Special Royalty

For her special • children's
matinees during this fall’s
concert tour, Mary ' Martin
has been using a special song,
“What It Takes To Make Mu¬
sic,” by permission of the
copjright owner, Thomas
Scherman, of the N.Y. Little
Orchestra. It was he who com¬
missioned Mary Rodgers and
Linda Melnick, daughters of
Richard Rodgers, to write the
tune for the Little Orchestra’s
own kid concerts—the theme
that it takes composers' musi¬
cians and listeners to make
music.

As his price for granting
Miss Martin permission to use
the song, conductor Scherman
exacted a commitment for her
to appear Dec„ 27 with the
Little Orchestra in N.Y.

Elmer Rice has revealed in in¬
terviews that for many years he
had the notmn of doing a modem
version of “Hamlet.” He finally
got around to the project some
months ago, and has called the
play “Cue for Passion.” It has
been presented by the Playwrights
Co. and a new management firm,
T^ranchot Productions, onening last
Tuesdav night (25) at Henrv Mil¬
ler’s Theatre.' The show doesn’t
seem worth all the effort.

A play is modern, or contempor¬
ary not according to when it was
WTitten in what historical era the
action is placed. Or by the costume
-style or manner of speech. A
drama several hundred years old is
excitinglv timelv if it comes alive
on the stage, if it grips audience
imagination and concern. But a
nlay written just yesterday or to¬
day mav have as little immediacy
as “East Lynne” if it isn’t believ¬
able.

A classic needn’t be sacrosanct.
Shakespeare himself creat<=‘d h’s
maste^ieces by rewriting the ear- j
Ppr works of orciinary authors, j
The point is that Shakespeare was ;
a genius, and he gave immortality i
to commonplace material. Time-!
1 ’ness is a matter of quality, not =
litPT-al date. -

The reouirement in “moderniz- <
ing” an existing work ought to he •

rnt moT-p rrrp'if''- ;

penetration, fresh illumination and, ’
honefullv. more beaut'*. O'! the!
simp’ecf level, tt-e rev’sed edit'-on •
‘^hoidd he a good show, mo^e en-
i-^rt.^ipipt^ if not more moving than I
thp origipal. {

“Cue fo’* Pasc'on” c^vitches tbe .
local rf the “Hamlet” stmH' to |
present-day southern California ;
'■nd, in .s-mple tp^ms, si’"'»ests tw^t :
the .voupg hero’s extravagantly i
peuFotic bet’avior .is motivated bv j
'ncestuous love for h*s mother. J
Retu’mipg from a morbidly-moti- *
vated .«:i^av in the Far East, he is
shocked to discover that his re-
centlv-^'idowed mother has re¬
married. and he .su.soept<j h.?s new
.stepfather of being his fatbpr’s
murderer, hi*; mother’s longtime
lovp'' and perhaps his actual sire.

Whether or not that’s a tenable
n«''cbiatric explanation for the ase-
old dilemma of the iiTelancholy
Dane’s character, it makes a syn¬
thetic. talkv and, except for tbe
concentrated action aod a coppIp
of credible moments in the final
scenes, a tedious plav. So “Cue
for Passion” seems a dubious pros¬
pect for Broadway, although arith
ingenious adaptation it could con¬
ceivably he film material.

Under Rice’s unhurried and
rather formal direction an impres¬
sive cast does valiantly toward giv-.
ing the drama reality. John Kerr
gives an admirably controlled, sus¬
tained and resourceful perform¬
ance in the difficult role of the
overwrought, marathon - talking
hero who’s as trying to the audi¬
ence as he is to the other charac¬
ters. After her unyielding early
scenes, Diana Wvnyard makes the
mother a genuine arid touchin®'
character In the more substantial
concluding moments.

Lloyd Gough gives considerable
dimension to the part of the cir-
cumspe^tlv a.csiired sfeufpther,
Anne Revere hripgs q’^etly ex¬
pressive authority to the role
of th-* fnmMy p-v.-'-it with
(Continued on page 92) ,

Paul Craig

(CARNEGIE HALL, N. Y.)

A determined will to achieve
hokum marks this seriously-trained
(Curtis Institute) musician. Pres¬
enting himself (24) at Carnegie
Recital Hall, he oscillated from in¬
credible to plausible. He was slap¬
stick (ladies poetry-club), stereo¬
typed (House of Lords), silly (A lit¬
tle boy), incomprehensible (French
biddy at art gallery), campy (de¬
butante) and finally came close to
first rate roughhouse satire in his
session at the piano. - He dis¬
coursed on and played Freudian
music of the future based on the
premise that man’s basic instincts
are murder, incest and cannibalism
and that iriusic ought to reflect this.
There are the makings of a night
club act in this number—given
more work, more punch-lines.

Craig’s feminine mimiekry bad¬
ly falters vocally, the pantomime
being better. Also he is over the
line too often into N.T.—^for no
talent and no taste. But despite
interludes rankly amateur in qual¬
ity, the instinct for hokum arid oc¬
casional success in creating giggles
suggests something to build on.
It would be too easy to dismiss
him. What price work, time, edit¬
ing? Land.

Herbert von Karalan

(CARNEGIE HALL, N. Y.)

After his two weeks as a guest
conductor of the NY Philharmonic
it is evident that Herbert von
Karajan can transmit his inten¬
tions to any orchestra, even to one
which seme days ago was a strange
body to him. .Very seldom is heard
such musicar phrasing, such dra¬
matic eloquence, such inspiration
and spnotaneity.

Philharmonic men (having Over¬
come an initial reluctance) gave
von Karajan full support.. Dealing
with Beethoven the first was de¬
licately shaped and the temoi’s
in all movements maintained with
such sovereignity that it was ap¬
parent that here was a great inter¬
preter, With the Ninth von Kara¬
jan created entirely different
moods especially with the dark ma¬
jesty of thq first movement, the
remendous excitement of the sec¬
ond and the beautifully played
scherzo. Quartet deserves much
praise with Leontyne Price’ sop¬
rano soaring thrillirigly and pure¬
ly above the tumult of joy. For the
solendidly trained Westminster
chorus there can be only thp high¬
est praise Goth.

Inside StuS-Legit

“Carefree Heart,” which folded on the road as a pre-Broadway tri’’-
out in 1957, will be revived for four performances at the Boston Univ,
Theatre here next week. The Robert Wright-George Forrest musical,
based on Moliere’s medical plays, will be presented under the title,
‘ The Love Doctor,” one of the labels contemplated for the original
Lynn Loesser-Shamus Locke production,

Broadway stager Albert Marre will direct the university produc¬
tion, which will be choreographed by Todd Bollender. Joan Diener
will appear in the presentation, which will run from next Wednesday
night (10) through the following Saturday night (13). A release sent
out by the university’s news bureau, tags “Doctor*’ as a new musical
comedy and makes no reference to the prior “Heart” production.

Shows Abroad

PittsbnrjSh Sympbony

(CARNEGIE HiULL, N. Y.)

Now one'.of the country’s best
orchestras, under William Stein¬
berg, the Pittsburghers at Carne¬
gie Hall. N.Y, were unspoiled plea¬
sure. True, such touring groups
come with their best, playing only
well-performed numbers in con¬
trast to the weekly-change pro¬
grams of the . home city symphony
with its few rehearsal sessions.
Nonetheless the Pittsburgh ensem¬
ble exhibited delightful values, in¬
cluding precision and clarity. '

After a “Ship-shape” reading of
Beethoven’s “Eroica” the visitors
presented Nicolai Lopatnikoff’s
“Variazionl Concertanti” op 38. It
was a piece commissioned by the
orchestra under a grant from
Pittsburgh’s Bicentennial Commit¬
tee. The composer who has been
a teacher at Carnegie Tech for
several years has written a work¬
manlike, sometimes entertaining,
score which gives the soloists of
the orohestra ample opportunity
for virtuoso passages. The style of
this composition is on the conserva¬
tive side hut the scoring is bril¬
liant and was admirably performed.

Goth.

Hot Summer Xigbt

London, Nov. 27.

Emile Littler’s presentation of three-
act drama by Ted Willis. Stars John
Slater, Joan Miller, Andree MeUy. Stag¬
ing, Peter Cotes; decor, Hutchinson Scott.
Opened Nov. 26. ’58, at New Theatre,
London; $2.75 top.

Old Man . Harold Scott

Frank Stephens . Richard Walter

Nell Palmer . Joan MiUer

.Tack Palmer .. John Slater

•Tudv Gomez . joyce Howard

Kathie Palmer .

Sonny Lincoln .Lloyd Reckord

Highly topical, Intelligently con¬
troversial and adult in every way,
“Hot Summer Night” is a pene¬
trating study of race prejudice.
The Ted Willis play is a commend¬
able example of dramatic construc¬
tion, and is overflowing in sincerity
and integrity- Whether all these
virtues will add up to a boxoffice
seems questionable, hbwever.

Although the nature of the con¬
flict is easily predictable from the
opening scene, it does not detract
from the dramatic development
and tension. The story involves a
union official who opposes race
prejudice among his own members
and reacts calmly when his school¬
teacher daughter reveals her in¬
tention of marr>irig a native Ja¬
maican. However, the girl's mother,
played in a mounting tone of dra¬
matic hysteria by Joan Miller,
thinks it’s the end of the world.

Peter Cotes has handled the di¬
rection forthrightly, and the issue
clearly emerges in the first act and
the atmosphere is powerfully de¬
veloped in the subsequent acts.
There is, ‘perhaps, one false note
when the mother attempts suicide
with a bread knife. It’s too thea¬
trical to be convincine in an other¬
wise believable situation.

As the union executive. John
Slater gives one of the best per¬
formances of his career. Apart
from the one excess, Miss Miller’s
nortrayal is flawless, while Andree
Mellv is acceptable as the daugh¬
ter. There is a narticularly fine ^nd
tf'nder study by Harold Scott as
the grandfather and a dignified
contribution by Llovd Reckord as
the Negro. Joyce Howard, as a
white girl who had married a West
Indian, and Frank Stephens,, as
another union official ably com¬
plete the cast.

A split-set. showing the living
room and the backyard of the
familv home has been neatly de¬
signed by Hutchinson Scott.

Myro.

Hook, Line and Sinker

London, Nov. 20.

Rob^n Fox Partnership Ltd. presenta¬
tion (in association with Leon Hepner &
Howard Bourgein) of three-act (four
scenes) comedy bv Andre Roussin,
adapted by Robert Morley. Stars Morley,
Joan Plowright. Staged by Stuart Burge;
decor Bernard Dayde. Opened Nov. 19,
’5S; at Piccadilly Theatre; $2.80 top.

Sebastian L(v Boeuf.Robert Morley

Arlette Le Boeuf. Joan Plowright

Kiki Reger . Bernard Cribbins.

.Tulie Desnied .Gretchen Franklin

Percy (The Ram).Harry Hutchinson

Robert Morley has waited three
years to appear in his own adapta.-
tion of this French comedy by
Andre Roussin, and it is question¬
able whether the wait was worth it.
'This thin, spasmodically amusing
comedy is only a moderate entry
and, barely surviving the journey
across the English Channel, it
would be unlikely to withstand
the more . difficult Transatlantic
crossing.

The tiny story has Robert Mor¬
ley as a pompous husband who is
an avid angler. His young wife,
who had married him three years
earlier believing him to he the
winner of a huge lottery. Is tired
of waiting to get her hooks on the
cash and decides to have him
bumped off, with the crinnivance
of -her brother. She hires a shady
character to push her non-swim¬
ming husband into the river. But
twice the scheme is bungled. Even¬
tually, she breaks down and con¬
fesses, the husband gets tough and
she falls for him in his riew guise.
And, of course, though there is no
money, everything ends happily.

It needs plenty of performance
to keep this thin, trite idea alive
for three acts. The few good lines
and two or three promising situa¬
tions are not enough to disguise
the arid patches. Morley plays the
husband with his usual bland as¬

surance and with tbe air of making
up the wh(fle thing as he goes
along.

Joan Plowright brings both sex-
appeal and fun to the key role of
his wife, and Bernard Cribbins
also produces yocks as her brother.
The cast is completed by Harry
Hutchinson as the blundering mur¬
derer and Gretchen Franklin as a
garrulous neighbor. Both give com¬
petent performances in unreward¬
ing roles.

Stuart Burge’s direction Is brisk
! and Bernard Dayde has provided
■ a pleasant setting. It will need all
of Morley’s large and .loyal fol¬
lowing to keep “Hook, Line and
Sinker” afloat in a theatrical sea¬
son in which so many worthy diver-
I sions are touring the sticks eagerly
' awaiting West End homes. Rich.

The Devil Peter

London, Nov. 28.

Arts Theatre Club (in association with
Jack Hylton) production of three^ct
drama by Dott. Salvato CappeUi. trans¬
lated by Giamniero Rolandi. Features
John Sharplin* Vera Fusek, Edwin Rich¬
field. Stagine, Robert Peake; decor, Stan¬
ley Moore. Opened Nov. 27, ’58, at Arts
Theatre Club, London: $1.65 top.

Presiding Judge .. Charles Simon

Defense Counsel.Robert Gillespie

Prosecutor ... John Sbamlin

Peter Kurten . Edwin Richfield

Rosa Horzmuller.....Felicity Young

2d Judge . Cyril Wheeler

3d Judge.Reginald Atldnson

Pro«5ecuting Counsel . Richard Sothcott
Policemen... Stephen Scott. Gary Hooe.

Michael Vafdy

Maria Kurten . Vera Fusek

Inspector Kurtiss....- Michael Beint

Mrs. Hotzinger.Marian Diamond

Max HotTjnger .. James Land

Veiled Women . Anne Robson.

Tessa De Wolf

Karl .. Lorna Henderson

. Turly . Irene French

I Peter Kurlen. as a boy James Land
! Prologue spoken by ...John Holmstrom

! “The Devil Peter” Is one of the
. dullest courtroom plays in memory.

^ Reconstructing the trial of the
; notorious Dusseldorf monster (the
; central character of the motion
; uicture “M”), the Italian author
has succeeded in eliminating ex-
. citement, drama and tension. It is
presented at the Arts Theatre Club
. in a.<5sociation with Jack Hylton,
hut there seems little prospect that
the impresario will consider it
; worthy,of a normal West End run.

I The entire action shows the pub-
lie prosecutor building up his case
: against the accused, and from time
i to time there is a break in his
; monolog to enable an intiflent to
he re-enacted in flashback style.
The technique hardly enlivens the
proceedings and, indeed, seeius • a
clumsy device and only delays the
action. Oddly enough, during the
entire three acts, the defense
counsel has nothing to do or say
but to voice an occasional objec¬
tion and always suffer the ignom¬
iny of being overruled,

Robert Peake’s limp staging is
hardly a help and the cast is rarely
more than a match for the play.
Vera Fusek, alone among the
players, makes an impression. John
Sharplin outstays his welcome as
public prosecutor, but his outsize
part gives him no alternative.
Edwin Richfield makes only a
negative impression as the mon¬
ster who was executed for 12 capi¬
tal crimes. Myro.

Les 3 Coupes de Mlnnit

(The Three Strokes of Midnight)

, * Paris, Nov. 27.

Robert De Ribon & Georges Herbert
presentation of two-act drama by Andre
Obey; staging, Pierre Dux; setting,
Georges Wahhevitch; costulnes. Jacque¬
line Moreau. Stars Fernand Ledoux, Marie
Daems; features Palau. Daniel Dancourt,
Jacques Berger, William Sabatier, Lionel
Baylac, Georges Dldier. Opened Nov. 26,
M, at Theatre dtf L'Oeuvre, Paris; $3 top.

Bradshaw . Fernand Ledoux

. Marie Daems

Black will . •. Palau

Greene. Danid Dancourt

Scott . Jacques Berger

Dodger .William Sabatier

Dowel .; Lionel Baylac

Morton . Georges Dldier

Goodlack . Raoul Bilrey

This simple, touching Christmas
play by vet drairtatist Andre Obey
is directly and affectingly played,
and appears likely to span the holi¬
day period, and may even last be¬
yond that. It probably lacks suffi¬
cient substance for Broadway, but
might do for off-Broadway or
school groups, or possibly for tele¬
vision.

The locale is a small town
where a workers’ group’s plans for
(Continued on page 92)

Wednesday, DecenAer 3, 1^58

UMnTEMAIrK

89

Off-BroadMray Reviews

The ^njire Fellow

Circle (Lei*h Connell, Theodore Mann,
Jose Quintero) Sc Banner (Sanford
man, Arnold Perl, Myron Weinberg)
presentation of a three-act (four «ene^
comedy-drama by Brendan B^an. Staged
by Quintero; setting and light^, Qavid
tiayes. Opened Nov. 27, '58, at the Cirde
in the Square, N.Y.; $4 top weelanghts,
$4.50 top Friday-Saturday nights.

C^ast: xLiam Clancy, Lou Frizzell, Roy
Poole, John Leighton, Bryan ll^rbert.
Bob Alexander, Lester Rawlins. Wi lliam
Myers, William Goodwin, Barry MacoUum,
Richard Dysart, Charles Althoff, Anthoiyr
Holland, Ben Laughlln,. Roland Wood,
Norman Burton, Leslie Barrie, John Dod¬
son, Jim Kelly, Sandy Camp^U, Paul
Milikin, Pat Malone, Taugh OTaillon.

There was some confusion last
season over who had the American
rights to Brendan Behan’s London
artistic success, ‘‘Quare 'Fellow.”
The play was first announced for
Broadway production and sub¬
sequently as an off-Broadway
prospect by another management.
The situation was resolved and
fortunately in favor of off-Broad-
v.ay.

It’s unlikely that “Fellow” could
hold up in Main Stem competition,
since the story lacks commercial
aopeal. Nevertheless, in this first
play, Behan displays a knack for
realistic dialog and character in¬
sight. The inmates of the Irish
prison are thoroughly believable.

The drama’s major fault seems
to lie in the author’s failure to
draw the sarrie erhotional involve¬
ment from the audience as is dis¬
played by the prison inmates and
guards in the scheduled hanging
of “The Quare Fellow,” Irish pris¬
on slang for a condemned man.
Tlie character never appears on
stage, but the references to him
vory from his being a bully to a
■nice guy.

Behan is obviously against capi¬
tal punishment and to accentuate
his stand the condemned man in
tlrs case has been convicted of
murdering his brother and then
dismembering his body. The re¬
pugnancy of the guards and pris¬
oners to the Jhanging ritual is
clearly drawn, with Lester Rawlins,
as a warder who regularly partici¬
pates in the execution procedure,
crisply conveying his disgust.

Under Jose Quintero’s perceptive
dii’ection the playing is polished
and engrossing. Buiyan Herbert
injects a humorous note as an
elderly convict to whom a cell-is
virtually home. Roland Wood also
has a bright bit as a prisoner de¬
fending the law and those who
serve it Roy Poole, John Leighton
and Barry MacoUum are among
other -convicts who register effec¬
tively.

Liam Clancy and Bob Alexander
are good as a couple of teenage
hoods,, while Leslie Barrie Is fine as
the hangman. Clancy also does okay
with some offstage singing. The
other members of the cast also rate
commendation, as does David
Hayes for his setting, costumes and
lighting. Although the center-stage
Is practically bare, the theatre’s
rear-wall, with the word SILENCE
stencilled on it, plus a few props
create the impression of a cell
block and a prison yard. Jess.

Journey With Strangers

SteUa Holt presentation of Adrian HaU
production of a tbree-act (nine acenes)
drama by Richard Lortz, based on a novel
by Anne Parrish. Staged by HaR; set and
costumes, Robert Soule; lighting, Larry
Paidcer. Features Mary Sinclair, Michael
Ray, Lois Holmes, Rusty Pailcer. Opened
Nor. 2$, '58, at Greenwi<2i Mews Theatre,
N.Y.; $1.80 top Monday. $3.85 Saturday,
$3.30 other ni^ts.

Cast; Ted Butler, Michael Ray, Mary
Sinclair, RusSy Parker, Lois Holmes,
Stephen Harris, David Ford, Norma Win¬
ters, Jack Graham. Esther Benson. Mike
Antonakes, Tania Wisbar, Mageie (Jerrity,
Donald Robertson, Edward Blessington.

Richard Lortz, who’s written
television drama, is off to a bad
legit start With this adaptation of
Anne Parish’s novel, "Poor Child.”
The slow story is loosely con¬
structed, •the characters have little
depth and the ^rformance is weak.

The plaj^right never arouses
andience concern over the plight
of a Brooklyn waif who’s adopted
hy a wealthy but emotionaUy un¬
stable New England widow. The
orphan, whose mother killed her¬
self and his sister anff- almost suc¬
ceeded in slaying him, is searching
for love.

Resenting the widow’s failure to
give him the affection he needs,
the youngster accidentally causes
the death of her little son. When
the widow goes off to Las Vegas
to get married, she leaves the
lonely boy with some shady ser¬
vants, one a homosexnai. But, a
kindly woman, formerly employed
by the widow, rescues the lad.

As the widow, Mary Sinclair Js
visually attractive in a number of
becoming costumes, but neither she
nor Michael Ray as the orphan or
other members of cast can give
conviction to the inept script. How¬
ever, ei^ht-year-old Rusty Parker
does manage to get in some charm¬
ing moments as the widow’s son.

The staging by Adrian Hall Is

routine. Robert Soule, on the other
hand, has designed an interesting
set, which switches from the patio
of the widow’s home to her son’s
nursery. Jess.

Britannicas

T. Edward Hambeltou/Jc Norris Hough¬
ton (Theatre Inc.) presentation of the
Theatre Du Vieux-(Jolombier de Paris,
by arrangement with Raymond Gerome
Sc Jean De Rigault; under sponsorship of
the French Government; five-act drama
by Jean Racine: staging, Gerome; settings,
Roger Domes;, costumes, Nirva Nirvana,
Manuel Sierra. Features Marguerite
Jamois, Jacques Francois, Raymond
Gerome, Martine Sarcey. Hubert Noel.
Marcelle Ransom, Claude Martin. Opened
Nov. 28, '58, at £he Phoenix Theatre,
N.Y.; $4.60 top.

Agrippina ..Marguerite Jamois

Albina .; MarceUe Ransom

Burrhus .. Claude Martin

Britannicus ... Hubert Noel

Narcissus . Raymond Gerome

Nero .. Jacques Francois

Junia . Martine Sarcey

Following the recent engagement
of the Theatre National Populaire,
the Theatre Du Vieux-Colombier
de Paris has come to New York
for a four-performance stand of a
single classic, Jean Racine’s “Bri¬
tannicus,” first performed in 1669,
a single-set tragedy that probes the
mind of Imperial Rome under a
young Nero. The work, handsomely
performed by the troupe, has a
brooding, sinister quality that
comes through in a veritable tor¬
rent of dialog.

The Theatre Du Vieux-Colombier
has been acclaimed for its perform¬
ances of the play abroad. Its rendi¬
tion of “Britannicus” is persuasive
and powerful, and well staged by
Raymond Gerome, who also plays
Narcissus, the treacherously oppor¬
tunistic tutor of young Britannicus,
rival of Nero. AU the subtleties
here are in the dialog, and it’s up
to the individual actors to bring
them out, which they do with skill
and understanding so that each
character emerges clearly and with
clear dimension.

Let it be said, too, that more
lyrical and beautifully spoken
French has rarely been heard here.
There is no slurring, no swallow¬
ing of syllables. The voices weave
magic, reflecting love, hate, despair
and anxious pleading. Racine’s
language was poetic, and anyway,
he was dealing with a Nero who
hadn’t yet shown the monstrous
qualities of the madman of history.

In the key part of Nero, Jacques
Francois catches the nuances of
the love-smitten, power-mad em¬
peror whose conscience is yet alive
and tortured by the murders he
commands. Francois turns in a
major, piece of acting in the role
and he cuts an impressive figure on
the stage, as he alternately pouts,
rants and courts the people around
him. Yet,

Apart from Francois, the domi¬
nating figure in this “Britannicus”
is Claude Martin, as Burrhus, eouh-
sellor and former tutor of Nero.
As the voice of reason, he is a man
shaken by honest emotions, and he
delivers his lengthy speeches with
conviction and great skill. In many
ways, Martin emerges as the best
actor in the group.

As Nero’s mother and the widow
of the Emperor Claudius, Margue¬
rite Jamois has 'dignity and the
voice of a . great tragedienne. Tt*s
a difficult part and she gives it an
expert reading. As the hotheaded
Britannicus, Hubert Noel does
well. Gerome is -expert as Nar¬
cissus, the two-faced schemer,
working behind the' scenes, playing
one against the other. His per¬
formance is well thought out and
in deliberate contrast to the bom¬
bast of the rest.

Martine Sarcey is attractive as
Junia, loved by both Britannicus
and Nero* and Marcelle Ranson
does well as Albina, confidante of
Miss Jamois. It’s difficult to under¬
stand why, to play the role of
Nero’s guards, Gerome would
choose two teenage boys. They look
ridiculous.

. Gerome’s staging is flawless and
makes allowance for some of the
very long exchanges between char,
acters. Roger Domes has desired
a simple but effective set and Nirva
Nirvana’s and Manuel Sierra’s cos¬
tumes have colorful splendor befit¬
ting the court of Rome. The Vieux-
Colombier does full justice to this
rarely-seen play. Hift.

Sextet

Robert H. Cole presentation of Stage
Workshop's production of six one-acters
by Bill ‘Whiting. Staged by "Fred Halaxnan-
Daris: music, George Thom; costumes.
Chuck ‘Whitney and Cleopatra A. Pappas,
Opened Nov. 26, '58, at Royal Pla^ouse,
N.Y.; $2 top weeknights, $3.45 I«day-
Saturday si^ts.

Cast: Richard Clair. Warren Bill Drew,
Jewel Howard, Ruth Kaner. Marion Pinto,
Charles Thornton, Bruce Verklas.

Bill Whitings “Sextet,” subtitled
“Six Aspects of Love,” doesn’t rate
professional production. The show
includes six playlets, all trite, but
some inevitably worse than^thers.
Incidentally, playwright Whiting
must take a triple rapj as he is
billed as a cast member, under the
name Charles Thornton and as cos¬

tume co-defigoer under the name
Chuck Whitney. ,

RoBert H. Cole, who’s presenting
the Stage Workshop entry, is head
of Brown’s Temporary Personnel,
a placement agency for show biz
talent. The show is a dire refer¬
ence for his clients. Jess.

Ballet Renew

Medea

(N. Y. CITY CENTER)

Euripedes has been having a real
vogue in recent ye^s. Updated
versions of his. ancient Greek trag¬
edy of the vindictive wife who
slays her two children to get hunk
with her . cheating husband have
been presented in legit by Judith
Anderson and in opera by Maria
Callas (at Dallas) and by Eileen i
Farrell (at San Francisco). Now
follows the ballet version, as
choreographed by Sweden’s Birgit
Cullberg and mounted by the N.Y.
City Ballet.

This proved a powerful, 25-;min-
ute, tight-packed, straigbtline nar¬
rative ballet. It was almost, not
quite, a tour de force, the doubt
centering on the last few minutes,
in which the red-fire symbolism
and the dragged bodies of the
children became somewhat snarled
in the question of ‘Whether the
murderess "was defendmg the es¬
tablished order (marriage) on
property or sexual grounds. As
danced and directed she seemed
at the end to be saying, “There,
I’Ve defended my diamonds and
mink coat from other predatory
hussies.” (Her costume is dia¬
mond-decorated.)

Melissa Hayden is Medea. Her
ground-pa‘wing leg gestures, the
the' fury of her movements,
her standing on the back of
the remorse-prostrated husband
(she should really jump up
and down) all amounts to . a stun¬
ning performance. The ballet
moves most of the way with swift¬
ness and power, making the
“climax” seem the more disap¬
pointing. The ghastly nature of
the jealous revenge simply has
something missing when she does
that we-married-women-must-pro-
tect-pur-rights final smug-not-con-
trite exit.

Jacques d’Amboise, disguised in
a Greek curled beard, is the hus¬
band who w'anaers into the leggy,
choreographic adulterous pel-vis-to-
pel-vis embraces of the French new¬
comer to the company, Violette
Verdy, a plausible provocation. His
is one of the superb interpreta¬
tions, clearly another coup for him,
since he has been coming ahead
like a sports car the past two sea¬
sons. On the very next evening,
d’Amboise (from Massachusetts)
made his debut with the Met
Opera’s corps de ballet, wowing
’em in the hall sequence of “Die
Fledermaus,” Land.

REINGOFU,S.EQUnT

SLOWSBRinSH’STORY’

London, Dec. 2.

The management of the Man¬
chester Opera House, where the
British edition of “West Side
Story” was trying out last week,
ran afoul of a ruling of U, S. Ac¬
tors Equity and had to keep an
audience waiting for a delayed per¬
formance of the Broadway musical
The first Saturday performance
rang down at 7:20 p.m., and the
second show was announced to
start at 8 o’clock. However, the
house management Was informed
that American Equity requires an
hour interval between perform¬
ances. As the company is entirely
American there was nothing to
do blit wait.

The orchestra started playing at
8:15 p.m. and again the company-
manager protested. But he was re-
minde(i that the overture takes six
minutes to play and that, ansnvay,
the orchestra being British did hot
come under the ruling.

Ftaywrlghts

Jerome Lawrence &
Robert E. Lee

•zpofind why

Only In Show
Business

Hi«m wonderfui things can
(and doJ happen
* ♦ *

one of the many Editoriol Features
ie the opceming

53d Annwersary Number
of

P^nmfr

Feud of My French Aunt

Continued from paee 87 —

window sale and healthy broker
call.

Dhery gets a sliding scale royal¬
ty as author, 5% of the first $5,000
gross, 7V2.% of the next 1^,000
gross and 10% on the take above
$7,000. He and his wife, choreog¬
rapher-comedienne Colette Bros-
set, also get $2,250 (split $1,650
and $600, respectively) against 5%
of the gross as performers. The
payrol for the others in the cast
totals about $8,000-$8,500.

Besides being reimbursed for
the cost of the physical produc¬
tion, Hylton gets 12i>2% of the
gross, out of which he pays Dhery’s
author royalty. He also gets $100
weekly office-expense fee and, for
six weeks after the show’s out-of-
town break-in, $50 daily living
expenses.

When the show has recouped its
cost, the customary 50% of the
profits will go to the backers, vir¬
tually all of whom are regular in¬
vestors in Merrick productions.
Merrick himself gets 221^% of
the net, with Hylton getting 15%
and Kipness 12V^%.

Routining Ideas

Management differences have
mostly been between Hylton and
Merrick, and have involved the
show’s material and routining, ad
policies, mixups over the trans¬
portation of the coriipany from
England, the amount due Hylton
as reimbursement for the produc¬
tion, payment of expenses for a
post-premiere party and an abor¬
tive deal for Hylton to buy Mer¬
rick’s share in the revue.

It’s understood that during the
T^hilly tryout Merrick wanted to
change the show’s running order
and drop at least one sketch, hut
was prevented by Hylton. Both co-
producers are still insisting to
friends that their idea were right,
Hylton arguing that the Broadway
success justifies his stand and
Merrick claiming that the musical
would have been even better, es¬
pecially in the second half. If
changes had been made.

As is his custom with his click
Broadway shows, Merrick favored
a sizable advertising budget for
“La Pliune,” on the theory that
the title should be explained, or
at least familiarized, and the
smash reviews should be exploited
for the U.S. public, not only to
solidify the immediate demand
but also to build interest for the
future. Hylton, on the other hand, i
prefers to “let the public discover” ^
the revue, and avoid the expense
of a major splash.. So far, Hylton’s
idea has generally prevailed.

Hylton blames Merrick for snarls
involving the company’s transpor¬
tation to the U. S-, claiming that
the ‘work permits and visas were
delayed and that tardiness in put-!
ting UP a deposit covering steam-!
ship passage almost prevented the
troupe’s scheduled sailing from
England. Merrick’s answer is that
the work permits and visas were
obtained in ample time and were
available in the U. S. Embassy In!
London, as usual in such circum¬
stances, but that they were not
picked up by Hylton’s office. As;
to the $10.(}00 deposit to cover
transportation, it was made to the
Cunard Line in New York, as re¬
quired within 24 hours of notifica¬
tion. 1

Advances '

Merrick’s office reportedly paid.
$58,000 to Hylton as an advance!
reimbursement for the cost of the]
“La Plume” physical production,
but Is refusing to pay $32,000 addi-1
tional until vouchers or some other'
evidence of actual expense is forth-'
coming.

Before the New York opening,
Hylton and Kipness wanted to ar-]
range a post-premiere party, but]
Merrick refused to approve charg¬
ing the production for expenses,
unless the notices Indicated the
show would be a hit. In that case,
he okayed a charge of $600 against
the production's budget. But if the
notices were unfavorable, he in-'
sisted, he declined to allow the
backers to be assessed any addi¬
tional deficit.

At the actual party, Hylton re¬
sented Merrick’s late arrival, figur¬
ing it had been motivated by re¬
luctance to attend if the show’s
notices were disappointing. It has
been pointed out, however, that
Merrick attended a post-premiere
party for the “Epitaph for George
Dillon” company and remained un¬

til the end, though the reviews
were bad.

In the case of the “La Plume”
party, Merrick had a previously
arranged business conference with
director Joshua Logan and film
star Marlene Dietrich, In that con¬
nection, i^s explained the producer
maintains an unusually intensive
working schedule, since in addition
to “La Plume,” he at the time also
had “Dillon” running on Broadway
and still has “Jamaica” and “The
World of Suzie Wong,” besides
“Romanoff and Juliet” and “Look
Back in Anger” on lour, plus “De.s-
try” and “Gypsy” in active prepa¬
ration.

! During their differences prior to
the “La Plume” opening, Hylton
offered to bqy Merrick’s intere.st
1 in the show for $150,000, and Mer-
! rick verbally accepted. Merrick
was not in his office the following
day, however, and the details
could not be arranged. Since the
preem, Merrick has indicated that
he is still willing to sell, but be¬
cause the show is now an indicated
hit, his price is $200,000. He’s
ready to consider offers for his
share of any of his shows, he add*?.

There has been one other dis¬
pute stemming from “La Plume”
since the opening. It involves Hyl¬
ton and Arthur Lesser, the latter
representing Dhery. Lesser has re¬
portedly written Hylton to protest
the latter’s alleged delay in pay¬
ment of Dhery’s author royalties,
and Hylton has replied with a de¬
nial of any such delay.

Legit Bits

Susan Oliver, who appeared re¬
cently on Broadway in “Palate,”
has returned from a quick trip to
the Coast to dispose of her house
and furnishings, and wall leave
next Tuesday (9) for a European
vacation before looking for another
legit acting assignment.

Harold Gary is Sam Levene’s
stand-by in “Make a Million.”

Jo Mielziner, scenic designer and
legit producer, has been appointed
collaborating designer for the
Repertoiy Drama Theatre, to be
esablished at Lincoln Center, N.Y.

Charles Forsythe, who’s been as¬
sociated with the Katharine Corn-
ell-Gnthrie McClintic office for the
last six years, is managing director
for the Players Theatre, the off-
Broadway group formerly known
as the Shakespearewrights. He
was one of the founders of the
group with producer Donald Gold¬
man and Mary Carroll.

“Nice People,” the Yiddish-Amer-
ican presentation at the Downtown
National Theatre, N.Y., is sched¬
uled to close Dec. 14.

I James Forsyth, Scottish author
of the current off-Broadway offer¬
ing, “Heloise,” is .due to arrive in
New York next Monday <8) on the
S.S. Liberte for a nine-day stay.

Joe Kahn is on Norman For¬
man’s production staff for the up¬
coming Broadway presentation of
“Poker Game.”

British-born Alan Baker, who
choreographed the dances for the
off-Broadway production of “Ham¬
let of Stepney Green,” has re¬
ceived his final U.S. citizenship
papers.

Mary K. Frank’s option expired
on the legit rights to Evelyn
Piper’s novel “Bunny Lake Is Miss¬
ing,” and the story is now set for
filmization by Otto Preminger.

.Paul Gregory, currently present¬
ing the Leslie Stevens comedy,
“Marriage-Gro-Round,” on Broad¬
way, has two other scripts by the
playwright on bis production
agenda. They’re “Pink Jungle”
and “Scourge of the Sun,” and are
slated to go into rehearsals next
February and September, respec¬
tively.

An untitled three-character com¬
edy by film scripter Roland Kibbee
is announced for Broadway pro¬
duction next February by Robert
A. Franklyn, a Hollywood plastic
surgeon.

“Death of an Actor,” by Tim
Ronson, has been optioned by Jerry
Beyer.

Dana Andrews has extended his
contract with the Broadway pro¬
duction of “Two for the Seesa-w”
in multiples of six weeks beyond
its Jan. 31 expiration date.

“Monsieur Toulouse,” Pierre La
Mure’s dramatization of his novel,
“Moulin Rouge,” is planned for
Broadway production this,season
by Stephen Bono, a television di¬
rector-producer, and David Dur-'
(Continued on page 95)

90

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, Dec^ember 3, 1958

CASTING NEWS

Folloicing are available parts in upcoming Broadway, off-Broad-
way, touring, industrial and television shov's. All information has
been obtained directly by the Variety Casting Department by tele¬
phone-calls, and has been rechecked as of noon yesterday (Tues.).

The available roles will be repeated weekly until filled, and addi¬
tions to the list will be made only when information is secured from
responsible parties. The intention is to service performers with leads
provided by the managements of the shows involved rather than to
run a. lengthy list of blind items.

In addition to the available parts listed, the tabulation includes pro¬
ductions announced for later this season, but, for which, the manage¬
ments, as yet, aren’t holding open casting calls. Parenthetical designa¬
tions are as follows: (C) Comedy, (D) Drama, (MC) Musical Comedy,
(MD) Musical Drama, (Rep) Repertory, (DR) Dramatic Reading.

Legit

BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

Dcstry <MC) — Producer, David
Merrick, 246 W. 44th St.; director,
Michael Kidd; casting director, Ed¬
uard Fuller. Available parts; dark,
handsome villain; various western
ty^s. Mail photo and resume.
Call for Equity singers, Imperial

Stephen C. Cheng

Actor — Singer
Currently Featured In

"‘THE WORLD OF
SUZiE WONG”

■INGRATIATING"

-Kerr, NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE

"EXPERT” -McClam,

NEW YORK JOURNAL-AMERICAN

"STANDOUT . .

-Co/emon, NEW YORK MIRROR
"EXPRESSIVE . . .

GRAPHIC PORTRAYAL"

-Hobe, VARIETY
★ Also Singing Star on
ABC-Paramount's Best Selling LP
"HI-FI in an ORIENTAL GARDEN"
(Highlighted by the Original Version of
"THE FLOWER DRUM SONG")
Dir.: Deborah Coleman Agency
New York

STEAK BORA-BORA

Recipe for Polynesian pleasure;
blend cubes of prime filet with
bamboo shoots, water chestnuts,
snow peas and Chinese mushrooms.
Better still, let the master chefs of
the luau make this enchanting
island ' platter for you. They'll
prepare this . . . and
every island delicacy
. . . to the strictest
South Seas specifica¬
tions.

DIHERS CLUB
j AMERICAN EXPRESS

i^uncheon-CocKtails-Dinner-Suppefj

Parkini Serviet

Personal Secretary-
Assistant

Part tint* with full time skill for
handling details with dispatch,
people with finesse.

MU 8-1574

¥ - - - ^ - —

: Theatre, 249 W. 45th St.; Dec. 8,
male, IQ a.m.; femme, 2 p.m.

Raisin in the Sun tD)—producer
Philip Rose & David J. Cogan (157
W. 57th St., Cl 5-2255); director,
Lloyd Richard. Available parts (all-
Negro); Sidney Poitier’s;. son,
10; African male college stu¬
dent, 24; female, 40-60; man, 35-50.

Tall Story (C)—producers, Em¬
mett Rogers & Robert Weiner
(234 W. 44th St., LA 4-4937); direc¬
tor, Herman Shumlin. Available
part: a lead male, slim, likeable,
six-foot-four, 22-23. (Mail photo
and resume to Rogers).

The Gay Felons <C)—producers,
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey
Jones (36 CPS). Director, Shep¬
ard Traube. Available parts:

‘ male lead, 40-50, Frenchman,
quiet, authoritative; male, 45-55,
short, stocky, loveable sot, hen¬
pecked; about 12 assorted comics,
40-60; femme, 35-40, intense, emo¬
tional, Maureen Stapleton type;
femme, young, sexy French;
femme, 35-40, attractive, quiet,
warm, sensitive; male lead, 25,
j handsome, romantic. (Send photo
and resume to producers). Rehear-
' sals start Dec. 15.

1 Three Against Time (D)—produc¬
ers, Tad Danielewski & Morris
Feld. Available parts: cul-

j tured well-built American general;
•General’s wife. 45. submissive,

I quiet, dominated by husband;

I young.energetic businessman and
[pretty, restless, discontented wdfe;
retired professor, old, but still
1 bright and alive; efficient, relaxed
' Government official, 40-45; two
' servants, either authentic, Indians
or of American-Indian descent;
i sandy blonde eight-year-old girl,
vigorous, bright; scholarly nine-
year-old boy. (Mail photo and
resume to production assistant
Jeanette Kamins, 234 W. 44th St.,
Suite 702).

i OFF-BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

■ A Clearing in the Woods (C).
Producers, Paul Michael & Gayle

; Hinckley, Sheridan Square Thea-

■ tre, 99 Seventh Ave., So. Director,
Jack Ragotzy. Available part;

: femme lead, played originally on
Broadway by Kim Stanley. Cast-

■ ing through agents only. Open
! casting later.

i Count Your Blessings (C) —
i Producer, Stage Society (103 E.
; 86th St., N.Y. 28); director, Wil-
. liam Murray. Available parts:
male lead, 50, continental type;

' i2d) male, 50’s, professional type;

■ elaerly male to play butler; male,
40, strong comedy; male, young
i!Vmerican, mature; femme, 60’s, to
play housekeeper; femme lead;
early 20’^s, American, bright, at¬
tractive; femme, 40’s, mature but
still good looking, scatterbrain;
femme, - 80’s, important, regal
type; femme, early 20’s, Italian.
(Mail photo and resume to prod¬
ucer).

ril Call You (MC)—^producers,.
Lyn Swann & Sterling Noel; direc¬
tor, Tad Danielewski. Available
parts (experience required), male
for role of suave, successful busi¬
nessman; "character" landlady;
ballet dancers to double as under¬
studies and play minor parts. Two
straight actresses to play comedy.
(Mail photos & resume to pro¬
ducers c/o Phyllis Anderson The¬
atre, 2d Ave. & 4th St.).

On the Town (MC). Producer,
Equity Library Theatre Produc¬
tion; director. Jay Hamick; Gol-
forbs Rehearsal Studios, 1697
Broadw’ay, Rm. 203C, 10 a.m.-
3 p.m., Dec. 8-9, and 7-9 p.m.,
Dec, 10. Equity members only
(present membership cards). Avail¬
able parts: male comedy lead, 18-
25, girl-crazy, baritone; male lead,
18-25, likeable, country boy in the
big city, baritone; male lead, 18-
25, strong or high baritone, shy,
naive; femme, lead commedienne,
positive, authoritative, chest voice;
femme, lead dancer, attractive,
mezzo singer; femme, lead 25-35,
intellectual, poised but occasion-
; ally excitable, soprano; femme,
i about 50, character comedienne,
i scheming, drinks, chest voice;
j femme; 20-35, unlovely eccentric
I comedienne, lonely, not too bright;
^ character man, 35-50, baritone,
i stuffy; smaller parts to be filled by

ensemble, all singers-dancers.
Chorus call the above address, 7-
10 p.m,, Dec. 15; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Dec. 16; 7-9:30 p.m., Dec. IT.

She Shall Have Music (M)—^pro¬
ducers Stuart Bishop, Debe Meyer
and Edwin West. Musical Director
Julien- Stein. Restoration period
acting styles required. Available
parts; male, 25-35, must sing, mode
I and high fashion of 17th Century;
male lead, 25-30, lyric baritone,
heavy acting; male 20-30, second
lead, tenor, handsome, romantic,
must act; male 35-50, portly char¬
acter, comedy dancing; male 18-20,
small dancer; femme 18-20, Cock¬
ney hoyden, must sing and dance;
four male and four female, 18-30,
to sing dance and double in .walk-
ons , and specialty spots, (Mail
photo and resume to producers; 72
Perry St., N.Y.).

OUT OF TOWN

(Parts Available)

Mistress of the House (D)—de
Lys Theatre Associates Inc.; direc¬
tor, William de Lys; casting, R.
Mason (EN 2-9208). Available
parts: femme 20-28, sensual, child¬
like, beautiful; mulatto male, 30-
35, handsome, alluring; Negro
femme 30-40, primitive beauty, full-,
bodied; servants, 5 male, 5 femme,
Negro & white, non-speaking-mime,
modern dance, classic ballet back¬
ground.

The Music Man (MC), Producer,
Kermit Bloomgarden; casting
director, Vaughan Bellavcr; 1545
Broadway; JU 2-1690. Part avail¬
able for boy singer, not more
than 50 in. tall, emphatic personal¬
ity.

BUFFALO

Melody Fair, musical tent. Office
at Wurlitzer Store, 674 Main St.,
Buffalo. Pre-season auditions there
for singers, Saturday, Jan. 3, from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applicants must
be at least 18 years old, prepared
to sing one of three musical com¬
edy selections of own choice^ avail¬
able for contract throughout the
summer.

FT. WORTH

Casa Manana, Fort Worth. Six
weeks of winter stock.' Call for
Equity Dancers, Variety Arts
Studio, 225. W. 46th St., N.Y.
Choreographer, Ed Holleman, Dec.
9, male, 10 a.m.; femme, 2 p.m.

FUTURE SHOWS

Ariadne & the Concrete Duck
(O—producer, Howard Erskine (56
W. 45th St., OX 7-9620).

Far Away the Train-Birds Cry
(CD)—^producer, Louis d'Almeida
(480 Lexington Ave., JU 2-8115).

Gypsy (MO—^producers,. David
Merrick & Leland Hayward (246 W.
44th St., LO 3-0830).'

Let'S Go Steady (MC)—producer
Edward Padula (1501 Broadway,
LA 4-4860).

Madonna and Child (C)—pro¬
ducer, Guthrie McClintic (1270
6th Ave., Cl 7-5152).

Rivalry (DR)—producers, Cheryl
Crawford & Joel Schenker (49 W.
45th St., JU 2-3466), in association
w'ith Actors Studio Inc.

The Poker Game (C)—Producer,
Norman Forman (106 CPS).

SHOWS IN REHEARSAL

BROADWAY

Listen to the Mocking Bird (C).
Producers, Playwrights Co., 745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500.

Redhead (MC). Producers, Rob¬
ert Fryer & Lawrence Carr, 234
W. 44th St., LA 4-2844.

Rashomon (D). Producers, David
Susskind & Hardie Smith. 444
Madison Ave., PL 3-1030.

Starward Ark (CD). Producer,
Eddie Dowling, c/o Thomas
Sweeny, 137 W. 48th St.

OFF-BROADWAY

Failures (D), Producers, David
Ross & Lore Noto, 4th St. Theatre,
83 E. 4th St:

King Lear (D). Producer, Players
Theatre, T15 MacDougal St.

’Tis a Pity She’s a Whore (D).
producer, Eugene Van Grona, no
address available.

SIGNED

BROADWAY

Say -Darling: Shirley Ballard
(succeeding Constance Ford).

Tall Story: Marian Winters.

Starward Ark; Dolores Dorn-
Heft,»Sara Tal, Kim Smith, Eliza¬
beth Allen, Kaie Deei, Betty Bros-
mer.

OFF BROADWAY

Hamlet of Stepney Green: Anl
Post (alternating with Blanche
Marvin).

The Failures: Peter Falk.

Crucible: Maury Cooper (suc¬
ceeding Jefferson Searles),

Industrial

(Parts Available)

National Convention, week of
Jan. 28, 1959, Greenbrier Hotel,
White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.
Openings for four attractive show¬
girls and six femme dancers. Ap¬

ply, Cass Franklin (119 W. 57th
St., N.Y.).

Sales Meeting, San Francisco,
Jan. 1-14. Parts available: (Equity
Members Only)young salesman, at
least 6 ft. tall, 25-30; sales man¬
ager, 45-50; magazine writer, 35-
40. One week rehearsals in New
York in. Dec. Mail photo and
resume to Patricia Madalone, c/o
Cass Franklin Agency, 119 W. 57th
St., N.Y.

Television

Camera Three, educational,
drama, CBS; producer, John Mc-
Giffert. Submit photo and resume
for consideration. Nat Greenblatt
(524 W. 57th St.).

Fuller, Smith & Ross ad agency,
230 Park Ave. Casting director,
Ronnie Schlueter. Mail photo and.
resume.

Gibraltar Advertising, 17 E. 45th
St. Casting from files. Photo
and resume, via mail only to
Frances Scott.

Grey Advertising, 430 Park Ave.
Casting, Jim Kaye. Submit photo
and resume by mail only.

I, filmed on location—CGS; pro¬
ducer, Gilbert Ralston; casting
through Marc Merson; address by
mail only, Barbara Tuck, CBS, 524
W. 57th St. Available parts: un¬
usual types, interesting faces, good
physical conditions, will consider
applicants having had odd occupa¬
tions. Submit photo and resume.

Eastor, Hilton, Chesley & Clif¬
ford ad agency, 400 Madison Ave.
Casting, Maggie Schaeffer. Photo
and resume by mail only.

Lamp Unto My Feet, religious
drama, CBS; producer, Don Keller-
man; director, James Mac Allen.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration. Nat Greenblatt (524 W.
57th St.).

. Lawrence Welk show (Plymouth
Motors), ABC-TV — Seeking teen¬
age vocal and instrumental per¬
formers for guest appearances or
as permanent band members. Sub¬
mit disk or tape (home-recorded
acceptable) of wellknown pop or
standard numbers, plus recent
photo, short biographical summary.
Address Plymouth Show, ABC
Studio, Hollywood, dr 2623 Santa
Monica blvd., Santa Monica.

Look Up & Live, religious-
dramatic. CBS. Executive pro¬
ducer, Pamela Illott; producer,
Jack Kuney; castingj Marc Merson,
524 W. 57th St. Casting from
files. Mail photo and resume.

Omnibus, live & filmed, NBC-
Executive, producer, Robert
Saudek; "casting, Dick Thomas
(Robert Saudek Associates), 635
Madison Ave. 5th fl. Available
parts for male dancers adaptable
to solo work. Mail photo and
resume.

The Verdict Is Yours, unre¬
hearsed courtroom dramas. CBS;
producer, Eugene Burr; director,
Bvron Paul; casting contact, Liam
Dunn, CBS, 524 W. 57th St. (do not
phone). No open casting; aU done
from files. Submit photo and res¬
ume for consideration.

WTICA-TV, (30 Rockefeller
Plaza, N.Y. 20), accepting appli¬
cations for auditions for all gen¬
eral talent, except dramatic actors,
alternate Tuesdays. Apply bj' mail
to “Open Auditions."

CHICAGO

Video-Stage ’58, dramatic series,
educational station WTTW, Chi¬
cago. Executive producer, Bereniki
Robbins. General auditions next
Friday and Saturday (5-6) at 8 p.m.,
North Room of St. Clair Hotel,
162 E. Ohio St., Chicago. Bring
three minutes of prepared ma¬
terial, also composite or resume.

Stock Review

The Crueible

Chicago, Nov. 19.

American Cavalcade Theatre revival of
two-act drama by Arthur MiUer. Staging.
Minnie- Galatzer: costumes. Harry Bosen.
Stars Harry Townes; features Jefferson
Searles, Norma Hansom, Ray Rayner.

Opened Nov. 18, '58, at the 11th St.
Theatre, Chicago: $3.50 top.

Cast; Beverly Scott, Edgar Meyer,

Afredlne Parham, Karen Black, Margot
Anagnos, Naomi Marantz. Bert Whaley,
Carol Zimmerman. Susan Brinkley, Harry
Townes, Alma Pla^s, Paul Bowers, Ray
Rayner, Norma Ransom, Andrew Duncan,
Dennis Kennedy, Maury Cooper. John

Clavin, Jefferson Searles, Alice Dlneen.

With Chicago being by-passed by
many of the serious touring shows,
the local legit public has been
awaiting with some concern the
opening of a new stage venture,
the American Cavalcade Theatre.
This is taken as a test of whether
the Windy City is ready for an off-
Broadway sort of operation,

A complicating factor is the sit¬
uation is that the Cavalcade has
rather swampy financing, so it prob¬
ably couldn’t survive an outright
flop for its initial production. Thus,
the fate of the whole project ap¬
pears to hang on Arthur Miller’*

I "The Crucible," opened last Tues¬
day (18).

On . that basis, the answer would
appear to be conjectural. The
play, never presented here before,
is wordy and one-dimensional, and
although the production is not a
dud, it is hardly calculated to
arouse enthusiasm. However, Mil¬
ler’s other plays have been good
draws here, and Windy City stage
buffs are reputedly starved for
serious drama.

Under the lethargic and at times
turgid direction of Minnie Galatz¬
er, the performance is uneven.
Harry Townes, Norma Ransom, Ed¬
gar Meyer, Ray Rayner and Alma
Platts are effective and most of
the others suffice, but several are
inadequate. For example, Karen
Black, in the crucial role of the
vindictive strumpet, has the dic¬
tion of a gum-chewing teenagqf of
today.

The play is presented against
black drops, with minimum furni¬
ture. The lighting, which thus is
vital to the production, is for¬
tunately notable. Lcs.

Alexander H. Cohen’s projected
New York presentation of the inti¬
mate British revue, "At the Drop
of the Hat,” is now planned for
next October.

SEE OUR FAMOUS
CHRISTMAS TREE

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MIMEOGRAPHING
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VeAcidayv December 3y 1959

LficamiuTE

91

Road Tapering, But Tallu 31G, LJl;

(Figure* denote opening, dates)

B’way ^tty; Tassioo’ $18,400,

‘J£.’ $24,800, D.C.; Hob $23JO, Balto;
liT $40JII^ Del; 'Gazeb’$24J0, A.C.

It was rough going for a number
of load shows last week. Business
dropped substantially for several
entries, but picked up for a few
others.

J Receipts were fair for most of
the tryouts.

Est&nates for Last Week

Pafenthetic designations for out-
of-town shows are the same as for
Broadway, except that hyphenated
T with show classification indicates
tryout and RS. indicates road show.
Also, prices on touring shows in¬
clude 10% Federal Tax and Igcgl
tax, if any, hut as on Broadway
grosses are net; i.e. exclusive- of
taxes. Engagements are for single
week, unless otherwise noted.

ATLANTIC CITY

Gazebo, Warren (CJ-T) ($5; 1,470;
$33,000) (Walter Slezak, Jasme
Meadows). Over $24,800. Previ¬
ous week, $25,700 at the Locust,
Philadelphia.

BALTIMORE

Third Best Sport, Ford’s (C-T)
($1.66-$4.42; 1,819; $45,000) (Oleste
Holm). Almost $23,300 with Guild
subscription. Previous week, $16,-
700 at the Nixon, Pittsburgh.

BOSTON

Cold Wind and the Warm,
Colonial (D-T) (2d wk) ($4.95-$4.40;
1,590; $34,000) (Eli Wallach. Mau¬
reen Stapleton). Almost $27,300.
Previous week, $27,600.

Flower Drum Song: Shubert
(MOT) (5th wk) ($6.25-$4.95; 1,717;
$52,000). About $29,0()0 for four
performances Monday-Wednesday
(24-26). Previous full week, $52,-
000 .

CHICAGO

Auntie Mame, Erlahger (C-RS)
(13th wk) ($6.60-$5.50; 1,333; $45,-
187) (Constance Bennett). Over
$31,600. Previous week, $36,200.

My Fair Lady, Shubert (MC-RS)
(56th wk) ($7; 2,100; $72,979). Al¬
most $60,200. Previous week,
$61,800.

CLEVELAND

Warm Peninsula, Hanna (CD-T)
(2d wk) ($4; 1,515; $28,000) ^Julie
Harris). Nearly $18,200. Previous
week, $22,300.

DETROIT

LiT Abner, Riviera (MC-RS, N.Y.
Co.) (2d wk) ($4.95; 2,700; $76,000).
Almost $40,200. Previous we^,
$19,100 for five performances.

Two for the Seesaw, Shubert
(CD-RS) (2d wk) ($4.40^ - 2;050;
$38,000) - (Ruth Roman, Jeffrey
Lynn). Ovw: $25,000. Previous
week, $25,100.

LOS ANGELES
Crazy October, Hartford (OT)
(2d wk) ($a-$4.95; 1,024; $34,600)
(Tallulah Bankhead). About $31,-
000. Previous week, $18,900 for
•four performances. Advance sale
for three-and-a-half-week stand hit
$55,000, highest, thus far, for the
theatre.

NEW HAVEN

Look Back in Anger, Shubert
(D-RS> ($4.80; 1,650; $43,000) (Ken¬
neth Hai g h). Nearly $15,500. Pre¬
vious week, $15,600 for seven-per¬
formance split.

PHILADELPHIA

Disenchanted, Walnut (D-T) (2d
wk) ($4.80; 1,340; $35,000) (Jason
Robards Jr., Rosemary Harris).
Over $27,i00j Previous week,
$25,800.

Night Circus,. Locust (D-T) ($5-
$4.50; 1,418; $35,000) (Ben. Gazzara,
Janice Rule). Opened Nov. 24 to
t\va affirmative notices, with res¬
ervations (Gaghan, News; Mur¬
dock, Inquirer) and one pan
(Schier, Bulletin); nearly $21,100.
Previous week. $22,000 at the
Shubert, New Haven.

LiT Abner, Erlanger (MC-RS,
hus-and-truck Co.) ($5‘-$4.50; 1,884;
$42,000). Over $28,400. Previous
week, $25,900 lor seven-perform¬
ance split.

Romanoff and- Juliet, Forrest
(C-RS) ($5.20-$4.80; 1,760; $40,000)
(Peter Usfinoff). Almost $24,800
In second visit here. Previous
week, $34,700 for eight-perform¬
ance split.

Whoop-Up, Shubert (MC-T) (3d
wk) ($7.5a-$6; 1,894; $65,000).

Nearly $36,800. Previous week,
$43,000.

CLO subscription. Previous week,
$62,000 for nine performances.

ST. Loms ^

Sunrise at Campobeflo, Amer¬
ican (D-RS) (2d wk) ($5; 1,600;
$41,500) (Leif Erickson). Nearly
$15,100. Previous week, $18,300.

TORONTO

Old Vic," Royal Alexandra (Rep-
RS) ($6; 1,525; $42,000). Over $32,-
600 for seven performances. Pre¬
vious week, unreported.

WASHINGTON

J.B., National (D-T) (1st wk)
($4.95-$4,40; 1,677; $38,200) (Pat
Hingle, Christopher Plummer,
Raymond Massey). Opened tryout
Nov. 24 to one favorable review
(Carmody, Star) and two yes-no
(Coe, Post, Donnelly, News). Over
$24,800 with Guild subscription.

SPLIT-WEEKS

Auntie Mame (C-RS) (Sylvia
Sidney). Totalled $34,200 for six
performances, as follows: Or-
pbeum, Davenport, la., Mondky-
Tuesday (24-25), two, $15,400;
Memorial And., Burlington, la.,
Wednesday (26), one, $3,100; Mimi-
cipal Aud., St. Paul, Friday-Satur-
day (28-29), three, $15,700. Previ¬
ous week, $43,300 for seven-per¬
formance split.

Diary of Anne Frank (D-RS)
(Francis Lederer). Totalled $22,-
700 for seven performances as
follows: Robinson Memorial Aud.,
Little Rock, Sunday-Monday (23-
24), two, $3,000; Municipal Aud.,
Shreveport, La., Tuesday (25), one,
$5,400; City Aud.,. Beaumont, Tex.,
Wednesday (26), one, $5,100 on
Broadway Theatre League sub¬
scription; Municipal Hall, Houston,
Friday-Saturday (28-29), three,
$9,200 on BTL subscription. Pre¬
vious week, $20,000 for seven-per¬
formance split.

“Tunnel of Love (C-RS) (Eddie
Bracken). TotaUed $12,300 for
eight performances as follows;
Tower, Atlanta, Sunday (23), two,
$2,200; Aycock Aud., Greenboro,
N.C., Monday (24), one, $1,400;
Municipal Aud., Savannah, Tues¬
day (25), one, $1,400; Peabody
Aud., Dajdona Beach, Fla., Wednes-.
day (26), one. $2,200; Civic, N. O.,
Friday-Saturday (28-29), three,
$5,100. Previous week, $11,500 for
seven-performance split.

Opera Review

Fledemans

At least once a season the Met
unapologetically frolics. Past two
years, it was the Cyril Ritchard “La
Pirochole.” Now the operetta de¬
partment is represented by Johann
Strauss, the Howard Dietz-English
words version first done eight years
back. The result is pleasantly en¬
tertaming, If not a powerhouse. It
made a nice Thaificsgiving night
“first.’*

The music (Eric Leinsdorf) some¬
times over-volumned the singers
and the stage business (John
Brownlee) sometimes slowed down
the show. At first it was bard to
hear Blanche Thebom as Prince
Orldfsky, the bored giver of stag¬
gering parties. But in the end, she
was entirely audible and beguiling.
Indeed she seemed to be having
fun, probably the right state of
min<L

Hilda Gueden as the flirtatious
mistresa and Roberta Peters as the
equaUy coquettish chambermaid
were each rewarded with big
returns from the pleased specta¬
tors, though neither performance
was outstandingly characterized—
rather more important in an oper¬
etta than an opera^

Jack Gilford did well as the non-
singing hekey-pokey jailer and the
several males (Theodore Uppman
as Elsenstein,' Ceasare VaUetti as
the tenor, Frank Guarrarera as the
practical joker and CliffonJ Har-
vuot as the chief warden) were
thoroughly professlonaL The per¬
formance existed for, and scored
with, the second act in which two
newcomers to the opera; ballet,
Jacques ITAmboise and Lupex Ser¬
rano were, in g word^ superb.

Land:,.

SAN FRANCISCO
Auntie Mame, Geary (C-RS)
(8th wk) ($5.50; 1,550; $47,000)
(Eve Arden). Another $47,000.

Mnsie Man, Curran (MC-RS)
(6th wk> ($6;40-$5.50; 1,758; $58,-
000). Over $57,300 with partial

Claire Bloom, having completed
her assignment In Warner’s
British-made “Look Back in
Anger,” arrived from London
last 'Week for rehearsals in
the upcoming Broadway produc¬
tion of “Rashomon.”

LONDON

At Drop of Hat, Forttine a-24-57).
Auntie Mame, Adelphi (9-10-58).

Boy Friend, Wyndham’a (12-1-53).
*Breath of Spring,Duke York’s (3-26-58).
Brouhaha, Aldwych (8-27-58).
Chrysanthamum, Wales (11-13-58).

Day in Life Of, Savoy (10-1-58).

Elder Steteimen, Cambridge (9t 25-58).
Expresso Bongo, Saville (4-23-58).

Five Finger Exercise, Comedy (7-16-58).
Flowering Cherry, Haymarket (H-21-57>.
For Adults. Only, Strand (6-25-58).
Friends & Neighbors, Vic, PaL (11-11-58).
Hook, Line, Sinker, Piccadilly (11-19-58).
Hot Summer Night, New (11-26-58).
Irma La Douce, Lyric (7-17-58).

Living for Pleasure, Garrick (7-10-58),
Long Day's Journey, Globe (9-24-58).
Repertory, Old Vic (9-17-58).

Mousetrap, Ambassadors (11-25-52).

My Fair Lady, Drury Lane. (4-30-58).

No Concern, Westminster aO-6-58).

Not In the Book, Criterion (4-2-58).

Roar Like a Dove, Phoenix (9-25-57).
Salad Days, Vaadevine (6-5-54).

Simple Spyman, Whitehall (3-19-58).
Tunnel of Love, Majesty’s (12-3-57).
Unexpected Guest, Duchess (8-12-58).
Where's Charley, Palace (2-20-58).
*transferreit

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Grass Is Greener, St. Mart. (12-2-58).
Moon on Rainbow, Boyal Ct. (12-4-58).
Bright One, Winter Garden (12-10-58).
West Side Story, Idajesty’s 02-12-58).
Two for Seesaw, Eaymarket (12*17-58).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Duel of Angels, ApoDo (4-24-58).
Stepmother, St. Martins (11-5-58);

Touring Shows

(Dec. 1-14]

Auntie Mame (Eve Arden)—Geary, S.F.
(1-13).

Auntie Mame (Constance Bennett)—
Erlanger, Chi (1-13).

Auntie Mame (Sylvia Sidney)—^Purdue
U., Lafayette, Ind. (1-2); U. of Indiana,
Bloomington, Ind. (3-4); Palace, Youngs¬
town (6-7); Keith Albee, Huntington,
W. Va. (8-9); Colony, Marietta, O. (10);
Lincoln U., Jefferson City, Mo. (12); City
Aud., St. Joseph Mo. (12-13).

Canadian'Players—Alumni Hall, Alfred,
N.Y. (2); Clark U., Worcester, Mass (4);
Andover (Mass.) Academy (5); - Univ.,
Canton, N. Y. (8).

Candida—^Union, Wisconsin (2-3); Pahst,
Milwaukee (5-6).

Crazy October (tryout) (Tallulah Bank-
head)—Hartford, LjA.. (1-13) (Reviewed in
VARIETY, Oct- 15. ’58).

Diary of Anne Frank (Francis Lederer),
^Mumcipal Aud., San Antonio (1); Munic¬
ipal Aud., Big Spring, Tex. (3); Will
Rogers Aud.. Ft. Worth (4-5); H. S; Aud.,
Snyder, Tex. (6); Lyceum, Dallas (7J;
Municipal Aud., Tulsa (8-9); Municipal
Aud., N.O. (11-13).

J.B. (tryout) (Raymond Massey, Pat
Hingle, Christopher Plummer)—^National,
Wash. <1-6, moves to N.Y.) (Reviewed in-
VARIETY. Nov. 26, ’58).

Li'l Abner (bus-and-truck)—^RKO Keith,
White Plains. N.Y. (1-2); Playhouse, Wil¬
mington (3-6); Stanley, Utica (8-9); U. of
Vermont, Burlington QO); Proctors,
Schenectady (ID; Commnnity, Hershey
(12); Lyric, Allentown, Pa. (13).

Li'l Abner (N.Y. Co.)—Riviera, Det.
(1-6); Aud.. Rochester (8-13).

Look Back In Anger—Colonial, Boston
(1-13).

>4usic Man (2d Co.)—Curran. S.F. (1-13).

My Fair Lady .(2d Co.)—Shubert, Chi
a-13).

Old Vie—St. Denis, Montreal (1-8. moves
to N.Y),

Romanoff and Juliet (Peter Ustinoff)—
Shubert, New Haven (1-6); Hanna. Cleve,
(8-13).

Shakespeare's Ages of Man (John Geil-
gud)—College Aud., Costa Mesa, Cal. (1);
Millikan H.S., Long Beach, Cal. (2); Phil¬
harmonic And., L.A. (5, matinee 6); Royce
HaU, L.A. evening 6).

Sunrise at Campobello (2d Co.) (Leif
Erickson)—Memorial Aud.. L*viile (2-6);
Indiana, Indpls. (8-10); Victory, Dayton
(11-13).

Third Best Sport (tryout) (Celeste Holm)
-^T^ uher t. Wash. (1-13) (Reviewed in
VARIETY. Oct. 22. ’58).

Tunnell of Love (Eddie Bracken)—
Civic, N.O. (1-2); North Western State
College, Nachitoches, La. (3);. Aud.,
Memphis (4); Kentuckv Theatre. Paduka
(5): Coliseum. Evansville. Ind (6).

Two for the Seesaw (2d Co.) (RuSi
Roman, Jeffrey Lytm>—-American, St. L.

Warm Peninsula (tryout) (Julie Harris)
Shubert, Det, (1-13) (Reviewed in VARI¬
ETY, Nov. 5, ’58),

Whoep-Up (tryout>—Shubert, Philly
(1-13) (Reviewed in VARIETY. Nov. 12, ’58).

SCHiDULiD N.Y, OPENINGS

(Theatres Set)

BROADWAY

Cold Wind A Warm» Morosco (12-8-58).
Old Vic, B'way (12-9-58).

J. B„ ANTA (12-11-58),

Gazebo, Lyceum (12-12-58).

WhooprUp, Shubert (12-1&58).

Third Best Sport, Ambassador (12-30-58).
Legend of Lizzie, 54th St. (wk. 1-26-59).
Rashemon, Music Box (1-27-59).

Redhead, 46th St. (2-5-59).

Maierity of One, Barrymore (2-ll-59>.
Rivalry, Bijou (2-12-59).

First Jmprasaions, Alvin (3-12-59).

OFF-BROADWAY

Of Mice & Men, Provinceto^vn (12-4-58).
'Tia Pity She's Whore, Orph’m (12-5-58).
Power A Glory, Phoenix (12-10-58).

Many Loves, Living Theatre <12-14-58).
Mr, President, E. 74th St. 02-26-58).
Failures, 4tli St. (12-29-58).

King Lear, Players (12-29-58).-
She Shall NXve Music, Actors 0-6-59).
On the Town, New Orpheum 0-15-59).
I'll Call You. Anderson (2r3-59).

Clearing In Woods, Sheridan Sq. (2-16-59.

ICurofer of the Tftonfrie Coffoefien cf
N. Y. FubRc libtary)

George Freedley

dgtolls til*

Still More Invaluable
Memorabilia Add^
To N. ¥• Theatre

Archives

* * *

•Bothtr Editorial Feotwo In tii*

** BpeoniRf

53d Anniversary Number

off

P^KlSff

‘Feeling’ $34,900,
‘GoUlocks $54:

BroaiJway went from one ex¬
treme to another last week. Busi¬
ness climbed substantially for some
shows and dived for others. Sell¬
outs included “La Plume de Ma
Tante,” “Marriage - Go - Bound,”
“Music Man,” “My Fair Lady” and
“World of Suzie Wong.”

There were thre-3 closings.
“Comes a Day,” “Man in the Dog
Suit” and “Visit.’*

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Reinie),
MC (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi¬
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op¬
eretta), Rep (Repertory), DR
(Drama Reading).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices (where
two prices are given, the higher is
for Friday-Saturday nights and the
\ lower for weeknights), number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal arid
5% City tax, but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of taxes.

Bells Are Ringing, Shubert (MC)
(102d wk; 812 p) ($8,05; 1,453; $58,-
101) (Judy HoUiday). Nearly $46,-
400. Previous week, $46,700 with
Miss Holliday missing three per¬
formances because of illness.

Cue for Passion, Miller (D) (1st
wk; 7 p) ($6,90; 946; $32,000) (Di¬
ana Wynyard, John Kerr). Opened
Nov, 25 to four favorable reviews
(Aston, World-Telegram; Atkinson,
Times; McClain, Journal-Ameri¬
can; Watts. Post) and three unfa¬
vorable ((Zlhapman, News; Cole¬
man, Mirror; Kerr, Herald Tri¬
bune); almost $18,400 for first sev¬
en performances and one preview.

Dark at the Top of the Stairs,
Music Box (D) (52d wk; 412 .p)
($5.75-$6.90; 1,010; $33,000). Over
$22,400. Previous week, $20,100.
Exits Jan. 17 to tour.

Drink to Me Only, 54th St', (C)
(8th wk; 61 p) ($5.75; 1,218; $36,-
000), Over $18,000. Previous
week, $15,100.

Edwin Booth, 46th St (D) (1st
wk; 8 p) ($6.90; 1,297; $45,672) (Jose
Ferrer). Almost $14,200 for first
eight perfiDrmances.

Girls in 509, Belaseo (C) (7th wk;
53 p) ($5.75-$6.90; 1,037; $33,000)
(Peggy Wood, Imogene Coca).
Nearly $22,800. Previous week,
$23,100 with parties.

Goldilocks, Lunt-Fontanne (MC)
(7th wk; 57 p) ($9.90; 1,402; $68,-
843) (Don Ameche, Elaine Stritch).
AlmcDst $54,800 with parties. Pre¬
vious week, $61,600 with parties.

Jamaica, Imperial (MC) (51st wk;
404 p) ($8.35; 1,427; $63,000) (Lena
Horne, Ricardo Mantalban). Near¬
ly $42,900. Previous week, $37,400.

La Plume de Ma Tante, Royale
(R) (3d wk; 23 p) ($7.50; 1,050;
$41,000) (Robert Dhery). Almost
$41,100. Previous week, $39,900
with parties.

Look Homeward, Angel, Barry¬
more (D) (53d wk; 420 p) ($6.90;
1,076; $40,716) (Miriam Hopkins,
Ed Begley). Nearly $23,000. Pre¬
vious week, $20,000.

Make a Million, Playhouse <C)
(6th wk; 44 p) ($6.90; 996; $36,000)
(Sam Levene). Almost $20,800.
Previous week, $23,700; ,

Marriage-Go-Round, " Plymouth
(C) (5th wk; 37 p) ($6.90; 1,062;
$42,200) (Charles Boyer, Claudette
Colbert). Over $41,400 with par¬
ties. Previous week, $40,400, with
parties. -

Music Man, Majestic (MC) (50th
wk; 396 p) ($8.05; 1,626; $68,658)
(Robert Preston). Over $69,100.
Previous week, $69,200.

. My Fair Lady, Hellinger (MC)
(I42d wk; 1,131 p) ($8.05; 1,551;
$68,210) (Edward Mulhare, Sally
Ann . Howes).- Steady at $69,400.

Once More With Feeling, Na¬
tional (C) (6th wk; 47 p) ($6.90;
1,162; $43,000) (Joseph Cotton, Ar¬
lene Francis). Almost $34,900.
Previous week, $41,700 with par¬
ties.

Pleasure of Hk Company, Long-
acre (C) (6th wk; 45 p) ($6.90;
1101; $36,800) (Cyril Ritchard,
Cornelia Otis Skinner, Charlie
Buggies, Walter Abel). Over $36,-
600 with parties. Previous week,
$36,000 with parties.

Say, DarHng, ANTA (MG> (35th
wk; 276 p) ($7.50; 1,185; $50,460)
Eddie Albert, Vivian Blaine,
(Johnny Desmond). Over $31,900.
Previous week, $34,100. Moves
next Monday (8) to the Beck,

Shadow of a Gunman, Bijou (D)
(2d wk; 12 p) ($5.75-$6.90; 599;
• $20,400). Nearly $13,500. Previous

Ganman’ $13 JO,
JO,‘Booth’$14200

week, $11,600 for first four per¬
formances and two previews.

Snnrise at Campobello, Cort (D)
(44th wk; 348 p) ($6.90; 1,155; $37,-
500) (Ralph Bellamy). Over $34,700.
Previous week, $37,200.

Touch of the Poet, Hayes (D)
(9thwk;68p) ($7.50; 1,139; $43,067)
(Helen Hayes, Eric Portman, K^m
Stanley, Betty Field). Almost $-41,-
000 with parties. Previous week,
$42,100 with parties.

Two for the Seesaw, Booth (CD)
(46th wk; 364 p) ($6.90; 780; $31,-
700) (Dana Andrews, Anne Ban¬
croft). Nearly $26,100. Previous
week, $30,100.

West Side Story, Winter Garden
(MD) (62d Wk; 492 p) ($8.05; 1,404;
$63,203). Nearly $49,900. Previous
week, $42,700.

World of Suzie Wong, Broadhurst
(D) (7th wk; 55 p) ($6.90; 1,214;
$46,500). Almost $46,300 with par¬
ties. Previous week, $45,900 with
parties.

Closed Last Week

Comes a Day, Ambassador (D)
(4lh wk; 28 p) ($6.90; 1,115; $43,-
000) (Judith Anderson). Almost
$13,600. Previous week, $16,800.
Closed last Saturday (29) at an
approximate loss of its entire $115,-
000 investment.

Man in the Dog Suit, Coronet
(C> (5th wk; 38p) $6.90; 1,101;
$35,404) (Jessica Tandy, Hume
(h-onyn). Over $19,700. Previous
week, $23,000 with parties. Closed
last Saturday (29) at an approxi¬
mate loss of its entire $80,000
investment.

Visit, Morosco (D) (24th wk; 189
p) ($6.90; 946; $37,500) Alfred
Lunt, Lynn Fontanne). Almost
$32,900. Previous week, $29,200.
Closed last Saturday (29).

‘ Opening This Week

Flower Drum Sonfr, St. James
(MC) ($8.05; 1,509; $62,658). Rich¬
ard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein
2d (in association, with Joseph
Fields) presentation of musical
with music by Rodgers, lyrics by
Hammerstein and book by Ham-
nierstein and Fields, based on C.
Y. Lee’s novel; opened last Monday
night (1),

Night Circus, Golden (D) ($6.90;
800; $28,000) (Ben Gazzara, Janice
Rule). Jay Juiien presentation of
play by Michael V. Gazzo; opened
last night (Tues.).

Disenchanted, Coronet (D) ($6.90;
1,101; $35,404) (Jason Robards Jr.,
Rosemary Harris). William Darrid
& Eleanor Saidenberg presentation
of play by Budd Schulberg & Har¬
vey Breit, based on Schulberg’s
novel; opens tonight (Wed.).

Off-B’way Shows

Boy Friend, Cherry Lane (1-25-
58).

Cock-A-Doodle-Dandy, Carnegie
(11-12-58); closes next Sunday i7).

Crucible, Martinique (3-11-58).

Deathwatch, Theatre East (10-9-
58); closes next Sunday (7).

Diversions, Downtown ^1-7-58).

Hamlet of Stepney Green,
Cricket (11-13-58).

Helqise, Gate (9-24-58).

Ivanov, Renata (10-7-58).

Journey With Strangers, Mews
(11-26-58).

Look Back in Anger, 41st St.
(11-7-58).

Man Who Never Died, Jan Hus
(11-21-58).

Playboy of the Western W<wld,
Tara (5-8-58).

Quare Fellow, Circle in Square
(11-27-58).

Salad Days, Barbizon Plaza (11-
10-58).

Sextet, Royal (11-26-58).

Threepenny Opera, deLys (9-20-
55).

Time of the Cuckoo, Sheridan
Sq. (10^27-58); closes Feb. 8.

Triad, Theatre Marquee (11-21-
58).

Closed Last Week

Ulysses, Rooftop (6-5-58); closed
last Sunday (30).

GILMORE BROWN BREAKFAST

Victor Jory planes from the
Coast this week to be toastmaster
at a breakfast next Sunday (7) at
the Players Club, N. Y., by Pasa¬
dena Playhouse Associates of N. Y.,
in honor of Gilmer Brown, Play¬
house president and founder.

Eoh^ Preston and Dana An¬
drews will also attend.

Included in Frederick Brisson's
future production sked is a musical
version of Leonard Wibberley’s
book. “McGillicuddy McGotham,’*
which Brisson’s actress^wife, Rosa¬
lind RusseR is adapting with Wib-
berley.

92

literah

U^IEff

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

Literati

*Dr. Zhivago* Counterpart
While a Vienna newspaper seri¬
alizes the original Boris Pasternak
book “Doctor Zhivago,” a play with
a similar theme, “Silence,” by the
Polish author, Roman Brandstaet-
ter, is hardly known to the public.
The playwright could find only a
100 - seater coffeehouse - basement
avant-garde theatre, operated by
Stella Kadmon in the Cafe Prueckl
on the Ringstrasse.

Regular theatres hesitate to play
^‘anti-anytbing” comedies or dra¬
mas. “Diary of Anne Frank” was
the exception.

Preeming ‘Love Letters’
“Love Letters,” partly-of-the-
theatre collection annotated by
actor-lecturer-author John Fostini
(Robert Speller & Sons; $3.50), is
having a matinee and evening
“legit” coming-out in the form of
a “Press Performance” tomorrow
(Thurs.) in New York.

The “matinee” is at 3 o’clock,
the evening ballyhooray at-.8:40,
both at Theatre East in the 60s.
Fostini is billed as “the world's
foremost collector of love letters.”

Russian Encore

Literary turmoil over Boris Pas¬
ternak’s “Dr. Zhivago” has fo¬
cused attention on another con¬
temporary Russian writer banned
in USSR — Andrey Biely. Grove
^ess will publish first English
translation of his novel, “St.
Petersburg,’’ in the next year. Like
Pasternak, Biely was subjected to
suppression in the Soviet Union,
and like the Nobel Prizewinner was
deeply attached to the Russian soil.
Biely died in Russia in 1984.

“St. Petersburg” deals with the
abortive revolution of 1905 and has
often been compared to Joyce’s
“Ulysses” in style.

Ernest Newman’s Successor
Desmond Shawe-Taylor named
music critic to the London Sunday
Times, succeeding Ernest Newman
■who retired earlier this month on
the eve of his 90th birthday.

Shawe-Taylor is well-knowm as
a broadcaster and as an editor of
the Record Guide.

marathon shindig, teeing off in the
Gaslight Club and continuing by
Gray Line bus to other spots on
the Manhattan nitery scene.

Belle Livingston’s Memoirs
Belle Livingston, who was in the
headlines almost as much as Texas
Guinan during the Prohibition era
as a class speakeasy, proprietor,
will have her memoirs published
by Holt. Tentative title is “Belie
Out of Order,” a tongue-in-cheek
closeup on the era, slated for late
summer 1959 publication.

Myra Chipman, who is writing
the saga of the late hostess, de¬
scribes the book “as a cross be¬
tween ‘Sliver Platter’ and ‘A House
Is Not A Home.’ ”

No Hoods For ‘Annie*

“Orphan Annie,” the Harold
Gray comic strip syndicated by the
News Syndicate Co., aroused the
ire of the editors of the Toronto
Daily Star last week. The issue
of Thursday, Nov. 27, carried a one-
column box saying that “Orphan
Annie” would be missing from its
comic pages “for some time, due
to an incident which is considered
unsuitable for young readers.”
The editors closed the box with the
assurance that “when this episode
is over, the strip will return.”

The episode, involving some four
strips, according to the syndicate,
show^s “Orphan Annie” in tl^e com¬
pany of supposedly unsavoury
characters. Approximately 600
dailies in the U.S. carry the comic
strip. The News syndicate said it
did not know of any other dailies
objecting to this particular episode.

‘Greatest’ Magicos
Magico Milbourne Christopher’s
two-part article, “I Call These The
Greatest Magic Illusions Of All
Time,” is featured in the December
and January issues of Popular
Mechanics. The 11-page piece on
big scale hocus-pocus is the most
extensive show biz spread ever in
the publication.

Full color paintings show Buatier
DeKolta’s “Vanishing Lady,” De-
van^’s “Mascot Moth.” “Onaip, the
Floating Piano” and other bafflers.

‘Celebrity Recipes*

Restaurateur Helen Dunn’s “Ce¬
lebrity Recipes” (Grayson; $4.95)
is an attractive book with viand
and vintage recipes by a who’s w’ho
of celebs including President
Eisenhower, Gov. Harriman, Mayor
Wagner, Queen Frederica of
Greece, Aly Khan. Spyros Skouras
et al. Book is dedicated to Mrs.
Skouras who gave Miss Dunn a
large assist in the general assem¬
blage of the VIPs* food and drink
concoctions and has an intro by
Harry Hershfield.

Besides the show biz and literati
names the contributors include in¬
dustrialists and names-in-th^news
ranging from diplomats to cou¬
turiers and top models. The
Gotham restaurateurs have also
contributed their owm trademark
specialities.

It is one of the most complete
recipe books, attractively presented
with fullpage likenesses of the per¬
sonalines, garnished with bio¬
graphical sketches. Abel.

Negro Folklore

Langston Hughes and Anra Bon-
temps have edited a kingsize “Book
of Negro Folklore” (Dodd, Mead;
$6.50) which runs the gamut from
prose to verse, from levee humor
to Harlem rent party stuff.

Spirituals, ghost stories, memo¬
ries of slavery, jive, show biz,
blues, jetzz and jazz folk, work
songs and the like have been well
organized in this very readable
volume which is an excellent cross-
section of Americana, both enter¬
taining, Informative and historical.

Ahel.

Pop Library’s New Ed
Donald Fine, ex-AP, Doubleday,
Dell, etc., is the new editor-in-chief
of Pines Publications’ Popular Li¬
brary.

He was last with Western Ptg. &
Litho.

CHATTER

Magazine Retailer Inc. author¬
ized to conduct a publishing busi¬
ness in New, York.

Mrs. Manon Morrison Tingue,
associate fiction editor of Good
Housekeeping mag since 1957,
upped to fiction editor.

Foundation For Rudolf Steiner
Books Inc. chartered at Albany as
a non-profit membership corpora¬
tion, to operate in New York.

Maurice Zolotow is following
diva Maria Callas around the coun- ;
try in preparation for doing a Sat¬
urday Evening Post profile on the
soprano.

Lloyd D. Hagan, formerly with
King Features Syndicate, succeeds
Svlvan M. Barnet Jr. as director
of the N. Y. Herald Tribune Syn¬
dicate & News Service.

Bernard Sobel, who has authored
pictorial books on burlesque, as
w'ell as the standard '‘Burleycue,”
is working on “A Pictorial History
of Vaudeville” for Citadel Press.

Holt wants Gropcho Marx to
write the introduction for its car¬
toon book, “The Strange World of
Mr. Mum,” Irving Phillips’ strip
which the Post-Hall syndicate han¬
dles.

Edmond Cloutier, the Queen’s
Printer in Canada and father of
actress Suzanne Cloutier (Mrs.
Peter Ustinov), will become techni¬
cal advisor for La Tribune, a Sher¬
brooke, Que., French daily, when
; he retires. Cloutier’s retirement is
due soon.

Curtis Publishing has appointed
M. Evans & Co. as its representa¬
tive to book publishers in the de¬
velopment of books from editorial
material in Holiday . magazine.
Evans is a freelance editorial or¬
ganization specializing in the de¬
velopment of non-fiction projects
for the book store and mail order
market.

Danton Walker’s Progressive Party
A new trailer form of press ex¬
ploitation for a book is the pro¬
gressive tour of Gotham night life
which will laxmch Danton Walker’s
“Guide to New York Nitelife,” due
soon from Putnams.

Carol Channing is hostings the

"DISK JOCKEY GAGS"
(Vaalog* Prats—$21
By WaH Nf/sy

Copies (aato^raplied, if desired)
may be Imd from paHier at
412 Albee Bld^.
Wosiila^tea 5. D. C.

‘My Fair Lady’

Continued from page 1 .

age in the Broadway tuner field,
“Pacific,” incidentally, got a new
sales spurt this year with the re¬
lease of the film version of the
musical. There are more than 20
other albiuns of the “Lady” score
on the market.

The profit diwy on “Lady,”
which was financed at $360,000," has
passed the $3,000,000 mark. That
represents the payoff on income
from aU sources, Including the
Broadway, road and London pro-

Horace S. Manges

Ceunsaf For th* American Book
Pobliehers Association

has writtan an Intarasting
traatisa on

Literary ^Obscenity^

another Editorial Feature in the
upcoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

ductions, plus the show’s cut on
the original cast album sale. Co¬
lumbia Broadcasting System, the
musical’s sole backer, gets 409o of
the profits.

“Lady,” adapted by Alan Jay
Lerner and Frederick Loewe from
George Bernard Shaw’s “Pyg¬
malion,” opened Maren 15, 1956
at the Hellinger. Since then it’s
been a steady sellout, with a max¬
imum of 40 standees at every per- I
formance. As yet, there’s nO indi¬
cation of a letup in business.

: SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK ^

By Frank Scully >

Palm Springs, Dec. 2.

One of the minor fallacies of education is that there is an old world
and a new world. Actually the world is all the same age. And many
parts of it look alike. If you still doubt it, all you have to do is to com¬
pare some of the barren hills of Palestine to equally barren hills off
the floor of the Mojave Desert.

Rowland V. Lee, who is producing “The Big Fisherman,” as one of his
Buena Vista Productions, knew that and decided he could do just as
well, or better, besides keeping some hired hands of HoUsrwobd molli¬
fied, if he shot the biblical picture’s exteriors back of La Quinta, 10
miles east of here, instead of Palestine.

Lee has been around a long time and his know-how is not based on
textbooks. The last time I saw him was 30 years ago when he was di¬
recting Gloria Swanson in an item which was messing up the new
Cannes Casino as its major set.

That was an unhappy picture, Miss Swanson was trying to make an
actor out of Mike Farmer at the time, and when you see how well kids
can act it seems surprising that she couldn’t make a passable trouper
out of Mike. He was her husband at the time.

Who Got Tired Of Mike First?

I seem to have got into some jam with Miss Swanson on this pic¬
ture, and years later I told her, “I guess the trouble was I got tired
of Mike before you did.” She laughed and said she doubted if I had a
priority in this field. “I think I got tired of him even before you did,”
she added.

Shortly afterward, Rowland V. Lee got tired of all of them and
chucked the picture in London. But when I saw him the other day on
location back of La Quinta he didn’t look as if that particular fiasco,
or the passing years, had scarred him much.

Shows Abroad

Continued from pa^e 88 ^

Les 3 Coupes de Minuit

a production of a Nativity drama
are disrupted when the girl who’s
to play the Virgin Mary breaks her
leg and the local barmaid is pre¬
vented by her employer from sub¬
stituting. In the moving final scene
the old blacksmith and young man
begin to enact the drama them¬
selves.

Fernand Ledoux gives a sensi¬
tive performance as the black¬
smith and Marie Daems. is believ¬
ably guileful as the girl. Setting
and costumes are effective.

Mosk.

Pacifico

(To The Pacific)

Paris, Nov. 25.

Ma.x Regnier presentation of two-act
(le scenes) musical comedy; score by Jo
Moutet. book by Paul Nivoix, lyncs by
Camille Francois. Stars Georges Guetary,
Bourvil; features Pierrette Bruno, Cor-
inne Marchand, Max EUoy. Marcel Jour-
net, The Melodians (4). Staging. Max
Revol; choreography, Marie-Jo Weldon;
settings, Pelegri Grosbois; costumes,
Paulette Coquatrix; orchestra conductor,
Pierre Chaille. Opened Nov. 24. '58, at
Porte Saint-Martin Theatre, Paris; $3 top.

Lorenzo .. Georges Guetary

Casimir . Bourvil

Capucine . Pierrette Bruno

Maryline . Corinne Marchand

Wilcox...Marcel Journet

Poet .... Max EUoy

This is a slight improvement on
the' traditional French musical
comedy, with its hokey, inconse-
ouential book, more or less inci¬
dental comedy bits and vaguely
related romantic ballads. With the
presence of Georges Guetary and
Bourvil as stars it may have a
chance for Paris but offers nothing
for the U.S.

The book is about a romantic
pursuit from. Paris to the Pacific
Islands, Texas and back to Paris.
The passable choreography has lit¬
tle relation to the story and the
same goes for the songs, only one
or two of which are catchy. Guet¬
ary is in good voice and at ease
in the nonsensical story, and Bour¬
vil has welcome comic flair as the
hero’s buddy who gets matters into
a snarl. The girls are lookers and
the sets and costumes acceptable.

Mosk.

Besides Lee, “Fisherman” has a line of formidable and most ex¬
perienced defensive halfbacks. Frank Borzage, who comes up with an
Academy picture about every seven years, must have felt the seven-
year itch coming over him, for there he was, out there ^ the hot sun,
cheerful and competent, having survived two devastating sandstorms
where the winds blew down and destroyed $90,000 worth of props on
two successive blow's. I hadn’t seen him either since about the time
: of the Lee-Swanson swan song. That was in 1932 when he picked up ’
j an Oscar for “Bad Girl.” Moreover, Borzage is an old hand at making
I pictures from Lloyd C. Douglas’ stories, having directed “Disputed
i Passage” and “Green Light” before coming out of semi-retirement to
j take on “The Big Fisherman.” He and Lee are old alumni of Thomas
i Ince pix, so they have been familiar with each other’s work for at
least a generation.

Oh No? That Long Ago?

! Also among Lee’s defensive halfbacks on this picture are How'ard
Estabrook, who went to Irving grammar school about the time gram¬
mar was invented, and played in “Brown of Harvard” for the Shu-
berts about the time. Brickley was the best known name around the
Harvard yard, and Lee Garmes. who has at least 40 years of eamera
work behind him. I thought I knew Garmes well 30 years ago when
he was photographing" “The Garden of Allah” for Rex Ingram in
Nice, but time and fame had \vrought their changes on him and I
talked to him twice on the set before I realized I was talking with an
old friend. And I thought I was the guy that elephants came, to when
they forgot!

It was a Shavian contention in “Back to Methuselah” that men just
began to learn how to live under current conditions when the show
for them was over. When you run down the years of experience that
form the core of big Hollywood productions today, and this is par¬
ticularly true of these biblical pictures, you find that while the mem¬
bers of the cast may be young enough not to know better, the tech¬
nicians are as old and as fortifying as the hills. Together Howard E^
tabrook and Rowland Lee, who did the script from Douglas’ last novel,
are old enough to have once seen Shelley plain. Even Douglas W’as In
his late 60s when he wrote “The Big Fisherman.”

How To Write A Biblical

I talked to him too, before he did that book, and with warm humor
he was telling me how he wrote these bestsellers. “Everybody knows
the story about Simon called Peter,” he explained, “so the trick is to
build up about three opening chapters with a love-story, which has
little to do with the main character, and then gradually slip into the ‘
biblical facts whi6h everybody knows.” So that’s how Susan Kohner
and John Saxon, both of whom are in their early 20s, managed to get
the leads in a story about St. Peter played by Howard Keel, a much
younger man than Peter w'as. But of course a much better singer. Only
in'this one Keel doesn’t sing.

One actor was imported. That was Herbert Lorn who plays the dis¬
solute and cruel Tetrarch of Galilee, the one who said of John the
Baptist, “Off with his. head.” Born Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchace-
vich’ze Schluderpacheru of Czech parents in Prague, Lora knew that
name would never get on a marquee. As the Nazis had a finger on him
anyway, he skipped to England in 1939 and changed his name to Lom.
He is the guy who played Napoleon so magnificently In “War and
Peace” and was* Major du Paty in “I Accuse,” Walt Disney also used
him recently in Switzerland In “Third Man On the Mountain.” As Roy
Disney is associated with Rowland Lee in Buena Vista pictures, it
wasn’t much for them to get Lom for “The Big Fisherman.”

Shows on B’way

Continued from pafe 88

^€ne for, Passion’

the privileged frankness of long
devotion, and Robert Lansing Is di¬
rect and plausible as the hero’s
penologist-friend who enunciates
the author’s psychological theories.

Russell Gaige has the requisite
dignity for the part of the pom¬
pous family - doctor - counselor-
friend, and adds an agreeably re¬
laxed touch. In the awkward and
poorly integrated role of the di¬
spirited girl whose love is an un¬
comfortable obligation to the hero,
Joanna Brown has earnestness, an
expressive face and an unattractive
posture.

George Jenkins has designed a
spacious living room setting and
Dorothy Jeakins has provided an
interestingly appropriate Chinese
lounging outfit for one scene for
Miss -Wynyard but otherwise
strangely imbecoming costumes.

As a modernized version of an
immortal drama, “Cue for Passion”
is less contemporary, or at least
less immediate, than the original^
Hobe, ,

Douglas used to like.to quote Doughty who in.“Desej;ta Arabia”
described the Middle East, which is so much In the news today, as
“never have so many fought so much for so little.” But that was in
the pre-petroleum days. The State of Pennsylvania is nearly six times
as large as the Holy Land and its population nearly nine times as large,
but the history of Palestine and the birth there of Judaism and Chris¬
tianity have of course given it a priority of dramatic and religious in¬
terest for thousands of years.

‘Made In America’—A Switch

“The Big Fisherman” is a big picture. It will cost in excess of $4,-
000,000 and is being photographed in Eastmancolor on a wjder film
than any used before. Being shot on Lee’s ranch near Chatsworth, on
the desert floor back of La Quinta and on the Universal lot, it will not
be completed until next spring. In fact, the shooting schedule calls for
five months. But all of it will be produced in the United States, one of
the few ones in many years to be made completely ii> this coimtry.

The stretch back of La Quinta, against mountains so barren you’d
doubt if a horned toad could live off them, waSifuU of boulders, so
Lee ordered in bulldozers to clean out about a mile square on which to
build his massive set.

Props were imported, but not camels. Producer Lee wanted all
Arabian camels—^that is, the one-humped dromedaries—^but there wera
not many of this type in this country. So his technicians filled In thw
cavity between the two humps of seven camels and, voila! the Asian
camels became Arabian dromedaries. Other animals were less difficult
to find. Goats on the Navajo Reservation resemble the wiry desert-
hardened goats of the Holy Land, so they were brought to California
from New Mexico. Broadtailed sheep were found, in New Mexico and
these were, identical with wl^at would have been authentic In the Holy
Land 2,000 years ago. Additionally, 200 Arabian horses, worth $25,000
each, were rented for the duration of the production.

Wednesday, December 3, 1958

P'AtiBff

CHATTER

93

Broadway

Mike Stern due in from Rome
on the Pan Am jet next Wednes¬
day.

Hotel Manhattan & Astor v.p.
and g.m. Frank W. Kridel hospital¬
ized with flu.

National Airlines press-junketing
a one-day flight to Miami to inau¬
gurate its new Boeing jet service.

It’s a new grandson for Harry
Mandel, RKO Theatres v.p. Par¬
ents are Mr. and Mrs. Myron Man-
del.

Ad Women of N.Y. lunched yes¬
terday (Tues.) at the Astor with
Victor Borge and Marian Anderson
as guests. -

San Francisco Opera has signed
Met tenor Mario del Monaco for
its 1959 season, per GeneraPDirec-
tor Kurt Herbert Adler.

Ben Bagley, “Shoestring Revue”
producer, ill at the Will Rogers
Memorial Hospital, Saranac l.ake,
N.Y. Wants to hear from friends.

Roy O. Disney, president of Walt
Disney Productions, in from the-
Coast for meetings with execs at
Buena Vista, Disney’s distribution
subsidiary.

Frank M, Folsom, chairman of
the executive committee of RCA
and formerly its president, elected
a director of Crown Cork it Seal
Co- Inc.

Radie Harris, loilgtime friend of
•the star, sparked a gathering in
memory of Tyrone Power yester¬
day (Tues.) afternoon at the Helen
Hayes Theatre.

Songsmith-emcee Henry Tobias
to be program director of the new
Hotel Diplomat, Hollywood, Fla.,
“this” year’s new Miami Beach-
environs hostelry.

Lawrence Kane & Artley Inc.
“pouring” at a reception next week
to welcome former N.Y. Postmaster
Robert H. Schaffer as chairman of
the board of the ad agency.

Jerome Hines, the Met basso,
takes his wife and three sons to
Milano, Italy, Dec. 6. He’ll sing
four performances in Handel’s ora¬
torio. “Hercules” at La Scala.

James Cagney, who recently com¬
pleted “Shake Hands w'ith the
Devil” in Ireland, arrived yester¬
day (Tues.) on the S.S. United
States accompanied by Mrs.
Cagney.

NBCommentator Ben Grauer
surprised his wife, interior decora¬
tor Melanie Kahane, on her birth¬
day Thanksgiving eve; she thought
a couple of intimates only were
dropping in and it became an aU-
night marathon of visitors.

The Waldorf’s exec veepee Joe
(and Kay) Binns “pouring” for the
visiting Michael (Marajen) Chini-
gos, who are en route back to their
Rome home via BevHiUs and mid¬
west stopoffs. Chinigo is roving
European correspondent for
Hearst.

Ike Levy, one of the three
trustees of the Emanuel S^qks
Foundation, points up that the
proceeds from the “Manie’s
Friends” tv salutes will not be
exclusively for the Albert Einstein
Medical Center but also include
various other charities and re¬
search work.

Plans for transforming the one¬
time Adolph Zukor estate at New
City, N.Y., into a $50,000,000 in¬
dustrial and housing development
have been filed by DeUs Inc., Ber¬
nard G. Neraeroff prez, which oper¬
ates the Dellwood Country Club on.
the site. Nemeroff owns the Wom-
raths bookshop chain and is an
attorney.

Eddie Fisher set up two music
scholarships at Brandels U., both
in the name of Eddie Cantor,, who
first discovered and mentored his
career. A $2,000 annual award
will be for modern music, and a
$4,000 four-year award'for classical
music. Leonard Bernstein wUl
chairman the classical and Can¬
tor the pop awards.

Third member of Georgie Price
Clan plays the Music Hall when
George Marshall Price, 12, appears
with Columbus Boys Choir, New
Jersey prep school, during the
Christmas show. Peter Price, now
20, studying radio-tv at Hofslra
College, was “Enrico Caruso” as a
child when that picture played the
Hall; and of course, the present
head of George E. Price & Co.
brokerage concern is vet showman
who played the Hall, Roxy, Palace
and you-name-it.

Among VIP personal guests of
Conrad N. Hilton Sr. for past week^
end’s preem festivities at new
Berlin Hilton were; Mrs. Earl War¬
ren and Virginia Warren, wife and
daughter of the Chief Justice;
Phyllis Battelle and Pierre Huss
(both Hearst), Leo Can-illo, Jeanne
Crain, Vera Ellen, Richard Jo¬
seph (Esquire), Leonard Lyons,
Lauritz Melchior, Horace Sutton,
Art Van Horn (ABO, Cornel
Wilde, Earl Wilson, Cohina Wright;
also honeymooning Nicky Hilton Jr.

“Financial Follies” show, annual
shindig of the N.Y. Financial
Writers, was- super-SRO at .the,
Hotel Aster’s grand ballroom" re¬
cently which, while impressing

many with the new $1,000,000
facelift and decor, pointed up a
major shortcoming—the lack of
proper p.a. facilities for the over¬
flow. Those seated beyond the
inner ballroom tables might just
as weU be in Siberia so far as
hearing the proceedings. It’s
something Bfil Zeckendorf Jr.
should attend to pronto.

Joe Hanson, longtime Variety
correspondent in Johannesburg
(his brother, Arnold Hanson, has
since taken over the South Africa
show biz scene for this paper), took
back with him to Israel copies of
the P. 1 headlines about Israel-
Arab border clashes. Hanson now
conducts a global tourist business
out of Tel Aviv, and when in N. Y.
for the ASTA convention, ob¬
served, “We make light of these
‘clashes’; they are everyday occur¬
rences in Israel, so the folks back
home will be amused and amazed
to see how importantly the Amer¬
ican press treats these almost daily
border skirmishes.”

Pittsburgh

By Hal V. Cohen

{ATlantic 1-6100)

Ben Steerman got away from
Montefiore Hospital without surg¬
ery,

Grace Reed, peeler-straightwom-
an, in 14th week at local bur-
lesquery.

John Penn tossing big oyster
party at his Fort Ligonier Hotel
Friday (5).

Martha Raye broke all records,
both box office and attendance at
New Arena.

I. Elmer Ecker chairing Variety
Club banquet Jan. 18 to outgoing
chief barker Harold C. Lund.*

. Jere McMahon on from New
York to do choreography for com¬
munity theatre’s next musical.

Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy
left their infant son here for cou¬
ple of weeks with her parents.

Playhouse replaced “Maggie”
and “Nature’s Way” with “Tree
Grows in Brooklyn” and *‘Hole in
the Head.”

Playhouse unveiling new Lillian
Russell dining room at preem of
“Visit to a Small Planet” this
weekend.

Mary Martha Briney will be re¬
joined by singing partner. Bob
Carter, around the holidays; he’s
now in Toronto.

Archie Litmans’ son. Charlie, a
student at,U. of Miami, got extra
work in Frank Sinatra picture
(“Hole in the Head”) shooting
there.

Cleveland

By Glenn C. Pullen

Cabin Club’s backers paying
Vagabonds about $3,000 for three
day stand this week-end.

Bobbi Baker, Marian Morell and
Bob Whalen current in vocal-
packed show at Alpine Village.

Palace’s opening of “South Seas
Adventure” (Cinerama) Tuesday
(2) was benefit for Y.M.C.A.’s world
service pro^am by Max Mink,
house managing director.

Diane (Gentner) Hyland, signed
by Elia Kazan for ingenue role in
Tennessee Williams’ next Broad¬
way play, '‘Sweet Bird of Youth”
is former Cleveland actress.

Norman Knuth’s radio-tv orch
back at Hotel Cleveland’s Bronze
Room, now a Sheraton operation,
with Geene Courtney of MGM
disks as vocal guest-star to boost
biz.

Robert Shaw, associate conductor
of (Cleveland Symph, using musical
talent from Cleveland Play House
and Karamu Theater for joint pro¬
duction of StravinslQ^’s “L’Histoire
du Soldat” at Severance Hall next
Sunday (Dec. 7). Benno D. Frank
is staging with Maurice Nystrom’s
choreography. Play House actors
include Thomas Hill in title role,
Robert Gaus as Devil and William
Peterson as narrator.. It’s first time
symphony ensemble incorporated
talent from both local repertory
theaters for concert -ft-ork.

Roebester

By Harold A. Nichols

(Lo 2-3600)

“Dance Jubilee” of Bambi Linn
and Rod Alexander, billed for East¬
man Theatre Saturday (6).

Paul Miller, publisher of Ro¬
chester’s Gannett Newspapers,
“roast toasted” at city^s new Saints
& Sinners imit shindig at Powers
Hotel.

Stan Kenton, packed ’em In at
Eastman and also' turned up at
matinee Dance Party of WHEC
jockey Eddie Meath. Meath tick¬
ets different student groups each
week.

Ice Capades big biz at War M^
moii^l. Sellouts were indicated,
most days> first three clean due to
advance sale by city firemen,
who shared with Americans’
Hockey Club.

Rome

By Robert F. Hawkins

(Stampa Estera; Tel. 675906)

Kaufman-Lerner Agency moved
to new Rome location.

Marisa Allasio and husband
Count di Bergolo, to Egypt on
honeymoon.

“La Ronde” finally passed Ital¬
ian censors, according to local talk,
after many years of waiting.

Don Murray in for vacation fol¬
lowing completion of “Shake
Hands With the Devil” in Ireland
for UA.

Antonio Vilar, Susana Campos,
and Virna Lisi in for Spanish-
Italian coproduction, “The Owner
of the Iron* Works.”

“The Man Who Laughs,”. from
the Victor Hugo book, on Titanus
Film’s production slate for Janu¬
ary 1959. No cast set yet.

Eleonora Rossi Drago to star in
tv version of lurgenef’s “Fathers
and Sons” over Italy’s RAI-TV.
Serialized televersion of w.k. book
starts Dec. 20.

Xavier Cugat expects to be back
in Rome after opening his “Casa
(Dugat” in New York. Abbe Lane
stayed here to finish her current
pic stint, “Toto in Madrid.”

Magali Noel in from Paris to
discuss first production effort of
pic company ^e and other actors,
including Roberto Risso and Al¬
berto Famese, have formed.

Gerard Philipe guest on Ital¬
ian tv show, “H Girasole,” which
spotlights latest pic industry
achievements oyer Italo telenet. 1
Basso Mario Petri a guest on same
show.

Teddy Reno starts French sing¬
ing tour Dec. 9, after which he
opens at Paris’ Olympia in Janu¬
ary, as well as appearing on
French ty. Singer is also pacted
for two more German pix.

In-or-out of Rome: Ava Gardner,
back from London; Jean Bailee,
here for single ballet performance;
Herbert V. Karajan," in from
States; Jennifer Jones, in from
SwitzeHand; Mr. and Mrs. Vincent
Price.

Director-producer Foleo Quilici
back after several months in Ar¬
gentina, where he completed fea¬
ture pic “From the Appennines to
tbeAndes,” as well as 10 documen¬
taries for theatrical release and
four for Italian tv.

Silvana Pampanini flew to.
Mexico for first of her south-of-
the-border pic. stints, “Sete
d’amare” (Thirst for Love),
directed by A. C. Blake and co-
starring Pedro Arrhendariz and
Aha Luisa Pelufo. She next does
“La Quebrada” for Mexican pro¬
ducer Roberto Rodriguez.

Vittorio De Sica in for another
busy thesping spell, -with pacts al¬
ready inked on “Males and Fe¬
males” for Royal Filins, as well
as pic version of Pirandello’s
“Tutto per bene” (All’s Well), for
producer Marcello D’Anjico. De-
Sica also signed for tv series
(“Four Just Men”) by London’s
Sapphire Films.

Dino DeLaurehtiis Productions
plans future production for “The
Black Angel,” from Mika Waltari
book; “Barahbas,” from novel by
Nobel Prize winner Par Lager-
kvist: “The Dolls”; “Jovanka and
the Others”; “Love and the North
Sea”; in addition to already an¬
nounced production of “His Name
Was Bolivar.” Plans for “Grand
Tour,” which Rene Clement was
to have directed, have been
dropped.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitc
(28 rue Huchette, Odeon 49-44)

Irene Hilda off to U.S. for song
stints.

Georges Ulmer returned from
States. .

Billie Holiday got split reviews
after her first radio appearance
here.

Jimmy “Lover Man” Davis, Yank
singer-composer, into Scandia Club
here after Continental tour.

Michel Andre adapting Agatha
Christie’s “The Mousetrap” for
future legit presentation here.

Eddie Constantine preparing first
music hall stint in three years for
Olympia, scheduled for March ’59.

“Gigi” (MG), which opens this
week, being advertised as triumph
of French taste and wit in film¬
making.

Art pic distributor. Joseph Lis-
bona turns producer for “Les
Drageurs” (The Girl Hunters) on
which everybody concerned will be
under 30.

Longrun musical legiter “Irma
La Douce” brought back to Theatre
Gramont after fast floppo of news¬
paper tale, ■'“Edition De Midi”
(Noon Edition)i

Hakim -Rros.' snaring C’Seope-
color version of JulCs Verne’s
.“Michael Strogoff” for Yank ^es.
Pic is French-Jugoslavian copro¬
duction and stars Curd Jurgens.

• Anglo pic, “Carve Her Name
With Pride,” by Louis G lbert, and
“Next to No Time,” by late Henry

Clornelius, In for good reviews and
okay biz at two small art houses
on Champs-Elysees.

Opera Ballet ballerina Claude
BesSy to N.Y. In February to star
in American pic, to be shot there
and here, “Shadow of Love,” with
Jacques Bergerac and Hope Lange.
It’s about French ballet dancer
who falls for Yank writer.

Minneapolis

By Les Rees

(2123 Fremont Ave. So.

FR 7-2609)

Jan Peerce here for concert.

Key nitery held over Billy
Williams quintet.

Dizzie Gillespie and his quintet
at Lakeview niterie.

. Edyth Bush Little Theatre offer¬
ing “Towards Zero.”

Civic Theatre St. Paul held over
“Two Dozen Roses.”

Songstress Lee Wiley continuing
at White House nitery.

Violinist Nathan Milstein gave
concert this week at St. Paul
Auditorium.

“An Evening With Sigmund
Romberg” . into Hotel Radisson
Flame Room.

Hildegarde underlined for Hotel
Radisson Flame Room, opening
New Year’s eve.

Songstress Rosina DaRimini ap¬
pearing this week as Apollo club’s
mixed choir’s guest artist.

St. Paul Auditorium had “Auntie
Marne” for two nights. Show
played here a week last season.

[ For stage show St. Paul Auto
Show had Four Lads, Three Sons,
Leo DeLyon and Lillian Briggs.

Northwest Variety club women’s
auxiliary bringing Russian Ber-
yozka folk dancers here Jan. 13-14
to raise heart hospital funds.

Although legit season here is
in fourth month and there are
approximately 3,500 Theatre Guild
subscribers, State is stOl without
definite roadshow booking.

Palm Springs

By A. P. Scully
(2100 Calle Felicia,
FAirview 4 1828)

Leo Topper Carroll casing Play¬
house.

Edith Carlson, legit house’s p.a.,
broke her hip.

Rhonda Fleming tried an El
Mirador Sunday brunch between
pix,

I Margaret Chapman commuting
between Village and Hollywood on
tv assignments.

Martin Field and Helen Colton
and their brood spent Thanksgiv¬
ing long weekend at Tahquitz
Vista.

El Dorado golf club, which isn’t
built yet, landed next year Rider
cup matches. Fourth course with¬
in five miles.

Plaza with “Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof” and Sunair with “And God
Created Woman” both upped their
ads, hoping Liz Taylor and Brigitte
Bardot could bring in added biz.

Skeets Minton, Bob Newkirk,
Tippy & Cohina, featuring
Manuel & Marita Viera, followed
Mary McCarty at Chi Chi. House
stiU has no cover except Saturdays.

Rowland V. Lee . finally got
Grade A weather and completed
“The Big Fisherman” location
schedule at La Quinta fairly close
to schedule. Company then re¬
turned to U lot for interiors, with
Susan Kohner still nursing a bad
sandstorm cold.

Alaska

By Bob Kedrick
(Tel. Anchorage 56211)

Mickey O Trio at the 12-Mile
Barn near Fairbanks.

Ginger and A1 Willis at the Hi
Hat Club, Anchorage.

Comic Owen Hester at Anchor¬
age’s Aleutian Gardens.

Barbara Anderson at Venetian
Room piano bar, Anchorage.

First production for Elmendorf
AFB Theatre Guild is “Three Men
on a Horse.”

New idle Hour Club, replacing
spot burned down two years ago,
reopened with Perry Bullard Trio.

Anchorage Community Chorus
performs state song, “Alaska’s
Flag,” on Ed Sullivan’s Alaska
show.

Anchorage Symphony gave faU
concert here earlier this month.
Also presented concert at military
installation at Whittier.

Greater Anchorage Inc., civic
boosting organization, has been
.named the official franchise holder
to name Alaska representative for
the MiRj? America contest.

Lany Nelson, president of An¬
chorage Musicians Union Local 650,
battling the Alaska Chapter of the;
Committee on Political Education
(COPE), which didn’t endorse him
for election to the first State House
of Representatives. Nelson, whose
unibn is also AFL-CIO charged that
:GOPE, here isn’t representative of
the rahk-and-file workers. Nelson
operates the Silver Front Club in
Anchorage. He’s a Republican.

' Hollywood

Raymond Stross planed In from
London.

Harold B. Cohn joined Allied
Artists legal staff.

Irene Ryan returned from three
months in Europe.

Art Linkletter heads for Guate¬
mala hotiday Friday.

. Bobby "Weiss in from France to
attend father’s funeral.

Samuel G. Engel to be inducted
as Fellow of Brandeis U. Dec. 10.

Pilades Levi in from Rome for
confabs with Paramoimt execs.

Gene Raymond upped to colonel
in Air Force Reserve.

Kenneth Evans switches from
Columbia Pix to become TCF-TV
story editor.

Sidney P. Solow to Mexico City
for inauguration of new President,
Adolfo Lopez Mateos.

Milton Sperling elected board
chairman of U. of Judaism for
sixth term.

Bill Wagnon takes over Dec. 26
as entertainment-promotion-ad di¬
rector of Las Vegas’ Showboat.

Buddy Adler kudosed by U.S.
Navy with an “award of merit” for
his production of “South Pacific. ’

George Stevens copped “Sur¬
vivors Award,” given annually by
International Assn, of Survivors of
Concentration Camps and Ghettoe^
for “The Diary of Anne Frank.*^

Ciiicago

(.Delaware 7-4984)

Kiki Williams warbling at
Nocturne.

Joe Castell hosting again at Mr.
Kelly’s after brief tenure at Tony
Zale’s.

Win Stracke giving folksong
recital at Fullerton Hall a week
from Sunday (14).

Herb Shriner arriving Saturday
(6) for Indiana Society of Chicago’s
yearly bash at Conrad Hilton.

Julian’s Restaurant now on
entertainment policy with Lefty
Bates Trio working Le Cercle
In time.

Arthur Godfrey in town this
week for International Livestock
Expo & Horse Show at the Amphi¬
theatre.

Lilia Guizar. daughter of Mexi¬
can balladeer Tito Guizar, current¬
ly at El Toro in suburban Morton
Grove.

Carl Bingham and Maxine Stet¬
son are guest pros in cast of
“Lady Precious Stream,” current
Goodman Theatre production.

WiUiam G, Margolis reelected
Chief Barker of Variety Club of
Illinois, Tent 26. Nat Nathanson,
Allied Artists, is first assistant;
Charles Cooper of Cooper-Kirsch,
second assistant; Harry Balaban of
H&E Balaban, dough guy; and
Sam Levinsohn of Chi Used Chair
Mart, propertymaster.

Las Vegas

By Forrest Duke
(DU 2-6100)

Ella Fitzgerald in four-framer in
Sands lounge.

Garwood Van named entertain¬
ment director at Tropicana.

Jay Jason held over for two ex¬
tra weeks at the Flamingo.

Nat Cohen, London film produ¬
cer, guest of Benny Goffstein, Rivi¬
era veep.

Abe Schiller in Vancouver, judg¬
ing contest to select Canadian foot¬
ball queen.

Don Rickies booked by Stan Ir¬
win for two dates ne:rt year in
Sahara lounge.

Mary Kaye and hubby Jules
Pursley round out their own per¬
sonal trio early next summer, when
Sahara star has stork date.

Chubby Johnson, bearded Vegan
who works in Hollywood oaters. In
town. Johnson also does enter¬
tainment column for Las Vegas
Sun.

Atlanta

By Sam F. Lucchese
(166 Lindh’gh Dr., NE; CE 3-1006)

Pianist Rosalyn Tureck played
to capacity (800j in Atlanta Wom¬
an’s Club Auditorium under aus¬
pices of Atlanta Music Club.

Fine Art Cinema (Atlanta’s sec¬
ond art house) opened Thanksgiv¬
ing Day with Sophia Loren-Vittorio
DiSica starrer “Miller’s Beautiful
Wife,”

Thor Johnson guest conducted
Atlanta Symphony in dual concerts
to 2,200-seat Tower Theatre.
Henry Sopkin is orch’s permanent
batoneer.

Sol Hurok’s presentation of
Grenadier Guards show played to
6,999 filled seats (capacity) .at Wil¬
liam A. Alexander Memorial Co¬
liseum on campus of Georgia Tech.

Bill Gandall, TJA exploiteer, here
publicizing “I Want to Live,” Susan
Hayward starrer. Edward S. Mont¬
gomery, - San Francisco Examiner
crime reporter who was technical
adviser Iot film, planed in for lo¬
cal interviews.

W'ednesdaj, December .3v 1958

95

PkRtES^

U. S. No 'Censor’

Continued from page 2

gut opinions. We tell them what
these opinions are, and that’s as
far as it goes.^’

The State Dept.’s view of what
Is and is not suitable for the satel¬
lites is conditioned largely on the
conviction that the vast majority
of the public in the Communist na¬
tions has been hermetically sealed
off from western information. In¬
stead, it is fed a steadv stream of
anti-western—and specifically anti-
U.S.—propaganda that seeks to
present conditions in America in
the worst possible light.

Under such conditions, when a
film like “Giant” is brought in, it’s
feared that the tendency then
would be to pick out the negative
elements in th's story about anti-
Mexican prejudice in Texas and to
accept these elements as gospel
and in line with long-voiced ’Com¬
mie propaganda charges. The fact
that, in the climax of “Giant,” the
principal character turns against
prejudice, and denounces it, might
be considered as nothing more than
a “sugar-coating” of true condi¬
tions, especi^ly as he fakes a mer¬
ciless beating from a racist.

Difficult Ih-oblems

Shelton, who’s distinctly on the
hot seat oh this whole question of •
what to show in the Red orbit,'
cited the fact that he had okayed,
“Giant” for both Turkey and Yugo¬
slavia, where the media guarantee
program is operating. Reasoning
here was that the people in these
countries knew enough about the
States not to automatically assume
that negative elements in a film
about U.S, life are the exception
rather than the rule.

Asked what he would say about
“The Defiant Ones,” with its in-
tistent message about the brother¬
hood of man, Shelton said he’d
have to think twice before recom¬
mending the importation of such a
picture into Communist countries,
“In the absence of any informationp)
of true conditions in the South, the
picture drawn of Southerners in
*rhe Defiant Ones’ is so unfavor¬
able that tojcxpose this to a police
ftate mentally might be very fool¬
ish,” he maintained. “The problem
is ho\it to show such a film, with
the posse stalking the two men, and
stm make it clear that this isn’t
the kind of thing that is happening
in the U.S. dVery day, despite the
claims of the Communist propa¬
ganda machine.”

Shelton pointed out that the
Goveimment’s determination to get
films behind the Iroh Curtain^ was
bas^ ^gely' on the desif^^td-'give
the peopledn ffie C«mpn^ii^ lands
a picture of We and thought in the
U.S. “Thefe 'is no point to add
grist to the 3^ pi^aganda mill,”
he said. “And’th^ argument doesn’t
bolff true here that we should show
•ufsHvcs abroad as we ’really are.

“Iri the Communist countries, the
men-in-the-street is used to the
film producer being under the
thumb of the government. Show
him a big picture about discrimina¬
tion in the South, and not only will
it confirm to him what his own
fcvcmment has told him for years,
bnt he’ll also reason that things
niust be so bad that the U.S. Gov¬
ernment finally had to spend $3,-
000,006 to bring the situation to
the public's attention.”

Other Aspects

Shelton said he’d feel differently
about pictures which are critical
of social conditions in the States.
“Take a film like 'Gentlemen’s
Agreement,* which dealt with anti¬
semitism, but in a non-violent way^.
The film makes the point that anti¬
semitism exisb, that frequently it’s
hinder the skin* rather than out in
the open, and that it is simply the
result of ignorance. The whole
thing Is presented without sensa¬
tionalism and as a social problem.

I should think thi^ would be a good
picture to export.*'

The USIA film chief stressed
that he didn’t believe in exporting
only superficial pictures, showing
the U.S, in a perfect light and con¬
taining no commentary on the con¬
temporary scene. “But there would
be little sense in defeating our own
purpose,” he added.

Shelton is in a difficult spot On
the one side, there are those who
feel that the U.S. is best off to Show
Itself as it really is, I.e., via films
that reflect both the good and the
imperfect in American life. On the
other, there is the extremist ele¬
ment which, at the drop of a hat.
Is ready to call for Congressional
Investigations of the type of pic-j
tures that ere being supplied toi

the Reds. Thus Shelton virtually
can’t do right whatever he decides.
Yet, he’s convinced that ,the job
must be done, and—if done prop¬
erly—it can work tremendously to
the advantage of the United States.

Enlist Show Biz

Continued from page 1

courage religious worship and en¬
courage atheism.

This unusual appeal to enter¬
tainment and information media
fits in with the campaign launched
by Nikita Khrushchev to combat
alcoholism and drunkenness. Peo¬
ple on a night out are to be limited
to one drink per evening in a res¬
taurant.

It’s obvious from the new Seven-
Year Plan for Economic Develop¬
ment that a sober and hard-work¬
ing populace will be needed, to
achieve the ambitious goals .set for
1965.

* * ♦ * +

‘Girl From Kiev’ Strikes Back

As grim a series of disasters as
ever befell a heroine in the most
tragedy-filled . American radio-tv
soap-opera unfold in a new Rus¬
sian fildl. Entitled “Kievlyanka,”
or “Girl from Kiev,” it concerns a
^rl hamed Oalya whose father is
killed in the Bolshevik 1917 Revo¬
lution stOTining the Czar’s winter
palace on the very night that she
is born, Galya’s mother dies in
childbirtlu The orphan is looked
after by her grandfather, an old
worker at Kiev’s arsenal plant.

Tiroubles pile upon troubles.
Anti-Communists seize power in
Kiev. Later the forces of the
German Kaiser occupy the Ukraine.
The Germans shoot Galya’s grand¬
father and throw Galya into the
street.

An account published in Moscow
newspapers takes the story from
there:

“No one can tell what misfortune
might have befallen her; but very
soon Soviet power was established
in the Ukraine, and she was saved.
Soviet power provided a large airy
flat for the large family of a work¬
er named Yakov Sereda, who took
care of the girl. Galya got every¬
thing she needed, she went through
secondary school and became a
worker.”

...For those who want to follow
Galya’s eventful career further,
just wait! The government’s Kiev
film studios are now producing a
second part of “ELievlyanka.”

Sheilaii Graham

Continned from page 2

for which Gerold Frank P'I’ll Cry
Tomorrow” and “Tod Much, Too
Soon”) gets collaborative writing
credit, is in its vivid and moving
account of Miss Graham’s relation¬
ship with the late F. Scott Fitz¬
gerald, with whom she lived for
several years until his death In
1940. Out of these pages, Fitzgerald
emerges as a man thoroughly un¬
like the “flaming youth” era that
fostered him and in which he
thrived.

He was a drunk, a man desper¬
ately haunted by realization that
he was 9 has-been, a conventional¬
ist who wanted love and marriage,
but couldn’t have the latter be¬
came his wife was in an insane
asylum and he wouldn’t divorce
her. There is something genuinely
touching and understanding In
the relationship that is painted
between Fitzgerald and Miss
Graham, and in these pages she
suddenly grows into maturity, takes
on depth and provides her raison
d’etre in the life of a great novel¬
ist who immortalized her as Kath¬
leen in his last work, “The Last
Tycoon.”

The book gives many fine
glimpses of Fitzgerald, including
an incident when he wanted to
challenge the publisher of a
Hollywood trade sheet to a duel
because he had criticized a lecture
given by Miss Graham in Kansas
City.

Jerry Wald bought “Beloved In¬
fidel” for the screen. It could mak6
a good film, provided it isn’t
“cleaned up” too much.

Miss Graham, born Lily Shell,
was raised in a London orphanage,
later a. servant girl and a tooth¬
brush demonstrator. From one of
the (C. B.) Cochran girls, she got^

on the fringe of British -‘society,”
partly by failing to teU anyone
that, she was married, which left
her free to meet her “social obliga¬
tions.” A musical comedy star for
quite a whUe, she then broke into
journalism, getting her first break
via a Lord Beaverbrook interview.
A series of second-rate articles in
America, in which, as a Britisher,
she tackled “provocative” angles
that paid off, got her a job with
NANA to cover Hollywood. And
then—Scott Fitzgerald.

There’s an engagingly frank note
in this book. Miss Graham’s “rise”
had a Pygmalion quality, aided by
her obviously good looks and her
willingness to keep her backgroimd
—even her marriage, which eventu¬
ally broke up—a secret. One can’t
help Wondering at times what
Fitzgerald saw in the rather super¬
ficial (by her own admission) Miss
Graham, unless he responded to
warmth and compassion, a love in
the wilderness and a devotion that
spelled security and home. That
Miss Graham was able to give it so
richly, and that it could turn her
life so completely, is one of the
hidden miracles in this book.

Bourbon Sf.

Continued from page 1

Bourbon St. were Giro’s and Jam
Ltd. Other club owners on the
street are watching the “experi¬
ment” with caution before aban¬
doning the s;rippers in favor of
name acts.

“Tourists come to see the
naughty strippers,” one operator
said. “They can see the name acts
in their hometowns. They come
to New Orleans to let their hair
down and to have fun. I think
Bourbon St. has done a good job
in this. respect. I have no doubt
that the strippers will be here af¬
ter the names have come and gone.
I’ve seen it happen before.”

New Acts

Continued from page 86

Sally Ann Howes because Miss
Sharpe was too short. She is now
breaking in a new act at Le Caba¬
ret, posh Toronto spot, with special
material written by Ken Welsh
who has done the arranging and
the interpolated chatter. She is
reputedly up for the singing lead
in the Broadway production • of
“Of Human Bondage.”

Miss Sharpe is a shapely blonde
with an English accent who is
definitely class as a lyric soprano
hut can switch to cockney. In Lon¬
don, she had principal roles in
such pantos as "Babes in the
Woods” and “Cinde^e^a,” sang at
Giro’s, the Moss circuit and the
Palladiuin. She goes after her
Toronto breakin to the Havana-
Riviera.

In an eye-filling and form-fitting
lace bouffant white gown over
champagne satin wiUi sequins, when
caught, she has no trouble in . get¬
ting over. She starts with “Where,
O Where” and then into “I Can’t
Say No,” switches to a “Fair Lady”
medley and then, for a change of
styling, swings into cockney im¬
pressions of “One for the Road”
and “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please
Come Home.”

The good-looking blonde kiiows
how to sell a song, shows experi¬
ence in her table-hopping, can
change the tempo in her narrative
clowning but* retains that lady-like
quality in even her tipsy bits. With
high-calibre singing voice, plus a
gorgeous wardrobe. Miss Sharpe
is strictly class and should fit into
any entertainment media. The
Frank Mansell Trio gives the new
act solid backgrounding.

MeStay.

CAROL PEARSON

Songs

15 Mins.

Stuart Manor, Boston

Carol Pearson, tall platinum
looker, shows fine styling in un¬
veiling soft, vibrant voice which
ranges from pops to blues. A for¬
mer Radio City Rockette, Miss
Pearson has been out a short time
in the Boston area on the chan-
toosy kick, and is well endowed
and equipped with nice costuming.
Chirp, a standout in white sheath
and red cummerbund which sets
off her 34-24-35, opens with “I
Love Everybody” and segues to
Italo “Non Dimenticar,” thence
“Ten Cents a DancCj’^-et aL
Relaxed and assured in front of
the mike, the tall-stemmed charm¬
er has a pleasing absence of exag¬
gerated gestures. She- sings with
eclat and looks to be a good bet for
visual spots, class hotels, tv^

Guy. I

Obituaries

Continued from page 94

Mansfield and Sophie Tucker; was
found dead in a St. Petersburg
Beach, Florida hotel, Nov. 15. His
wife, brother and sister survive.

John Egan, actor-playwright,
died Nov. 10 in New York. He
was a stock leading man for many
years. Lee Shubert produced his
play “Second Helping” with Jessie
Royce; Landis and Evelyn Varden.
His sister survives.

Anthony E, Engstler, 78, one of
Pittsburgh’s first projectionists and
father of four projectionist-sons,
George, Gordon, Anthony and
William Engstler, died Nov. 12 in
Pittsburgh ^ter a long illness.

Fred Holden, 83, injector of
theatres for the provincial govern¬
ment of Saskatchewan from 1932 to
1945, died Nov. 8 in Regina, Sask.
Survived by'his wife and a daugh¬
ter.

Mother, 57, of JaUet Kern, tele¬
vision editor of Chicago American,
died Nov. 14 in Glencoe, Ill. Sur¬
vived also by her husband. Dr.
Maximilian Kern, heart specialist
with a number of show biz patients.

James C. Carson, 72, early-day
vaudevillian and actor, died Nov.
18 in Hollywood. Retired for the
past 25 years, he last worked with
Lasky’s Redheads. Four daughters
survive.

Joseph Weiss, 76, father of
Bobby Weiss, international rep for
E. H. Morris Music, died in Culver
City Hospital on the Coast Nov.
21. He is survived by his widow
and two sons.

Edward A. Faust, 61, trainer of
such silent picture canine stars as
Strongheart and Peter the Great,
was kiPed Nov. 23 when run over
in the Las Vegas railroad yards.

Robert Ridley, 57, one of found¬
ers of Screen Extras Guild, difed
Nov. 19 in Hollywood. He had been
an actor for 25 years. Surviving
is his wife.

. George Pickrell, 65, a member of
the Chicago Motion Picture Opera¬
tors union for over 40 years, died
Nov. 13 in that city. Wife and two
daughters survive.

John W. Welch, 91, trombonist
ii^the old Omaha Symphony Orch
and vet member of Musicians
Union in that city, died Nov. 17 in
Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cecil Frederick, 54, corned’an
who was well known during the
war for his part in a BBC radio
series, died Nov. 10 in New Brigh¬
ton, Eng.

Manuel Schwartz, 58, father of
actor Tony (hirt’s and employed
by Rogers & Cowan flackery, died
of a heart attack Nov. 17 in Holly¬
wood.^

Mrs. Laura Roberts Taylor, pre-
World War I musicomedy and dra¬
matic actress of the Australian
and New Zealand stage, died Nov.
16 in Ridgewood, N.J.

Bruno Nardi, 80, symphony con¬
ductor, died Nov. 23 in Monaco.
He collapsed and died as he was
about to conduct the Monegasque
Municipal Orchestra,

Wife, 59, of R. M. Sieherg, long¬
time (Dmaha musician, died Nov.
10 of a cerebral hemorrhage in
Des Moines. Two sons and a
daughter also survive.

Arline Smith, 62, a vocal coach,
died Nov. 8 in Philadelphia. She
trained such Philly singers as
Eddie Fisher, Sunny Gale, Bob
Manning and Bob Davis.

Wife, 50, of Perry Fennerman,
Warner Bros, cameraman, died
Nov. 11 in Hollywood. Surviving
also is a son, Gerald, WB. camera¬
man.

Ernest M. Geary, 68, staff projec¬
tionist for the Motion Picture Assn,
of America for the past 24 years,
died NoVi 9 in Hollywood.

Charles E. WiUett, 65, chief
engineer for WCFL, Chicago, died
Nov. 25 in that city. Survived by
brother and two sisters.

Millige G. Sherwood, 82, stage
and screen actor, died Nov. 12 in
Hollywood. Surviving are a son,
daughter and six sisters.

Mother of Sidney Barbet died

Nov. 28 in Philadelphia. He’s v.p.
of Regal Advertising Associates.

Wife, 54, of James Nairn, direc¬
tor of . advertising for Famous
Players (Canadian), died Nov. 11
in Toronto.

' Mrs. Marguerite Maynard, 78,
pianist-composer, died Nov. 11 in
Winchester, N.H.

John Strachan, 83, singer of
Country ballads, died recently in
Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Wife, 81, of Fred DeBondy,
member of the Assn, of Theatrical
Pressagents and Managers, died
Nov. 20 in New York City.

Wife of Zoltan Kodaly, compos¬
er, died Nov. 23 in Budapest, Hun¬
gary.

Father, 75, of Vic Mizzy, pop
songwriter and husband-accom¬
panist of singer Mary Small, died
in Brooklyn Nov. 26.

Mark Golden, 59, concert pianist
and teacher, died Dec. 1 in New
York, after a brief illness. His
wife and daughter survive.

Mother, 73, of Greer Garson,
died of a heart attack in the ac¬
tress* Bel Air, Cal., home 'Thanks¬
giving Day.

John Goldin, 69, brother of the
late Mike Todd, died of a heart at¬
tack Nov. 26 in Long Beach, Cal.

Legit Bits

Continued from page 89

ston, a film director. The producing
team are also conteraplatmg a pro¬
duction of “The Individual,” a
comedy-drama by Durston.

John Wildberg has optioned the
legit and film rights to “The
Merger,” a hook about big busi¬
ness by Sterling Quinlan, a vice-
president of the American Broad¬
casting Co.

Metro, in a pre-production deal,
has purchased the film rights to
“The Golden Fleecing,” the Xb-
renzo Semnie Jr.^ comedy, which
Courtney Burr and Elliott Nugent
plan presenting on Broadway later
this season.

The annual American Thea¬
tre Wing “Tony” Awards dinner
wlU be held April 12 at the Wal¬
dorf-Astoria Hotel, N.Y.

Katherine MorilTs “And So,
Farewell” and Norman Vane’s
“The Purging cf Simon Madden”
have been acquired, for production
by Norman Twain.

Abel Enklewitz and Vincent Ce-
row, operators of the Playhouse
Theatre, N.Y,, are planning a
Broadway production of A1 Mor¬
gan’s “The Old Man.”

The assembly of the American
National Theatre and Academy
will be held in New York for the
first time Feb. 15-18.

A revival of 11. R. Lenormand’s
“The Failures.” translated from the
French by Winifred Katzin, is
scheduled to open Dec. 29 at the
4th Street Theatre, N.Y., under the
production auspices of David Ross,
in associaticn with Lore Noto.

William Layton’s adaptation of
a Spanish play, temporarily titled
“The Case of the Slightly Assassi¬
nated Wife” by M'gucl Mihnra and
Alvaro De Laiglesla, has been
picked up for Broadway produc¬
tion by Warner LeEoy.

Boh Schear has joined the tour¬
ing “Shakespeare’s Ages of Man”
as production assistant.

Anton Coopola has taken over
as musical director of the touring
company of “My Fair Lady.”

‘Drink’ at Limit

Continued from page 87 —^

lay to $12,225 above the $100,000
investment

During the four Broadway weeks
covered by the accounting, George
Abbott director and nominal pro¬
ducer of the George Ross (in asso¬
ciation with John Robert Lloyd)
presentation, waived his 2% stager
royalty. Lloyd, who doubled as set
designer, similarly waived royalties
for that contribution, while Ross
took a cut in producer’s salary
from $250 to $125.

The combined royalty payment to
the authors during audit period
held at the dramatists Guild mini-
murfi of 5% of the first $5,000
gross, 7V^% of the next $2,000 and
10 % of the balance.

96

Wednesday, December S, 1958

GRANADA

presents

Some of the
hits of
British TV

in the

week

ending

November 9

five of

British

Teievision’s

“Top Ten”

were

Granada

originated

programs

THEAKMY
GAM,

Twenty
One

YucsdayS.OO—8.30 p.m

at nine

Tuesday 9.00—10.00 p.m.

■

I

I

k i

SPOT THE
TUNE

60 mlhut* play
Friday 9.00—10.00 p.

WHAT THE
PAPERS
SAY

Thursday 10.46—11.00 p.m.

^1

>1

4\

==J

QBANADA TV NETWOBK London, Englancl

STAGE

lETY

VOL. 213 No. 2

Piibllflicd Weekly at 154 Weat 4eth Streets New York 36. N.‘T..,by Variety. Inc. Annual lubscrlptlck. $15. Single copief. 35 centa.
. Second Claaa Postage Paid at New York, N. Y.

COPYBIGHT. 1658. BY VXBUnrY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

NEW YORK, WEDNESIDAY, OECEMBER 10, 1958

80 PAGES

30,000 AQORS CANT BE WRONG

%yptiaii Bbn Producer Says Yankee

Kodak and Frisco’s Federal Judges

Features Still Tops With Moslems §[[|| j|||F|f j ^snarled by Striptease Footage

By JIM POWERS

HoUjnvDod, Dec. 9.

-Despite headlined acrimony and
dispute' between this country and
JbA Arab -world, it's still American
^tlms that sell in that area and it's
HimMcan films and their creators
tha Ara^ want

’ So aays Egyptian producer Ram-
iOi Na^b, currently here to line
iqi aome U.S. talent for his pro<^
Ructions, shot in Cairo and on lo* I
j^tloii, Naguib isn’t after stars or
big names. He can’t afford
ttem. But he says that advertising:
American screen writers wrote his
l^lctures—even though the scripts
save to be translate into Arabic
—means boxoffice hypo in the
AYab world that is his chief mar>

jtet

; Kaguib, whose’-Haguib Produc¬
tions does eight features a year
til , make it the biggest single pro¬
duction outfit in the Middle East,
it also here to submit his "Let
Be" for Academy consideration
in the foreign film division.

' He hopes to sign writers for
three features, and also get a sec¬
ond unit American director foir his
(Continued on page 18)

Idou Again to Fore In
H’wood as Indies Change
Stndio Status Quo: Ritt

Creative talent In Hollywood is
entering on an era of "unprece¬
dented opportunity," director Mar-
iOa Ritt said in N. Y. Monday (8).
Bitt had come east with a rough
pript of “Sound of Fury," the
Jerry Wald picture which he di-
-iected for 20th-Fox release.

^The state of the business forces
decentralization,” Ritt commented.
^'That means things are changing,
ideas are becoming important
digain. A man can do a job $nd be
left alone doing it. Big business al¬
ways favors the status quj. It’s no
ifffferent with the studios on tite
JPMs t, only now they’re I^ing
dmed to take some action."

■ who’s under contract to

BKfi, said he eventually planned to
BlWe his own unit to make films.
'’When you’re an independent you
can operate freely. You can hire
snyone you like, anyone who you
think can. .do the job," he said.
*‘And you don’t have to distort the
way you do with a major. At the
big itudios they always want tot
fcctimentallze the endings and tie
tiP * everything nice and neat. Jt
can ruin a film."

Ritt said “Sound,” starring Yul
Brynnejr, Margaret Leighton- and
Anne T^dward, was brought in
St |1,500,000. including studio over-
iieadv Film is based, on the William
Faulkner novels but has been
changed to conform with the Code
and to eliminate the incest angle.
While not one of the Code’s ad-
. (Continued on page 70)

^oor Butterfly

Gladys Aylward, the mis¬
sionary on whose , career in
China the Ingrid- Bergman
role in “Inn of the Eixth Hap¬
piness’! Is based, is quoted as
commenting about the film:

“I understand the film
contains a love scene, I
never have had a love scene in
rtiy life."

Fear Arabs Less,
U^. Films To Be
RoHb^ in Israel

Having been by-passed by^ol-
lywood a good many times, Ii^ael
appears finally to be coming into
its o-wn as a location site for Amer¬
ican films.

Though there havo been several
pictures which, logically, might
have been shot in the little Jewish
republic, almost none have been
made there. The reasons for this
range from a lack of adequate
facilities and supply of material to
.fear of Arab retaliation.

Now, "Exodus,” the Leon Uris
novel, is to be made partly in
Israel, George Stevens plans to
shoot part of his "Greatest Story
Ever Told" in the Holy Land, and
(Continued on page 70)

Pro Basketball
With Dancing

Minneapolis, Dec. 9..
Utilization of theatrical - type
showmanship for a sport for the
first time here, aside from wres-,
tling, Is largely, credited by the
management of the Minneapolis
Lakers professional basketball
team for for the fact that home at¬
tendance is running approximately
double that of a year ago.

Going in*for promotion for the
first time, the .club hired Phil Ja-
sen, whose career has been de¬
voted to film exploitation (he had
been with "Cinerama" and “South
Pacific" here), and he has intro¬
duced a succession of gimmicks
that have had the town talking
•and brought long lines of ticket
buyers during recent weeks.

His latest is the employment of
an orchestra to occupy the Audi¬
torium stage at one end . pf _the
floor and to play before the game
and, afterwards, for dancing
wiUi the front of the stage con-
(Continued on pag# 70) .

By ART WOODSTONE

Tides definitely favor a merger
of the American Federation of
Television & Radio Artists and
Screen ' Actors Guild. At the
moment, it even seems possible
that all- five member .unions of the
Associated Actors & Artistes of
America, AFL-CIO, will merge as i
one giant unicm for some 30,000
performers.

AFTRA aggressively seeks a
merger with SAG, because video¬
tape is reckoned to become a
major area In which they will
overlap and because, AFTRA still]
maintains, two unions in the same
jurisdiction will give management
ample opportunity to play one
against the other to its own mone¬
tary advantage.’ Until two weeks :
ago, SAG was dead set against
merger—at least the top voices in
the Coast-based guild were—but
■after a yes vote by the SAG mem-;
bership in New" York to merge
with AFTRA, SAG in Hollywood
held a similar election and also
came iip with a pto-mCrger, how¬
ever, of all five unions, SAG,
AFTRA, Actors Equity, the Amer¬
ican Guild of Variety Artists and
the American Guild of "Musical
Artists!

Because a five-imlon merger has
failed many times in the past,
most notably in 1951 when UCLA
and Cornell universities offered
plans for merging the talent
. unionSf AFTRA immediately sug¬
gested that the proposal for a
blending of all five was simply, a
delaying action by SAG’s toppers
and that if one of the other unions,
for reasons of its own, refused to
merge after a plan for merger was
again submitted, then it would
enable SAG to cop a plea and jump
out. This contention has lately
been supported by card-holders in
AGVA and AGMA, who feel that
of all the unions, SAG and Equity
(Continued on page 48)

Prague Teeke^sy
For flof Westerns

Prague, Dec. 9.

Prague police, according to a
report in the "Vecemy Praha,"
have recently discovered , a "clan¬
destine" theatre which ran bootleg
American westerns knd gangster
pix. Report says that the Amer¬
ican Embassy “lent" the features
shown.

Organizer" of the "reunions,”
Wladimir Mynaryk, was arrested. ^
gome 50 people were caught at
the raided showing, most of them
from "artistic ci^es" of the
Czech capital. "Vecemy Praha”
"blames" the U.S. Embatty’s press
officer for the lituatioii.

San Francisco, Dec. 9. -
r* 1 i? Three august Federal judges,

Culture • Lnyoy Richard H. Chambers, William E.

Washington, Dec. 9. Orr and Stanley N. Barnes, turned
Robert H. Thayer, New York critics of a burlesque film last week
attorney aind a former director, and decided the whole mishmash
of New York Philharmonic, "is obviously a borderline case,”
has been named special assist- They promptly ordered 10 reels

ant to Secretary of State, ^ bosomy, striptease film —4n

He’ll coordinate interna- color, yet—sent back to Southern
tional educational and cultural California for reconsideraUon.

The film was produced in Los
Angeles by a photographer named
A J DUI Hendricks, who described

AolAr and dWI; 's

Jennie Lee”—a burlesque queen.
AU When Hendricks sent these 10

An 'I ilfl ||3|P liATC reels to Eastman Kodak for pro-
nu VIU Uaiv UViO cessing, the company refused to
__ 1 *T them back for fear it would

J violate Los Angeles and California

f CrScfllHl verse obscenity laws. A Southern CaU-
TCI^ OUU TVIOV fornia judge agreed. Hendricks ap-

The existence of BWdeast Music

Inc. has again hecome a key factor Chambers, Orr and Barnes, of the
in the relationship between the (Continued on page 18)

in the relationship between the . (Contmued on page 18)

American Society of Composers, -

Authors & Publishers and the n* f tir I

broadcast industry. The facts, fig- OeeiaV flS l)irtV WOrfl
ures and various fOlegatidns about ^ «

S^tieS;fta‘iL^ . To CM’s DJ, Stan Dale;

week <see separate story). * Cali Him HJusic Master’

The. logging figures now show Chicago, Dec. 9.

that Bm accounts for 32.5% of ^ movement has started here to
relabel disk jockeys in an effort
climb erase the low esteem, general-
from the 15% level of eight and |,y. whirh that designation now

ly, which that designation now
conjures in the public mind.

1 InsUgator is Stan Dale. WAIT
spieler, who said last week that
execs asked the j^g.g scores of other dee-

radio broadcasters; how-come that around the country in an ef-
(Continued on page 58) fopj- ggj tjje breed reclassified
^ ... as "music masters.” That, at least,

I 1 fi what Dale and fellow WAIT

/ilpIriinflA^fT HAV gabbers will be called by the sta-

vfiCllllurR A Ua tion as of Jan. 1. Dale, known

. . ... hereabouts as "Stan, the record

Y\ f lA r^A H«1 man,” will henceforth have it read
■llAOl* MlLyi Mil “Stan, the music man.”

|/|7|||^ Viv trv illili Dee jay, who doubles as press-

^ agent for the Chi indie, points

Keturn of 20fH-t'bk' pi-ez 'Spirbs ‘"l?* for'some months tte sta-
P. Skouras over the weekend from “ore lund

Europe pi-bhitily iviU see ib ebrly f^omples of rock V roll, and says
finalization of the 20th-Fox deal to v'-”- *‘®? J?

Zeckendorf-Fox
Deal: $40-50 Ma.

with' wait’s' new 'stress' on LPs.

endorf. Transaction will bring
20th between $40,000,000 and $50,-
000,000 over a period of years.
Exact figure hasn’t been set

programming, and the thing we
want to get across to the public
is that we’re playing ‘music’—^not
just records.”

Dale said his pitch for a new

since the. iproimd hasn’t, as yet generic term is an outgrowth" of
been fi^y surveyed. Per square the last national deejay conclave,
foot price ^a& been agr^d -on,, anh he hopes to work up enough
however. Zeckendorf will con- “pro” sentiment to put it over
struct. Century .City, a commercial \(rhen the jocks huddle ag'ain next
and. housing development, on the jviay In Miami, Chicago^ indicat-
real estate. ed he has a number of allies help-

Skouras and Zeckendorf had a ing to swell the malls urging sup-
long meeting in N.Y, prior to port of the plan.

Skouras’ departure and agreed on , "Records,” Dale explained, “no
most of the details of the sale. The longer connote what ttiey did years
20th stock, which has hit over 42^ ago. Now they seem to mean junk
is generally believed to be this to many people. They associate it
high in anticipation of consumma- with juvenile deUnquency, and tie
tion of doiL lin the disk jockey ju i pied piper-**

SOSCBIXANV

FaAer-of^e-Bride (Jides Sim)
Sparks Prematwe New Year’s Eve

By ABEL GREEN 4

It is axiomatic in the Manhattan
scene that a certain hard core of
spenders—show biz and lively arts
and gadabout industrialists and
business men—generate the real
spending in the Gotham class eat¬
eries, niteries and general "on-the-
town” events, ^ter many of them
emerged from the super-reception
hosted by Jules C. and Doris Stein,
in honor of their just-married
daughter, Jean, to attorney Wil¬
liam J. vanden Heuvel, the town
zinged with lush business Friday
(5) night Between the afternoon
wedding ceremony in St. Patrick's
Cathedral and the gala early eve¬
ning turnout at the St.-Regis Roof,
which the Steins took over in its
entirety, the saloons, pubs and
clubs did no business, but then,
as the soiree broke, virtually the
same people descended for late
dining at “21," the Pavillcnft, etc.
It was like New Year's five in
certain spots.

Because of the'MCA board chair¬
man’s farflung ties, industealists
from the Coast, abroad and New
York, along with the- show biz
bunch, taxed the hotel roof to ca¬
pacity. The Prince Rainiers (Grace
Kelly) were among those at the
wedding soiree, along with Senator
(Continued on page 79)

NEW DISNEYLAND RIDES:
MONORAIL & SUBMARINE

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

.. First operative monorail system
in America and a submarine ride
belov/ the water surface are in¬
cluded in a major expansion pro¬
gram at Disneyland, to cost be¬
tween $5,000,000 and $5,500,000.
Project will be completed by next
June 1, when total investment in
park W’ill reach a gigantic $28,60(),-
000. An investment of around
$15,000,000 was on tap when park
opened in July, 1955-

Under the expansion plan, the
(Continued on page 79)

British Censors Ban

East German Film

London, Dec. 9.

The Briflsh Board of Film Gen-
sork has banned “Operation Teu¬
tonic Sword” several days after it
was shown to^the press. Film is
one of a series of documentaries
made by an East German couple,
Andrew and Anhalie Thorndike,
its theme is an attack on General
Speidel, commander of NATO
Land Forces in Central Europe,
and a former German S.S. leader.
It alleges, that the general shared
complicity in pre-war Nazi atroci¬
ties.

Plato Films, the company that
imported the picture, described
the ban as a political one. The
film may now be shown only pri¬
vately to any of U.K.'s 200 film
societies. But local authorities can
grant a license for it to be shown
in their parUcular areas.

VIENNA SANS VIENNESE
TONE AT FESTIVAL?

Vienna, Dec. 9.

Proposed program of the Vienna
Festival Weeks (May. 30 to June
21) is a disappointment to most
fans in this city of nJusic, Mozart,
Schubert and Johann Strauss.
Stress is to be put on the 150th:
death anniversary of Joseph
Haydn.

With the exception of the Robert
Stolz operetta, “Two Hearts in
Three-Quarter Time," set for the
Raimund Theatre, there is not
much “Vienna” on the program.

The state opera plans a “record”
in- repertory, 26 different operas
each evening; th^ Burg Theatre a
series of Friedrich von Schiller
classical draipas. This time, the
state-owmed theatres by far beat
the private houses.

Just why the “Dramaturgist Of¬
fice” decided bn Moliere plays dur¬
ing, the festi\^ is ft mystery.

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Inc.

154 West 4Stii Street New Y«k 34, N. Y.

CMstcnbei^ Tee^

Times Sq.

A brass band, a bevy of beauties
and Postmaster Robert K. Christen-
berry all did their bit in Times Sq.
Monday (8) to remind Gothamites
to do their Christmas mailing early.
While the band played on, actress
Julie Newmar pulled a ribbon
which unwrapped a giant mailbox. J
Known as “Christinas Station” of ^
the N. Y. Post Office, it will vend 1
stamps until Dec. 24 from 10 am. '
to 10 pjn. daily. ^

Both Ghristenberry and officials ]
of the Broadway Assn, stressed the ^
benefits the box wiH have for pa¬
trons in the area. Since it will <
large^ serve the theatre -and en- J
tertainment world, the Postmaster t
noted that a number of show peo- i
pie had turned out to assist in the <
ceremonies. A:qiong them- were the ■
aforementioned Miss Newmar, ,
Peggy Wood, Susan Strasherg,
Paul WincheU. and Smith & Dale.

In the course of the unveiling
ceremonies Miss Wood was slight- .
ly bruised When a decorative wood¬
en bow fell on her head. Neverthe- <
less, she went on in Monday eve- .1
ning’s performance of “The Girls 1
in 509” as per usual. Also harass- ’
ing the ceremony were sub-freeziug ^
temperatures and a brisk southwest I
wind. The Postoffice hand of ^
some ,14 pieces oompahed '"1116 <
Bowery” but “Frosty,, the Snow- ^
man” would have been more ap- ^
propriate. ’

BerfinHStonBow !
Almost Makes "The i
Crisis’Move Over i

By HANS HOEHN

Berlin, Dec,'2.

“If we hadn’t built the Hilton
Hotel in Berlin, now would* be
the right time, after the Moscow
note, to start it.” Those were the
words of John Houser, v.p. of Hil¬
ton Hotels International, in con¬
nection with the big opening last :
week of the' Berlin Hilton. The
local press published them and l
West Berliners took them as an¬
other American assurance tb their i
Soviet-threatened city.

Apart from the political angle,
W-Berliners had also been supplied ,
with sufficient peaceful topics ■
with regard to. the opening of tbis '
14-stGry “grand hotel.” The entire ■
hoopla was something new to Ber- '
liners. The local press dedicated ,
much to it, regarding it as topic \
No. 2. (First one, of course, was, ^
and still is, the “political crisis”
here.) ^

The official three-day opening “I
(Continued on page 17) j

Java-Juke Combo I

1

A Vienna Vexation

Vienna, pec. 9, 1

“This is the limit of impudence” !
commented a leadipg local news¬
paper on its report of a press con¬
ference, given by the Association
of Music-Box Dealers. “Yes,” tiie
' paper wrote, “taxes will be changed
but in the other direction”, wind¬
ing up with “We want our noiseless
coffeehouses again.”

In short, the music box dealers
complained about the $20 average
tax per year and the “exorbitant”
demands by the Austrian Society
of Authors, Composers and Music
Publishers, (AKM). This company
(Continued on page 17)

1 ^- -n

George Jessel

details why

^On Vacation*

Is o •■pheniTsih In show biz'

a bright Featare
1ft tbft apeonlftg

53d Anniversary Number

•f

ID,' :l9Sf|

Pre-l^Paris'Legit Boom

■ By TOM CURTISS ■

Paris, Dec.-.^.

Paris legit Reason, shaping up to
have all of itk 55 houses open for
the holidays, is enjoying mounting
prosperity ahd, after “feeble start,
can now boast of handful of big
hits ana a dozen moderate clicks
that will be around until the
March thaws. {

Biggest buy is gilded revival of i
Offenbach operetta, “La Vie Parfe^
ienne,” by Madeleine Renaud -1
Jean-Louis- Barrault Co. at re- i
upholstered Palais Royal, long
cradle and headquarters of Franch

Tokyo to Ban All-Night
Xmas-New Year’s Parties

Tokyo, Dec. .9.

In a. move to minimize public
drunkenness, Tokyo’s Metropoli¬
tan Police decided to ban all-night,
Christmas-New. Year’s week parties
at-bars, cabarets and restaurants.
New policy permits these locations,
to extend normal operation homs
by only one hour during the peri¬
od, two hours being allowed for
Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Period includes Dec. 20 through
January 7. It means that those
with cabaret Bcenses wiU have to
close at 12:30, and the others at
midnight

Ruling is in keeping with a gen¬
eral vice crackdown here. JThe
police also warn they wall not per¬
mit dancing at all-night coffee
shops, which have recently come
in for criticism as beds of juvenile
delinquency. Gendarmes also will
give strict surveillance to visits
by cMl girls to hotels, inns and
restaurants. Prostitution was made
illegal here last April 1.

LOUISIANA FAMILY
PRIDEHITSmCANEER’

New Orleans, Dec. 9.

Great grandson of former Loui¬
siana Governor William C. Clai¬
borne says he intends to sue
Paramount Theatres and Saenger
Theatres for' defamation if they
show “The Buccaneer" at world
premiere bere Thursday- (11) as
planned.

Telegrams objecting to film were
sent producer Cecil B. DeMille in
Hollywood, and Henry G. Plitt,
pres. Paramount-Gulf Theatres
Inc., in this city.

Hugh Wilkinson, local attorney,
sent wires in behalf of Capt Henri
do Balathier Claiborne, USN re¬
tired, of Center Cross, Virginia.

Wilkinson said Claiborne will
seek damages “If Saenger officials
persist in exhibiting this slAnderoUs
misrepresentation; of Governor
Claiborne's private life.” He objects
to “presentation in pic to daughter
of Gov.' .Cfiaiborne and her associa¬
tion with and engagement to Jean
Lafitte.

“Such misrepresentation of fami¬
ly relationship is outrageously and
(Continued on page 70)

farce. Benaud - Barrault troupft
took over centui^-old playhouse
with rep projects, but “Vie Parii-
ienne” is proving such a gold mine
tiiat rep won’t get imder way imtil
January. Items to be done then
the new, long-awaited Jean
Anouilb play, “Mile. Moliere,” and
revival* of Paul Claudel’s modern
classic, “Satin Slipper,” which
Renaud and Barrault first did at
Comedie-Francaise in ’44.

• Production of Offenbach operet¬
ta is ideal holiday show, having
style, pace, gorgeous period cos-
tW«s and sets (by Jean-Denis
Malcles) and winning sense of fim.
.Barrault (who staged it) has hut
brief hit, but Madeleine Renaud
does everything including a can¬
can and Suzy Delair of pix and
music-hall has joined company to
sing and act role of Parisienne
temptress. Jean Desailly, fine
classic actor, registers in busy
cOmic role and veteran Pierre
Bertin scores as" tourist Swedish
baron come to the City >of Light
for a hot time.

1 Franco-Yank.. Clicks

Several Franco-American entries
have clicked here; “Lucy Crown,”

[ Jean-Pierre Aumont’s dramatiza¬
tion of Irwin Shaw’s bestseller,
retains its U.S. background and
characters and is a -nightly sellout
at the Theatre de Paris with Ed-
wige FeuiUere and Bernard Blier,
both strong draws, in lead roles.
Andre Obey’s dramatization of the
Hollywood pic, “12 Angry Men,”
at the 250-seater GaiteTMontpar-
nasse, will run through the season
to nice profit. “No Time for Ser¬
geants” (called here “Sergent, Je
Vous Aime”) is packing the 2,500-
seat Sarah Bernhardt in Jaqques
Fahhri’s production which follows
the American original to the letter.

“Two for the. Seesaw” (Deux
Pour la Balancoire), directed by
Visconti, changes the Broadway
laugh show into drama, has Jean
Mara is and season’s find, Anpje
Girardot, doing well Holdovers
include Arthur Miller’s “View
from the Bridge” (Vu du Pont).
“Diary of Anne Frank,” “Caine
(Continued on page 77)

HIGH COURT REJECTS
MARIE TORRE APPEAL

Washington, Dec. 9.

U.S. Supreme Court Monday (8)
turned down the appeal by New
York Herald Tribune tv writ^i:
Marie Torre against a 10-day con¬
tempt of court conviction.

• Miss Torre had refused to tell
the lower court which CBS execu¬
tive had said actress Judy Garland
was suffering from an inferiority
complex, among other things.
Writer claimed that to force dis¬
closure of this information would
violate freedom of speech.

In the high court order rejMt^
ing ft review of the case, Justice
I Pptter Stewart did not participate,
and Justice Wilham C. Douglas
I dissented.

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Yanks Push for Eased Remittance
As Part of Any New Italo Deal

Interpret Buyers of Film Shares
(At High Quotes) As a Force

The American film companies^
are asking the Italian Government
for Improved remittance conditions
as part of the give-and-take in any
new Italo-American film agreement.
Pact is currently under discussion
in Rome between Eitel Monaco,
head of ANICA, the Italian pro¬
ducer-distributor group, and Frank
' Qervasi, the Motion Picture Ex¬
port Assn.'s Mediterranean rep.

The U.S. argument Is that the
lira today has strengthened to the
point where it is second only to
the German mark as one of Eur¬
ope’s most stable currencies, and
that the Yank film coin no longer
should have to be discounted at
10% through the Finmeccanica
compensation deals. The Ameri¬
cans want to either be able to
make straight compensation deals,
or else to remit directly out of
their accounts.

Other parts of the new- agree¬
ment, which presumably again will
run for three years, involve the
question of the sale of dubbing
certificates, the withdrawal of old
American films circulating in Italy,
and several other points.

The Italians want to buy the cer¬
tificates again at under 17% of
face value. Several of the U.S.
companies say the special account
in the Italian film bank covering
the certificates Ls well 'stocked
these days, and the certificates are
worth much more, possibly be¬
tween 20% and 25% of face value.
In buying up the certificates (each
costing 5,500,000 lira, which is
considered a loan, repayable
eventually out of the special ac¬
count) Monaco obtains papers
which be can use as a collateral
in the financing of Italian produc¬
tion.

The Yanks are determined to
seek improved remittance condi¬
tions. Some 3,000,000 annually
can be remitted officially. In ad¬
dition, the equivalent of money
spent on the dubbing certificates i
can be thawed, and 5% of the j
amount left each year in the
blocked accounts. Most of the
remaining remittable monies come
oiit via compensation deals with !
Finraeccania, a semi-official ship¬
yard outfit, which has first call
on available coin. However, the
U.S. companies pay through the
nose to get their dollars.

Chesler, Kennedy
Figure inti Deal
Via Rackmil

Canada’s Lou Chesler and for¬
mer Ambassador to Great Britain
‘Joseph P. Kennedy are among
those to whom Milton R. Rackmil,
president of Universal Pictures, has
been talking with a view to selling
the film company. An asking price
of $35 a share for all assets has
been mentioned. Decca Records, of
i^hlch Rackmil is also president,
liwns 82% of Universal.

^ This reported palaver, with noth-
fcg finalized nor possibly even
likely, may figure In part for the
recent bull market In both Univer¬
sal preferred, which went from $57
to $96 a share, closing Friday at
$84, and the U common which
bulled from $18.50 to a high of the
year of $28.87 and closed Friday
at $26.25.

This is in tandem with the re¬
ported $15,000,000 sale of the Uni-
Yersal Studios to MCA, on a lease¬
back arrangement. . There, too,
has been fto finailization al¬
though reported virtually set. How¬
ever, other than MCA’s admission
that such talks have been going bn
there has been no confirmation.

RackmU is due back from Eu¬
rope this week, via the polar route
to Los Angeles, when some action
may be taken._

EUck MoU

writes eMMstimly la kti

Confessional Of A
Bewildered Author Of
A Bestseller

* * *

oae of the atoRy Editorial Feotiros
la the apceaitag

53d Annivenary Number

PSKIEff

Censors Support Sehes On
Their Victims, Sofion’t Ask
When Raising Charges

Kansas City, Dec. 9.

Inflation has "hit the cost of cen¬
sorship and prices went up last
week on reviewing efforts of the;
Kansas Board of Review, state’s |
i official censor board. Mrs. Carl A. I
Runyon, chairman, unilaterally de-1
blared that the board henceforth
will charge $1.75 per 1,000 feet of
film, instead of the former $1.25.

I The board is authorized by Kan¬
sas legislative action, but no bud¬
get Is provided, and its only source
of revenue is the reviewing charge.
The old figure was not providing
enough incdme to enable the work
to continue, the chairman said.
Way back when, the charge was
$2 per reel, but in 1938 it was set
at $1.25.

The board also reported that a
number of film companies were
releasmg films without submitting
them to the board, a check show¬
ing that last month there were 53
such films. Showings of such films
are illegal, Mrs. Runyon said._

FRANCE ALONE ALOOF
TOUiCO-PRODUCnON?

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Film companies in all parts of
the world want co-production deals
with American producers, provid¬
ing their internal and subsidy laws
permit, according to Roger Cor-
man, just returned from a global
tour In which he checked produc¬
tion facilities wherever he went.

As a result of this junket, he
says, he will make five pix abroad
next year, comprising one-half of
his 1959 slate. Foreign films will all
be in the high bjjdget category,
he explains, since there’s no rea¬
son to . go overseas to make cheap
pix. Producer notes it would be
difficut to go to any reasonably
civilized country in the world and
not find adequate shooting facili¬
ties.

While on his world tour, Gor¬
man was offered deals in Japan,
Honk Kong, Singapore, Thailand,
and India, and Interest in such
deals was-expressed in balance of
coimtries visited with exception of
France. France Is the only coun¬
try visited where co-production
deals are not sought, he says.

Most of the foreign facilities
have been built since World War

II and therefore arc n^er than
the majority of Hollywood facili¬
ties, producer pomts out. “Witii-
out exception, I found they have
excellent equipment—^brand new in
many places,” he declares. •

Only drawback to foreign shoot¬
ing according to Gorman, is that
foreign crews can’t match Amer^
leans. “But they are willing to
learn and there’s nothing better
that an American producer can do
for his country than to take key
crew members for foreign shoot¬
ing to work with and teach the for¬
eign technicians.”

State Theatre at Greensboro,
N.G., was closed Nov. 29, Luther
Fitzgerald, .district manager of
Consolidated Theatres, reveals.

Lever on Dividend Policies

■ Robust activity In film and the¬
atre issues on the New York Stock
Exchange continued over the past
week as new highs were set by both

With an eye to sharply rising
6osts, producers today are revising
the formula under which a pic¬
ture’s breakeven point is estab¬
lished. It’s now almost triple of
negative cost on color films and
double on the black-and-whites.

In other words, if a picture costs
$1,000,000, and it’s in color, the
producer normally won’t start to
see any money imtil his film has
grossed about $2,750,000. On a
black-and-white picture, brought in
at the same cost, the break-even
point would be about $2,100,000.;

Whereas on the tinters the for¬
mula now is 2.75 times of negative
cost as the line between red and.
black, it used to be 2.50 not long
ago. On the black-and-white films
it used to be about 1,9 times, of
negative cost.

Reason for the rise Is twofold;
(1.) the larger amounts spent oh ad¬
vertising, and (2.) upped expenses
abroad. Overall formula takes In
distribution expenses, prints, ad¬
vertising-promotion costs, salaries,
etc. The recoupment formula var¬
ies somewhat according to the neg¬
ative cost and .it’s somewhat lower
as the negative cost goes up beyond
the $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 levels.

[ Example was cited last week by
I Harold Mirisch. His “Love in the
Afternoon” cost $1,900,000. It
needs $4,200,000 to $4,300,000 to
break even. Yet, the picture was
I in black-and-white. United Artists i
I bought “Parisienne” for $500,000.

' Brigitte Bardot starrer is in color.
UA w'on't see any money until the I
film has earned«$l,500,000.

Wilcox-Neagle In
I British Lion Deal

London, Dec. 9.

Herbert Wilcox and his actress-
wife Anna Neagle are bidding to
take over British Lion Films, pro¬
duction and distribution company
owned by the Government. It’s
believed the couple have about
$3,000,000 in backing from pa^es
in The Gity, enough to lubricate
a takeover.

Not clear at moment of cabling
is whether deal would include
takeover of expanded Shepperton
studios. That may be a stumbling
block.

Wilcox-Neagle apparently enjoys
Government approval but another
syndicate is reported in the back¬
ground competing against them.

lITTLESr THIS T THAT
SERIES BY EM. HOOKER

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Hugh M. Hooker, who bowed as
a film producer .with All Arts
“Littlest Hobo,” will follow up
with series of “Littlest” features,
skedding three each next two
years. ''

For 1959, he will do, “Littlest
Fisherman,” “Littlest Giant,” “Lit¬
tlest Spy,”.- In 1960 ‘Pirate,”
“Glown,” “Saint.”

All films will be shot sands ad¬
vance release arrangements per
“Hobo.”

CBC’i

Gerald Pratley

kat somt laioreitlaji ottitades at
•vldcRctd In thn

- Clean Life Of A
Canadian Critic
* * * •

on* of tkt.many Editorial Foatnros
la th* apeofniag

53d Anniversary Number
of

f^SfUEfr

lO’JO Eastern Time Too
Late a Start for Oscar
Romp Monday, April 6?

Attempt is being made to have
the Academy Awards telecast on
April 6 moved up to 9:30 p.ra.
(Eastern tirne) from its current
10:30 starting time on the NBG
television network.

Feeling on the part of Jerry
Wald, who’s producing the show, is
that the East sector of United
States looms of primary exploita¬
tion importance in any show of
this kind, and that 10:30 is too late
since the program will run about
I two hours.

April 6 is a Monday, whkh was
done deliberately so as to keep
the damage to the theatre boxoffice
to a minimum. The Academy board
of governors has allocated $50,000
to publicize the show, i.e., buy air
plugs, etc.

MADE-IN-KANSASCITY
HIM FOR AI HANDLING

Kansas Gity, Dec. 9.
Sale of its third film production,
“Daddy-O,” has been made by Im¬
perial Productions to American In¬
ternational, per Elmer Rhoden Jr.,
president of the local fUm making
outfit. Picture is scheduled to be
put into release by AI as soon as
prints can be obtained and dis¬
tribution details handled, he said.

Imperial has previously produced
“The Delinquents” which was
bought and distributed by United
Artists, and “The Gool and the
Grazy” which went to AI.

*■ Quiet is the word on the produc¬
tion front here for the time being,
with no shooting or production ef¬
forts under way, Rhoden said. He
has previously “announced” plans
for a number of other features and
has shot some television pilots.

797,993 UA Shares Ont

United Artists’ stock listed on
the New York Stock Exchange now
amounts to 797,993 shares.

Issuance of 4,047 shares over tne
past couple of we^ accounts for
the upped total.

the Allied Artists preferred and
common, and the- common of Na¬
tional Theatres, Warners and
United Artists. Nearly ell securi¬
ties of the trade’s larger corpora¬
tions are at or near high-for-the-
year levels (see Wall Street chari
in this week’s Variety).

But this is not the rosy situation
that appears to be depicted, in the
opinion of some industry execu¬
tives, as confirmed by certain
broker-investor “experts” in New
York’s financial area,
j The angle is this. While many
of the investors acknowledge
they’re buying at inflated prices,
they’ll still press for a good retutn
on their investment The pressure
will be on those companies which
can afford to do so to liberalize
dividend payments.

Par’s $2 Rate

A key source at Paramount, for
example, has stated privately that
the Par divvy rate of $2 per share
very likely will have to be raised if
the trading price goes up to $60
per share. The per-share trading
already has gone from $30 to $47
this year and there’s no letup in
the climb, so it’s a fair possibility
j that the $60 level will be reache(L
In this event the Par board, under
stockholder pressure, would depart
from the present conservative
diwy policy.

Seen as a further result of the
taller investments in the pictures
I companies is greater antagonism
[than ever for at least partial
liquidation of assets. The bigtime
stock buyers expectedly will seek
j to force real estate and film back¬
log sellouts regardless of the
: opinions of management about
J such divestitures.

Execs with stock In their own
companies are delighted with the
rise in prices because of the imme¬
diate, personal gains accruing to
them. And at - fhe same time
they’re fearful of that more-force¬
ful stockholder pressure from out¬
side the corporation that may be
brewing. The new proxy row at
Loew’s may be the tipoff on what’f
ahead for other companies.

Tax & Take-Out
Headway Made
In Philippines

By DAVE JAMPEL

Tokyo, Dec. 9.

Motion Picture Far East rep Irv¬
ing Maas has returned from almost
four weeks in Manila and reported
progress in (a) the pending tax
case against U. S. film importers
and (b) the new remittance ar¬
rangements for current fiscal an¬
num. A third situation, threat of
a strike of local employees of six
majors, looms.

On the tax case, which has a
claim of over 20 million pesos
($10,000,000) filed against MPEA
members, Maas informed Variety,
“The tax commissioner' took what
we consider a fair and reasonable
step and decided to review the
action of his predecessors. The
case is now pnder review by three
distinguished experts in the field
who' were appointed by the com¬
missioner of internal revenue. We
are hoping for a favorable decision
soon. It is before the court now.
The trial of the case by mutu^
agreement was put back from time
to time.”

Gommenting on the c^aim, which
involved a switch in deduction
allowances retroactive , to 1950,
wherebv costs of production and
(Gontinued^on page JLO^ ^ ^ ^

Legal to Force Newsreel Sales ?

Major film theatre circuits are being frankly told by at least one
major company today that, unless they’re willing to continue buy¬
ing the newsreel and shorts, they may lose out on the feahu’e
product This firm stand has prevented, wholesale cancellation of
the newsreel, which more and more exhibitors want to eliminate,

What’s surprising about blunt waraing is that it’s legal and open.
Although under the consent'decree, it’s illegal to condition, sale of
one picture upon another, it’s apparently, perfectly legal to “force”
newsreel and shorts with the feature.

All of which hasn’t kept the position of the newsreels from de¬
teriorating. It’s one thing to get an exhibitor to play the reeL It’s
another to get him to pay an'adequate price for it. Paramotmt,
Warner and Universal have dropped their reels so far, leaving the
field to Movietone and News of the Day, bo^i of which also have
„ television tieups. The reels are losing propositions, at least in the
States. However, t'-'-'-y run in the red, the companies still

maintain them as a valuable tool for the industiy.

4

TWCWWJKKH

PiS^Ritfr

Majors Originated ‘Outrageous Wages)
Mirisch: Stars A Calculated Risk

The major companies who-f
scream ctoday that it's the inde-

Of New krm Techn^ues: No hi

Film industry appears on a new technological kick. Whether or
not the new processes on the horizon will represent an advance,
the fact is that engineers are busy.

Mike Todd Jr. recently revealed plans to produce a picture in
SmeUovision, with which various scents permeate specially-equip¬
ped theatres. Walt Disney is at hand with a widescreen process
called Technirama-70 which, according to advance information,
incorporates some of the features of the anamorphic, or squeeze,
photographic sj'stem and Paramount’s Vista Vision. Technirama-70
is being -introduced in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

And now comes Allied Artists with a device billed as Emergo.
This is incorporated in, and is a niiain selling point for, the William
Castle-Robb White production of “House on Haunted- Hill,” star¬
ring Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart.

“Hill” is a spook special and, yia some electronic trickery, will
have a figure apparently emerging from the screen and roaming
around the audience. Emergo, claims a man from Allied Artists,
“represents a major advance in motion picture entertainment.
Screening is . set for New York tomorrow (Thurs.) night, at which
time the trade will judge for itself just how much “major advance”
is represented in Einergo.

L. A. io N.

pendents who are overpaying the
stars should take a look back.
They’d find that it was they them¬
selves who started shelling out the
fabulous star salaries, Harold Mi¬
risch exec production and admin¬
istrative head of the Mirisch Bros.
Co., said in New York over the
weekend.

“Didn’t 20th-Fox pay John
Wayne $2,000,000 for three pic¬
tures? Didn’t Warner Bros, pay
the same man $750,000 for *Eio
Bravo’?” Mirisch continued, “We
independents can get any per¬
sonality, provided we have the
right story and 'a good director.
But, of course, we have to pay
those stars what they have been
getting.”

Mirisch said his outfit wasn’t
forced to make “outrageous deals”
and that, if he chose to pay a
player a large lump sum in lieu
of a percentage “that’s just tak¬
ing a calculated risk.”

Mirisch, whose outfit has an ex¬
clusive tie with United Artists and,
since September, 1957, has deliver¬
ed seven films at a little under
$10,000,000 investment, is an un¬
usual producer. He works with his
brothers. Walter, who’s the creative
type, works with the talent who
are signed up by the Mirisches.
Marvin, Who is his assistant, takes
care of the legal end of the busi¬
ness. There’s § fourth brother,
unconnected with that phase of the
business, who runs a concession
business in theatres.

Business Nose

Harold Mirisch has no ambitions
beyond packaging the product.
“I’m S' businessman, not a creator,”
he said. “When I read a script I
can smeU what it might do, and
I have a pretty good sense for
who would be best to work on
it. But I’ve no desire to get into
production myself. That’s why we
hire top people, even producers,
to do that work for us.’^

Mirisch, who’s 100% financed by
UA, said he was “almost like a
studio without brick-and-mortar.”
He sees his function as that of
making it possible for the talent
to function at top efficiency. And
since he doesn’t involve Wmself
in the creative end, that means he
hires people who can then make
pictures and concentrate on the
artistic end.

Mirisch outfit now has finished
but as yet unreleased “Man in the
Net.” with Alan Lad, produced by
Walter Mirisch; “Some Like it
Hot,” the Marilyn Monroe starref,
produced, directed and written by
Billy Wilder; “The Horse Soldiers,”
starring William Holden and John
Wayne. In the writing stages are
“The Proving Flight,” about the first
transatlantic jet, which Cyril
Hume is scripting; “633 Squadron,”
to be based on a Rod Serling script
with John Sturges directing and
Arthur L. Mayer as associate pro¬
ducer; also upcommg is “My Sister
and I,”^ which will star Audrey
Hepburn and which is to be shot
in Vienna this summer.

Outfit -also has “Cast a Long
Shadow” with Audie Murphy now
shooting. It’s delivered a couple
of Joel McCrea westerns to UA
and also “Gunfight at Dodge City.”

The indies, said Mirisch, haven’t
got either the time or the resources
to develop new talent. “United Ar¬
tists takes each picture from us
on merit,” he commented. “We
can’t invest in any large effort to
tie up new people. Only the big
studios, like 20th-Fox, can do that.
And for an independent to have
names under contract is dangerous.
That means you start making
films, often bad films, just to keep
a certain performer busy.”

The producer admitted that this
policy stood in the way of new
talent development On the one
hand, the indies cry for new (and
less expensive) talent. On the other
hand, they’ll only use established
boxoffice names. Since there’s been
such a rise in'the number of active
independents “delivering” films to
studios, the demand for the hand¬
ful of remaining top stars is great

Sterling Movies U.S.A. (Cali¬
fornia) Corp. has been. authorized
to conduct an entertainment busi¬
ness in New York, with capital
st^k of 200 shares, no par value,
Michael Friedman and Daniel A.
Lipsiff are directors and filing at¬
torneys.

Sui|[ery on An
Elephant Eye

Members of the American Medi¬
cal Assn., who convened in Minnea¬
polis last week, witnessed for the
first the operation of a new large-
screen compatible color television
projector. 'The projector, described
as the world’s largest tv “set,”
weighs 1,500 pounds and is capable
of presenting pictures 9 by 12 feet.

The unit was built by Philips,
well-^own Netherlands electronics
firm, for Smith, Kline & French
Laboratories. The Philadelphia
pharmaceutical firm presented 15
hours of closed-circuit color tele¬
vision at the AMA meeting.

The Philips unit is said to be j
capable of projecting pictures four
times larger and three times
brighter than the most advanced
compatible color tv equipment
manufactured in the U.S. If the
unit can be manufactured on a!
mass basis, it’s seen as a significant
development-in the advancement
of closed-circuit television, both
for boxoffice events and business
meetings.

The projector, far from being
stationary, will become part of the
company’s mobile medical color
television unit, which travels 25,000
miles annually. Unit has produced
150 closed-tv programs—an aver¬
age of 12 to 15 major medical
meetings each year.

Europe to U. S.

Art Buchw’ald
Cyd Charisse ^

James Forsyth
Ava Gardner
Joanne. Gilbert
Herb Rogers
Joseph Schaeffer
Lee Swanson
Varel & Bailey

Leonard Anderson
Jhn Backus
Kitty Buhler . ..

Matge & Gower Champion

William Castle

Carol Channing

Albert Dekker

Cecil B. DeMille

Eva Gabor

Norman Greer

Paul Gregory

KatluTm Grant

L. Wolfe Gilbert

Morey R. Goldstein

Harold Hecht

Katharine Hepburn

James Hill

Louis Jourdan

Eartha Kitt

Bernard M. Kamber

Tony Martin .

Martin Manulis
Kenneth MacKenna
Joseph H. Moskttwitz
Kim Novak
Harry Ruby
Gus Schirmer Jr.

Joe Schoenfeld
BUly Vaughan
Card Walker
Randy Wood

U. S. to Europe

Mrs. Carl BrisSon
Noel Coward
Arthur B. Krim
Alicia Markova
Eric Porter
Harry Allan Towers

N. Y. to L. A.

Fred Amsel
Norbert Auerbach
Bob Barry
Gilmor Brown
Salvatore L. Chiantia
Charles K. Feldman
Arthur Freed
Victor Jory
Lou Levy
Harold Lloyd
Emma Mascola
Anne Meacham
Latiritz Melchior
Paul Morrison
Lew Wasserman
Paul Weston

Passman’s Round Over Bronston

Judge Supports Contention 'John Paul Jones’ Is
Jersey Corp. With N.Y. OfFice

Judge Sylvester J. Ryan in U. S.
District Court in N. Y. last week
removed the temporary injunction
restraining Barnett Glassman.from
maintaining the offices of John
Paul Jones Productions and from
conducting the company’s business.
The decision, delivered from the
bench, marked an important vic¬
tory for Glassraan in his battle for
control of JPJ Prpductions, which
has completed the film “John Paul*
Jones” in Spain and England. War¬
ner Bros, is to release. it.

Main issue at stake was whether
or not JPJ Productions maintained
its headquarters in Spain or in
New. York. Judge Sylvester, who’s
now writing his opinion, said in
Court it was his view that Glass-'
man had proved his point, I.e. that
the company is a New Jersey outfit
with N. y. headquarters. The
Judge said his opinion,'when writ¬
ten, would throw doubt on the tes¬
timony of some of the witnesses

called by John Paul Jones Produc¬
tions, i.e. Samuel Bronston, who
heads the company.

Action actually started with an
attempt by Bronston to keep Glass-
man, his former partner, from tak¬
ing any further part in the opera¬
tion of .JPJ Productions. However,
the suit against Glassman was Med
by JPJ Productions and not Brons¬
ton himself.

Once the Judge’s written opinion
is in, Glassman will press his.coun¬
ter suit against Bronston, involving
full .control of JPJ Productions by
Glassman, a full accounting of ex¬
penditures, etc.. The Glasssman
action charges a conspiracy be¬
tween Bronston, his attorney, Irwin
Margulies, and others, to bar him
from the affairs of the company,
to convert assets of the corp. etc.
Glassman said Bronston et M had
caused the corporation’s assets to
be “misappropriated, wasted and
dissipated,” ^ V

Wed]fe^cUty< December 10, 1958

■. — — 1 ^ -V- - ■ ' ■; ■■■ - -r ■■

♦ ♦ » ♦ » » »♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦»♦»

i- -New York S&und Track |

♦ 4 M ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ -»♦ ♦ ♦ 4 ♦ ♦

“Definition of a straight actress: 34-34-34”—Wallace Beybiun, Lon¬
don columnist for Toronto Telegram.

The FBI has- been running a close check on Iron Curtain films
being passed through the N.Y. censor’s office. Information wanted
by the Bureau is concerned mostly with the propanganda content
. of the pictures from the Communist countries. The censor can’t
nix a film on propaganda grounds.

Sam Shain, former labor aide to Spyxos Skouras at 20th-Fox and
now publisher-editor of the advertising newsletter, Space & Time, into
Flower-5th Avenue Hospital for gall bladder surgery . . . Screen, stage,
television actress Toni Darnay has album cover of new Paramount
recording directed by Creed Taylor and running the gamut of moans,
groans and shreiks by moonfight, all appropriately titled “Shock!” . . ,
Bob Barry who’s been agenting,. first with the Deborah Coleman office,
then Herb Jaffe Associates, sets up his own N,Y. talent shop this week
. . . he’s flying to Hollywood as a first step to negotiate film contract
for Maureen Stapleton whom he previously placed in Dore Schary’s
“Lonelyhearts.” ■ . * . '

At a press gathering for “Buccaneer,” Inger Stevens was asked by
Marjory Adams of Boston Globe, the tjmical sex-angled type of ques¬
tion, which was the sexier actor, Charlton Heston .or Yul Brynner.
Said Inger; “Neither. Both are gentlemen.”

“Our Man in Havana,” film version of the Graham Greene novel,
will be made by Columbia and not J. Arthur Rank .... French director
Georges Clouzet, known for “Diabolique” and “Wages ef Fear,” has
signed with Raoul Levy to direct a Brigitte Bardot picture next sum¬
mer. S'ubject of the film, which Columbia will distribute, has not been
disclosed . . . Producer Sam Spiegel has Gore Vidal to WTite the screen¬
play of Tennessee Williams’ short play, “Suddenly, Last Summer:”
Elizabeth Taylor is" set to star and Columbia will release . . . Russ
Tamblyn, on a three-week Army furlough, touring the country to-bal¬
ly Metro’s “Tom Thumb.” . . . Producer Arthur Freed in Gotham to
complete plans for the filming of the stage hit “Bells Are Ringing”
for Metro . . . D. M. Peterson, of the State Theatre Co., has enrolled
six of his South Dakota theatres In Theatre Owners of America . . .
As part of the long-range btiildup for Pierre Boule’s “The Other Side
of the Coin,’’' which Otto Preminger will produce and direct, Coliun-
bia is sending out copies of the novel to the press . . . Producer-director
Robert Aldrich will try to film “The Catalyst,” a story with a lesbian
theme. He’s signed A. I. Bezzeiides to write the screenplay from Ron¬
ald Duncan’s play which until recently was banned by the Lord Cham¬
berlain-in London . . . Tony Perkins is back in Manhattan, after com-
pletipg his role in “Green Mansions” for Metro . . . Metro held an
early Christmas party Saturday (6) for 2,500 children at a special in¬
vitational morning screening of “Tom Thumb” at Loew’s Sheridan.

Frank Sinatra, in a letter soliciting funds for the Children’s Asthma
Research Institute Hospital, underlines the. seriousness of the affliction
by pointing to Red Skelton’s near fatal attack and the death of Robert
Donat and John Hearsi.

Harry Brandt tried to get a theatre into the new building that’s to
' go up on 3d Ave. and 57th St. but was turned down., . . 'There’ll be no
■“Anna Lucasta” soundtrack album from Hi-Fidelitj^ecords . . . “Love
in the Afternoon,” the Audrey Hepbum-Gary Cooper starrer which
did so disappointingly in the States, is still going to make money,
thanks to very strong foreign biz . . . 20th-Fox’s foreign department
hit an exciting $2,100,000 in overseas billings last week. Domestic went
up, too, tof $1,100,000 . . . United Artists taking fuUpage ads in key city
papers for “Separate Tables” , . . United Nations-is launching its' 10-
■ ininute film, “Overture,” visualizing problems and activities of the
tHN., to coincide with the 10th anni of the Declaratton of Human
Rights. Reel has no commentary, instead uses a recorded performance
of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture.

“I don’t feel I have any reason to defend my father’s views,” Sydney
Chaplin told Toronto Star critic Jack Karr. “I don't feel he’s as bad
as people say. He happens to be a non-conformist, and rather than
having violent political leanings in any direction I consider him a
completely non-political person.”

Ciss and Ben Henry—^he was long British sales head for Universal
—spending Christmas-New Year’s on the Coast, thence back to Goth-,
am for three-fom* days before flying home to London., They’re going
to the Coast via the polar route.

The Sol C. Siegel-Metro filmusical deal for Irving Berlin’s “Say It
With Music” is an extension of an old negotiation which has just been
finalized although there has yet to be written a story-line. Arthur Freed
will produce . . . Paramount’s foreign chieftain Jim Perkins’ round-
the-world tour wiU take him five weeks' to cover all Par operations.
After'the holidays in Tokyo he continues to Bombay etc.

Francis P. Mulderry, grandson of the late P* W. Mulderry. who With
the late IV. W. Farley, built and owned the exchanges on Albany’s
Film row, was admitted to practice of law., A graduate of Holy Cross
College and of Albany Law School, he cares for the family’s Film Row
interests, as did his late father, Francis J. (Frank) Mulderry.

Theodore Bikel signed by 20th-Fox for “The Snow Birch.” He’ll play -
a .country doctor in the Susan Hayward starrer , . . Mrs. Joan Cohn,
widow of Harry Cohn, will attend Columbia’s annual stockholders
meeting In N.'S, on Dec. 15. Widow of the late Col prexy holds, the
largest block of stock in the company . . . Allied Theatre Owners of
New Jersey will hold its annual beefsteak dinner on Dec. 18 at the
Ritz Restaurant, Passaic, N. J. . , . TV-screenwriter Dale Wasserman
has recovered screen rights to his teleplay, “The Fog,” and is weighing
offers that would involve him as adaptor aiid associate producer. Rights
were previously held by Henry C. Brown under an option agreement.
“The Fog” caused a stir when originally presented on television. The
sponsor, Chrysler, censored the script and Wasserman disclaimed the
show (Climax) and walked out. The’ story dealt with a- town plagued
by smog bom of “scientific progress.” , . . Kathryn Grant in Gotham
to plug CJolumbia’s “The 7th Voyage of Sinb^.” This is her first Man¬
hattan visit since she became Mrs. Bing Crosby.

Lem Jones, exec assistant and press secretary to the late Wendell
Willkie, and for years special assistant to 20th-Fox prez Spyros P.
Skouras, has set up his own p.r. outfit. . . It’s a boy, Mark Jeffrey, for
the Ed Feldmans. He’s the 20th N.Y. newspaper contact. Child was
bom Nov. 28 . . . Norbert Auerbach, Columbia’s Continental sales
chief, wei^t to the Ck)ast while his wife, Diez, returned to Paris by boat
this week.

Jartc H. Harris, who produced .“The Blob” for Paramount release.
Is prepping a Biblical epic, “Jonah and the Whale,” budgetted around
$2,500,000 . . . Diane Varsf and Carol Lynley join Clifton Webb and
Gary Crosby in lineup of 20th-Fox’ “Holiday for Lovers” - . , Roger
Carman’s next is scifi-horror yam, “The Wasp Woman,” starring Susan
Cabot . . . 20th-Fox lifted Dolores Michaels’ option for third year . . .
Fred Zinnemann readying “The Sundowners,” starring Gary .Cooper
and Deborah Kerr, for summer shooting in Australia for Warner Bros,
release . . . Lindsley Parsons definitely will make three, possibly four,
pix next year for Allied Artists: “Crash Boat,” “The Sea Beast,” star¬
ring Barry Sullivan; ^‘The Incredible Yanqui,” to roll in Honduras;
mebbe “Jack Slade in Montana.’’ . . , Debbie Reynolds to be with
Tony Curtis in Perlberg-Seatoh’s “The Rat Race.”

Rossallnd Russell is all over town via “Auntie Marne” window dis¬
plays in over 25 department stores . . Leo'Samuels, Buena ..Vista

president, temporarily out of action due to a foot injury ... A press
agent’s handout worth a mention relates that-an .ll-yeaf-old with* a bit
part has a film company named after hen.-ShoV Dena Haye, daughter
.... . ..r. ,(^°^ued, on.page 7),

Wednesday, December 10, 1958:

PSSIEFr

PICTURES

SEVENH-FIVE MIN. FILM AT $2.40

National Boxoffice Survey

Pre-Xmas Lull Begins; ‘Mardi Gras’ Again Champ,
‘So. Seas’ 2d, ‘Pacific’ 3d, ‘Tunnel’ 4th

The usual post-holiday down-
beat Is being felt this stanza as
Christmas shopping got off to a
big start. Severe cold and more
snow is proving a further handi¬
cap to wicket activity. Most ex¬
hibitors are just coasting with
. their holover and extended-run
fare until nearer Dec. 25 and the
expected year-end improvement.

“Mardi Gras” (20th) is repeat¬
ing its. performance of last week
to finish No. 1 again. Pic is play¬
ing in some 19 keys covered by
Variety— and doing well in a vast
majority of them. “South Seas
Adventure” (Cinerama), which
was fourth a week ago, is winding
up second.

“South Pacific” (Magna), sixth
last stanza, is copping third
money. “Tunnel of love” (M-G),
which wound up fifth last session,
is capturing fourth place.

“Houseboat” (Par), second a
week ago, will finish fifth. “Gigi”
(M-G) will wind up sixth as com¬
pared with eighth last round.
“Windjammer” (NT) again is tak¬
ing seventh place, same as a week
ago.

“Home Before Dark”. (WB),
third last frame, will be eighth.
“Old Man and Sea” (WB) rounds
out the Top Nine list. “Party
Girl” (M-G), also in runner-up
category last stanza; and “Last.
Hurrah” (Col), ninth last week, ]
are the runner-up films.

Of the few newcomers, “Auntie
Marne” (WB) looks to have top
potential. It shapes socko open¬
ing session at the N. Y. Music Hall
where Is it playing with the an¬
nual Christmas stageshow. “In¬
spector Maigret” (Lopert), also
fairly new, shapes okay in Chi,
N. Y. and Pitt, and good in Balto.
“Unwed Mother” (AA), another
newie, looms good in Minneapolis
and fair in Toronto.

. “My Uncle” (Cont), big in N. Y.,
shapes stout in Boston. “Rockets
Galore” (Rank) looks good, also
in Boston. “Spider” (AI>, also
fairly new, looms, fine in St. Louis
but mild in Detroit.

“Matchmakers” (Par) is rated
slow in Toronto. “Around World
in 80 Days” (UA), smash in Chi,
still is sockeroo in L.A.

“I Want To Live” (UA), hep in
Chi, is fancy in N. Y. and torrid
in L.A. “Blood of Vampire” (U)
is okay in. Omaha.

“Defiant Ones” (UAV, long high
on . the list, shapes hot in Toronto
and Providence. “Geisha Boy”
(Par) still is fine in Chi.

“God Created Woman” (Kings),
good in K.C., is rated fancy in
Philly. “Anna Lucasta” (UA),
smash in Chi, looks, big iji L.A.

“Mark of Hawk” (U) shap.es
dandy in Chi. “Me and Colonel”
(Col), neat in Boston, is good in
Balto.

(Complete Boxoffice Reports on
Pages 8-9).

Personal Contracts of Fabian, Rosen
Before Stanley Warner Shareholders

Stockholders of Stanley Warner,

at the company’s annual nieeting • rp ^

in Wilmington, DeL, on Jan. 6, will Ubllgable 1 ony dfc Llinall _ fUm

be asked to approve a modification
In the agreement between the
company and Fabian Enterprises
Inc. for the services of prexy S. H.
Fabian and executive v.p. Samuel
Rosen.

Basic agreement between Stan¬
ley and Fabian Enterprises calls
-for the payi^ent of $3,000 weekly
($156,000 annually) to Fabian En¬
terprises, a family-held corpora¬
tion, for the services of the two
top executives. In addition, Fabian
Enterprises is to receive a percen¬
tage on the consolidated net profits
of Stanley—no percentage on the
first $2,500,000; 5% of the next
$2,500,000; 7^% on profits in ex¬
cess of $5,000,000. Total amount
. payable for all services was limited
to $500,000 with a ceiling of $344,-
000 on the percentage since it is
$500,000 less than $156,000 an¬
nual payment.

As part of the modification, the
percentage compensation is to be
reduced, according to an estab¬
lished formula, if the company
does not pay or declare dividends
of $1.20 or more on its common
stock. There is no change in the
$500,000 limitation on the compen¬
sation. Another change involved
the time Fabian and Rosen may de¬
vote to Fabian Enterprises, being
reduced from not more than 3314%
to not .more than 15% of their
'working time. In addition, in the
case of the death of either Fabian
'or Rosen, the agreement continues
in full force, except that the fixed I
' and percentage compensation is re-‘
duced by 40% instead of 3314%
and the person who continues ren¬
dering services to Stanley may de¬
vote only 10% of his . time to Fa¬
bian Enterprises.

The modifications stemmed from
a suit brought by a stockholder
and constituted the basis for an
agreement and settlement of all
claims.

According to the company’s
proxy statement, total remunera¬
tion to officers and directors was
$585,640, with Fabian and Rosen
receiving $225,605 combined; first
v.p. Nathaniel Lapkin, $126,900;
v.p. and general manager Harry M.
Kalmine, $90,860, and Maurice A.
Silver, zone manager of the Pitts-
burgh-Cleveland area, $50»050.

M’s OHO

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Tony Curtis and Dinah
Shore are the most coopera¬
tive actor and actress of 1958,
according to a vote of the
Hollyv^ood Women’s Press
Club, which wll present its
annual Golden Apple Awards
to pair at club’s Chrismas par¬
ty Dec. 16 at Beverly Hills
Hotel.

Org started its practice of
kudosing an actor and actress
back in 1941, when Bob Hope
and Bette Davis were selected.
Last year, nod went to Glen
Ford and Kim Novak. Club
abandoned its former yearly
choice of the most uncoopera¬
tive actor and actress, follow¬
ing naming of Edmund Pur-
dom and Doris Day in 1954.

Although it runs only 75 min¬
utes, Walt Disney’s “Sleeping
Beauty” is to be offered to the pub¬
lic at roadshow ($2.40) prices,
though not reserved seats. The spe¬
cific tariff will vary from city to
city, as is the case with aU upped-
scale entries, but never before has
the boosted price been asked for
such a short, length-wise, picture.

Significant, further, is the fact
that “Beauty” is going to market at
a time when many an average “A”
film, presented at regular adniis-
sions, runs two and near three
hours.

By typical trade reasoning, the
background of “Beauty” would
justify the upped tariff. It literally
has been years in the making and
Disney let the budget go up td
$6,000,000. (With this kind of
money, a skeptic might ask, why
couldn’t, there be more footage?)
The screen process is new, called
Technirama-70, and the picture has
six-channel stereophonic sound.

But does the man in the street—
specifically, the customer who pre¬
sents the cash at the boxoffice—
care about such background?
Doubtless yes if the result is in
added entertainment values.

The real test of the public’s will¬
ingness, or reluctance, to ante up
roadshow prices centers on the
running time. Tilted scales have
obtained with not too much show
of resistance with, of late, “Bridge
on the River Kwai” in certain situ¬
ations, “Ten Commandments” and
“Around the World in 80’ Days.”

Trade To Study

It’s to be noted, of course, that
these were “epic” in both produc¬
tion scope and running time. Cecil
B. DeMille used up 219 minutes of
presenting “Command¬
ments,” and this makes “Beauty”
look limited, indeed, with its
meager hour and a quarter.

Batde for Loews Stockholders List
Settled as Green Drops Court Action

-f The first open clash between the
management of Loew’s Inc. and
Louis A. Green, the dissident di¬
rector who has launched a proxy
fight against the management, took
place last week on the. issue of
making a list of stockholders avail¬
able. Green is seeking the list so
he can start to solicit the shax’e-
holders for proxies to support his
position in his battle with the man¬
agement.

Henry Friendly, Green’s attor¬
ney, charged Loew’s with employ¬
ing “dilatory tactics” on the ques¬
tion of supplying the list. Loew’s,
on the other hand, had stated
frankly that while it has given
Green permission to obtain the
list,.it w^as not, in effect, going to
hand it to him on a silver platter.

■ As a consequence. Green had ob¬
tained an order from the N.Y.
State Supreme Court directing
Loew’s to show cause why the list
should not be made available to
him. Green claimed that Loew’s
reneged on its promise to provide
him w’ith a list of the stockholders'
names.

Loew’s maintained that it had
given Green permission on Nov.
26 to make an abstract of the list
“in full accordance with the pro¬
visions of the law’.” However,
Friendly charged that Loew’s
; would not allow Green’s represen-
. tative to make photstatic copies
and insisted that the list be copied
j by hand.

Federal Judge Edward Palmieri ! ea^d

last week formally approved thej^ause order “without prejudice’'
order for the divorcement of | when Loew’s agreed to allow

No Zsa Zsa Then

Des Moines, Dec. 9.

MacKinlay Kantor, Pulitzer
prize-winning author and a
native of Iowa, said in an in¬
formal convocation of English
classes at Drake U. here that
he doesn’t like the 20th cen¬
tury . . , much prefers the
. 19th century.

“I don’t like ballpoint pens
or supermarkets. I don’t' like ,
television and I don’t like Zsa
Zsa Gabor. My time (the 19th
century) was much nearer the
previous generations than the
one that followed; We lived
about the same as our parents
and grandparents — ate the
same food and drove horses
and buggies.”

Kantor's “Andersonville”
won the Pulitzer Prize in 1955.
At the request of the Library
of Congress, his manuscripts
and personal, papers are to
be a permanent part of the li¬
brary.

'Safeguarded’ OK
Of Loews Split

Loew'’s Inc. along the lines of the
plan which had been submitted by
the film corporation. Previously he

Green’s reps to make photocopies
of the stockholder and daily trans¬
fer list. Actually the fuss appeared
to be due to a misunderstanding

had okayed the principle of the! involving Loew’s transfer agent.

Banker? Trust Co., over the eopy-
ing nrocedure.

When Green demanded the li.st
on Nov. 26, prexy Joseph R. Vogel,
in a letter to Green, declared that
the management considered his

split and had directed both the
Department of Justice and Loew’s
attorneys to get together on the
form of decree with all its legali¬
stic language.

... Approved now is that decree and , .

This IS why the entire industry j [t acknowledges in some part the j launching of a proxy fight “under
will be closely watching the pub-1 ijjd by the Justice Department for present circumstances so waste-
lie reaction to this newest from‘some “safeguards.” I corporation that it is

There can, be no increase in the °ur duty to the stockholders not
funded debt, states the judgment, to facilitate it in any way.” Vogel
without the approval-of the At-, added that while the company
tdrney General. j would comply “fully and promptly’'

Another “safeguard” has it that:

an Attorney General complaint I we prefer not ta

could lead to a court finding that' yolunteer^ any assistance to_ you

Because it believes that the
Todd-^AO process is the most suit¬
able and desirable for widescreen,
roadshow attractions, 20th-Fox is
buying into the Todd-AO Corp. to
the tune of $600,000. Todd-AO, in
turn, is issuing preferred stock to
20th, paying 4% in dividends.

Letters of intent covering the
deal were signed in N. Y. last week
by representatives of 20th, Magna
Theatre Corp. and American Op¬
tical. Latter two outfits control the
equity and voting stock of the
^Todd-AO Corp., which is headed
by George Schaefer Sr.

Under the new arrangement, the
Todd-AO board of six, so far
equally split between Magna and
American Optical, is to be revised
to make room for two 20th reps.
Magna and A-0 split the common
voting stock of Todd-AO down the
middle. However, Magna owns
62V^% of the equity , stock and
American Optical 37^/4%. This
ratio will remain undisturbed un¬
der the 20th deal.

Deal represents a compromise in¬
asmuch as American Optical didn’t
(Continued/on page 17)

Disney.

The producer himself is mindful
of the brevity of his picture, of
course. And in an effort to compen¬
sate for it he’s packaging it w'ith
“Grand Canyon,” 22-minute entrj'
in Cinemascope with four-channel
stereophonic sound, which under¬
takes to match pictorially the vari-
out musical moods of Ferde Grofe’s
light classic, “Grand Canyon
Suite.”

Technirama-70 process has the
negative film running through the
camera horizontally with two 35m
frames exposed at the sam^ time.
It’s optically printed on regular
release prints so that the projec¬
tion feed is vertical. Also incor¬
porated is some compression, as
with the anamorphic process.

Many of the theatres in which
“Beauty” is to be showcased are
those which have shown “Around
the World” in the Todd-AO system.
It’s understood a deal has been
w’Orked out with the Criterion for
the New York opening.

the indebtedness split might lead
to. a “restraint” upon either the
exhibition or production-distribu

beyond the requirements of the
law.”

A spokesman for Loew’s said that

tion surviving companies (this to j Green s show cause order “was as
protect stockholders of either out- unwarranted as the accompanying
fit). I publicity.”

Decree also provides the op- ■ --

portunity for either company to i
re-finance the debt if the Attorney ■

General states he believes condi-!
tions have changed^ so as to per¬
mit this.

All in all this final court ruling
wraps up the victory for president
Joseph R. Vogel’s management
side. The spotlighted indebtedness
amounts to $25,000,000, of which

Added Rules For
Cannes ’59 Fest

Paris, Dec. 9.

Cannes Film Festival will, run
$20,000,000 is to be assumed by i from May 1-15 in ’59 and two rules
production-distribution with the * have been added to the operating
balance of $5,000,000 taken by! procedures. Official entries must

Loevv’s domestic exhibition.

The Importance of Having Popcorn

Glens Falls, N,Y., Dec. 9.

A new popcorn machine, to be used in all Schine theatres, was
demonstrated at a merchandising session for managers of the cir¬
cuit’s Eastern division, held in the Schine-owned Queensbury Ho¬
tel here last week. The meeting was sponsored by Schine Con¬
cessions Co- and Manley Popcorn Co., (the latter of Kansas City).

Feature of the machine is a glass bowl kettle, which permits cus¬
tomers to see the com popping. A new com, developed by Manley,
is part of the concession operation.

Those speaking included: Gordon Finlay, national sales promo¬
tion manager for Manley; Stanley Werthman, director of conces¬
sions for Schine houses; James Manley, national assistant promo^
t:on manager; Arnold Vandenburgh and Frank Piebtus, assistant
directors of Schine Concessions; Lyman Seelay, Boston- district
manager for Manley. Jack Mitchell, Schine zone manager, head-
<iuartered in Glens Falls, presided.

Present were Schine managers from Glens Falls, Hudson Falls,
Granville, Amsterdam, Gloversville, Ilion, Herkimer, Little Falls,
Hamilton and Oneonta.

Manley representatives in Philadelphia, Syracuse and Newburgh,
[N.Y., aRd Newton, Mass., also attended.

not have been presented in any
I other sort of film competition or
shown outside of its counrty of
origin. However these rules could
be waived for specially invited
features.

Each country has a right to only
one official entry but fe.stival
authorities may invite any number
of films from any country. Jury
will be composed of 11 people, pre¬
dominantly not French. Prizes will
be the Golden Palm for the best
feature, a special jury prize, one
for best scenario, best female and
male thesping, and two other
awards ,at the discretion of the
jury.

There will also be a Golden Palm
for the best short and two other
prizes depending on the jury. AH
films must be submitted to the fest
before April 9, ’59 and all docu¬
mentation by March ’59 for films
entered in competition. Over 30 pix
are expected to show at this first
important film competitive mani¬
festation of '59

6

Wednesday, December 10, 1950

WMtM KfiTlEWS

Tke Tempeat

(rrALIAN-YUGOSLAT*.

IHENCH)

(V^risioii-Tecludcolor)

Naples, Dec. 2.

Dino DeLaiirentiis xeleue jbi « Disc
DeLaurentiis-Bosna FUm (Sarajevo) pro¬
duction (in partnership with Gray Films,
Paris). - Stars SUvana Mangano.^ Van
Hefflin, Viveca Lindfors, Geoffrey Home;
features Vittorio Qassmann, Aldo Silvanl,
Fulria Franco, Claudio Gora. Jovan Gee,
Guido Celano, CrUtina Gajom, Helmut
Dantine, Agnes Moorehead, Bobert KmUu
Finlay Currie, Lawrence Naismith, Dra-
gutin Felba. Nevehka Mikulic, Janez
Vrhovec, Milutin Jasnik. Mavid Popovic.
hiiksa SiefaninL Pera Obradovic, Hirko
Screckovic. Directed by Alberto Lattuada.
Screenplay. Lattuada, Luis Peterson. »d
Ivo PcrUli, from work of Alekasnder
Puchkin; egmera CTechnicolor-Techni-
rama), Aldo Tonti; sets. Mario Chiari;
editor, OteUo ColangelL Henry Rust;
music, Piero Piccioni. Previewed at San
Carlo Opera House, Naples. Running time.
121 MINS.

JIasha.Silvana Mangano

Pugacev . Van He flin

Catherine H . Viveca Lindfors

Peter Griniev.. Geoffrey Horne

Capt. Mironov ........i... Robert Keith

V ariiica .Agnes Moorehead

Savelic .. Oscar Homolka

Svabrin .. Helmut Dantine

Prosecutor . Vittorio Gassmann

Pclaska ... Fulvia Franco

Count Griniev . Finlay Currie

Major Zurin.Lawrence Naismith

Pope Gerasim...Aldo Silvani

Akulina ... Nevenka Mikulic

Suvorov .. Milivoi Ziv^novic

Capt. Dimitri . Javon Gee

Beloborodov . Niksa Stefanim

Sokolov . Janez Vrhovec-

Vinister ... Claudio Gora

Girl .;.... Maria Cristina Gajoni

Pugacev chief... .Milivoje Pepoyic Mavid

Bashir prisoner ..MUutin Jasnik

Feasant. Guido Celano

■IVoman on cart.Marija Crnobori

Dino DeLaureiitiis' “The Tem¬
pest” should prove just that—at
the boxoffice. Despite a generally
weaker marquee appeal than the
producer’s “War and Peace," it
has the potential to top that more
expensive pic, and looks headed
for the top money brackets. Film's
claimed $2,000,000 budget includes
a minority contrbution from Para-
moimt iwhich, however, has most
foreign distrih rights). This Yank
investment also should prove high¬
ly profitable.

Production-wise, the pie shows
many times the budget spent on it
in physical values while the Yugo-
slav-locationed footage (with its
lavish use of manpower and
horses) shows the tremendous pos¬
sibilities of well-planned co-pro¬
ductions. Both the a-ction-spectacle
public as well as the more discern¬
ing patron should go for this item,
thanks to an expert balance struck
between film’s epic qualities and
the generally tasteful handling of
the story line, script and dialog.

Print shown here was Italian-
language, said to be identical to
English one in cutting. Italo-dub-
ting was not top-quality, indicat¬
ing a rush job. The U.S. print is
considered the “original” version
of the pic.

“The Tempest® not to be con¬
fused with the Shakespeare play
(and this presents a major problem
of titling for English-language
countries, w’here the Bard’s classic
could bring about a damaging mix-
up), is based on two works by
Alexander Pushkin, “The (Captain’s
Daughter” and “The Kevolt of
Pugacev.” Splice is ably effected,
with accent placed on the latter.

Plot concerns an officer of the
Empress’ guard who is punished
by being sent to a remote post
in the Russian hinterlands. On
the way, he saves a Cossack from
freezing. The man he’s saved I
becomes the famed rebel leader,
Pugacev, w'ho, as self-titled Tzar
Peter III leads a peasant-Cossaek
revolt against Catherine II. Officer,
W’ho has meanwhile fallen for the
daughter of the remote fort’s com-'
mandant (thus incurring jealousy
of a rival, Svabrin) is captured by
Pugacev when the fort falls to
the latter’s forces, but released
when the rebel recognizes the man
who saved him.

Back in St. Petersburg, the
officer is suspected a friend and
spy of Pugacev’s. Finally he flees
to join his girl, succeeding in con¬
vincing the rebel to let him marry
her, despite the villainous inten¬
tions of Svabrin.

Dominant figure of this histori¬
cal fresco is Van Heflin and bis
portrayal of the fiery rebel leader.
It’s an arresting effort. Silvana
Mangano’s interpretation of Masha
is one of her better ones, while
Geoffrey Home makes an> okay
opposite number to her as Peter
Griniev. Agnes Moorehead socks
across her character of Marfia’s
mother and wife of fort com¬
mander Robert Keith, another ex¬
cellent rendering.

Oscar Homolka gives another
one of his colorful and expert per¬
formances as Griniev’s faithful
sidekick-servant Savelic. Hdxnut
Dantine is fully at ease as the
villainous Svabrin. In for a brief
but effective (and decorative)
cameo is Viveca Lindfors, as the
Empress of Russia. A long list
of feature roles are ably set forth
by such character thesps as Finlay
Gurrie (the elder Griniev), Vittorio
Gassmann (the prosecutor), Law*
rence Naismith (Major Zurin) and

other Italian and Yugoslav acton
in the huge east.

Alberto Lattuada!s script and
direction keep the rtory^ line clear
and fast-paced. In a period of
inflated running times, the film’s
concise two hours show that a tale
of epic proportions after all can
be told in a reasonable' 120
minute. Actually, liie edited-
down final print has the audience
wishing for more of the top
scenes such as the two main
battles, the spring festival, etc.
It’s an effective leaf borrowed
from the s^e, and makes for a
compact, rich, untiring diet of
spectacle and plot.

Top moments of “Tempest” are
undeniably the spectacular ones.
Rarely if ever have such battle
scenes been seen, combining big¬
ness with color, excitement and
above all a clear idea of what is
going on. Topping all are the
two main cavalry attacks, effec¬
tively highlighted via camera
angles and a perfectly-used sound
track to show the power of mass
(cavalry) movement.

Ollier major plus factors are the
spring festival sequence, a riot of
color aptly used to set a mood
or character. The execution of
Keith by the rebels, highlighted
Ijy a powerful and chilling scene
as Agnes Moorehead damns the
murderous rebels and their chief;
the capture of Pugacev by the
Tzar’s forces, etc.

On the. debit side in a certain
lack of audience participation in
love interest, despite a very effec¬
tive initial love scene between
Miss Mangano and Horne, Also,
some of the characters are stereos
and often lack depth—but then,
that would have led to longer run¬
ning time.

Producer and director have gen¬
erally succeeded in their efforts
at a quality spectacle kept almost
throughout on a tasteful level,
rarely slipping into the obvious or
banal. Tbere’s no mistaking the
fact that pic locationed in various
parts of Yugoslavia, and nowhere
before in a west-produced film
(not even in DeLaurentiis’ previous
“War and Peace”) has the genuine¬
ness of place been so striking.

Technically, the pic is a fine
achievement The sharp, rich
Technicolor - Technirama - pro¬
cessed hues, leased by Aldo Tonti,
do full justice to the Mario Chiari-
Maria de Matteis team (sets and
costume design) who also worked
on “War and Peace.” Piero Pic-
cioni's music is perhaps the
weakest element.

Granted the relative shortage of
top marquee names, but given the
production expenditure, the result¬
ing pic spells production value
with a capital “V.” Haidk.

Macliete

Routine filler.

Hollywood, Dec.. 5..

United Artists release of a J. Harold
Odell Production. Stars Mari Blanchard,
Albert Dckkar; costars Juano Hernandez,
Carlos Rivas, Lee Van Cleef, Ruth Cains,
Produced and directed by Kurt Neumann.
Screenplay by Carroll Young and Neu¬
mann: camera, Karl Struss; editor, Jodie
Copelan; miisic. Paul SawteU and Bert
Sbefter. Previewed at Goldwyn Studios,
Nov. 24, '58. Running time, 75 MINS.

Jean .Mari Blanchard

Don Luis Montoya.Albert Defeker

Bernardo ..'..Juano Hernandez^

Carles ...Carlos Rivas

Miguel :. ......Lee Van Cleef

Rita .Ruth Cains

The tale of the middle-aged
plantation ovsTier whose young
bride falls in love with the fore¬
man was a hackneyed plot when
screens were square.

The J. Harold Odell production
for United Artists release was pro¬
duced and directed by the late
Kurt Neumann who obviously
didn’t take the time and patience
he did with his last film, “The
Fly.” Screenplay was penned by
Carroll Young and Neumann.

“Machete” takes place in Puerta
Rico on a sugar cane plantation
that sweeps wide and reaps heavily
for owner Albert Dekker. When
he brings home his new wife, Mari
Blanchard, she puts on the lure for
CSarlos Rivas, manager of the
spread, whom Dekker has raised
from childhood. Both men are
good and have the greatest respect
for each other, so the only solu¬
tion when the blonde comes be¬
tween them is for the femme to
die. And so she dpes, with death-
coming in the mid^ of a field fire.

Dekker, who mostly leers, has;
done a whole lot better in most;
previous outings. Miss Blanchard
looks the part, and Rivas turns in
the best sdl-around performance.
Okay are Lee Van Cleef as a
trouble-making cousin, Juano Her¬
nandez as Dekker’s close aide and,
Ruth Cains as a young native girL

Karl Struss* photography catch¬
es the wind-blown effect ef the
idands, while the Paul Sawtell-
Btert Shelter musical score is a
plus. Jodie Copelan’s film editing
is capable, and sound by Howard
Warren varies from proficient to
tinny. Ron. ^

Uncle Cabin

(WITH VOICE a MUSIC TRACID

Dixie integration crisb pro-
.Tides the exploitation market
.for this reissue^ Old *Massah*
Lincoln interpreter Raymond
Massey handles the updated
nairatiom

Jules B. Weai and Carroll L. Puclato
(Colorama Features) reissue of Universal
silent production pf 1928. New eontiiniity
tcy Sheldon Stark and Marian Kraft, nar¬
rated by Raymond Massey, Original di¬
rector, Harry Pollard.. Reviewed Dec. 2,
'58, at Trans-Lox, N.Y. Running time, 93
MINS.

Uncle Tom .....James B. Lowe

Eliza .Margarita Fischer

Little Eva...Virginia Gr«y

Topsy .....Mona Ray

Simon Legree. George Siegmann

Cassie .....Eulalie Jensen

Avmt Ophelia....Aileeji Manning

George Harris .... Arthur Edmond Carew
Mrs. Shelby .............Vivian Oakland

Mr. Shelby...Jack Mower

Tom Loker ..J. Gordon Russell

Marks .. Lucien Littlefield

Mrs. St. Clare ..Gertrude Astor

Mr. St. Clare..John Roche;

Phineas Fletche ..-.Nelson McDowell

Today’s segregation tension in
Dixie has brought scattered re¬
vivals and playdates for the pro-
Ku Klux Klan 1915 silent, “Birth
of a Nation.” Now comes the
Northern answer, a reissue of the
1926 silent version of . “Uncle
Tom’s Cabin” made by Universal.

The D. W. Griffith 1915 film is,
of course, an authentic, work of
great artistry. The Harry Pollard
direction of the Harriet Beecher
Stowe work was never of com-i.
parable impact or significance
but both . pictures have this
much in common: a power to evoke
emotion and to prove, not that
proof is needed, that the race issue
is deep-rooted in American feeling
—and, showmen "kherefor assume
plausibly, that the subject has box-
office potential.

Via their Colorama office Jules
B. Weill and Carroll L. Puciato
set a Broadw^ showcasing at the
'Trans-Lux. The film opens w'ith
Raymond Massey (old Massah Lin-
coInD visiting the birthplace of the
authoress in Litchfield, Conn.
Standing before the old carriage
bam, he muses on the 100-year-old
propaganda novel and prepares
the audience to accept the “over-
emphatic” screen acting of the
silent era. The story then picks
up with the ShelbySj those help¬
less, hand-wringing gentle folk
who made Uncle Tom a privileged,
happy slave and Eliza an educated
inside maid. Massey’s voice and a
recorded music score of the late
Erno Rapee ride the sound track.

The immediate questions which
arise as to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
in this reissue form are (a) the
quality of the film and (b) the en¬
tertainment and social implications
of the theme. Though-the prolog
footage is brighter and sharper in
grain than the original somewhat
low-key photography, the film has
stood the ravages of time W’ell,

The editing seems competent
with one glaring exception, the
ridiculous feat of derring-do by
the Quaker farmer on the'^Ohio
side of the river. Besting Tarzan
of the apes and Douglas Fairbanks
of the magic carpet, this Quaker
hangs by his legs and seizes Eliza
and her child just at the brink of
the falls. This is a yowl. There is
no need for preserving this absurd
rescue, as Eliza is almost across the
river well before. The Quaker
acrobat, worthy of the centre ring
with Barnum & Bailey, spoils a
certain plausible make-believe in
the crossing.

Universal’s scenario of 1926
projected Simon Legree into the
final moments of the Confederacy
and shows the arrival along, the
plantation road of a brigade of
Yankee cavalry. They rescue the
Negro wenches from Legree pre¬
cisely as the hooded Klansmen in
“Birth” rescue lallian Gish from
the Negro!—though not with the
directorial skill and excitement
achieved by Griffith.

Just how much booking and box-
office potency remains in “Uncle
Tom” is a matter of guess. Re¬
cent datings of “Birth” in such
Northern spots as Philadelphia,
Minneapolis and Baltimore (mak¬
ing “Birth of A Nation” a foreign
art import from Dixie) may or may
not imply that “Uncle Tom” can
play Atlanta or Birmingham. Sup¬
position would limit this, reissue
mostly to Northern exploitation
situations.

Exploitation possibilities include
arousal of history teachers, social
science angles. The distributors
have retained the N. Y, public, re¬
lations firm headed by Ware Lynch
(still known as RusseU Birdwell
Associates) to stir up the brethren.

Oldtimers in show business must
have read the Broadway marquee
sighs “See Eliza Crossing the Ice.”
“Meet Saihtly Eva!' Fun loving
Topsy” with memories of yester¬
year show business, not forgetting
the Ihincan Sisters. There Is not
much surprise in the poivfeyed
histrionics of Margarita. Fischer’s
Eliza and the desperate

aweetnesa Itflstalled

of her curly-haired son tunfail^ed)
and other characters: Actuidly
many of the big-budget values of
Universal’s 1926 try for block¬
buster still show. Especially mem¬
orable are the pantomimic achieve^
ments of a slave-trader played by
Lucien Littlefield and the tobacco-
chewing, leering villainy of
George Siegmann, a truly plausi¬
ble Le;^ee, if sexual rather than
economic motivations are assumed
dominant. His death is actually
an accidental fall. The Yankee sol¬
diers do not hang him on the
screen as they probably would
have in reality.

Eva? She’s as tubercular and as
saintly as the stereotypic back¬
ground of the role. Virginia Grey
was Universal’s candidate. Mona
Ray played Topsy in cork (as did
all the Negroes of Griffith’s
“Birth’-’ nine years before).

The Civil War’s start will be
marked in 1961 as 100 years ago.
This film is, in its hokey-pokey
way, part of the background. It
is a far fuller tale than the average
of “exploitation” film today.

Lcmd.

iVight of the Blood Beast

At last — a pregnant man!
Horrorific exploitioner. Should
fare well. Coupled witii “She
Gods of Shark Reef.”

Hollywood, Dec. 5.

Americain International Pictures r^ease
of a James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z.
Arkoff Production, Stars Michael Emmet.
Angela Greene, John Baer. Executive pro¬
ducer, Roger Gorman. Produced hy Gene
Gorman. Directed hy Bernard L. Kowal¬
ski. Screenplay and story hr Mar tin
Varnof; camera, John Nlcholaus; editor,
Jodie Gopelan; music supervision, Alex¬
ander Laszlo. Reviewed at the "Vogue
Theatre, Dec. 3. '58. Running time, 55
MINS.

Major John Corcoran... .Michael Emmet

Dr. Julie Benson .Angela Greene

Steve Dunlan ... John Baer

Dave RandaR . Ed Nelson

Dr. Alex Wyman.Tyler MeVey

Donna Bixby---Georgianna Garter

The Creature . Rose Sturiin

It’s finally happened—someone
wrote a story about a pregnant
man! Well, not exactly pregnant.
Actually, he breeds embryos of
outer space creatures while the
parent monster is busy taking over
the earth. The film is “Night of
the Blood Beast,” a respectfully
suspenseful picture that is the
better half of a new American
International package. Sold with
“She Gods of Shark Reef,” pic
lends itself to exploitation -and
should return ample rewards.

When Michael Emmet has dis¬
astrous trouble as the first earth-
man in space, he returns with a
bound that results in no heart beat,
pulse or pressure. “But,” says
'Tyler MeVey, head medico, “his
tissues won’t dissipate.” It turns
out,a monster from a world de¬
stroyed by nuclear blasts gains en¬
trance to the earth by returning
with the spaceman, and it’s his
intention to save the earth from
self - destruction. He iises the
“dead” spaceman’s body to breed
the beasties, seen in all their glory
through a fluoroscope. The monster
generally is sympathetic, and for
the most part it seems he truly is
benevolent, hut in the end the
earthmen figure his sole motive is
not to save the earth but to re¬
establish his own civilization down
here. They hurl Molotov cocktails,
aim their Very pistols, and the
monster is burned to death while
telling his opponents that they
aren’t ready for him.

Gene Gorman produced in ca¬
pable fashion, while Bernard L.
Kowalski directed to the point of
bringing adequate performances
from everyone including Ross
Sturiin as the creature. Best of the
cast, which Includes Emmet, Me¬
Vey, Angela Greene, Ed Nelson
and Georgianna Carter, is John
Baer aS a faithful member of the
earth party.

Martin Varno scripted from his
own story, and although the
screenplay does fall into expected
pitfalls, it is strong enough to sus¬
tain interest all the way. Technical
credits are competent, from John
Nicholaus Jr.’s photography to
Jodie Copelan’s editing, Alexander
Laszlo’s music supervision and Dan
HaUer’s art direction. Ron,

lA^s Albany Election

Albany, Dec. 9.

Members of Local B-43, lATSE,
voted another year in office for
the regime headed by Adam
(Chick) Mlinarik, IMlinarik, veteran
among the head shipper^ on Film
Row, continues to serve as pres¬
ident and business agent
Reelected with him .were: vice-
president, Mrs. Mildred Hanley, of
Columbia; recording secretary,
Zlgmund Chmlelewcsld, of the Max
Westehbfe office; financial secre¬
tary, Wayne Carignan, 20th Cen-
tuiy-Fox head shipper; sergeant-
at-arms, Ann Hasbrouck, uf Colum¬
bia,

The “back room” officers were
at a dinner meeting*

Tlift Amgel

SlHve explohatien Item. Sam*
novel angles.

Bfollywobd, Dec. 5, .

ParamQxmt release of Stanley Kallis
production. Stars Jackie Louabeiy. Ed¬
ward Kemmer, Mason Alan Dinehart,
Directed by Joe Parker; screenplay by
Kallis; camera, Karl Struss; music. Rich¬
ard Markowitb; editors, Eda Warrea and
Leon Selditx. Previewed at the studio,
Dec. 3, '58. Running time, 73 MINS.
Mandy Wilson .......... Jackie Loughery

Chuck Lawson . Edward Kemmer

Joe Wilson.Mason Alan Dinehart

Judd Pfeifer . Emoiv Parnell

Van Richards . Lyle Talbot

Mick Pfeifer . Zon TeUer

Lynn Conners . Heather Ames

Myma . Steffi Sidney

Ray ..John Nolan

Monk.Richard Stanffer

liz . Kathi Thornton

Pilot .. Harold MaUet

“The Hot Angel” is a low-budget
feature about and for that category
called teenagers. To its credit, the
Stanley Kallis production for Para¬
mount does not make its youthful
criminals (delinquents seems miiph
to mild a term) attractive. It even
makes maturity an admirable and
attractive quality. But is also has
those exploitation values that seem
to spell success for these features
and it will undoubtedly do the
usual flash business.

The picture, well directed by Joe
Parker, even has something new
for plot interest and exploitation.
Instead of motorcycle or -hot rod
racing and “chicken’’ stunts, the
teenagers this time are transferred
to the sky. The “angle” of the title
refers to light planes, and the “hot”
to the fact that there is some ac¬
tion with the planes involved^

Mason Alan Dinehart the

good teenager in Kallis’ sc/^nplay,
a young man who has somehow
fallen in with the black leather
jacket and equally black-fingernail
set, to the distress of his. older sis¬
ter, Jackie Loughery. She enlists
the aid of pilot Edward Kemmer, a
wartime friend of Dinehart’s big
brother, who was killed in action.
Kemmer soon has Dinehart con¬
vinced that it is better to fly in a
plane than just to attempt it from
the seat of a motorcycle. There is
some hocus^ocus about uranium
mines and assorted skulduggery,
but it’s not too important, or, for
that matter, too clear. The im¬
portant story point is the boy’s
growth into something like man¬
hood, and that point’s made.

Kemmer and Miss Loughery han¬
dle the adult interest capably, and
Dinehart makes a nice, husky juve¬
nile, pretty brawny but also no
square, in head-shape or anything
else. (Dthers important and inter¬
esting are Emory Parnell, Lyle Tal¬
bot, Zon Teller, Heatherames and
Steffi Sidfaey.

Aerial photography by Elmer G.
Dyer of the Grand Canyon is in¬
teresting, and Karl Struss handles
ground camera work for maximum
values. Richard Markowitz’ musi¬
cal score is notable, as these scores
so often are on low budget pic¬
tures. economy apparently being
the father of invention.' Powe,

^c-Gods of Shark Reel

(PATHECOLOR)

Weaker half of American In¬
ternational package.

Hollywood, Dec. 5.

American International Pictnrea releaM
of a Ludwig H. Gerber production. Stars
Don Durant, Lisa MonteU, Bill Cord;
features Jeanne Gerson, Garol Lindsay.
P^rected by Roger Gorman. Screenplay
by I^hert HiU and Victor Stoloff; cam¬
era, Floyd Gro^y; editor, Frank SuliivanT
music, Ronald Stein. Reviewed at th*
^o^e^^eatre, Dec. 3, ‘58. Running tij^«

.. Don Durant

Chra .. BiU Gord

MaWa . Lisa MonteU

Dua ..Jeanne Gerson

Hula Dancer .. Carol T.indgay

. Completed a year and a half ago
and just now released by American
International, “She-Gods of Shark
Reef” boasts fine color, rich red
blood, capable underwater photog¬
raphy and very little story. It’s
being booked with “Night of the
Blood Beast,” and with promotion
the package should do well.

Pic was lensed in Pathecolor in
the Hawaiian Islands and tdls the.
story of two American brothers,
one escaping from the police, thf
other simply helping. They ship¬
wreck near a Pacific island m-
habited by pearl-diving -femmes
and are saved by the most luscious
of them all, Lisa MonteU. The good
toother falls in love with the girl,
saves her from death when the
sharks are about to devour her and
leaves the island with her to find
happiness together. The bad broth¬
er goes the way of aU bad brothers.

Don Durant and BiU Cord play
the brothers in the Ludwig H. G&c»
her production. Both appear , on
the screen for the first time, and
the credit for two performance*
that, if not highly professional,, are
at least beUcvable, goes to diremor
Roger Gorman. Miss MonteU makes
a fetching native girl, acting well
and look^ bettto. Jeanne Gerson
is sufficiently hard as the native

, (Continued on page 18)

Wednesday, December 10^. 1958

P^ie/ty

PICTIJIIES

7 -

BOSTON-STYLE SATURATION

America Builds-Russia Just Rents

Eugene W. Castle, the former film producer now a N.Y. private
banker and a vehement critic of U.S. foreign propaganda, which
he regards as inexpert and extravagant, is agitating against the
American industrial fair due to open next July 3 at Sokolink Park,
Moscow-

He points out that the date coincides with the ultimatum given
by the Soviets for the U.S. to get out of Berlin, and claims that
$3,600,000 allocated to build an American structure m Moscow
was diverted from Mutual SecurUy Funds intended by Congress
for another purpose.

Castle argues that the Commerce Dept, staged 18 trade fairs
around the world for the same amount of money that will be in¬
vested in the Moscow display building, which will be then “sold’-’
to the Soviets, for a price not written into the contract with Mos¬
cow.

Holding to his pet thesis that America projiaganda under the.
State Dept, and U.S. Information Agency is amateur and that the
Russians are the true pros, Castle points to the Soviet plan not
to build in New York but just to rent two floors in the Coliseum
on a hit-and-run operation. The two industrial displays are part
of the “cultural exchange.”

Castle thinks the Russians are the smart capitalists in renting,
while the Yanks take a Joss by building.

Fulton Lewis Opens Fire on Film Deal
Between Russia and United States

Johnston, Corkery Plea to Mexicans:
Join Us in War on 32c Admish Ceiling

—.—----f

What many in the film industry 4-
had both expected and some had
feared happened last week when
Fulton Lewis Jr., Washington
columnist, wrote two pieces
sharply attacking the Soviet-
American film deal, signed in
Moscow last month by Eric
Johnston.

The Lewis columns, ignoring a
number of pertinent facts, main¬
tained that the U.S. was “about
to be hit by. a barrage of made-
in-Russia propaganda films” and
that the Government, w'as pressur¬
ing exhibitors to give the Soviet
pictures a wide play.

Liewis’ first article said the Rus¬
sian deal had opened the “flood¬
gates” and that “Negotiations will
begin soon to expand this agree¬
ment to all Communist countries,
and soon there will be double
features at your neighborhood
movie house spotlighting Polish
and Hungarian and Czech movies.”

Piece did not mention the im¬
portance which the U.S. Govern¬
ment attaches to the reciprocal
circulation of American films in
the Soviet Union, the fact that
Johnston went to Moscow at the
express desire of the White House
and the State Dept., that the seven
• films picked by Johnston and
Turner B. Shelton, the U.S. Infor¬
mation Agency’s film chief, who is
sharply attacked by Lewis, were
carefully screened so. as to make
sure that none with any propa¬
ganda angles were included, and
that Russian pictures have had
free access to the American mart
for years.

Quotes Shelton

Lewis reminded his readers that
Shelton, only three years ago, had
been telling Congress that Com-
munst pix are sheer propaganda.
He said Shelton was now advocat¬
ing the wholesale distribution of
Soviet films in the States.

Where Lewis got his info re ex¬
pansion of the Russian agreement
to Poland, Hungary and Czecho¬
slovakia is a puzzler. MPEA made
its Russian deal under the overall
U.S.-Soviet Cultural Exchange
Agreement, which removed it from
the purely commercial level and
elevated it to a quasi-diplomatic
transaction, with Johnston acting
as a special State Dept, envoy.

In both Poland and Hungary
MPEA has limited deals involving
no reciprocity whatever. Both
countries have discussed Individ¬
ual film purchase deals with inde¬
pendent outfits, as have the Rus¬
sians. The Czechs are buying 10
pictures via M.J.P. aind a couple
of Czech, pictures are being bought
for the States, but there is no
question of any largescale trans¬
actions, nor is there any likelihood
of Iron Curtain film's^ coming in
in anything more than drips and
drabs.

Indie distributors, and the ma¬
jors, take it for granted that no
Soviet or satellite “propaganda”
films will be handled in the States.
“You’d have to be out of your
mind to do anything like that,”
commented one exec last week.

. (Continued on page 19).

Trying ^Ladies Day^

Chicago, Dec. 9.

Clark Theatre, downtown
sub-run and rWival house, is
adopting the “ladies day” gim¬
mick from baseball.

Gratis admission will apply
to all distaffers (escorted or
no) this Friday (5), On the
bill: “Woman’s World” and
“Bhowani Junction.” Co-own¬
er Bruce Trinz may turn the
stunt into a habit, but isn’t
ready to commit himself yet.

Pakistan’s First
Drive-bi Pends

A drive-in, believed to be the
first in Asia, will shortly be erect¬
ed in Pakistanj just outside of
Karachi. The project is the joint
effort of W. Z. Ahmed, president
of the Motion Picture Federation
of Pakistan and a leading pro¬
ducer, and his. wife, Neena, a
former leading actress in Indian
films. The Ahmeds are currently
in New York to purchase equip¬
ment for the 400-car ozoner and
expect actual building to begin I
when they return to their coun-'
try in January.

Ahmed, a veteran writer-pro¬
ducer-director of Indian films, has
reestablished himself in Pakistan
after being forced to leave India
as a result of the partition of In¬
dia and Pakistan. As a Moslem,'
Ahmed’s studio facilities in Bom¬
bay were confiscated, for which he
was supposed to receive compen¬
sation from the Pakistan govern¬
ment as a result of an arrangement
made between Pakistan and India.
However. Ahmed said he had not as
yet received the reparation from
the government.

In the meanwhile, Ahmed and
his wife have acquired two thea¬
tres in Paki^an—one in Karachi
and one in Lahore—in addition to
their proposed drive-in. At the
same time, Ahmed is setting up a
studio in Karachi. While in the
U.S., he hopes to talk to American
producers about co-production
deals.. He said his company is able
to put up the necessary coin for
production costs that would be re¬
quired in Pakistan. He leaves for
Hollywood- shortly to discuss- pos¬
sible deals.

According to Ahmed, there are
seven studios operating in Pakis¬
tan at present, two in Karachi and
five in Lahore. These studios, he
said, turn out a total of 60 pic¬
tures annually in the native Urdu
language. He jminted *out that in
the larger cities American pic-1
tures are extremely popular. and
run from four days to a week.
On tha other hand, a popular
native picture can run for two or
three monthSi

600'HERCULES'III

By GUY LIVINGSTON

Boston, Dec. 9.

Joe Levine, Boston’s indie film
j importer who hit a jackpot with
long dormant Italian government
sponsored super spectacular “At-
tila,” set a $1,200«00(1. saturation
advertising campaign to be spent
in 10 days for his next epic, “Her¬
cules,” which will debut in 600
theatres day and date come July.

Levine, at his local headquarters,
Embassy Pictures, yesterday, Mon¬
day (8), said he was setting up a
national. office for “Hercules” in
Manhattan, where he will spend
his time from here on in supervis¬
ing the exploitation. A second
office will function in Rome.

For “Hercules,” made in Italy
with a cast of thousands, with
Steve Reeves and Sylvia Koscin^
in the leads, 600 color prints have
been ordered, probably the biggest
domestic color print buy in the his- ,
tory of the industry. Companies
have used 750 color prints, Levine !
pointed out, but those buys includ¬
ed foreign color prints, while this
one is domestic only.

Levine is buying full pages in
four colors in Life, Look, and wide
range of consumer magazines. This
Week, American Weekly and full
pages in trade papers and in key
city newspapers.

I Some $300,000 is earmarked for
newspapers, while radio and tv
nabs $400,000. In addition, 24
sheets, billboard advertising, teas¬
er 24 sheets and a song, “Hercules,”
which Levine commissioned, wdll
be used. A project wuth Dell Pub.
for comic books is underway and
12 exploitation men wall be hired
for the field.

"‘Hercules’* wilt he released
for Embassy by MGM in Chile,
Cuba, Santa Domingo, Puerto
Rico, Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa, Levine said.
“Hercules” was originally set up
for a west coast release, but the
plans have been changed to permit
one big nationwide saturation re¬
lease. Levine reports the film has
opened in the Phillipines and in
1 Hong Kong to smash business.

Waldorf Kickoff

For his U. S. “Hercules” inva¬
sion, Levine is setting up a kickoff
luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria in
New York at which 1,000 guests
from the trades and the press wall
. be invited. He hopes to get George
(Continued on page. 19)

Gilbert Tops Critics Circle

Justin Gilbert, film critic of
the N.Y. Mirror, was named
chairman of the N.Y. Film
Critics Circle for 1959. Other
officers named were Howard
Thompson, N.Y. Times, vice-
chairman, and Paul V. Beck-
ley, N.Y. Herald Tribune, sec-
retary-treasurei.

The Film Critics Circle,
made up of reviewers of the
New York daily newspapers,
wall meet on Dec. 30 to name
their “best of the year” selec¬
tions.

Dec. 18 Probe Of
Theatre Wages

A public hearing on the report
of the Amusement and Recreation
Minimum Wage Board recommend¬
ing changes in the minimum wage
standards will be held in N.Y, on
Dec. 13. Hearing has been called
for 10 a.m. at 80 Centre St. by
State Industrial Commissioner
Isador Lubin.

Management, organized labor in
the industry and other interested
groups have been invited to present
their view’s on the recommenda¬
tions, which w'ere made in a report
to the Commissioner by the board
on Dec. 1.

Major new recommendation by
the. board is a basic hourly mini¬
mum wage of $1 until Sept. 1, 1959,
and $1.05 after that date.

13 THEATRES IN SALE

Principal Inc. Unloads Share To
Pacific Drive-In Inc.

Los Angeles, Dec. 9.

Interests held in 13 Southern
California theatres by Principal
Theatres Inc., are to be acquired
by Pacific Drive-In Theatres, under
.a deal now in the closing stage.
Negotiations have progressed to
point that Principal will become a
non-operating entity Dec. 31.

Principal and Pacific already are
closely aligned, due to Principal
owning considerable stock in
Pacific. Deal-'is under.stood to in¬
volve several million dollars.

Mexico City, Dec. 9.

U. S. Motion Picture Export
Assn, prexy Eric Johnston urged
Mexican film producers to put their
all into an effort to wipe out the
politics-inspired ceiling price of
four pesos (32c) on film admission
tickets. It works against the. inter¬
ests of all producers, Mexican and
foreign, Johnston stressed.

Johnston, in Mexico City with
Bob Corkery, MPEA vice president,
for the inauguration of the new
Mexican president, Adolfo Lopez
Mateos, W’as honored at a luncheon
by the Mexican film producers.

Johnston, in a speech to them,
pointed out that no film company
can survive in its ow’n country.
The difference between profit and
loss depends upon the international
market, and there should be a com¬
mon effort to attack r^tricted
prices and heavy taxation on -the
film industry everywhere, he said.

Motion pictures, Johnston said,
are a pow^erful means of communi¬
cation throughout the world, and
useful in promoting understanding
between peoples of all countries.
The result is a promotion of peace,
he added.

As for Mexico’s restricted price
of four pesos, Johnston pointed
out that the increase of television
in Mexico will greatly expand the
financial problems of the film in¬
dustry if the ticket ceiling is not
hiked as quickly as possible.

While in Mexico City, Johnston
had dinner and a long visit with
Dr. Ezekiel Padilla, former foreign
minister. He also attended the
Lopez Mateos inauguration in the
Palace of Fine Arts and numerous
official receptions connected with
the inauguration. He left for Los
Angeles. Corkery returned to
Washington.

West Side Studio Theatre
Going Into Ei-Restanrant;
It Will Have 600 Seats

Spotted: A new trend in theatre
construction!

Forced to close shop because of
the Lincoln Square development,
the Studio Theatre is shifting over
to occupy the site formerly occu¬
pied by Mike’s Ship Ahoy seafood
restaurant. New house will be
called the New Studio and will
have 600 seats.

Like its predecessor across the
street, the theatre will offer Span-
, ish-language pictures. It may
eventually shift to offer firstrun
European films. Shape of the res¬
taurant is said to be ideal for re¬
construction into a small theatre.

Allen’s ‘Circus’ Becomes
Allied Artists Partnership

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Irwin Allen, who originally was
set to produce “The Big Circus”
as an indie for Columbia Pictures,
has switched to Allied Artists,
where it will be made as a joint
venture.

Budget will be around $2,000,-
000, with shooting to start in early
January under direction of Joe
Newonan. Already set are Victor
Mature, Red*Buttons, Cathy Grant,
Rhonda Fleming, Gilbert Roland
and Vincent Price.

JERRY JUROE'S POST

Gets Newly-Created O’Seas Ad-Pub
Job at Paramount

Charles P, (Jerry) Juroe this
week was named Paramount’s ad-
pub director for Continental Eu¬
rope. This is a newly-created post
and is in line with the film com¬
pany’s stepped-up merchandising
activity in the world market, ao-
cording to James E. Perkins, presi¬
dent of Par International.

Juroe has been ad-pub head of
“Ten Commandments” in Europe
and previous to this was at the Par
studio on the Coast as head of radio
and television promotion.

Soundtrack

Continued from page 4.

of Danny Kaye, and comes on view in, dad’s Dena Productions’ “The
Five Pennies.” ... A new son, Robert John, for Gene (Variety) and
Doris Arneel . . . Breeding and racing horses owned by the late Harry
M. Warner are to be sold at auction in Los Angeles Jan. 5, with the
stock including Stepfather, which Warner had purchased from the late
J..ouis B. Mayer at $200,000.

Dot Bourgeois, of Louisiana’s capital city, has signed contract with
Hal Wallis in Hollywood. She received notification while visiting
her parents in Louisiana on Friday (5). She has lived in New York
since last spring, working as a tv actress and model.

Editor Capelli of Bologna (Italy) has brought out another volume in
series illustrating major Italian film productions, this one concerning
Dino DeLaurentiis’ “The Tempest.” Richly illustrated (color and black
and white) giyes .background to prepping^of giant pic production, its
shooting, etc., with notes on. acting, direction, set design, photography,
and so on. Selling to public at about $3.59.

Signed up: Anthony Quinn for a picture called “Top of the World,”
about feskimos. and Gina Lollobrigida for “Madame Sane Gene.” Lee
Steiner helping to put together the U.S. deals ... It does happen! A.
Columbus, d, artie, running a film for the second week, grossed $80.
It spent $230 on advertising . . / Andrew Heiskell. publisher of Life,
has sent out letters to film company toppers, inviting them to drop by
and “preview” Life’s Dec. 17, 135-page issue on U.S. entertainment.
Mag is actually putting put two issues combined into one for that week
. . . Michael Todd Jr., having launched the first record album on Todd
Sr. via Everest Hi-Fi, plans to do six more, each devoted to one of
Todd’s shows. First one out is called “Mike Todd’s Broadway.” ...
United Artists and Hecht-HiU-Lancaster taking out fullpage ads in |
20 key cities for “Separate Tables.” That’s over and above the^ normal
co-op advertising.

“Veronica” a novel by Jane Dolinger about a woman bullfighter was
acquired for filming.some time ago by writer-producer Lou Moss, who
hoped for an Allied Artists release. Currently Warners has been cir¬
culating a featurette about Bette Ford, the American fashion model
who became a bullfighter in Mexico. Meantime novelist Dolinger and
her anthropologist-husband, Kenneth Krippene depart from Miami on
Dec. 15 for Ecuador.

“How Now, Red Mao?” is heading of David M. Legate’s review of j
four books on China in Montreal Star.

8

PlCTimE GROSSES

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

Pre-Xmas Bits LA. Trade; ‘Tarawa*

HOLDOVERS SLOUGH FORT.

^Mardi Gras’ Oiay S6,500 in 2i,
‘Pacific* in 28th Week

Lisht^llM Bnt fo Live Wham
IIG, lucasta’ Boffo 12G, Bolh 2d

Los Angeles, Dec. 9.

Pre-Christmas slump is taking
its toll at local first-runs this week,
with the poorest over-all gross
total in nearly three months ex¬
pected. Trio of new hills, all on
weak side, is headed by “Tarawa
Beachhead,” which looms slim
$11,500 in three theatres. How¬
ever, trio of pix, “Girl With Itch”
“Back To Nature” and “Sin Street
Confidential” (reissue of “White
Heat”), should do okay $10,500 at
Downtown Paramount. -

“Night of Blood Beast” paired
with “She Gods of Shark Reef”
shapes very slow $6,500 in three
situations. “Anna Lucasta,” with
hig $12,000. in second round at two
houses, is getting top coin for
regular holdovers. However, “I
Want To Live” is making a better
showing with sock $11,000 in sight
In second at Fox Beverly.

“Mardi Gras” looms soft in sec¬
ond for three spots while “Party
Girl” shapes pale in second for
two sites. “Houseboat" is fair in
third at two houses.

Estimates for This Week

Downtown, Corae, Uptown (SW-
FWC) (1,757; 825; 1,715; 90-$l,50)
—“Night of Blood Beast” (AI) and
“She Gods of Shark Reef’ (AI).
Slow $6,500. Last week. Downtown
with Iris, El Rey, “Houseboat”
(Par), “When Hell Broke Loose”
(Par) (Downtown) l2d wk), $14,000.
Vogue with Downtown Paramount,
Wiltern, “Home Before Dark”
(WB), “Mam’zelle Pigalle” (Indie)
(Downtown Par) (2d wk), $15,800.
Uptown wdth Pantages, Los
Angeles. Loyola, “Mardi Gras”
(20th), “Blood Arrow” (20th} $20,-

Broadway Gross«s

Estimated Total Gross

This Week .$472,600

(Based on 21 theatres)

Last. Tear .$466,600

(Based on 21 theatres) j

‘Hou^boat’Neat
$8,000, Prav. Ace

Providence, Dec. 9.
Four holdovers are slowing up.
biz this week. RKO Albee's third
round of “The Defiant Ones” lo:'
good but Loew’s “Tunnel of
is only okay in. second. “House¬
boat” shapes trim in second at
the Majestic. “Party Girl” is slow.
Estimates for This Week
Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-80)—
“Defiant Ones” (UA) and “Enemy
From Space” (UA) (3d, wk). Good
$5,000. Second week was $6,500.

Majestic (SW) (2,200; 65-80)—
“Houseboat’* (Par) and “Howdy
Partners” (Par) (2d wk). Neat $8,-
000 or near. First week, $9,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 65-80)—

“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and “Dun¬
kirk” (M-G) (2d wk). Looks okay
$8,000 after hitting $&,500 in first.

Strand (National Realty) (2,200;
65-801)—“Party Girl” (M-G) and
“No Place to Land” (2d wk). Slow
$3,500. First was $7,000.

Portland, Ore., Dec. 9.

Biz is holding well despite a
surplus of holdovers this week.
Lone newcomer, at the Orpheum,
is a dualer of mild calibte. “South
Pacific” heads into 28th week at
the Broadway. “Gigi” stays for
16th sesh at the Guild but going
to grind. “Houseboat” sails into
a second round . at Paramount.
“Mardi Gras” is top holdover with
okay takings in second week at
the Fox.

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (890; $1.50-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(28th wk). Solid $5,500. Last week,
$7,400.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.50)
—“Mardi Gras” (20th) and “Diar
mond Saf .ri”''(20th) (2d wk). Okay
$6,500, Last week, $11,200.

Guild (Indie) (409; $1-$1.50)—
“G^i” (M-G) (16th wk). New

policy of continuous nm and pop
price tab. Neat $4,500. Last week,
$4,900 at $3 top and reserved

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,865; $1-
$1.50)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
“Decks Ran Red” (M-G) (2d

’j:). Oke $4,600. Last week, $8^000.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (l,fi00; $1-
$1.50)—“Nice Little Bank That
Should Be 'Robbed” (20th)' and
“Naked Earth” (20th). Modest $6,-
OOOi Last week, “Home Before
Dark” (WB) and “Out of Clouds”
(Rank), •$5,800.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; $1-
$1.50)—"Houseboat” (Par) and
“As Young As We Are” (Par) (2d
wk). Lofty $6,500.. Last week,

. $7,800.

‘Mardi Gras* Good
$7^09 in Philly

Downtown Paramount (ABPD
(3,300; 90-$1.50)—“Girl V/ith Itch”
(Indie), “Back to Nature” (Indie)
and “Sin Street Confidential”
(formerly “White Heat”) (WB) (re¬
issue) (Indie). Okay $10,500.

Hillstrect, Wiltern, New Fox
(RKO-SW-FWC) (2,752; 2,344; 765;
909-$1.50)—“Tarawa Beachhead”
((jol) and “The Whole Truth"
(Col). Slim $11,500. Last . week,
Hillstreet, “From Earth to Moon”
(WB), “Colossus of New York”
(Par) (2d wk), $3,800. New Fox,
“Defiant Ones” (UA), “Terror
Texas Town” (UA) (2d wk), $4,100,

Fox Beverly (FWC) (1.170; 90-
$2)—“I Want to Live” (UA) (2d j
wk). Torrid $11,000. Last week, ;
$18,000. I

Orpheum, Hollywood (Metro -1
politan-FWC) (2,213; 756; 90-$1.50) !
—“.4nna Lucasta” (UA) (2d wk). |
Big $12,000, Last week, $23,900. {

Pantages, Los Angeles, Loyola:
(RKO-FWC) (2,815; 2,017; 1,298)— !
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk) and ;
“Blood Arrow” (20th) (Pantages, i
2d wk). “From Earth to Moon” i
eWB) (Los Angeles. Loyola, ra.o.*:
3d wk). Soft $9,600.

State, Hawaii (UATC-G&S) (2,- !
404; 1,106; 90-$1.50)—“Party Girl” '
(M-G) and “Haunted Strangler”;
(M-G) <2d wk). Pale $5,600. Last I
week, $12,400.

El Rey, Iris (FWC) (861; 825; 90-
$1.50»—“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk)
and “White Wilderness” (BV) (1st
wk, El Rey), “Torpedo Run” (M-G)
(1st wk. Iris), Fair $7,209.

Warner Beverly (SW) (1.612; 99- i
$1.50)—“BeU, Book. Candle” (Col)
(4th wk). Busy $9,000. Last week,
$13,600.

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1.50-
$1.75>—“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(5th wk). Okay $3,000. Last week,
$3,300.

Four Star (UATO (868; 90-$1.50)
—^“Last Hurrah” (Col) (6th wk).
Light $2,000. Last week, $2,800.

Warner Hollywood ,s^(SW-Ciine-
rama) (1,389; $I.20-$2.65)—“South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama).
Started 11th week Sunday (7) after
big $18,000 last week.

Fox WilsWre (FWC) (2,296; 90-
$1.50)—“Cat on Hot Tin Roof”
(M-G) (15th wk). Fine $5,000.
Last week, $5,600.

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,468; $1.65-$3)—“Gigi” (M-G)

(22d wk). Strong $13,000. Last
week, $13,500.

Egyptian UATO (1,392; $1.65-
$3,30)—"South Pacific” (Magna)
(27th wk). Moderate $12,500. Last
week, $17,000.

Chinese (FWC) (1,408; $1.75-
$3,50)—^“Windjammer” (NT) (35th
wk). Lush $16,500. Last week,
$25,200.

Carthay (FWC) (1.135; $1.75-

$3.50)—^“Around World in 80 Days”
(UA) (103d wk). Sockeroo $12,000.
Last week, $12,200.

Cincy Oke; IHardi Gras’
Passable $10,000 in 2d,
'Seas’ Smoetk IIG, 6th

Cincinnati, Dec. 9.
Sturdy holdovers at all first-
runs here are adding up to a favor¬
able biz volume this week. Weather
improvement is taking the chill off
the Xmas shopping hurdle, but ex¬
hibitors have new opposition from
college and high school basketball.
High ranking Cincy U. and Xavier
U. teams have sellouts for home
games and fans are hugging radio
stts for broadcasts of court action,
“Houseboat” holds downtown lead
by a small margin but it’s only fair
currently in tird Albee week. Firm
second-weekers are “Tunnel of
Love” at the small Grand, “Home
Before Dark,” oke at the Palace,
and “Mardi Gras” passable at both
Keith’s and Twin Drive-In. Hard-
tix “South Pacific” and “South
Seas Adventure” are weathering
the" seasonal dip.

Estimates for This Week
Albee (RKO) (3,100; 90-$1.25) —
“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk). Fair
$8,500. Last week, $9,500.

Capitol (SW-Cinerama) (1,376;
$1.20-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (6th wk). Pleas-
(Continued on page 17)

Philadelphia, Dec. 9.

Seasonal doldrums, mostly felt
midwwek, are not being helped ^by
a lineup of holdovers currently.
However, Saturday-Sunday trade
was fairly good despite freezing
temperatures. “And God Created
Woman” looks fancy opening round
at the Studio despite downbeat
while “Blood of Vampire,” the
other opener, shapes mild at Stan¬
ton.

“Home Before Dark” is rated
fair in second Stanley week while
■Tunnel of Love” shapes good in
sc'cond at the Trans-Lux... “Party
Girl” looks fairly snappy in first
holdover round at Arcadia as does
‘ Windjammer” in sixth stanza at
the Boyd. “Mardi Gras” looms
good in second at the Fox while
‘•South Pacific” looks nice despite
being in 37th session at the Mid¬
town.

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (S&S) (536; 99-$1.80)—
“Party Girl” (M-G) .(2d wk). Snappy
$10,000. Last week, $15,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,480; $1.20-$2.40)—
“Windjammer” (NT) (6th wk).
Holding at fancy $10,500. Last
week, same.

Fox (National) (2,250; 94-$1.49)—
“Mardi Grass” (20th) (2d wk).
Good $7,500. Last week, $14,600^

Goldman (Goldman) (1,200; $1.50-
$2.60)—^“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(Continued on page 17)

Cold Pre-Xmas Clip Mpk; lardi*
Good $6,000,2d, ‘Windjammer* 14^G

Minneapolis, Dec. 9.

An unprecedented situation here
finds the lone loop newcomers a
pair of lesser offerings on s twin
bUl at RKO Pan. “Unwed Moth¬
er”. with “Joy Ride” shapes good
opening session. Extreme cold and
early Christmas shopping are do¬
ing plenty of boxoffice damage and
undoubtedly 'are -prompting the
trade to hold hack blockbusters xm-
til a more propitious time nearer
Dec. 25.

“Mardi Gras” looks good for sec¬
ond round at State. It’s the
24th and fourth weeks, respective¬
ly, for the two hard-ticket pix,
“South Pacific” and “Windjam¬
mer.” Latter is especially big.
Third stanzas for “Tunnel of Love”
and “Houseboat” are not especially
impressive.

Estimates for TMs Week

Academy (Mann) (947; $1J0-
$2.65)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(24th wk>. Nice $6,000. Last
week, $8,000.

Century—(S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65)—“Windjammer” (NT) (4th
wk). Strong $14,500. Last week,
$15,000.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 90-$1.25)
—“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wkT. Con¬
tinues to give a good account of it¬
self at $4,500. Last week, $6,500.

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 90-$1.25)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d wk).
Fair $4,000. Last week, $4,500.

RKO Orpheum (RKOl (2,800; 85-
90)—“Man of West” (UA) (2d wk).
Slow $4,500. Last week, $6,000.

RKO Pan (RKO) (1,800; 85-90)—
•nnwed Mother” (AA) and “Joy
Ride” (AA). Titles good for resd
coin, but only , good $5,000 looms.
Last week, “Whole Truth” (Col)
and “Apache Territory” (Ck)l),
$3,500.

State (Par) (2,200r
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk). A
winner here, but off to $6,000 on
holdover. Last week, $13,000.

Subiirban World (Mann) (800; 851
—“Captain From Koepenick”- (In¬
die (2d wk). Dull $600 in 3 days.
Last week, $1,800.

. World (Mann) (400; 85-$1.25)-
"Night Heaven Fen” (Kings) (3d
v/k). Chalk un another Bardot win¬
ner here. Hefty $5,000. Last week,

$5,600. --W

Del. Of Albeit ‘Hurrah’ Okay \IQ,
‘Tuuner 8G m 3d; ‘Seas’ Socko 18G

-^---f

Key Cit^ Grosses

Estimated Total Gros?

This Week .$2,029,300

i Based on 22 cities and 237
theatres, chiefly fltst runs^', in¬
cluding N, Y.)

Last Year .$2,160,300

(Based 07u23 cities and 243
theatres,)

Cleye. Sags;‘Seas*
Snappy $13,000

Cleveland, Dec. 9.
Another long weekend bliz left
major cinemas nearly floating
down the-drainpipes. Considering
the tough weather setup, the nu¬
merous holdovers are doing pass¬
ably well. “Home Before Dark’’
shapes okay in second session at
the AUen while “Mardi Gras”
looms passable in second at the
Hipp. “South Seas Adventure” is
rated good in first five days at
Palace after a very big benefit
preem.

Estimates for- This Week
AUen. (S-W> (3,800; 85-$1.25)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d wk).
Okay $10,000. Last week, $15,000.

Continental Art (Art Theatre
Guild) (850; $1.25)—“Capt
Koepenick” (Indie) *i2d wk). Fair
$1,400. Last week, $1,700.

Heights Art (Art Theatre Guild)
(925; $1.25) — “Julietta” (Indie).
Poor $1,100. Last .week, “Lady
Chatterley’s Lover” (Indie) (2d
Wk), $1,600.

Bfippodrome (Telem’t) (3,700; 85-
$1.25)—“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d
wk). Passable $8,000. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

Lower Mall (Community) (500;
70-90)—“Milkmaid” (Indie) and
“Geisha” (Indie). Nice $3,300.
Last week, “Night Heaven Fell"
(Kings) (2d wk), $2,000.

Ohio (Loew) (1,244; $1.25-$2.50)
—“South Pacific” (Magna) (35th
wk). Off to oke $5,000. Last
week, $7,500.

Palace <SW-Cinerama) (1,523;
$1.25-$2.40)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama). Good $13,000
in 5 days. Opening benefit raised
$4,500. Last week, “Search Fot
Paradise” (Cinerama) (15th wk),
$23,500 in 8 days.

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d wk).
So-so. $T,000. Last week, $8,000.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)—
I “Houseboat” (Par) (m.o.). Aver¬
age $6,000. Last week, $5,000.

pm UP;‘HOUSEBOAT’
FINE $10,000 FOR 3D

Pittsburgh, Dec. 9.

Break in weather is i)ickmg
tilings up a hit after post-holiday
freeze. Most of holdovers are doing
well enough, with third session of
“Last Hurrah” actually going ahead
of second. Only one hew picture
downtown, “Party Girl” at Stanley
is very thin. ^Houseboat” is wind¬
ing up well at Penn in third round.
“Mardi Gras” looks fair at Fulton.
“Murder by Contract” going ahead
after dull start on strength of no¬
tices.

Estimates for This Week

Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 80-$1.25)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (3d wk). Get¬
ting only five days on latest h.o.,
nAing way for “Restless Years”
(U) tomorrow (Wed.>. On abbrevi¬
ate session, lean $3,500. Last we^,
$4,500.

Goild (Green) (500; 99-$lJ25)—
“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert) (2d
wk). Falling off sharply but okay
at $1,800, Holding. Last week,
$2,500.

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 80-$1.25)
—“Last Ehirrah” (Col) (3d wk). Up
tq $5,000 on the windup as against
last week’s $4,000, when weather
murdered it. Even so, a disappoint¬
ing run considering critical hur¬
rahs and continued press support.

Pem (UAl (3,300; 80-$1.25)—,
“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk). Ihiing
well in final week at $10,000. Last
week picked! up briskly when!
weather broke and got more than
expected at $12,000.

Squirrel HOI (SW) (900; 99-$1.25)
—“Murder by Contract” ((3oD.
(rood reviews gave it a boost to
nice $2,500 or near; enough to hold
until “My Uncle, Mi. Hnlot”*(Cont)
comes- in for holidays. Last week,

(Continued en - page M l -

Detroit, Dec. 9.

Biz is declining this week among
the downtowners but it’s far from
a toboggan slide and biz still is
generally good. AU bills are hold¬
overs, a rare happening in this
city. “Mardi Gras” is fair in sec^
ond round at the Fox. “Last Hur¬
rah” is rated okay in second at the
Michigan.

“Old Man and Sea” looks good in
third outing at the Madison. “Home
Before Dark” is slow in second
session at the Palms. “Tunnel of
Love” shapes okay in third round .
at the Adams. Tenth. week of
“South Seas Adventure” is. great
. at the Music Hall. “South Pacific”
holds steady in 35th week at the
United Artists.

Estimates for This Week

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,100; $1.25-
$1.50)—^“Mardi Gras” (20th) and
“Frontier Gun” (20th) (2d wk).
Fair $14,000, Last week, $19,000.

Michigan. (United Detroit) (4,000;
$1.25-$1.50)—“Last Hurrah” (Col)
and “Gnnsmoke at Tucson” (AA)
(2d wk). Oke $12,000. Last week,
$14,500.

Palms (UD) (2,961; 90-$1.25)—
‘^ome Brfore Dark” (WB) and
“Wolf Larsen” (AA) (2d wk). Slow
$10,000. Last week, $12,700.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1..25-$1.50)
—^“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (3d
wk). Fine $10,OQO. Last week, same.

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500;
90-$1.25 — “Spider” (AI) and
“Brain Eaters” (AI) (2d wk). Slim
$9,000 in 4 days. Last week,
$15,500.

United Artists'(UA) (1,667; $1.25-
$3—“South Pacific” (Magna) {35tli
wk). Steady $8,000. Last week;
same.

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1.25-
$1.50)—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d
wk). Oke $8,000. Last week, $10,000.

Music Hall (SW-Cinerama) (1,-
208; $1.50-$2.65)—“South Seas Ad¬
venture” (Cinerama) (10th wk).
Great $18,000. Last week, $17,000.

Trans-Lux Krim (Trans-Lux)
(1,000; 90-$1.65)—“Gigi” (M-G) {8th
wk). Slowing to $3,500. Last week,
okay $4,500.

Maiqr Films, Few Score
In U; Tarty’ Sfight
6iG, ‘Windjammer’ 12G

Kansas City, Dec. 9.

Pre-holiday season is compara¬
tively well stocked with films, but
the boxoffice is mostly moderate.
Strength of some films, even
though in holdover situations, is
holding out well against the in¬
evitability of the shopping season.
“Party Girl” at the Midland is the
only newcomer, and it’s sluggish.
Holdover line includes “House¬
boat,” nice in third week= at Fara^
mount, “Big Country” pleasing in
fourth week at Roxy and “Mardi
Gras,” slight in second week in
three Fox Midwest houses. “God
Created Woman,” of course con¬
tinues to create records as it goes
into 44th week at the Kimo.
Weather was cold and threatening
over the weekend.

Estimates for This Week

Glen, Dickinson, Shawnee Drive-
in, Leawood Drive-in (Dickinson)
(700, 750, 1,100 cars, 900 cars; 75-
90)—“Day of Triuniph” (Indie) and
“Noah’s Ark” (Indie). Light $3,500.
Last week, second-run.

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 90-$1.25)
—“God Created Woman” (Kings)
(44th wk). Steady $1,600. Last
week same,

MkUand (Loew) (3,500; 75-90)—
“Party Girl” (M-G) and “Decks
Ran Red” (M-G). Slow $6,500. Last
. week, “Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and
“Case Against Brooklyn”, (Col) (2d
wk-5 days), $5,500.

Missouri (SW-Cinerama) (1,194;
$1.25-$2) — “Windjammer” (NT)'
(13th wk). Closed out Simday* (7)
with two extra performances, and
soared to big $17,000. “South Seas
Adventure” (Cinerama) opens with
benefit performance Wednesday
(16). Last week, $11,000.

Paramount (UP) (1,900; 90-$1.25)
— “Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk-8
days). Nifty $6,600. Last week,
$ 8 , 000 .

Roxy <Durwood) (879; 9Q-$1.25)
—^“Big Country” (UA) (4th wk).
Pleasing $5,000;. Last week, $6,000.

Rockhill (Little Art Theatres)
(750; 75-90) — “Follies Bergere”
(Indie), Fine $2,000. Last week,
“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert),.
$1,600.

Uptown, Fairway, Granada (Fox
Midwest) (2.043, 700, 1,217; 75-90)
—“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk).
Light $6,000, surprising drop after
great firrt week. Last week, bright
$15,000:'- -

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

P’^SUEff

PICTGRE GBOSSES

9

Holiday Shopping, Cold Spell Slough
Chi; 'Hawk’ Lofty $23,001); lucasta
Nice 20G, ‘Geisha’ Hefty 22G, H.0.s

Chicago, Dec, 9.

Holiday shopping and a new
cold spell likely will depress
the first-runs to a big extent this
round, but generally biz is hold¬
ing nicely via solid holdovers.
Newcomers include “Mark of
Hawk,” swooping in on a hefty
$23,000 at the Woods. Garrick’s
bill of “Bank That Should be
Robbed” and “Sierra Baron”
figure looks tidy $10,000,

Top holdovers are Oriental's
“Anna Lucasta," rated nice in sec¬
ond session and “Geisha Boy,”
solid in second at the Chicago.
“I Want to Live” is very lively in
State-Lake fourth session. “Home
Before Dark” looks nice in. second
week at the United Artists. First
holdover round for “Cosmic Mon¬
sters” and “Crawling Eye” at the
Loop is rated good.

“Mardi Gras” sparkles in third
frame at the Roosevelt while Surf’s
third of “Inspector Mai^et”
shapes okay. Fifth round of
“Houseboat” is brisk at the
Esquire.

Of the hard ticket pix, “South
Seas Adventure” is boff in 11th
Palace stanza and “Gigi” is dandy
at the Harris after 22 weeks.
“South Pacific,” also a hard-
ticketer, still looms good in S7th
McVickers session while “Around
World in 80 Days” looks torrid in
88th roimd at Todd’s Cinestage.
Estimates" for This Week

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 90-$1.80)
—“Geisha Boy” (Par) (2d wk>.
Hep $22,000- Last week, $38,000.

Esquire (H&E Balaban) (1,350;
$1.50)—“Houseboat” iPar) (5th
wk). ' Fancy $8,000. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

Garrick (B&K) (850; 90-$1.25)—
“Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” (20th) and “Sierra Baron”
(20th). Snappy $10,000 . or near.
Last week, “Tarawa Beachhead”
(Col) and “Hong Kong Confiden¬
tial” (UA) (2d wk), $8,000.

Harris (Todd) (984; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (22d wk). Solid

$15,000. Last week, $16,000.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.50)—
“Crawling Eye” (DCA) and “Cos¬
mic Monsters” (DCA) (2d wk).
Good $6,000. Last week. S9,000.

McVickers (JL&S) (1.580; $1.25-
$3.30)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
37th wk). Good at $17,000. Last
week. $23,000.

Monroe . (Jovan) (1,000; 65-90)—
“Machete” (UA) and “10 Days to
Tulara” (UA). Fine $4,800. Last
week, “Apache Territory” (Col)
(Continued on page 17)

Cold Wave Bops Balto;
Uardi Gras’ NSH 6G
For 2d, ‘Houseboat’ 5G

Baltimore, Dec. 9.

A cold snap will put a damper
on the take this week and lack of
new product is no help. It was
holdover in every first-run. Hap¬
piest of the lot are “Houseboat,”
nice in fourth at Mayfair and
“Mardi Gras” oke in second at
Century. “Inspector Maigret” is
rated good in third at the Fivfe
West. “Last Hurrah" shapes slow'
In second at the Hippodrome. I
Estimates for This Week

Century (R-F) (3,100; 50-$1.50)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk). Oke
$6,000 after $9,000 in first.

Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$1.25) — “Lovere of Paris” (Cont)
(2d wk). Oke $2,000 after'$3,0a0
opener.

Five West (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$1.50) — “Inspector Maigret” (Lo-

ert) (3d wk). Good $2,700 after

3,500 in second.

Hippodrome (R-F) (2,300; 50-

$1.25) — “Last Hurrah" (Col) (2d
wk). Slow $4,000. Last week,
$7 000

Littie (R-F) 300; 50-$1.25) —
“White Wilderness” (BV) (3d wk).
Steady $3,000 after same for sec¬
ond week.

Mayfair (R-F) (50-$1.50) —

“Houseboat” (Par) (4th wk). Hold¬
ing at $5,000. Third was $6,200.

New (R-F) (1,600; $l,50-$2.50) —
“South Pacific” (Magua) (36th wk).
Oke $4,000 after $4,500 in 35th
week.

Playhouse (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$1.50—“Me and Colonel” (Col) (9th
wk). Good $3,000 after $3,300 in
eighth.

Stanley (R-F) (3,200; 50-$1.25)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d wk).
Drab $3,500. Second was $5,000.

Town (E-F) (1,125; ;50-$1.25) —
^‘Home Before Dark” (WB) (Sd wk).
Slew $4,000 after $6,000 in seeg^y}.

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re¬
ported herewith from the vari¬
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
wdthout usual tax. Distrib¬
utors share on net take, when
playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in¬
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices; however, as indicated.
Include the U, S. amusement
tax. ♦ *

‘Windjammer’15G
BestlietmD.C.

Washington, Dec. 9.

With no big newcomers around
and pre-Xmas setting in. mainstem
is sagging this stanza. “Tunnel of
Love” at Capitol shapes slow in
third round while ‘^Mardi Gras”
at Palace is rated mild, also in
third. “Windjammer” shapes lusty
at the Warner in eighth round.
“Home Before Dark” lopks-good in
second session in two spots.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador-Metropolitan (SW)
(1,490; 1,000; 90-$1.25) — “Home
Before Dark” (WB) (2d wk). Good
$12,000. Last week, $16,000.

Apex (K-B) (940; 60-90)—“Mit-
sou” (Indie). Oke $4,000. Last
week, reissues.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 90-$1.25)
—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d wk).
Slumping to sad $6,500. but re¬
mains on. Last week, $9,000.

Columbia (Loew) (904; 90-S1.25)
—“Fiend Who Walked the West”
(20th). Fair $4,500. Last week,
“Reluctant Debutante” (M-G) (7th
wk). ditto.

Keith’s (RKO) (1,850; 90-$1.25)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (4th wk). Mild $9,-
000. Last week, $12,000. Stays on.

MacArthur (K-B) (900; $1.10)—
"Gideon of Scotland Yard” (Col)
(2d wk). Fair $3,500. Last week,
$5,400.

Ontario (K-B) (1,240; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat”. (Par) (8th wk). Oke
$4,500. Last week, $5,700.

. Palace (Loew) (2,390; 90-$1.25)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (3d wk). Slow
$6,000, but continues. Last week,
$9,000.

Plaza (T-L) (276; 90-$1.50)—

“Razzia” (Indie). Great $6.5O0.
Last week, “Dr. Laurent” (T-L)
(3d wk), $3,900.

Traiu-Lax) (T-L) (600; $1.25-
$1.80)—“Last Hurrah” (Col) (6th
wk). Okay $4,500. Last week,
$5,500.

Uptomi (SW) (1,100; $1.25-$2.50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (4th
wk). Okay $5,000. Last week,
$5,500.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,300;

. $1.25-$2.40) —“Windjammer” (NT)
(8th wk). Lusty $15,000 with two
special shows. Last week, $17,000
with three ..extras.

‘VAMPIRE’OK $5,000
OMAHA; UCMC 12G

Omaha, Dec. 9.

With only one new entry, just
a fair at that, on tap this week, biz
is offish at downtown first-runs.
The newcomer, “Blood of Vam¬
pire” at the Omaha, is barely okay.
Hard-ticket “South Pacific” is boff
at the Cooper in its seventh session
for the lone bright spot currently.
“Mardi Gras” is rated good in its
second week at the Orpheum, but
probably ^won’t hold. “Tunnel of
Love”'Ts just oke in third State
week. “Me and Colonel” looks
fair in second stanza at the Bran-
deis.

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (Cooper) (694; 90)—
'“Me and Colonel” (Col) and Co¬
ronation pic (2d wk).- Fair $3,000.
Last week, $5,000.

Cooper (Cooper) (708; $1.50-
$2.20)—^“South Pacific” (Magna)
(7th wk). Sharp $12,000. Last
week, same.

Omaha (Tristates) (2,066; 75-90)
—“Blood of Vampire” (U) and
“Monster on Campus” (U). Okay
$5,000. Last week, “Houseboat”
(Par) (2d wk), $5,500 at $1.25 top.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,980; 75-
90)—“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk).
Pleasing $7,500. Last week, $8,500.

State (Cooper) (850; 90)—“Tun¬
nel of Love” (M-G) (3d wk). Oke
,$;2,500. Last.jveqk, .$3,590.;,- v.

Winter trimps BnH Biz;
‘Tunnel’ Fair $8,000,2d

Buffalo, Dec. 9.

Severe winter weather here,
with plenty of snow, is making the
boxbffice situation shape rather
dismal in the current session. In
fact, about the best showing will
be chalked up by “Tunnel of
Love,” fair in second roimd at the
Buffalo. “Home Before Dark” is
rated good in second frame at the
Center. But at other first-runs
the setup is sad.

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d wk).
Fair $8,000. Last week, $9,000.

Center (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-90)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d
wk). Good $7,000. Last week,
$8,500.

Century (UATC) (i,410; 70-90)
—‘’Case Against Brooklyn” (Col)
and “Let’s Rock” (Col). Sad $2,500
in 4 days. Last week, “Mardi Gras”
(20th) and “Frontier Gun” (Indie)
(2d wk), $4,500.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 70-90)—
“Gun Runners” (UA) and “Street
of Sinners” (UA). Slow $6,500.
Last week, “White Wilderness”
(BV) and “Appointment with
Shadow” (U), $7,000.

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-
90) — “Houseboat” (Par) and
“Party Crashers” (Par) (3d wk-4
days). Good $7,000. Last week,
$8,500.

Teck (Loew) (1,200; 70-90)—

“Defiant Ones” (UA) (2d wk). Fair
$4,500. Last week, $6,200.

Cinema (Martina) (450; 70-90)—
“Gates of Paris” (Indie). Soggy
SI,000. Last week, “Gigi” (M-G),
$ 1 , 200 .

‘Spider’ Trim 15G,
St. L;‘Tunnel’IIG

. St. Louis, Dec. 9.

Holdovers dominate the first-
runs this week. “Mardi Gras” is
good in second frame at the Fox.
■iiTunnel of Love” also in second
week, looks nice at Loew’s while
“South Seas Adventure” in sixth
at Ambassador still is big. Among
the new bills, “The Fearmakers”
shapes fair at Orpheum and “The
Spider” and “Brain Eaters” at the
St. Louis is rated fine.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW-Cinerama) (1,-
400; $1.20-$2.40) — “South Seas

Adventure” (Cinerama) (6th wk).
Holding at big $12,000, same as
last week.

ApoUo Art (Grace) (700; 90-
$1.25)—“The Awakening” (Indie).
Okay $3,000. Last week, “Summer¬
time” (UA) (reissue), $2,500.

Fox (Arthur) (5,000; 65-90)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) and “Party
Crashers” (Par) (2d wk). Good
$10,000. Last week, $16,000,

Loew’s (Loew) (3,200; 60-90)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and "The
Muggers” (UA) (2d wk). Nice $11,-
000. Last week, $13,000,

Orpheum (Loew) (1,000; 60-90)
—“The Fearmakers” (UA) and
“Last Paradise” (UA). Fair $4,500.
Last week, “Last Hurrah” (Col),
$5,000.

Pageant (Arthur) (1,000; $1.80-
$2.25)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(34th wk). Passable $5,000. Last
week, $5,200.

Richmond (Arthur) (1,000; 60-90)
—“As Long As They’re Happy”
(Rank) and “Gentle Touch”
(Rank), Fair $1,200. Last week,
“Woman of Rome” (DCA), $1,500.

St. Louis (Arthur) (3,600; 60-75)
—“The Spider” (AD and “Brain
Eaters” (AI). Fine $15,000 or
close. Last week “Houseboat” (Par)
and “Hell Broke Loose” (Par) (2d
wk). $12,000.

Shady Oak (Arthur) (560: 60-90)
—“White Wilderness” (BV) (3d
wk). Okay $2i000. Last week,
$2,500.

Indols. Down Pre-Xnias;
•Mardi bras’ $T,500, 2d

Indianapolis, Dec. 9.

Record Christmas shopping plus
sustained cold waVe has first-run
biz here in seasonal dip here this
stanza. “Mardi Gras,” in second
week at Circle, and “Houseboat,”
in third at Keith’s, remain lead¬
ers at boxoffice, “Torpedo Run,”
at Loew’s, looks thin.

Estimates for This Week

Circle (CockriU-Dolle) (2.800; 75-
90)—“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk).
Nice $7,500. Last week, $12,000.

Keith’s (C-D) (1,300; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (3d wk). Oke
$6,500. Last week, $7,500.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427; 75-90)—
“Torpedo Run” (M-G) and “Terror
in Texas Town” (UA). Thin $4,500.
Last week, “Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
and “Dunkirk” (M-G), $8,000.

Lyric (C-D) (850; $1.25-.‘’:2.20)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (33d wk).
Oke $5,000. Last week, $8,000..

N.Y. ‘Marne’ Wham 166G Bucks Offish
Trend; ‘China’ OK 29& ‘Tuimel’ Fair

48G,3d,‘ToLive

Already ^ suffering from pre-
Christmas blues, Broadway film
business is being dealt a double
blow in the current stanza by the i
coldest weather of season plus the
first big snowfall of the fall. There
are some strong spots but there
are too few of them.

Per usual, the Music Hall, with
its Christmas stageshow and
“Auntie Marne,” is going against
the trend and soaring to a smash
$166,O0O in the first session. And
as customary, the stage lineup and
pic will be carried through the
year-end holidays. New stageshow
policy at the State is doing fairly
well although actually the money
for a stagefilm setup is disappoint¬
ing even though in the pre-Xmas
season. With “The Jewel Box”
revue and “China Doll” on the
screen it looks to reach $29,000
or close opening week.

“Tunnel of Love” with stage-
show. is heading for fair $48,000
in this (3d) round at the Roxy.
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” comes
in Dec. 17.

“I Want To Live” is holding up
nicely, with $20,000 garnered in
the third stanza at the Victoria.
“Earth To Moon” is sagging to
light $6,000 in second week at
the Odeon.

“Mardi Gras” looks only mild
$25,000 in third session which has
been extended to nine days at the
Paramount in order to launch “Inn
of Sixth Happiness” tomorrow
(Thurs.) night. Regular run of
“Inn” opens at Paramount on JDec.
12, the same day that it will be
launched at the. Plaza.

“Houseboat” looks to get an
okay $26,000 in current (4th) frame
at the Ciapitol. “Big Country” is
dipping to around $12,000 in 10th
week at the Astor where “Separate
Tables” opens Dec. 18.

“Old Man and Sea” fell to bare¬
ly okay $9,600 in ninth session at
the Criterion, where “Night To
Remember” opens the night of
Dec.. 16. “South Seas Adventure”
declined to stout $22,800 in 20th
round at the Warner where pic
now. is in the 21st week. “South
Pacific” also was off sharply -with
a solid $18,000 for the ninth round
at the Rivoli.

“Horse’s Mouth” still . was
smash, if down, with $21,000 in
fourth round at the Paris. '“Gi'^i”
al.so was off but still great at $20,-
300 for fifth week at Sutton. ‘My
Uncle,” formerly called “My
Uncle, Mr. Hulot,” held with, big
$18,200 in fifth sessions at Baronet
and Guild, where day-dating.
Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1,094; 75-$2)—
“Big Country” (UA) (10th wk).
Present round winding up today
(Wed.) is heading for good $12,000
or near. Ninth was $16,000.
“Separate Tables” (UA) opens Dec.
18.

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25-$2)—
“My Uncle” (Cont) (6th wk).
Fifth stanza ended Sunday (7) was
stout $9,800. Fourth was $12,300.

Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$2.50)
—^“Houseboat” . (Par) (4th wk).
Current session finishing tomorrow
(Thurs.) looks like good $26,000 or
a bit over. Third w’as $30,000.
Stays on.

Criterion (Moss) (1,671; $1.80-
$2.50)—“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(10th wk). Ninth round ended
Sunday (7) was okay $9,600 for 12
shows. The eighth was $11,600,
with four extra shows. “Night To
Remember” (Rank) opens the night
of Dec. 16.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 00-$1.80)
—“Pepote” (UMPO) (2d wk). First
round finished Sunday (6) was mild
$6,000, one of slowest openings
here in some time.

55th St. Playhuse (Moss) (300;
$1.25-$1.80)—“Flesh and Desire”
(Ellis) (3d wk). Second session fin¬
ished yesterday (Tues.) was fair
$1,500. First was $2,700. House
brings in new pic on Dec. 21.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75)—
‘My Uncle” (Cont) (6th wk). Fifth
stanza ended Sunday (6) was trim
$8 400. Fourth was $12,100.

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592;
$1.20-$1.80)—“Tosca” (Indie) (7th
wk). Current week ending today
(Wed.) is heading for $4,200, first
week on continuous policy and
lower scale. Sixth week was $5,900
with $2.80 top and reserved-seat
policy. “Serrate Tables” (UA),
day-dating with A)stor, opens Dec.
18.

Palace (RKO) (1,642; 90-$2)—
“Roots of Heaven” (20th) (9th wk).
The eighth stanza ended yester¬
day (Tues.) was fair $10,000 or un¬
der. Seventh, $15,000. Has done
hotter ever since placed on lo^’^i;;

Fancy 20G, Also 3d

’ cale, continuous-run basis. “Rally
Round the Flag, Boys” (20 th)
opens Dec. 24 following benefit
preem night of Dec. 23.

Odeon (Ranic) (813; 90-$1.80)—
“From Earth to Moon” (WB) (3d
wk). First holdover stanza ended
yesterday (Tues.) was light $6,000.
Initial week, $11,500.

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,665; $1-
$2)—“Mardi Gras” (20th) {3d wk-
9 days). This final session ending
today (Wed.) looks like mild $25,-
000. Second was $32,000. “Inn of
Sixth Happiness” (20th) preems
tomorrow (Thurs.) night. -

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80)—“Horse’s Mouth” (Lopert)
(5th wk). Fourth round finished
Monday (8) was smash $21,000.
Third. $25,300.

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke¬
fellers) (6,200; 90-$2.75)—“Auntie
Marne” (WB) with annual Christ¬
mas stageshow including “The
Nativity” pageant. First week end¬
ing today (Wed.) looks to reach
smash $166,000. Holds, qf course.
In ahead, “Home Before Dark”
(WB) with stageshow (4th wk),
$122,000. Reserved-seat sale for
Xmas stageshow and “Marne” is
greatest in history of the Hall.
Show stays through the year-end
holidays.

Rivoli (UAT) (1,545; $2-$3.50)—
“South Pacific’’ (Magna) (10th wk).
Ninth round winding up Monday
(8) was solid $18,000. Eighth was
$26,000, with three extra shows.

Plaza (Lopert) (525; $1.50-$2)—
“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert) (9th
W’k). Current stanza ending today
(Wed.) is heading for okay $6,000.
Eighth week, $7,200. “Inn of Sixth
Happiness” (20th) opens Dec. 12,
day-dating with Paramount.

Roxy (Indie) (5,705; 90-$2.50)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and stage-
show (3d wk). This session winding
tomorrow (Thurs.) looks like fair
$48,000. Second was okay $55,000.
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
opens Dec. 17, “Tunnel” stays
five days of fourth round.

State (Loew) (3,450; $1.80-$2.50)
—^“Jewel Box Revue” onstage with
“China Doll” (UA) (2d wk). First
round ended yesterday (Tues.) was
good $29,000 or close. This two-
hour stageshow plus feature pic
stays through Dec. 23,

Sutton (R&B) (561; 95-$1.80)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (6th wk). Fifth stanza
finished Saturdgiy (6) was great
$20,300. Fourth week, $25 400. Pic
still had long lines last Saturday
desoite extreme cold.

Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540; $1-
$1.50) — “Richard III” (Lopert).
Opened Monday (8) for nine-day
run. In ahead, “What Price Mur¬
der” (UMPO) (4th wk), dipped to
slow $3,000 after $4,000 in third.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,003; 50-$2)
—“I Want To Live” (UA) (4th wk).
Third session concluded Monday
(8) was fancy $20,000. Second,
$26,500.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,600;
$1.80-$3.50)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (21st wk). The
20th stanza ended Saturday (6) was
stout $22,800. The 19th week.
$27,500.

Toronto 6.0. on Skids;
‘Defiant’ Torrid 14^
‘So. Seas’ Sellout 13G

Toronto, Dec. 9.

With exception of such newcom¬
ers as “Defiant Ones” and “Tor¬
pedo Run,” which are good at two
Loew houses, biz is off around city.
“Folies Bergere” and “Home Be-
ipre Dark” shape.light on audience
appeal. . “Onionhead” looks fair in
4 houses. “South Seas Adventure”
had sellouts over the weekend, with
second full week at the University
solid.

Estimates for 'This Week

Carlton (Rank) (2,518; 75-$1.25)
—“Folies Bergere” (Rank), Poor
$7,000. Last w’eek, “Little Bank
Should Be Robbed” (20th), $7,500.

Downtown, Glendale, Prince of
Wales, State (Taylor) (1,059; 995;
1,200; 694; 50-75)—“Unwed Moth¬
er” (AA) and “Joy Ride" (AA).
Fair $12,00ff. Last week, “The
Blob” (Par) and “Married Mon¬
ster Outer Space” (Par), $22,000
for 9-house combo, seating 9,202.

Eglinton, Palace. Runnymede,
York (FP) (1080; 1485; 1385; 877;
$1)—"Onionhead” (WB). Looks
fair $16000. Last week “Mardi
Gras” (20th) (2d wk), $12,000.

Hollywood (FP) (1,080; $1-$1.25)
—‘Matchmaker” (Par) (3d wk).
(Continued on,p,^ge^ ^17^ ..

16

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Berta SiogennaH, Set at Carnegie, N. Y.

By ROBERT J. LANDRY

A reader of poetry in the Span¬
ish language will appear next Octo¬
ber in Carnegie Hall» N. Y. She is
Berta Singerman, an Argentinian
legitimate actress who turned to
such readings about 20 years ago
and has since appeared in most of
the South and Central American
countries, extensively in Europe
and in such remote places as Por¬
tugese East Africa, where her per¬
formances and transportation were
subsidized by the Lisbon govem-
menf.

Accompanied by her impresario-
husband, Ruben Stolek, poetry’s
lady friend was in Manhattan last
week at the conclusion of another
of her inter-continental tours. A
dozen contracted dates in Columbia
were extaided l^o 39.

Practically a one-woman theatri¬
cal industry, the diseuse-in-verse
appears under a wide variety of
booking, economics. Many of her
readings occur at the hour of 6:30
p.m. in such open air spots as bull
rings, hi^side amphitheatres, pal¬
ace courtyards. The modern micro¬
phone has expanded her potential,
audiences up to 20,000 being on
record. Admissions may range
from an equivalent of 65c to a high
of $8 in the big opera houses of a
few Latin metropoli. An excep¬
tional angle of Senora Singerman’s
status as an artist (“Maxima Inter-
prete, de la Poesia”) is that certain
governments of Spanish - speaking
countries will sometimes donate
the opera house or theatre literally
without charge.

Some of her poems take up to 40
minutes. Most are shorties. Span-:
ish literature is the main source
but her range embraces Heinrich
Heine (Germany) Charles Beaude-
laire IPrance) Walt Whitman, Ed¬
gar Lee Masters (U. S.) and other
nationals. New material is seeded
into old, repeat audiences insisting
upon established favorites.

Much discussion occurred last
week in Manhattan as to the pos¬
sible audience for Senora Singer-
man’s poetry in New York. After
two decades of globe-trotting, she
does not believe that language
alone is any barrier. She attributes
her ability to “get over” to her
training as and use of the tech¬
niques of an actress. She demon¬
strated her theory for managers
while in town with an impromptu
recital before students at the Saul
Carlin School.

The Carnegie Hall date next fall
wall probably be scaled up to $3.60.
The artist appears entirely solo
without accompaniment of any sort.

Felix Gerstman closed over the
weekend to handle the event next
fall as local impresario.

lOCV Past $260,000
Mark ^ Rome Ist-Runs

Rome, Dec. 9.

Rome first-run champion, “10
Commandments” (Par), has passed
the ^60,000 mark, without even
touching local subsequents. It’s
doing big business nationally as
well.

Other moneymakers in the pre-
holiday season in this city include
“Mon Oncle” (French), “I Soliti
Ignoti” (The Coppers) (Italian),
“Me and Colonel” (Col) and “In¬
spector Maigret” (French).

One of biggest local disappoint¬
ments was the initial run of Brig¬
itte Bardot’s “Dieu Crea La
Femme” (God Created Woman),
which hit a low $5,500 in its first
two weeks at the Rivoli. Bardot’s
previous release, “La Parisienne,”
fared ccnsideraljly better in its
local opener,

German Fix Heads
Ask Breakin Brit.

London, Dec. 9.

A delegation from, the German
film industry, headed by Dr. Gun¬
ter Schwarz of. the Export Union,
and including Herbert Horn of
Neue Film; Dr. Herman Schwerin,
a Berlin producer; V. Badal of
Transocean Films, the Munich ex¬
porters; and G. Stapenhorst, an¬
other producer, spent three days
here last week discussing with the
British film indus^ means for
promoting the distribution of Ger¬
man product in the United King¬
dom.

On the British side, Arthur T. L.
Watkins, head of the British Film
Producers Assn., was in the chair..
Among those tiking part in the
talks were Victor Hoare, Harry
Norris, Steven Pallos, Magregor
Scott, Joseph Somlo and heads of
three foreign language distribu¬
tion companies, Ingram Fraser
(Films de France), Phil Kutner
(Miracle Films) and Kenneth Rive
(Gala Films).

Among the ideas put forward by
the British team was a proposal
that the German industry should
increase the practice of dubbing its
films into the English language,
and thus make them more accepta¬
ble to British audiences. Produ¬
cers were also urged to use screen¬
plays which had a wide appeal out¬
side of Germany.

Japan Fix Eqiort Goal
In ’59 Set at $5,000,000

Tokyo, Dec. 2.

Japan’s film export target for
1959 has been set at $5,000,000,
doubling the figure earmarked for
the current year. The figure for
last year, including both flat rate
and percentage deals, w'as
$2,300,000.

In line with the hypo for next
year’s overseas sales, the Federa¬
tion of Motion PictTire Organiza¬
tions (Eidanren) is mulling a plan
to train special salesmen for for¬
eign markets. The need for such
personnel was boosted by Naga-
masa Kawakita, chairman of the
Film Export Promotion Measure
Committee of Eidanren.

Four film Fests Okayed

London, Dec. 9.

The International Federation of
Fihn Producers has already given
the nod to four film fests next
year. It has okayed the manifesta¬
tions for Berlin, Cannes, San Se¬
bastian and Venice as the only
ones empowered to present non-
released films in competition.

Applications from other coun¬
tries for festival approval were left
In abeyance because of inadequate
information. A decision wiU ^
made dater. The International
Federation’s world-wide study of
film industry problems, agreed at
a sp^ial genoral assembly in Ven¬
ice in September, is being con¬
vened for early next year.

Tie Fannie’D om {
By Kmanil-ltaiaid
Scores Hit in Paris

Paris, Dec. 2.

The Jean-Louis Barrault-Madel-
eine Renaud Co, started its rep
legit season in a new house, Palais-
Royal, with a triimiph in the re¬
vival of the 98-year-rold Jacques
Offenbach operetta, “La Vie Paris¬
ienne.” Book and lyrics were by
M. Hklevy and M. Meilhac. This is
a first attempt at operetta by this
usually staid troupe and crix raveu
over the entertaining show. AD
tagged it the best show in town.

Baixault-Renaud is now en¬
sconced in the refurbished Palals-
Hoyal after two seasons without
their own headquarters and playing
in rented theatres. This house was
originally employed mainly for
bedroom farces. Last season the
company was saved by a revival of
the hoary 'Napoleonic meUer of
Victorien Sardou’s “Madame Sans-
Gene.” And it looks like an old-
timer will be their saving this year,
too, to make up for their more ex¬
perimental, offbeat pieces.

Though frustrating for Barrault
and Miss Renaud, they ladle out
sheer entertainment via its bright
musical interludes and playing,
bolstered by such Music Hall fa¬
vorites as Su^ Delair Jean Par¬
ades and Denise Benoit. Both Bar¬
rault and Miss Renaud sing and
dance pleasantly as do the other
straight members of the company
while the Dyely sets, staging by
Barrault, and overall production
values ^ combine to make this
fine entertainment A top addition
to the repertoire of the foremost
private company of this type in
France today.

Mex-Italian Cq-Prod.

Series Starts in Spain

Rome, Dec. 2.

A series of Mexican-Italian co¬
productions has been announced
by Mexican producer Manwel Bar^
bachano Ponce, who was recently
here to set details. First will be
shot in Spain and directed by Juan
Antonio Bardem from a novel by
Roman del VaUe Inclan entitled,
“Summer Serenade.” This would
be followed up by another pic
based on another book by the same
author.

Another Barbachano product
would be from a script by Cesare
Zavattini, and will star Vittorio
DeSica and Francisco Rabal. Last-
named leaves soon for Mexico City.

Ban Irish Playwright's Book

Dublin, Dec. 2.

“Borstal Boy” by Irish play-^
wright Brendan Behan has been
banned by Irish Censorship of Pub¬
lications Board. Published recent¬
ly in London by Hutchinson’s, the
book was on sale in Ireland for
about three weeks and selling weU
when the ban was announced.
Book deals with Behan’s experi¬
ences as an inmate of Walton Pri¬
son, Liverpool,^nd a Borstal In¬
stitution to wm^ he was sent at
the time of the Irish Republic
Army bombing campaign in Eng¬
land back in 1939.

Behan has written several plays
but his biggest hit so far has been
“The Quare Fella,” about life in¬
side an Irish prison. Ban may be
appealed either by author Behan
or by his publishers.

NEW WILCOX MUSICAL
WmSTARVAUGHAN

London, Dec. 9.

Anna Neagle’s next Frankie
Vaughan musical starrer, with
Herbert Wilcox directing, will roll
at Pinewood Studios immediately
after Christmas. About 21 years
ago, Wilcox directed the first Pine-
wood film, “London Melody.” Wil¬
cox’s return to Pinewood with a
musical has a coincidental link, for
the new Vaughan pic also has Lon¬
don as its background.

“Give Us The Moonlight,” co-
starring Vaughan and Anne Hey-
wood, is set around London’s West
End nightclub, saloon and society
life. The story is by Rex North,
Sunday Pictorial columnist, whose
beat is mainly the West End.
Screenplay is by Jack Trevor Story.
Reginald 'Wyer vail handle the
black and white lensing.

The film is an important boost to
Vaughan’s career. With “The Lady
Is A Square,” he wiU be represent¬
ed on the Associated British cir¬
cuit throughout the spring. And
with “Moonlight” he will hit the
Rank circuit throughout the sum¬
mer and fall.

Two Braiiner Filins

May Cost $1,000,000

Berlin, Dec. 2.

Budgetwise, German films hardly
will ever be able to compete with
the big pix from Hollywood, but
some recent ownes have giant
budgets. Normally, a German
film should not cost more than
$200,000 to $230,000. Otherwise,
there is the big risk that the film
won’t break even. Some years ago,
to cite an example, the-tlomestic
film “The Colored Dream” became
a strong grosser but woimd up I
with a big loss because its high
production costs.

Arthur Brauner’s current prod¬
uctions, “The Tiger of Eschnapur”
and “Indian Tomb,” Eastmancolor
remakes, have a budget of $1,000,-
000. Brauner’s CCC is one of the
financially strongest in the land.
Distributor of the two pix is Gloria.
Both Gloria and Brauner are very
optimistic about these pix because
they think that “Tiger” and
“Tomb” (the sequel) will appeal to
foreign audiences. International
angles include Hollywood’s Debra
Paget as star of both films and
Fritz Lang, also of the U.S. as
director. The film too has a re¬
markable international cast includ¬
ing Swiss-born (German star Paul
Hubschmid (Paul Christian in Hol¬
lywood), Frenchman Victor Fran-
cen, Spain's Jochen Blume;HLu-
[ ciana Paluzzi and Guido Celano,
both Italians, and Greek Panos
I Papadppulos.

Yonte Mriog Us Crazjr-lril^t!

Vienna, Dee. •;

-Vienna Philharmonic’s high ’A* is too high, it forces singers;,
and taking the, note can shorten an opera singer’? singing-life
span by 10 years. Such is the complaint of Leonie Rysanek and
Paul Schoeffler addressed to Herbert von Karajan, also head of
the Vienna Opera.

Quarrel is partly, technical Involving the alleged production of
the high ‘A’ at 44T cycles per second rather than standard 435.
Italian opera singers had previously complained, also piano makers.

Apparently, as charged, Vienna seeks to retain or recapture a
reputation for brilliance by this method. Karajan denies the merit
of the complaint, however, although stating he ordered purchase
of seven new clarinets to guard against the over-hi^ness charged.

Col to Produce 14

British Pk in Year

London, Dec. 9-

Columbia wiU make about 14
British pictures ne;xt year includ¬
ing five from Hammer Films. That
was revealed by Mike J. Franko-
vich on his return from bis rer
cent visit to HoUywood for pro¬
duction confabs.

The company’s British program
would he the biggest in its history.
It would include Carl Foreman’s
“Guns of Navarone”; Stanley
Donen’s production of “Once More
With Feeling”; two Sam Spiegel
films; “Sudderdy Last Summer,”
with Elizabeth Taylor; and “Lmrd
of the Flies,” and a Carol Reed
production with Alec Guinness.

In the current year, said Franko-
vich, British films accounted for
about 30% of Columbia’s business
world wide. He said his company
was going aU out to develop new
talent. He kudosed the initiative
of Spyros Skouras in giving en¬
couragement to new talent and
praised 20th’s initiative in its pro¬
duction of “Inn of Sixth Happi¬
ness” for which it transplanted
the Far East in a British studio
instead of taking an entire unit
out to China.

Military Filni Cirenit
Grants '80 Days’ Twice
Usual Admission Scale

Mainz, Dec 2

“Around World in 80 Days”
(UA) wiU be shown on the ra^-
tary screens of. Europe starting
Dec. 14, with a real difference—
it’s only the third time in history
that the Army and Air Force Mo¬
tion Picture Service in Europe has
raised prices for cinema ducats.
Both “Bridge on River Kwai” (Col)
and “Young Lions” (20th), won
higher ticket fees on the military
circuit. “Around the World” will
have double the usual price of 50c
for adults and 25c instead of 15c
for youngsters.

Price upping was necessitated
by the increased fee paid for the
film, one of the officials of the
Motion Picture Service admitted
here. But, he added, “We don’t
feel that the added price will have
any effect on business. We raise
prices only for pictures that are
really topnotch, and the trend ,
previously has been that business
has been very good. It's still
cheaper than seeing these pictures
at regular theatres where the prices
run as much as $2.50 iif Germany.”

The military has obtained its
usual quota, of seven 35m prints
and nine 16m prints, which means
that the pic will be playing the
military circuit for about 24 weeks.
It is booked for a maximum of
two days at any one military
theater, but since a big city like
Frankfurt may have four soldier
cinemas, this gives it a maximum
eight-day run at any one place
where troops are concentrated.

The 35m milita^ theatres are all
equipped with CinemaScope now,
and that version will be shown,
with two dr three performances
scheduled per day. American serv¬
icemen in some (Jerman cities have
already seen the English version
of “Days” previously.

N.Y. Film Eds Elect

Fred Ahrens has been elected
president of the Motion Picture
Film Editors Local 771, Manhat¬
tan. Michael Prusch was named
veepee, Jean Steinberg, secretary;
E, Harlan Whitehead, treasurer;
John Oxton, business agent, and
Edward Wyant Jr., sergeant at
arms.

Board of trustees are Monie
Roizman, chairman; James Molini
and Frank Madden. Executive
board will comprise officers and
trustees along with Harcdd Ber¬
nard and Julian Bergman.

More Details On
Yen-DoBarDeal

Tokyo, Dec. 2.

The third large loan by the U. S.
film industry to Japanese semi-
Govermnent hydroelectric power
development companies has been
concluded. .Agreement has been
reached and official confirmation
is expected shortly. Idea, of course.
Is to unfreeze yen and remit in
dollars.

Deal, which was negotiated here
by Irving Maas, MPEA Far East
supervisor, involves a total of
3,100,000DQ0 yen ($8,642,000) from
the U. S' majors’ accumulated yen
fund. Of that figure, an amount
slightly in excess of 1,700,000,000-
yen (^,739,000) is expected to be
rfintted to the United States ith-
mediately upon signing of the
documents and amount slightly
less than 1,400,000,1)00 yen ($3,-
903,000) will be loaned to the
Electric Power Resources with the
sum to be returned in three years
after a two-year deferment period
with the rate of interest at 4B%
per annum.

No resident funds are included
in the current deal. This is the first
time that the remittable amount
exceeds the loan figure.

The first such deal, concluded
in December, 1955, involved a
loan of 2,700,000,000 yen ($7,527,-
000) and 1,700,000 ($4,739,000) was
immediately freed for remittance.
At 3.3% interest, principle was
repayable over a six-year period
starting within three years of the
deal (this year).

Second deal, inked in June,
1957, Involved a loan of 2,400,000,-
000 yen ($6,691,000) with an addi¬
tional 1,300,000,000 yen ($3,624,-
000) remitted at signature time.
Deal was tw'ofold, one segment in¬
volving funds from U. S. distribu¬
tors* resident account for a seven
year period at 3.3 interest per
annum with repayment to start in
three years from effective date or
1960 with a .3 per cent commis¬
sion going to Japanese banks han¬
dling the loan. Part two was simi¬
lar to the first deal, involving non¬
resident funds and repayable in
six years.

Manila

Continned from page 3

operation previously deductable
were not permitted, Maas said,
:“The whole thing was inconceiv¬
able from the very beginning. It
i cannot be supported by the facts
■ in the matter.”

! Regarding remittances for the
fiscal year which started July 1,
Maas offered, “Although there is
some ^elay, we have made satis¬
factory' arrangements that the. re¬
mittance will continue as last
year.” Last year, $1,800,000 was
remitted for alt American im¬
porters.

The strike threat Is a result of
demands being made by the union
since collective labor agreement
expired October 31.

Maas said, ‘The union has made
demands which we just cannot and
will not acquiesce to. When I left
we were in a stalmate over the
whole thing. A date of December
13 was set after which a strike may
be called. Whether or riot it will
remains to he seen.”

U. S. majors not involved In em¬
ployee hassle are Paramount,
which is noil-unionized; and RKO
and Allied Artists, which do not
have their own distribution setup*
in Manila,

Maas hopes to return before the
December 13 date and renegotiate
a satisfactory contract in. an effort
to avert a strike.

'VAwmr't'xoNDOH oroc* .

M St. Dtafflit'* PfM«, T f f lur S^f

INTEKHATIONAI.

H

I II ill WS I I

Desmond O’Donovan Details New Cooperative Spirit
Of Russians—^But Practical Hurdles Numerous

Because, for the first time, they
are not afraid of exposing their
contemporary scene |to western
view, the Russians today are eager
for cultural contact with the west
and very receptive to film copro¬
duction proposals, Desmond O’Don¬
ovan of London said in N. Y. last
week.

O’Donovan, who’s a legit and
film producer as well as a writer,
said he had one film—“Operation
Ice Breaker”—all set with the So¬
viets, and probably would do a sec¬
ond Anglo - Soviet coproduction
after that. It’s tentatively called
“The Island,”

“Ice Breaker” will be done in
widescreen and color (either Todd-
AO or Technlrama) and O’Donovan
said that, after the roadshow dates,
he’d want an American distributor
to handle the film worldwide.

As for the finan'eial arrange¬
ments, O’Donovan said the Soviets
W'ould pay for everything pertain¬
ing to their sequences in the film,
l.e. for about one-third of the pic¬
ture. His own share of the budget
X'ould come to about $5,000,000
estimated, claiming that “I’ve al¬
ready got a good part of the
money” from private sources. The
Russlmis get the negative for the
Soviet or|^, O’Donovan’s company
gets it for the rest Neither party
shares in the other’s profits.

There’ll be two versions, one
Russian and one English, 0’Dono>
van, who’s paging John Hustoil to
do the directing job on the British
side, said one of the big problems
would be to piece together the foot- j
age done in and outside Russia and 1
not come up with a clash in style,
pacing, etc. “It’U require close co¬
operation,” he observed. “The Rus-,
sians folly understand this.” He
said it was his job ^ the picture
“to show the west in the best pos¬
sible light.”

“Ice Breaker” has a scientist’s
plane lost in the Arctic region,
with both a British and a Soviet
ham (boy and girl) picking up the
faint signals, only nobody will be¬
lieve them. Eventually, the group
is discovered and taken off the ice¬
berg just in time. The British and'
Russian heart specialists, operate
on the scientist on board a British
submarine and save him. Much of
the Soviet footage will deal with
the Russian girl’s voyage from
Odessa on the Black Sea to Mos¬
cow, where she wants to convince
the Soviet president that she’s
heard the distress signals. She
gets to him by hiding in the Krem¬
lin.

O’Donovan said his agreement
v;ith the Russians allowed him to
take cameras into the Kremlin for
the first time. The Soviet girl may
be played by the Russian actress
Tatiana Samoilova.' Gregory Peck
may play the explorer-scientist.

The British producer, whose out¬
fit recently completed the film “The
Boy and the Bridge,” said there
v/as a good deal of pressure inside
Russia for more information from
the west. _He said the newly-estab¬
lished Uri Zhnkov committee for
cultural relations, with foreign
countries was as important today
as the officials in the Ministry of
Culture, where the film department
now is headed by I. Koslov and G.
Posner,

‘The Island,” second coproduc¬
tion planned by O’Donovan with
the Soviets, deals with an inde¬
pendent state on an island off the
Coast of Africa. Since the govern¬
ment is in trouble, it asks both the
U.S. and the Russians to send mis¬
sions: Both countries do. and the
emissaries are eventually “con¬
verted” to local culture.

Interstate’s Forest Down
To Fri.-Sat-Sun. Grir

Dallas, Dec. 9.

Effective Monday and continuh
Indefinitely, the Forest Theati
owned by the Interstate Circu
will be open for biz only three da;
a week, Friday, Saturday and Su
day, opening at 6:45 p.m., 11:^
a.m. and 1:45 p.m. respectively (
those successive days.

Interstate has announced th
Victor Matthews is succeeding Ro
ert Holland manager of tl
house. Holland is returning
Washington to take up a post wi
the U. S. Dept, of Interior,

Use Honolulu Cinema

For Blaze Homeless

Honolulu, Dec. 2.

The International Theatre was
pressed into service as a haven of
refuge for the homeless when mid¬
night flames swept through a
crowded tenement district not far
from the downtown area.

Show house, which specializes in
Japanese films,'adjoins the gutted
area, but was in no danger itself.

vuui uiivi ivu

Music Cops Medal
From Be^ians

Brussels, Dec. 9.

The Belgian government has
awarded its Gold Medal to the
musical portion of the United
States Performing Arts program at
last summer’s World’s Fair here.
This was judged best of the 22
participating nations. Music lineup
was put together by Marcella Gis-.
ney, the associate coordinator in
the Manhattan office.

Plagued originally by Congres-1
sipnal cutback in operating funds
it was n^essary for Miss Cisney
to improvise and seek private and
foundation grants to swing a full
six-months sequence of Aijierican
talent. (There were also Theatre, 1
Dance and Film participation by
theU,S.).

Among the music^ events which
Impressed the Belgians and piled
up the cultural points which won
the gold medal were the Philadel¬
phia Orchestra, Jirilliard String
Qu^et, New York Woodwind
Quintet, Sylvia Marlowe, Smith
College and Yale glee clubs,
George London, Blanche Thebom,
Eleanor Steber, John Browning,
WilHam Warfield and Leontyne
Price plus the RCA-financed new
American opera, “Maria Golovin”
by Gian-Carl Mennotti. !

Italo Show Biz Chief
In Strong Appeal For
Quality, Prestige Hz

Rome, Dec. 2.

A strong plea for a return to
quality and prestige productions
in this country is contained in a
statement from Italian Entertain¬
ment Office topper Nicola De Pirro
following the conclusion of the re¬
cent Italo-French film talks. Ac¬
cording to DePirro, the Franco-
Italian agreement is “designed to
favor those films which through
their artistic and moral values
honor the filmic reputation and the
prestige of both nations.”

The Italian official noted that
this statement was especially im¬
portant now, in a period in which
“the majority of Italian produc¬
tion gives the impression of hav¬
ing abandoned the foreign mar¬
kets, limiting itself to ^tisfying
certain aspects—and certainly not
the most noble ones—of a certain
commercial taste current in this
country,” ''

Certain industry officials have
in the past made no secret of their
worries over lowered Italian film
quality—which they saw reflected
in the difficulties of Italo selec¬
tions for film fests, film weeks, etc:
This is believed generally to have
held back local e3q>ort chances, but
this is the first time that an in¬
dustry official has openly aired tliis
sore point.

Back to U.S. Via Pole

London,_ Dec. 9.

Lewis Allen took the polar
route back to Hollywood last Sat¬
urday (6) after six months in
Europe directing “Whirlpool” for
the Rank Organization.

The film, which stars Juliette
Greco and O. W. Fischer, was
made at Pinewood Studios and on
location in the Rhineland.

DeUnrentiis’ Tempest’

At l^es’San Carlo
Briigs Critics’ Rares

Rome, Dec. 2.

The gala sendoff given Dino De-
Laurentiis’ “The Tempest,” which
Paramount will release outside
Italy, has been followed by a wave
of favorable industry comment,
both.in favor of the giant picture
and of the value of properly
launching product to recapture the
public exemplified by the opening.

World preem of the pic, which
stars Van Heflin, Silvaho Mangano,
Geoffrey Home and others, was:
held in Naples’ beautiful San Carlo
Opera House, first time a film was
ever screened there, as a Red Cross ■
benefit show. Guest of honor was
Donna Carla Gronchi, wife of the
Italian President and herself head
of the Red Cross. Usual large num¬
ber of stars were in attendance as:
well as film industry officials and
crix.

Large part of the klieg affair
which preceded screening was tele¬
cast live over RAI-TV, Italy’s tv
network, during the key 9-10 night
hoims, bringing this revival of film-
dom glamour to'many video spec¬
tators in this country. Also Un¬
usual in this country, the affair and
advance comment on the pic was ;
carried as feature news by all top
Italo dailies.

The gi^t 3,000-seat house, tra¬
ditional and stidd opera haven, was
packed despite the $8fi0 tab. Many
people paid more than the mini¬
mum for benefit tickets, with scalp¬
ing this time being for the good
cause of the Rc^-Cross. Open^
and the pic brought raves which
topped those which followed De-
Laurentiis’ “War and Peace” preem
in Rome’s Op^a House At this
rate, says one local industry offi¬
cial, DeLaurentiis will want to
open his next spectacle (“Simon
Bolivar”) in Milan’s Scala Theatre.

Yearend Upbeat
At French Cinema

Paris, Dec. 9.

After crying the blues all
year, a sudden last-part-of-seaspn
filmgoing spurt has ,-film people
feeling they pulled themselves out
of the doldrums by their own.
bootstraps. Actually, an easing of
political and economic troubles,
and* some controversial. Interest¬
ing, if not all good pix, did the
trick In making the last four
months at the boxoffice equivalent
to that of last year. However, the
’b.o. declined 11% in overall total
this season as again^ 1957.

Some solid French hits, now ty¬
ing up needed first run outlets by
their long tenure, are “In Case
of Accident,” with Brigitte Bardot
ih her first “serious” role; “The
Two Faced Mirror,” with Michele
Morgan playing a homely woman
transformed by surgery: “The
Gorilla Salutes You,” a violent
undercover agent piece; “The
Cheats,” oa juve delinquency:
“Life As a Couple,” Sacha Guitry’s
last script; ’’The Law Is the Law,”
a Fernandel comedy; “A Life,”
with Maria Schell suffering nobly,
and “Anna of Brooklyn,” with
Gina. Lollobrigida as a merry^
widow.

Looming as new hits are “Les
Grandes Families,”, on the lives
of the big French industrialists;
“The Lovers,” with a 20-minute
love scene; “Maxine,” with Charles
Boyer and Miss Morgan; “What
A Sunday,’’ with Danielle Darri-
eux, and ‘The Gambler,” with
Gerard Philipe, based on the. Dos¬
toyevsky novel.

Coming Yank biggies are “South
Pacific” (20th) in Todd-AO, “Gigi”
(M-G), “Roots of Heaven” (20th).
“Raintree Country” (M-G)> “The
Vikings” (UA) and “The Bucca¬
neer” (Par). —

And so public interest in show
biz is perking here, with patron¬
izing of legit making it one of the
best seasons since the war.

Van Keuran Recuperating
Off Hal Roach Payroll

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Sidney S. Van Keuran, studio
manager nf Hal Roach Studios for
past 22 years, fias resigned due to
his health.

He underwent major surgery last
October and is now recuperating.

West End StnM; V Wow $20jlll0,

infest’ Lusty lOG, ‘Sherffi ’ 9G, 44

—--^f

Pakistan Pix Industry
Not Hurt by Politics

New Delhi, Dec. 2.

The unsettled political situation
In P^stan apparently has had
little effect on the Islamic repub¬
lic’s picture industry, according to
Shaukat Hussein Rizvi, Pakistani
producer-director now in this
Country to direct an Indian film be¬
ing produced by Co-operative Pic¬
tures. Shaukat Hussein reported
“tremendous progress in film pro¬
duction in Pakistan during the last
five years.” Within this period, an¬
nual production of Pak pix had
increased from 12 to about 50 last
year.

Cost of producing a good feature
pic averaged about $60,000 in Pak¬
istan, and star prices were modest,
a maximum of $10,000 per pic. And
boxoffice receipts were “very
high,” because even the poorest
man is a regular cinema-goer.

In France May
Hit Film Biz

Paris, Dec. 9.

The recent French elections had
the country’s legislature going
right and moderate center. The
choice of ministers likely will tell
how the economic situation will
shape up. Whether spending will
be slowed down to prevent infla¬
tion, of cOjUrse, may have an effect
on show biz, which, being rated a
luxury here, reflects the monetary
policy quite often.

It is especially true in France
where show biz expenditures usu¬
ally depend on the high standard
of living. France is going through
a slight recession, with prodxiction
up, but consumption down. How¬
ever, this is felt to be an echo of
the recent American downbeat
and likely to pass soon.

New government has partisans
for heavy loans to smooth out the
recession, but others feel this
would devaluate. the franc at a
time when it should be stable.
Incumbent Minister Antoine Pinay
is an advocate of the latter policy
and against too many government
subsidiaries. In fact, he held up
the passing by decree of a pro¬
longation of the Film Aid Law'
here.

It is felt here that the next
Finance Minister will have a lot
to do with a good beginning for
the workings of the Fifth Repub¬
lic here. There is talk it may be
Pinay again, but this is not cer¬
tain! If he is named, it could mean
a sort of austerity which could
react on show hiz, always a heav¬
ily subsidized medium here. The
next few months will tell.

Obtisatory Programming
Aronses Italo Exliibs;
Law Closes 3 Houses

Rome, Dec. 2.

The Italian exhibition sector is
up in arms against a continuation
of current obligatory programming
legislation, which forces local
theatreowners to include certain
types of shorts and newsreels with
their feature programs. They also
have to run Italian films only for
a certain number of days per year.

Matter was brought up at a cur¬
rent producer-distributor-exhibitor
meetings in view of prelimin^
talks regarding, the future Italian
film law which regulates the above
programming.

In addition, it’s just been re¬
vealed here that three Rome cine¬
mas were ordered shut for periods
ranging from six to eight da^ each
for breaking Italian legislation re¬
garding “obligatory scheduling” of
local product. Pic houses affected
are the central (first-run) Gal¬
leria plus the Palestrina and the
Delle Maschere.

Vancouver, Dec. 7.

“Inn of the Sixth Happiness,”
with a resounding $20,000 or near
in its first week, led the field
among the new entries in the West
End and fell just short of a house
record for the Odeon, Leicester
Square. Of the other newcomers
“(3ld Man and the Sea” is heading
for a solid $8,600 in the opening
round at the Warner.

“Two-headed Spy” shapes tall
$8,500 in second sesh at the Odeon,
Marble Arch. “Man of West” looks
a sturdy $10,000 or near in its first
frame at the Leicester Square
Theatre. “Sheriff of I^-actured
Jaw” is hefty $9,000 in fourth Carl¬
ton session.

The blockbusting holdovers con¬
tinued in fine style, with “Seven
Wonders of the World” hitting a
great $19,800 for 40th frame at the
Casino. “South Pacific,” is a big
$17,000 In its 32nd Dominion week.
“Around World in 80 Days” is solid
$8,400 in its 74th Astoria sesh.

Estimates for Last Week)

Astoria (CMA) (1,474; $1.20-
$2.15)—“Around World in 80
Days” (UA) (74th wk). SoUd $8,400.

Carlton (20th) (1,128; 70-$2.15)—
“Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” (20th)
(4th wk). Hefty $9,000 or near.
Third, $10,000.

Casino (Indie) (1,155; 70-$2.15)
—“Seven Wonders of World”
(Robin) (40th wk). Great $19,800.

Empire (M-G) (3,099; 55-$1.70)
—“Girls at Sea” (ABP) (2d wk).
Fair $5,800 after $6,600 in opening
session. “Tom Thumb” (M-G)
preems Dec. 3.

Ganmont (CMA) (1.500; 50-$1.70)
—“Floods of Fear” (Rank) 3d wk).
Poor $2,500 after $3,100 in second
week. “The Square Peg” (Rank)
opens Dec. 4.

Leicester Square Theatre (CMA)
(1*376; 50-$1.70)—“Man of West”
j (UA). Likely to do $10,000 soHd.

London Pavilion (UA) (1,217;
50-$1.70)—^“Timbuktu” (UA) {2d
wk). Average $5,000 or near after
$5,800 in opening round. “Colossus
of New York” (Par) bows Dec. 5.

I Odeon, Leicester Square (CMA)
i (2,200; 50-$1.70)—“Inn of Sixth
Happiness” <20th). Wow $20,000
and may hit new house record.

Odeon, Marble Arch (CMA)
(2,200; 50-$1.70)—“Two-Headed

Spy” (Col) 2d wk). Stout $8,500.
First was $9,500.

Plaxa (Par) (1,902; 7{)-$1.70)—“I
Only Asked” (Col) (4th wk). Solid
$5,600. Third was $6,500. “Bell,
Book, Candle” (Col) follows Dec.
4.

Rialto (2dth) (592; 50-$1.30)—
“Blitzkrieg” (BL) (5th wk) and
“Sally’s Irish Rogue” (BL). Good
$3,400. Last^eek $4,100. “Nowhere
to Go” (M-G) and “Torpedo Bun”
(M-G) follow on Dec. 4.

Riti (M-G) (432; 50-$1.3a—“Cat
bn Hot Roof” (M-G) (2d wk).
Healthy ^4,000. First w’as $4,100.

Warner (WB) (1,785; 50-$1.70)
“Old Man and Sea” (WB) Looks to
hit a solid $8,600.

Sees Little Hope For

India Pix in America

New Delhi, Dec. 2.

Hopes of Indian films’ extending
their overseas popularity^ from
Asia and Africa to the U.S. suf¬
fered a dash of cold water thrown
on them by a leading Indian pro-
ducer-dii’ector. Back from an ex¬
tended visit in America, much of
it illness-prolonged in Hollywood,
Mehboob Khan rated the chances
of Indo-American coproduction as
almost nil. He ruled out hopes
for Indian films getting circuit re¬
lease in the U. S.

The Indian filmmaker had plan¬
ned on co-producing a feature,
woven around the famed Taj Ma¬
hal, with a top Hollywood outfit.
But he found the proposed Yank
terms unacceptable. He’s drop¬
ped the co-production idea, and
now intends to go it alone, Meh¬
boob produced-directed “Mother
India” < Col), Oscar-nominated
this year in the foreign-film cate¬
gory, and won for its star, Nargis,
Ihe “best actress” prize in the in¬
ternational Film Fest at Karlovy
Vary, Czechoslovakia.

Mebboob suffered a heart attack
in Hollywood where he had gone
to attend the Academy Award
ceremonies. He spoke gratefully
of the spontaneou.s gestures of as¬
sistance by U.S. film toppers dur¬
ing his illness.

12

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

smart

alec

earns

smart

money

MONEY REVIEWS, TOO!

‘Guinness is a howl!
The screen exudes an
earthy, salty, gingery,
sweaty, whisky wiff!’'

—r/mt

Funnier and warmer
as it goes along!
Leaves viewers
laughter-happy!” -w.

"Highest rating!
Guinness is superb!”

—Kofe Cameron, N.Y. Daify News

Brilliant performance
by ‘"Guinness. A truly
incredible cast-assist

—BQ5/ey Crowiher, N.Y, Times

A tj) #

P&fislhostre
New I

RONALD NEAME and JOHN BRYAN
present

From the novel by JOYCE CARY

also starring KAY WALSH • RENEE HOUSTON • MIKE MORGAN
Screenplay by ALEC GUINNESS • Directed by RONALD NEAME
Produced by JOHN BRYAN • A Knightsbridge Production

TECHNICOLOR*

Wediiesday, Decendb^i' 3:^ 1;$^

p smm

PICTURES

IS

ADULTS, ADULTERY, TV & B.O.

Roman CathoKcs Enthusiastically Back
2Mi s Inn of the Sixth Happiness

The Roman Catholic National-*-
Legion of Decency last week took
the unusual step of recommending
20th-Fox’s “Inn of the Sixth Hap¬
piness” to the Catholic patronage
of the entire family. The Catholic
rating body said the dramatic,
artistic and entertaiiunent values
of the film are “superior” and
added that the “moving story of
the heroic spirit and tremendous
courage of the missionary, por¬
trayed in the picture, will be
rewarding experience for all Who
see it.”

The Legion, which is the Catho¬
lic film rating body, put “Inn” into
its A-1, Morally Unobjectionable
for Creneral Patronage, category.

Legion’s move is worth- noting
for two reasons. (I) The main
character in the picture, played
by Ingrid Bergman, is a Protestant
missionary in China. (2) The Le¬
gion in the past has rarely if ever
gone out of its way to recommend
films. Its fimction has been only
to rate pix according to their
moral values.

Ifi felt that the endorsement
of "Inn’' is part and parcel of the
new Roman Catholic attitude on
films, an attitude which points
into a more positive direction and
seeks to encourage the good rather
than discourage the bad. Com¬
paratively few -of the top Holly¬
wood pictures end up in the Le¬
gion's A-1 class.

The endorsement also would in¬
dicate that the Church has “fm--
given” Miss Bergman for I’affair
Rossellini. Her last role in a film
mAde in the tJ.S. was “Saint Joan’
and it was in this context that
many Catholics felt deeply her
subsequent affair with Rossellini
and divorce from her husband.

KRIMS HONEYMOONING

Chairman Bob Benjamin Stands Up
For UA’s Prez

CEKMONIAUZEYEAR
OFCHEI^EA OPERATION

First anni of the Chelsea Closed
Circuit Television Project in N.Y.
was marked on Monday (8) with
ceremonies and a list of guests
headed by Mayor Robert F. Wag-
ner. Anni program was broadcast
from the project’s studio at Public
School 33, Ninth Ave and 27th St.,
over the entire circuit and to a 9
by 12 foot screen in the school’s au¬
ditorium. The program included
songs by a group* of children from
the school and a pictorial review
of the project’s first year of opera¬
tion.

The pioneer project, under the
directioh of Lawrence Creshkoff, is
an ejq)eriment in improving com-
mun^ life throi^h educational
closed-circuit television and oper¬
ates under a grant from the Fund
for the Advancement of Education.
A joiht project of the N.Y. Board of
Education and Hudson Guild, the
tv setup links Hudson Guild, P.S.
33, the Lower West Side Health
Center and Elliot Houses, a low-
iucome housing'project.

Progtams range from classroom
demonstrations and lessons to
. lan^age classes on film. In ad¬
dition, live programs from Hudson
Guild and the Health Center
feature staff and local residents in
a variety of shows.

Irv Levin Still Persists;
Stakes ’59 Frisco Fest

• • San Francisco, Dec. 9.

A film festival will be held- in
San Francisco in 1959, icrespBctive
of the,International Federation of
Film Producers, which designates
the official ones. So declares ex¬
hibitor living M. Levin.

Levin says he has no official
word of a turn-down for an “A”
rating. (The news was printed in
last week’s Variety that San Fran¬
cisco gotthe go-by.)

A local prophet with the: usual,
or small; local honor. Levin has
been trying for^sbrne years to build
support , from Holljrwopd, the San
Francisco city fathers and the in-^'
ternational body. None have helped
him.

Arthur B. Krim, prez of United
Artists, was married Sunday (7)
at Park Avenue Synagogue to Dr.
Mathilde Danon. Reception follow¬
ed at Krim’s new home at River-
view Terrace, N.Y=: Couple will
honeymoon in Paris, Geneva
(where her parents live) and Israel.
Leaving today (Wed.), they’ll be
gone a month.

Robert S. Benjamin, UA’s board
chaurma^ was Krim’s best man.
Mrs, K rim is Swiss, but was bom
in Milan, Italy.

Screen Publicists Seek
Manhattan Enrolfanent
In JUr, Ad, PR Ranb

The N.Y. Screen Publicists Guild
has officially launched its cam-
pai^ to sign up publicity and ad¬
vertising employees now outside
trade union ranks. The drive will
encompass workers in television
and radio, advertising agencies,
.^^lic relations firms, publicity
officers and independent film pro¬
ducers’ offices. Crafts involved are
those of copy writer, artist, pub¬
licist, publicity writer, promotion
representative and production men.

The organizing drive is part of a
campaign to replenish the ranks of
SPG which has been hard hit dur¬
ing the past year by the wide^
spiead economy wave in the film
business. As a result of the cuts,
the SPG’s membership was re¬
duced by about 40% and the union
now has about 125 members. It
represents homeoffice pub-ad staff¬
ers at 20th-Fox, United Artists,
Metro, (Columbia, Warner Bros, and
Umversal. The SPG is affiliated
with District 65, AFL-CIO which
has about 30,000 members in the
N. Y. area.

The SPG drive “to organize the
unorganized*’ has been designated
as a “build the Guild”, campaign.
It was unanimously voted by the
union’s membership in approving
the program of the newly-elected
officers — chairman Nat' Weiss
(20th), co-chairman George Nelson
tWB), vicechairman Henry Strauss
(Col), and secreta^ Val Coleman
(UA).

KING BROS. NET, $42,280

Meet Dec. 19 to Elect Next Board
of Directors

Hollywood, Dec.

Net profit after taxes for King
Bros. Productions 'dipped slightly
for fiscal year ended Aug. 31,1958,
amounting to $42,280 as against
$46,034 for corresponding period
previous year; Corresponding net
before provision for taxes was
$70,666, compared to ^4,476 for
1957. ^

''^In Its report to stockholders,
company stated it was in the most
liquid financial condition in its his¬
tory, cash, securities and receiv¬
ables amounting to $739,211 as
against $315,447 on Aug. 31, 1957.
Total current assets were $930,321,
compared to total current liabili¬
ties of $56,804. Company also had
unremitted foreign funds at fiscal
year end of $221,192, repping a
profit, of which $148,578 was ap¬
plicable to “The Brave One.”

Report asserted “Brave One”
had not contributed to net profit
of year just ended, but would show
on this year’s record, having now
paid off negative cost Only a
“mod^” contribution bad been
made, too, by “Rhoden,” Japanese
import, on last fiscal year’s profits,
bulk to appear on this year’s sheet

Annual stockholders meet will
be' held at headquarters here Dec.
19 to elect a board of directors for
upcoming year. i

By FRED HIFT

Clubwomen who take 'moving
pictures seriously give their own
impressions of what hurts today’s
box ofifiee, at least- iu the West¬
chester suburbs, northeast of New
York City. These are the hurtful
factors:

af Life as lived is too tense,
crowded, harassed.

by Television has alienated the
old fans’ affections.

c) Modern films with their
"adult” themes shock many con¬
servative minds. %

In addition, of course, there are
the usual problems of babysitting,
competitive events, the cost of
downtown admissions, etc.

This was the impression gained
last week ..by this Variety staffer
from interviews with suburban
matrons attending the regular
monthly meeting of the Lardimont-
Mamaroneck Motion Picture Coun¬
cil, one of the largest and most
active such ^oups in the country
and an organization aimi^ to “fos¬
ter the best in motion pictures for
adults and children as a construc¬
tive community project”

The Council has about 65 mem¬
bers drawn from the two N.Y.
communities. Some 33 different
organization are represented in the
®roup whose interests lange from
documentary and educational to
featime films. The Council, which
is under the efiScient presidency of
Mrs.- Marguerite Lewis, previews
films, i.e. several of its members
preview for the National Board of
Review of Motion Pictures in N.Y.,
it sponsors previews of pictures by
hi^ school seniors who then re-
^rt at the meetings what they’ve
seen; it places rating in the local
paper, arranges children’s shows
and purchases films for the perm¬
anent film library of the elemen¬
tary schools in the district.

Filins Ys. Customers
It is an unusually alert, intelli¬
gent and vocal group that makes
up the Council, and being that, it
doesn’t look at films and the-film
industry without criticism. “We
can say or do what we want,” was
one comment after the meeting.
‘The fact is the film, industry
people don’t like pressures of any
kind. Maybe they’ve had too many
in the past. They want to keep us
happy—but only on their terms.”

Another woman complained that
HoU 3 rwood was poking fun and
making light of such serious ques¬
tions as divorce and adultery. Im¬
plication was that the tenor of
dialog with divorce or adultery
themes wasn’t sufficiently severe.
Mrs. Heidi Stearne was one of
several women who voiced concern
over the lack of suitable children’s
films coming out of Hollywood.
Same i>oiht was made by Mrs. Elja
Bucklin who is the PTA Preview
Editor of the Film Estimate Board
of National Organizations in N.Y.

One of the most active members
of the Council is Mrs. Maiy Mills,
wife of Taylor Mills, the eastern
info head for the Motion Picture
Assn, of America, Among other
things, Mrs. Mills keeps tab on
catalogs and descriptive film mate¬
rial in many fields. If any group
Wants to use a film as part of a
meeting, she has the what’s what
. her files. Mrs. Claude L.
Seixas takes care of children’s
films, and Mrs. Robert Wade speaks .
for the PTA Council.

Other Activities

Yet, despite'^e activities of all
•these women, to whom the motion
picture still holds glamor and ex¬
citement, and who are willing—and
eager—to treat it is both entertain¬
ment ^d ail art, attendance at the
local bouse in Mamaroneck de¬
clined so much that it’s now blosed.

The Mamaroneck Playhouse,
forced by a drop in business,
wanted to reduce the number of
its projectionists. The union said
no. .The bouse shutterecL Though
Mrs. Lewis wrote a long letter to
“the local Daily Times, -wbich also
carried an editorial deploring
(Continued on page 19)

Offbeat-TaIes-to-Offset"Video
Still Defended Though Results
Not Always to Trade s Delight

With film producers making a!necessary and in fact has had to

stronger-than-ever pitch for unu¬
sual, offbeat stones and taking the
position that there’s virtually
nothing any longer that can’t be
fitted to meet the relaxed require¬
ments of the Production Code, the
Motion Picture Assn, of America is
once again concerned over public
reaction.

The Code, on both the production
and the advertising levels, is caught
between two fires. On the one
side are those who maintain that,
if it is to survive the home-video
competition, tiie screen must do
the things which tv can’t do, i.e.,
go for either color and widescreen
spectacles, or else mature, chal¬
lenging, stimulating story themes
which tv couldn’t and wouldn’t
tackle.

Thus Hollywood producers have
bought such novels as “LoUta,”
‘Garden District” and “On the
Terrace,” stories which tv couldn’t
touch with a ten-foot pole whereas
Hollywood can at least approximate
the basic storyline as it did so suc¬
cessfully with “Peyton Hace.”

At the opposite end is the con¬
servative group which argues that
the Code,, having been greatly re¬
laxed, no longer affords the indus¬
try the kind of protection against
attack for which it was originally
set up. This group sees the in¬
dustry heading into a lot of trouble
over its newly-daring approach to
subject matter, and it would like
the Code to tighten up again.

Sources in N. Y. say that this
dilemma was the subject for dis¬
cussion at a recent confab on the
Coast between Eric Johnston,
MPAA prez, and Geoffrey Shur-
lock, the Code Administrator, who
appears to be taking a middle-of-
the-road attitude in the matter, i.e.,
giving producers a good deal of
leeway within the Code, but pre¬
venting them from going overboard
by either sanctioning violations of
the Code or by going along with
scenes and themes which are ob¬
viously in bad taste.

Pros and Cons

What troubles executives like
Johnston is that where, on the one
hand, it’s obvious that films, for
purely commercial reasons, must
take a more down-to-earth attitude
on subject matter and go out of
their way to latch on to attention-
getting themes, on the other that
pobcy seems fraught with public
relations-pbstacles.

It’s Jolmston who, in many
speeches, has maintained that the
Code exists to protect the family
audience both in the U. S. and
abroad. He can ho longer, in good
conscience, argue that the Code
keeps pix in line that far. At the
same time, there are those who, for
a long time, have held that the
Code at this point is doing more
and more what it should have done
a long time ago, i.e., not to restrict
filmakers, but simply to keep
them from going to extremes both
in questions of morality and good
taste. This faction argues strongly
that the Code has been too restric¬
tive from the start and is only now
reaching a point of. welcome ma¬
turity. There are strong indica¬
tions that Johnston, with many
pressures on him, doesn’t see it
that way and, furthermore, is
troubled by the many non-Code im¬
ports circulating in theatres today..

He has always viewed the Code
as self-regulation in the strict
sense of the word, an instrument
designed to keep the film the mass
medium which, in the strict sense
of the word, it no longer is. In
other immediately comes up with
.pictures “clean” for all age groups,
from the very young to the very
old. Since the industry is now
fighting for its survival, and given
pictures are no longer aimed at
the whole audience but seem to ad¬
dress themselves to specific groups
(“Mardi Gras” to the teenagers,
“L'onelyhearts” to the adults, «tc.>
this “blanket” protection afforded
by the Code no longer appears

be discarded for a more flexible
(and sensible) system..

The companies themselves are
making life difficult for the Code.
If one gets a picture passed, the
other immediately comes up with
bitter representations regarding
one of its own films which had
Code problems. At the advertising
end, caution has been thrown to
the wind with the result that, al¬
most daily, the ad Code is bom¬
barded with protests from com¬
panies whose ads have been turned
down. Yet the ad Code also has
been relaxed. It can’t be too sev¬
ere when it passes a blurb like:
“He killed his brother, and then
he left his trademark on me!,” the
line coming from a seductive-look¬
ing girl.

There’s one (admittedly sancti¬
monious) justification for sexy ads.
It runs like this: “The public's al¬
ways been screaming we don’t tell
’em what’s in the ads. Now we do
tell them, and parents can know
w'ell in advance whether this or
that picture is right for their
youngsters to see.” The real rea¬
son for provocatively slanted ads,
of course, is the desire to “shock’*
a lot of people into seeing films
which normally they might pass
up,

• At the MPAA, the Code prob¬
lem is recognized though nobody
has any ready answers. “We’re al¬
ways either too tough or too soft,”
commented one exec. “Whatever
we do, and whichever way we do
it, we can’t be right. That’s the
nature of this job.”

SECOND BROKENHECK
FATAL TO KENNEDY

Natchitoches, La., Dec. 9.

Fred-Kennedy, 48, vet Hollywood
character actor and stunt man for
more than 25 years, died of a
broken neck Friday i7) during film¬
ing of United Artists’, “The Horse
Soldiers ’ here.

Kennedy was injured when he
threw himself from a horse during
the final scene of the Civil War
feature. The script called for him
to fall from his horse and feign
an Injury so he could elicit sym¬
pathy from the leading lady, ac¬
tress Constance Towers.

When Mi?s Towers in acting out
scene leaned over to kiss Kennedy
and climax a gag that ran through
the picture, he was gasping for
breath and unable to speak.

Director John Ford and a physi¬
cian ran to Kennedy and adminis¬
tered oxygen with equipment kept
standing by. Then Kennedy was
rushed to the Natchitoches parish
hospital. He was dead on arrival.

The Mahin-Rackin location com¬
pany was preparing to leave by
plane for Hollywood after the
scene was taken.

Fellow' stunt men disclosed that
Kennedy’s neck was broken two
years ago, but the break had
healed.

John Wayne and William Holden
star in the picture each receiving
$750,000 for his services.

Kennedy was the fourth, person
injured on location here. The
others suffered broken legs.

A brother, Roy Kennedy, who
also w'orked on the film as a wran¬
gler, returned the body to Holly¬
wood. Kennedy was a native of
Ainsworth, Neb.

Phil K^ogg Heads illm
SectioB^f Wm. Morris

H^olIywoOd, Dw. 9.

Phil Kellogg, associated with
the late Bert AUenberg tor 18
years, succeeds Mm as head of
motion picture dept. $t Wil«
liam Morris Agency.

Prior to going with ABeaherg,
Kellogg was with Metro and War*
ner Bros.

leo. mccarey’s production for 20th century-fox, “rally round the flag, boys!”
starring paul newman, joanne woodward, joan collins, jack carson; screenplay
by Claude binyon and leo mccarey from max shulman’s best-selling novel.

TRAILER BY MR. ROBERT HOPE

mST eCHTLlHAH OF THE STA61. SCHEEH, TELEVISm AHD UHITEO AIHLIHES!)

PICTCIiES

15

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

East Side-West Sde: ReasoD-Why

The motivation behind the stepped^lp desire for eastside-
westside launchings of pictures in Manhattan is based primarily
on the cost factor. According to film company estimates, it takes
anywhere from ^5,000 to $65,000 to kickoff a picture successfully
in the New York downtown area. It is for this reason that many of
the distributors, lacking pix considered smtable for the dual bows,
prefer to by-pass the Broadway dates and^ove the. picture immedi¬
ately to the subsequent situations.

Since it takes no more coin to open a picture at two theatres
than it does at one, the film companies prefer to latch oh to an east-
side arty house as a sort of an ace in the hole.

- In'many instances, a Broadway engagement (sans the protection
of an eastside tandem), even if moderately successful, cannot re¬
trieve the investment involved in advertising and publicity. On
the other hand, there are numerous examples of where a picture,
after winding up its Broadway run, can continue indefinitely at a
smaller arty theatre. As a result, particularly if a picture dis¬
plays appeal for the more discriminating film-goer, the picture
not only has a chance of recovering the opening costs but can chalk
up a neat profit as weU. ^

The film companies are well aware of the fact that they can’t
open expensive pictures at an art house only, despite the fact that
the subject matter may call for such a decision. On the basis of
the star values of a picture, they therefore make an effort to puU.
in the general audiences quickly with a splash Broadway engage¬
ment, thus picking up at least part of the large opening cost.

The dual opening, a novelty a few years ago, now appears to
be par for the course as far as the more important pix are con¬
cerned. Of course, not all pix are suitable for such treatment—
United Artists’ “The Big Country” and “The Vikings” being notable
examples.' In cases such as these, aU efforts must be made for the
picture to stand on its own as uniquely suited for the audiences
that patronize the Broadway deluxers.

Producer-Created Best-SeDers Distiffb
Pix Trade; See Mediocrify Oversold

Some industryites believe the
picture business is creating a new
monster by artificially hypoing
books into the best-seller lists. Al¬
most every company is currentty
involved w’ith a project whereby it
takes a book prior to publication
and by special promotion, advertis¬
ing and publicity attempts to trans¬
fer the tome into a popular best¬
seller, Theory behind this effort is
that is will enhance the book as a
film property.

The catch behind this, accord¬
ing to those- who oppose this
technique, is that the film, al¬
though there are exceptions, does
not always turn out to be- a hit.
In many instances, it's claimed,
a book lacking intrinsic literary
value is made a best-seller by dint
of the efforts of the film companies
and the true worth of the storj' is
not revealed until it is made into
a picture.

Moreover, it’s pointed out that
the film companies by making a
book a best-seller are actually in¬
flating the cost of the property.
In most of the pre-publication
. deals, the contracts contain an
escalator clause which gives the
book publisher and the author
added coin for the film rights if
the book moves intuthe best-seller
class. According to one pub-ad chief
w-ho feels that the buildiilg up of
a book should renvain in the do¬
main of the publisher, it is quite
simple for a film company to place
a hook on a best-seller list. "All
we have to do,” he said, “is have
our fieldmen buy a dozen copies
and send them but to their local
newspaper contacts. Then what
happens. We make the book a
best-seller and we have to pay
more for it If we didn’t bother
with this kind of' a buildup, we
could have probably picked up
the book for a song.”

What is also irritating filmites
Is the cooperative advertising ef-'
forts^ with the book .pubHshei^. On
the pre-buiidup's, each outfit puts;
tip about $10,000 each for .the ad¬
ditional promotion. “This puts us
in the book business,” said the
pub-ad chief. “Why should we pay
to create business for the pul^
lisher? I think it \TOuld be better
If we waited and put the money
Into the completed picture Instead
of having this advance money come
out of the production’s budget’*

Things have gotten to such a
state, it’s said, that film prcnno-
tion men cannot sit dowm to plan,
a campaign without consulting the
original publishers of a book, as
well as the paperback reprint pub¬
lishers. Some film-men are of the
opinion that-the-book industry Is
getting a free ride, on the coat,
tails of the picture, busine^. tfk.
noted that the pixites do the hulk
of the spending while the book
people, at comparatively little cost,
are getting aU the gravy.

Point stressed -by those oppos¬
ing this method of picture-lwok
prcanotion is that the book is not
a true best-seller, but one that Is

artificially pushed into that cate¬
gory, It’s stated that the book pub¬
lisher has absolutely nothing to
lose while the film company stands
to suffer considerably if the com¬
pleted picture turns out to be a
flop,

‘APPROVED’ 1N«A.
MiOR PRESS-BOOKS

Use of a statement and small
Insi^iia for all film press books
approved by the Advertising Code
was okayed last week in N. Y. by
the ad-pub 'publicity directors
committee of the Motion Picture
Assn, of America. The proposed
seal will not go on the ads them¬
selves, but will serve to help ex-
i hibitors whose ads may be reject-
i ed by local newspapers.

Implication is that, by being
able to show the “approved” seri
on the pressbook, the theatremen
will be in a better positmn to
argue the papers out of turning
down ad copy.

Ad-pub toppers also set up a
kind of employment centre within
;the MPAA publicrelations depart¬
ment. The office will maintain a
registry of all available exploita¬
tion .field men and ad-pub^perton-
nel not currently employed. Such
a list is expected to come in handy
when the majors expand their
activities either to service inde¬
pendent producers or to help push,
topbudget films.

CHARLES LEMAIRE DESIGNING

Out From Under Managerial Load
' As 20th-Fox Wardrobe Chief

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

' Charles LeMaire, for the past
15 years exec wardrobe director
for 20th-Fox, retires from this post
when curront cdntract expires
next Mardi to return to fnU-time
designing. He will costume -three
• pix • annually, under an • agreement
with production chief Buddy Adler.

.LeMaire, who is vacating exec
position “to escape the, burden of
managerial duties” to devote him¬
self to designing, won three Oscars
in past for best costume design,
including “All About Eve,” “The
Robe” and “Love Is a Many
Splendored Thing.”

Fred Bacbnan In Phoenii

Phoenix, Dec. 9.
Fred Bachman Has been trans-
feVred by AB-PT ifora St. Paul to
manage circuit’s Paramount Thea¬
tre here. i

He had been manager Para¬
mount .Theatre operations in St,
Paul since 1953.

Archer Films Ine. has been au¬
thorized to conduct business in
New York, with capital stock of 200
shares, no par value. Roger B.
Cowan is a director and filing at¬
torney.

Manhattan Zoning Crimps Theatres;
Arters Placard: ^English Spoken Here ’

DISNEY EXPLAINING
‘BEAUn’ BALLYHOO

Walt Disney Productions and. its
Buena Vista distribution subsid¬
iary have invited more than 50
prominent exhibitors from 2 iround
the country to a New York meet¬
ing today (Wed.) to hear discus¬
sions of the campaign for “Sleep¬
ing Beauty,” animated feature
done in the new Technirama-70
process.

Session is to be held at the War¬
wick Hotel and there’s a tentative
plan to show a test reel of the fea¬
ture at the Criterion Theatre. Idea
of the latter is to show off the
Techni-70 values but there was
some question as to whether the
test footage would be available
from the studio.

Many of the theatremen who al-
reacty have accepted the Disney
invitation will be in New York any¬
way. Other industry sessions tak¬
ing place in Gotham midweek in¬
clude membership and board meet¬
ings of the* Council of Motion Pic-
tui^ Organizations, a testimonial
luncheon tomorrow for COMPO
special, counsel Robi^t W. Coyne,
and various huddles of the Con¬
gress of American Exhibitors are
scheduled for tomorrow and
Friday.

Winging in from . the Coast to
address the Disney session are
Card Walker, Disney vicepresi-
dent, and. studio head Larry Gra-
bum. Others to participate include
Irving H, Ludvig, Buena Vista’s
domestic sales manager; Charles
Levy, ad-pub manager;. Vincent
Jrfferd, manager of Disney charac¬
ter merchandising, and Monroe
Greenthai, head of the ad agency
which repifesents the producer.

}- list of acceptances shows that
ali national and many regional cirr-
cults will be represented, at the
confab, which has as one of its pur¬
poses the spotlighting of ways of
applying natiohal promotions to
grassroots levels. The overall cam¬
paign is to be multi-facted, includ¬
ing the usual outlets along with
tieups ^th books, records and the :
Disney characte^

Kodoa Enterprises Corp. has
been authorize^ to conduct an
entertainment ^business in New
York. Directors are: AUen Klein;
Attorney .Martih J. Machet and
Robert L. Casper.

British Censorship As
Protector of Good Name
Of a German General!

■f Lots of people are talking about
the need for new “art” houses on
New York’s east side, but few are
hopeful of getting new theatres
started. The main reasons: Costs
and the zoning laws.

The fact that the east side today
is under-seated is demonstrated by
the **English spoken here" signs
that are up at most of the arties this
Christmas. What once used to be
the domain of the foreign film now
has been taken over, by offbeat
American product.

So great are the pressures that
normally a su’ose-

London, Dec. 9.

The London Evening Standard,
in a leading articare, has criticized
the British Board of Film Censors
for rejecting the East German-film,

“Operation Teutonic Sword,” be¬
cause it was a vicious personal at-; the Beekman,
tack on a leading person (General i switched to a first-

o -j 4 ' • u- policy and will be playing the

Speidel) without giving his side of [ French “He Who Must Die” for the
tlie case. 1 holidays. The only other class

Who, asks the Standard, are the ! houses to have imports are the Lit-
censors trying to protect? The Bri- Carnegie with “The Sorceress of
ish public can surely be trusted to | Salem” and the Baronet with “Mon
distinguish between propaganda i Oncle” (which is also playing in its
and fact. And General Speidel him- i English version at the Guild),
self could seek redress from the j Otherwise, the Paris has “The
courts of law should he wish to i Horse’s Mouth,” Normandie “Sep-
rebut the charges. By imposing the [ arate Tables,” Plaza “Inn of the

han fTio "RnarH cave fhp nanpr ic ; .cjivtli TTanninoco ” VinQ At-Ic. “UqII

ban the Board, says the paper, is
in fact pre-judgiug the issue.

The past record of the German
General, now commanding British
troops, IS a matter of intense and
legitimate interest in this country,
adds the Standard. It ,may be
ubiased: it only presents the case
for the prosecution but that is an
argument for calling on the defence
to present its evidence, not for trj'-
ing to stifle the controversy. In
attempting to ban films attacking
living persons, however tainted the
source, is* to “introduce an unac¬
ceptable principle into censorship.”

MIAMI ^E-IN CASE
BACK ON CALENDAR

An antitrust suit against the
eight majors and American Broad¬
casting-Paramount Theatres, dis¬
missed Oct. 22 on a technicality,
was reinstated Monday (8) by N.Y,
Federal Judge Frederick P. Bryan.
The Miami (Fla.) Drive-In Theatre,
in an action originally filed in Jan¬
uary, 1956, charged the defendants
discriminated against it in refusing
to grjmt certain runs and clear¬
ances.

No specific balm is sought. How¬
ever, the plaintiff asks trebled
damages sustained- Judge Bryan
restored the case to the calendar
upon motion by the Miami’s new
attorneys, Kleeberg & Greenwald.
Court agreed the case appears to
have some merit.

QarificatMm From Ontario

Sixth Happiness,” Fine Arts “Bell,
Book and Candle,” Sutton “Gigi”
and Trans-Lux 52d “Doctor’s Di¬
lemma.”

No Park or 5th

Under the present zoning laws,
there can be no theatre on Park
Ave or on 5th Ave. Also none on
57th St. from 9th to 2d Avenues
(excepting the ones already there),
and on any blocks from 50th to
60th St. between 5th Ave. and 100
feet west of Lexington Ave. There
can be exceptions, but only if a
theatre’s prospective neighbors ap¬
prove it, and they rarely do.

Walter Reade used to have a
plush house on Park Ave. and 57th.
He leased it to a bank, and when
he wanted it back he found the zon¬
ing laws prohibited him from mak¬
ing a theatre out of it again.

To build a new art house is very
expensive and normally can be
done only within the framew’ork
of a whole new building going up.
So far, the banks have refused to
finance theatres. If a building is
planned, and a theatre is included,
the banks will deduct that space
from their arrangements. On the
other hand, there are a couple of
east side houses, notably the RKO
58th St., which could-—eventually
—be converted to an art policy,
though that particular house is
rather large for that purpose.

Also, some east side spots are
being eyed for possible theatre
sites, but they’re either too far up
or else not yet within easy reach
of the expanding east side popula¬
tion. Swing away from Broadway
is seen heightening the pressures
for more east side showcases for
American as well as foreign prod¬
uct.

Renfrew, Ont.

Editor, Variety

* At a meeting 'of the Board of-
•Directors of this'Association, held-
Nov. 27, the report of th^ Annual-
Meeting which appeared in a re¬
cent issue of your paper ^vas dis-
.cus^dL

* L The first paragraph referred
to the Resolution on Sunday
Movies adopted -by the meeting.-
The Resolution, which was subse--
quently adopted-by the Motion.
Picture Industry • Council of Can-i
ada, reads as follows:

. RESOLV.ED ^that the Motion- •

* Picture Industry Council of
. Canada believes everyone

* should be given -the oppor-
. tunity to see motion pictures

in public, ds well as in private,
on Sundays should they so de¬
sire and therefore endorses
‘‘Sunday Movies" in motion
picture theatres. _

Your correspondent indicates
that we are requesting legislation
changes permitting Sunday Movies.
We are not adopting this course
at the present time. You'can see
from the llesolution quoted that,
we have simply gone on reebrd as
being in.favor of Sunday Movies.
The paragraph goes on to say that
“Theatre men assert check shows
9Q% of tiic people were in favor^”
No figure was mentioned at our
meetiligs and certainly, at the
pres^ time, a figure of 90% is
a gross exaggeration o£ the atti¬
tude of. the general public in this
Province.

2. Your correspondent covered
a discussion in connection with
Gratis Trailer' Advertising for

Charitable and Government groups.
A figure of $100,000 per year was
mentioned in your article as being
the potential income from this
source (if a fee is charged) to the
treasury of the Motion Picture
Theatres Association of Ontario
. . . As a matter of actual fact, we
are inclined to think that, in this
Province, a figure of $2,000 would
be closer to the mark. If all such
trailers and newsreel clips were
charged for at agency rates for
the whole of Cani» 5, the quoted
figure of $100,000 would still be an
optimistic exaggeration.

■ A huhibet of other matters were
aired at the Annual Meeting which
were not covered by yopr corre¬
spondent and we can readily urn
derstand that limitations of space
in your ^riodical would make it
impossible to cover all of the pro¬
ceedings, We are of the o^nion*

I however, that some brief mention
might have been made of the fol¬
lowing items which were also
aired:;

(1.). pur continued opposition
to the release of-motion pictures
to television.

(2.) The fOTmation by the
Dominion Government of a Small
Buisness Branch which may be
of some value to our Industry. •

(3.) The dissatirfaction of ex¬
hibitors with the action of most
distributors in -turnip over ad¬
vertising material to independent-i
ly-operated poster exchanges and
the poor service whidi has re¬
sulted.

Motion Picture Theatres
Assn of. Ontario.

(Russ Simpson, President)

NEWBLDE-CHIPTRY
BY ALLIED ARTISTS

Allied Artists is trying again
with costly productions. Company
in past had two blue-chip entries,
“Love in the Afternoon,” which
wound up slightly in the red, and
“Friendly Persuasion,” which,
after some nervousness, come out
a little in the black.

AA has now indicated that $1 -
500,000 to $2,000,000 will be al¬
located for “79 Park Avenue,”
which Har-old Robbins is to pro¬
duce from his own novel. Specific
budget. hasn’t - been set for the
reason the top.casting hasn’t been
decided upon as yet.

Starting before the cameras in
January is producer Irving Allen’s
“The Big (Dircus.” This is to be
made in its entirety on the Metro
lot; AA’s studio is too small to
accommodate the production. Com¬
pany says "Circus” will have the
biggest budget in its history and
inside sources hint that cost might
go well over $3,000,000. If this
proves accurate, it would mean an
investment equal to more than $3
per share for eveiy. common share
of AA stock put^anding.

EboBlaD’sNew^t

Morris Ebenstein, who w'as
copyright counsel for Warners, has
joined the New York law firm of
Zissu & Marcus, with his name
added to the partnership title.

Ebenstein has written and lec¬
tured extensively on film produc¬
tion and distribution legal matters.

ussmff

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE

D I PLOMAT

AMERICA’S FAVORIU StHGER OF
. AMERICA’S FAVORITE SONGSI

M SfNOSr, CmidoctiR9

f IttSOA AND TYKE
md iMr oxdfng (kmces

For yi^ itkmcms foot
ttAl^XIN mi his orchostm

SAMyEt FRiaiUND, Ownenip
GEORGE E> FOX, Moiraging Director

sti.mixetmenEw
mnpMATmm < comitf cm on

BRAINS AND BRAWN

NiC-rr Nc 13 , lew p.m i.s.t.

IN THE SPARKLING NEW CAEE CRISXAL!

This is the year of the
most fabulous shows...the greatest
entertainers ...all to be seen in
the "winter wonderland" setting
of the spectacular CAFE CRISTAL!

DULY
DE WOLFE

HENNY

YOUNGMAN

DOLORES

HAWKINS

THE

DORNAN BROTHERS

IS

P^iEir

.'Wc^e«Saf« December 10, 1958 -

HC^ivitKS

Stanley Warner Net $2,333,100;

Theatres Slip, Not Girdles

Net profit, after all deductions,
of Stanley Warner, Corp. dipped to
$2,333,100, equal to $1.15 per share,
for the fiscal year ended Aug. 30.
For the same period a year ago,
"the net profit was $3,767,800, equiv¬
alent to $1.82 per share.

Although the company continued
its policy of not providing a break¬
down of the income from each of
its divisions, prexy S. H. Fabian
Indicated in the annual report.that
theatre attendance of the Stanley
chain and hoxoffice receipts from
Cinerama were lower than a year
ago. On the other hand, he noted
that the sales from the company’s
International Latex division
"showed a healthy increase.”

"Constructive steps have been
taken to improve our operations,
the benefits from which are al¬
ready being realized,” Fabian de¬
clared. As part of the “construc¬
tive steps” to stem the tide of the
theatre losses, Fabian indicated
that the company is accelerating
its program to dispose of theatres
"which have lost their profit po¬
tential.” He added that sales of
theatres and cancellation of leases
will continue and that “a stream¬
lined. operation, not hampered by
unprofitable properties, will
emerge.” ;

Fabian pointed out that losses in- j
curred in disposing of theatres can
be applied to offset profits from
operations, thereby reducing the |
amount of income taxes. For the
1958 fiscal year, property losses
of $4,253,400 made it possible for
Stanley to eliminate completely in¬
come taxes of $1,250,000 and in ad¬
dition a refund of $700,000 will be
forthcoming, resulting in total tax
savings of $1,950,000.

Total income from theatre ad¬
missions, merchandise sales and
rentals for the 1958 fiscal year
amounted to $113,319,000 as com¬
pared with $115,125,300 for the
previous year. Net was computed
after deducting $5,450,000 for de¬
preciation and amortization, $2-

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING—STATE OE
NEW YORK

MINIMXna WAGE—DEPART.MENT OF
LABOR

Pursuant to Section 657 of the Labor
Law, the Industrial Commissioner wiU
liold public hearings on the report and
recommendations of the Amusement and
Recreation Minimum Wage Board relat¬
ing to the Minimum Wage Standards in
the Amusement and Recreation Industry
as foUows:

New York City, Thursday, December
18, 1958, at 10:00 A.M., New York Stale
Office Building, Room 659. 80 Centre
Street, New York 13, New York.

DEFINITIONS

1. AMUSEMENT AND RECREATION
INDUSTRY. “The Amusement and Recrea¬
tion Industry” is defined to include all
establishments whose primary service is
to provide amusement, entertainment, or
recreation, inducting establishments
which produce and distribute motion
pictures and services allied to this, such
as casting and rental of motion picture
film or equipment. The industry also in¬
cludes owners, lessees, and concession¬
aires whose business is incidental thereto
or in connection therewith, or a part
thereof, and such services as are allied
therewith.

The industry indudes but is not limited;
to motion picture and other theatres,
dance halls and studios, ballrooms, bowl¬
ing alleys, billiard parlors, skating rinks,
riding academies, race tracks, and stables,
amusement parks and centers, penny ar¬
cades and other coin-operated amuse¬
ment-device parlors. athletic fields,
arenas, hall parks and stadiums, swim-1
ming pools, beaches, gymnasiums and
slenderizing salons, ^olf courts, tennis
courts, carnivals, circuses, boathouses,
card clubs and other similar establish¬
ments, as well as play-producing or other
entertainment-producing companies, thea¬
trical agents, ticketbrokers, and profes¬
sional sports promoters. The industry
also includes allied services operated In
connection with amusement and recrea¬
tion establishments, such as check rooms
and parking lots.

The industry excludes fa) establish¬
ments engaged in the operation of radio
and television broadcasting stations, and
lb) non-profit organizations organized ex¬
clusively for religious, charitable^ or edu¬
cational purposes.

2. EMPLOYEE. “Employee” means a
woman 21 years of age and over, and
any person under the age of 21 years
employed in the amusement and recrea¬
tion industry.. Summer Theatre apprentice
actors, actors, employed in New York
City theatres with less than 300 seats,
and rolling chair pushers shall be ex¬
cluded from this definition. (Pursuant to
Section 663-a of Articlq^l9 of the Labor
Law all of the provisions of a minimum
wage order apply also to males 21 years
of age and over.)

3. WORKING TIME. “Working time"
means time worked or time of required
attendance, including waiting time,
whether or not work is provided, an»
time spent in traveling as part of the
duties Of the employee. This provision
shall not apply to pinsetters, caddies,
and ushers at sports exhibitions.

4. MOTION PICrrUHE SERVICE STAFF
EMPLOYEE. An employee in a motion
picture theatre whose duties involve the
performance of services for patrons and
require direct contact with patrons.

Copies of the Board's recommendations
.are available on request at the Office of
the Industrial Commissioner. 80 Centre
Street, New York 13, New York.

Isador Lubln
Industrial Commissioner
December 3,'1958

396,000 for the amortization of the
; cost of Cinerama films, $250,000
for foreign taxes, and $1,250,000
for losses on property disposition.
Deductions the previous year In-
cluiied $5,196,600 for depreciation
and amoritization, $2,362,000 for
: Cinerama films, and $3,787,000 for
taxes.

; Lots of Cash in Hand

Fabian stressed that Stanley Is
In a strong financial position, point-
i ing to cash of $15,332,100 and cur¬
rent assets, including cash, of $41,-
493,700, equal to 2.7 times current
liabilities. Working capital was
$26,366,400, an increase of $5,220,-
300 over a year ago.

Stanley, which has already diver¬
sified into the Playtex products
and pharmacetftical field, Cinera¬
ma, and tv, is seeking to acquire
other “companies having potential
growth and profit possibilities,”
Fabian indicated. The SW topper
stressed that the benefits accruing
from the company's "diversified
program have become increasing¬
ly apparent.”

Company’s tv station, UHF Chan¬
nel 35, covering the Albany-Sche-
nectady-Troy area, is scheduled to
change over to VHF Channel 13
in January, 1959.

The company now operates 253
theatres, of which 145 are owned
in fee, 98 leased, and 10 theatres
partly owned and partly leased.

Kodak Vs. Judge

Continued from page 1

U.S, Court Df Appeals, got into
the act.

To Judge Chambers fell the task
of writing the panel’s critique, or,
as he put it, a legal "attempt to
state the facts.”

First of all. Judge Chambers had
trouble, identi^ing the cast of
three unnamed women. So he de¬
scribed them: "A tall blonde with
an extremely large bust, approach¬
ing bovinity ... a tall, slender
brunette with medium bust , . . a
very slender brunette with small
bust.”

He wrote:

"As the music proceeds with its
monotonous grind, the star writhes
and wriggles, sometimes awkward¬
ly, sometimes deftly, as she peels
off clothing, item by item.”

But, said the judge, complete
nudity is never quite achieved.

"Usually the shoes are retained,
but the clothing left would amoimt
to no more in size than two 50c
pieces for the upper anterior part
of the torso and a fig leaf, junior
size.

"The dancing, about as lacking
in merit as the scenery, does not
achieve what seems called in the
trade ‘hard bumps and grinds’; just
soft ones.”

In the first minute or two, wrote
the judge, the film “tends at least
to be provocative, but as the films
grind on their weary way, one is
soon sm-feited and eventually
nausea begins to stir.”

What the viewers’ reactions
might be if "partially or wholly
inebriated . . . has not been re¬
searched,” the court pointed out.

But Judge Chambers noted that
recent U.S. Supreme Court deci¬
sions have seemed to set as a
standard of obscenity that the ma¬
terial “must really smell and not
he of slight odor . . . this is ob¬
viously a borderline case.”

The judges were "doubtful” that
the striptease, film was "ever in¬
tended to be much more than it is,”
but they ordered the Los Angeles
court to take another look, apply¬
ing additional standards as to whe¬
ther the film tends to corrupt or
whether Hendricks can come.-up
with a fuller picture of Jennie
Lee’s day.

Friars’ Club Orphaning

Hollywood; Dec. 9.

The Friars’ Club wil toss its
10th annual Christmas party for
750 orphans Dec. 14 at Frank Sen-
nes’ Moulin Kouge, with Abbott
Frank Sinatra heading lineup of
entertainers.

Already set for appearances are
Jack Benny, Peggy Lee, Debbie
Reynolds, Kay Starr, Sammy Davis
Jr. and Jimmy Durante. Each mop¬
pet will, be gifted with huge duffle
bag filled with toys, clothing,
candy, etc. .

DEC4INE QF MIDDLETOWN, O.

Bnbe Shor Blames Unions and
City B.O. Tax

Middletown, O., Dec. 9.

Three drive-m theatres and a
downtown hardtop house in the
Middletown area, operated by Mid-
Cin Inc. of Cincinnati, will close
their doors Dec. 14; Ruben Shor,
head of the firm, blamed the ac¬
tion on high union salaries and
the* city’s 39o entertainment tax.

Only one theatre, the Paramount,
will remain open in the city.

11 F&M Theatres
To Zabel, Lippert

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

A deal is expected to ibe closed
shortly for the purchase of Fan-
chon & Marco’s southside / thea-
tresi comprising 11 houses in the
Los Angeles area, by a new part¬
nership of Edwin Zabel and Rob¬
ert L. -Lippert The circuit in¬
cludes the Hollywood Paramount,
which is on a rental feasis imtil
1978.

The deal is understood to in¬
volve a purchase price of $2,500,-
000. Zabel, formerly a Fox West
Coast topper until his retirement
two years ago, is currently asso¬
ciated with Aubrey Schenck and
Howard W. Koch in independent
production. Lippert is a veteran
California exhibitor and producer,
owning and operating a theatre
chain throughout the state and in
Oregon.

Temple, Detroit Re-Lights

Detroit, Dec. 9.

Temple, art house, is re-opening
under Continental Theatre Corp.
management with Marshall Davis,
prexy, and Phyllis Dezel, secretary
and treasurer.

Foreign language films will be
shown, leading off with “Fruits of
Summer” and "The Girl on the
Third Floor'.” I

Egyptian Film

Continued from page 1 —^

first CinemaScope-Eastman Color
feature. It will be the most ex¬
pensive native product. yet, bud¬
geted at around $300,000, against
a normal $90.000-$100,000 level.

His markets for Arab pix include
considerably more of the world
than the Mediterranean basin, Na¬
guib says, although he counts on
recouping half his costs from Egypt
alone. Arab pix do. well throughout
most of Africa, he says, in Asia,
South America and even in Eu¬
rope. He hopes eventually, al¬
though he is not working on it this
tripi to get sub-titled versions in¬
to the U.S. market.

Naguib, accompanied by one of
his most popular stars, Lubna Ab¬
del Aziz—^young Egyptian actress
who studied at UCLA for two years
before returning to her husband
two years ago—says government
clashes on Middle East policy don’t
necessarily respect the sentiment
of the people. Not only are U.S.
films popular in Egypt, he says,
but so are U.S. film companies.

Naguib said that despite the ob¬
vious pro-Israel sentiment of many
Americans and the Hollywood film
community, he has been treated
as an individual, kindly and sym¬
pathetically.

Production, in Egypt, Naguib
! says, is financed on a personal bas¬
is, with the producer—such as him¬
self—^putting up his own money.
Distributors sometimes come in
with one-third the cost, with their
investment repaid on first returns
plus a percentage off the top.
There is little if any bank financ¬
ing, he says.

Production costs are misleading,
however, since he. maintains they
get production vajiues above the
apparent cost of 'the .film, due to
the low labor salaries — outside
skilled technicians. Technical
equipment, Mitchell cameras and
Western Electric sound, is good,
he says, and there are new sound
stages in Cairo.

i As for audiences, they are much
the same in the Middle East. Arab
i film-makers . depend on the 16-25
age bracket for the bulk of their
returns. There is no tv at the mo¬
ment there and none expected for
18-10 years*. .

Film Reviews

' Continued from page 6 ;

She-tvods of Shark Reef

lea’der, and Carol Lindsay does a
whoppingly good hula.

Screenplay by Robert Hill and
Victor Stoloff is full of- broken
English for the Polynesians and
okay ,dialog for the Yanks, but
there just isn’t enough substance to
the going-on. Cameraman Floyd
Crosby did very well with the Pa¬
cific colors, arid competent work
also was done by film editor Frank
Sullivan, sound editor, Robert Post
and music supervisor Ronald Stein.
Sylvia Sims warbles a pleasant
tune, "fearer My Love To You,”
behind the Ijtles, with the Jack
Lawrence-Frances Hall song likely
to get some play from its Decca
recording. Ron,

Murder by Contract

Suspenseful story of a paid

killer’s last assignment, suit¬
able for program market.

Hollywood, Dec. 5.

- Columbia Pictures release of Leon
Chooluck production. Stars Vince Ed¬
wards; costars PMUip Pine, Herschel
Bemardl; features. Caprice Toriel, Michael
Granger, Cathy Broume, Joseph MeU,
Frances Osborne. Directed by Irving
Lerher. Screenplay, ^n Slnucoe; camera,
Lucian Ballard; editor. Carlo Lodato;
music. Perry Botkin. Previewed Dec, 5,
'58. Running time, SO MINS.

Claude ...Vince Edwards

Marc . Phillip Pine

George ... Herschel Bemardi

Moon ...Michael Granger

Billie Williams .......... Caprice Toria

"Murder by Contract” Is the
story of a paid killer. The Leon
Chooluck production has the bene¬
fit of mounting suspense, after a
haphazard opening, and story is
sufficiently interesting to make it
a pretty fair entry for the program
market.

Interest centers around Vince
Edwards, an unerriotional execu¬
tioner who takes on a major as¬
signment in Los Angeles after
handling several eastern commit¬
ments with speed and dispatch.
His victim here is a wpman, who
is to testify against his under¬
world employer. Events are given
slick motivation in the Ben Simcoe
screenplay, as two efforts fail to
kin the woman who is surrounded
by guards in her palatial home.
His third attempt, after he finally
gets to her inside her house and
he chickens in a try to garrot her,
leads to his own death by police
gunfire.

Edwards is strongly cast as the
killer and provides a quiet menace
which pays off in audience atteri-
tion. Direction by Irving Lerner
is brisk as he persuasively guns his
characterSf- several of whom are
topnotch. Phillip Pine and
Herschel Bemardi lend conviction
as the killer'^s confederates, jittery
because of the casualness with
which he undertakes his assign¬
ment and who are killed after he
learns they have been commis¬
sioned from above to rub him out
after his two failures. Caprice
Toriel, in briefly as the intended
victim, nevertheless makes her
work count, and Cathy Browne and
Michael Granger likewise score in
small roles.

A standout music score by Perry
Botkin,, using only a guitar which
he plays to perfection, gives fine
atmospheric, backing, and editing
by Carlo Lodato, vi^ use of the
clipped scene technique,- is fast.
Lucien Ballard’s camera work is
interesting and art direction by
Jack Poplin is okay. Whit.

Maxime

(FRENCH)

Paris, Dec. 9.

Cocinor release of Raoul Ploquin pro¬
duction. Stars Michele Morgan, Charles
Boyer, Arletty; features Felix Marten,
Jacques Dufilho. Directed by Henri Ver-
neuiL Screenplay. Henri Jeanson, Alfred
Valentin from novel by Henri Duvemois;
camera, Christian Matras; editor, Gabriel
Rognier. At Biarritz, Paris. Running time,
125 MINS.

Maxime .. Charles Boyer

Jacqueline .. Michele Morgan

GazeUe . Arletty

Hubert . Felix Marten

Flick.Jacques Dufilho

Liliane .Michelme Luccioni

Insouciant love drama, taking
place in early 1914, has a bitter¬
sweet frank tang which could make
this a good arty house bet. It is
well acted and mounted and gives
a frank look at age and love. It
does not look to he too much of a
general entry on its talkiness and
length, but wise pruning and the
Michele Morgan and Charles Boyer
names could extend its overseas ap¬
peal.

An aging dandy, Boyer, is the
factotum and arranger of female
conquests for a brusque young mil¬
lionaire. Felix Marten. Film con¬
cerns his job of softening up rich
and haughty Michele Morgan, who
has spurned Marten’s advances..
But love comes to Boyer and goes
on even when she .i^scovers he is
destitute, ^j^^rputli

will, be served, and he loses her to
Marten when his age and her in¬
herent female needs make her
choose the young riian.

This is a smooth, adroitly dia-
loged vehicle. It has knowing,
telling shafts about age, love and
manners of the time. Film deftly
brings out its drama sans any
mawkishness, self-pity or senti¬
mentalizing. It is a frothy drami-
comedy in the good French man¬
ner and thus should have possi¬
bilities abroad. Technically it is
tops, with fine acting from such
troupers as Boyer, Miss Morgan
and Arletty playing rings around
the younger members of the cast.

Mosk.

Rer Naemberger
Prozess

(The Nuremberff Trial)
(GERMAN)

’ Berlin, Dec. 2.

Prisma release of Continent-Film pro¬
duction. Directed by Felix von Podmanlt-
zky. Commentator, Jochen Willke. Based
on a series of articles by Joe J. Hey-
decker and Johannes Leeb. published in
“Muenchner Illustrierte.” At Studio, Ber¬
lin. Running time, 90 MINS. >

This is a very interesting, im¬
portant documentary film, partic¬
ularly for young Germans who are
not too familiar with their coun¬
try’s unholy (Hitler) past. An im¬
portant reminder also'for those
who are apt to forget certain
things, too easily. Despite some
technical deficiencies, the film rec¬
ommends itseK for export. Some
of the scenes reportedly have never
shown (at least not in this country)
before.

Very objectively, film depicts via
exceptionally authentic documen¬
tary material, the way of Nazism
during its heydays up to its col¬
lapse. As the title reveals, it main¬
ly dedicates itself to the sentenc¬
ing of the Nazi war criminals at
Nuremberg, the biggest trial the
world has known. Woven in are
newsreel shots of "history-making”
speeches by the Nazi leaders (the
"Fuehrer” himself, Goering, Goeb-
bels, etc,).

Some very impressive footage is
of Russian origin: The march of
the defeated German Stalini^ad
army through the Soviet capital.
Scenes of the Nazi tribunal against
the men of the 20th of . June, 1944,
who plotted to overthrow thfr brutal
Hitler regime. The most shock¬
ing scenes are in excerpts from
AUied-made films about Hitler’s
hell camps, giving evidence of the
incredible brutality.

This film can skip any polemics
all scenes speak for themselves.
Technically, "Trial” is not smooth
all the way. Often it appears
jumpy if not disorderly, but these
flaws are secondary in view of the
fact that this film has a praisi^
worthy honest and objective atti¬
tude. It has been declared partic¬
ularly valuable by the West Ger¬
man classification board which
means considerable tax relief.

Hans.

MICH, TRUCK SERVICE PEACE

Get $1 Flat Minimum — Cancel
Rate-Hike Bid

Detroit, Dec, 9.

Film Truck Service has with¬
drawn its request to the Michigan
Public Service Commission for a
20% increase in rates in favor Of
a flat $1 minimum charge per ship¬
ment. Allied Theatres of Michigan
will not oppose the charge and it,
will become effective Dec. 19.

Allied advised its members to
watch invoices carefully and if
minimum becomes a factor in de¬
livery expense to have trailers arid
advertising materials delivered
along with film shipments.. That,
procedure would eliminate the
minimum charge, Allied declared.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Gladys Pike,
president of Film Truck Service,
has offered advertising space ori.
her trucks for specific film the ex-
hibs would like to bally. Problem
now is, says Allied prexy Milton
London, is to figure out a plan to
decide which pictUfes should be
advertised.

New York Theatre

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1

■I

Council of Motion Picturo Organizations is to remain in busi¬
ness. At tf combined meeting in New York yesterday of the exeo.
committee^ board of directors and the membership, a re^lution
vras adopted setting forth the principle that COMPO should stay
on- as the organization, ''representing the entire film industry in -
matters of mutual accord.’* » '

Board and exec committee made official Robert W. Coyne’s
severance to become president of the Distilled Spirits Institute
but is working out an arrangement whereby he’ll also be a con¬
sultant for COMPO.

In other action, a dues collection drive was authorized, a new
program (research, public relations, legislative work, etc.) was
presented by planning board Chairman Harry Mandel. and a deci*
sion was made to confer with the executive committee of the
American Congress of Exhibitors as a means of avoiding any
overlapping of activities by the two groups.

Presiding at yesterday’s session was Allied States’ Ben Marcus
who, with Theatre Owners of America’s Sam Pinanski and the.
Motion Pictiure Assn, of America’s Abe Montague, forms COMPO’s
governing trio. This triumverate, by the way, now has the job of
finding a replacement for Coyne.

Fonnalizing New
Exhibs Congress

Efforts to formalize the Ameri¬
can Congress of Exhibitors by the
creation of a permanent'^organiza¬
tion and the implementation of the
policy and the program will bc’
made at meetings at the Astor
Hotel,. N. Y.. tomorrow (Thurs.) and
Friday.

An all-day meeting of the execu¬
tive committee, starting at 10 a.m.,
will take place tomorrow. Six re¬
ports, one by each member of the
committee, wiU be presented with
recommendations for the national
setup and the financing of the
Congress.

» Reports will include; Max A.
Cohen on Industry research; Irving
Bollinger on exhibitor-distributor
relations; William Forman on post-
1948 filmis on tv; George Karasotes
on ton tv; Sol A Scwartz on indus¬
try-government relations, and S.
H. Fabian on ways and means to
Increase film production.

The Committee of 26, to which
has been added the exchange area
chairmen, will convene on Friday
(K) to consider the reports and
recommendations of the executive
committee and to take steps to cre¬
ate the permanent organization
which, it’s hoped, will include
every exhibitor in the United
States.

The executive committee meet¬
ing will also be attended by Harry
Arthur, Emanuel Frisch, A1 Pkkus
and Robert J. O’Donnell, all alter¬
nates; Edward Lider, secretary,
and Harry Goldberg, Philip Harl-
ing and Harry Mandel, assistants
to the executive committee.

In issuing the call for the meet¬
ing, Fabian, who is serving as tem-
pOTary chairman, declared that
work on the organization’s - pro¬
gram is progressing faster than he
expected. Noting that the Con¬
gress represents every aspect of
exhibitor opinion, he indicated that
*%• are finding it possible to
weave these divergent strands into
a strong fabric or organization and
policy.” He termed it a good omen
for the future.

BUTLINSEENSETAS
LONDON CHIEF BARKER

London, Dec. 9..

BiUy Butlin, who runs a string
of holiday camps, is expected to he
named Chief Barker of the London
Tent of the Variety Club when the
new crew holds its first meeting
next month. He presently holds the
title of first assistant haiker. -
fAt the election-night dinner at
the Savoy, Arthur S. Abeles Jr., j
numaging director of Warner Bros,
in Britain, was elected to the crew
for the first time. Other new mem¬
bers are Charles Forte and Dickie
PearL Among those re-elected |
were Sam Eckman Jr., William M. j
Levy and Irving Allen.

Rim Cbrities at 85^

Hollywood, Dec. g. •
Motion Pictoe Permanent Char-
Itiw has raised $1,041,282, repping
85% of its $1,225,000 goal, for its
1959 campaign.

A total4)f 5,509 top bracket film-
it« have donated $610,997, and
Labor’s Executive Committee is
responsible for $430,285. from 17,-
431 workers.

Fnrlongh for Tambbn

San Antonio, Dec. 9.

Russ Tamblyn will make a per¬
sonal appearance here in connec¬
tion .with the launching at the
Texas Theatre on Dec, 19 of his
release, “Tom Thumb” (M-G).

He’s now serving with Uncle
Sam’s Army at Ft. Sill, but Is due a
mid-December furlough which will
enable him to appear here.

Calunibia Net On
Fiscal Quarter

Columbia Pictures racked up
consolidated net ' earnings of
$319,000 for the 13-week period
ended Sept. 27, 1958. Stanza con¬
stitutes the first quarter of the
company’s current fiscal year. For
the same period of 1957, Col
showed a loss of $425,000.

Prexy Abe Schneider also, dis¬
closed that the deal for the sale
of the company’s laboratory to.
Pathe Laboratories, consummated
on Oct. 3, resulted in a non-recur¬
ring net profit of $2,679,000’ This
transaction will be reflected in the
company’s net earnings for the
six-month period ending Dec.
1958.

Filtoii Lewis

= 55 = Contlnned from, page '7 ==

‘‘Lewis ought to have his head
examined.”

According to Lewis, at the Wash¬
ington meet between the State
Dept, and a group of exhibitors,
several theatreowners wondered
what would happen if no one
wanted to come see the Soviet
pictures. Shelton, according to
Lewis (who 'wasn’t there), replied
that he could always find some
agency pf the government to foot
the bills for newspaper ads. Com¬
mented Lewis:

“There is now the ironical
twist that the American tax-
payer is going to loot the hill
for newspaper ads telling
them that they should go
downtown and see the finest
in Communist propaganda,**.

An MPEA man last week called
the Lewis broadside “irresponible”
and “misinformed.” However,'
there’s no doubt that attacks such
as this can seriously- undermine
the whole film program if it suc-
Iceeds in - frightening enough
American exhibitors into not
booking the Soviet features. Un¬
der,the basic deal, unless the Rus¬
sian films get wide circulation in
the States, the Yank features
can expect anything but restricted
treatment in the Soviet Union.

To the mind of American offi¬
cials, the showing of Hollywood
pictures in, Russia shapes as far
more of a gain to the U.S. than
does the showing of Soviet pic¬
tures the other way ’round.
Whereas the Soviets can hope for
little more than recognition of
their artistic achievements, the
U.S. can tell the huge Soviet
public something about Ufe out¬
side the Soviet Union, and speci¬
fically about life in America, which
Is being so viciously distorted by
'the Communist communication
media.

Select Film Library Ine. has
been authorized to conduct a mo¬
tion pictures and television film
business in N.Y.C., with capital
stock of 200 shares, no par value.
Resnick, Barr U Resnlck were fil-
irig'attem^ at^Albanyi

Rube Shor, Jittery Re Fabian Rivalry,
Wonders Out Loud About New Congress

Boston style

5 ^— Continued from page 7 = 5 =s

Jessel to emcee. Film columnists
and critics will be flown to the
luncheon from all the miyor cities.

A second ^‘Hercules” picture has
also been purchased by Levine,
titled, “Hercules and the Queen of
Lydia.” He said he owns this for
U. S., Canada,.all of Latin America
plus Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa. Metro will also release all
except U. S. on this follow.

Film distributor has also ac¬
quired another spectacular, “Aph¬
rodite, Goddess of Love” in techni¬
color and Cinemascope, made in
Italy, which he is readjdng for dis¬
tribution. Still another acquisition |
is an untitled Jules Verne film for
which the Fine Arts, N, Y., and
Cinestage in Chicago are In -pros¬
pect.

Levine says he’s looking for a
big pop singer to record “Hercu¬
les,” somewhere along the lines of
[ Harry Belafonte, Jimmie Rodgers i
or Johnny Mathis, he thinks.

While Boston intratrade Joke
goes, “Who’s the star of ‘Hercu¬
les?’,” answer, 'Joe Levine,” it is
pointed out that two of his recent
film acquisitions, “GodziUa” and
“Walk Into Hell” rolled up a gross
of over $1,500,000. When everyone
avoided handling David O. Selz-
nick’s “Duel in the Sun” rei^ue,
Levine came up with his saturation
method. His “Attila” looks to reach
over a $2,000,000 gross.

“Hercules” was filmed in color
and Dyaliscope, and directed by
Pietro Francisci, director of. “At^
tila.” Levine’s plans for exploita¬
tion and advertising for "Hercu¬
les,” now being formulated, prom¬
ise to out do anything he has at¬
tempted before in the form of pro¬
motions.

One of Levine’s remembered ac¬
quisitions was . “Godzilla,” the
Japanese made monster picture;
now he has acquired world rights
to the Toho science fiction Eastman
color feature,

What appears to be the first
chink in the otherwise harmonious
launching of the American Con¬
gress of ‘Exhibitors was revealed
this week when it became evident
that some members of Allied States
Assn, are not wholly in accord
with the policies being pursued
by . the new organization and the
philosophy of the top leadership,
i Indication of this first disagree¬
ment is contained in a letter to
S. H. Fabian, temporary chairman
of the Congress, from Rube Shor,
Cincinnati theatre operator and
former president of Allied. Shoris
letter, mailed to Fabian on Nov.
20, asked for a clarification of cer¬
tain issues. When Shor did not
receive a reply, he wired Fabian
on Dec. 2, stating “most important
that I know your position.**
j Shor’s complaint is twofold—
one, involving his personal busi¬
ness; the other, dealing with the
Congress’ approach in seeking a
revision of the Government’s con¬
sent decree.

I On the personal side, Shor is
concerned with the fact the Capitol
Theatre in Cincy, heretofore oper¬
ated as a Cinerama house by Stan¬
ley Warner, of which Fabian is
president, will return to a conven¬
tional film policy, thus placing it
in competition with Shor’s down¬
town deluxer, the Keith Theatre.
Basis for Shor’s-fear about the
future of his theatre is the short¬
age of available product and a
speech made by Fabian recently
to a group of southern exhibitors
in which the SW topper pointed
out that the nation is overseated
and that certain theatres will have
to close in order to meet the con¬
ditions of the dwindling market.

Person^ Jibe

“It occurred to me,” Shor said
in his letter to Fabian, “you hope
to bring about the closing of one
of the existing downtown first-run.
conventional picture theatres in
Cincinnati when you open the
Capitol Theatre for conventional
pictures rather than Cinerama.
Since I operate the'Kelth Theatre

Amusement Stock Quotations

Week Ended Tuesday (9)

TV. y. Stock Exchange

1958

Net

High

Low

Weekly VoL Weekly Weekly

Tues.

Change

in lOOs

High

Low

Close

for wk*

20V^

14

ABC Vending 125

19%

19

19%

+

22

13

Am Br-Par Th 252

20%

19%

20

%

4m

24%

CBS “A” ...

46

38%

36%

37

—1%

40%

24%

CBS “B” ...

20

37%

37

38%

-1- %

20^

12%

Col Pix ....

35

19

• 18%

18%

— %

19%

13%

Decca .

140

19%

18%

18%

— %

41%

14

Disney.

95

38T8

36

38%

-^l%

144%

97%

Eastman Kdk 105

134

H5%

134

—

83^

334

EMI.

1236

9%

814

9

-1- %

10%

6%

List Ind. ...

31

10

9%

9%

-fl%

23%

12%

Loew’s ,,..

967

22%

20%

21%

-f- %

11%

7%

Nat. Thea...

716

11%

19%

11%

+ %

■Am

30%

Paramount .

50

46%

.45%

46%

-f %

12%

Philco .

302

26

25%

25%

— %

109%

43%

Polaroid ...

320

106%

- 9734

106%

+9%

463^

30%

RCA .

1178

4634

4334

46 '

-i-1%

9%

5

Republic' ...

296

9%

8%

9%

-f- %

14%

9%

Rep,, pfd. ..

12

14%

13%

1334

“f- %

18%

14%

Stanley War

74

17%

17%

17%

—

26

20

Storer .

21

25%

2434

25

—

42%

2134

20th-Fox ..

358

40'

37%

38%

— %

26%

15%

United Artists 232

26%

26%

+ %

27

18%

Univ. Pix ...

8

26

26%

— %

96

57

Univ. pfd...*1030

86%

84%

-fl%

2434

16%

Warner Biros.

,101

2434

24%

24%

—■

185%

67%

Zenith ..

186

185%

175

177%

-t-27%

Americnn Stock Exchange

4%

2%

AlUed Artists 460

4‘5&

4%

4%

—

10%

7%

AU’dArt.,pfd.

22

10%

10

10

-i- %

7

3

DuMont Lab.

. 734

7

6%

6%

+ ^

4%

2%

Guild Films .

369

2%

2%

2%

9%

5%

Nafl Telefilm 137

9%

9

9

7%

3%

Skiatron ....

166

5%

5%

5%

— %

8%

3%

Technicolor .

,106

8

7%

734

— %

8%

5%

Tele Indus ..

66

5%

5%

5%

—-

9

3%

Trans-Lux. ..

55

9

8%

9

—

OverAhe-Counter Securities

Bid

Ask

6934

73%

-f6%

Chesapeake Industriet

2%

3

+ %

Ciner

’rod. ___

2%

2%

3%

4%

— %

Metropolitan Broadcasting

.. 13%

14%

14

15%

10%

Teleprompterr.

. 9

+ %

V. A. Theatres.

634

7%

* Actual Volume.

{(^otations^furitisMd. bV Dreyfus ds Co*)

in Cincinnati, naturally Fm very
interested to know whether you
have in mind that the Keith Thea¬
tre will be forced to close when
you open the Capitol with con¬
ventional pictures.”

Shor added that if this were
Fabian's intention (to open Capitol
as conventional house), he’d like
to know how the Keith Theatre
“win be able to keep its doors
open” in light of the fact that he
(Shor) will be caught between the
buying power of Stanley Warner
and RKO Theatres- Shor also asked
Fabian to clarify his view with
respect to his statement about the
“haves and have-nots” of exhibi¬
tion. Specifically, Shor wanted Fa¬
bian to indicate what remedy he
proposed that will permit the small
theatre operator to exist, “or do
you believe it necessary to elimin¬
ate the small theatres and even
^ome of the larger ones for the
benefit of those that wiU remain?”

Consent Issue

On the broader issue of the con¬
sent decree, Shor recaUed that Fa¬
bian had declared that it would
be beneficial to embark on a grass¬
roots campaign to eUmmate the
consent decrees. Shor pointed out
that this policy was contrary to the
position previously taken by Al¬
lied and so indicated in Its now-
famous “white paper,” Instead of
the nation’s exhibitors taking a
position directly opposite that of
AlUed, Shor asked if it would not
be better for tlieatremen to join
forces to have pressure brought on
the Dept, of Justice “to insist on
vigorous enforcement of the de¬
crees” rather than to urge that
the decrees be done away with
altogether. Elimination or modific¬
ation of the decrees, Shor stress¬
ed, would be a complete reversal
of Allied’s position and “I am an¬
xious to learn whether you (Fa¬
bian) believe that such a reversal
would be best for exhibitors.” Shor
said that “a very persuasive and
convincing factual argument”
would have to be made for him
to change his views, “but I am
ready to do so if you prove to
me that I have been wrong.”

If —

Shor said it would he a “mar¬
velous thing” if all groups In the
industry could present a united
front and that he hoped it WCuld
be possible under Fabian’s leader¬
ship. Therefore, he noted, he would
like Fabian to einswer the questions
he had raised so that.it “will en¬
able me and a number of other
Allied representatives^0 have a
better understanding qr the pros¬
pects of success of the sew organiz¬
ation . . .” <

In a statement not Included in
his letter to Fabian, Shor declared
that it was bis intention to push
a grassroots campaign on AUied’s
“white paper” and that if the new
American Congress of Exhibitors
“is intended to stop that sort of
thing, I think they will find that
that is not going to happen.”

‘A’Rs In Adallery

-' Continued from page 13 —

the closing, the Playhouse still Is
closed.

The women in the Coundl them¬
selves admit that “going to the
movies” has become almost a chore.
“We’re in an over-organized com¬
munity,” said Mrs. Steame, pro¬
gram chairman for last Week’s
mating. “There are so many
things happening every day, when
there’s an evening free you’re glad
to be able to stay home.”

Quite a few women said, follow¬
ing the meeting, that they objected
to the type of advertising Holly¬
wood was doing today. During the
meeting, Mrs. Lewis commented
on the dialog used in most histori¬
cal pictures. “Why is it that they
must always use 20th century -dia¬
log and slang for these films?” she
asked. There were several film
reports by high school pupils.

Dale Greenwald, an attractive
16 year old, reported on “Anna
Lucasta.” After giving the group
a rundown on the picture, she said
—almost apologetically— “I liked
ie very muct. But then, I like
every movie very much.** It was
Uke an echo from ^

so

mA»ia^m£¥isioN

ptXKlETr

j Pc^mher 10, lOSS •

Goodson-Todman Expand: 6 New
Shows, Induding Specs & Vidfihn;
Enuf Product to Program Network

Goodson-Todman, who made It
big in the panel-q.ulz game field,
are now bustln* out all over—in
the areas of ^*live” specs and tele¬
film series. With six new program
ventures inked, G^T by fall stands
to have at least 24 half-hours • ol
programming on the networks each
week, plus specials. You can almost
pro^m a network in prime time
with that kind of a lineup.

Biggest deal among the six new
ventures was with Pepsi-Cola, un¬
der which G-T will produce all of
the soft drink company’s tv pro¬
grams for spring. First Pepsi pro¬
duction will be a live 90-minute
music award spec, tentatively
scheduled for mid-April, It is be¬
ing produced with the cooperation
of the National Academy of Re¬
cording Arts and Sciences, and will
be keyed to the “Oscar Awards”
of the music industry, in both the
classic and popular fields.

Second project for Pepsi is a
half-hour anthology series slated
for spring airing, for a combina¬
tion network and spot buy for
Pepsi bbttlers throughout the
country. Skein is tentatively titled
“Pepsi-Cola 'Theatre.”^

Spec deal also marks Pepsi's re-
emergence as a bankroller in night¬
time network programming.

In the telefilm field, - G-T also
concluded a deal with NBC-TV to
produce 39 episodes of “Philip
Marlowe.” based on the Raymond
Chandler books. Series, which stars
Philip Carey in the title role, goes
into production on Feb. 1 under
the supervision of G-T Coast v.p.
Harris Katleman, with Bob Forrest
as producer. NBC hones to find a
network slot for the show in April.
If no suitable slot'materializes, it
will be held for a fall sale.

The third new film project is
“Heave Ho Harrigan,” a situation
comedy developed by Norman
Retchin and optioned last week by
G-T. Pilot film for this series based
on Navy life will go into produc¬
tion as soon as casting is com¬
pleted.

“Jefferson Drum,” G-T’s current
network film entry, copro?luced
with Screen Gems, has been re¬
newed by NBC for an additional
13 weeks;

Goodson-Todman also is packag¬
ing a new panel game show which
will be ready for sale within the
next month. "“Play Your Hunch”
will be switched off CBS to ABC
on Jan. 5 because of CBS’ desire
to move the show from 10:30 a.m.

(Continued on page 52)

Three Webs Dicker
For Aussie Buy-In

liOndon, Dec. 9.

ABC has taken the first step in
satisfying its yen to own a foreign
tv station. It is reportedly bidding
opposite NBC for part ownership
in a channel in Adelaide, Aus¬
tralia. CBS is also in there.

NBC had applied for a share in
ownership in a few Aussie mar¬
kets, but the Down Under govern¬
ment only granted a Brisbane buy-
in. NBC lost out in Adelaide, and
now pU networks are bidding to
purchase a piece of the city’s outlet
through the people to whom the
station was granted by the govern¬
ment. Station is to be commercial
and current expectations are that
it will be on the air by the end
of 1959.

Trendex Top 15

(Dec. 1-7)

Trendex average rating fig¬
ures for first week In Decem¬
ber reveal NBOTV with six
programs, CBS-TV with a simi¬
lar number, and ABC With
three shows in the top 15,
The scorecard:

Gunsmoke ..CBS 35.7

Perry Como .NBC 32.8

Loretta Young ....NBC 32.6

Lucy Desi .CBS 31.7

Rifleman .ABC 30.6

Maverick".. .ABC 30.2

Wagon Train .....NBC 30.0
Danny Thomas ....CBS 28.3

Wyatt Earp .ABC 27.8

Have Gun _.... CBS 27.4

Father Knows Best.CBS 26.0
Alcoa Goodyear ..NBC 25.9
This Is Your Life. .NBC 25.7
What’s My Line .. .CBS 25.6*
Price is Right ... .NBC 25.0

TV Networks Yen
‘One-City Format’
For Conventions

Washington,. Dec. 9.

The three major networks hoped
to prevail on the Democrats and
Republicans to select a single con¬
vention site for the 1960 party
conventlons.-

CBS vice president Sig Mickel-
son persuaded the Democrats,
meeting here last Thursday, to put
off a convention location decision
until a subcommittee of both par¬
ties meet with web representatives
to thrash out the problem today
(Tues.).

Mickelson set forth seven cri¬
teria for sites: adequate convention
hall space; hotel work area and
housing; communications facilities:
short cable haul; nearness to tv
facihties and manpower; nearness
to video tape recording equipment;
and availability of convention hall
^d hotel work areas sufficiently
in advance to premit construction
and installation of facilities.

Most important, however, Mick¬
elson stressed, was a single city
for both conventions. Such an ar¬
rangement, he said, could save each
network up to $300,000 in moving
and reinstallatibn expenses.

Dr. Alfred K
Goldsmith

Hm vIrtMC df

Chrpma^Key: TV*$ •
Free Trip Around the
World

DM of rho nooy Editorial Footaroi
In Hm apcoNUH^

S3d Anniversary Number

of

Du Pont Firms Up
Old Vic, Saroyan

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

“Du Pont Show of the Month’
may present its first 90-mmute
original drama as its April or May
entry on CBS-TV, with Talent As¬
sociates’ David Susskind already
in negotiation for the property.
Otherwise stencilled in for March,
following the Old Vic presentation
of “Hamlet” in February, is Wil¬
liam Saroyan’s “The Human
Comedy.”

Charles Orowley, manager of
television for du Pont, said last
week that “we and Talent Associ¬
ates want to do an original so bad
we can taste it” But, he added,
du Pont and TA have been hard
put to find the kind of writers and
properties they want “We origi¬
nally started out with the idea of
commissioning someone to do an
American counterpart of Noel
Coward’s ‘C^avalcade.^ But Susskind
couldn’t find anyone to do it Then
we decided to look for a top writer
to do any good original for us, but
the good ones are apparently un¬
available. ’ilie only original of any
consequence we’ve liked recently
has been ’Little Moon of Alban,’
and we thought of James Cpstigan
but he’s out here doing ‘Green
Mansions.”’

Crowley can’t fathom som^of
the critical reaction to the current
du Pont practice of doing adapta¬
tions, particularly those criticisms
which accuse du Pont of “playing
it safe.” “They make ‘safe’ seem
like a dirty word, but aU we’re
trying to do is present entertain¬
ment of a high standard that will
prove and has proven pleasing to a
lot of people. Viewers might never
have gotten to see a ‘Count of
Monte .Cristo’ or a WinSlow Boy’
if we hadn’t put them orj. And
what’s particularly ‘safe’ al50ut a
‘Member of the Wedding’ or ‘The
Human Comedy?’''

‘We want to do shows that will
(Continued on page 46)

WPIX Yankmg Com’Is
For Xmas Eve Carols

WPIX, N.Y., is suspending aU
commercial programs and an¬
nouncements for three hom*s on
Christmas Eve in order to pro¬
vide- a special program of unin¬
terrupted Christmas carols. The
carols will be performed by vocal
grouT)s from eight different New
York churches and colleges.

The three hours, titled “A Christ-
m * P't''-'” - 30 p m. to

1 am. Show, sans commercials, is
describ-. .. ^ Christ¬

mas present to N-:w York.

Musicals,‘Mo,’lace’

On Henry Jatf e’s Jumpin’ Agenda

Henry Jaffe, who heads up
Henry Jaffe Enterprises (Dinah
Shore Chevy Show, Shirley Temple
Storybook, etc.), returned to the
Coast this week after winding up
a series of huddles in N. Y. on
forthcoming projects. Most im¬
mediate, of course, is the BeU Tele¬
phone-sponsored series of. musicals
(each budgeted at $130,000) which
will tee off on Jan. 12 via NBC-TV.
Initial entry, “Adventures In Mu¬
sic,” will star Harry Belafonte,
Renato Tebaldi, a presentation of
the “Souvenir Ballet” and a rec¬
itative-orchestral version of “Car¬
nival of the Animals” with Maurice
Evans, (Ogden Nash lyrics) ana
Donald Voorhls leading the 65-
piece Bell Telephone Orchestra.

Second in the series, Feb. 10,
will be tabbed “Americana.” Third
show in series, for March, will be
“Mardi Gras” and the fourth, in
April, “Springtime.” William
Nichols (ex-Project 20) is produc-
ing-staging the series with iOrk
Browning and Bill CoUoran alter¬
nating as directors.

Also on the Jaffe agenda is a tv
series Starring Cyril Ritchard in
"The. Magical Monarch of Mo,”
based on the 50-year-old novel by

the “Wizard of Oz” author. This
wlQ be" done first in the form of a
one-hour special in the spring,
with the half-hour film series
scheduled to start after Ritchard
exits his legiter, .^‘Pleasure of His
Company,” nejd October. Gore
Vidal will be the writer on this
one.

Jaffe is also bringing in “Arsenic
and Old Lace” but with a new story
line and a new title, “Larceny and
Old Lace,” with co-authors of the
original, . Howard Lindsay and
Russel (IJrouse, as story consultants.
Several scripts have already been
prepared. There was talk of the
two Gishes—^Dorothy and Lillian—
doing it-but this may be changed.

Producer Jerry Stagg is cur¬
rently at work on the preparation
of two 60-minute films (which will
also serve as pilots for a series)
tentatively, titled “Thou Shalt Not”
in slanting the Commandments to
contemporary life. The Family
Service Assn, of America is tied in
on the project

Jaffa has also initiated overtures
on the renewal of Dinah Shore’s
contract with NBC. Present con¬
tract" expires next March, though
the cuvre-nt Chevy series will run
through the entire season.

Ohs Posen What's PnUic Smice?

Chicago, Dec. 9.

It appears now that some of diflieulty the NBC stations. here
have been having with , the Chi chapter of AFTRA and sundry
politicians, owes directly to a confusion in semantics. . The talent
union and its confederates several months ago petitioned the Fed^
eral Communications Cbmmission to investigate the right of WNB<2
and WMAQ to their licensw.. The charge, boiled down to a phrase,
was “failure tn serve the public interest.”

From the way each side has been arguing it, they seem to have
separate meanings for the term “public interest.” and the con¬
fusion apparently arises from- the fact -that neither is aware of the
other’s difference. Whenever AFTRA & Co. speak the phrase it has
almost spiritual reference tojhe common weal, public v/ell-being
and advantage. NBC,,Jxow’ever, seems to construe it as that in
which the .public in most Interested.

'The first interpretation is beyond the reach of ratings and can’t
be measured by them. The second, If anything, takes its cue
from the ratings.

NBC’s definition came through implicitly in Lloyd Yoder’s ad¬
dress last week to the Chicago branch of American Women In
Radio and Television. The NBC veep said: “The FCC does not
tell us what programs we can or cannot put on the air. That re¬
sponsibility rests with the broadcaster licensed to operate in the
public interest. He must determine what programs will best meet
the tastes and interests of the audience and will thus serve the
public. This principle is based on the view that the broadcaster
must be responsive to public tastes or he will fail- in the active
and constant competition from audience attention.”

While on the surface there’s an all-quiet on this front ever since
the elections silenced the political voices, the AFTRA local con¬
tinues to work on its case. An ad in the Personals column of the
Chi Tribune on Sunday (30) urged Chicagoans who have ever
sampled by the rating services to phone a Mr. Brown. It’s under¬
stood the ad was placed by Ray Jones, exec serretary of the union
here, to provide Sen. Mike Monroney (Dem.-Okla.) wiili info and
witnesses for his Senate subcommittee’s upcoming investigation of
rating services. . •

Yoder Dilemma: How to Program
Profitably and Win Chi’s Favor

Klein Helms WNTA-TY

Gerald O. Kaye has been re¬
placed as active head of WNTA-
TV, Newark. Malcolm C. Klein has
been named vqepee and general
manager of the tv’er and will also
boss WNTA-AM-FM.

Kaye stays in the NTA camp, de¬
voting time to “special projects”
for the film company. He remains
the stations’ nominal prexy.

Gab Staff Quota
Chief Block To
AFTRA-WebDeal

National board of the American
Federation of Television & Radio
f Artists is scheduled to meet tomor¬
row (Thurs.) to decide on the next
I steps to be taken in the contract
[talks with the networks. Negoti¬
ators are said to be hung up on
the question of guarantees about
the size of announcing staffs at
the networks.

Issue revolves a r o u n d an ex¬
pressed fear by the announcers in
AFTRA that the pre-recording of
ID’S, lead-ins and spots on video¬
tape will enable employers to
diminish the size of their gab
staffs. Union wants guarantees
against staff reductions, but the
networks have not agreed.

Generally, however, the contract
talks, last of which was on Friday
(5) night, are said to be running
along smoothly, and at the moment
it appears that both sides will
reach agreement on the outstand¬
ing points.

There is no word on how the
negotiators have—if they have—
(Continued on page 46)

NBC ‘Kalmdoscope’
Portrayal of Indian
Coes a U.S. Protest

Interior Dept, has protested to
NBC oyer Nov. 16 “Kaleidoscope”
tv program on the American In¬
dian. Under Secretary Elmer F.
Bennett, in a letter to Web pres¬
ident Robert E. Kintner, asked
NBC to present the “other side
of the coin” in a subsequent pro¬
gram.

Bennett said the program de¬
picted Interior Dept. Indian offi¬
cials as “ogres without souls and
avowed enemies of Indians.” It
Was not, he asserted, “responsible
journalism” and “can hardly qual¬
ify as Impartial, dispassionate re¬
porting of the news.”

By LES BROWN

Chicago, Dec. 9.

“After three months as NBC Veep
in charge of the o&os in Chicago,
Lloyd Yoder finds himself on the
horns of a dilemma, to wit, how
to win the good graces of the
Windy City press, politicos and
populace and still program prof¬
itably.

It is not as easy to resolve as it
perhaps sounds. Although the
sentiment against him has soft¬
ened noticeably of late, Yoder
still senses . that his image to
many in this town is that of a
heavy. The company man from
the east-who has come to Chi to
drain money from the stations for
the network. Indicative of his de¬
sire to “belong” in the Windy
City is the fact .that two of the
shows he has incepted, one live
and the other an anthology of
half-hour vidfilms, celebrate the
city in their titles—viz. “Chicago
Bandstand” and “Chicago Play¬
house.”

For the nonce, at least, there
are two things he knows he
must not do, lest the press,
talent unions, politicians and
writers of crank letters start up
on him again: (1) he must not
replace any remaining live shows
with film; and (2) he must not
import talent or staff personnel
Lfrom other cities. These are the
acts that chiefly got him in trouble
in the first place, and herein lies
the dilemma,

Yoder is a conservative thinker
who likes to program by means ol
track records, and obviously this
is best done with sjmdicated film.

•• (Continued on page 46)

NBC-TV Explores
Red China Story

Not all the emphasis is on Russia
these days insofar as the NBC
News shop is concerned. Red
China, for a change, will get the
in-depth treatment on Jan. 4 when
the news section of the web will
present a half-hour special film re--
port on Red China tagged “The
Great Leap Forward.”

Film will be penned "by Helen
Marmor and directed- by Robert
Priaulx. Producer will be Chet
Hagan. Footage was made by Jdm
Strohm, freelance writer and edi¬
tor who visited China with State
Department approval and a visa
from the Peking government last
September.

Strohm’s newspaper accoimts of
his visi^ to China were released
via NEA and he also has a piece
on the same subject in the January
Reader’s Digest. His.film account
(Continued on page 52)

RABIO-Tj^VIStOBr

Wednei^yy December' lOy l^^SS

SI

ARliyfiiaiiiTiiiie

CBS management has put one of Its anonymous minnesingers
to work on a “perm*’ nixing Christmas parties bn the premises.

It appears In the current report, “Tie Line,” published by the
employee-management committee. The “perm” entitled, “Noel,”
. readsi

^ Christmas comes but nnce a year.

And when it comes it brings good cheer.

But if you hope to make it last
And plan to organize a blast,

A CBS directive says:

“No parties on the premises.”

Of course you’re welcome, one and all,

To rent a room or hire a hall,

To gather 'round you true and tried,

-- But, please, to. do it all outside;

A camera, say execs who watch,

Won’t function well submerged In scotch.

Murrow & Friendly’s Tirginia Story’;

' But Win It Be CaUed‘See it Now’?

Ed Murrow and Fred Friendly-f-j
are in business again—^that is, in
the area of full-hour probing in-
depth (“See It Now.’’) For the
past three weeks a camera crew
has been at work documenting the
“Virginia Story” and the pros &
cons attending the closing of
schools and the entire segregation
issue. Principally the shooting has
been going on in Norfolk (for the
story of the “Lost Class of ’59”)
and in Chariottesville.

What hasn’t been resolved, how¬
ever, is the when & if status of
the show’s going on the air. It’s
more than likely it will be sched¬
uled as a sustainer, since it’s a
certainty that no sponsor would
want to touch such a ticklish issue.
But the intriguing aspect of the
• upcoming presentation lies in
. whether CBS will. permit it to
return under the overall umbrella
title of “See It Now.”

A few months back it was dis¬
closed that, while Murrow and
Friendly would probably do an
occasional 60-mmute job. this sea¬
son, CBS would no longer permit
the “See It Now” title to be used.
There was an unprecedented out¬
burst following the disclosure.
Whether or not this wUl cue a
reappraisal of CBS’ thinking cind
a return of the “See It Now” title
is Inviting considerable conjec¬
ture.

As presently outlined, the “Vir¬
ginia Story” will touch on the
whole massive resistance move¬
ment toward integration.

NBC-mSROOn
All Grid Windups

f

Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co.
and Mercury Division of Ford Mo¬
tor Co. will co-sponsor NBC-TV’s
coverage of Pro Bowl Game, giving
the web SRO biz for the seven
post-season gridiron encounters.

Pro Bowl Game will be carried
from Los Angeles Coliseum -^Sun¬
day, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. This marks
second straight year that two ad¬
vertisers have picked up tab for
the game.

Blue-Gray Game, Saturday, Dec.
27 wiU be under Gillette Razor
sponsorship; East-West Shrine
Game, same day, will be spon¬
sored by Savings and Loan
Foundation, R. J. Reynolds To¬
bacco and Whitehall Labs; Na¬
tional Football League Champion¬
ship Game, Sunday, Dec. 28, will
be sponsored by Phillip Morris,
Clinton Engines and Hygrade Food
Products; Sugar Bowl Game on
New Year’s Day, Bayuk Cigars;

. Rose Bowl Game, also New Year’s
Day, Gillette Razor, and Senior
Bowl Game, Jan. 3, Bayul^ Cigars.

CUMMINGS A VEEP

Sanford (Sandy) Cummings Was
named an ABC-TV veepee this

• week.

• ' Cuinmlngs, who has headed the
web’s Coast program operation for
some months now, wUl report to
James Riddell, new western *divi-

‘ Sion boss, when the latter starts
on the job shortly*

CBS-rV Program Veep:

Robert M. Weitman

•xpoHndi OH

What Is a Good
Program Idea
* * *

eat of the many Editorial Footerti
Im tfio ■peemiRg

53d Anniversary Number

of

f'SniEfr

Ride a Lincoh
'Intercontinental’

There’s a “plot” being hatched
by Robert Saudek Associates which
Would send Leonard Bernstein
around the world to conduct some
of the major orchestras for a filmed
series to be shown on television
next season. It’s reported that
overture's made to the Lincoln
Division of the Ford Motor Co.,
which is sponsoring Bernstein’s
present one-a-month lecture-^or-
chestral series with the N. Y.
Philharmonic on CBS-TV, have
met with initial favorable re¬
sponse. Obviously the series would
be done only if a sponsor is
wrapped up in, advance.

It’s estimated that- Bernstein
would require at least a two-
month period to bring back suffi¬
cient installments to make such a
series feasible. Understood, too,
that Bernstein is agreeable to the
project should Lincoln give the
final nod.

Bernstein will do a minimum of
five shows in his present series
with the Philharmonic, although
this may be extended to eight or
nine as result of the acclaim ac¬
corded his initial taped perform¬
ance last week. There’s a new
management at Lincoln, also a
new agency (account having shifted
from Kenyon & Eckhardt to Foote,
Cone & Belding), and although
there were earlier Lincbln mis¬
givings about proceeding with the
series, it’s reported that the auto
company is now highly enthusias¬
tic about the program.

Danny & Ernie’s Swap

Danny Thomas and Tennessee
Ernie Ford have decided tv is;just
one big happy family. They’ll
swap guest shots on each. other’s
show.

Thomas will appear Jan. 1 on
Ford’s NBC-TV stanza, and Ford
wiU repeat nourtesty in qurrently-
lensed “Danny Thomas Show”
slated, for Feb. 15 telecasting over

TEARS IN EYES

By GEORGE ROSEN

;A few seasons ago when Jackie
Gleason abandoned his full-hour
live Saturday night program on
CBS-TV to “go film” with his 30-
minute ^‘Honeymooners”, he was
subjected to a round of critical
blasts from which he and the show
never quite recovered. After
“Honeymooners” went off, Glea¬
son laid off for a year.

This season he’s back live, with
a half-hour Friday night show on
CBS-TV which haS been going no¬
where either on the Nielsen or
the Trended rating charts. In con¬
trast, his “Honeymooners” now
playing the syndication circuit, is
a smash hit, making a lot of sta¬
tions and local sponsors happy.
Gleason will probably round out
his 26-week network sponsor com¬
mitment, but as a "comeback
comic”, he failed to make it.

Paralleling the Gleason situa¬
tion is that of George Burns, an¬
other comic who, while stiU half
of the Burns & Allen team, was
swelling the coffers and aucRence
charts for CBS. Today those self¬
same “Burns & Allen” segments,
now playing “syndication time,”
are stiU hot stuff and are building
up to a veritable bonanza for the
Screen (Jems syndication arm. But
Bums as a solo live network entry^
on NBC-TV is fighting for his
career as a comic while getting
his Nielsen comeuppance from the
competition. Latest Nielsen score-
card: Geo. Burns, 18.4; ABOTV’s
“Rifleman,” 32.0. The future, as
translated in his present 30-minute
show, looks bleak indeed. (There’s
a possibility the show, may go
“live” with a change in format in
an effort to save it.)

Then there’s the case of Ed
Wynn, who was one of tv’s early-
day, clicks. * His “comeback” has
been nothing but despair, culmin¬
ating in his recent cancellation.
He goes off in January, a victim
of audience malnutrition.

Or take Milton Berle, erstwhile
king of the tv comics who, like
Gleason, also hit the comeback
trail this season after a year’s
layoff. Also like Gleason, he’s
figured to ride out his 30-week
semester for Kraft, taking him into
May, but the Berle “then & now”
story, as exemplified by the Niel¬
sen ratings, must inevitably invite
the query (as in the case of Glea¬
son): “What went .wrong? What
makes things different today?”
Whatever that difference, here’s
how Nielsen translates it: Despite
the fact that he gets a hefty 27.7
lead-in from “Price Is Right”,
Berle winds up with a 21^3, where¬
as his com^tition, -“Millionaire,”
walks off with a 26.3 despite the
fact that it picks up nothing from
the preceding “Pursuit” show.
Translation for the lay reader: It
ain’t good.

The “look back in anger” come¬
dians also include George Gobel,
whose alternate week Tuesday 8
to 9 entry on NBC-TV has been
taking it on the chin from ABC-
TV's “Cheyenne” and “Wyatt
Earp.”

There will be a fiock of re¬
placement shows to hit the net¬
works come the first of the year.
The sponsors and the agencies are
on a desperate prowl for suitable
replacement product. 'They’re look¬
ing at everything—at everything
but comics. They’re labelled the
“big gamble” of this year’s tv.

"Oops, No Money’; SB
Won’t Bankroll Texan’

Standard Brands which had been
talking with CBS-TV about the
possibility of taking alternate
weeks of the “Texan” on Mondays
came up with a last minute prob¬
lem. No money.

Not enough hard cash could be
extracted from the various brands
to pick up the tab on the .show
with GBS-'TV once, again hanging
.the “for sale” sign on the Monday

Pat Weaver Back Into Agency Fold
At McC-E s Pr(^am Consultant

Serlpfer

Allen Boretz

reeOHRts Hit saga of a
'Mr. Dnblais*

Ir hit piece on

Video to No Avail
With This Vox Pop
* * *

one of the many Editorial Features
in the upcoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

PSHIETY

McC-E Shuffles
Roster of Shows;
Burns Going Live?

Among McCann-Erickson radio-
ty’ topper Terry Clyne’s current
Coast trip chores is a proposal^ to
beef up the George Burns-dJolgate
show, starting with the Dec. 16
program, into a v^ety comedy
policy, live rather than on film. It
could thus afford opportunities for
Gracie- Allen “dropping in” on her
husband’s-gone-solo shows.

It does not portend a permanent
reuniting of Bums & Allen over
NBC, since the comedian felt that,
after a marathon via CBS, his
longtime partner-wife should retire
and “take things easier.” However,
Clyne’s idea, which he will talk
through with the comedian during j
his current Hollywood visit is to
“replan some of his filmed shows”
and for eight or 10 weeks essay a
live comedy variety format. i

Eddie Fisher and Desi Arnaz
(Desilu Playhouse) are other shows
on the Clyne agenda.

Meantime the radio-television
veepee of McCann-ErIckson is
juggling some other of the agency’s
shows. A new Jack Webb pack¬
age, “D.A.’s Man,” starring John
Compton, replaces the French-im¬
ported q u i z z e r, “Brains and
Brawn”; and Four Star’s “Black
Saddle” (a gunman-turned-western
lawyer) goes into the Saturday-
9 p.m. slot vice “Steve Canyon.”
“D.A.” is in the Saturday-10:30
p.m. spot.

Both are filmed shows, as is
“Canyon,” which shifts to Thurs¬
day-8 p.m., vice the cancelled Ed
Wynn- comedy situation filmed
series.

Clyne is “satisfied” with the
“CJanyon” show rating and figures
that it will have an even better
chance in the new Thursday
groove. ^

CHRYSLER’SASTME
REPEAT ON JAN. 28

The highly-acclaimed “An Even¬
ing With Astaire,” videod over
N¥C-TV on Oct. IT wiU hav^ a
repeat performance over the same
facilities on Wednesday, Jan. 28
from 10 to 11 p.m.
j Videotape of the hour-long prod¬
uction with Fred Astaire* Barrie;

Sylvester L, (Pat) Weaver Jr.,
former president and vicechairman
of the board of NBC, looks set to
return to the agency field as gen¬
eral consultant on planning and
programming with McCann-Erick-
' son. He would report directly to C*
Terence Clyne, executive veepee
of the agency in overall charge of
radio and television who, report¬
edly, primed this move. It is be¬
lieved that Tom McAvity would
thus 0 . 0 . the mechanics and
Weaver will bear down on the cre¬
ative aspects.

Understood the deal will be final- ‘
ized in New York later this week,
after Clyne returns from a Coast
quickie attendant to Desilu, George
Bums, Eddie Fisher and other pro¬
gramming consultations.

This would not interfere with
Weaver’s consultation commit¬
ments with Kaiser. Industries and
with Nelson Rockefeller, CJovemor-
elect of New York, whose cam¬
paign, especially on the television
aspects, was masterminded by
Weaver. Weaver and Rockefeller
were classmates at Dartmouth. (In¬
cidentally, it is now generally con¬
ceded, “Rock’s” video personality
and general tv approach was what
swung the tide against Gov, Averill
Harriman.)

Also, it was the McCann-Erick¬
son. subsid unit which handled the
spots for the Republican State
Committee in behalf of the suc¬
cessful Rockefeller gubernatorial
campaign, and thus Weaver was
thrown intimately with Clyne
throughout the past several months.

Weaver has had an open bid
from Young & Rubicam to return
to his alma-mater agency but, with
some $100,000,000 in McCann-Erick¬
son tv-radio billings, there is beau-
coup room for the former NBC
president-showman to troubleshoot
amona chows such as Coca-Coja,
L&M, Buick, Westinghouse, et all
Weaver would probably* not dip
into the cigaret or Westinghouse
accounts but Buick and Coke could
get his immediate attention.

It’s no secret that Clyne plans
revamping certain McCann-Erick¬
son shows and Weaver, while he
would be free to develop his own
program ideas, would be told to
trouble-shoot this or that show, as
dissatisfaction on program and rat¬
ing crop up. (As is detailed in an¬
other story, Clyne has certain ideas
for some of the McCJ-E agency’s
other shows, which would fall into
the Weaver scope.)

DeMille Cancelled
As AFTRA Balks

Peter Lind Hayes planned to
have as a guest on his ABC-TV
live cross-the-boarder HoUj^vood
veteran director Cecil B. DeMLlIe.
DeMiUe, slated to appear as an
interviewee on or about Dec. 18,
has been canceUed, at the request
of the American Federation of
Television & Radio Artists.

AFTRA is still at odds with
DeMille because of the latter’s re¬
fusal to become a union member
when he was host of “Lux Radio
Theatre.”

A spokesman for the show said
that Hayes acceded to the union
request because he is a member in
good standing and has no desire to
buck union sentiment. It was
added Hayes thought that the De¬
fine hassle was “all over.” It was
clearly stressed that AFTRA only
“asked” and did not demand the
DeMille axing.

Cooper’s "Willie’ Series

Chase, Jonah Jones Quartet and
David Rose’s orch, wiU once again
be under the sponsorship of Chrys¬
ler. Agency is Leo Burnett.

^This is Your Life” wUl be pre¬
empted on this occasion for the
repeat performance. Bud Yorkln
was producer-director, with Her-

ABC-TV and the Frank Cooper
Agency are co-producfaig a situa-
ton comedy telefilm pUot called
“Willie.” Series was created by two
Cooper clients, writers Syd Zellnka
and Walter Newman.

It’s expectedathe half-hour pUot
wUl be lensed in about four weeks.

•a TV^gfliMS

KdnrdMorleys
BriL Teleinery;
Also a iri Unit

London, Dec. 9.

Elchard Morley has set up a
British telefilmery^ which swings
into production activity in the
Spring, when it will start on the
first of three series. Morley re¬
turned to New York last weekend
(6) en route to ^Washington and
^aTif nmia to finalize details and is
du6 back in London towards the
end of January.

The new company has been reg¬
istered under the title of Telerama
Ltd. and Morley is setting up an
American company which will be
known as Telerama Inc,, with h.q.
in Hollywood.

. When Morley returns in the New
Year he will be accompanied by
Fred Forsman, who will be one
of his colleagues on the board, and
by his American story editor Jack
Bock, who .will work alongside a
.British story editor.

The American company will han¬
dle its own sales and during his
stopover in Los Angeles, Morley
hopes to finalize the distribution
arrangements.

Associated with him in the ven¬
ture is British producer John Bax¬
ter, who will act in an executive
capacity on some of the company’s
. series.

‘BELL’TAKES TOLL
OF MPLS. RIVALRY

Apparently, CBS-TV has good
cause to worry that the rating
strength of the Paramount oldie
*‘For Whom the Bell Tolls” might
bite into the web’s “Playhouse 90"
two-part adaptation of the Ernest
Hemingway opus, scheduled for
March.

The Gary Cooper-Ingrid Berg¬
man starrer on WTCN-TV, Minne-
apolis-St Paul, Saturday (6) night
garnered a 20.9 Trendex rating for
the 9:45 to midnight slot. It sound¬
ly trounced aU opposition pro^ams
on the other three stations, with its
closest competitor being KSTP
with a 6.1 average rating for the
period, '

CBS, which has bought the Para¬
mount library now in four markets,
has asked its o&o’s in N. Y., Phila¬
delphia, St. Louis and pr esum ably
now Chicago, not to play “FWTBT”
pic until the “Playhouse 90” ver¬
sion is telecast. That will be done
in two instalments on March 5
and 12.

ABC & Film Snbsid

Getting Acipinted

A closer liaison is being devel¬
oped between the ABC-TV net and
ABC Films, the telefilmery. The
two divisions of American Broad¬
casting-Paramount Theatres are j
working in the programming areas i
as they never had before. I

Latest example is ABC Films’
buyout of the “Court of Last Re -1
sort.” Telefilm subsid bought the
26 episodes from exec producer;
Jules Goldstone. The reruns (in-1
tial exposure was on NBC-TV last
season) will be ultilized on the:
net. Property will then be put
into syndication.

Earlier, ABC Films bought 78
episodes of “Meet McGraw/’-. also *
sold for an ABC-TV network re¬
run. Following the network ride,
ABC Films wijl put the series in
syndication. .

ABC Films, of course, would be
ready to offer the same liaison
buying with other webs. But most
of the rerun. skeins at this time |
are finding berths at ABC-TV. *

Assured of a network ride, ABC'
Films has a good deal of its costs I
written off before the skein is
dumped in the syndication hopper.

Sterling Acquires

‘Wondei*s of Sea’

“Wonders of the Sea,” a color
documentary series produced at-
Marineland, Fla., has been acquired
for tv distribution by Sterling Tele¬
vision.

Sterling reported that the half-
hour series has been bought by
the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
and British Broadcasting Corp. and
negotiations are under way for net¬
work exposure In the U.S.

f^saeff

The Plot To ‘Overthrow’ Latin America

Latin America has a nev major battleground—
the UB. syndicators have squared off against a huge
film buying combine' headed by Goar Mestre of
Cuba in an all-out effort to keep from losing their
distribution grip on the South-Central American
market Alternative is to sell telefilm negatives to
Mestre and virtually end Latin American sales op¬
erations by U-S. companies.

Last spring; Mestre, who is Cuba’s major broad¬
cast operator and has influence ■ and interests
throughout a large segpaent of Latin America,
formed Television America,. S. A., better known
among syndicators as TISA. The express pinpose of
the organization, which has stockholders and con-
tractees among stations in Puerto Rico; Venezuela,
El Salvador and Cuba, is to buy film for all. Syndi--*
cators in N.Y. a^ee that they are faced with tre¬
mendous price-cutting if they sell to TISA

Even With two of the American networks in sup¬
port of an openly anti-TISA movement, there is
considerable fear among U. S. syndicators, who
hoped to develop S. A. into a major outlet for vid-
film before long, that Mestre’s forces will obtain.
Mestre, who owns and operates CMQ, a network
of Cuban stations, and has around a 20% interest
in WAPA, a tv’er in San Juan, P.R., has vast pres¬
tige in Latin-speaking countries and has a reputa¬
tion for an'cfficiiat and relentless business mind.

So far, the South and Central American tv mar¬
kets haven’t been very rewarding financiaRy to
North. American distribs, but until the advent of
TISA, a market such as Caracas, Venezuela, where
Radio Caracas is a member of TI§A, syndicators
were able to get around $600 per half-hour per
broadcast. Since TISA, Mestre is willing to pay
$400 OT less for the same onetime use, although,
according to syndicators, the half-hour time charges
of Radio Caracas have conversely risen from $600
to roughly $900, indicating that the market’s ad¬
vertisers are willing to pay more than ever before
for the tv goods.

Coin Potential

With the obviously increased buying power of
Latin America, the syndicators desire strongly to
maintain their own distribution setups there, so
that they can get optimum coin returns. One syndi¬
cator said late last week that it is no longer too
much to expect a $5,000 gross per half-hour before
it has exhausted its S. A. and C. A potential. Even
when $800 or $900 is taken but for dubbing and the
expense of' maintaining a foreign sales force is
thrown in, this syndicator feels that the margin of
profit is great between the $400 offered in Caracas
by TISA and the return he can achieve alone.

Greatest fear of Mestre & Co. is that his TISA
speaks for . the strongest stations in their respec¬
tive markets, and that advertising agencies are
afraid to buy time on often lower-rated corppeti-
tion. Hence, as one syndicator puf it, he ,hopes all
the U.S.-based houses will be drawn together in a
systematic attack on agency “dollar consciousness.”

A second- step. In the event that the campaign., is
slow to take hold, is the all-around probability that
the syndicators will have to temporarily discontinue
their own dubbing operations and instead give
away first-runs in certain markets in order to get
that market’s station to dub for free. In turn, the
syndicators will maintain rights for the already-
dubbed product throughout the remainder of Latin
America.

At this moment, at least one syndicator Is re¬
viewing the question of whether he should continue
dubbing out of his own pocket or try the method
of a one-market giveaway in return for the dubbed-
show and the rest of the nations south of the bor¬
der.

. So far, all of the syndicators, save one, have re¬
sisted dealing with TISA. It was confirmed that
CBS Film sold negative rights on 10 series, includ¬
ing “Gunsmoke,” some of the “I Love Lucy,”
“Whirlyhirds,” etc., to TISA TISA' is doing, the
dubbing.

•Rest of the syndicators are praying that there
will be no other breakthroughs.

A brief breakdown on Mestre’s pricing at CMQ
was given by the syndicators here. -It was explained
that for CMQ, Mestxe is willing to pay approximate¬
ly $750 a month (at the rate.of 4.3 broadcast expo¬
sures a month) for his telefilm. However, Mestre
asks $1275 per month to advertisers in time charges.
Syndicators here argue vociferously that Mestre is
cutting th^ out of deserved coin and super-charg¬
ing at^ertisers.

Chief problem of gettog the agencies, owning in-,
ternational accounts, to go along against TISA is
far from solved. In its campaign, syndication plans
to stress that if the agencies buy directly from syn-.
dicators they can save hundreds of dollars, plus
breaking the powerful' hold some stationmen have
on the films to be used. For example, if the agen¬
cies' won’t pay syndicators $475 for a dubbed epi¬
sode in Puerto Rico, the syndicators generally have
to sell the same show to the .gtation for $400 or un¬
der, although this price saving is not reflected in
savings to advertiser. (The Latin American stations
jockey up costs immensely, charging as much as
$750 for the show* npt counting time, it bought for
$350 less.)

According to the- sjmdicators, the TISA contract
forms give TISA the right to accept or reject any of
the telefilm sold to its member stations. Although
originally, Don Emilio Azcarraga, Mexico’s tv mag¬
nate, was represented as becoming a member of
TISA, it is understood that he rejected a tie with
Mestre, preferring to go it alone bn his film buying.

It is ^own that one syndicator in the U.S. told
the boss of WAPA, San Juan, on a recent visit to
the U.S., that he didn’t look kindly on having to
make a deal with an FCC-licensed station when
Cuba had the final sayso “op the programming.

TISA is expected by the syndicators to try for
contractees in Argentina, Colombia and Peru to
make its telefilm buying combine complete and in¬
escapable.

SG-Draine Deal
On "Newton Man’

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Screen Gems has closed a deal
with George Draine, co-creator of
SG’s “Rescue 8” and former asso¬
ciate producer on the stanza, for
a' new property titled “The New¬
ton Man.” Series is about an in¬
vestigator for the Newton Investi¬
gation Bureau & Security Police,
one of the largest private detective
companies, specializing in the ship¬
ping field, where its operatives
safeguard passengers and freight
on the principal Pacific steamship
lines.

Series would be filmed on loca¬
tion throughout the Pacific, .with
the cooperation of the Pacific Area
Travel Assn^ a government-backed
international agency promoting
tourism in the area. Shooting
would take place in Hawaii, Japan,
the Philippines, Singapore, etc.
Draine will serve as associate pro¬
ducer and come in for a slice of
the profit on the series, which is
to start production before Feb- ‘
ruary. j

HARTFORD’S WTIC-TY'
GETS METRO FEATURES

Travelers Insurance Co. tv sta¬
tion WTIC in Hartford, Conn., now
a CBS affiliate, has gotten the
Metro features for that market
Shift of the Metro pix t o WT IC
gre-W out of th e folding of WHCT,
the CBS UHF outlet in Hartford.
MGM-TY made a settlement on the
pix with CBS, which , bought the
Metro library in a package deal for
their outlets in New York, Chi¬
cago, Milwaukee as well as Hart¬
ford.

A Trend?

Transfilm, N.Y. production
house, has taken a. camera
technique admittedly as “old'
as the hills” and is making
capital of it. Instead of filming
bodies in action, the blurbery
has taken still photographs
and wiggled the camera in¬
stead. Technique has been
bought by Chemstrand (it was
first and won a couple of
awards for the blurb proto¬
type). Ford, Aero Shave, In¬
stant Sanka, Tek and Esso, the
latter with a “modified ver¬
sion.”

It’s a small Jimount, but
then the techniqueus relatively
new (tof commercials), yet
Transfilm has done 18 such
spots recently and is prepping
six more. Incidentally, accord¬
ing to Transfilm veepee Robert
Bergmann, the technique is no
less costly than fuU live action
film-^as much, perhaps^ as the
^‘average cartoon commercial,”
which is. more expensive than
live action. From 150 to 500
still photos are taken, from
which 30 to 50 are culled for
use before the wigglihg
camera.

TAROLF SELLING
BUTNOTINSOirni

“Parole,”, the reM-life docu¬
mentary of the work of the Cali¬
fornia Parole Board, has been sold
in about 24 markets by Telestar
Films.

But noticeably absent from the
market rundown Is any strong Tep-
resentation of southern cities.
Reason: One of the parole board
members Is a Negro. Most South¬
ern stations are reluctant to book
a program which shows a Negro
sitting in on judgment of a white
prisoner. - .

SG "Powerhouse
Features on Tap

Another bloc of features is be¬
ing released for tv distribution by
Screen Gems. Company is letting
go with 78 from the Columbia and
Universal libraries and calling
them Qie “Powerhouse” group.

Some of the flicks are "T^e Kill¬
ers,” “Seven Sinners,” “Scarlet
Street,” “Naked City,” “Here
Comes Mr. Jordan,” “Song To Rfe-
member” and “The Bandit of Sher¬
wood Forest.” ^

Release is in keeping with SG’s
policy on pacing. If? the fourth
group SG has kieked off in ’58,
others being “Triple Crown’* in
January, “Son oL Shock” in April
and “Sweet 65” in July.

RENNIE GETS LEAD

ON‘THIRD MAN’

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

National Telefilm Associates has
finally licked the casting dilemma
that’s held up production of its
“Third Man” series for several
weeks. NTA inked Michael Ren¬
nie for the lead, originally intend¬
ed for 'James Mason. Latter pulled
out of the deal in a contract has¬
sle and subsequently filed a $3,-
750,000 libel suit against NTA over
a piece in a London nev/spai)€r on
the socall^ “war clause” in the
contract hassle.

For Rennie, it's his first series,
though he’s been a tv and telepix
regular for-some years in assorted
roles. He did a pilot last spring
for Hal Roach Studios, “The Tall
Man,” -whi^ didn’t make it,
“Third Man” producer Felix Jack-
son, currently in London for hud-*
dies on j>roduction of the 19 seg¬
ments to be produced there start-
.Ing; in May, will begin filming of
the first 20 in Hollywood in early
January. ,

Aussie Qectioii
A Break for
Vidp Producers

Sydney, Dec. 9.

With the return to power for a
further three years’ term, the Rob¬
ert Menzies Liberal Party govern¬
ment will not Set a curb on im¬
ported teevee product from the
United States to “protect” local
talent on a high quota figure. Gov¬
ernment’s reelection sees a, buoy¬
ant mood evident throughout the
local teevee scene arid commercial
staitions are going ahead for more
top U.S. programs throughout 1959.

It’s known that had the Labor
Party, headed by,Dr. Evatt, swung
into power a 55% homebrew talent
protection would have ben intro¬
duced •via a link with Aussie
Actor’s Equity on a vote-getting
basis. Failure of the Labor Party
to win the election on Nov. 22
wipes out any hope AAE had of
re^ghting the inflow of U^. tee¬
vee celluloid in favor of lochlly-
produced shows. •

Surv^ here shows conclusively
that the Aussie tv fans (highest
taxed in the world), are aH for
American - brand entertainihent,
with sponsors backing this opinion
to the limit via the major com¬
mercial outlets. With no mterfer-
ence-from politicians in the Aus¬
sie tv sphere covering local talent
protection, the year ahead should
be a boomer for importers of ace
teevee programs.

$200,000 OVmEAS
NEW BIZ FOR rre

Manny Reiner, Independ^t
Television Ciorp. v,p. of foreign
sales, ticked off sales of 24 pro¬
grams in 14 overseas-markets for
total billings of $200,000. Reiner
recently returned from a six-week
trip to Australia and the Far East.

ETC prexy Walter Kingsley, com¬
menting on the growth of the for¬
eign operation (it now accounts
for 20% of ITC’s gross sales), fore¬
cast that in five years foreign sales
wiU grow to 40% of the outfit’s
gross. He based his prediction. on
the increase in the number of over¬
seas stations and the growing sale
of sets.

New ITC foreign sales include a
renewal from the Mitsuwa Soap
Co. of Japan to sponsor “Lassie”
over the Radio Tokyo Network. Ad¬
ditionally, the first year’s produc¬
tion of . “Lassie” was sold to five
new markets in Japan. Another
sale In Japan was “Cannonball”
to Radio Tokyo, Inc. for telecast¬
ing in six cities. Other cities in
which programming were sold in¬
clude Hong Kong, Manila, Sydney,
Melbourne, and Bangkok.

Prima-Keely

In Telefilm Series

Louis Prima and Keely Smith
will be teamed in musical situation
comedy telefilm project, organized
by the husband-and-wife team and
Irving H; Levin, motion pictxire
exec.

Title of the series Is “The Louis
Prima-Keely Smith Show.” Fea¬
tured In the project will be Sam
Butera and “The Witnesses” play¬
ing both musical and comedy parts.
Filming of the series, which-deals
with the every-day life of a group
of musicians as well as the hus-
hand-wife relationship between
Prima and Miss Smith, will start in
-January ^at MGM studios. Levin
will be exec producer* Edmond
Chevie, producer; Barbara Belle,
associate producer. Scripters will
he Ed Simmons, formerly head
.writer for the Martin-Lewis and
Martha Raye tv shows, and Ed
James,-who developed the “Father
Knows Best” series.

. Yaa Kenren Erits Roacli

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Sidney Van Keuren, 26-year wt-
eran of the Hal Roach Studios,
resigned over the weeked as y.p.
and studio manager at Roach.
Resignatipn 'was for reasons of
health. Van Keuren having .under¬
gone a serious operation in Octo¬
ber from which a long recupera¬
tion period is indicated.

TV-FIfJH»

23

Wednefldaj, December 10* 1958

PSOiHiSfi

’59 LOADED WITH

MCA $ $50,01)0,1100 OD Par Pk

MCA TV In seven months of selling has passed the $50,000,000
mark on the Paramount library, MCA TV, when it made its deal
in April with Paramount Pictures, commlted for $35,000,000, with
another $15,000,000 based on a gross formula.

Pushing MCA TV across the $50,000,000 mark-r-with the gravy
train stretching ahead —is the Chicago'deal with CBS p&o
WBBM-TV. Station is imderstood to have agreed to shell out about
$5,200,000 for the 700 pix over a seven-year span. Chicago deal
puts the Paramoimt pix in sonde 30-odd markets, with some mar¬
kets holding off disclosure of the^deal for maximum publicity fol¬
lowing the holidays. The top dollar for the gilt-edged pix was ob¬
tained in N.Y., where another CBS o&o, WCBS-TV, commited for
$8,400,000._' _

No Clear Focus on Coml Production
mTVas

The tv commercial production
scene, both on the east and west
coasts, is popping.

The tape situation and the cor¬
relative union jurisdictional prob¬
lem are factors of growing con¬
cern. With networks switching
their operation more and more to
tape, the traditional tv commercial
makers with their filming operation
find themselves in a tough di¬
lemma.

On one hand, the networks either
have embarked or plan to enter
the field of video tape Commercial
production. On the other hand,
the jurisdiction problem, as well
as other factors, are at this time
tieing the hands of a large body of
tv commercial producers from en¬
tering the video tape field.

Japing into the breach also
are • National" Telefilm Associates
Telestudios and Howard Meighan’s
Videotape Productions of N.Y. The
production field is a volatile one,
evidenced by the zenith rise of
some firms over a comparative
short period of time matched by
the demise, or more conservatively,
the decline, of other firms In the
same relatively short period.

More than one tv commercial
producer is wringing his hands and
declaiming “what hath tape
wrought?”

The indie film commercial pro¬
ducers have their deal with Screen
Actors Guild and lATSE. The nets
have their deal with AFTRA for
talent and either IBEW and
NABET for technicians. Tele-
studios, only studio in the east at
this time selling video tape com¬
mercials, has pacts paralleling that
of the nets. AFTRA and IBEW,
Meigham has pacted with IBEW
and has yet to ink for talent.

Which union will have final con¬
trol over tape jurisdiction at this
time is unknown. The question of
whether network unions will
handle the tape put out by rival
unions also is a questionable item.
Proposed merger of SAG and
AFTRA would go a long way to
clarify the picture, but that won’t
likely be effected for some time.

Meanwhile, only Elliot, Unger dt
(Continued on page 54)

Reactivate 'North’
For Syndication

“Mr. & Mrs. North” is being re¬
vived by Bernard Schubert of Tele-
star Films as a fresh property for
network airing.

The project calls for fresh pro¬
duction on the series, with new
personalities in the lead roles, and
represents the first attempt to re¬
vive a successful, network series
under the “New Adventures of ..
label.

Telestar prexy Schubert esti¬
mated the gross on the vintage 57
half-hours - at $2,500,000. Now in
syndication, still playing in 60 mar¬
kets, show was networked from
1952 to '54. Schubert’s reasoning
In reviving the project stems in
part that when the show was first
launched on CBS in ’52 there were
109 tv stations, compared to 480
today. —

Because of the track-record o^
the project, Schubert is dickering
(Continued on page 50)

k*.-1 I I. i v 11 .C .1 ,

Prep ’(^onball’

Next syndic^itlon property for
Independent Television Corp. will
be “Cannonball,” which will be in-
troed in the market sometime after
the first of the year.

Skein now is unreeling In Can¬
ada. Produced -by Robert Max¬
well, creator of “Lassie,” skein has
also won a British berth.

Film’s Dependable
Track Record’Gets
AdherentsVs.Tape

Rebuttal to video tape’s adher¬
ents was staged last Thursday (5)
by five film-prone men appearing
in a forum sponsored by the Radio
& Television Executives Society in
N. Y. Evidently troubled about
the prospect of vidtape inroads on
their business, spokesmen for East¬
man Kodak and DuPont, two ma¬
jor suppliers of raw stock film foot¬
age, etc., dwelled on the fact
(without once mentioning tape in
the formal part of the program)
ithat film had a dependable track
record of flexibility, editability and
universally usable equipment.

Edward Stifle, motion picture
film department manager, of East¬
man, and Joseph T. Dougherty,
DuPont’s motion picture technical
rep, led off, stressing film’s
“proven 4 )roduction facilities,” the
fact that it’s easily edited and its
quality. The two men covered
largely the same ^ound, except
that Dougherty threw in the point
that in the film industry “labor
problems can be defined; there are
no jurisdictional, disputes among
film unions.”

There was one 'significant Irony
during the session. As pointed out
from the-efiair by RTES Workshop
chairman Sidney Berry, there were
perhaps three -or four men repping
the ad agencies in the audience of
150-odd men and women. And, it
was pointed out, since ft was the
advertiser" whom the film men were
primarily tryiiig to reach in their
battle vs. tape, something addl-
(Continued on page 50)

‘BRAVO’SEXT ENTRY
OFFZIVBttTUNE

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Next project on the Ziv Televi¬
sion Programs beltlihe is “Bravo,”
adventure series laid in Mexico and
starring Gerald (“Foreign In¬
trigue) Mohr, which gets underway
shortly. Series is the creation of
Dou.glas Heyes, who will produce,
write and direct the skein for
Ziv. '

Heyes, primarily a writerrdlrec-
tor, has been toneentrating his ef¬
forts of late at Warner Bros.,

! where he’s written and directed 15
“Maverick” segments, more than
anyone' else. Season before last* he
was director of Screen Gems’
“77th Bengal Lancers” series. The
Ziv deal was set for Heyes by Dick
Irving Hyland of the Frank Coop¬
er office here.

By MURRAY HOROWITZ

For many telefilm execs and
their respective operations, '99 wHl
be the year of decision. Behind
all the tub-thumping and the “Hey-
Look-At-US” shouting being done
in the trade, there’s anxiety.

Business of ’58 has been good,
but not that good for anyone to
relax. Competition has hardly been
keener with the‘majors fighting
one another and trying to hold
off the Inroads being made by the
minors. The little guy has never
had it tougher.

You can almost pick the vid-
filmery and pinpoint the challenge.

Example 1: The “old gang” of
top execs of the successful Televi¬
sion Programs of America opera¬
tion is out. Independent Television
Corp. which acquired TPA now will
have to make it on its own. The
ball definitely has been passed to
ITC prexy Walter Kingsley, an ex-
Ziv exec, and the way he runs—or
fumbles—^will determine, in a large
measure, ITC’s success. (Latest to
leave was Leon Fromkess, in
charge of production. Michael Sil-
lerman, who along with ex-prexy
Milton Gordon formed the old
TPA’s governing triumvirate, has
bought in with Gross-Krasne and
now heads up that firm, retitled
Gross-Krasne-SiUerman).

Example 2: National Telefilm As¬
sociates, the free-wheeling expand¬
ing company, topped by Ely Lan-
dau-Oliver-Unger-Harold Goldman,
has a number of x factors in its
portfolio. Profits for the last fiscal
year ended July, ’58, was lower
than -the previous year ($687,048
compared to $1,094,031 in ’57).
Main reason for the dip was at=
tributed to pouring fresh monies
in NTA’s two newly-ecquired o&o’s
WNTA-TV, Newark-N.Y., and
KMSP, Minneapolis-St. Paul. Since
that period KMSP reportedly has
been shoved into the black and
"WNTA-T'V is humming better. But
how the o&o’s wUl look at the ’59:
profit-and-loss statement remains
to be seen. Then, there are quest¬
ions as to how to replenish the
supply of features to tv, with the
20th-Fox reservoir running dry.
Also, the uncertainties of the NTA.
Film Network when sponsor re¬
newal time comes. And beyond that,
will the government give the nod
to National Theatres plan to ac¬
quire NTA.

Example 3: Officials Films suf¬
fered a loss in its last fiscal year.

(Continued on page 54)

FFC’s Exec Promotions,
Forms New Sales Unit

Independent Television Corp.,
rounding out the basic structure of
its sales and service operation, has
made several exec promotions and
formed a new sales division..

WBliam Du Bois, general sales
manager of the syndicated division,
has been promoted to director of
operations and sales planning.
Hardie Frieberg, who has been as¬
sistant general sales manager of
the syndicated division, has been
promoted to general manager of
all syndicated sales operations.

The regional sales division, a>
new department, has been forced
under the dual leadership of Kurt
Blumberg and Carl A. RusseU.
Bliunberg, formerly sales admin¬
istration manager, will head up re¬
gional sales in the eastern division.
Russell, formerly with Ziv spe¬
cializing in the regional sales area,
will head up ITC’s midwest re¬
gional division. Both will report
to Frieberg.

"With the regional setup, prez
Walter Kingsley now has four sales
departments functioning in spe-
ci^ed areas—the others being
national, rerun and syndication.

More TV FUm Nows
on Fago 50

CBS Films’ Major Exec Shuffle;

Tap D^ges, Shift Harris in Reorg;

Shakespeare to Helm WCBS-TV

-———-

Hail The‘ Gang’

“Our Gang” is claiming a rating
point victory at WNEW-TV, N, Y.

On Nov. 17, station made two
substantial changes in their “San¬
dy Becker’s Cartoon Show,”
stripped weekdays from 6:30 to 7
p.m. First, outlet added one of
Metro’s “Our Gang” comedies to
each day’s program and second, it
changed the title of the series to
the “Our Gang Show.”

For the first two weeks of No¬
vember, the Arbitron gave the old
show an average of 4.5, then for
the last two weeks of November
(upon addition of ^‘Our Gangs”) the
Arbitron average shot up to 6.8—
a 50% boost.

'Glencannon’ Set
For 90 Markets;
$1000,000 Gross

Two major regional bankiollers
inked this week for “Glencannon,”
the new Gross-Krasne-Sillerman
syndication series, bringing the
half-hour package up to sales of
something slightly over $1,000,000.
Show, sold in 90 markets (via a
total of four regional deals) has
not yet gone into market-by-raatket
syn^cation.

Blue Plate Foods took the stanza
In New Orleans and 22 other
southern and southeastern markets.
(It’s understood this pact was for
roughly $250,000.) G. Heilman
Brewing bought the Thomas Mit-
cheU-stairer in Chicago and other
midwestern cities.

Earlier deals were closed by
GKS with Olympia Brewing for
$500,000 in 47 Coast cities, and by
North Dakota Milling for tv
markets in its own s^te.

WPIX'S SNAZZY

4TH QUARTER BIZ

WPIX, N. Y., the station that
vldpix built, reports that fourth
quarters billings in ’58 will be at
least 21.5% higher than the ’57
last quarter.

Station, which this season in¬
cepted its “blocknight” program¬
ming concept, is one of the most
heavily telefilm programmed sta¬
tion in the country. During tlie
daytime it’s an educational outlet,
being programmed by the State
Board of Education.

“Blocknight” concept finds each
night of the week programmed
thematically, one night, comedy,
sports, mystery, etc. It’s lured a
lot of spot buys, 97% from na¬
tional advertisers.

SG Eyes Expansion

As a Telebinrbery

Screen Gems, which began 10
years ago basically as a producer
of telefilm blurbs and has since let
its commercial operation dwindle
into little more than a “service”
to the clients on its program pack¬
ages, is looking rather hard about
getting back into teleblurbing in
a big way. The Columbia subsid
has been negotiating for several
months with MPO Productions, a
large, ^busy Gotham production
house, although now it doesn’t look
nke there'll be a deal, because
MPO reports it doesn't want to
sell.

Meantime, SG is examining other
possible ways to reestablish its
teleblurb franchise.

CBS Films, whose business has
I grown to about a $15,000,000 gross
in ’58, has tapped new exec talent
and reshuffled its table of organiza¬
tion to operate the expanded sub¬
sid.

Moving over from general man¬
ager as v.p. in charge of produc¬
tion Is Leslie T. Harris. Sam Cook
Digges, general manager of WCBS-
TV, N. Y., moves over to become
administrative v.p.; John F. Howell
has been appointed v.p. and gen¬
eral sales manager; and Fred J.
Mahlstedt becomes director of op¬
erations and sales service—domes¬
tic and international.

Taking a more active role in the
affairs of the subsid is Merle S.
Jones, prez of the CBS television
stations division, Jones is under¬
stood to view the subsid" as the
next major area of growth of CBS*
holdings. Significantly, no one was
appointed to fill the general man¬
ager post vacated by Harris, in¬
dicative of the new organizational
setup of a team operating under
Jones’ control.

The subsid has an expanded pro¬
duction schedule for '59, for both
syndication and network projects.
Harris, among his other duties, had
been riding herd over production
for the past number of years. It’s
understood he will continue to
headquarter in N. Y., making trips
to Hollywood and Europe as pro¬
duction requirements dictate.

Moving over in Dlgges job as
general manager of the N. Y. CBS-
TV flagship is Frank Shakespeare.
He had been general manager of
WXIX, CBS o&o in Milwaukee.
Shakespeare’s spot will be taken
over by Richard P. Hogue who is
now general sales manager of
"WXIX.

Harris had been general man-
'ager of the film subsid since March,
'54, the period vof its greatest
gtowth. Digges was named general
manager of WCBS-TV in August,
'54, while Shakespeare had become
general manager of WXIX in Octo¬
ber, ’57.

Veepee stripes going to sales
manager Howell is in recognition
of his sales job this year. Mahl-
stedt’s area of operation under the
new setup remain^ firm.

More Film Execs
IntoVidpixBK

March of motion picture execs
into the telefilm biz continue^ at a
rapid pace. It's a case of a growing
biz taking the talent of a depressed
industry.

Latest to join the roll is Stanley
Kramer who was foreign sales
manager of RKO Radio Pictures
until recently. He joined National
Telefilm Associates as -director of
foreign distribution and film coor¬
dinator.

Leonard S. Gruenberg, another
motion picture distribution vet, has
joined Gross-Krasne-Sillerman as
a veepee. He will work in ^e area
of regional and national sales. He
formerly was New York Metropoli¬
tan division manager for RKO Ra¬
dio Pictures. On leaving RKO, he
co-produced “Compulsion” on
Broadway.

Jacques Grinleff, prez of Pacific
Film Associates, and distributor of
American motion pictures in the
foreign field, has formed a liaison
with Reub Kaufman’s Jayark
Films. Under his deal, he will
handle the foreign distribution of
all Jayark Films, concentrating ini¬
tially on Jayark’s “Bozo the
Clown.” Unlike the others, Grinleff
remains in the motion picture biz

— -Wedveiday:, December 10, 195S

Wediicgday, Deccmlieir 10, 195fl[

“Here Comes Mr. Jordan”

Robert Montgomery Claude Rains

“The Killers”

Burt Lancaster Ava Gardner

“The Man
From Colorado”
Glenn Ford i William Holden

For more
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28

HADIO-TELEVTSSOIV

Weidn^day, December 10, 1958

TV Topper Becoming kgmcks
Top 'Qanior Boy in Upped Status
-On Other Madison Ave. Fronts

By JACK BERNSTEIN

With television the No. 1 medium
for national advertisers and With
broadcast billings dominating with¬
in the larger Madison Ave. shops,
the agency radio-tv toppers are
finding themselves in top position
within the ad shops with the print,
media and research boys taking a
back seat to the programmers.

Not only from the glory stand¬
point (print and media ad men are
hardly known outside of their own
shop) but from the point of view
of the client, the agency radio-tv
toppers sit next to the agency
prexy in securing new business,
getting more out of existing clients
and in representing the agency in
public appearances.

The topdog status of the agency
radio-tv director finds such men
as Bob Foreman acting as on-the-
air spokesman for BBDO on the Hy
Gardner program and on the David
Susskind Show, “Open End.’* Not
only is the veteran Foreman will¬
ing to talk on programming and
related video subjects, but in the
new-found tradition of his new
status, he, like other tv toppers,
W'ill cover all areas including print
and research.

Since the dost of television has
soared and makes up a good por¬
tion of the client’s budget and, in
some cases, the whole of the ad¬
vertising expenditure, it’s the
agency tv topper and not the media
and account boys who* are in on
the top level planning by clients.

(At Benton & Bowles, Tom
McDermott succeeded in talking
Florida Citrus, one of the agency’s
clients, into buying into televisi(?n
after a magazine campaign had al¬
ready been laid out for this year).

When a major client pours mil¬
lions into the tv coffers he doesn’t
often seek the advice of an ac¬
count exec who in most cases has
little knowledge of the highly spe^
cialized medium and what tickles
the fancy showmanship-wise of the
millions of viewers. At one time
the account exec was the first to
know “what gives’’ on his particu^
uar account, but the status has
changed with thp programmers
taking over that position and tell¬
ing the a.e. what the client has in
mind.

Not only has the tv boss taken
over from the standpoint of client
expenditures but the glamor of
television has rubbed off on the
advertising fraternity. Print top¬
pers are seldom heard to point to
an ad in a magazine or .with
pride to an existing print schedule
as easily as a tv man can list the
show the client is sponsoring which
is well known to one and all.

The competitiveness of television
advertising is constant factor with-!
in agencies with J. Walter Thomp¬
son, McCann-Erickson, Young &
Rubicam and BBDO, all claiming
to be the top broadcast billing
agency. No such clamoring was
ever heard on Madison Ave. in re¬
gards to Avho handled the most
billings in print.

Ted Bates is.regarded in the. ad¬
vertising circle as the up and com¬
ing agency. Bates gots its reputa¬
tion partially from the fact tha»
while it bills only $100,000,000, over
709o of this fig^e is in broadcast¬
ing. The recognition of the agency
is enhanced though by the fact that
it is the No. 1 spot tv agency and
on the move in network program
buys with nearly one dozen in the
house.

That 13-Wcek Yen

With the cost of an average half-
hour nighttime program estimated
at $87,000 (time and show) and ex¬
pected to rise to $92,000 (total
cost), advertisers and their agen¬
cies when Signing for an untested
program or a new face are going
to make sure the initial deal is of
the 13-week variety.

There is currently a half dozen
situations where the sponsor is not
satisfied with the show he Is card¬
ing but the producer is making
the client stick to the contract. So

I states Terry Clyne, radio-tv topper
of McCann-Erickson, an agency
which handles over $100,000,000 in
broadcast billings.

I Clyne feels that after five weeks,
in most cases, yOu know whether
I a program oh the air is a hit or a
; flop and it doesn’t do either the
i producer or the sponsor any good
I to carry a show rejected by the
public. -

! “Everybody has been talkiug in
i this business for years about 13-
! week commitments on a program.

1 This season we went in with this
I conviction so that if the public
I didn’t like what we tried to do, v^e
' could make a fast change, Liggett
|& Myers signed both Brains &

I Brown and Ed Wynn under a short-
j term deal. After 13 weeks we were
. able to replace Brains with Black
I Saddle and Ed Wynn with DA’s
:Man. Dozens of advertisers would
like to have the ability to get off
; the hook when the package they
j have bought hasn’t made the grade
I but yet are stuck with longterm
: commitments.

I ‘‘We had options on both of our
I replacements before the 'season
! started but the point is that we
I wanted to try something different
' and we signed for a . shortterm
’ deal on both W 3 mn and Brains. In
the case of the latter show the
flavor of the quizzes hurt us and in
Wynn’s case, the writing on the
show wasn’t up to the star.”

Clyne feels that not all new
packages should be signed on a
shortterm basis but only when
you’re dealing with an unknown
quantity. If the star or the show
is established then the longer 26-
week commitment will be the order
of the day within the ad agencies.

SHORTS: Possible savings in
costs, from 209o to 40% can be
made by using video tape rather
than filmed commercials, say,s Ray
Lind, director of commercial prod-
j uction at Benton & Bowles. The
; saving is made, according to Lind,
by designing a commercial or group
; of similar commercials simple;
enough to be shot completely with-
ing a few hours, so that studio time
is held to a minimum. Additional
savings, in both time and money,
are made by the elimination of all
film lab and^ editing processes after
the shooting, plus the advantages
of being able to see the commercial
in its final form immediately.

Procter & Gamble heads the list
as the top network advertiser in
the month of Sept, shelling out an
estimated $4,147,411 in gross time
charges alone. Fallowing P&G are:
i Colgate-Palmolive, Lever Bros.,
American Home Products and Gen¬
eral Motors. In figures released by
the Television Bureau of Advertis¬
ing, a brand breakdown shows
Anacin Tables as the number one
advertiser- with Winston Cigarets,
Chevrolet passenger cars, .Tide and
Viceroy Cigarets rounding out the
top five brand advertisers.

The parting of Edmund F.
Johnstone from Dowd, Redfield &'
Johnstone also finds the agency
losing its hold,, on the $1,000,000
Revlon account which Johnstone
is reported to have tucked away
in his hip pocket. Revlon and. the
agency will part company on Jan.
1. DR&J has handled the High
Gloss hair spray, Baby Silicare
powder and lotion, Thin-Down,
Sun Bath and Eye Fresh accounts
for the agency. It is expected that
whatever agency Johnstone joins,
the Revlon accoimt will follow.

Agencies fergers in 1958 have
followed one after another. The
big story this week is the mating
of Reach, McClinton & Co., and
H. B. Humphrey,, AUe^ & Rich¬
ards. Combined billing of the two
organizations will be in the neigh¬
borhood of $25,000,000. In the
changed setup, the New York of¬
fice of H. A. & R. will become
part of Reach, McClinton, while
the RM office in Boston will be
asbsorbed and branded Reach,
McClinton & Humphrey.

SWITCHES: John G. Hoagland
and Charles Russell have earned
veepee stripes at BBDO. Hoag¬
land, who is tv group supervisor
for Lever Bros., Bristol-Myers,
Minnesota Mining and General
Timex accounts, joined the agency

in 1954. Russell js director of radio-
tv in the agency’s San Francisco
office.

William Bager, former v.p. of
Needham, Louis & Bforby, slated
to join Leo Burnett as a veepee
and associate copy director.

Erik A. Ohls,son, president of
Facit, Inc., is joining Anderson
& Cairns as its European rep¬
resentative, '

I Harry Rauch, veepee of Young
& Rubican, and manager of the
tv publicity sector, will direct
agency p.r. in addition to his cur¬
rent activities.

Lost & Found: After a stay of
only nine months with their first
US agency, the Volkswagen of
America advertising account is
leaving J. M. Mathes. W. T. Okie,
agency president stated, “because
of basic differences that could not
be resolved, the agency has re¬
signed the account as of March 31,
1959.” Okie described the “basic
differences” as those involving
j broad disagreements over adver-1
tising and promotion policies. The.

I account is valued at $800,000 with
Volkswagen once again on the
' pinwl for a new agency. •

BBDO has been appointed to
handle the advertising of Mor-
gan-Jones, manufacturer of bed¬
spreads, towels and piece goods.
The appointment is effective im¬
mediately.

. The status of the $400,000 Hel-
bros Watch Co. account currently
housed at Erwin Wasey, RuthrauJ^
& Ryan is reported to be shaky
with the agency making a last ditch
stand to keep the account in the
agency.

Chi Agencies

By. Les Brown

Chicago, Dec. 9,

Re-positioning of Edsel in price
class, and the growth of dual
dealerships for the Mercury and
Edsel lines, are given as reasons
for the swap between Kenyon &
Eckhart (N.Y.) and Foote, Cone &
Belding (Chi) of two auto accounts
in Ford Motor Co.’s Mercury-Edsel-
Lincoln Division. FC&B got the
Lincoln and Continental accounts
from K&E and relinquished Edsel
in exchange.

Switch now gives K<&E both the
Mercury and Edsel lines, a sister-
ship that is being strengthened this
term by their joint co-sponsorship
of “Ed Sullivan Show’’ on CBS-TV.

Affiiliation of Donahue & Coe
with Keyes, Madden & Jones last
week virtually coincides with the
departure of two D&C execs, Ar¬
thur Grossman, who is starting a
marketing consultant firm in the
Merchandise Mart, and Arthur
Decker, senior veep and general
manager, whose contract has run
oiit.

Robert J. Reardon and Nelson
Winkless made yeepees at Leo
Burnett. Both are copy supervisors.

Harold Platt got veep stripes at
Edward H. Weiss agency. Lloyd E.
Knonsnoble has been upped to ac¬
count exec at Weiss.

By BARRY BARNETT

London, Dec. 9.

What is belieyed to be the first
three dimensional tv ad will be
screened on British tv this month
in the London, Midlands and
Welsh areas. It has been devised by
the Clifford Bloxham agency for
Cow and Gate Farmer’s Wife
Double Devon Cream, and was
lensed in stop motion by Rank
Screen Services Special Animation
Unit. The effect of depth in the SO-
second commercial is obtained
through a changing perspective in
a deep focal field. The ad will be
aired 21 times.

A Christmas campaign for G. B.
Bell and Howell’s 624 Cine camera
I and 625 projector is being launched
I in the West of England tv zone
I by the Basil Butler agency. There
will also be press advertising.

The Lambert and Butler tobacco
firm has hitched an advertisbog
campaign .for its Tom ’Fbumn
cigars with the Metro picture of
the same name^ The drive is being
handled by the London Press Ex¬
change.

Michael Bailey, senior tv pro¬
duct at the C. J. Lytle agency for
the past year, has guit to .rejoin
the Greenlys outfit as exec director,
m charge of tv. He first wc^ed for
Greenlys in 1954 as an account ex¬
ecutive. j

i TV-Radio Production Centres

IN NEW YORK CITY . . .

WOV’s Arnold Hartley "to L.A, for dual celebration of parents’ 50th
wedding anni and father’s 75th birthday . . . Harry Kramer and Roger
Forster are subbing for WCBS Radio weatherman Hal Simms whUe
latter is on vacation. Simms is due back Dec. 14 . . . N.Y. chapter of
American Women in Radio-TV marks fifth annual Christmas party for
Gotham’s needy youngsters at Gracie Mansion tomorrow (Thurs.) with
^^ayor and Mrs. Wagner as hosts . . . Tony Aless, pianist with Jack
Sterling’s WCBS Radio early morning quintet, in hospital for minor
surgery . . . Richard Heffiier, META’s director of programs, spoke at
Barnard College conference la.st week and also made speech on Bill
of Rights Monday (8). at public meeting of Ethical Culture Society.

Claudia Crawford, who appeared With Cjril Ritchard in General
Motors anni spec last fall, and Dianne Ramey, another moppet, will
have roles in the Hallmark Christmas show over NBC-'TV, penned by
Helen Dentsch/'Other youngsters in the program will be Jody Lane,
Barbara Wait, Iris Joyce and Ann McDonald . . . Earie Dond^ writer
on the “Jack Paar Show” engaged to Sandi Lea, actress-model . .

Sidney Remiek added to the CBS-TV Garry Moore staff of scripters.
Reznick formerly was with Jack Paar and Jackie Gleason . . . Frank
Thomas Sr., radio and legit actor, is playing suitor to his real life wife,
Mona Boms, on CBS-TV’s soaper, “The Brighter Day.” . . Lonnio

Chapman resumes his lecturing at Theatre Studio of N.Y. today (Wed.)
after Week in Staunton, Va., where he played lead in new CBS-TV
package, “The J Scries,” under producer Gil RalatoXL ... Jay MiUer,
recently upped from associate director to director at WRCA-TV, on
three-week holiday in Miami and Bermuda . . . Julie Wilson will be
guest singer on Robert Q. Lewis’ nightly CBS Radio show for week of
Dec. 15 . . . Max E. Budk,. director of sales and marketing for WRCA
and WRCX-TV, in Floiida to speak at conveption of Supermarket In¬
stitute . . . WRCA-TV ^es director Jay'Heftfil named co-chairman of
TvB*s sales advisory committee . . .'Add sales to British tv via writers*
rep Blanche Gaines: ABC-TV Ltd. has bought John Gay’s Civil War
play, “The Sentry,” done as an AIcoa-Goodyear segment a couple of
seasons ago and pqblished by Ballantine in its ’57 collection of best
teleplays. The BBC is putting on -Rod Serling** 1957 “Playhouse 90”
work, “The Dark Side of the Earth,” on Jaq. 3 . . . Art Van Horn back
from Berlin where he filmed a documentary on the current crisis there.
It’U be shown on WNEW-TV to his narration . . .Bill-Tabbert returns
to Joe Franklin’s WABC-TV “Memory Lane” Friday (12) . . . Video
actress Lilia Skala playing the midwest and southwest as the Mother
in “Diary of Anne Frank” legiter. ^

Frank Simms takes over as emcee of the CBS-TVer “For Love Or
Money” when regular emcee Bill Nimmo starts two-week holiday this
week. John Reed King, who is returning to broadcasting after several
years in the ad field, will handle the program’s annoxmeing chores . . .
Walt Framer’s long-running “Big Payoff” starts its eighth year over
CBS Dec. 31 . . . Edmund C. Bunker, CBS-TV Veep and general sales
manager of network sales, to Milwaukee this week to address sales
meeting of one of its clients, Schlitz Beer . . . Margaret Leighton slated
for stint on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” Sunday (14) . . . ABC vee¬
pee Mike Foster (press, promotion, etc.) married last week to Barbara
Marcus of West Hartford, Conn. Fosters are on their wedding trip
this week. .

Barbara Joyce, having completed a run in ‘‘Edge of Ni^t,”
goes into "Armstrong Circle Theatre” tonight (Wed.) ... . Don Morrow
handling G-E’s blurbs on CBS-TV’s “College Bowl” show . . . Paul
Tauhman, by profession a batoner, has started doing music-angled in¬
terviews for NBC Radio’s “Monitor” . . . Norman Bly appearing in Fri¬
day (19) “Phil SilvMs Show” . . . Allen M. Woodall is new Radio Ad
Bureau board- chairman; he’s prexy of WDAK, Columbus, Ga. . . . Lar¬
ry Pollock, director of research for WABC-'TV, engaged to teacher
Carol Anne Hirsh . . . Ruth Hagy, of “(College News Conference,” given
the second annual video award of the women’s division of American
Friends of the Hebrew U., Jerusalem , . . Zel deCyr did new radio
spot for Roots Motors . . . Voice of America has picked up for broad¬
casting Earl Ubell’s “Science Is My Beat” Mutual program . , . Mac¬
donald Dunbar, former account exec at MBS. has joined WOR-TV in
similar capacity . . . Joe Bostic, vet radio and tv personality, returned
to WLIB last week as the conductor of “The Gospel Train” program.
Bostic did the program for station five years ago . . . Publicist Frank
Langley of WPIX, is ankling* station to join Maey’s promotion-pub¬
licity department. Daily News indie still is on prowl for an overall pub¬
licity director, a spot dnfilled since the departure of Leslie Hollings¬
worth in October, ’57.

f]V HOLLYWOOD . . .

KMPG deejays Ira Cook and Dick Whittinghill into featured roles in
the Danny Kaye film, “The Five Pennies,” biopic of Red Nichols shoot¬
ing at Paramiount . . . Bill Sawyers, account exec at KGIL, named sta¬
tion manager and commercial manager of KBIQ, new FM’er owned
by John Poole Broadcasting (KBIG) . . . John Brahm to Gotham to di¬
rect two “Naked City” segs for Herbert B. Leonard . . . Mark Goodson
and Bill Todman back to Gotham after huddles with their Coast rep,
Harris Katelman, and the various vidfilmeries.

Howard Barnes, CBS Radio’s program veep, came’ out from N.Y. to
marry Molly Mock, daughter of John Mock, onetime story editor at
Paramount . . . Alan Livingston packed his portfolio with story out¬
lines, scripts and sample film and headed for N.Y. where he and the
three Bobs—Samoff, Kintner. and Lewine—will weed out the best for
next season. They want no interruptions so the meetings will he held
outside Manhattan ... Two new jobs in NBC’s film department were
fiUed by Jerome Stanley as manager of operations, and Blanche Rung*
to head up the story department... Howard Balke is back on “Queen
For a Day” as executive producer. Harry Mynatt ebntinpes as pro-
‘ ducer and Robert Temple was named prexy of Queen For a Day, Inc.,
a subsid of -the Raymond R. Morgan agency.

IN CHICAGO . . .

j Fran Allison laying off her WGN-TV daytimer this week to troupe
to New Orleans with “Don McNeiU’s “Breakfast Club” . . . Bob Reid,
whose credits to date are mainly in legit, landed the emcee job on
WNBQ’s newie, “Chicago Bandstand,” which replaces “Bingo” this
we^ .. , George Menard, farm director of WBBM-WBBM-TV, elected
v.p. of National Assn, of TV-Radio Farm Directors . . . Br. Frances
Hmrwich in New York conferring with her publishers, McGraw-HilL
Her “Ding Dong School” on WGN-TV is on tapelhis week . . . Kirk
L€«1« back in town marking time till next assignment for NBC Inter¬
national .. . Jim Hanlon, WGN Inc. press chief, kudosed by Chi Fed¬
erated Advertising Club and Women’s Advertising Club with their an¬
nual Leadership Award . . . WTTW starts its fourth year of telecasting
tomorrow (Thurs.) . . . Betty Furness here last week shooting new ser¬
ies of Westinghouse blurbs at Colmes-Werrenrath . . . Jack L. Tarbis
joined Filmack Studios as account exec . . . Marty Faye-raised $1,900
via his WBKB stanza -to buy a jeep for Korea priest, Father Stephen
J’ake. He made the presentation last week . . . WGN showing Israeli
(Continued on page 36)

ITednesdaff December 10« 195S

RADIO-TELEVISIOX

29

ABC-TV DAYTIME SCORECARD

4 '

25th Anni for Mutual

Mutual begins its 25th network anniversary celebration next
month, yvith on the air promotions and some special programs.

MBS, originally established as a four-city link, first took to the
air Sept. 15, 1934. Net now has 453 affiliates. In recent years, own¬
ership has passed from RKO Teleradio to the Armand Hammer
group then to Scranton <Jorp. Only network without a tv web op¬
eration, It’s had some tough sledding In recent years, but no
tougher, in many respects than a tv married web.

MBS also is unlike other ;radio webs in that it has no o&o sta¬
tions, completely dependent on web revenues for its existence.
It's an oped secret that Mutual, like other w.ebs, is operating in the
red. But Scranton Corp., with its many enterprises, is using net¬
work personnel and co-sponsoring programs so that there are
benefits other than the cold profit ic loss statement for Scranton.

One of the first specials being prepped for the anni will be a pro¬
gram in the first week of January marking the first Hollywood thea¬
tre-studio show on MBS. Another is to be a special get-together
with available original board members and officers of the then
.budding network. This'is set for February.

Mutual was established originally by four stations, WON, Chi¬
cago; WOR, N.Y.; WLW, Cincinnati; WXYZ, Detroit. Dramatic
programming, long the theme of the MBS schedule, has been
dropped by Mutual under its streamlined news format of five-
minute news segments on the :hour and half-hour, and supplemen¬
tary news, sports and special events shows.

TV Specials This Season Hit High

Level Offsetting Mediocre Fare

----

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

For all the mediocrity on the
bread-and-butter level of network
tv programming, the ’58-59 sea¬
son has turned out to be an “ex-:
tra-special” year for viewers. In
the short space of two and a half
months, the three networks have
turned out more special memora¬
ble programming than in any other
full-blown seasonal span of the
past.

A rundown on the come-of-age |
field of specials shows such top-
level offerings as the Fred Astaire
spec, the Bing Crosby show, “Won¬
derful Town,” “Kiss Me Kate,”
“Harvey,” “The Winslow Boy,”
“Count of Monte Cristo.V “Johnny
Belinda,” the Friars Club roast of
Ed ^ullivan, “Art Carney Meets
Peter & the Wolf,” the Sid Caesar
Chevy Special and the . Leonard
Bernstein concert.

As additional- plusses, “Play¬
house 90,” which some execs con¬
sider a “weekly special,” has been
having its best year yet, with four
standout shows in “The Plot to Kill
Stalin,” “Days of Wine & Roses,”
“Time of Your Life” and “Old
Man,” quite a percentage consider¬
ing fact that these are four smashes
in only 10 weeks on the air. “Desi-
lu Playhouse” has been a disap¬
pointment, but, it’s produced such
a poignant drama as “My Father
the Fool,” the Eli Wallach starrer.
And such ordinarily so-so entries
as “Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre” and
“GE Theatre” have turned out an
occasionally exceptional piece like
the former’s “Eddie” and the lat¬
ter’s “One Is a iJVanderer.”

Apart from these, there’s been*
some consistently good program¬
ming from the regular series,' like
the impeccable production on the
“Dinah Shore Show,” the consistent
high quality of a “Maverick,” the
good humor and taste of “Father
Knows Best” and the- Danny Tho¬
mas comedy entries, the better-
than-ever comedic routining of
Jack Benny, the intriguing • con¬
versational, chitchats of “Small
World.”

'Buckskin’Axed
By Pillsbury Flour

Pillsbury Flour is pulling out of
the Friday night '7:30 “Buckskin”
on NBC-TV. This is the vidpix en¬
try that created quite a stir when
it was doing summer*iluty for Ten¬
nessee Ernie Ford on' behalf of
Ford Motors, cueing NBC’s decision
to keep it on and inviting the Pills¬
bury sponsorship.

“Buckskin” is slotted opposite' a
couple of formidable opponents,
“Rin Tin Tin’’ on ABC and “Hit
Parade” on CBS. Latter show just
hit the bigtime Nielsen ratings
with 19.0, -♦.vith American Tobacco
coming in for a renewaL

ABC-TV’s‘Prologue’59'

ABC-TY’s year-end wrapup. and
New Year forecasting, “Prologue
1959,’^ is slated for the 9:30-10:30
p.m. slot on Dec. 28.

News veepee John Daly will
front the hourlong looksee into the
news, with the net’s foreign cor¬
respondents fiying in to N.Y, to
appear.

Susskind s 30I)G
For Olivier s TV
Bow in'Sixpence

After dickering the deal for five
months, David Susskind signed Sir
Laurence Olivier to his first
American video appearance. The
actor, reportedly sought by CBS-
TV for an appearance in a vidver-
sion of Noel Coward’s “Private
Lives,” will appear early next
year on NBC-TV in a 90-minute
edition of Somerset Maugham’s
“Moon & Sixpence.”

The drama, which has not yet been
(Continued oh page 52)

When C. Terence Clyne, tv-radiO
topper of McCanmEricksoir.
turns from Hollywood this week
he will huddle with both NBC
board chairman Robert W. Sarhoff
and RCA board chairman David
Sarnoff on further correlation of
the 90-minute variety show on
Tuesday night, Jan. 20th next, in
honor of the late Emanufel (Manie)
Sacks.

It may even be a two-hour spec¬
tacular, depending on time pre¬
emptions and possible other con¬
cessions, so as to realize $250,000
—probably more—as a lump sum
for the Emanuel Sacks Foundation.
A memorial wing in his name, as
part of the Albert Einstein Memor¬
ial Hospital in Sacks’ native Phila¬
delphia, is among the projects, al¬
though other Sacks charities would
also share in the full-blown and
highly name-powered teleshow and
RCA Victor album that is part of
the entire concept.

So far, Frank Sinatra, Dinah
Shore, Eddie Fisher, Perry Como,
Tony Martin, Jane Wyman, Rose¬
mary Clooney, Sid Caesar, Dean
Martin, Jerry Lewis, Kay Starr
and Edgar Bergen are set.

Jack Benny and Phil Silvers,
having cigaret sponsors, under¬
standably are forfended from par¬
ticipating in this L&M-sponsored
show whose fees, time charges and
services will be donated to the

TOP POSER; 'Ci
WED IKE IT?

One of the more intriguing
questions posed in the trade these
days is; “Will ABC-TV make it In
the daytime?” Something like
$15,000,000 In sponsor coin rides on
the answer. In fact the entire fu¬
ture of the network’s before-dark
operation hinges on what happens,
j to the web’s current “Operation
[Daybreak” roster of programming.
For it's pretty much accepted that
if the present ambitious stab to¬
ward putting the network in busi¬
ness daytime fails, chances are
pretty slim of ABC ever getting a
second lease on the morning-after¬
noon cables.

ABC’s only comment thus far:
“We’re pleased the way it’s going.”
This in the face of two program
axings so far, with “Musical Bingo”
displacing “Chance for Romance”
and Goodson-Todman’s “Play Your
Hunch” (exiting CBS-TV) slated to
take over for “Mother’s Day.” A
third show, “Day In Court” is be¬
ing moved from 11 a.m. to 2:30
p.m., with Peter Lind Hayes thus
kicking off the cross-the-board
schedule with his hour show starts
ing at 11:30. There’s been some ’
talk that Hayes may be cut to 30
minutes.

The trade, of course, is mindful
of the fact that when ABC went
into the “Daybreak” venture it
promised to deliver an average
25% share of audience. On last
week’s Trendex, (Dec. 1 to 5l the
five-days-a-week sked delivered a

15.6 share. That was uo from the

13.6 share on the initial report
(Oct. 13). Trendex rating for the
Dec. 1-5= roster averaged out 2.6.
On the Oct. 13 report it was 1.8
(admittedly some distasteful statis¬
tics in contrast to what the stations
were picking up for the- time
periods).

All of which leaves the ABC-TV
daytime picture in pretty much of
a haze at the moment, deoending
on who you’re talking to. Obviously
that’s slim rating pickings when
compared with NBC or CBS, who
between them and by contrast to
ABC enjoy a giant status. But
ABC believes it’ll make it. Young
& Rubicam, which plaved a large
part in incepting the ABC move-in
to daytime and whose clients have
a major stake in the sponsorshin
spoils, isn’t saying much' except
(Continued on page 52)

Sacks fund. Grace Kelly (Prin¬
cess Rainier), currently on a pri¬
vate visit to New York and her
native Philadelphia, may also wax
a salute with Sinatra (with whom,
plus Bing Crosby,^ she costarred in
her last Metro 'film, “High So¬
ciety”) for the occasion. Harry
Belafonte and Lena Horne are
other show potentials.

Show would be live, froni^ Holly¬
wood and New York, and present to
[ the general public a “dream benefit
I bill,” as these names attest, but
which is unique in show biz annals
for the lasting memory to a show¬
man-executive-onetime, agent (he
went from MCA to Columbia Rec¬
ords to CBS to NBC aind -RCA as a
top executive), who was an in¬
timate friend of all named. Not
only as contract negotiator of most
of their affluent show biz affairs,
but as friend and mentor Manie
Sacks’ impact on the times, lives
and careers of all the above—^plus
many others—Is unique and extra¬
ordinary in recent show business
1 annals.

' Also a Victor LP

A proposed RCA LP of “Manie’s
Friends”—the same title as the
super-NBC telecast—would include
Dinah Shore, Rosemary (jlooney,
Sinatra, Fisher, Como and Tony
Martin. All but Sinatra (Capitol)
and Miss Clooney (latterly Metro
but also freelancing) are already
Victor artists but, as with ABC’s
okay for Sinatra on the NBC tele-

‘Manie s Friends' Spec: a

By ABEL GREEN

Civil Rights, Human Relations To
Get Searching CBS Examination;
'Mass Media’s Ohiigation’: Stanton

NBC Nite & Day Yen

With slotting of “It Could
Be You” as the Thursday night
replacement for “Concentra¬
tion,” NBC-TV has just about
exhausted its daytime schedule
in terms of potential night¬
time entries. Only shows w'eb
hasn’t tried . at night are
“Queen for a Day” and “Dough
Re Mi,’* plus its two soaps.

List of the day-to- night en¬
tries includes “Price Is Right,”
“Truth or Consequences,” “Tic
Tac Dough,” “Haggis Baggis,”
“Treasure Hunt,” “Concentra¬
tion” and now “Could be You.”
“Price is the only one that
made it to stay.

Sunday Block Up
For Grabs; Allen

There’s considerable speculation
at the moment as to what NBC-
TV has in mind in terms of bolster¬
ing its Sunday night lineuo. Spe¬
cifically, it’s the 7 to 8 (lead-*-)
period that represents the weak
area. After that, of course, come
the basic Sabbath staples—Steve
Allen, Dinah Shore and Loretta
Young.

“Saber of London” at 7 is “a rat¬
ing weakie and Ihe 7:30 No-;*!-
west Passage,” which gets clob¬
bered, is going off. NBC hrd < '-
tertained the idea of expanding
Allen to 90 minutes (7:30 to 9) but
Allen doesn’t want to do it. Thus,
7 to 8 could be throwm open as an
hour block.

Moving Allen' up an hour lo take
over 7 to 8 would give him a half-
hour jump on the top-rated “Mav¬
erick.” Also some argue that the
shifting into Sun. 7 to 8 of “' •-

ron City,” which is highly regarded
amon^ the western skeins, would
also give it that haLf-hour advant¬
age over “Maverick” and a’so get
it off the “Have Gun” — “Gun-
smoke” competitive hook, from
which it suffers on the rating
charts.

4 Problems of civil rights and im¬
provement Of human relations w'ill
undergo a “searching examination”
on the CBS Radio and TV Net¬
works, Dr. Frank Stanton, prexy of
CBS Inc., said at the Anti-Defama¬
tion League Freedom Forum in
N. Y., Saturday, Dec. 6.

Participating in the forum with
Stanton were Turner Catledge,
m.e. of the N. Y. Times, and Daniel
D. Mich, editorial director of
Look mag. Highlights of their dis¬
cussion were broadfcast the follow¬
ing day (7) on CBS Radio. Also, the'
National Commiss’on of the ADL
awarded the 1958 America’s Demo¬
cratic Legacy Silver Medallion to
CBS for “distingu’shed contribu¬
tions to the enrichment of Ameri¬
ca’s heritage of freedom.” Similar
awards went to t’^e N. Y. ’Times
and Look mag. The award to CBS
was presented during a special
broadcast “The American Jew: A
Tribute to Freedom” over CBS-TV
Sunday morning.

Outlining the network’s objec¬
tives, Stanton sa’d that CBS staf¬
fers were readying a number of
in-depth programs such as “Soutli
in Crisis,” a survey of the race re¬
lations conflict as focussed on
school integration”; “North Of the
Mason Dixon Line,” a report on
northern human relations, prac¬
tices and protestations; “The Hate
Mongers,” an examination of the
extremists who exploit racial or re¬
ligious differences to indulge their
private hatreds; “The Price of Dis¬
cord,” a report on two aspects of
this subject, namely the domestic
price paid for bad race relations
and the international pr>ce this
(Continued on page 52)

‘Dream Bill'

cast, no “clearance” problems are
anticipated in light of the even^
Because ABC prexy Leonard H.
Goldenson was “so generous in
okaying Sinatra,” Clyne will spot
next year’s show= over ABC; and
the third annual salute via CBS,
and so bn.

The show would preempt Eddie
Fisher’s hour, along with other
time, and Clyne takes the position
that since McCann-Erickson is
waiving almost $40,000—its 15%
commission on a $225,000 package
—and Fisher is personally- donat¬
ing his basic $12,500 weekly sal¬
ary, plus an overhead via his Ram¬
rod Productions that probably
doubles that, he would like the
Sarnoffs to cut the $150,000 time
charges to 50G so that the lOOG
differential could also go to the
“Mahie’s Friends” project, as a
donation from McCann-Erickson,
The talent, of course, is also turn¬
ing back, its fees—the standard
guest-shot money is being paid
everybody—so that a quarter-of-a-
million dollars will be the basic
cushion of the Sacks Foundation.
It is expected that the Victor al¬
bum, as a continuing sales item,
also under some special economic
deal, will further swell the fund.

The telecast will fall, by coin¬
cidence, on the first anniversa:^
of Manie Sacks’ death of leukemia
in the Einstein Memorial Hospital,
Philadelphia, following a long
illness, at the age of 56.

Chevy’s Specials:
Nippon&Hoedown

Chevy’s Sunday night 9 to 10
show (during the Dinah Shore lay¬
off periods) gets a couple of off-
beat specials* in upcoming weeks.

On Jan. 4, there will be a 60-
minute hoedown’. Among the stars
lined up this far are Pat Boone.
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, the
Hollywood Square Dancers, Sons
of the Pioneers, Red Foley, Rex
.A.llen, Eddy Arnold and Jo Staf¬
ford.

Feb. 1 show will be an all-Japa¬
nese excursion with the entire
troupe flying in from Tokyo for
the one-time special. Talent was
lined up by Alan Handley (NBC).
Shirley MacLaine will hostess the
outing.

‘InvisiUe Man’ Renewed
For Another 13-Wk. Ride

CBS-TV has renewed Official
Films’ “Invisible Man” for another
13 w'eeks.

Skein, put on the air this sea¬
son without a sponsor, is said to
be luring some client interest, with
dickering now going on. Slot is
Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

“Invisible Man” was the second
renewal on this season’s crop of
short-term telefilm deals, the other
being MGM-TV’s “Thin Man.” Lat¬
ter won another 23 weeks from
sponsor Colgate on NBC-TV.

WDSU-TV’s Anni Hoopla

New Orleans, Dec. 9.

Station WSDU-TV celebrating its
10th anni Friday, Dec. 19, with a
special show, locally produced, and
originating from here. It’s an origi¬
nal miniature musicomedy by Jerry
Bresler and Lyn Duddy, featuring
Vaughn Monroe, Denise Lor and
Dick Van Dyke, among others.

Gen, mgr. Bob Swezey inviting
press and other VIPs for the shin,-
dig as a national promotion stunt

-dL**

so

WediieK^ay^ Decemlier 10^ 1958

tOUlICCt ARB and TRENDEX ^ October. November. December. IdSi

32

IMAIO^IXVISION

Wednesday, DecemKer 10, 1^58

Tugend’s 1# Half-Hour ‘Specs’ Give

on Offbeat Shows

Hollywood, Dec. 9. -

When General Electric an¬
nounced at the beginning of the
year it would do 10 half-hour “spe¬
cials” within the framework of its
“GE Theatre,” the idea of a half-
hour spec occasioned some eye¬
brow’ lifting in' the trade. But to
Harry Tugend, who was signed by
Revue to produce the 10 specs, the
idea provided the opportunity to
do the kind of unusual, provoca¬
tive or offbeat production that the
ordinary half-hour telefilm series
has neither the time nor the in¬
clination to attempt.

As a consequence. Tugend has
no'vv scheduled such unusual-for-tv
entries as a tongue-in-cheek rob¬
bery story with only a single line
of dialog over the entire 24-minute^
course. s‘ory titled “The Best Laid
Plans,” for w’hom he’s dickering
Chico and Harpo Marx; a tv ver¬
sion of Katherine Brush’s short
story, “Night Club,” with six top
femme stars to do vignettes in the
piece set in the powder room of a
nitery and with Elsa Lanchester
probable as the central figure of
the matron; first original half-hour
musical, with John Raitt, Gisele
MacKenzie and Eddie Foy Jr.,
Gower Champion directing and
music and Ivrics by Jay Livingston
& Ray Evans.

There’s aLso a Ray Bolger show,
an Ernie Kovacs segment with the
latter as the sleuth-to-end-all-
sleuths, a David & Goliath, story
with Tony Curtis as David titled.
The Stone,” Gene Tierney in an
updated version of “A Doll’s
Hou.'^e.” Dan Dailey in a Dixieland
segment titled “Bill Bailey, Won’t
You Please Come Home?” with Ed
Sullivan also appearing fronting
his CBS-TV show, and Charles
Laughton in a Daudet story, “The
Last Lesson.” First of the specs
was Sammy Davis Jr. in first
straiglit-dramatic role on tv, “Auf
Weidersehn.”

All of which represents quite a
diversification of effort and pro¬
gramming and the chance for some¬
thing new and different on televi¬
sion in the usually restricted half-
hour form.

Some of the shows represent a
considerable hike above the nor¬
mal GE budget, the Livington &
Evans musical, “Taming of the
Squaw.” for example (though here
MCA has set up Alaska Music as
a subsid to publish the score).

• Continued on page 36)

WM. CRAIG TO GREY
AS PROGRAM EXEC

William F. Craig, now holding
down a post on the William Morris
executive .boar(^-will shift over to
Grey Advertising on Jan. 1, as
veepee in charge of tv program¬
ming. Craig will report directly to
A1 Hollender, agency director of
the radio-tv sector.

The position, of the No. 2 man
in the department opened up a few
weeks ago when Hal Davis, who
had been backing up Hollender,
was upped to assistant to Arthur
Fatt, agency prexy. Prior to join¬
ing William Morris, Craig was di¬
rector of tv for Procter & Gamble.

m Be Copkd’
Sez Jobn Karol

ABC-TVRedHot
Yen for Specials
After m Click

Because of the hot rating returns
on “Art Carney Meets Peter & the
Wolf,” ABC-TV has gotten kind of
feverish in planning other one-
shottcrs. The number of upcom¬
ing special projects' has been in-
crea-sed. with probability the net¬
work’s own programming depart¬
ment will produce many more of
the specials.

Plan for specials in the next two
seasons is understood to have
called almost exclusively for out¬
side packaging. But when Carney
pulled two and three times better
on the Trondexes. than the other
networks, which had strong pro¬
gramming too, ABC-TV started a
. eorientation process. The* special
was dreamed up by the network,
and program execs (v.p.) Ted Fet¬
ter, Dan Melnick and John Green
•show’s exec producer) worked oh
the project through all its stages.
Not only was the show a rating
success and a sales success^- fABC
program sales boss Aaron Beckwith
lured in Minnesota Mining for the
fuU tah) but it was a critical rave,
latter point cueing the idea of us¬
ing stafTmen more often on spe¬
cials.

What some insiders feel rriay
eventuate is the expansion, if only
by a few key men, of the ABC-TV
program even though some

snecials will still be done by out¬
siders.

Poise’s British Pact

Pulse Inc. is going in for. In-
depth audience research for Eng¬
land’s television. Associated Redif¬
fusion has pacted with Pulse,
which over a year ago started an
English rating outlet, to do a series
of qualitative audience studies,
first due in mid-January. .

AsYi result. Pulse has hired John
D. F. Martyn as chief of the Brit¬
ish operation.

Jack Paar Warms Up
To Tape (S NitesaWk.)
& Frozen Studio Aud

Jack Paar will he video taped
Wednesday, over NBC-TV, while
his Thursday and Friday shows
will originate live from 11:15
p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-through-
Wednesday, programs w’ill be
taped from 8:15 to 10 p.m. for tele¬
cast at 11:15 p.m.

New setup, which starts Monday,
Dec.. 29, will have an audience
watching the taping sessions. Lat-
ter-part-of-the-week 'programs, as
in past, also will have a studio
audience watching the Paar pro¬
ceedings.

Boh Levine, veep of NBG-TV
programs, said decision to video
tape Paar’s Monday - through-
Wednesday programs was to per¬
mit the performer a more flexible
work schedule. Levine observed
that since live tv and tape tv are
equal in quality, there’s be no dif¬
ference between taped shows and
live Thursday and Friday pro¬
ductions.

Perturbed that his visible audi¬
ence might get frostbite and snow-
blindness while waiting to get into
the Hudson Theatre to see his
nightly programs. Paar also
asked NBC-TV to move him into
Studio 6B at 30 Rockefeller Plaza
sometime this month.

This means his program staff
also will change homes, moving
from the Hudson Theatre to the
Americas Bldg. Paar decided to
make the move with tough winter
weather approaching to eliminate
discomfort of those who stand for
hours outside the theatre waiting
for free ducats.

Toward end of January the
“Jack Paar Show” Is expected to
traipse to the Coast for a four-week
stay. Hollywood, originations, will
come from the I^C-TV studios at
Sunset & Vine.

Connie’s Gay Fandango

New Orleans, Dec. 9.

A looker with nifty chassis who Identifiied herself only as
"Olivia” had this town in a tizzy for a week, sending telegrams and
letters addressed to prominent citizens, ad agency men^- etc., as
“Chosen One.” . .

She also appeared* at desks of Columnists, amusement editors
and city editors banding out invitations to a meeting in a French
Quarter hall. She was clad in sheath evening gown with train.

The curious—some 200 of them—who had received the barrage
of letters, wires, etc,, telling them “the peons are pacing, we strike
soon, our numbers grow daily” and “the revolution is on,” found
a sumptuous buffet supper awaiting them as well as an announce¬
ment that a new radio station, WYFE, would hit the air Dec. 1.

New station is operated by the Town and Country Network
headed by Connie B. Gay, president. N. Tweel will be general
manager, with Ed Winton, sales manager. Station has stall of fem¬
me deejays.

Vet ad agency, promotion and publicity men, and others were
ready to admit the Olivia stunt was a good one.

Networks Get Contract Demands
From Radio-TV Directors Guild

Louisville. Dec. 9.

CBS Radio's i*rogram Consolida¬
tion Plan will be copied by other
radio networks, John Karol; veep
in charge of network sales, told
the Louisville Advertising Club
and Louisville Better Business
Bureau here on Friday (5).

“All radio networks are going i
to have to do something of this *
sort,” Karol said. “For in the
present condition of economic
chaos in the industry, of helter-
skelter programming, switching
back and forth from network to
local, or major clearance difficul¬
ties and un.'easonable delays by
local stations in putting'network
program.s on their air—such a plan ;
represents the surest road to the i
building of more confidence in:
network radio.” ;

Karol said his web’s plan for
1959 represent the beginning of “a
happier day for the netw;ork, the
affiliates, the advertisers and the
public.” He said the affiliates were
in favor of the plan and cited
a letter from one of them to a
major ad agency in which the sta¬
tion maintained that the new ar¬
rangement with CBS Radio would
have a strong, stabilizing effect on
the industry,

CBS Radio's sales chief said the
plan would be of value, as well,
to advertisers because their net¬
work messages would be trans¬
mitted on all stations without un¬
due delays. Fui’thermore, Karol
said, the plan would make possible
greater program experimenting on
the part of the network.

Cancelled, Deejay
Throws ‘Kickback’

Rap at Coast Station

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Station KTLA is charged with
attempting to establish artist kick-
hacks on his .weekly tv show by
deejay Earl McDaniel, who said
yesterday (Mon.) he received a
letter of cancellation when he re¬
fused to comply. KTLA vp Jim
Schulke categorically denied any
such attempt and further stated
that kickbacks, to his knowledge,
exist on no KTLA show. McDani^Ii
whose last show is skedded Friday
night, claimed, “Because there was
a i)udget problem on the show, the
station thought they needed more
money. They wanted to work out
a deal where artists would sign
their checks back to the station.
They said kickbacks or no. I said
no. and they sent me a letter.”

Schulke explained the show was
cancelled for a combination of rea¬
sons, specifically low rating and
high costs. He said the show was
cancelled because KTLA is jug¬
gling its Friday night sked on Dec.
19, since the show has been under
pressure both rating and budget-
wise “we thought we might as well
make a change as of that date.”

Memphis—Claude Raney, South¬
ern radio exec and newsman, has
joined the WHBQ News Depart¬
ment in Memphis, under the direc¬
tion of Charley Sullivan. Raney
was program director of WPDQ,
Jacksonville, before accepting the
AYHBQ position.

McCLAY HELMS BALTO
IN WBC RESHUFFLE

In a shifting around of top sta¬
tion posts, the W^stinghouse Broad¬
casting Co. has named John L.
McClay as general manager of
WJZ-TV, Baltimore, and George
H. Mathiesen as g.m. of KYW-TV,
Cleveland. Both appointments are
effective Jan. 5, 1959.

McClay steps into the shoes of
Larry Israel at WJZ. Israel has
been ticketed to head up the re¬
cently formed WBC reppery. Tele¬
vision Advertising Representatives.
McClay has been general manager
of KYW-TV in Cleveland since
July. George Mathiesen comes to
KYWf.’om KPIX, the Westing-
house outlet in San Francisco
where he has been assistant gen¬
eral manager since 1954.

HAWAIIAN STATIONS
FETCH $8,738,249

Washington, Dec. 9.
Federal Communications Com¬
mission has approved $8,738,249
sale of Hawaiian Broadcasting
System from Consolidated Amuse¬
ment Co. to Hialand Development
Corp. Hawaiian Broadcasting op¬
erates KGMB, KGMB-TV, Hono¬
lulu; KHBC. KHBC-TV, Hilo,
Hawaii, and KMAU-TV, Wailuku,
Of 17 stockholders of new con¬
trolling firm only four have other
broadcast interests. They are Roy
J. Turner, 12.5% of KWTV (TV),
Okalhoma City, and C. Dale, M.
Clare and Lloyd W. Miller, to¬
gether hold 1.57% of KARD (TV).
Wichita .

Sexy ‘Cimarron Cify’

Segs Scissored by NBC

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

NBC-TV dropped the censorship
axe on “Beauty and The Sorrow;”
for next weeks’ lensing session of
“Cimarron City” on the grounds
the script was entirely too sexy.
Action covers 10 areas in the
script, considerably above average,
according to Norman Jolley, co¬
producer of the Revue teleseries
with Richard Bartlett.

Web objections generally were
concerned with the script’s sexual
connotations encompassing both
dialog and visual sequences, it was
said. Script will be tempered where
it can according to Jolley, who
added the network would also bend
where possible, .

Orange Bowl TV Coin

CBS-TV grabbed itself another
client for its New Year’s Day cov¬
erage of the Orange BoM game.
Capital Airlines signed to join
Carter Products and R. J. Rey¬
nolds Tobacco in quarterly spon¬
sorship of the game from Miami,

Order Rehearing
On Boston Channel
Awarded to WHDH

Washington, Dec. 9
Federal Communications Com¬
mission has ordered new hearings
to determine whether its grant of
Boston channel 5 should be set
aside. The rehearing stems from
U.S. Court of Appeals mandate.
Judge Horace Stern, special FFC
hearing examiner in the Miami
channel .10 case, was assigned to
preside.

FCC awarded channel 5 to
WHDH, Inc., subsidiary of the Bos¬
ton. Herald-Traveller in a decision
which came under scrutiny of Har¬
ris Subcommittee last spring. Hear¬
ings were featured by testimony
of flamboyant John Fox, publiser
of now-defunct Boston Post, that
he had been pressured to with¬
draw his application for the out¬
let. Herald-Traveller Publisher
Robert Choate denied that he ever
asked for offioiaL Intervention in
his behalf. Names of former Com¬
merce Secretary Sinclair Weeks
and retired Presidential Assistant
Sherman Adams both figured.

Under FCC’s order, adopted by
a 5 to 0 vote (Commissioner T.
A. M. Craven not participating and
Robert E. Lee absent), the rehear¬
ing wiU find out:

—whether anyone should have
disqualified himself from voting on
the award.

—whether anyone used Improper
influence on any FCC member in
connection with the award.

—whether any party in the pro?
ceeding directly or otherwise se¬
cured, or knew of any misconduct
therein.

—whether grant should be de¬
clared void or set aside.

Losing applic:ants, who’ll get a
chance to testify before the new
proceedings, along with WHDH,
are Greater Boston Television
Corp., Massachusetts Bay Tele¬
casters, Inc. and Allen B. DuMont
Laboratories, Inc,

Appeal Court, in sending case
back to FCC, cited House testimony
by ex-FCC Chairman George Mc-
Connaughey that several people
approached him about the channel
decision while it' was still pending.

Radio & Television Directors
Guild has asked the networks to
put all tv staff directors on year¬
long contracts at a minimum of
$15,600 per annum and demanded
a revision in' wages for video com¬
mercials made by the netw’orks.
Another major demand in the ne¬
gotiations for a new contract,
w’hich began late last week, is that
all associate radio directors and
local radio directors be raised to
the level of full directors plus giv¬
ing the full directors in radio a
20% pay hike during the next con¬
tract.

Meantime, a vote, taken by the
NLRB, on whether the RTDG
should continue representing video
associate directors and stage man¬
agers, has been counted, with
RTDG winning approval to con¬
tinue its representation of these
two categories. Whether this means
47 dissident ADs and stage man¬
agers at ABC, who brought on the
voting, will allow themselves to be
returned to RTDG, or whether
they will seek NABET to take them
over at the network, is not known.
In any event, RTDG is prepping
its contract demands for the two
categories that were in doubt, and
the network is expected to have
them by today (Wed.) or tomorrow.

Talks have already begun for tv
and radio directors and associate
radio directors and video program
assistants.

Staff video directors now get
somewhere over $100 a week as
per the old contract. Their wages
will be much more than doubled
if the networks accede to,the full-
year contract demand at $15,600.

‘DiamondrSaddle’
Ups 4 Star Roster

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

Hottest vidpix outfit in town Is
Dick Powell’s Four Star Films,
which last week grabbed off two
January replacement deals to raisO
its production status-to six series
and meanwhile has its current four
entries all ranking high in tht
Nielsen sweepstakes.

Two mid-season deals are for
“Richard Diamond, Private Detec¬
tive,” getting another reprieve
from its onetime sponsor, Kent
cigs, and “Black Saddle,” originally
titled “Law Gun” and bought by
Liggett & Myers for a Saturday
night NBOTV ride. “Diamond’*
starts Feh. 15 in the CBS-T'V Sun¬
day at 10 slot, replacing "Keep
Talking.” .“Black Saddle,” a co¬
production of Four Star and Zane
Grey Productions, is scheduled for
a mid-January start.

Four Star’s “Rifleman,” another
coproduction with Sussex Produc¬
tions (Jules Levy, Arthur Gardner,
Adnold Laven), has turned into
the sleeper of the season, grabbing
off fourth place in the Nielsens
with a 32.0 rating on ABC-TV after
only six. weeks on the air.. “Zane
Grey Theatre” continues a strong
Nielsen entry, while “Wanted—
Dead^or Alive” has been another
surprisingly healthy newcomer.
Only Four Star entry that’s lost
steam is “Trackdown,” but not
enough to hurt show’s sponsorship
status.

Wecbieiday, Decemlier 10, 10^0

listen

TBLEVlSIO^r IfETIBWS $3

Tele Follow-Up Comment

JUST FOR FUN

With Walter Kteman, host; Gary

Morton, Harvey Stone, Morey

Amsterdam, others
Producer: Mitchell Grayson
Director: Don Lustig
60 Mins., Thurs., 11 p.m.
WNTA-TV, N. Y.

“Just For Fun/’ which pre¬
miered three weeks ago on WNTA--
TV, Newark, thus f£^^ lacks the
spontaneity it’s obviously trying
to achieve. The setup was too arti¬
ficial,’ when viewed Thursday (4),
to pull many yoks.

In many respects, this post-11
p.m. telestanza resembles the Jack
Paar NBC-TV’er. Paar long ago es¬
tablished that there is humor and
interest intrinsic ,in plain talk with
offbeat guests, buttressed by nat¬
ural and often incisive byplay
with his coterie of sidemen. His
own people hardly ever seem to
work deliberately for the laugh¬
line, which is where Paar suc¬
ceeds and “Fun” fails.

Walter Kiernan, who has long
since proved himself one of the
brighter performers in the WNTA-
TV scheme of things, was host,
sup.i>Orted by three professional
funnymen, Harvey Stone, Gary
Morton and Morey Amsterdam.
These gagsters let Kiernan down.
His own humor is gentle and re¬
warding. Theirs, with Amsterdam
the occasional exception, was
forced and Intrusive. For instance,
the second guest of the evening
was a charming 14-year-old concert
pianist, Loren Hollender. Kiernan
was developing the conversation
along interesting lines, and it Was
frustrating to witness the thought
channels muddied by a series of
sub-standard “Can You Top
This?’’-t^e monologs, which had
no bearing on the subject.

It was most pleasant hearing
Hollender play two piano selec¬
tions in the course cff' the show.
Perhaps if the local stanza forgets
to be so funny, it will be funny
. and interesting. There is in *Tun“
the suggestion of a free-wheeling
style of video that can be good.

Art.

MUSIC BINGO
With Jehnny Gilbert
Producer: Johnny Steams
Director; Seymour Robbie
PARTICIPATIONS
30 Mins., Mon.-Fri., 2 pjn.
ABC-TV, from N.Y.

In an effort to beef up its “Oper¬
ation Daybreak,” ABC-TV has
lopped off “Chance for Romance"
and subbed “Music Bingo” in its
place.

Preem show Monday (8) evi¬
denced that it’s a serviceable day¬
time fun game. But whether it has
the muscle to build formidable rat¬
ings is another question. It
doesn't seem that the formit
isn’t that novel or strong enough
to bring about any major channel
switching.

“Music Bingo,” a Telesong pro¬
duction, isn’t new to the airwaves,
having had summer exposure on
NBC. It has some diverting excite¬
ment, but a 30-minute stretch tends
to become repetitive. Show features
a bingoboard, with two contestants,
male and female, in the initial
outing. They ring a bell at the
given signal after a song is played.
Each contestant is posed behind a
white line. First to ring the bell
gets the chance to fill up a bingo
square. There is an audience par¬
ticipation gimmick and the prizes
are relatively modest in terms of
ix today. Songs are rather easy to
identify.

Emcee Johnny Gilbert does okay,
keeping the show going at a nice
clip. It’s being telecast live out
of N.Y.’s Ritz Theatre. Horo.

British TV Awards

London, Dec. 9.

Cliff Michelmore, emcee of BBC-
TV’s “Tonight” program was named
personality of the year by the
Guild of Television Producers and
Directors, Donald Baverstock, who
produces the show, received the
award for the best factual produc¬
tion!

Other awards made by the Guild
were as follows; best actor,. Donald
Pleasenee; best actress, Gwen Wat¬
ford; best drama producer, Silvio
Narrizano; light entertainment,
Joan Kemp Welch; light entertain¬
ment artist, Alan Velville; script,
dead-heat between Colin Morris
and Ken Hughes; design, Stephen
Bundy. A special award was* made
to “Monitor,” another BBC pro¬
gram, which was one vote behind
“Tonight.”

Atlanta—Bob Corley, WQXI’s
news editor, is going into the radio
business for himself. He’s gotten
the greenlight from the FCC.
Corlej^s application to establish a
new mill at College Park, Ga.,
(which abuts Atlanta) was approved
Wed. (3).

Omnibus

This was Peter Ustinov’s third
appearance in a dramatic role on
the Bob Saudek-produced “Omni¬
bus” over NBC-TV (7) and as is
customary with the English actor,
it was one of those frequently in¬
teresting triple-threat jobs — as
author, star and, in this instance,
co-director of “The Empty Chair.”

Ustinov shaved off his beard for
this occasion, the better to play
Georges Dan ton, the turbulent,
rabble-rousing^ patriot of the
French Revolution. George C.
Scott portrayed the austere, grim¬
faced Maximilien de Robespierre.

“The Empty Chair” saddled with
purple patch dialog attempted to
show how the leaders of the revolu¬
tion abused the power at their
command and it is Ustinov’s con¬
tention that had-the coup of 1789
taken place in Russia or Germany
and Robespierre were replaced by
Trotsky or Hitler, the plot would
be essentially the same.

In Ustinov’s political drama J;here
were flurries of some cheddar-
sharp epigrams and rather florid
acting scenes. In fact, much of
“The Empty Chair” contained ham
histrionics: However, one of the
few restrained and more telling
performances was turned in by
Edward Atienza as Mouche, the spy
with a soul and narrator of the
vehicle. Jenny Egan and Lucy
Landau were effective as char¬
women and Suzanne Clautier (Mrs.
Peter Ustinov) scored as the wife
of Danton, Rans.

The Chevy Show

I Sid Caesar’s tendency to tear a
skit to tatters by dragging it out
: to its final implications was again
displayed on NBC-TV Sunday
I night (7) in the “Chevy Show” spot.
In virtually every one of the
sketches, Caesar and company
failed to quit when they were
ahead. Some clever bits, like the
opening takeoff on the credit card
setup, had some sharp edges but
it sagged with some obvious mor¬
alizing.

Caesar also did some parodies
of the horror cycle in films' and the
we^em cycle on tv. In the horror
pic, made by “Fast-Buck Produc¬
tions,” Caesar poured on the man-
into-termite so heavily that

it became gruesome instead of
funny. The western skit had a
couple of satirical points to make,
but also was stretched beyond the
strength of the material. Perhaps
the top bit on the show was the
closer when aU the guests spot¬
lighted various tv mag articles in
which they were featured. This
effectively killed, it is hoped, those
corny plugs for the various fan
mags who pay off for the mentions.

The variety portion of tlie show
was mixed. Dolores-Gray delivered
a couple of tunes in good ^style
while The Szonys performed with
their usual flawless ballroomology.
-A modern jazz display, by the. Tony
Scott Quintet, stuck out like a
clinker note. This type of jazz
can’t just be rung in, but must have
the right setting.

Assisting Caesar in the sketches
was a good name lineup including
Paul Douglas, Audrey Meadows
(who made an excellent foil). Cliff
Norton and Miss Gray. Paul
Weston’s orch provided fine back¬
ing in the musical portions of the
show. Herm.

Ben Hecht Show |

For what was apparently in¬
tended as fresh , manpower for his
perennial crusade against critics, i
Ben Hecht had Jose Ferrer as guest i
interviewee last Friday night (5) on
his five-a-week series on WABG -1
TV, N.Y. As the star, stager and
new sole producer of the Broadway
legit show, “Edwin Booth,” the ,
actor was obviously expected to
lash out at the reviewers who had
unanimously panned his show.

What transpired was dull. It
could hardly have hurt the critic's
standing or influence perceptibly,
but presumably insured that even-
the least-informed dialer now
knows that “Booth” got a seven-
td-none unfavorable reception from
the first-stringers. In any case, it
seems doubtful if the casual dialer
could care less. As for an informed
watcher, the palaver seemed a
poorly organized rehash of stale,
pointless and unrealistic sparring
by a habitual critic-baiter and a
cautious, more-in-outrage-than-in
logic actor.

Hecht, who’s apparently out to
establish himself, as a sort of
gaffer version of today’s Angry
Young Man, was in the curious
position of calling the critics
“dunderheads” and then agreeing
with his guest that, “by and large,”
he generally agrees with them.
Various critics were, mentioned, but
Ferrer’s only specific personal

charge seemed to be that N.Y.
Times critic Brooks Atkinson, hav¬
ing over-praised him in the past,
is now determined to make up for
it by attacking him unfairly.

He cited the house record set
last season by “Oh Captain” (the
musical he staged and co-adapted)
in Philly as evidence that Atkin¬
son’s subsequent pan had been un¬
justified. He also recalled that the
Times reviewer had reported that
the audience had enjoyed the 1940-
41 revival of “Charley’s Aunt” (in
which he made a personal hit) but
said he (Atkinson) didn’t like it.
The point appeared to be that a
critic must necessarily agree with
the audience. -

Hecht’s sharpest personal attack;
was on N.Y. Herald Tribune critic
Walter Kerr. He referred scathingly
to the Current Broadway musical,
“Goldilocks,” for which Kerr waS
stager, co-librettist and co-lyricist.
Then he commented that despite
what he (Hecht) feels are abysmal |
flaws in the show, Kerr has not
ceased to criticize other produc¬
tions. The inference, apparently, is
that a critic disqualifies himself
from writing adverse reviews by
working on a show Hecht doesn’t
like (in this case in agreement with
several of Kerr’s fellow-critics). .

Ferrer declared several times
that he never reads reviews of his
shows, explaining at one point that
to do so might upset him and make
it more difficult for him to con¬
tinue acting in the plays. How¬
ever, he repeatedly revealed de¬
tailed familiarity with the “Booth”
notices, quoting sentences from a
few favorable ones (not among the
big seven on the dailies).

In reply to Hecht’s insistent
question of why the critics stupidly
or maliciously panned the current
show, Ferrer had no answer. Hecht,
however, suggested that the re¬
viewers have become “attuned to
gory matters” to such an extent
; that they now “like only neurotic
; studies of depravity.”

I Revealing that he had attended
a “Booth” matinee reluctantly
(presumably because of the bad
reviews)^ Hecht reported that the
“sparse” audience had “laughed
and cried”,in wholehearted enjoy¬
ment of the play. He himself had
loved it, he asserted. “It is almost
one of the best shows since “Look
Homeward, Angel,” twice as good
as “The Royal Family,” he said,
“I have no reservations about it.”

As to his professional attitude,
Ferrer observed, “I’m more suc¬
cessful, more famous and poorer
than I ever dreamed I’d be.” As for
his hopes for the future, he said,
“I’d like to do only what I want to
do, not what I need to do. I’d lifce
to do what will excite an audience.
I’ve never done anything I wasn’t
inflamed by.”

Possibly because of insufficient
preparation, the one portion of the
interview that might have been im¬
pressive was curiously flat. Ferrer
read a speech from “Booth,” in
which the title character explains
his determination to emerge from
the retirement enforced by public
rage over his brother John Wilkes
Booth’s assassination of Lincoln.
The camera work was so faulty,
however, that only half of Ferrer’s
face was visable, and the direction
so inept that it was difficult to dis¬
tinguish between the actor’s scene-
setting explanation and the expres¬
sionless-sounding reading itself.

Ail in all, considering Heeht’s
poor delivery and negative, ill-
tempered approach and the clumsy
planning, it’s easy to see why the
series has a small audience. There
were three commercials, for Lestoil
cleaner, the N.Y. Herald Tribune’s
Sunday . tv-radio supplement and
Schliffle embroidery, plus h public
service spiel for Christmas seals
for tuberculosis research and an
ABC house blurb. Hobe.

Ed Sullivan Show

Ed Sullivan and a group of
entertainers mushed up to Alaska
to do a filmed layout with some of ■
the settings of' the new state, i
Apparently, Sullivan tried a Bob !
Hope style of operations using the
GI audiences as a sounding board,
but as far as the normal viewing by
a domestic audience, most of it
could have been done ydthout
ever leaving home.

Of course, there was some excel¬
lent photography of a few of the
scenic wonders of the state, a
couple of petit interviews with
some servicemen and a minute
looksee into the operations of our
radar defense line, but the cast
of Jack Carter, Jill Corey, Bruno.
Dody Goodman, Ford & Hines and
Dick Buckley are familiar material
to the stay-at-homes. However the I
cast seemed to get a lift out of an
appreciative audience.

Carter played for the soldier
audience in Fairbanks rather than
the tele audience, since some of

the lines were the old reliables.
Miss Goodman, did some material
tailored to the Alaskan needs, and
Bruno gave an excellent exhibition
on the swinging pole.

An important item on the show
was Ford & Hines who had suffi¬
cient time to make a deep indent
with some prime comedy material.
This team, showcased originally
on the Garry Moore show and later
re-“discovered” on the Jack Paar
frolic, seems to'be making an in¬
creasingly heavier impact.

There ws^ a sequence in the
Red Dog Saloon, which had Jill
Corey making like the Lady
Known as Lou and Dick Buckley
reciting the shooting of Dan Mc-
Grew. Not too much original
thinking went into that sequence
. even with Little Buck doing a
sock bit of tapping.

The Alaskan; junket got official
sanction with the intro of Lt,
Gen. Frank A. Armstrong Jr., the
prototype of .role Gregory Peck
played in “Twelve O’clock High.”
The intrepid explorations by Sulli¬
van haven’t shed too much light
on our new state, but the denizens
of former Seward’s Folly were
introduced to the delights of
Sullivan, Carter, Goodman et al.

Jose.

Open End

David Susskind, who’s largely
been sticking to show biz topics so
far on his “Open End” show over
WNTA-TV in N. Y., deviated from
the pattern last week (2) in pre¬
senting “The White House Bos¬
wells.’’ Program, which had some
top reporters chatting about their
experiences in covering Presidents
Eisenhower, Truman and Roose¬
velt, was fascinating, adult and
stimulating. It gave late watchers
an uncanny insight into the men
in the White House. It also pro¬
duced some devastating comments
on “Ike” and the President’s re¬
moteness from the press.

The idea of getting top White
House reporters together to chew
the fat, give out with reminis¬
cences (they were almost senti¬
mental in their yearning for the
“good old” Truman days) and
assess the presidents from the
newsman’s point-of-view, was ex¬
cellent and it paid off withi the
kind of spellbinder show that tv
rarely gets these days.

The reporters on hand last week
included Andrew Tully of Scripps-
Howard, Edward T. Folliard of the
Washin^on Post, Rowland Evans
of. the N. Y. Herald Tribune, and
Ernest Barcella of United Press.
MitcheU Grayson was program
supervisor and Ed Cooperstein
directed the show with accustomed
.skill. Susskind was the moderator-
host, as usual entering into the
discussions just enough to keep
everyone at it and to introduce the
various questions. He’s unusually
adept at his chores and his opin¬
ions, delivered without bombast or
oratory, are refreshingly candid.

It wasn’t all sweetness and light
on this last “Open End.’t Tully is
a scraupy fellow, and he and Fol¬
liard didn’t hit it off. Tully had a
touch of the extrovert. Folliard was
dryly matter-of-fact, giving the im¬
pression of one infinitely experi¬
enced in the romplioated game of
covering the White House. He con¬
tributed some of the best stories
and most pungent opinions.

The discussion found the re¬
porters unanimous in their com¬
plaints that Eisenhower didn’t see
enough of the press. Several also
thought the President relied too
much on aides in the running of
the government and there was a
good deal said about the various
presidents’ handling of their news
conferences. Folliard onined James
Hagerty, the President’s press sec¬
retary, was good on the “technical”
end, but didn’t know the required
information. Various panel mem¬
bers agreed Eisenhower was a
charmer, but that it was difficult
to get news out of what he said.

Through the show, the reporters’
admiration for former President
Harry S. Truman showed through,
and three of the four agreed that
Adlal Stevenson might still be a
good man for the Democrats in
1960. As for others onithe White
House staff, nobody particularly
stuck UP for Sherman Adams,
though Folliard called him a “ded¬
icated man.” Tully recalled that
Adams “looked at reporters like
they just crawled out from under
a rock.” Replied FoUiard: “There
is no reason w'hy Adams should
have talked to you.” Shot back
Tully: “There’s every reason why
he should have talked to me.”
Later the two got into a tiff over
Eisenhower’s refusal to socialize
with the press corps.

Manv interesting, at times in-
(Continued on page 36)

THE AMERICAN JEW
With Jeff Chandler, narrator; Rich¬
ard Tucker, Stan Freeman, Bar¬
ney Balaban, Dore- Schary, Al

Capp, Susan Strasberg-, Aaron

Rosand, Sen. Herbert BL Lehman,

Philip Klutznick, CBS Symphony

Orch under Alfredo Antonini,
Producer: Jack Kuney
Director; Tim Kiley
Writer: David Eb'n
60 Mins., Sun. (7), 11:30 a.m.
CBS-TV, from N.Y.

“What is the American Jew?
Who is he?” The question was
posed by narrator Jeff Chandler
Sunday (7) as GBS-TV presented
an hourlong telecast on “The !
American Jew,” his integration and
participation in American life and
his various contributions to the
fields of cuKure, science and in¬
dustry, Produced by Jack Kuney
for the Public Affairs Dept, of
CBS News in cooperation with the
Anti-Defamation League of B’nal
B’rith, the show didn’t lack sub¬
stance.

Many well-known personalities,
from former Senator Herbert H.
Lehman and Barney Balaban to Al
Capp and Susan Strasberg partic¬
ipated and contributed. There
were some poignant moments and
David Ebin’s script w'as persuasive
in its eloquence. There was little
question, on watching this show,
that Jews anno 1958 are a happy,
well-integrated lot, contributing
richly to American culture and giv¬
ing generously of themselves and
their heritage.

Yet, inevitably, the question
must arise whether a full hour de¬
voted to the Jew in America
doesn’t deserve a more searching,
examination and a less routinely
sentimental and romanticized pres¬
entation. The question asked by
Chandler, “What is the American
Jew?” was never answered. Not
fully at least. True, it is Senator
Lehman, and Dr. Jonas Salk, and
Einstein, Danny Kaye, and Irving
Berlin. And it does include a long
and impressive list of Jews who
helped make America great in one
way or another, whether as mer¬
chants in the Revolutionary War,
or as bombardiers in World War 11.

Inevitably, shows such as these
pose other questions. Did these
men do the things they did because
they were Jews? Is it wise to hold
up the Jew to the public not as a
religious faith, but rather as a
group separate and distinct, which
can draw fine lines between being
“accepted” or 'being “tolerated”?
What about the “dual loyalty”
charge which non-Jews like to
bring up in connection with Israel?
Would it not have been wiser to
create such a show around Chanuk¬
kah and the festival of lights,
which figured only at the end of
the program?

In discussing the status of the
Jews, why skirt the fact, so well
known to the Anti-Defamation
League, i.e. that the synagog bomb¬
ings are part and parcel of a vici¬
ous wave of anti-Semitism rampant
in the south today, where the Jews
are blamed by radical elements for
the desegregation pressures. The
brief scene with Ralph M. Weis-
berger, the circuit-riding rabbi in
the Carolinas, was touching but
didn’t go to the heart of the mat¬
ter.

“The American Jew” was a one¬
sided profile, drawn with care, pos¬
sibly with too much concern. The
public deserves something less su¬
perficial from a program such as
this. W’hat it got was an impres¬
sive rundown on Jewish contribu¬
tions and some eye-opening figures
on the Jewish population in the
U.S. since the arrival of Columbus.
There was an interview with Sam
Bober, a Jewish wheat farmer in
South Dakota, and another with
Murray Dim, a fireman in New Jer¬
sey. These men said what America
meant to them, and what it had
done for them. The accent, incid¬
entally, with the exception of Miss
Strasberg, was almost entirely on
men.

The actress read some lines froip
the diary of Anne Frank. It was a
forced scene. Not so the bit with
Schary, nor the well-done Freeman
piano solo, playing Gershwin. Philip
Klutznick, president of the B’nal
B’rith, spoke well.' Chandler han¬
dled his narrator’s chores compe¬
tently and Aaron Rosand’s rendition
of “Hebrew Melody” had a good
deal of vitality. The CBS Symphony
Orch under Alfredo Antonini per¬
formed special George Antheil mu¬
sic and Richard Tucker sang from
“La Juive” by Halevy.

“The American Jew” could have
been extraordinarily interesting
and thought-provoking. It could
have helped dispel aome of the
rampant falsehoods that are so
naively accepted by millions of
non-Jews. Yet, it somehow man¬
aged only to sing the praises of
American Jewry as if astonished to
find it so much part of the commu¬
nity. At the end of the show, the
ADL presented its annual awards
to CBS, the N.Y. Times and Look
j Magazine. Hift.

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

VeAicsJay, Decwnbcr 10; 1950

PSaoE^

ss

■anEsma

atso staniiig AUDREY TOHER & JOHN SMITH

—distributed by

36

HABIO-TEUVISIOIV

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

Television Followup Comment

; Continued from page 3^ i

tifnate, details and anecdotes about
presidents Koosevelt, Truman and
Eisenhower emerged from the dis¬
cussion. The views voiced in the
give-and-take, some of which was
purely political, were expressed
freely and at times in colorful
language. The Trib’s Evans spoke
particularly well. Hift

Steve Allen Show
Main event on Steve Allen’s
NBC-TV card last Sunday (7) was -
Sugar Ray Robinson’s “singing
debut.” Boxer got his show biz \
break-in several years ago when
he made a fling in the nitery field
so he came to the Allen cameras
with enough poise and assurance
to win him the top guest spot.
His voice, though, is still in the
preliminary class. His vocal show¬
casing. backdropped with film
clips from his bout with Carmen
Basilio, W'as on “Mr. Success” and
in duet with Allen on “The Lady’s
In Love With You.” Latter tune
was done in a bicycle-workout set-
ting that didn’t make much sense. \
Preceding segments of the hour
was par for the course in the
guest division and below’ standards
in the sketch department. The
“Bureau of Standards” bit on ,
educational Xmas toys, v. ith the j
Allen troupe (Don Knotts, Louis
Nye, Tom Poston) was of light¬
weight caliber as w^as the sketch (
in which Joan Drvis joined the j
Allen regulars. Latter was an;
overlong affair parodying tv soap ;
opera and crazy m^xed up cue
cards. It didn’t work.

Leo De Lyon had a brief turn
that was moderately successful,
Andre Previn keyboarded “Fas¬
cinating Rhvthm” and the Hi Lo's
vocalized “Dancing On The Ceil- ;
ing” and “Clrn Yo’ Hands” to j
round out a mild cvenins with
Allen. Gros.

'and Negro communities in the
south. At this stage, he noted noth¬
ing has replaced the former mas¬
ter-servant relationship, or the in¬
tercommunication of church groups.
Carter, it seemed, saw integration
c,ipping off the Negro’s victory in
political and economic fields. His
difference with Lerner w’as a mat¬
ter of timing and emphasis, Lerner
was clear and perceptive in his
comments. Heffner handled his
moderating role well. Horo.

High Adventure

With such global points of
interest as Alaska, New Guinea
and Morocco behind him in this
filmed series. Lowell Thomas took
viewers Saturday t6) to the north¬
east Belgian Congo. It was a
rewarding hourlong CBS-TV orig¬
ination despite Thomas’ uninspired
commentary.

For example, the inveterate
world traveler's opening remark
was . . Dr. Livingston, I pre¬
sume.” Pausing slightly, he added,
“why not start with the number
ope cliche?” However, with that
timeworn pleasantry out of the
way, Thomas went on to unreel
some fascinating footage.

As a means of showcasing his
material Thomas was seen inter¬
viewing four white men who had
chosen to make their living in the
African interior. Quartet included
a onetime Prussian officer, now a
hippo hunter; a Belgian professor
with a fancy tor rentiles, a Belgian
hunter and a British anthro¬
pologist.

Pictorial highlights in the daily
routines of each of the foursome
made for absorbing viewing. Par¬
ticularly interesting *\vere scenes
of pygmy life which ware prefaced
by some explanatory comments by
the anthropologist. While his
statements were enlightening, as
much cannot be said for Thomas.
For too frequently the Thomasian
narration was in the oldtime Lew
Lehr (“monkeys are the ewaziest
people”) tradition.

Delco-Remy division of General
Motors which picks up the tab on
the series came up with some
clever plugs. One, espousing the
merits of the Delco battery pointed
out the value of the product as
seen through the eyes of a native
boy. It was an imaginative ap¬
proach that blended in nicely with
the travelog footage proper.

Gilb.

Sale Collapses

Memphis, Dec. 9.

Hoyt Wooten’s $6,000,000 in cash
sale of his properties—^WREC and |
WREC-TV—to the Cowles publish- j
ing and broadcasting interests of:
Des Moines, has fallen flat as a ;
pancake.

Wooten, who owns and operates
both stations here as CBS affiliates,
told Variety that the sale “was
called off in a friendly difference
of opinion about particulars of a
formal contract for the sale.” The
Memphis station exec also pointed
out that a previous joint statement;
had been made by him and Luther j
Hill, publisher of the Des Moines i
Register Tribune “greenlighting |
the sale of a general agreement be- 1
tween them.”

The S6.000.000 sale which both
Hill and Wooten agreed to included
provisions protecting present staff
members and also nature of the
broadcasting service. Wooten said
he had no present plans to sell to
any other buyer. “I can’t say I
wouldn’t ever sell,” he stated, “you
just don’t know about those things, i
but at the moment I have no plans \
to sell.” He added that he will o;-
ganize a new corporation to oper- I
ate both the AM and tv operations '

Open Mind

The topic of “The South and the
Negro” got a going over Sunday
(7) afternoon on WRCA-TV, N.Y.,
on “The Open Mind.”- Guests on
the show were author columnist
Max Lerner and.Hodding Carter,
editor and publisher of Greenville,
Miss., and a Pulitzer prize winner.

The first quarter hour was rather
disjointed and offered little of
fresh insight. It would have helped
if Carter stated his position clearly.
The way things were going moder¬
ator Richard Heffner had to inter¬
pose and explain that Carter wasn’t
in principle opposed to integration.
About half-way through, things
warmed up and a lively discussion
was held on the stake in “psycho¬
logical security” southern whites
have in keeping Negroes down.
Carter, whose posit*on never came
over too clearly, pinpointed one
outgrowth of the current integra¬
tion struggle—the breakdown of
communications betw.een the white

NBC, Westingliouse
‘Sshizophreuia’ Swap
Case Comes Up A<raiiii

Washington, Dec, 9. i

Justice Dept, and NBC waged!
final dubious battle Monday (8) be- i
fore tl.S. Supreme Court over
wide-sprawling legal issues arising
from Web’s acquisition of West-
inghOuse’s Broadcasting outlets in
Philadelphia.

Deal involved exchange of NBC’s
Cleveland facilities for the West-
inghouse outlets plus $3,000,000
payment by NBC. The FCC endors¬
ed the exchange after investiga¬
tion, but Justice later steoped in
with an anti-trust action. NBC con¬
tended it was the victim of Gov¬
ernmental “schizophrenia” for be-;
ing the target of one agency’s '
wTath after another’s okay.

Solicitor General Lee J. Rankin
told the high court that the FCC
doesn’t have any responsibility for
determining anti-trust angles of
cases before it except as they bear
on the overall question of public
interest. Violations of anti-trust
law, his argument ran, are only
for the courts for determination.

Moreover, Rankin said, the FCC
held no hearings on the matter,
and so its decision was not based
on adversary proceedings wherein
pros and cons of anti-trust ques¬
tion were heard. As to the alleged
anti-trust' violations of NBC, he
added, they were as “predatory
as you can experience in this
field.”

GE Specs

Continned from pace 32

Tugend himself doesn’t w’orry
about budget—“I know I’ve gone
too far when the front office starts
screaming,” but is concerned pri¬
marily with getting the kind of
properties and talent and produc¬
tion that the half-hour doesn’t
normally embrace. Occasionally,
he’s upset in that all the produc¬
tion values can’t be seen on the
smallscreen, but still prefers to
have the values there, even if they
are pccasionally; missed.

Johnny Johnston

Johnny Johnston, a ainger-com-
mentator of stature, has been do¬
ing a literate job over ^WMGM,
N. Y., from the Celebrity Lounge
of Jack Silverman’s International
Casino tnee the Old Romanian). He
gets good guests and has a good
general command of things. As a
not-so-old pro he knows his way
around the mike orally or when
he occasionally ad libs a song to
self-guitar accomp, or for others
as last week when Don Cherry
and his bride,' last year’s Miss
America, dropped in.

Johnston has been getting prob¬
ably intensified listenership fol¬
lowing the legit preems as he has
a “celebrity critic” on mike at 11
p.m. This certainly beats the traf¬
fic but it is a question how much
he bests the expert newspaper
opinions when he has Howard
Teichmann do a rave for “Flower
Drum Song” and/or Charles Kor-
vin ditto for “The Disenchanted.”
As a pro, Johnson tried to cool off
Teichmann, for example. “Now what
would happen if the dailies in an
hour or so, came out with not quite
such rave opinion?” Teichmann
replied, “Then I’d have to say they
were probably all at the Belasco
seeing my ‘Girls in 509’ and not at
the St. James.” As it developed, the
metropolitan New York critics
were hot as all-out in their en¬
thusiasms as the playwright-
turned-“celebrity critic” on John¬
ston’s mike.

This in turn has cued several of
the midnight deejays to variously
comment on the degree of enthusi¬
asms by this or that critic vis-a-vIs
either personal opinion or less
stringent standards. Barry Gray
plays it down the middle by also
accenting the dailies’ captious re¬
views.

Incidentally, the “kind” ap¬
proach to the new Rodgers & Ham-
merstein musical on the part of the
midnight commentators has. been
the subject, of pro-and-con conver¬
sation pieces. It all added up, how¬
ever, to the conclusion that if it
weren’t because so much was ex¬
pected from Rodgers & Hammer-
stein there wouldn’t be this sort
of commentary.

Jose Ferrer, on his own, has
been playing the radio airwaves on
limchiime, afternoon and midnight
interview and kindred programs
talking-up his “Edwin Booth,”
Broadway legit, show biz in
general, anything and everything
(including the Ben Hecht TV’er) in
a general ballyhoo for the play
which opened to poor notices. One
interviewer mentioned that oniy
lyinchell was able to overcome a
generally poor: critical press with
h:s coliminar and radio-tv plug¬
ging of “Hellzapoppin” but that
has been the lone exception in
years. Abel.

Weli^oH Heads Dp WNEW
Nev/s & Speeial Events;
To Hire 11 Staffers

Martin Weldon, who comes from
WCBS-TV, N.Y. where’s he’s been
one of the. more active writers end
producers in the news-special
events area, has been inked by
WNEW to head up its new news
and special events department.
Weldon and John Jaeger, func¬
tioning chief of the radio station,
are currently in the process of
hiring 11 more men to fill out the
WNEW news department, formed
in the wake of a breakoff with
the Daily News, which delivered
hourly news reports to the station
for 17 years.-

Weldon’s deparfinent is pegged
to work exclusively for WNEW
Radio at the outset, .but it was
explained that since he has been
signed as an executive of the Met¬
ropolitan Broadcasting Corp., he’ll
ultimately be serving . "WNEW-TV
as well.

Since the WNEW-News' tieup
ends officiaUy on Dec. 31, Weldon
and Jaeger are working fast in an
effort to get the revised hews-
speclal' events operation started.
Station will start dry-runs by ‘Dec.
15, to shake down the format.

Though the format is still to be
worked out, it’s considered a safe
bet that Weldon’s presence at
WNEW assures the station “going
outside” for remote reports, some¬
thing obviated by the Daily News
setup, since the newspaper almost
exclusively fed Straight news ebpy
to ‘/le station’s announcers. Wel¬
don earned a rep as one of the
pioneers, along with such as Gabe
Pressman of WRCA, of the tape-
recorder school of radio report¬
ing, taking the machine out to
transcribe on-the-spot events. In

From the Production Centres

; Continued from page. 28 ;

broadcaster Geoffrey Wigoder around the plant this week. Wigoder
is touring the U.S. studying broadcasting on behalf of the Israel na¬
tional radio system.

IN LONDON . . .

Associated Television’s “Sunday Night At ’The Palladium” (7) boast¬
ed five American performers—Sallie Blair, Harrison & Fisher, Thom¬
as Hayward, Georgie Kaye, ahd archery champion Ann Marston ...
Stanley Holloway booked for BBC-TV’s “Riverside One” show next
Wednesday (17) . . . Peter Hunt, Associated-Rediffusion features edi¬
tor, currently in Cyprus lensing a 30-minute documentary about Army
life on the island during the Christmas season. Program will be aired
on Christmas Day . . . Current champion of Granada-TV’s “Twenty
One,” Leonora Millington, has over $11,500 to her credit . . . BBC-TV
has agreed to release comedian Charlie Drake from the final program
in his current series so that he can begin rehearsing his part for the
Palladium pantomime. Frankie Howerd will take over the tv spot on
Dec. 16.

IN BOSTON ...

W. Gordon Swan, WBZ-TV operations chief, celebrating 30th anni
with Westinghouse and gifted with 30-year pin by Frank Tooke, gen.,
mgr. . . . Ronald Little, WBZ-TV production staffe.r since 1953, upped
to production supervisor by Herbert Cahan, program mgr. .. . , “Benr
ny in Brussels,” film documentary of Benny Goodman, at the World’s
Fair, unveiled to Hub press by WBZ-TV’s Fran Corcoran, press chief-
tess, at Somerset . . . WEEI’s Ed Myers doing p.a.’s in First Federal
Savings & Loan with a five-min, news summary . . . Barbara Sardina
joined 'VVEEI secy, staff this week . . . Some 43 years of broadcasting
is comboed on the new “Marge Mills With Ken Show” over WHDH
cross-the-board, 9:45-10 a.m. as Marjorie Mills has been broadcasting
for over 30 years, and “Ken,” Gene Gieringer, has been in radio since
1942, with 16 years on the “Ken And Carolyn Show” . . . Biff Bu¬
chanan, Daily Record tv ed, has new column, “TV Sketch Book” going
for him Sundays in the Boston Sunday Advertiser . . . Louise Morgan,
WNAC-TV personality, named publicity chairman for Xmas Bazaar,
N. E. Chapter, Nat. Home'Fastens League.

IN SAN FRANCISCO . . .

Henry Untermeyer, deposed KCBS general manager, finally got his
stripes—from Bandolier Films, Albuquerque, N.M., maker of animated
commercials, as a vice president in charge of sales for the Pacific
Coast. He’ll work out of Frisco . .. New KOBY station manager is Joe
Miller, ex-sales manager at KFMB, San Diego . . . “Mystery Mother”
on Dave McElhatton’s KCBS show turned out to be Corny Jackson’s
wife, Gail Patrick . . . KROW, Oakland, and KJBS, Frisco, are putting
their heads and mikes together to produce a two-hour “Christmas in
Stereo” show—they are both AM stations . . . KPIX is getting ready
to kick off its Paramount package—that’s program director Ray Hub¬
bard’s baby, and it’s been in the works several months now . . . United
Broadcasting Co. applied for a San Jose FM outlet . . . Don Sherwood,
of KSFO, has been doing some funny morning cross-tease bits with
KJBS’ Frank Cope—Sherwood returns to Frisco tv via tape on KPIX
Dec. 20 . . . Frank Hemingway up from Los Angeles to tape 15 Folger’s
Coffee commercials at KTVU, Oakland-

IN PHILADELPHIA . . .

James R. Van dtt Velde, former production manager of WISN-TV,
Milwaukee, appointed to the newly-created. post of supervisor of pro¬
gram production for Triangle Stations . . . WCAU commentator John
Trent will open Dec. 13 afternoon session of National Food Brokers
Association, in Chicago, at Palmer House, clocking up his fourth year
as convention’s speaker . . . Marilyn Grey, WRCV-TV weather girCto
crown the “Snow Queen” at Split Rock Lodge'^ Winter Carnival, in
the Pocono Mts. (20) . . . Dirk Schaeffer, WIP’s publicity man, has ex¬
ited station ... Jerry Williams, with WIP and WIBG for many years,
was given a dinner by the City of Boston for his public service work
on radio . . . Bob Klose, lately of Stamford, Conn., starts a Mon.-Sat.
session over WFIL

IN MINNEAPOLIS . • .

WTCN Radio had all night show to raise funds for family of police¬
man killed in line of duty . , . WCCO-TV, with sponsor, televised final
night's eight boards of Minneapolis’ Centennial -bridge tournament
featuring Charles Goren= and Richard Frey, two of nation’s leading
authorities, as commentators , . , WISK boasts Twin Cities’ only Negro
disk jockey, Louie House . . . Randy Merriman, WCCO ace, appointed
Commodore (head) of the Minneapolis 1959 Aquatennial, annual sum¬
mer mardi gras . . . Herb Taylor of KDAL-TV, Duluth, ordinarily a
CQmedian, playing role of “Dr. Mapabre” who intro(Iuces nightly
“Shock Theatre” horror films and returned from hunting trip exhibit¬
ing over air photo showing his spoils to have been two humans tied
deer-fashion to his car’s fenders,

IN PITTSBURGH . . .

Jim Gerard, late of WLW-D in Dayton, has taken over the early
morning “Pittsburgh AM” hour on KDKA-TV, replacing Jeff Joj^dan,
who goes on the regular announcing staff . . . Newscaster Carl Ide of
Ch. 2 and his wife along with John Stilli, station’s sales manager,
and Mrs. Stilli to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for a week . . . John Gibbs
upped to program sales coordinator at KQV, with Chuck Dougherty,
deejay, replacing him as program director . . . Harold C, Lund, West¬
inghouse veep, going to Jamaica for a couple of weeks after Variety
Club banquet, honoring him as outgoing Chief Barker, on Jan. 18 . . .
Gloria DeLnca and Susan Riley newcomers to the Ch. 2 general serv¬
ices staff

highlight local news in maintain¬
ing the image of a local station
in N.Y.

Weldon worked as a producer
and a writer for WCBS-TWs “Eye
On N.Y.” and was deeply involved
in the presentation of a sports
stanza for kids (with baseballer
Tommy Henreich). Before that he
worked for WCBS Radio and did a
number of shows for it.

WPAT’s Daily News Feeds

After a lengthly search, egen dat¬
ing back before the announcement
of a breakoff after 17 years with
WNEW, the N. Y. Daily News has
found another metropolitan area
radio outet to carry its news feeds.
WPAT^ the Paterson,. N. J., music
station, has signed on to carry flve-
miniite newscasts beginning Jan. 1,
thiswill .after the WNEW pact for¬

mally closes.

A party of executives from the
News held discussions with nearly
every major statiofi in N. Y., in¬
cluding some of the network keys.
What kept on blocking a deal, es¬
pecially among the indies, was that
they either weren’t around-the-
clock operations (and the New»
wants to get that promotional Value
from a 24-hour operation) or they
went in for “bell-janglihg type
news format,” a system of sound
effects which is growing more pop¬
ular among Gotham stations.

“News Around the Clock” re^
ports are to be prepared for
WPAT by a 14-man news staff
headed by Carl Warren. It’s under¬
stood that the deal with the Jer¬
sey-based. indie, “is financially
more favorable to The News” than
was the 50-50 WNEW-News split

S8

UArU^Ft

W^edscii^ajr, Dcccntto 10, 195S

from November 26, 1958

“SHOWMANSHIP!”

Rivlera 9 Las A>gas

Las Vegas, Nov. 18.

**Ziegjeld Follies," Jane Morgan,
Dickie Henderson, Helen,- Wood,
Andrea Dancers (3), Ving Mer-
tin & Lynda, Bill Shirley, Sue Ann
Langdon, Dorothy Dorben Dancers
. (18),Ray Sinatra Orch (12)j Pro¬
duced Lou Walters; presented
by Sammy Lewis, $3 minmum,

Lou Walters and Sammy Lewis
have brought a handsomely mount¬
ed musical revue to the Clover
Room which they have tagged “The
Ziegfeld Follies.” It’s reminiscent
o( the Ziegfeld extravaganzas in
that it is an omnibus of music,
songs, dancing, comedy, lavish sets
and pretty girls—and it pays off
as one of the best shows ever to
play the Riviera. Jane Morgan and
Dickie Henderson^ headline.

Miss Morgan seems to be just
right for this type of show —she*i

siiqw^^Mp Jnto iier rngilept
Singing voice. She combines con¬
fidence and case into' her turn,
offering “Friendship,” a medley of
American songs sung in French
(“No Business Like Show Busi¬
ness,** “Yellow Rose of Texas,”

JANE

MORGAN

\

Currently STARRING in the
"ZIEGFELD FOLLIES" of the -

RIVIERA HOTEL

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

December 28th

ED SULLIVAN SHOW (CBS-TV)

January 2nd,

DEAUVILLE HOTEL, Miami Beach

January 12th

FIRESTONE HOUR (ABC-TV)

February 2nd

PAHI PAGE SHOW (ABC-TV)

ot the piano Special Material

ERNEST BRAGG IRVIN GRAHAM

Exclusively

KAPP-RECORDS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

_ TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1, Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:(X)).WWLP ^

2. Jerry Lewis (Sat. 9:00-10:00).WWLP

2. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00).WWLP

4 . Kraft Music Hall (Wed. 9:00-9:30). .'.WWLP

5. Loretta Yonnr '(Sun. 10:00-10:30).... WWLP

6. Fred Astaire (Fri. 9:00-10:00).WWLP

7. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9).. .WWLP

8. Bat Kasterson (Wed. 9:30-10:00).WWLP

8 . Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).WWLP

«. Desilu Playhouse (Mon. 10:00-11:00).WHYN

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

tHlfflUiffhts (M-F 7:15-7:30).........WWLP

tWea., News (M-F 7:00-7:15).WWLP

tBiff News (M-F 11:00-11:30).WWLP

♦Price Is Riffht (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.), .WWLP
♦Tic Tac Dough (M-F 12:00-12:30).. .WWLP

♦CBS News (M-F 7:15-7:30).WHYN

♦Concentration (M-F 11:30-12 Noon).WWLP
♦It Could Be You (M-F 12:30-1:00).. .WWLP
tNews at 7, Wea. (M-F 7:00-7:15)... .WHYN
♦Jack Paar Show (M-F ll:30-Signoff).WWLP
♦Treasure Hunt (M-F 10:30-11 a.m.). .WWLP

TACOMA

Stations: WHYN, WNHC, WTIC. VAVLP. TV Homes: 133,600. Survey Dates: Oct. 13-20, 1958.

1.

Highway Patrol (Sat. 10:30).

....WHYN..

.. Ziv

23.3

43

Cimarron City.

...WWLP

22.8

I.

Sea Hunt (Wed. 10:30).. ^.

....wwiif*..

. Ziv

23.3

39

Ginger Rogers .

...WHYN

22.8

2.

Target (Tues. 10:30).

.... WWLP..

. .Ziv

22.8

42

Garry Moore ...

...WHYN

21.3

3.

Death VaUey Days (Sun. 10:00).

....WHYN,.

.. U. S. Borax

16.8-

30

Loretta Young ......

...WWLP

32.3

4.

Whirlybirds (Sat. 7:00)-..

_WWLP.,

..CBS

16.3

35

Lassie .

...WHYN

14.3

5.

26 Men (Sun. 7:00)..

....WHYN.,

..ABC

14.3

37

Saber of London.

.. .WWLP

9.3

6.

Annie Oakley (Sat. 6:30) ....

....WNHC..

..CBS

11.8

36

Jeff’s. Collie .

.. .WWLP

10.8

6.

Sttent Service (Sun. .6:30)......

_WWLP.'.

..CNP

11.8

31

Air Power.

...WHYN

13-3

7.

Death VaUcy Days (Sat. 7:00)...

....WNHC..

.. U. S. Borax

11.3

24

Whirlybirds .

...WWLP

16.3

7.

'Gray Ghost (Sun. 6:00);.

..-..WTIC...

..CBS

IIB

30

Lawman ...

...WHYN

12.8

7.

Woody Wo<^pecker (Tues. 6:30).

....WTIC...

.. Kellogg

11.3

33

(Popeye .

...WNHC

10.0

INBC News

.. .WWLP

9.5

8.

Frontier Doctor (Fri. 10:00).....

....WTIC...

..HTS

10.3

16

Boxing ..

...WWLP .

25.3

8.

Jeff’s CoUie (Sat. 6:30) .

....WWLP..

..ITC

10.8

33

Annie Oakley.

...WNHC

11.8

8.

State Trooper (Thurs. 7:00).

....WNHC..

.. MCA

io.8'

24

( Wea., News.

...WWLP

15.5

1 Highlights ..

.. -WWLP

16.5

8.

Wild BiU Hickok (Wed. 6:30)....

....WTIC...

;. Screen Gems

10.8

28

? Twilight Theatre -.

...WHYN

9.5

INBC News.

.. .WWLP

11.5

9.

Man Without A Gun (Fri. 9:00)..

_WTIC_

..NTA

10.3

15

Fred Astaire..

...WWLP

33.3

9.

Mike Hammer (Mon. 9:30)--

....WTIC...

..MCA

10.3

16

Ann Southern ......

...WHYN

24.3

10.

Sea Hunt (Tues. 10:00)_ .....

....WNHC..

. .Ziv

9.8

16

Garry Moore .

...WHYN

23.3

11.

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 6:00)........

_WNHC..

. . AAP

9.6

33

First Show.

...WWLP

7.6

12.

Jeff's CoUie (Sat. 6:00) ...

....WNHC..,

..ITC

- 9.3

31

Film .

...WWLP

7.3

Stations: KING, KIRO, KQMO, KTNT.-KTYW. TV Homes: 83,600/ Survey Dates: Oct. 13-20, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

Maverick (Sun. 7:30-8:30)....KING

Bobflope (Tues. 9:00-10:00). KOMO

Walt Disney Presents (Fri. 8:00-9:00).KING

Lawman (Sun. 8:30-9:00).KING.

Real McCoys (Thurs, 8:30-9:00).KING

Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30)...KOMO

Sugarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30)...KING

Lawrence Welk (Sat. 9:00-10:00).. . .KING
Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00).. .KIRO
Perry Como (Sat 8;00-9:00)........KOMO

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

tEarly Edhioa (M-F 6:30-7:00).KING

tClaco Kid (M-F 6:30-7:00).KTNT

♦NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30) ... ..KOMO

tShell News (M-F 6:00-6:15).KOMO

♦American Bandstand (M-F'4-5).KING

♦Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6:00),KING
tli O'clock News (M-F 10:00-10:15).KTNT
tAll Star Movie (M-F 10:15-Signoff) .KTNT
tStan Boreson (M-F 5:00-5:30)..... .KING
tEarly Show (W-Th 8:00-9:30)..KTNT

31.4 '
31.0

29,0 f*

27.8 2‘

26.8 6*

26.5 ■

25.5
25.0 .

24.5 »•

9.

-- 9.

9.

--- 10.

12.4 JJ*
12.2 12 .
11.1 12 .
11.1 12 .
10.8 12.
10.1

9.7 12.

8.8 13 .

8.5 14.

it

Wfld Bill Hickok (Sat. 6:00).. .

Divorce Court (Sat. 8:00).......

Badge 714 (Mon. 8:00) .

JelTs Collie (Wed. 7:00).......

Sky King (Sun. 6:00)______

26 Men (Mon. 7:00).

.KOMO..

-.Ziv

23.8

.KING...

..NTA

19.3

.KING...

.. Screen Gems

18.8

.KING...

.. U. S. Borax

17.3

.KING...

.-.MCA

16.8

.KING...

.. Kellogg

15B

.KING...

.. Screen Gems

14.3

.KING...

..Giuld

14,5

.KING...

.. Screen Gems

14.3

.KTNT...

..Ziv

14.3

.KTNT...

..CBS

143

.KING...

..CBS

13.8

.KING...

..CNP

13.3

.KTNT...

. .Ziv

12.3

.KTNT. ..

..ITC

12.3

.KING...

.. Nabisco

12.3

• KING...

.. Flamingo

12.3

.KOMO..

..ABC

12.3

.KTNT...

..Ziv

12.2

.KING...

.. Official

11.3

.KIRO...

..Ziv

11.3

.KTNT...

..NTA

1*1.3

40 December Bride .KIRO

36 (SheU News ..KOMO

INBC News -...KOMO

32 Father Knows Bast.KIRO

31 Texan ..KIRO

25 -Dinah (Shore .KOMO

37 ( Shell News .KOMO

VNBC News .. .KOMO

43 V Dan Smoot ..'.KTNT

/Dinner Movie.KTNT. •

22 J Perry Como ...... i.. .KOMO

IHave Gun Will Travel..KIRO

34 Outlook .KOMO

30 Success Story .KING

23 Wagon Train .KOMO

26 Buckskin .KOMO

20 Restiess Gun .KOMO

21 HaU of Fame.KOMO

23 Buckskin .KOMO

32 Victory at Sea.KTNT

32 (Shell News ...KOMO

t NBC News ...KOMO

22 Death VaUey Days.KING

26 Early Edition...KING

25 Californians . KOMO

17 Lawrence Welk .KING

19 Desilu Playhouse .KIRO

DAVENPORT-ROCK ISLAND-MOLINE« * :WHBF, woe. TV Homes: 74,900. Survey Dates: Oct. 10-30,

_ TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

tlunamoke (Sat 9:00-9:30).WHBF

Leretta Young (Sun. 9:00-9:30)_..WOC

HavnGun WiU Travel (Sat 8:30-9) . .WHDF

Beb Hope (Tuex. 8:00-9:00)....WOC

Playhouae 99 (Thurs. 8:30-10:00)_WHBF <

Wyatt Earp (Sat. 10:00-10:30)._WHBF

Jack Benny (Sun. 6:30-7:00).....WHBF

Pmry Como (Sat. 7:00-8:00) .. WPG

Danny Thornaa (Mon. 8:00-8:30).WHBF

Alfred Hifchcoek (Sun. 8:30-9:00)....WHBF
Little Women (Thurs. 7:30-8:30)...WHBF

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

tWea., News-J. Knoeh

(M-F 10:30-10:45).WHBF
tNews Roundup (M*-F 10:30-10:45)...WOC
f HdDywood Movie Parade

(M-F 10:45-Signofl)..WHBF

tSports, Misc, (M-F 10:45-11:00)..;,..WOC

♦NBC News (M-F 5:45-6:00)..:. ,WOC

tNewa^ Sports, Wea. (M-P 5:30-5:45)-WOC
tPopeye (M-F 4:30-5:30)WOC

tCactns Jim (M-F 4:00-4:30).WOC

tNews (M-F 5:30-5:45).......WHBF

♦CBS News (M-F 5:45-6:00)....WHBF

♦Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m,);.WOC

_ 1 .

50.3 2.

47.3 3.

46.8 -

42.5 “•
, 40.3

40B 6.

39.3 7.

38.6 -
38B

38.0 *.

38.0 9.

10 .

■ io.
11 .

-28.4 12.

17.5 14.

17.3

15.2 15,

151 16.

15.1 „•
13.0 1^*

11.3 18.

10.6 18 .
10.6

Harbor Cimunand (Sat. 9:30)....

..WHBF...

.Ziv

393

60 Cimarron City ____

..WOC

26.3

Sea Hunt (Wed. 9:30).

.-WOC....

. .Ziv

33.0

52 Ginger Rogers ---

..WHBF

31.3

Whirlybirds (Sun. 9:30).

..WOC....

..CBS

31.8

52 What’s My Line.

..WHBF

29.8

State Trooper <TUes. 9:30).......

..WOC....

..MCA

3L0

52 Garry Moore______

..WHBF

28.8

Mike Hammer (Thui*s. 10:00).....

..WOC....

..MCA

273

52 Donna Reed..

..WHBF

253

Target (Tue^. 10:00).

..WHBF- ..

. Ziv

26.8

51 Pat Boone .......

..WOC

25.5

Sheriff of Cochise (Wed. 10:00)...

..WHBF...

.NTA

263

51 Rough Riders .. .

..WOC

25.3

WUd BUI Hickok (Thurs. 6:00)...

..WOC_

. .Screen Gems

26.3

52 Sky King ..

..WHBF

22.3

Official Detective (Fri. 10:00)....

..WHBF...

.NTA

25.8

46 Naked City ...

..WOC

30.8

Highway Patrol-(Mon. 10:00).

..WOC-..'.

, .Ziv

243

46 Ozzie and Harriet..

..WHBF

283

Boots and Saddles (Thurs. 9:30)...

..WOC....

-.CNP

233

37 Playhouse 90 ..

..WHBF

39.8

Man Without A Gun (Tues. 6:30).

..WHBF...

.NTA

233

46 Lawrence Welk ..

..WOC

27.8

Sky King (Thurs. 6:00)..

..WHBF...

. Nabisco

223

46 Wild Bill Hickok..

..WOC

263

Football Hifhligiits (Fri. 6:30)..

..WOC....

. .Sports-TV

21.5

45 Your Hit Parade..

..WHBF

26.3

Woody Woodpecker (Mon. 6:00)..

..WOC....

. Kellogg

213

56 Misc.... <

..WHBF

16.5

N. Y. Confidential (Sun. 10:00)....

..WHBF...

. ITC

21.0

41 (Sunday News .

1 Maverick ..

..WOC

..WOC

29.5

30.0

PnbUc Defmder (Sat. 10:30).....

..WOC-...

- .Interstate

20.3

43 Rifleman ..

..WHBF

26.8

Annie Oakley (Tues. 6:00) .......

..WHBF,..

..CBS

18.8

40 Lawrence Welk..

..WOC

283

This Is AUce (Wed. 6:00).

...WHBF.-.

.NTA

183

36 Zorro ...

..WOC

323

Marry A MiUionaire (Sun. 10:30).

..WHBF.. .

.NTA

17.5

39 Maverick ..

..WOC

27.5

Hucklebeiry. Hound (Fri. 6:00)...

'..WOC....

. .Screen Gems

17.5

43 Rin Tin Tin ...

. .WHBF

2^.8

(Continued on page 42)

PXkiSFi

Dtccqij^r 10, 195S ^

41 ■;

42

tv-fiuis

Veaite(iJay» Beibeniher I0» IMES .

PMdEfi :.

'MTSTSORr T'irt 1?I>TTT Cl? riTV HV-TTrV PnAPn ATif m APnr VAmcrr'i weekly chart It botcA on fhc'tZ major market* regularly reported by Tele-

P'yi7di£rrr-liLljiLrLJL.^t4 UllI-lfl-LllI rnUlynAJtl puU* each month, in addUUm tom other Telepulse tabulated U.S. market*, covered

over the course of a year. Citiee vnll be rotated weekly. Yne VAiracrr enart i* a compilation of data on eyndieated film*, at well a* network and live program*, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (1) *tand* for local programming and the (*) /or network thinet.

(Continued /rom page 39)

ALBANY-TROY- SCHDENECXADY S+«tipnt: WRGB. W-TEN. ,WTRI. tv Hom»« U5.700. Survey Dates: Oet. 13-20, IKS.

BK.

TOP TWENTY STNDIC^ATED SHOWS
FHOGBAM—DAY—TIME STA. DISTBIB*

AY.

BTGe

AV.

SH.

TOP COMPETITION

PROGRAM

STA.

AV.

RtG.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS AV.

RK.

PROGRAM—DAY—TIME

STA.

RTG.

1.

Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30)....

.. .WRGB

37.7

2.

Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00)....,.

...WRGB

36.7

Z.

Perry ComolSat. 8:00-9:00).

.. .WRGB

35.9

Z.

Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30)....

,. .WRGB

35.9

4.

Eddie Fisher (Tues. 8:00-9:00)....

...WRGB

35.5

4.

Price Is R'ght (Wed. 8:30-9:00)...

...WRGB

35.5

5.

Jerry Lewis (Sat. 9:00-10:00).

...WRGB

35.4

6.

Steve Allen. (Sun. 8:00-9:00).

...WRGB

34.9

7.

Fred Astaire (Fri. 9:00-10:00).

.. .WRGB

34.5

8.

Kraft Music HaU (Wed. 9:00-9:30)

.. .WRGB

34.3

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY

SHOWS

AV.

EK.

PROGRAM-DAY—TIME

STA.

RTG.

1. tNewsreel, Wca. (M-F 11:00-11:15)..WRGB 22.1

2. txMovie (M-F ll:15-Signo£E).WRGB 14.4

3. tNcws, Wea. (M-F 6:45-7:00).WRGB 14.3

4. tEarle Pudney (M-Th 6:30-6:45).WRGB 14.1

5. tNews, Wea., Misc.aTh-F 7:00-7:15).. W-TEN 13.3

5. ‘ 711th Hour News (M-F 11:00-11:15). .W-TEN 13.3

6 . tEarly Show (M-F 5:35-7:10).W-TEN 13.1

7. ♦CBS News (M-F 7:15-7:30).W-TEN 12.6-

3. tBreadtime Stories (M-F 5:45-6:00)..WRGB 11.9
9. tPopeye (M-F 5:00-5:35).W-TEN 11.8

1. Decoy (Sun. 10:30) ..WRGB... e Official

2. Sea Hunt (Wed. 7:00) .. WRGB.... Ziy

3. Highway Patrol (Thurs.'10:30)......WRGB..’..Ziv

3. I Led Three Lives (Sat. 10:30)....... WRGB.... Ziv

4. Sheriff of Cochise (Tues. 10:30).WRGB... .NTA

5. Honeymooners (Wed. 10:30)... .WRGB.... CBS

5. N. T. Confidential (Tues. 10:00)..... WRGB.... ITC

6. Navy Log (Tues. 7:00)... WRGB..., CBS

7. Death Valley Days (Thurs. 7:00)..... WRGB.... U. S. Borax

8. Mr. District Attorney (Sat. 10:30).... W-TEN.... Ziv

9. FUght (Fri. 9:30) .W-TEN.... CNP

10. Whirlybirds (Sun. 7:30)............. WRGB.... CBS

11. Farmer A1 Falfa (Sat. 9:30 a.m.)..... W-TEN... .CBS

11. wad BUI Hickok (Wed. 6:00).WRGB... .Screen Gems

12. Woody Woodpecker (Mon. 6:00).WRGB-Kellogg

13. MacKenzie’s Raiders (Sat. 7:00).WRGB... .Ziv

14. Sky King (Tues. 6:00) ..WRGB.... Nabisco

15. Kit Carson (Sat. 12:00 Noon)........ WRGB.... MCA

16. Championship Bowling (Sat. 4:00 )... WRGB.... Schwimmer

17. Popeyc (Sat., Sun. 1:30)..W-TEN... .AAP_

26.5

52

Whats My Line.

..W-TEN

18.2

26.0 "

60

(Early Show.

. .W-TEN

13.7

1 CBS News..

, .W-TEN

24.9

46

Playhouse 90 ...

..W-TEN

25.2

24.9

52

Mr, District Attorney ...

.-W-TEN

24.5

45

Garry Moore ..

..W-TEN

23.5

42

Ginger Rogers ...

..W-TEN

23.4

23.5

41

Garry Moore ..

..W-TEN

28.9

22.2

66

1 Early Show..

, .W-TEN

11.3

) CBS News ...

. .W-TEN

12.0

21.9

56

( Political News, Wea...

, .W-TEN

12.3

1 CBS News..

..W-TEN

13.0

20.2

42

I Led 3 Lives... ..

,.WRGB

24.9

19.2

30

Fred Astaire..

..WRGB

33.5

17.5

33

Jack Benny ..

.W-TEN

20.7

16.9

63

(Funny Business.

.WRGB

9.7

( Jon Gnagy.

..WRGB

10.3

16.9

47

Early Show ...

..W-TEN

15.4

16.5

51

Early Show ..

.W-TEN

13.2

15.5

55

^Community Appeal ....

..W-TEN

9.2

13.9

49

Early Show .

.W-TEN

10.5

13.4

58

(Town & Country

.W-TEN

10.3

/Cake Coral ..........

, .W-TEN

KEl

^2.2

56

f Hockey .

• W-TEN

-7.7

\ Racing .

.W-TEN

6.7

llr^

46

Rin Tin Tin.

.WRGB

SALT LAKE CITY-OGDEN,PROVO^^ « ^ KSL. KTYT, KUtV.TV Homes: 145,300. Survey Dates: Oct. 13-20. 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Perry Mason (Sat. 8:30-9:30).KSL

2. Gnnsmoke (Sat. 8:00-8:30)---KSL

3. Perry Como (Sat. 6:00-7:00)---KTVT

4. Maverick (Sun. 8:30-9:30):.KUTV

5. Sugarfoot (Tues. 6:30-7:30).KUTV

6 . Rifleman (Tues. 8:00-8:30).KUTV

7. Lawrence Welk (Wed. 6:00-7:00).KUTV

8 . Naked City (Tues. 8:30-9:00).KUTV

8 . Wyatt Earp (Tues. 7:30-8:00).KUTV

9. Ed Sullivan (Sun. 6:00-7:00).KSL

9. Groucho Marx (Thurs. 8:00-8:30)... .KTVT

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. tBugs Bunny Club (M-F 4:30-5:00)... KUTV

2. tPopeye Kartoons (M-F 4:00-4:30).. .KUTV

3. ♦Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6).. .KUTV

4. f Academy Theatre (M,T,Th 9-10:30) -KUTV

5. tStar News-Gibson (M-F 10:00-10:15) KTVT

6 . tNews at Ten, Wca. (M-F 10-10:15) .KSL

7. tWea., Sp’ts Final (M-F 10:15-10:30). KTVT

8 . *Am 8 rican Bandstand (M-F 3-4).KUTV

9. ♦Art Linkletter (M-F 11:30-12 Noon). KSL

10. t2 on the Aisle (M-F 10:30-Signoff).. KUTV

41.0-

36.9

31.3

30.7

29J7

29:2

28.6

27.5

27.5

26.5
26.5

20.4

19.8
18.1

17.4
12.0

10.9
10.8
10.6
10.3

9.5

L

Highway Patrol (Tues. 9:00)...

.KSL....

.. Ziv

23.2

37

Academy Theatre.

..KUTV

22.5

1.

Sea Hunt (Sun. 9:30)...

__KUTV..

. .Ziv

23.2

45

Sunday Night Theatre.

..KSL

18.5

2.

U, S. Marshal (Thurs. 8:30)...

. .NTA

^.0

35

Masquerade Party ....

^.KTVT

20.5

3.

Bugs Bunny (Mon.-Fri. 4:30)..

..AAP

20.4

75

Triple Crown Theatre..

r.KTVT

3.6

4.

Union Padfic (Wed. 8:30).....

..CNP

20.2

33

Ginger Rogers.

..KSL

21.2

5.

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 4:00)..

..AAP

19.8

75

Triple Crown Theatre.

..KTVT-

3.8

8.

This Is Alice (Wed. 8:30)..

..NTA

19.5

32

Ginger Rogers.

.^L

21.2

6.

Whirlybirds (Wed. 9:00)--

..CBS

19.5

S3

First Security Theatre.

..KUTV

22.5

7.

Bums and Alleh (Sun. 7:30)..

.KSL....

.. Screen Gems

18.5

- 33

Dinah Shore

..KTVT

24.2

8.

Rescue 8 (Thurs. 9:00)-

.KSL...i

.. Screen Gems

18.0

33

Academy Theatre .....

..KUTV

iflus.

9.

Marry A Millionaire (Sat. 9:30)

...NTA

17.7

35

Phil Silvers .;

..KSL

20.9

10.

Science Fiction Theatre (Tues.

9:30). KTVT...

. .Ziv

17.5

31

Academy Theatre.

..'KUTV

23.4'

11.

Harbor Command (Fri. 9:30)...

.KSL....

.. Ziv

17.2

31

Kennecott Theatre ....

..KUTV

23.9

12.

Official Detective (FrL 8:30)...

,.OTA

16.5

26

Fred Astaire .

..KTVT

25-4

12.

Target (Wed. 9:00)...

......KSL....

.. Ziv

16.5

28

First Security Theatre.

..KUTV

22.5

13.

Decoy (Thurs. 9:30)..

. .Official

15.9

30

Academy Theatre .....

..KUTV

18.9

14.

Death VaUey Days (Sat. 10:00),

.KUTV ...

. .U. S. Borax

15.5

37

Movietime on 5.

...KSL

15.2

15.

Sky King (Tues. 6:00)..

. .Nabisco

15.2

' 36

Eddie Fisher ..

..KTVT,

20.2

16.

Badge 714 (Sim.^9*00)..

_KTVT...

. CNF

14.2

23

Maverick ..

».KUTV

30.2

16.

Frontier Doctor (Mon. 9:00)...

......KSL....

.. HTS

14.2

26

Wagon Train .. ..

..KTVT

25.5

FRESNO

Stations: KFRE, KJEO, KMJ. TV Homes; 85.60d. Survey Dates: Oct. I^20. 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).KMJ

2. Jerry Lewis (Sat. 9:00-10:00).KMJ

3. Boxing (Fri. 6:00-6:50).KMJ

4. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00).KMJ

5. Post Fight Beat (Fri. 6:50-7:00)..KMJ

6. People Axe Funny (Sat. 7:30-8:00).. .KMJ

7. Real McCoys (Thurs, 8:30-9:00).KJEO

8. Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30)....... KMJ

9. Kraft Music Hall (Wed. 9:00-9:30).. .K1\1J

9. Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30)_KMJ

9, Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9:00) KMJ

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. ♦Queen For A Day (M-F 2:00-2:30)... IQU

2. ♦Truth or Consequence KMJ

IM-F 12:00 Noon-12:30).

3. *Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6:00) KJEO

4. ♦NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30) .TKMJ

5. ♦Tic Tac Dough (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.)..KMJ

6 . ♦County Fair (M-F 2:30-3:00).KMJ

6 . tShell News (M-F 6:00-6:15).KMJ

7. *Haggis Baggis (M-F 12:30-1:00).KMJ

8 . ♦Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.). .KMJ

9. *It Could Be You (M-F 11:30-12 Nn) KMJ

33.8

33.0

32.7
32.5
31.0

29.8

28.8
27.8
27.3
27.3
27.3

16.3

14.6

14.5

13.7
13.7

13.6

13.6
12.9

12.7
12.5

1. People's Choice (Thurs. 7:30)..,

2. Bums and Allen (Tues. 7:00)...

2. Death Valley Days (Fri. 10:00).

2. Highway Patrol (Thurs. 7:00)..

3. Star Performance (Fri. 7:30)...

4. Mike Hammer (Tues. 10:00)-

5. Man Without A Gun (Sun. 6:30)

6. Gray Ghost (Mon. 7:30).........

7. Decoy (Tues. 7:30)..

8* African Patrol (Thurs. 6:30)-

8. MacKenzie's Raiders (Fri. l6:00)

8. Sea Hunt (Sat. 9:30).......

9. Judge Roy Bean (Sat. 7:00)

10, Rescue 8 (Wed. 7:30).__

IL Target (Sat. 10:00).'_...

12. This Is Alice (Thurs. 7:00)-

13. Sheriff of Cochise (Mon. 10:00)

14. Citizen Soldier (Wed. 10:00)......

15. Boots and Saddles (Thurs. 6:30)..
15. Danger Is My Buriness (Sat. 8:00)

.KMJ.ABC 243 44

.KMJ.Screen Gemt I 9.8 60

,U. S. Borax 19.8 38

19.8 41

18.3 35

17.8 38

17.3 47

16.8 33

16.5 34

15.8 41

15.8 30

15.8 24

15.3 33

14.5 28

14.3 27

13.5 28

13.0 28

12.8 26

11.8 30

11.8 20

Leave It To Beaver..

....KJEO

16.8

Big Story ..

.... KJEO

10.3

77 Sunset Strip.

....KJEO

16.&

December Bride ....

....KFRE

15.3

Jackie Gleason ..,..

... .KFRil

22.8

Californians .

....KMJ

19.3

Early Movie ........

....KMJ

- 14.8

Father Knows Best .

....KFRE

17.3

Sugarfoot

....KJEO

18.8

Boots and Saddles...

.... KJEO

J 1.8

Death Valley Days.,.

....KMJ

19.8

Jerry Lewis .

....KMJ

34-8

Perry Mason .

....KFRE

Wagon Train ..

25.3

Cimarron City.

... .KMJ

21.8

Highway Patrol.

19.8

Hall of Fame .......

.,..KMJ

25.0

This Is Your Life.,

22.8

African Patrol.

....KMJ

15.8

Perry Como ...

32.8

.....KMJ..

.KMJ.Ziv

.....KMJ_Official

.KFRE-MCA

.KJEO..... NTA

.KJEO.....CBS

_KMJ.Official

..... KMJ...... Gross-Krasne

KFRE.Ziv

KFRE.Ziv

.KMJ.Screen Craft

KJEO.Screen Gems

KFRE.Ziv

...KJEO.....NTA
...KJEO.,...NTA

KFRE.Flamingo

KJEO..... CNF
KJEO.NPC

MADISON

Stations: Wise, WKOW. WMTV. TV Homes: 50,000. Survey Dates: Oct. 10-30. 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1 . Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).WISC

2. Desilu Playhouse (Mon. 9:00-10:00). .WISC

3. Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 8:30-11:00)... .WISC

4. PhU Silvers (Fri. 8:00-8:30).WISC

5. Father Knows Best (Mon. 7:30-8:00).. WISC

5. Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).WISC

5. Lineup (Fri. 9:00-9:30)..WISC

6 . Ann Southern (Mon. 8:30-9:00).WISC

7. Playhouse of Stars (Fri. 8:30-9:00).. .WISC

8 . Jackie Gleason (Fri. 7:30-8:00).WISC

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. tNews, Wea. (M-F 10:00-10:15)..... .WISC

2. ♦CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30)..WISC

3. tNews, Wea. (M-F 6:00-6:15) .WISC

4. tNews. Wea. (M-F 10:00-10:15).WMTV

5. tSports. Misc. (M-Th 10:15-10:30)... .WMTV

6 . tMr. Flicker, Misc. (M-F 4:30-6:00). .WMTV

7. *NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30).WMTV

8 . tNews, Wea. (M-F 6:00-6:15).WMTV

9. tTheatre. 3, Misc, (M-F 10:15-Signoff) WISC
10. *Cap;ain Kaaigeroo (M-F 8^8:45 a^in') ’WlSC

41.8

41.3
40.1

36.8

36.3
36.3

36.3

35.3

34.3

32.8

23.0

18.8

18.3

17.6

15.8

14.5

14.2

13.7

13.3

12f.2

1. Union Pacific (Wed. 9:30)..

.wise....

CNP

33.3

52

This Is Alice.

.WMTV

16.3

2. Whirlybirds (Wed. 9:00)_.....

.wise....

.CBS

32.3

48

This Is Your Life.

.WMTV

18.3

3. Sea Hunt (Sat. 9:30)...

.wise....

Ziv

30.0

46

Cimarron City.

.WMTV

19.3

4. State Trooper (Sat. 8:00)...

. wise....

.MCA

26.3

39

Lawrence Welk .

.WKOW

23.3*

5. 26 Men (Sun. 9:30).

.wise....

ABC.

25.8

45

All Star Theatre ......

.WMTV

17.8

6 . Highway Patrol (Tues. 9:30).

.WMTV...

.Ziv

22.8

35

Garry Moore ..

.Wise

26.3

7. N. Y. 'Confidential (Sun. 8:00).....

• Wise...

ITC

20.8

30

Dinah Shore.

.WMTV

27.8

8 . Gray Ghost (Tues. 9:00)...

.WKOW...

.CBS

20.3

29

Garry Moore ..

.Wise

28.8

9. Sky King (Sat. 10:30 a.m.)....

.wise....

Nabisco

19.8

63

Circus Boy ..

.WMTV

11.8

10. Popeye (Sat. 5:30)..

.WMTV..,.

.AAP

18.3

57

Championship Bowling.

► .WKOW

7,0

11. All Star Theatre (Sun. 9:30).___

.WMTV...

.Screen Geras

17.8

31

26 Men .

.Wise

25.8

12. Jeff's Collie (Mon. 6:30)...___

.WKOW...

.ITC

17.3

32

Name That Tune..

. .Wise

26.8

13. Man Without A Gun (Sat. 10:15)...

.WMTV...

.NTA

16.8

33

Oh Susanna .

► WISC

21.0

13. Mike Hammer (Fri. 9:30).

.WKOW...

.MCA

16.8

26

Person To Person.

..Wise

28.8

13, 0 . Henry Playhouse (Tues. 9:30)...

.WKOW...

•Gross-Krasne

16.8

26

Garry Moore ..

. .wise

26.3

14. Kingdom of the Sea (Wed. 6:30)...

.Wise....

. Guild

16.3

27

Wagon Train ..

..WMTV

24.3

14, Popeye (Sat. 8:30 a.m.)....

.WMTV...

.AAP

16.3

63

Captain Kangaroo .....

..Wise

9,8

,14. This Is Alice (Wed. 9:30).

.WMTV...

.NTA

' 16.3

25

Union Pacific ...

..Wise

33.3

15. Union Pacific (Wed. 7:30)..

.Wise....

.CNP

15.3

23

Ozzie & Harriet.

..WKOW

29.8

16. Flash Gordon. (Sat. 11:00 a.m.) ....

.Wise..,.

. Guild

14.3

57

True Story.

..WMTV

10.8

Frontier (Sat. 6:00)....

^WMTy..,.

. CNP

14.3

f Jon Gnagy ...

. .Wise

20.0

. Cl- iv-l ti'.'.-s.

•AiiNi '* " i,4 ^

( Farm Newsreel .

..Wise

21.5

Vediicidayy December 10, 1958

Joan Crawford

came to dinner

And the whole family had a great time. Clark Gable's due tomorrow... then

Kirk Douglas, Bette Davis and Maureen O'Hara—all on KDKA-TV's Early Show. Morning,

afternoon and night, KDKA-TV is the Pittsburgh showcase for «

Hollywood's great hits and personalities. Big attractions these. And big sales
value too. Every KDKA-TV feature film program consistently outrates
the other two stations. By far.

Quality programming, the showman's instinct for sure-fire box-office, an intimate

Imowledge of their markets. ♦. these are the things that continue to

attract more viewers more often to each of the

five Westinghouse Broadcasting television stations. This is why

m selling campaign is complete without the WBC stations,

KDKA-TV Pittsburgh

KcprtMBM P«t«n, Orlfla. WoetfwanI, In,.-

®0© WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

television: BOSTON WBZ-TV BALTUORB WJZ-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KYW-TV' SAN FRANCI800 XPIX
4 , ^lO; BOSTON WBZ+WBZA PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WAYNE CI^CApo/W^

44

December 10,' 1958

TVi

PVLSE FEATVlE CHART

ViuoxTT’s weekly ehurt, Intsed on ratings furnished by Pulse's latest reports on
feature films end their competition covers 155 markets. Each week, two different
markets will be listed, with the 10 top-rated features tabulated.

Factors which would assist distributors, agencies, etations and adveriUers in
determining the effectiveness of a feature show in a specific market have been
included in this Vahutt chert. Listed below is such pertinent information regardingf
features as their stars, release year, original production company and the present
distributor included wherever posribic along with the title. Attention should be paid
to such factors as the time and day, the high and low ratings for the measured

feature period and share of audience^ since these factors reflect the effectiveness
of the feature and audience composition, iA., a late show'at 11:15 p.m. toould hardly
have any children viewers, but Us share of audience may reflect dominance Jn that
time, period. In the cities where statUms sell their feature probrdmming on a multi
ttiripped b«w uHVudng the same theatrical throughout the week a total rating for the
total number of showings'for the week it given, the total rating not taking into Ss^c^ni
the duplicated homes factor. Barring unscheduled ewitches in .titles the listed features
for the particuiarly rated theatrical filmed show are as accurate as could ba.ascerr
iainedf Under Time ^ot, S. O.. stands for Sign-Off,

NEW YORK ' Stations: WABC.WCBS.WNEW. WNTA, won.'WPJXjWRCAi TV Homes: 4.150,400. Purvey Dates: November 5-12, 1958.

PULSK

__

AYEBA^

AVERAGE

AV.

TOP IP FEATURE FILBG3

RUN

TIME SLOT

RATiNG

HIGH

LOW

SHARR

TOP COMPETITION

STATION

RATINGS

1. “THE FIGHTING 69TH”—

1st Run

Lata Show

18.5

19.0

18,0

5.0 ^

Movie 4r->“Scandal in

James Gagney, Pat

Sun. Nov. 9

Sorrento” (1st Run).

..WRCA ,

.O’Brien, George Brent;

11:15 p.m.-S.O.

Warner Bros.; 1940; AAP

WCBS

2. “TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE”—

1st Run

Late Show

18.4

19.0

17.8

70

Movie 4—^“The Man Who

Humphrey Bogart, Walter

Sat Nov. 8

Loved Redheads” (1st Run)

..WRCA .

Hiiston, Tim Holt;

11:15 p.nL-S.O.

Warner Bros.; 1948; AAP

_ WCBS

3. “SCANDAL IN SORRENTO”—

1st Run

Movia 4

15.9;

19.3

12.8

37

What’s My Line..

..WCBS .

Sophia Loren,'

Sum Nov. B

Late Show—“The Fighting

Vittorio de Sica;

10:30 pjm-S.O,

69th” (1st Run)......

: .WCBS .

DCA; 1956; Flamingo

WRCA ^

4. “CAPTAIN'COUBAGEOUS”—

1st Run

Late Show

13.8

14.5

13.0

48

Jack Paar Show.....

..WRCA .

Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer

Frt Nov. 7

Tracey, Lionel Barrymore;

11:15 ]?Jn.-S.O.

MGM; 1937;.MGM-TV

WCBS '

5. “ESPIONAGE AGENT”—

1st Run

Late Show

10.4

10.8

10.0

46

Jack Paaf Show,,......

,.WRCA .

Joel McCSrea, Brenda

Tues. Nov. 11

Marshall, Jeffrey Lynn;

11:15 pjm^ .O.

Warner Bros.; 1939; AAP

WCBS

6. “GALLANT BESS”—

1st Run

Early Show

10.5

8.3

29

Mickey Mouse Club...

.,WABC .

Marshall Thompson, George

lion. Nov, 10

Popeye...

.. WPIX ..

9.4

Tobias, Clem Bevans; '

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Sandy Becker...

. .WNEW .

..8.9

MGM; 1946; MGM-TV

WCBS

7. ^THE PIRATE”—

1st Run

Early'Show

. 9.2

10,3

8.3

27

Mickey Mouse Club..

..WABC .

Judy Garland, Gene

Wed.' Nov. 5

4

Popeye ...

..WPlX .

9.4

Kelly. Walter Slezak;

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Sandy Becker....—.......

. .WNEW .

MGM; 1948; MGM-TV

WCBS

8. “INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY”—

Repeat

Early Show

^ 8.8

10.0

8.0

27

Adventure Time..

..WABC .

Pat O'Brie'h, Ann

Thurs. Nov. 6

Popeye —...

..WPIX -

...... 9.6

Sheridan, John Payne;

-

5:30-7:00 pjn.

Sandy Becker,....

. ;WNEW .

.,...•.11.9

Warner Bros:; 1939; AAP

WCBS

9. “THE LADY VANISHES”—

Repeat

Late Show

8.7

9.5

7.8

48

Jack Paar Show............

..WRCA .

5.3

Margaret LockWood, Michael

Thurs, Nov. 6

Redgrave, Paul LukaS;

11:15 pjn.-S,0.

GH.; 1938; ABC-TV '

WCBS

10. “STRIKE up THE BAND”—

1st Run

Late Show

8.5

9.0

8.0

36

Jack Paar’ Show......

..WRCA .

....... 6.4

• Mickey Rooney, Judy

Mon. Nov. 10

Garland, Paul Whiteman;

11:15 p.m.-S.O

MGM; 1940; MGM-TV

WCBS

I.,

FRESNO

Stations: KFRE. KJRE, KJEO

. KMJ.

TV Homes: 85,600. Survey Dates: October 13-20, 1958.

1. “WHISTLING IN BROOKLYN”—

1st Run

Early Moine

16B

18.0

16.0

38

Tales of Texas Rangers.

.KJEO .

Red Skelton, Ann

Mon. Oct 13

Texan ..... .<

..KFRE .

_...17.3

Butterford, Jean Rogers;

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Father Knows Best..

..KFRE .

MGM; 1943; MGM-TV

KMJ

2, “THE HOODLUM SAINT”—

Repeat

Early Movie

13.3

15,0

12.0

36

Gold Medal Movie..

..KJEO .

....... 9.0

William Powell, Esther

Sun. Oct 19

Man Without a Gun...

..KJEO

...*...17.3

Williams, Angela Lanshury;

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Lassie ...

..KFRE

....V..21.8

MGM; 1946; MGM-TV

TTM-T

2. “THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN

1st Run

Nightmare

13.3

14b

11 Ji

38

Cimmaron City...

..KMJ ..

DODD”—

Sat Oct 18

_^

Late Movie—“Thrill of

»

Claude Rains, Heather Angel;

10:30-11:30 p.m.

Romance” (1st Run)^

..KMJ ..

Universal; 1935; Screen Gems

KJEO

3. “KEYS OF THE KINGDOM”—^

1st Run

Academy Theatre

13.1

14b

11.0

26

Dinah Shore..

..KMJ

Gregory Peck, Thomas

Sun. Oct 19

-

Loretta Young....

..KMJ

MitcheU, Vincent Price;

9:30-11:00 p.m.

What’s My lin^....

..KFRE

20th Century Fox; 1945; NTA

.KJEO

4. “THE DIVORCEE”—

ist Run

Late Show

10.3

13.0

7.0

46

News—John Daly...

..KJEO ..

7.5

Norma Shearer, Robert

Tues. Oct 14

Big Star Movie—“Brief

Montgomery, Chester Morris;

10:30 pjn.-S.O.

Encounter” (1st Run).

, .KFRE

MGM; 1930; MGM-TV

KMJ

5. “BLESSED EVENT”—

Repeat

Big Star Movie

9.9

13.0

7.0

40

Late Movie—^“Mrs.

Lee Tracy, Dick

Fri. Oct. 17

Parkington” (Repeat).

..KMJ ..

Powell, Mary Brian;

10:45 p.m.-S.O.

Warner Bros.; 1932; AAP

KFRE

6. “FURY AT FURNACE CREEK”—

Repeat

Request Movie

. 9.4

■ 11.0

7.5

20

Boxing ....

..KMJ ..

__32.7

Victor Mature, Coleen

Fri. Oct. 17

Post Fight Beat.

..KMJ ..

Grey, Reginald Gardiner;

6:00-7:45 p.m.

Trackdowu ...

..KFRE .

20th Centuo’ Fox; 1948; NTA

KJEO

Jackie Gleason..

..KFRE ,

7. “MRS. PARKINGTON”—

Repeat

Late Show

8B

10.0

7.0

33

Nite Wire..

..KFRE .

Greer Garson, Walter

o

•Fri; Oct. i7

'‘Big: Star Movie—

Pidgeon, Edward Arnold;

10:30 p.m,-S.O.

:"‘151essed Event” (Repeat)..,

..KFRE .

MGM; 1944; MGM-TV

KMJ

8. “RENDEZVOUS”—

1st Run

Late Show

8.7

11.0

6.0

37

, News—John Daly.

..KJEO .

William Powell, Rosalind

Wed. Oct 15

4 Star Movie—“Young

Russell, Binnie Barnes;

10:30 pjn.-S.O.

Mp. Lincoln” (Repeat).

, .KJEO .

MGM; 1935; MGM-TV

KMJ

9. “THE IMPATIENT YEARS”—

Repeat

Big Movie

8.3

10.5

6.5

23

Chariie Chan.

..KFRE

.5.3

Jean Arthur, Lee Bowman,

Sat. Oct 18

Perry Mason...

..KFRE .

.......20.8

Charles Coburn;

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Columbia; 1944; Screen Geins

KJEO

TITLE AsVD OTHER DATA
“UNDERWATER”—'

Jane Russell, Ricljard
Egan, Gilbert Roland;
RKO; 1955; RKO-TV

“MURDER MY SWEET”—
Dick Powell, Clake
Trevor, Anne Shirley;
RKO; 1944; RKO-TV

RUN
1st Run

1st Run

MULTI-STRIPPED SALES

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER, 1958

NO. OF total AUD.

STATION TIME SLOT SHOWINGS RATING

WOH Million $ Movie. ' 12 * 3'2.8

Wed.-Eri. 7:30-10:00 p.m.

10:30 p.mJ-S.O. .

Sat. 1:30-3:00 p.m.; 3:00- 4:30;

4;30-():@0 pim.

Sun. 2-3:30 p.m.; 3:30-5:00 p.m.;

5:00-^:30 p.m. ■

WOB Million'$ Movie 4 13.2

Thurs., Fri. 7:30-10:00 p.m.;

10:30 p.m.-S,0.' '* *

AV. RATING HIGHEST SINGLE
PER TELECAST AV. RATING
2,7 7.2

Mon. 7:30-10:00 p.m.

3.3 5.1

Thurs. 7:30-10 p.m.

Wednesday, December 10, 1958 P^KM^'Y 45

They wheeled
Tommy Hunter into
1,253,000 homes

For one hundred and five minutes, San Francisco watched spellbound. Closeups showed the
surgeon's knife pierce and repair Tommy's heart. Camera 2 picked up the mechanical heart-lung as it
kept Tommy alive. Afterwards, 98,000 congratulatory phone calls jammed the switchboards
at KPIX. \^ile Tommy recovered, he got over 5,000 get-well cards. Ciba Pharmaceuticals,
who sponsored the telecast, reported enthusiastic reaction.

It's no accident that you get such massive response here on San Francisco's foremost station.

Like all other Westinghouse Broadcasting Company stations, KPIX is convinced
that the station which serves its community best, serves its advertisers best.

This kind of programming gives WBC stations a very special character. *. and adds
an extra force to the selling power of commercial messages. This is why
no selling campaign is complete without the WBC stations.

KPIX San Francisco

bjr TJi« X*U As*nt9 /

00© WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

TELEVISION: BOSTON WBZ-TV BALTIMORE WJZ-TY. PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KYW-TV SAN FRANCISCO KPIX
RADIO: BOSTON WBZ+WBZA PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WAYNE WOWO CHICAGO WIND PORTLAND KEX

KABIO-TELEYISIOX

Yodei^s Chi Nemma

== CABiiiniHl fnm pbc*^ M alssssssa

As Chicago Is sensitive about ex¬
cesses of film on WICBQ, Yoder
and his staff must trade live
shows for live shows henceforth,
and so are working with proven
formats like “Chicago Bandstand,”
a variation of ABC-^TV’s “American
Bandstand.”

Yoder told a gathering of the
Chicago branch of American
Women In Radio and Tv last Wed.,
<3) that he was planning to ex¬
pand WNBQs live output but that
he would not do it “with half-
formulated, Hi-conceived program¬
ming sunply out of haste to satisfy
those clamorjti^ for an immediate
increase in live television.” He
later told Varieey of certain live
shows he would like to do but
could notl^proceed with because
he was not familiar enough with
Chi’s talent pool. Of those he
knew, he said, none were precisely
right for the programs he has in
mind. But to bring the right talent
in from another city would be to
excite again the hostile elements
here.

Probably no one in the annal of
broadcasting ever had such a rude
reception when he took on a new
assignment as Yoder got from Chi¬
cago last September, when he took
over steerage of WMAQ and
WNBQ, after bis predecessor
Jules Herbuveaux was promoted

to the coiporate leveL Yoder ar¬
rived with the reputation of a:
staunch believer in film, and his
rash program maneuvers, made
perhaps too early In the game,
promptly detonated an angry
press. More unpopular copy fol¬
lowed as a result of the local
AiTRA chapter’s complaint to
the FCC about Cutbacks in live
programming at WNBQ, and, mak¬
ing a melee of it, a number of
politicians soon echoed the squawk
ahead of the elections.

Forthwith- the NBC home-office
dispatched its p.r. chief for the
owned stations. Chuck Hender¬
son, to the midwest, and for more
than a month he has been doing a
fuRtime public relations job on
the new hIBC topper in Chi. Time
and the p.r. efforts of Yoder, Hen¬
derson and Chi press chief Chet
Campbell . aU have had a salutary
effect on the*problem, but Yoder
is well aware he has yet to be
known by bis deeds. Meanwhile,
the aforesaid dilemma is hobbling!
progress.

Sports Programs Features Ino.

has been authorized to conduct an
entertainmebt business in New
York, with capital stock of 200
shares, no par value. Walter C.
Schier was filing attorney at
Albany.

Pact

BbIlywDod, Dee. 9 ..

Lea Hafner and Bennis O’Keefe,
heads- of Cypress Frodtictions, have
inked a total of Ifi scripters for
their ^Dennis O’Keefe Show,”' cur¬
rently in production at Hid Roach
Studios for United Artists Tele¬
vision distribution, John. Fenton
Murray is story editor on the
series.

Inked for deals are Larry Rhine
& Bill Freedman, Fred Ffnkle-
hoffe & Johit. Monks, Phil Shukin
& John Green,, Nate Monaster,
Dick Conway & Boland MacLane,
Hugh Wedlock & Howard’Snyder,
Elan Packard dt Harry Winkler,
Lee Carson and Alex Gottlieb,

Wedaiesdiqr, December 10, 1958

Bril m%w Look

London, Dec. d.

New talent will be showcased in
a new Associated Television revue^
“New Look,” a 60-minute program
which goes on the air for the first
time next Thursday (11). Qn the
opening bilL will be Roy Castle and
Bruce Forsyth, both of whom were
in the last Royal Command show.
The latter is also emcee' of "Sun¬
day Night at the London Palla¬
dium.”

Other artists who will he fea»
tured in, the pro^am include Gil¬
lian Moran, Ronnie Stevens. Joyce j
Blair and the Vernon Dancing ]
Girls. Brian Tesler will produce.

OUVic^Sartipr

[ssss CMtiBitsi; freia page sa ass
.entertain c lot of pMpIe. We oh-s
^ously can’t please all the pwple
all the time, hut we try to get the
kind of balance where most people
will like mo^ of. what we do. We
don’t particularly care about rat¬
ings either,' or we probably
wouldn’t be doing ‘Hamlet’ 'or
wouldn’t have done ‘Member of the
Wedding.’ Naturally, if all our
shows got low ratings, we’d have
to do something about it, but we
don’t worry aK^ut getting beaten
by ojir competition occasionally or
whether we^e in the top 10.”

DuPont budget is up to over
$4,000,OOQ for its nine shows per
season, and the company is sold
on the special as its programming
vehicle. “You can do better prop¬
erties in 90 minutes, and a special
automatically tends to dominate an
entire evening of programming,”
Crowley observes. Moreover, spe¬
cials are a natural for the type of
Institutional advertising done by
du Pont, Crowley, incidentally, is
here supervising commercials, and
the January show (“What Every
Woman Knows”) will represent the
first time du Pont Will devote its
nine minutes of commercials to a
specific product, that date being
the 20th aimf of nylon, with three
threer-muiute blurbs tracing the
history of the fabric.

THIS TOOTHPASTE TASTES GOOD!"

He's trying a product he saw advertised on WGN-TV. And he’s soldi
The program was Festival of Stars where he and 634,500* other folks
watched—and were sold. (*ARB—^November, 1956).

Whether you want to reach children or adults—WGN-TV’s top pro¬
gramming delivers the kind of audience that meets your needs.

That’s why Top Drawer Advertisers use WGN-TV,

Keep your eye on WGN-TV this fall, because more and more top
drawer advertisers are buying WGN-TV first in. Chicago.

The station that puts ”GEEr’ in your Chicago soles]

Wi:§N-TV

Cfiicogodns vr^ch Channel 9

\ Fm‘250(>6ms^

KcKestPlrgem Years

^ Bos ton, Dec, 9.

Radio station WILD, 1,000 wat-
ter, has been sold by the Bartell
^ Group to Nelson. Noble JBrookllne,
Mass, metal dealer, for 2^250,000,
and first step was purging of staff,

Stan Richards, w. k. disk lock
and longtime radio personality in.
Hub, ankled WORL, to become pro¬
gram manager of WILD, and the
new owner said he will transfer the
station from the Somerset hotd. to
the Sherry Biitmore hotel where
he will build new $10^);000 studios.

All WILD staff was moved out
with the exception of disk j(»k
Ken Malden. Disk joc k Bi ll Mar¬
lowe ankled WBZ for WILD, .and
goes on the air from 6 to 10 a.m.
cross the board. Stan Richards,
along with program managing, is
doing a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, stint
cross the board.

Disk Jock Joe Smith, known as
“king of the teeners,” has ankled
WMEX to join WILD, and the sta¬
tion is off on a new format, de¬
scribed as “personality radio”
kick. “There vdll be no ‘mechan¬
ical’ music, no standard formats,”
said Richards.

It’s the biggest sbakeup in Hub
radio in yccirs. Bartell Group had
owned the station for about a year,
purchasing it from the Friendly
Group when it was known as
WBMS and changing its name to
WILD.

AFTRA

Continued Irpm pace 2a

fesolved the question of stockpil-
! in g , Union Wants guarantees that
'the networks won’t use pre-record-
^ ed programs in the event of an ac¬
tors strike. It was imiicated un-
■ officially that a eompromise, slight¬
ly favorii^ AFTRA, is on. tap In
the negotiations.

Webs are e xpect ed to receive an
ok^ from AFTRA to nse taped
: programs as ssmdication properties
in markets not covered by a net¬
work feed. Webs wiR be limited
to using the properties in syndica¬
tion only once, as the equivalent of
a first-run network show.

As for netwprk-demanded alter¬
ation of paragraph g8b'’and 89 in
the present c ontra ct, it is held; it
isn’t Iftely AFTRA wiR concede.
Webs want ^‘FTRA .to change the
paragraphs, making it clear that
the networks have the right to use
tapes made by indie producers who
are now under Screen Actors GuRd
jurisdiction

TUPELO HILL

Custom built Konnau English
home on 6 seelddcd: acres:. Native
and imported^ evergreena, 1 smalt
pmxds, brick garden wells sur¬
round the brick residence. Five
f amily bedrooms, 4 baths;, plus
maid's bed-sittinc room and bath.
UnusuaUy beautiful livins roon^
dimns room, br e a kf ast room,
solarium, etc.

For home or investment at
#70,000 thia ii a muat t» inspect
tod^.

harrih! mauctt-realtor

233 Nsrtli Av<., E. N. J.

Ad«M 2-5050' Evm. Ad 2-45t4

JONNIir^SIMl

Luncheon served Noon to 3 f.M.
Mondoy thru Fridoy
COCKTAILS—DINNER—SUPPER
848 Second Avenue ot 45th Street
Member oil charge clubs
MU 4-725a-OpcR 7 doyt

CHARMING HOME FOR SALE
35 miRt. from I'woy

(Rockville Center, L. I.

5 Bedrooms, 2 car gar. corner lot
surrounded with oak trees, near
schools, churches, beeches, furnished
basement. Asking $35,000 (will sell
furnished also). Phone: Rockville
Center 4-4477 or write Box 125
VARIETY, 154 West 4*th $t. H. Y. 34.

MAN FRIDAY

(Administrative Assistant)
CoUege. 33. veteran, bright alert, per¬
sonable, willing. Experience in selling,
general business, real estate and pub¬
lic accounting. Desire potential PLUS
opportunity, salary secondary.

Write Box V. V. 222 VARIETY
154 W, 46tb St., New York 36.

Wediuesday, December 10, 1958

47

. i
I

i

At home, tonight

fj

This is how the building looked before the fire started. At 3:10 P.M. the first alarm

sounded. That evening, while the building still smoldered, thousands and thousands of Boston

homes saw the entire scene on WBZ-TV. For in the Boston area, WBZ-TV’s

fifty-two weekly newscasts reach 71% of all homes. Newscasts with all the color

and impact that come from alert and enterprising local coverage, the best of

the wire services, and direct news from Westinghouse Broadcasting's own

Washington News Bureau.

Accurate, objective, authoritative, complete. That's the news story on WBZ-TV, and on
every other WBC station. One segment of a consistently high quality of programming that
earns WBC stations the f^pect and confidence of the communities they serve...
the reason wby no selling campaign is complete without the WBC stations,

W BZ-T V Boston

®0©WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INCi

miVIlION; BO^N WBI-TV BALTMORB WJf-TV PITTSBURGH KDKA-TV CLEVELAND KYW-TV BAN PRANCISCO XPJX
JUPIOJ BOSTON WBZ+WBIA PITTSBURGH XPKA CLEVELAND XYW FORT WAYNE WOWO ^CHICAGO WIND PORTLAND SiQC

babio-tbucvision

;; CoBtiaifeA Itmii Ipftf* 11

'6«o6MdH!r 10,

are most likely to reject .amy jmd
all plans for merger.

.See Ko'Other Choice

However, feey aaroit the pos¬
sibility that Eqaity and especially
SAG, who have maintained what
has been described as “a sense of
superiority to the other unions on
the strength of their geographic
insularity,” may soon have no
other choice but to merge.

Reasoning for the merger of
SAG and AFTRA alone proceeded
last week oh the assumption that
SAG no longer is in quite the
strong position it 'was (until only
two months ago) to block a merger.'
When a jurisdictional dispute was.
first taken to the National Labor
Relations Board iy AFTRA, with
regard to the question of whether
AFTRA or SAG suall obtain in the
field of tape commercials, it looked
to nearly ^veiy -observer as if
AFTRA was the interloper. This
was hashed on the point that
AFTRA not only wanted to eontrol
tape p e r leq r man ces done by the tv
stations and networis (which SAG
was willing to concede) blit wanted
to handle all tape blurb jobs,
and that would have meant step¬
ping into jurisdiction -at the film
studios, who are already gearing
for tape production and who,
traditionally, are signed with SAG.

After the NLRB hearings on tl\e
evidence are concluded in New
York, the hearing examiner will
forward the complete minutes of
the lengthy po-oceedings to Was'h-
Ington where the Board wiU decide
which performers shall vote in a
determination of SAG or AFTRA
jurisdiction in tape commercials.
Reliable Sources on both sides feel
that the NIRB will limit the vote
either to actors who’ve worked in
what Tdativcly few tape blurbs
have been made or to actors
who’ve wofked in commercials
(period) and that includes, in the
main, actors who have acted in
filmed blurbs.

In the first case, the belief is
AFTRA most certainly will win.
Recently, .SAG had its tape aspira¬
tions set back a bit, when Howard
Meighan decided not to establish
a tape production unit in Holly¬
wood hut instead come to New
York, where, he says, he can be
closer to Madison Ave., which buys
his pcoducL There are presently
three sother video tape makers set
up for business in New York, and
New York, with reason, is con¬
sidered the bastion of AFTRA-
oriented tv performers. This was
tested and proved when the SAG
New York branch (comprised
largely of AFTRAns, it would ap-
j pear) ^veted by a vast majority in
favor of a two-union merger.
Relatively little comparable tape-
makii^ is done in SAG’s Holly¬
wood stronghold, except by the
networks (under AFTRA juris¬
diction.)

If NLRB holds the vote among

all commeroiM firms, it is con¬
fident claim'of AFTRA that it will
win this, too. Clahtt is based on the.
belief that inost performers Who.
appear in commercials. Mother
via SAG’s fflm blurbs or AFTRA’s.
and SAG’s tape blurbs, ”krew up
in AFTRA," having first come
from radio. It is true, disinterested
parties conclude, that most pitch- ^
men in tv :grew out of radio, which
is AFTRA’s sole jurisdiction, and
have largely monopolized ^fties»ak-
ifag of pitiihes.

Even- on the assumption that
SAG win in one way or another
blodc , a merger if jurisdictional
status quo is maintained, ceftain
labor exi>erts insist that all that:
has to happto is for SAG to lose
an NLRB referendum. This
would give AFTRA complete con¬
trol of tape, and, logically, sfet a
precedent for a iuturi vdecision of
all tape-made programming. Since
tape expected ultimately to
revolutioime show biz preempt¬
ing most films, this would cr^ple
SACa—'Unless it first conceded to
merge,

AFIRA’s Hicifer Sales

-And third, on the highly un¬
likely theory that the NLRB will
call for vote among aR video
performers—-roui^ly estimated 15,^
000 or 16,000 in both unions—
there are those who believe AFTRA
has a fair chance of winning.
Throu^out the current negotia¬
tions with the networks, AFTRA
—-with an to the NLRB hear¬

ing and broadening its influence
among all tele players—has bar¬
gained for higher rates than SAG,-
gotten them and made no secr^
of it. • In any jurisdictional vote,
as some es^lain it, the actor can¬
not ignore the fact that one union
was able to bargain higher rates
than another.

As for Equity, AGMA and AGVA
—the organizations which AFTRA
would like to leave nut Of initial
merger dickers—at least two of
them are strongly and sincerely
in favor of mei^er, it’s felt. Rank-
and-filers in AGMA and AGVA
say they’ll withdraw from any im¬
mediate attempt at overall per¬
former merger, if by waiting they
can ultimately speed the. cause of
such total togetherness.

Infoiined ^ople within AGVA
have two points which they pro¬
claim in favor of merger: One,,
that the variety field is U: “dying
business” and -if the variety ^tist
doesn’t soon find strength in a
more diversified organization, he
will disappear from the show biz
scene. Plus that, and more im¬
portant insofar as the difficult
mechanics of merger are con¬
cerned, AGVA can offer the largest
number of branch offices, from
Honolulu to Texas, the .roci upon
which a combined .AFTRA-SAG-
Equity-AGMA-AGVA can build -its
institution,

Tbe other unions, including

membi^ ^B i fed ui fte six per- :
loriD)i^( 'ucebi^ng tv :

^ 4|'A’8 ba tota|. aver-

infidbtt'abipr -da id|. last
j;prmg. Tbla tudhides 7,fl00 '

members fer Equity, Xr,'3.fl0 for
AGVA, 1,47a for AGMAy.!(),- '
148 foi; RAG, 1^,512'' for :
AFTRA -aEird '3,629 for Screefn
Extras Guild.. '

Since these figures do not
account for what is considered .
to be a subEtantial overlap of
members, tiiose in two, three
and four unions at the same
timci the figure of 30,000
^ thesps is considered a reliable
estimate of the “non-dupli- ■
catid” performer rostet. A
onecard -union with 30,000
members would make it one
- of the AIL^b giants.

AFTRA (which has quite a few
branches of its own) cannot boast
anywhere near that number of.
administratively-T e p 1 e t e local
offices.

AGMA, in tiie prestige-laden,
buft sbrimken field of the concert
artM, - is considered lipe for
mer^r, too. executives Stress
Ibat, like AGVA and AFTRA, it’s
membirarsh ;9 is not ^hmited to just
-one or a few cities and that it can
only benefit in an overall union
absoiptitm.

Queried on SAG’s proposition to
merge everybody, an Equity
spokesman said the legit actors’
union is for merger and always
has been. But the other unions
quickly alleged that it just ain’t
so; it was Equity, altmg with SAG,
which opposed the major efforts
to merge in the past.

Years ba(h, Equity was virtually*
limited to New York and SAG to
•Hollywood. 'They had developed i
their respective “elite corps” via j
the theatre and 'motion pictures, !
and have openly guard<^ their
indiyiduality against intruders.
However, it has been pointed out
by trade historians, that tfae -situa-'
tion for both is Changing. It’s true
that SAG recently closed several
out-of-town branch offices, but it is
nonetheless becoming a union with
jurisdictional interests across the.
geographic IJ.S. There is film work
in Chicago, N.Y., and Several other
cities, and, at the same time N.Y.
SAG voted for merger, its mem¬
bership also voted for increased
representation on SAG’s national
boa^ a-Clekr-cUt demand for rec¬
ognition of SAG’s growth outside
the HoUyvnod ^here.

As for Equity^ it too is expanding
geoj^phicaUy. Most of the ex¬
pansion is attributed to the gnrsrfh
in the past several years of legiti¬
mate stock companies and road
shows. In the case of Equity, it
is thougbt that .geographic mtpan-,
sion may not be enough to sway
the union’s iaermchy in favor of
total merger. ^‘But” say the
pimditSy ’^ust let AGVA and
AGMA join a one-^d union, and
Equity is soon going to feel mights^
cold out there all by itself,” It

Ending fiop. 23)

Hotto ,.;.;....ATv

^ : # GRANADA/

Wagon Train ..... AR/ATV

The Arm^ Game .GRANADA

Take Your Pick.-...AR

Law Man ......ABC

Invisible Man ...ATV

Keep It In The Family ...ATV

Double Your Money ..AR

Twenty One . :...GRANADA

J. Hylton Hre’ts—^Tady Ratlings on Parade’.AR

Saturday Spectacular ...ATV

Great. Mbv’s of nar Time—The Naked Heart’ .ABC
SiHiday Night at the London Palladium.ATV

PAlR,]i^lES0irS I

Lbndon,,Dec. 9. ^
A Christmas Day radio broad¬
cast by, Paul Robson is part of
.the BBC’s Yult^dc/ attractiops-
Robeson, With his accompanist
Lawrence firo-wn, will be on the
air between 7 and 7:30 p.m. An¬
other Dec. 25 highspot' will be
a fiO-minute cxceii>t from tbe
Rodgers and Hammerstein “Cin¬
derella,* which imiH^esirio Harold
Fielding presents at tbe Coliseum
from Dec, 13.

A regular BBC radio entry on
Christmas Day, “Pantomania,” wiU
this year feature the Duke of
Bedford playing Washboard. Also
in the lineup will be Frankie
Howard, loan Regan and Jim Dale.
Pre-Christmas entertainment will
include “The Harry Lauder Story,”
which goes out on Dec. 21, and
which -will include a recorded
tribute by Danny Ki^c.

C4NBte'sV«9 Stripes

Milwaukee, Dec. 9.
George R, Comte, who suc¬
ceeded retired Walter J. D amm a^
general manager of WTMJ and
WTMJ-TV, has been named a vee-
pee of The Journal Co., which
owns and operates the stations and
publishes the Milwaukee Journal.
Cldmte had received the post of
g.m. last Sept. 27.

will then, they continue, as much
a matter of prestige to get in as
it once was to stay out.

The administoative effort that
must go into affecting an umbrella
merger, unionites have said, can
no more be underestimated than
the job of cleaning the Augean
stables. There ate organic and
structural differences, emotional
blocks (as between SAG and
AFTRA and Equity and AGVA) to
bar the path. But, regardless of
that, there is sufficient evidence in
today to convince many trade
unionists that economics and the
changing face (the face the stub-
holders see) of show business will
force merger.

SmSezTlieyNled
AGafl^(hi^,So
He Erifs *Oosed Doors’

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

“They tried to bastardize tht
show they bought from me and I
refused to hold still for It and
quit as producer.” - This was -Sani
Gailu’s version of why he with¬
drew from “Behind Closed Doors”
although still retaining ownership
of the property.

Gallu said interference from
the Ted Bates agency (for White-
hsdl) and Screen Gems was be¬
coming unbearable and ^‘when
they tried to make a cheap For¬
eign Intrigue’ out Of my show i
decided it was time to get out. 1
removed myself and wits not re¬
placed. (Sidney Marshall was In¬
stalled as producer.)

“When J wanted a March of
Time’ approach to the series,^’ said
Gallu, “they said I was getting
too intellectual and said I wa*
trying to be another Ed Murrow.
That kind of flattery I l^e. At
one point in the series 1'wanted
to show how naval inteUigenco
blundered but they would ihavt
none of it. After all, we can’t
break every case.

“When they bought Doors’*
they approved the entire concept
of the series. Now they Want it
all changed. It’s still my property
even though Pve lost prc»duction
control. Whatever they do to it
I think it will he cancelled after
26 weeks.”

Tom McAndrews, Coast head of
the Bates agency, is in agreement
that the show won’t get past tha
26 weeks. Current Nielsen rating
of 15.3 is considered below the
payoff level for a show costing
$40,000. He said that production
will be improved and scripts
tightened. Screen Gems spokes¬
man said GaUu quit before he got
fired.

Indianapolis—Hugh L. Kibbey
named national sales manager for
WFBM and WFBM-TV, Indiana¬
polis, and William E. Fagan, for¬
merly assistant program manager
for sales, success him as sales
service manager for the two sta¬
tions.

SYD ZELINKA^

and

A. J. RUSSELL

WRITERS GUILD of AMERICA AWARD
for the

BEST HALF-HOUR TV COMEDY SCRIPT

"PAPA BUKO"

DEVERY FREEMAN

WRITERS GUILD of AMERICA AWARD
for the

BEST ONE HOUR TV COMEDY SCRIPT

"THE GREAT AMERICAN HOAX"

Representation

FRANK COOPER ASSOCIATES

NEW YORK

HOLLYWOOD

LONDON

- C ow c ii M y Ymt

Wednecdaj, December 10, 1958

unsaeff

49

i^other new TV family in Baltimore. In a few moments they'll be

i^dy to tune to Channel 13 ... to sparkling, live performers. Buddy Deane and his top-rated
music and dance show. Jack Wells' colorful Morning Show. Keith McBee,

'‘Mr. News" of Baltimore. Three very live reasons why WJZ-TV has been first in
Baltimore for 10 out of the past 12 months.

Live talent shows help rack up ratings for WJZ-TV. That's only part of the story.

Like the other Westinghouse Broadcasting stations, WJZ-TV delivers a fine balance
of network, film and local live programs, skillfully desired to meet the particular
tastes of its community. WBC station programming has the capacity and
tdent to cover the entire range of local listener interest. The payoff is audience.. •
the reason why no selling campaign is complete without the WBC stations,

WJZ-TV Baltimore

_ Rcprecentcd tv BlUr—TV

000 WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

television: boston wbz-tv Baltimore wjz-tv . Pittsburgh kdka-tv Cleveland kyw-tv san francisco kpix
radio: BOSTON WBZ+WBZA PITTSBURGH KDKA CLEVELAND KYW FORT WA'i'NE WOWO CHICAGO WIND PORTLAND KBX

Ccaitinental Emt^an maitatt
for Amerian tdeftlms at present
isn’t too lucrative, either In tensa
of quantity or price.

Bat National Telefilm Associ¬
ates, along 'With other syndicators,
feel it has % potential whidi eonld
grow quite big if, as expected,,
many of the European markets
adopt the Brifeh sjrstem of dual
commercial and governnient op¬
erated television. ’

Leo lax, iKho heads Up his own
distribution organization in Con¬
tinental Europe and who repre¬
sents for that mark^ pot

West Germany as the best .mark^
today for American syndicatom.
West Germany, he finds, pays bet-,
ter prices for series, as opposed
to Ramce or Italy, for example.
For half-hour skeins, he put the
West German price up to 1111,000
per episode and $3,500 for a
ture pix on tv. The top prices may
deviate somewhat. But be noted
In addition to the better price.
West GeAnaby pays for its own
dubbb^ costs.

Law, bere on a business trip to
NTA’s borne offices^ put' the set
couiit in West Germany at 2,000-
000, He foresaw a second, mid
perhiaps a third West Geznan
chain of stations.

Tl>e situation in France, wbeie
Lax’s NTA distribution has bead-
quarters, is improving. Set count
was pot at 1,200,000 wdtb about.
1,000 sets being added to bmnes
monthly. Currently, there are 'few
American telefilms being shown nn
French tv, the sole g:mreinment
operated network being crowded,
with native shows and Eucovialon
playing an increasing role. He^
dubbl^ “Sheriff of Cotiike” and
“Walter Winchell^ File” fear Ihe:
French- apeaking market, which
encompasses the I^ench-Canadian
area, Belgium. Luxembourg and
Switzerland, as well as France.

He put the dubbing cost at
ahoiit $1,200 per half-hour.. France
pays a flat fee for one run of be¬
tween $500 to $1,000. It’s aw>«r-
ent that without a sale tb the
otheMpeakrng markets, the dub¬
bing costs, let alone a profit, could
not ba recovered. In France, too,
he foresaw the launching of a
second network.

ItaOy now has 10 minutes of
straij^t commercials earii eve¬
ning on the BAI net. The flat fee
there lor one run is $500 per epi¬
sode, with the Italians footu^ the
dubbing cost bOL BAI rec ently

Mft. WilKam Morris AgoiKy

bought some NTA ieituief for
telecasting, inciaffii;g “Arch nf :
Triumph.” The feature nm. brings
in about $1^00. Set camt M Italy
is about 1,^,000 and is growing
rapidly, with 2I)00,0>Q0 nets expect¬
ed by the end of
In both’ France and Italy costs
sets run pretty high for their
respectiva economies. The set
price in Fiance runs from $250 to
$500. and in Italy, the price starts
at about $150 for a portable. Both
the countries also have mondily
fees to support th^ government-
operated stations.

KUZENSOUHER’

SHffTSTOPAm

“Citizen Soldier” now will turn
its focus on the exploits, of Ameri¬
can soldiers in the Pacific during
World War n.

Flamingo Telefilm Sales has
grcenllghted second year prodne-
thm on the series, tritial; 30 ept
sodes pof which concerned itself
with the .Eu/opean &«atre of op¬
eration. Producer Bon Alcorn will
JQm on l 0 cation 4n the Pacific.

Initial series, now beb^ frie-
cait via syndication, kidEed up a
ruckus over the use of Amercan
‘soldiers on die skein. Screen Ac¬
tors Guild protested that producer
Alcorn was getting the free use
of American -soldiers and equip-'
meet 101 the commercial venture.

United Artists Associates, which,
was known as Associated Artists
Productions nntil it 'was bought
out recently by UA, is mqiected ;
to leave its present headqpiartezs'
at 345 Madison Ave., where it has
part of three floors, because the;
building has been Ix^bt by a
charity group. UAA is going to
institute a bimt for different quar¬
ters along Madison Ave.

There is no room for UAA to
move over to 729 7th Ave. to join
UA-TV. As a matter of fact, some
members in the UA camp have al¬
ready Jad to move over to some
of AAP’s former space oppoate
die current Madison Ave. bead-
quarters.

Company, which has been in 345
for five years, now has all of the
second floor, and parts of the 10th
and I2th floors.

^CRUSADER RWIT' SALES

New "Crusader Babbit” series,;
distributed by Begis Films, has
racked up sales in a roster of new
markets. Fresh deals include;
XTNT-TV, Seattle-Tacoma; KGW-
TV, Portland. Ore.; WGAI*-TV.
Lancaster, Pa.; WKY-TV, Oklaho¬
ma City, Okla.; XBNT-’TV. Des.
Moines, la^ TCN, Sydney, Aus¬
tralia; and GTV. Melbourne,
Australia.

Additionally, the Bunny Bread
Bakeries have extended their use:

of the series to cover Cape Grirar-
deau, Mo., Paducah, Ky., and Har¬
risburg, III.

jack Wluflwr. topgner .in oZm^ 1
WTithtf .Organteadon, Tuto^Bed to
dse Coast.after a idaB., ,, Ten Bnes.
^ rnerefaanidiae tieuiw have bo<en
Ifaied up for Ziv’s fSastenon.”;

,. med'SkeMau. kigned by Boi
AnuB as guestar for "Lucy Cioes tO;
Alaska,” the next Lucille ^B^-sDesi
Amaz special riiow which goet be¬
fore the cameras ibis month . .
**Micke^y Spillane’j Mike Hammec,”.
has been rene wed janother 52
weeks* on WBCA-TV by Marlbo^
Cigarets and American Home Prod¬
ucts. Briiewal covers the second
year ^oduction, whidi wIlL begin
on the NBC Gotham flagship upon
the completion of the first aeries
early ’59. ''

MOM-TV’S “Passing Parade” baa
been picked up KGNC-TV, Ama-
rillD, Tex., by American National:
Bank .. . Alex Skeiwaad^ formerly
With, ABC Films, has joined Official
Films as its southern representa¬
tive

CoatiBBed .iTMB yaaipt O

tional should be done to get. the
film story to their tsars and eyes.;

William Van Praag, prexy of -
Van Praag Produriioni, a veteran
tape bltnbery, acknowledged that
holds some interesting pos-
sibilliies,” but that film has e
‘technique” that can ^be relirf
upon by producers while video
tape "has yet tp develop one of its
own.” Van Praag noted that on
-ftim a producer can do animation,
has “latitude oftered by sp^al
film stocks,” can control his epti-<
cals,-that x»meras and projectors;
are Interchangeable and that
.cirion editing” is possible 'with

film.

- Clay Adams, CSS-TV’S Gotham-
director of lihn production, said
that ^tilm plays a tremendous part
in the industry,” giving the story
writer “tremendous scope” which
he said tape did not yet have.
“Where immediacy is not of impor¬
tance in .programming, we can con¬
tinue to use film,” the CBS exec
said. "Film is not only holding its
ground, the trend is up” in the face
Df videotape, he said.

Last on the formal hill was John
Mitch^. Screen Gems veepee,
speaking largely as a ^mdicator of
Him product. He said that vidtape
syndication is at least three years
or more off, because of the limited
number of markets equipped to
transmit tape-made profframming.
He allowed, however, that “tedi-
nical improvement and distribution
of videotape recordings seem to be
advancing rapidly, but . . . how
long before we see saturation
... is anybody’s guess.”

“The Joe Jones show, on film,”
the SG official explained, “can be
sold for airing bn one of tim three
networks . . .can immediately be
sold for airing in 37 other conn-
tries.. .can, subsequent to Its net¬
work exposure, be sold In rerun in
over 200 domestic markets, and then
sold in renm again and again,” but
video tape Is limited by and large
to sale to one of the three net¬
works.

Wedmeaday, Deoemfaer 10, 193S

m

Chicago, Dec. 9.

-As front man for a .lyndicate of
Hollywood 'investors, Henry B.
Saperstein, who describes himself
bs “only a businessman/’ mlist be
Fe<^oned with now as a major
<entr^>eneur of 1y films, a new
breed of video tycoon whose phi¬
losophy is not to create neW' shows
for the medium or to Invest in po¬
tential hits but to buy up bread
and butter properties, shows that
figure to last on the airwaves lO
years or more. "The kind,” Saper-
atein says, “that nobody likes but
the public.” “

Saperstein sprung to the fore
two wedcs ago when he and his
anonymous colleagues clinched
two important vidfilm deals in
Chicago, involving tiie purchase
of three properties and. a film
studio. First deal was for “All
>:Star Golf” and “Championship
Bowling,” along vritii the fihn-
makhtg fadlitlM of Sidney Go^
Brodimtioiis, which were acqidred
from Feter De Met for a padkage,
price of about $3300,600. Second,
transacted 0x3^ a few flays later,
was with Ur. Frances Horwich for .
film syndication bf her . onetime
NBC-TV stanza, ‘ffMng Dong
School,” which has been localing'
on WGN-TV in Chi the past year.
Shooting of “Ding Dong” has al¬
ready begun for the first 78 install-
.ments, and the initial prodactioa
skei^ may carry to 120 chaptm.

Sports shows were purchased by *
a new Beverly Hill 5 ,CiIif„ corporar
tion known as Glen Films; the
mqiq>et series is owned bj a sep¬
arate company tagged School Mer¬
chandising Inc. Both are beaded
by Saperstein. Beports that Jack
Wratber of Independent Televiaion
Corp. is connected with either ven¬
ture have not bewi confirmed.
Saperstein is identified with the
Wrather organizatioii as an ^'as¬
sociate,’* principal^ inasmuch ics
he has coin invtttments in such
blue-chlppers as “Lassie” and
“Lone Banger” and handles prod¬
uct merchandising for these Aows,
among others Jn the ITC stable.

Back Door Entry
was, in fact, through the ba^
door of product mnthandisihg'
that Saperstein moved into the tv
picture in the first place. While
the show was Still on the net¬
work, he instrumented the mer-
chami.lsifig campaign for ”Ding
Dcmg School,” and now it is easily
seen bow the syndication of the
show would work hand-in-glove
with a sales revival of “Ding
Dong” products in maihets out¬
side of Chicago. In addition to
the aforementioned, Saperstein
■Iso bandies products bearing the
names of Elvis Presley, “Wyatt
Earp” and “Rifleman.”

The shows in shich he Is inter¬
ested are, In the main, fqlksy and
unsophisticated. He has said for
the record that if he could own
any two properties on the air today
they would be “Oh Susanna” and
“Real McCoys,” both of which he
predicts will still be on the air
when the top 10 shows of the pres¬
ent are long gone. “The shows
that will last,” he presages, "are
those that cut across the grass¬
roots.”

That’s why he can’t understand
the networks’ abandonment of the
city that, better than any, can
claim to be capital of the hinter¬
lands—Chicago. A former Windy
City resident himself (he used to
operate a motion picture house
here), Saperstein now views Chi
as a prairie of fresh ideas for tv,
an abandoned frontier that is over¬
due for revisiting. Chicago, he
feels, has ample space for produc¬
tion and a central location, but
most of all it has a midwestern
point of view.

“The guys In Los Angeles and
New York are on a treadmill,”
Saperstein says. They think their
own cliques' are the United States.
The trouble with our producers
and writers is that they run in
their own larcles. They ought to
get out once in awhile and see the
coimtry, the real America. They
ought to find out a little about
their big audience out there In the
midwest,”

He recalls that a lot uf fresh

ideal Jn network televMon ger¬
minated in Uhl and that practically
to a mim the brainsiormers of the
Big New Jdea went itde in New
YoA, having auccumbed to the
eastern patterns of thinking.

^*The Teal irony,” he says, *‘is
that the very ad agencies that snub
Chicago as .a place for tv produc¬
tion are the same as focus their
market research in the midwest,
^t^enever tiiere’s market research
to be done, it is always T^eoria,
Racine, E-ransville—the little cities
around. Chicago.”

fitedinit Herih’

CoBtlBvea irom pare '8

for 41 13-week deal on fresh pro¬
duction, sans pilot. The deal sought
would be in.the nature of a 13-
week deal prior to airing, with the
net or advertiser footing the pro¬
duction bilL Gptims for further
.production^ of eburse, -would be
part of the deal. ‘

- Telestar Films, which now has a
firiid staff of 18 aroount execs,
meanwidle is prepping to launch
“Counterspy” in syndication come
ApxiL

- ■fbi the “North.” project, Jjahn
LovetoUt produced of ithe or^dBal
secies, probably produce the
new skein. Leads'to replace the
Barbara Britton and Iticbird Den¬
ning combo still are to be selected,
erty in syndication In ’59./

In .addition to *^ounter?py,”
Telestar place another prop¬
erty in syndication In ^59^

Fmaddtfd*—Xn a ti e-up with
Trailways Buses, WIBG teok B9
bausfraui on a package tour of New
York, Including limch at Sardi’s
and a ticket to “Jamaica.” The ‘99*
is station’s spot on dial. Femmes
were winners on Bill Wright’s ^‘Top
o’ the Morning” stanza, answering
poser, "Why do you deserve day
off?”

MS'S DREAM PACKAGE

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Each and every
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and rating dreanilvtpp^ti^
stars.! first-rate pictarm^^

THIS RIME Ml

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TlMBMVHeM

tMi MNmmin ^

Janice Stmrt, liee J.flobb. aU5u4 CmM

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Betty Gmble, Dah Dailey

THE RAINS CAME

Tyrone Power, Myrna Lop

HEAVEN CAN WAIT

Gene Tierney, Don AmeeW

CALL OF THE WILD

Clark. Gable, Loretta Younf

ROAD TO GLORY

Fredrie March, Lionel Barrymore

LILLIAN RUSSELL

Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Hcnqr Fonda

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell

DANTE’S INFERNO

Spencer Tracy, Claire Trevor

REMEMBER THE DAY

Claudette Colbert, John Payn*

SON OF FURY

Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, George Sanderf

I WONDER WHO’S KISSING HER NOW

June Haver, Mark Stevens

THE LOVES OF EDGAR ALLEN POC

Linda Darndl, John Sheppard

FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER

Loretta Younjr, George Sanders, David Nive*’

STREET WITH NO NAME

Mark Stevens, Richard WIdmark,

Lloyd Nojan ^

For the full story, .

get in touch today with .. ♦,

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52

RABIO-TBUEVISION

P'Ssitffrr

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

CBS Probes Civil Rights

— ContinTied from pace 29

country pays for segregation and
“Case History of Progress,” an op¬
timistic story of the progress
achieved to date in human rela¬
tions.

‘‘In the end, despite all the ini¬
tial advantages of dictatorship,
democracies are the most powerful
social entities on earth,” Stanton
said. “But," like great turbines,
they are slow to start. The mass
media cannot run. them. The power
they generate must come from the
people. But the mass media can
provide the fuel—even, at times,
the ignition spark. This is the re¬
sponsibility and opportunity we in
mass media constantly face.”

Stanton lamented “the disgrace¬
fully little, improvement in the
emotional and unreasoned rifts be¬
tween men” and cited reports from
CBS’ correspondents showing how
bigotry in this country is used for
propaganda purposes elsewhere in
the world. “It does not do much
good to point out that these epi¬
sodes of bombing and school clos¬
ings and harassments are isolated
and apart from the main convic¬
tions and beliaviour of- America,”
he said. ‘Tn themselves they
shriek denial in other lands of
everything we stand for, and add
up to an'ugly picture of intoler¬
ance and hatred.” '

‘Must lUmninate’

Stanton, discussing the responsi¬
bilities of leaders in mass media,
said it wasn’t enough to rush out
the stories when things happen
but that “we must go after the
story, and go after sufficient back¬
ground to illummate the story and
give it meaningful substance.”

“We—all of us in the mass
media — haven’t probed deeply
enough into causes of .tenson, in
ways adequate.y to reveal the scope
of the problem,” he said. “We
have not reported enough on the
hate mongers, revealing them for
W'hat they are and helping the pub¬
lic to recognize the consequences of
their actions both here and over¬
seas. In shortcomings here we may
have contributed toward the mis¬
taken notion that the only prob¬
lems we have are those spotlighted

EVEKT DAT

OH EVERY CHANHEt 15*5

BROOKS

COSTUMES

3 WtK «iit St. N.rx.-T«L P 1 . 7 .MM

in the South. We need to reveal and
; consider quieter patterns of segre¬
gation in the North, the dull blight
it puts upon thousands of lives. We
[need to go into the epidemic of
bombings that range from Boston
to Tennessee, to bring to bear upon
this disturbed behaviour the full
i light of modern science so that the
r public can understand what is hap¬
pening and get it into perspective.
We need to report the negative
side of the story—sometimes a
[ daring venture. We need also to re¬
port more fully the positive side
of the story, the places and cases
where men of good will have solved
i these problems and moved forward
—and we need to get some of this
before the world.”

To this end, Stanton declared,
CBS was ready to embark on the
aforementioned programs dealing
in specifics, not preachments, re¬
ports, not sermons.

Similar views were expressed by
Catledge, who said there was much
yet to be done, in the climb up¬
ward toward human justice.

Mich said that in much more
than half the w'orld, the image of
this country is created by the man¬
ner “in which we deal with racial
problems. The Look editor ob¬
served that while the Northern
white’s attitude toward the Negro
was different from the typical
Southern attitude, it wasn’t neces¬
sarily better. He quoted someone
as saying: “Southerners don’t care
how clo^e a Negro gets so long as
he doesn’t get too. high; Northern¬
ers don’t care how high a Negro
■ gets so long as he doesn’t get too
close.”

ABC-TV Daytime

Continued from page

that they’re stUl going along for
the ride, as are' the clients.

The theory that in daytime es¬
pecially it takes time for a show to
prove itself may have been true in
[radio but in tv does not seem to
be altogether true, according to
NBC researchers. NBC believes the
explanation of this is that the gen¬
erally higher cumulative ratings
reached by daytime tv strip pro¬
gramming results in an initial sam¬
pling by the public almost com¬
parable to the initial sampling ac¬
corded a nighttime program. The
result is that the public makes up
its mind quickly about a new tv
program, it is maintained.

In the Nov. 1 Nielsen report the

new ABC daytime programs aver¬
aged a 12.0 share of audience. In
the competitive periods NBC re.-
ceives' a 39.8 'share and CB5 a
36.2—^reportedly more than three
times the ABC figure. *

Five of the six new ABC pro¬
grams compete with NBC and
CBS. During these periods, NBC
received a 40 shares,, about three
times the ABC figure, it says. CBS
also held roughly the same ad¬
vantage over. ABC.

GoodsonJodniaD

Continued from page 20
to the 11 a.m. spot. At 11 a.m.,
G^T on NBC has “The Price Is
Right.” Rather than compete
against itself, G-T elected to move
to ABC and become part of its
“Operation Daybreak.”

G^T sales chief Bud Austin, who
is serving as exec producer of the
Pepsi spec, stated that plai^ de¬
veloped in last week’s Coast meeN
ings will-be finalized this week, in
meetings with Academy directors
and heads of major recording com¬
panies. Format calls for the an^
nouncement of award winners
selected by balloting members of
the National Academy of Record^
ing Arts and Sciences. Presentation
ceremony will serve as the frame¬
work for a parade of musical per^
formers. Austin is negotiating with
Dean, Martin, Bing Crosby, Frank
Sinatra, Leonard Bernstein and
Van CUburn, among others. Al¬
though no network has been
selected at this date, talks are cur¬
rently underway with NBC.

Packager’s current network line¬
up includes “What’s My Line,”
“rve Got A Secret,” “To Tell the
Truth,” “The Price Is Right,” (six
half-hours weekly), “Beat the
Clock” (five half-hours), and “Jeff¬
erson Drum.” Total tally of cur¬
rent G-T.productions networked is
20 half-hours weekly.

^Human Rights Day* ^
Concert on CBS-TV

CBS-TV’s “UN In Action” series
will have Leonard Bernstein con¬
ducting the N.Y. Philharmonic in
a special Human Rights Day con¬
cert. Show will be videotaped to¬
day (Wetk) when concert is ac¬
tually given. It will be telecast
Sunday (14 ) . at 11 a.m'. ■

Other features of the concert
include Renata Tebaldi in two
arias. Show also will feature
three-minute talk by Dr. Charles
Malik, prexy of UN General As¬
sembly.

RCA’s Extra Dhridend

Extra dividend of 50c and regu¬
larly quarterly dividend of 25c per
share on common stock of RCA was
announced (5) after meeting of
board of directors. Dividends are
payable Jan. 26 to holders of rec¬
ord at close of biz on Dec. 19.

RCA also declared dividend of
87V^c per share on first prefer¬
red stock for period Jan. 1 to
March 31, payable to holders of
record’ at close of biz. March 9.

Red China Story

Continued from paze 20

will be narrated by Frank McGee
and he wilL-discuss his trip in a
1 brief prolog to the film story.

I While home for year-end activi¬
ties, Irving R. Levine, NBC’s Mos¬
cow correspondent, wiU videotape I
a “Primer on Russia.” Film is on
hand and will be edited soon.
Then Levine will score his narra¬
tion. No date has been set for this
production. Primer is expected to.
^cover industry, agriculture, schools,
'culture, religion, etc.

Also in the NBC News -dept, is a
plan to send Bob McCormick to
Hawaii to survey prospects for a
filmed report on “The 50th State.”
This is expected to be a sizzling
one in view of the discriminatibn
against the yellow-skinned majority
which includes social, economic and
political discrimination by the rul¬
ing small group of leading white
families. The role of Harry Bridges
will also be explored in this up¬
coming report. Present plans are
to film in March and air in early
spring.

[ Two half-hour specials are
plann^ to commemorate the forth¬
coming centenary of the Civil War.
These are expected to feature
prominent historians specializing
in that period. Plans for these and
aforementioned specials are being
worked out by NBC News veep
; William R. McAndrew and director
of NBC News Joseph^ O. Meyers,;

Olivier

.Continued from page 29

sold by the network to a sponsor,
will be offered -as a “special spe¬
cial,” with program charges going
at something over $300,000. While
$300,000^ is no -record for a vid-
special, ft’s understood that Olivier
pulled a record price for himself,
although the specifics of his coin
settlement were not disclosed.

Talent Associates has inked
Robert Mulligan to direct Maug¬
ham’s fictionalization of the life of
painter Paul Gaugin, with Suss-
kind to produce. Susskind began
dickering Olivier last July in Lon¬
don.

British actor arrived . in the
U. S. on Friday (5) and began re¬
hearsals Monday (8). This will be
his first live U. S. video appear¬
ance (he has appeared in features
on tv), and recently, made his first
[world-wide live appearance on
I England’s "ATV commercial hook¬
up.

Susskind got story rights
through Ann Marlowe, repping
Maugham.

Pittsbnrgh — College basketball
getting big ride on the local air¬
waves this season. U. of Pitts¬
burgh’s home games from Pitt
Field House have just gone to
WCAE, Hearst station here, with
Bob Prince doing the play by play,
Assisted by Chuck Reichblum. Pitt
deEd came on the heels of WWSW
closing for Duquesne U. home
schedule with Joe Tucker and Jim
Woods at the microphones. Du-
; quesne airings are being sponsored
iby the Fidelity Trust Co.

Robt Stone Shifts
To NBC as Exec

Robert L. Stone has resigned as
vicepresident in charge of WABC-
TV, the ABC owned & operated
station in N.Y., to take over Joe
Colledge’s post'in the NBC camp,
as v.p. in charge of the net’s facil¬
ities operations, on Jan. 12. (Col-,
ledge has shifted to RCA.) Mean¬
time, Joe Stamler, who has been
WABC-TV sales manager under
Stone, will get a veepee ’stripe and
Stone’s position as head of the
ABC outlet.

Stone has been boss of WABC-
TV since September, 1955. Since
that time, due in part to the parent
net’s program expansion, the sta¬
tion has turned from a loser for
ABC to one of its bigger mone 3 ’-
winners.' It’s understood that when
Robert Kintner left the command
of ABC-and tv over two years ago
for a high post at NBC, he wanted
to bring Stone along,.but the deal
was turned down. Stone, all told,
was with ABC for seven years.

Stone is leaving ABC about Jan.
1 and wiU vacation with his family
in Florida until the .12th when
he officially begins at NBC.

It’s understood that no imme¬
diate replacement for Stamler as
sales miiiager is being sought.

NBC-TV PREPPING
GINGER ROGERS SPW

NBC-TV is putting dough into a
pilot of a new half-hour live mu¬
sic-variety show featuring Ginger
Rogers. Pilot is being shot Tues¬
day, Dec. 16, and Wednesday, Dec.
17, at the Ziegfeld Theatre.

Proposed Ginger Rogers show
wUl be produced and directed by
Alan Handley, who previously did
the Dinah Shore programs. It’s be¬
ing written by Handley and Will
Glickman.

PUot also will have Ricardo
Montalban, Burr 'Tillstroni and
Kulda & OUie; Dante di Paulo,
dancer; Ray Charles Singers, and
Nelson Riddle’s Orch.

• No date set when NBC-TV might
unveil the package.

RECESSION!

INFLATION!

DEPRESSION!

■cot Them All At

&OH. Pnix,

Whtr* ceunritM c*1*briliM and todsty
woman savo thooMinds on thoir ward-
robot of tho nowott and finott dothot
In Amorica. Tho Son Prix corriot Sam-
plot and “CloMoutt" from tho mott
coUbrotod Dotignort and Coirturiors at
a fraction of tho pricot odvortitod in
tho foromott fcMhion mogaxinot.

THE BON PRIX

“Bonvofn Storo for AlWtoiiairos"
1006 • First Avo. (cor. 55th St.) N.Y.C.

NEW ISSUE

December 4, 1958

525,000 Shares

Common Stock

($1 FuYaliie)

Price: $10 per Share

The Prowpecius may be obtained from fAe undersigned and such other dealen .
or brokers as may lawfully offer these aecurities in this State»

Bache & Co.

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

JACKPOT

WITH

WARNER BROS

WARNER BROS., FEATURES RECEIVED AT LEAST TWICE THE RATINGS OF THE NEXT,HIGHEST STATION, EVEN IN SIX OR SEVEN STATION MARKETS

HUMPHREY BOGART

CHAIN LIGHTNING

HIGH SIERRA

CASABLANCA

San Francisco

Baltimore

Cincinnati

KPIX

WMAR

WKRC

14.1 vs 6.4, 4.4

23.5 vs 5.7,12.9

17.5 vs5.6,0.»

ERROL FLYNN

CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE
OBJECTIVE BURMA

THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON

Biifghamton

Philadelphia

Miami

WNBF

WFIL

WTVJ

14.7 vs 7.3

12.3 vs 2.2, 4 9. l.T

19.5 vs 3.7, 2.6

HEHE DAVIS

THE OLD MAID

JEZEBEL'

WINTER MEETING

Stockton

Sacramento

New York

KBET

KCRA

WCBS

11.0 vs 3.8,2.7,1.4,0.5,12
18.2 vs 8.8, 4.4

14.8 vs 7.7,5.4,2.5.3.10.2,1

a.a

United Artiets Asndated, lne,S

145 Madtsen Av».,'MUrray Hilt C-232S V NCW YMIC
J5 E.Wacktr Dr.. DEarborn 2-2030 ■cHICAa0
1511 Bryan St, Riverside 7-8553 ■ OAUAS
91 lasuhsct Qlvd.. CRestview 8-588^ ■ LOWilllWIUW

54

RADIO-TELEVISION

Inside Stuff-Radio-TV

Added info on tv network program costs (missing from last week’s
charts): CBS-TV’s “Top Dollar” at ^,300 per quarter-hour = segment,
sponsored by Colgate with Merrill Heatter as producer; CBS-TV’s
“To Tell the Truth” at $29,000, co-sponsored. by Carter and Philip
Morris with Gil Fates as producer; CBS-TV's “Trackdown” at $48,000,
co-sponsored by American Tobacco and Socony with Vincent Fennelly
as producer; NBC-TV’s “Treasure Hunt,” multiple sponsorship at
$2,875 per segment,' with Bud GranofE as producer; NBC-TV's “True
Story” at $3,500 per quarter-hour, sponsored by Sterling Drug, with
Wilbur Stark as producer; CBS’TV's “20th Century” at $36,000 spon¬
sored by Prudential with Burton Benjamin as producer; CBS-TV’s
“U.S. Steel Hour” at $64,000 with George Kondolf as producer; CBS-
TV’s “Verdict Is Yours” at $3,200 per segment, multiple sponsored,
with Eugene Burr as producer; CBS-TV’s “Capt. Kangaroo” at $1,350
per quarter-hour, multiple sponsored, with Robert Claver as producer.

Thirtyseven new members of NBC’s 25-Year Club of New York
were honored at a luncheon last Thursday (4) at the Waldorf-Astoria
by high web brass Including Bob Samoff, chairman of the hoard. Bob
Kintner, NBC prexy, gave watches and certificates to the new mem¬
bers and B. Lowell Jacobsen, veep in charge of personnel, was emcee.

New members, who bring total of employees with NBQ for quarter-
century to 305, are Edward L. Broadhurst, Patrick Cahill, Charles H.
Campbell, Richard Close, James V. Coleman, Charles H. College, Fran¬
cis R. Crowley, Edwin W. Deming Jr., Walter Hawes, Stockton Helff-
rich, John A. Hilton, Martin Hoade, Frederick W. Hoeflich, Lee Jones,
Frederick vG. Knopfke, Michael Kopp, 6corge Lindberg, Gilbert
Markle, Edward J. McMahon, Donald J. Mercer, Daniel Murphy, Al¬
bert Naszimento, Albert Neu, Walter O’Meara, Barry T. Rumple, Rob¬
ert S. Russell, Salvatore Salanitro, William R. Thompson, John C.
Treacy, Albert E. Walker, Clarence Westover, Edmund Whittaker and
Louis A. Zangaro.

Faces from holiday shopping throngs In 10 cities will be used as
“living” Christmas cards on Dave Garroway’s “Today” over NBC-TV
for two-week period starting Monday, Dec. 22. Program will feature
remote pickups from different city each day, setting up cameras in
department store windows or other public spots in shopping centers.
Several times during program shoppers’ faces will be telecast. By means
of special mechanical camera device faces will appear on tv receivers
framed in variety of Christmas card vignettes. Pickups wiU come from
Buffalo, Fort Wayne, Des Moines, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Phoe¬
nix, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Lancaster and New York City.

WCBS-TV is getting additional public services kudos from college
profs in connection with the “Camera Three” productions. Upon re¬
quest, kines of the Sunday program are sent to the colleges for class¬
room examination.

This week, Paul B. Williams, director of tv for Brooklyn College,
told Clarence Worden, WCBS-TV public service director, how the mu¬
nicipal college made use of the recent “Camera Three” production
of “Emily Dickinson: The Story of a Poet.” WiRiams said the kine was
used in tv course as an example of exceptional tv, “the sort of thing
that is all too rare and for which those with discerning taste are most
thankful.” Program, in this instance produced by Bob Herridge, was
also studied as an example of imaginative use of lighting, staging and
camera work.

: Students were put to work developing a treatment of the raw idea,
“Emily Dickinson,” and after discussion were shown how Herridge

ozXiFozm

*

as

Froschin
Fledermaus at the
Metropolitan Opera
House, New York City
December 13 matinee
Dece’mber 20,31
January 10
February 16
April 9

* Drink To Me Only, at the 54th Street Theatre

P^tSFf

Wednesdays December 10, 1958

handled it. “The kine thus made it possible to climax an important
learning experience with a great example,” Williams said.

A. C. Nielsen Co., is planning to expand its coverage from the pres¬
ent top 40 to an ultimate 100 markets over the next nine months. Ex¬
pansion, if it goes according to desigm will be in three steps, with
the local station siureys increased to 50 mai;kets by March of 1959,
to 75 by late spring, .and to 100 by fall.

Next month Nielsen Vill begin reporting station^ audiences in To¬
ronto, Canada and henceforth will be working toward measuring U.S.
station audiences across the north border.

Larry Fuller, deejay for WLIB, N.Y., and a linguist, has taped a
special German language program for the Voice of America for short-
waving to Germany on Christmas Day. Fuller describes how Harlem
celebrates Christmas in the broadcast.

Fuller picked up his initial knowledge of the German language as. a
youngster in Kansas, where his hometown had a sizable German popu¬
lation. He brushed up oh the language while touring overseas in the
troupe of “Porgy & Bess.”

Dr. Thomas P. Robinson, known to tv viewers for his appearances
on video programs produced by N.Y.U., has been upped to dean of
N.Y.U.’s College of Arts and Science. He’s currently director of ad¬
missions and assumes his new job in February.

Dr. Robinson holds a card in AFTRA and was seen on the school’s
programs over WNTA-TV and WCBS-TV. On latter station he ap¬
peared in “Our Nation’s Roots,” a series financed partially by the Ed¬
ucational TV-Radio Center.

Jackie Gleason, boyhood friend of Dr. Robinson, named the char¬
acter “Bookshelf Robinson” after the NYU preceptor.

CBS-TV’s “Twentieth Century” feels it has racked up one of video’s,
more notable feats of derring-do. Documentary tied up the Defense
Dept, for exclusive coverage of the unveiling of the X-15 rocket, which
will take a pilot into space and back early next year. “Twentieth Cen¬
tury’s” cameras, had the X-15 all to themselves for 90 minutes follow¬
ing the unveiling, before the super-secret “missile with* wing§” was re¬
shrouded in its North American Aviation Co. hangar on the Coast.
Result is “Mission: Outer Space,” a special report on the X-15 and
the men who‘11 fly her and made her, the first tv account of the craft.
CBS-TV viewers will see it Sunday, Dec. 21.

Radio and tv had another opportunity to prove their public service
value last week during the fire which killed 87 school children and
three nuns at Our-Lady of Angels school in Chicago. Two news bulle¬
tins issued by City News Bureau on its 11 Chi stations were felt to
have served the emergency.

The first urged traffic to steer clear of the site to keep the area
clear for the work of emergency crews. A second CNB bulletin for
blood donations resulted in queues at the blood banks next morning.

From its helicopter which hovered over the scene, WGN directed
traffic by radio nine times during the afternoon and evening. Most of
the stations increased their newscasting that evening, and nearly all
had the good taste to tone down or cancel their frivolous programming
on the night of the tragedy.

J-*? ■ ■ ^=4---

Com’! Produelien

Contmced from pzffe 23

Elliot and FRmways in the east
have video tape equipment at this
time.

Not that in the future there
won’t be a need for film commer¬
cials, but tape is expected to . take
a heavy bite of the commercial pie.
Production of tv film commercials
•is about a $40,Ci00,000 biz now.
With tape making inroads into
what heretofore had been live cdm-
mercial productions, the biz is
expected to expand to $50,000,000
yearly for both film and tape.

On the Coast, major studios are
making a heavy play for film com¬
mercial biz—but the bulk of the
production is centered in N.Y.

Tape presents other problems
than unions. Many smaller tele-
blurberies virtually operate out of
a hat, renting cameras, etc. With
tape, there’s a huge investment in
electronic camera equipment as
well as the tape machinery. The
marginal operator is expected to
disappear.

Everything in the field is shap¬
ing up for some major disloca¬
tions.

’59’$ Challenges

SSSS ContinTied from page 23

Since that time, the company has
pruned its operation for what it
considers maximum effectiveness
and lower overhead. First six
months reportedly is looking up.
But the company is looking hard
for product, even scouting the fea¬
ture field, to hit fresh pay dirt.

Then there are other examples:
Charles (Bud) Barry’s contract as
v.p. in charge of MGM-TV is up
for renewal (pact expires in June.)
He masterminded the initial push
of Metro features to tv and then
moved the company into telefilm
production and filming of commer¬
cials. Under his aegis “Northwest
Passage” was done, series facing
the axe at the exuiration of its 26
week deal with NBC-TV. He fared
better with “Thin Man,” which
just won another 23 week renewal
j from Colgate-Palmolive. Other pro¬
jects now are underway. His func¬
tioning has been complicated by
the internal struggle within Loew’s.,

United Artists Television faces
its first test in ’59. Under the. dual
leadership, of Herb Golden and
Bruce Eells, new outfit has geared
up for five roT^mitting it¬

self for the production of 39 epi- ^

sodes on each series. For want of a
network sale, the new-born tele-
filmery is prepared to set up a
syndication operation as a back¬
stop. But despite the syndication'
umbrella, as yet unfolded, it adds
up to one big gamble.

The 4bove doesn’t symptomize
the daily drumbeating din in the
field, but, as the saying goes,
“those are the facts, man.”

Publisher Merger Bid
In Britain Also Poses
TV Duopoly Problem

London, Dec. 9.

A takeover bid made last week¬
end by the Daily Mirror newspa¬
per group for the Amalgamated
Press, which publishes a string of
some 90 magazines, may present a
unique problem for the Inde¬
pendent Television Authority, as
both companies have ty interest—
but are associated with different
networks.

The Daily Mirror and Sunday
Pictorial group has a substantial
stake in Associated Television, the
company headed by Prince Littler,
Val Parnell and Lew Grade.
Amalgamated Press is an equal
partner with the Rank Organiza¬
tion and- Associated Newspapers
in Southern Television, which has
been operating in the South of
England since last Summei*.

As it has been tacitly understood
that no one company may hold a
stake in more than one commer¬
cial tv station, the ITA would be
obliged to review the matter if
and when the takeover deal goes

Schneider’s New Slot

Ted Schneider has been switched
at WMGM, N.Y., from its opera¬
tions manager to the newly-created
post of director of news and spe¬
cial events. Bob Lazich was added
as nighttime supervisor in the
same department.

Evidently, a race is beginning
among Gotham radio indies to get
the edge on news programming.
WNEW has started its own news
operation changeover (see separate
story). ^WMGM has just begun a
“cruising- radio news - patrol,” to
pick up remote city news.

Syracuscr—WSYR-FM is joining
the WQXR Network, thereby be¬
coming the 13th upstate outlet to
take the New York City station’s
hourly news bulletins and its reg¬
ular program lineup.

Ireland TV Preps
Sponsor Formula

Dublin, Dec. 9.

“Television is an essential na¬
tional service” in the view of the
Association of Irish Advertisers,
according to that body’s chairman,.
William P. Cavanagh, talking to
the Sales Management Association
here. Assessing costs,to advertisers,
he said that for areas in Britain,
comparable in population with Ire¬
land, the rates varied from $85
to $400 for 30-second spots at peak
hours.

The Irish TV Commission, set
up by the govt, to recommend a
suitable tv system for Ireland, is
expected to hand in its report with¬
in the next two months. Currently
only tv available is fringe reception
from BBC and ITV installations
in England.

While the Commission is debat¬
ing ite findings Theatre and Cinema
Association toppers are campaign¬
ing for removal of entertainment
tax on cinemas before tv is intro¬
duced; Edward A. Grace., spear¬
heading the campaign, said this
week that every new televison set
installed in Ireland meant 100 less
cinema attendances a year.

Des Moines—Sue Allen has been
named continuity director of KSO,
Des Moines. Before joining KSO
she was with the Nelson Adver¬
tising Uo.

SOGIIUIT

PRESTON

of fht

YUNON

Leads the
Rating Race
iti Market

after Market!

May.

195S

SERGEANT PRESTON.

Highway Patrol.
Silent Service..

Sea Hunt.

State Trooper.

.31.3

.19.8

.15.3

.14.8

.12.8

PhIn.

March,

1951

SERGEANT PRESTON.22.2

Sheriff of Cochise....18.2

Sea Hunt.. 17.9

State Trooper_ _.. . 17.5

Honeymooners....15.2

ARB.

Jan.,

1951

SERGEANT PRESTON..

...29.4

Honeymooners.

...23.6

Whirlybirds.. ..

...22.5

Sea Hunt...

...18.8

Highway Patrol.

...12.3

ARB,

April,

1951

SERGEANT PRESTON.27.3

Sea Hunt.22.5

Adventure Scott Island.17.3

Gray Ghost.12.4

Silent Service.. 4.8

NEW VORK

ArbItrM,

9/25/58

SERGEANT PRESTON

State Trooper.. .

Highway Patrol

Silent Service.

Sheriff of Cochise.

..,.16.6

.14.5

....; 9.6

. 6.4

..... 3.6

PROVIDENCE

SERGEANT PRESTON..,..29.8

Harbor Command.....27.3

”” Highway Patrol...25.8

Silent Service.21.8

Twenty-Six Men....19.3

SYRACUSE

ARB,

Feb.,

195S

SERGEANT PRESTON. ..

.36,3

Silent Service.

...34.9

Sea Hunt...

...31.7

Sheriff of Cochise.

...21.9

Highway Patrol....

...21.5

1

T

C

INDEPENDENT
TELEVISION

^CORPORATION

488 Madison Ave. • N.Y. 22 • PLaza 5-2100

W«3iietdaj, Beiscmlier 10, 1950

PTSSXBfr

f Friday,

November 2],

1958

Abbott and Costello WPIX 10 3

L'fe of Riley WCBS . 9.8

American Bandstand WABC 5 8

Movie 4 WRCA . 4.2

Big Beat WNEW . 3,3

Looney Tunes WOR. 4.4

Action Theatre WNTA .... 1.8

ABBOTT AND
COSTELLO

Is Guaranteed
to Bring Results
in Your City

\\\ y

ISiii

U(j . !

Even more remarkable
when you realize that
Abbott and Costello Is In Its
19th run In New York City

STERLING TELEVISION CO. INC.

6 Ea$f 39th Street New York City
NEW YORK - HOLLYWOOD - CHICAGO - TORONTO

56

MUSIC

PiSdETf

W«dne8daj’, Deceiiil>er 10, 1958

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

. By HERM SCHOENFELD.. , ■ , ■

Betty Madijran (Coral): “JUST (Elizabeth-Ariesf) is a cliched bal-
LIKE SAM" (Bourne*), a cute lad.

adaptation of a traditional tune, is Little Esther (Federal): “I PAID
delivered brightly by this song- MY DUES” (Valjot) is a straight
stress. “NOW-A-DAYS” (Shapiro- blues tune belted in the traditional
Bernstein*) is another catching idiom by this fine performer,
piece of material. “HEART TO HEART" (Armot), a

Gary Trexler (RCA Victor): slow-tempoed ballad, has a preteh-
“THE LOOK" (Trinityt)isabounc- tious arrangement.

Ing ballad which should appeal to Don Rondo (Jubilee): “SONG
the juves via this strongly-belted FROM ‘THE GEISHA BOY’ ” (Par-
slice. “YOU MADE UP FOR amount*), a pic song, has an at-

Best Bets

Album Reviews

JOHNNY MATHIS...YOU ARE BE^UTIFUt

(Columbia) .Let’s Love

Johnny Mathis' '‘You Are BeautifuV* (Williamson*}, -from the
“Flower Drum Song” score, is the type of lush ballad which this
singer can belt for maximum commercial impact, “Let’s Love”
(Cathryl*) changes pace with a bright rhythm song, also due for
hefty spins.

♦ + *

ROSEMARY CLOONEY.LOVE, LOOK AWAY

(Coral) ....... Diga Me

< Rosemary Clooney’s “Love, Look Away” (Williamson*), also
from the “Flower Drum Song” score, shapes up as one of the best
ballad sides cut by this songstress in a couple of years. “Diga Me’’
(Roger*) is back in the “Come On-a My House” groove, even to the
harpsichord backing.

♦ ♦

FRANTl SINATRA__..NO ONE E\^R TELLS YOU

(Capitol).Song From ‘Some Came Running’

Frank Sinatra’s “No One Ei'er Tells You” (Weiss & Barryi)
is a solid, swinging ballad which Sinatra’s sharp vocal will get wing¬
ing. “Song from 'Some Came Running’” (MaraviUe*), from the
Metro film, is a big ballad, subtitled “To Love and Be Loved,” with
commercial wipact via this rendition. I

Rosalind Russell: “Wonderful
Town” (Columbia). This is a nifty
original tv cast album. Although
there’s an original Broadway cast
set already on the market through
Decca (1953), this package will
pick up plenty of consumer coin
because of the CBS-TV exposure
last Nov. 30. The bright Leonard
Bernstein - Betty Comden - Adolph
Green score is expertly handled
once again by Rosalind Russell and
Sidney Chaplin and Jacquelyn Mc-
Keever are standout in the assists
handled by George Gaynes and
Eydie Adams in the original Broad¬
way cast set. Lehman Engel gives
the orch backing a lot of verve.

I X xtTXfcxi'kTriTr'xTTxiT XT- Esquivcl: “Four Comers of the

LtAWRENCE^VELK Wond” (RCA victor). Following

Proudly Presents through on his previous package

“DICK KESNER AND HIS click, Mexican maestro Esquivel
STRADIVARIUS" turns up with a striking collection

(Brunswick Album No. 54044) of piano solos against a small
■■■. rhythm background. Esquivel has a
neat, dry-humored style. “I THINK swinging Latin beat and a virtuoso
I BETTER PRAY" (Valley View- keyboard technique, flashmg his
Rondot) is a rhythm religiose.with style over a wi^ of numbers

a good lyric. ® ‘

that include “Dark Eyes,” “Blue
Ziggy Lmc (Carousel); "ANITA" P^SSaidanMaps^od^^Sn^f flock
bU“ifg“ia^e^)^S 01 souW-thc-bUer st^dards.
a strong entry that could come out

of leftfield. “ANGELINA" (Mar- Taught Us” (Cadence). These T^
lanet), an Italo-styled ballad, is nessee boys, who have establish^
routine stuff themselves as solid talents m the

«•»! gi ’ /Tx/r 4 .^ ..rrtrca Pop market via their rockabillj

the gfyiiugs^ show their authentic folk
SHAG (Combine^ is a fair dance ,backgrounds in this highly attrac-
Item delivered_in typical rockabilly .. their unnretentious

Ljaiic wiiu V ^ ^ ja

1 come out Everly Bros.: ^‘Sonffs Our Daddy
lA" (Mar- Taught Us” (Cadence). The^ 1^-
ballad is nessee boys, who have established
’ themselves as solid talents in the
^ pop market via their rockabilly
stylings, show their authentic folk
fair dance in hiehlv attrac-

SX tivelet. With their unpretentious

harmonizing, the Everly Bros, re-

an okay ballad, also is in a familiar
groove,

Christmaa Son^s

Stan Zabka’s Grch: “CHIMES”

vive such traditional numbers as
“Barbara Allen," “Who’s Gonna
Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet,”
“Rovin’ Gambler” and such rela-

' • * (BrouSannchaYiStag adaptation

K.AY STARR...HE CHA CHA’D IN of some standard Xmas songs done fJhtnfn* BzS-ess ”

(RCA Victor)..Oh, How I Miss You Tonight

Kay Starr’s “He Cha Cha’d In” (Burke & Van Heusen*) a clever
takeoff on the current cha-cha cycle, clicks via this slick workover.
“Oh, How I Miss You Tonight” (Bourne*), the standard, is belted
with a potent beat that should draw spins in the current market.

by orch and chorus. “SUNRISE
OVER PARIS” (Susan*) is a rich,
melodic instrumental.

Jo March (Kapp): “THE VIRGIN

Mine” and “Lightnih’ Express.”

“Sing Along With Basie” (Rou-
llette): This is a standout choral
entry based on some old ^ swing

JO iuarcn lA-apP': -in-Ca -Racio’c

MAPV WAD nNP <;nN” Standards. With Count Basies orcn

a ic backing, vocals to some offbeat

land*), a traditional song, is ban- Hendricks are de-

LEON BIBB....ROCKS AND GRAVEL 1 fottsi^S‘‘^l!“sAip® BON; I {fyered by the

• (Vanguard) *... Goodnight Irene

Leon Bibb’s “Rocks and Gravel” (Ludlow'c) bows another strik¬
ing folksinging voice into the pop market and this side could ride
in the v:ake of “Tom Dooley.” “Goodnight Irene” (Ludlowf)
is a good workover of the big hit of some years ago.

KEY” (Garland*) is another old
seasonal tune done with taste.

The Jingo leers (Brunswick):
“JINGLE BELL ROCK” (Cornell*)
pegs a rhythm tupe on a Christmas
motif with fair results. “CHRIST-

bert Singers, featuring Annie Ross,
and Joe Williams, Basie’s regular
vocalist. Hep wordage has been set
to swing numbers like “Jumpin’ At
The Woodside,” “Every Tub,”
“Shorty George,” “Swingin’ The
Blues,” “Tickle Toe," and others.

^ * mas MORN’’ (Acuff:Roset) is an Qne'' of the freshest jazz sets in

HERB B. LOU.. ...THE TRIAL okay (Jhristmas tune done with a some time.

moppet-sounding chorus.

(Arch) ... Kiss Me moppet-sounding chorus. Les Baxter Orch: “Love Is A

Herb B. Lon's-The Trial" I MetzU is a top novelty'entry tshich " »ASCAP. tBMI. InSriush tartrumlntalVa^^^

takes off on rock ’n’ rollers along the same lines as the “Flying -^--— that fill a continuing demand for

Saucer” platter of a couple of years ago H could repeat. “Kiss Naida’s Phillv Post background music. Les Baxter de-

Me {Metz-UlTTa~) is an okay instrumental with some incidental ^ « olovs a big orch with strings over

vocal interpolations. Hollywood, Dec. 9. arrangements to a group of

- • --- Elliot Naide has been appointed Baxter compositions. There’s

EVERYTHING" (Trinityt) is a bal-, tractive Oriental quality which Don operations manager of the Phila-

lad with a pleasant lyric and simple Rondo projects effectively in a delphia branch of Capitol Records A

*ASCAP. tBMI.

Naide's Philly Post

Hollywood, Dec. 9,

melody. classy rendition. “GRETNA| Distributing Corp, In his new mood^^

Jill Corey (Columbia): “I GREEN” (Leeds*)* a rousing; post, Naide supplants Joseph J. Berner Muller Orch: “A Senti-

FOUND A NEW BABY” (Pick- oatuner, gets an excellent work-; Brown who was recently promoted | (Decca): The un¬

wick*) gets a somewhat overdone over m a highly attractive side. to regional operations manager Bkely combination of a German
rhythm workover by this song- Jack Williams (Shasta):! covering Baltimore, Philadelphia, ©rch and a collection of tunes like

stress. “MY REVERIE (Robbins^ “SHAKESPEARE CHA ’ CHA” I Cleveland, Detroit and Pitts- “Indiana” and “Beautiful Ohio”

receives a fine interpretation, with (Valley View-Rondot) is an amus-* burgh. , produces some first-*rate sounds,

a Latin-styled Mckground, "mich jug medley of the Bard, cha cha I Naide, for the past year, has Muller’s large stringed orch is also

could bring this Debussy tune oacK an(j country motifs handled in i been assistant operations manager. 1 in the background groove, but

into the pop picture. --^- ■ ___^---

Gorman Sisters (Joy): “CHICK- a wk ^ m «■ I »

fhe'o™onS:' iy?io“u^ Rpsf SflWs AH Coiii Ma rhinfi.<t.

which this duo handles in pleasing » » ♦ »♦♦» » ♦♦♦ •■■v UVaiVI U VII Will AlAUViuaaww M M 11 1 ftfttt

style. “DADDY IS MY SANTA ^ ;;

CL.4US” iTee Pee*) \vill have a

tou^?h time breaking this holiday i. TOM DOOLEY ( 8 ) ..... Kingston Trio .. Capitol -►

“nfek'Jaoob-; 'Coral): “DABDE-' ii 2. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (4) ... Teddy Bears ....Bore ;;

NELLA” (Fred Fisher*), the stand- - 3 . IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIE\TE (9) .. Conway Twitty .MGM ;;

unde7“Bick"jac?b“ ” 4. PROBLEMS (3) ..... Everly Bros. . Cadence ;;

baton. The kid.s will dance to it. 5 . beEP BEEP (4) . ..... Playmates . .Roulette "

“WHISPERING WATERS” . ' .. , .r 1 V.

(Peer*', is another fine entry done LONESOME TOWN (21) ..... Ricky Nelson .. .Imperial

with choral ensemble. - 7 j qq-j. stuNG (3) .. .. ... Elvis Presley ..Victor

Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol): 7 t

bouncing country tune in a groove ;; 9 . tHE CHIPMUNK SONG ....... Chipmunks . Liberty

tailored for this singer. The guitar ,, ^ xt- .

background is standout. “SLEEP- .. 10. ONE NIGHT .. Elvis Presley . Victor ..

IN’ AT THE FOOT OF THE BED” - ;;

(Acuff-Rose*) is a humorous hill- ’’ O 1

billy song. 1 Second Group

J.ack Carroll (Decca): FLOW- ► . T

™tv Avfbm bSfalUucd’brightly ii OLD BLACK MAGIC Prima-Smith .Capitol j;

by this Singer. “WHY AINT-CHA?” - GOTTA TRAVEL ON .... Billy Gramme r . Monument "

(Mansion*) is an arresting dow- ;; t- • r, ^ n 7

tempoed ballad with a good beat, BIMBOMBET .... Jimmie Rodgers . Roulette ;;

also delivered strongly. - A LOVER’S QUESTION..... Chjde MePhatter . Atlantic "

Tiny Tim & The Hits (Roulettet):^' r-xi/»xTriryx t v t * -o-

Shuni) is a conventional rocking.;; GOT A FEELING .... Ricky Nelson . Imperial ;;

ner' by^^this ^ombo^^“WEDDING SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES..... Platters . Mercury V.

™mp®fbaUad®t1fsra^^^^ ” ... Tommy Edmard,.MGM ::

miliar rocking material. -. WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN’ ....... Fats Domino . Imperial ,.

wSHTHT^rACHMiE^S :: PHILADELPHIA IJ.S.A..... Nu Tornadoes.Cariton

Ariesv) exploits a solid teenage «• . . , , . ■'*

Idea in a jumping format that ” (Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 101

should earn plenty of juke spins, i ’

“EV’RYBODY NEEDS LOVE’" ft »t tf 111111 tVttt tt t ♦ t M ♦ ♦ ♦ M M i i > ft »tt t»»t ♦» M t » 11 > t 4 44

highly attractive side. I to regional operations manager ukely combination of a German
Williams (Shasta)-! covering Baltimore, Philadelphia, orch and a collection of tunes like
IPEARE CHA • CHA”) Cleveland, Detroit and Pitts- “Indiana” and ‘‘Beautiful Ohio”
iew-Rondot) is an amus-* burgh. , produces some first-‘rate sounds, i

JO Best Sellers on Coin Machines-.

1 . TOM DOOLEY (8) .. .

2. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (4)

3. IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIE\TE (9) .

4. PROBLEMS (3) ....

5. BEEP BEEP (4) .

6. LONESOME TOWN (2) ...

7. I GOT STUNG (3).....

8. TOPSY *‘(11) ..

9. THE CHIPMUNK SONG ....

10. ONE NIGHT .

Kingston Trio -

Teddy Bears .

Conway Twitty ...

.MGM

Everly Bros .

Playmates .

.... Roulette

Pdeky Nelson .

.... Imperial

Elvis Presley ....

Cozy Cole .

. Love

Chipmunks .

. . Liberty

Elvis Presley .....

Second Group

OLD BLACK MAGIC

GOTTA TRAVEL ON ..

BIMBOMBET .

A LOVER’S QUESTION.

CHANTILLY LACE .....

GOT A FEELING .

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME .

WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN’ _

PHILADELPHIA U.S.A.

Prima-Smith . Capitol

Billy Grammer . Monument

Jimmie Rodgers . Roulette

Clyde MePhatter . Atlantic

Big Bopper .. . Mercury

Ricky Nelson . Imperial

Platters . Mercufy

Tommy Edwards .MGM

Fats Domino . Imperial

Nu Tornadoes . Carlton

(Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 101

1 plays at times with a sweep and
7 swing to give an added kick. The
1 book here travels fronr “Georgia
t On My Mind” to “Tennessee
1 Waltz.”

1 Brooke Pemberton: “The Rag-
^ time Kid’" (Warner Bros.) The
3 honkeytonk piano style, which was
^ dated around the First World War,
} keeps turning up on wax periodi-
i caUy. As a novelty sound, it has its
^ attractions, especially with a tech-

■ nician like Brooke Pemberton. But
j this is a musical idiom that’s slight¬
ly too limited for an LP showcase.

5 Virtually all the wellknown oldies
in the ragtime catalog are included,
g Toshiko & international Sextet:
y United Notions” (Metro Jazz). The
I Japanese distaff pianist, Toshiko,
I and a group of jazz sidemen repre-
^ senting a half-dozen ‘other coun-
1 tries team up in this set for a
j tastefull jazz display. This rarefied
j stuff in the modern groove. Jazz,
5 obviously has taken root around
5 the world.

; Harry Simeonc'“ Chorale: “Sing
’ We Now of Christmas” (20th-Fox).
c Over 30 Christmas carols, hymns
and traditional songs are neatly
^ wrapped up in this package. The
. fine voices of the Harry Simeone
( chorus are backed up by a brass
, choir and orch in a program that
includes numbers like “Joy To The
. World,” “It Came Upon A Mid¬
night Clear,” “Tannebaum,” “The
, Little Drummer Boy,” “Go Tell It
] On The Mountain” and others.

5 Stan Jones: “This Was The
i West” (Disneyland): The legend of
’ the western frontier, w'hich has
. been heavily accented on televir
; sion, here gets a first-rate disk
[j^iisplay. Oatune singer Stan Jones
retells the various cowboy and
Indian sagas in a series of special-
[ material songs and narrations
, which should have appeal to kids
[ in particular,

Jimmy Wakely: “Country Million
: Sellers” (Shasta). The hiUbilly hit
. parade over the past couple of
decades is covered in this collec-
' tion by Jimmy Wakely on his own
; label. Wakely sings In the old
J country & western groove, before
’ it was contaminated by the rocka-
. biUy and cha-cha elements which
' have now invaded it. Numbers in-
I elude oldies like “Slipping
Around.” “Tennessee Waltz,”
“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “You Are
I My Sunshine.”

Woody Herman-Frank DeVol
' Orch: “Love Is The Sweetest
Thing” (Verve). Woody Herman, as
' vocalist, gets the full spotlight in

■ this set. Although not equipped
1 with the most polished or rangiest

set of pipes, Herman sings with a
savvy sense of phrasing and
rhytlimic shading that gives an
essential jazz feel to his perform¬
ances. He does tunes like “You’re
Blase,” “Dam,That Dream,” “How
Long Has This Been Going ()n”
and “Pardon Me, Pretty Baby,”
among others. Herm.

Hasin Going Out On
The Hustings to ‘Class’

It Up for MGM Label

Charles Hasin, MGM Records
sales head, will double as teacher
to stimulate diskery’s sales. Hasin
has planned a two-week tour of
distributors in which he’ll give
refresher courses to distributors
and salesmen,

Hasin believes that the sales
techniques of the record business
are changing so rapidly that he
wants to make personal contacts
wih the men in the field to ap¬
prise them of label’s sales policies.
One of the important topics in
Hasin’s course will be window dis¬
plays.

Under discussion wiU be the
MGM label and its subsids: Lion,
Cub, Metro, Metro jazz, Pinky Rec¬
ords, the latter a master pur¬
chased by the diskery from Pinky
Herman.

Mort Hillman to Citation

. Mort Hillman has joined Cita¬
tion Records as veepee and gen¬
eral manager. Label, which is
prexied by Irving Szathmary, has
been based in Boston since its in¬
ception last March. New York of¬
fices now wiU be opened under
Hillman’s supervision.

Hillman recently returned to
N.Y. after tl)ree years in Chicago
where he headed his own label and
then as national sales representa¬
tive of a Chi indie.

MUSIC

57

Vcdneflday, December 10,

f^XaETT

TOP 40’ PUTS PAYOLA IN SPIN

‘Encbanted Cello’ Brings Brill Bl(^.

To Court; Narara Vs. MPHC-TiomkiD

Judge and Jury in N.Y. Supreme
Court last week were treated to
a cuffo pic and piano performance
to determine whether the tune,
“The High and the Mighty/’ was*
lifted from Leon Navara’s “En¬
chanted Cello/’ Trial .was oh the
suit filed by Navara against M.
Witmark (of the Warner Bros, pub¬
lishing combine, Music Publishers
Holding Corp.) and composer Di¬
mitri Tiomkin claiming that de¬
fendants had “pirated” his “En¬
chanted Cello” tune for “The High
and the Mighty.”

Navara, who was on the stand
for two days last week, was al¬
lowed to shift from the witness
box to a Steinway stool to play
both melodies. At the conclusion
of Navara’s recital, Judge Thomas
Aurelio said that it was the most
entertaining time he’s had since
he’s been a judge. In another ef¬
fort to point up the similarity be¬
tween the two songs, judge and
jury shifted from the courtroom
to the nearby Tribune Theatre to
see the WB pic, “The High and
the Mighty,” for which Tiomkin
and Ned Washington • wrote the
title tune.

The recital portion of the trial
isn’t complete yet since it’s ex¬
pected that Emil K. Ellis, attorney
for the plaintifC, is expected to ask
the judge this week to allow both
tunes to be performed by him on
violin.

In the action, NAvara claims that
he composed the tune in 1949 and
that Washington .penned the lyrics.
“Enchanted Cello,” however, was
never published. Plaintiff further
claims that the song was submitted
to Witmark, indicating that the
firm had access to the. melody.
Harry Ferguson, formerly with
Witmark, testified last week to that
effect. Suit fiurther claims that
Washington was released from his
association with “Cello” and that
later he and Tiomkin used the
melody for the pic theme which
they submitted to Witmark. The
defendants have entered a general
denial.

Upcoming witnesses to discuss
the musical similarities or differ¬
ences between the two songs will
be; Sigmund Spaeth and Deems
Taylor for the defense and musi¬
cologist Prof. Budolph Schramm
for the plaintiffs.

Air-Happy Wolfe

ASCAP biz keeping Coast
board mdmber L. Wolfe Gil¬
bert. on a shuttle between Los
Angeles and New York.

When Gilbert planed in
yesterday (Tues.) for a special
board meeting, it was his
eighth cross-country round
trip in 11 weeks.

Name Schicke
^ Sales %.

In a reshuffling at Epic Records
last week Charles Schicke was
upped to the post of national sales
manager. Assignment also takes in
Epic’s subsid label, Okeh Records.

Schicke, who had been director
of classic^ artists & repertoire, re¬
places Walter Hayum. Schicke has
been with Epic since 1954 in such
other posts'as merchandising man¬
ager and sales manager of classical
albums. In the new assignment
he’ll be responsible to general man¬
ager Al' Shulman for the develop¬
ment and merchandising programs
for Epic-Cdceh districts sales man¬
agers and distributors.

Replacing Schicke as director of
classical a&r will be Jane Fried¬
mann, She has been Schicke’s as¬
sistant since ’54.

In other personnel assignments,
Herbert Linsky was set as promo¬
tion manager of field sales for. the
Epic-Okeh operation and Odrick
Von Seekamm was named manager
of sales administration. Latter,
who has been with the company
since ’56, will headquarter , in
Bridgeport, Conn.

‘Li’lDarlin” With Lyric
Nixed by Neal Hefti For
Ronlette’s Basie Album

Neal Hefti is forcing Roulette
Records to pull a tune out of its re¬
cently released “Sing Along With
Basie” album. Hefti, who’s pub¬
lishing his composition, “Li’l Dar-
lin’/’ via his Neal Hefti Music firm,
claims that there’s no authorization
for the lyric version used in the
package.

The'Hefti composition was pre¬
viously recorded by Count Basie,
Steve Allen and Neal Hefti, as an
instrumental only. Since there is
no authorized recording of the
lyric version, legal sources say that
the compulsory licensing provision
of the Copyright Law does not ap¬
ply and that any recordings using
an unauthorized lyric would be an
infringement of copyright. Basie
previously recorded the “Li’l
DarUn’ ” tune as an instrumental
in a Roulette package tagged
“Basie.” It was released later as a
single. The Allen instrumental on
Coral and the Hefti version on Epic
are not involved in the squawk and
may continue to be sold and per¬
formed.

Until a lyric for “Li’l Darlin’ ” is
approved by Hefti, the composer-
p.ubUsher will restrict recordings to
the instrumental vesions.

Lyric for “Li’l Djirlin”’ in the
“Sing Along With Basie” LR was
written by Jon Hendricks who ap¬
pears with Dave Lambert and An¬
nie Ross and Joe Williams oh the I
vocal end of the set

JU -7'

PLANETARY^S NEW HQ IN BRIT,

London, Dec. 9.

Planetary-Kahl (London) Ltd.,
the music publishing outlet which
was recently set up here under
the control, of ex-Mills Music Eu¬
ropean topper, Fred Jackson, has
moved into permanent headquar¬
ters at Charing Cross Road. Until
yesterday (Mon.), Jackson was han¬
dling the company’s operation
from his home.

New appointment ito the pubbery
is that of Griff Lewis as profes¬
sional manager. Lems worked for
Jackson with Mills some tme back.

Nobody seenos to like the “Top
40” except the radio station man¬
agers. Although the “Top 40” pro¬
gramming pkttem has come in for
a steadb'^ stream of raps, more and
more stations around the country
are adapting the technique.

Situation has developed to such
a state that sales and promotion
execs of diskeries are. conducting
seminars to come up with the new
Mgles'to crack through the “Top
40” blockade. Big problem facing
the record companies, especially
the indies. Is that it’s become vir¬
tually meaningless to “reach” a
disk Jockey for a special push on
a platter.

“There’s no point to payola, any¬
more,” admitted one indie exec,
“because the deejay is no longer
In control of his own show,” With
the station managers assuming di¬
rection of the platter programming
via “Top 40,” the deejays are be¬
ginning to lose out on those
“fringe” benefits such as under-
the-tumtable cash, cut-ins and par¬
ticipation deals. The diskery exec
addjsd that it was easier to get to
a disk jockey than a station n>an-
ager with some sort of offer.

Another of the diskery beefs re
“Top 40” is that it restricts the
breaking In of a new disk. In the
“Top 40” pattern there’s only room
be applied, but was willing to lay
the question over for another year
(Continued on page 62)

RCA Camden In
Low-Price Boom

Indicative of the boom in the
low-priced disk field are the sales
of RCA Victor’s Camden line. Sales
on Camden platters for the first 10
months of this year have now
topped the combined sales of the
diskery for the two previous years,
1956 and 1957. Upbeat has been
generated by the wide spread of
racks in the supermarkets and syn¬
dicate stores, now with well over
20,000 outlets.

Camden’s booming sales, accord¬
ing to Frank O’Donnell, merchan¬
dising chief, stem from the fact
that top Victor names such as
Perry Como, the Three Suns, Rob¬
ert Shaw Chorale, etc., are now
being released via Camden’s $1.98
series. Camden also has been push¬
ing its classical catalog culled from
oldies in Victor’s Red Seal divi¬
sion.

Amount of Payoff Stpies ASCAP
Talks With Broadcast Committee;
Toe-Stubber: Video or Radio Rate

ElvU Hotter ’n' Ever

: Elvis Presley, now serving
in Germany with the Army, is
continuing his hot selling
streak for RCA Victor. His
latest single, “One Night”
backed with “I Got Stung,”
which was released Oct. 21,
already has racked up 1,100,-
000 sales.

According to Steve Sholes,
Victor’s pop artist & repertoire
chief, everything in the Pres¬
ley catalog (and that includes
25 singles and five LPs) con¬
tinues on a steady sales pace.
Presley’s top-selling single,
“Don’t Be Cruel” b/w “Blue
Suede Shoes”, has passed the
5,000,000 mark.

WBR in 1st Natl
Distributor Meet

Hollywood. Dec. 9.

Warner Bros. Records has slated
its first national distributor meet¬
ing for Dec. 19 at the Burbank
studio.

In addition to the various divi¬
sional sales managers and field
promotion men attending, label
prexy James Conkling has invited
32 individual distribs to" make the
date.

Company’s N. Y. personnel,
which includes George Avakian,
Hal Cook, Peter Sutro, Monroe
Glasberg, Irv Iserson, Cy Segal,
Vic Chirumbolo and Harry Anger,
are also Coasting for the meet,
which will be hosted by Conkling,
Herb Handler, Joel Friedman, Har¬
ris Ashbum, Norm Goodwdn.

Primary purpose of the gather¬
ing is to imveU the new January
and February product and the
firm’s merchandising, sales pro¬
motion and ad program.

ABC-Par’s Stereo Singles

ABC-Paramount»- is the latest
diskery to get Into the single
stereo swing for jukebox spins.

Label’s artists headed for the
stereo jukes are Eydie Gorme,
Paul Anka, Teddy Randazzo, the
DeCastro Sisters, Ferrante “
Teicher and the Keymen.

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

New York—(MDS)

Boston—(Mosher Music) |

Philadelphia—(Charles DuMont) |

San Antonio—(San Antonio Mus.) j

Chicago—(Lyori-Healy Music Co.)

Detroit—(Pied Pipet Music) |

Indianapolis—(Pearson’s)

Minneapolis—(Schmitt Music Co.)

Kansas City—(Jenkins Music Co.)

San Francisco—(Pad. Coast Music)

3

efl-

S

a;

1

I

4)

"e

5

O

Seattle—(Capitol Music Co.)

T

0

T

A

L

P

O

1

N

T

_S

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
12 cities and showing com¬
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

♦ ASCAP t BMI

National

Rating

This Last

wk. wk. Title and Publisher

1

2

tKnow Him (Warman)....

1

4

1

1 .

9

3

3

2

5

2

4

3

94

2

1

fTom Dooley (Beechwood)

5

6

2

2

7-

10.^

T.

1

3

1

1

82

3A 3

♦It’s All in Game (Remick)

.

9

2

6

9

2

3

4

5

9

50

3B 4

♦Day Rains Came (Garland).

6

10

10

4

5

9

2

2

1

50

5

5

♦World Outside (Chappell)

3

1

3

8

2

..

43

6

♦'There Goes My Heart (Feist)_

3

7

4

6

5

30

7

8

♦Non Dimenticar (HoUis) ..

4

5

4

8

7

27

8A 6

tLonesome Town (Epic)..

2

4

. .

. .

6

7

25

8B

11

♦Tbpsy No. 2 (Cosmopolitan).....

3

"T"

..

...

..

4

..

..

'25

lOA 15

tOnly Make Believe (Marielle)...

7

5

7

..

3

22

lOB

7

♦The End (Criterion):.,...

5

4

10

7

10

8

22

12

13

tCall Me (Meridian).

......

. .

9

8

7

9

5

17

13A 12

♦Chase'Moonbeam (Witmark)....

8

~

5

..

15

13B

T4

♦Near You (Supreme).

.

9

1

8

15 '

15

♦Silver Bells (Famous)r...

1

••

••

8

13

' Breakdown last week of the ne-j
gotiations between the All-Indus¬
try Radio Music License Commit¬
tee and the American Society of
Composers, Authors & Publishers
still leaves the broadcast licens¬
ing picture wide open.

According to ASCAP, over 1,000
stations, of the country’s 4,000 out¬
lets, have licenses that do not ex¬
pire at the end of this year. At the
same time, ASCAP is now carrying
on negotiations with the radio net¬
works for a new license to replace
the one that has been in effect
since 1940. '

ASCAP has challenged the In¬
die radio committee to disclose
precisely whom it represents. Such
a list of stations, according to
ASCAP, has not been forthcom¬
ing. The radio committee, how¬
ever, claims to represent some 640
outlets around the country, a rep¬
resentative cross-section of the in¬
die radio industry. ^

= Breakdown of the negotiations
for a new pact stemmed from dif¬
ferences over the licensing fees to
be paid ASCAP. The broadcasters
asked for a reduction in the cur¬
rent 2.25% take of the station’s
gross, minus some deductions, to
the televisiDn rate of 2.05%.
ASCAP countered with a sugges¬
tion that the current deal be ex¬
tended for another year.

ASCAP execs flatly rejected the
broadcasters’ proposal that the tv
rate be applied tb radio. They
pointed out that whereas televi--
sion is a general | entertainment
medium, presentii^j a wide range
of material, radio as almost ex¬
clusively a purveyor of music,
punctuated with news and com¬
mercials. Hence, ASCAP believes
that a rate higher than that of
2.25% for blanket licenses should
(Continued on page 58)

’Beep Beep’ Brings Ban
By Britisli BBC Bot
‘BntMe’ Breezes By

“Beep Beep,” the Playmates*
clicko Roulette disk, had to wash
the commercial out of its lyric for
its run in Great Britain. In the
Playmates’ original disking, song
features plugs for the Nash Ram¬
bler and the Cadillac and was
changed for England to the Mor¬
ris Minor and Rolls Royce.

The BBC, however, nixed the
plugs and the lyric was changed
again, this time to “bubble car’'
(for Morris Minor) and “limousine”
(for Rolls Royce).

Time mag, incidentally, in its
Dec. 8 issue, ran a story on the
upbeat of Nash Rambler sales, re¬
printing three stanzas of the song’s
lyrics.

(Previously, the Playmates’ edi¬
tion of “Sing, Brother, Sing” was
banned by the BBC because it
mentioned Shredded Wheat.)

HOWARD MILLER’S FAT
$25,000 CHI R^B.O.

Chicago, Dec. 9.

Deejay Howard Miller’s fourth
Opera House rock ’n’ roller, a 10-
acter, grossed a sock $25,000 for
two performances last Saturday
(6). Headliners included Everly
Bros., Conway Twitty, Frankie
Avalon and Connie Francis, with
Dan Belloc orch backstopping.

Miller plans future gigs for May
and next fall.

The 20 Sides of Beone

Randy Wood, Dot Records chief,
is heading from the Coast to New
York Friday (12) with musical
director Billy Vaughn for a mara¬
thon recording session with Pat
Boone.

Dot plans to put 20 sides into
the can for a series of single and
album releases.

58-

N17S1C

Wednesday^ December 10* 1958

BMTs 1958 Hit-Tune Awards

57 Songs Make the Grade in Citations That Include
91 Writers, 55 Publishers

Broadcast Music Inc. palmed 57
songs published through BMI af¬
filiates, for hitting the bestseller
charts this year at its annual din¬
ner at the Hotel Pierre, N.Y., last
night (Tues.). Indicative of the
far-flung nature of the current
music biz is the fact that the
awards were given to 91 writers
and 55 publishers from 16 states,
Canada, Cuba, Great Britain and
Italy.

The 57 songs that “made it” this
year were: “Lonesome Town” by
Baker Knight; “Rebel Houser” by
Duane Eddy, Lee Hazelwood; “It’s
Only Make Believe’’ by Conway
Twitty, Jack Nance; “One Night”
by David Bartholomew, Pearl
King; “26 Miles and "Big Man”
by Bruce BaUard, Glen Larson;
“Jennie Lee” by Jan Berry, Arnie
Ginsburg; “Do You Want To
Dance” by Bobby Freeman; "West¬
ern Movies” by Clifford Gold¬
smith, Fred Smith; "Endless
Sleep” by Dolores Nance, Jody
Reynolds; ‘To Know Him Is To
Love Him” by Philip Spector;
“Rockin’ Robin” by Jimmy
Thomas; "Purple People Eater”
by Sheb Wooley.

Also "A Wonderful Time Up
There” by LeeRoy Abernathy;;
“Just A Dream” by Jimmy Clan-j
ton, Cosimo Matassa; “Sweet Little
Sixteen” by Chuck Berry; “Short
Shorts” by . Thomas Austin, Bill
Crandall, Bill Dalton. Bob Gaudio;
“Beep, Beep” by - Carl Cichetti,
Donald Claps; “Book of Love” by I
Warren Davis, George Malone, I
Charles Patrick; “I Beg of You” i
by Rosemarie McCoy, Kelly B.
Owens; “Peggy Sue” by Jerry AUi-!
son, Norman Petty; “Sugartime”
by Odis Echols, Charles Phillips;
‘Tequila” by Chuck Rio; “Poor
Little Fool” by Shari Sheeley.

Also “Looking Back” by Brook
Benton, Belford Hendricks, Clyde
Otis; “Breathless, by Otis Black-
well; “Great Balls of Fire” by
Blackwell, Jack Hammer; “Fever”
Blackwell, Eddie J. Cooley; “Wear
My Ring Around Your Neck” by
Bert Carroll, Russell Moody, Mari¬
lyn Schack; “Lah Dee Dah” by
Bob Crewe, Frank Slay; “SpUsh
Splash” by Bobby Darin, Jean
Murray; “Lollipop” by Julius Dix¬
on, Beverly Ross; “Non Dimenti-
car”" by Shelly Dobbins, Michele
Galdieri, P. G. Redi; “The Stroll”
by Nancy Lee, Otis; “Twilight
Time” by Artie Dunn, A1 Nevins;
“Don’t”' and “Yakety Yak” by
Jerry Lieber, Mike StoUer; “Lit¬
tle Star” by Vito Picone, Arthur
Venosa; “Love Is AU We Need”
by. Ben Raleigh, Don Wolf; "My
True Love” by Jack Scott; “One
Summer Night” by Danny Webb, j

Also “Get A Job” by Earl T.
Beal, Raymond W. Edwards, Wil¬
liam F. Horton, Richard A. Lewis;
“At The Hop” by John Medora,
Artie Singer, Baba Cynwyd, David
White; “Oh, Jujie” by Noel Ball,
Kenneth Moffitt; “AU I Have To
Do Is Dream,’..’ “Bird Dog,” “De¬
voted To You,” “Problems” by
Boudleaux Bryant; “Oh Lonesome
Me” by Don Gibson; “Are You
Sincere” by Wayne P. Walker;
“Stood Up” by Willis Dickerson,
Erma Herrold; “Chantilly Lace” |
by J. P. Richardson; “Sugar Moon”
by Danny Wolfe; “You Are- My ]
Destiny” by Paul Anka; “Swing¬
ing Shepherd Blues” by Moe Koff-
man; “Patricia” by Perez Prado; j
and “Why Don’t They Under- j
stand” by Jack Fishman, Joe Hen¬
derson.

Jubilee in Tracker Of
Par’s "The Geisha Boy’

The soundtrack to Paramount’s
“The Geistia Boy” wiU hit the
market via Jubilee Records, Orig¬
inal music and orchestration for
the film, which stars Jerry Lewis,
were penned by JubUee pactee
Walter Scharf.

Package wiU feature excerpts
from the score recorded by the Sin-
fonia Orfchestra of London conduct¬
ed by Muir Matheson. It wUl be
released both on stereo and
monaural disks next week. Pic is
due for general release around the
country by Christmas.

To further the tie-in between
disk and film, Jubilee has just re¬
leased a single version of "Song
From Geisha Bpy’^ recorded by
Don Rondo.

British Disk Bestsellers

London, Dec. 9.

Hoots Mon.. .Rockin^am XI
(Decca)

It’s Only Make Believe.Twitty
(MGM)

Tom Dooley .Donegan

(Pye-Nixa)

It’s All In Game ....Edwards*
(MGM)

A Certain Smile..... .Mathis
(Fontana)

Tom Dooley-Kingston Trio

(Capitol)

More Than Ever. .M. Vaugh^h
(HMV)

Tea For Two Cha Cha Dorsey
(Brunswick)

High Class Baby_Richard

(Columbia)

Bird Dog..Everly Bros.

. (London)

Donnie Lanier’s Pubbeiy
With Sugar Ray’s Manager

Donnie Lanier, member of the
vocal combo, the Rhythm Orchids,
which has cut for the Dot and
Roulette labels, has set lip his own
pubUshlng firm, Lanier Music, in
New York-

Associated with him are Harold
Johnson, manager of Sugar Ray
Robinson, who Is v.p.

ASGAhBMI

CoBtiaued from pago 1 sss
BMI gets 40% of ASCAP’s total
when its performances are about
eight percentage points lower.

ASCAP execs pointed out, move-
over, that BMI was being overpaid
purely on a mathematical basis with¬
out estimating the prestige values
of the AS(3AP or BMI catalogs. As
ASCAP general counsel Herman
Finkelstein put it, “What would the
broadcasters do without a song like
‘A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody’
or ‘School Days,’ which tell a story
in a few bars of music. Compare
the value of ASCAP songs with the
bulk of BMI’s material.”

ASCAP negotiators with the
broadcasters brought up the charge
that radio tends to favor new BMf
songs as against new ASCAP
songs. This, in substance, is the
charge which is the basis of the
antitrust suit brought by 33 ASCAP
songwriters against BMI and the
major network.

The broadcasters denied any fa¬
voritism toward BMI, pointing out
that their negotiating committee
contained no stockholders in BMI.
Finkelstein retorted that BMI is
organized to benefit the broad¬
casters withotit regard to whether
they are stockholders. He said
BMI was a unique entei^rise org¬
anized by stockholders without any
idea of paying dividends to the
stockholders. Rather, rebates are
given on the licensing fees to the
industiy as a whole.

Inside Stuff-Musk

The first home date by the Dukes of Dixieland in over four years
will be the occasion of a special citatioDf to Sidney Frey, Audio Fidel¬
ity Records chief, for bringing New Orleans music to the world. The
Dukes have cut a series of nine LPs for AFR and have proved to be
one of the tbp dixieland sellers in the disk field for the past couple of
years. New Orleans solons will palm Frey in conjunction with a hi-fi
show and the Dukes’ opening at Ciro’s there tomorrow (Thurs.). The
Dukes are slated to play their first New York nitery date, at the Round¬
table, Jan. 12. Up ahea^, they will do the Timex jazz spec on tv Jan. 7.

A report from Rome says that Italian singer-actor Teddy Reno has
been signed to. an exclusive recording contract by RCA? Reno previous¬
ly released via the Italian C.G.D.' label, in which he had, and still re¬
tains, part ownership. First. LP. pressed in Rome’s RCA plant. Is ready
for release. It’s titled “Teddy Reno in Hi-Fi.” U.S. release is planned
early next year. Singer, recently in Paris for 10-day series of dates
(he has a top-selling French disk in “Au Moment Qu’ on S’Aime”),
also has several German pic projects in the books, and a stateside
series of dates, and Is due for appearances on the Perry Como show
teleshow next spring.

ASCAP-Radio Breakdowu

; Continued from pace 57 ;

in view of the uncertainty In the
licensing picture engendered by
the ASCAP songwriters’ suit
against Broadcast Music Inc. (see
separate story).

Next step for the broadcasters
is for them to bring a rate case to
N.Y. Federal Court. - Under the
ASCAP consent decree, ASCAP’s
customers have the right to appeal
to the courts to settle a dispute
over licensing fees. In the mean¬
time, the broadcasters can use'
ASCAP music under an interim
license.

The pact with .most of the broad¬
casters, which runs out at the end
of this year, has beisq in force
since the settlement of the bitter
dispute in 1939 which led to the

formation of BMI. ASCAPers re¬
fer to it as the “take it or leave
it” pact, a reference to the ‘‘black¬
out” of ASCAP music that pre¬
ceded the Society’s signing of the
present deaL

While most of the broadcasters
operate on a blanket license, in
which ASCAP’s whole repertory
is made available for general use
by stations, the radio committee
is now also asking for a reduction
in ASCAP’s per-program license
in which a‘ broadcaster pays only
for the music that he uses. The
broadcasters claim that ASCAP’s
current stiff charge for the per-
program license, does not permit
a genuine economic choice vis-a¬
vis the blanket pact.

RETAIL ALBUM BEST SELLERS

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wk. wk.

Artist, Label, Tlile

New York—R.

Long Island— (j

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FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)
Only the Lonely (W 1053)....

7

19

7

1

5

2

1

9

6

1

1

3

9

2

7

94

2

5

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

Sing Along With Mitch (CL1160)..

1

5

4

3

3

1

2

1

3

4

4

90

3

2

SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)
Soundtrack (LOG 1932).

2

8

9

2

7

3

5

2

2

1

10

3

3

86

4

3

VAN CLIBURN (Victor)
Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250)..

3

8

5

4

1

2

3

6

7

7

10

2

81

5

6

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)
Kingston Trio (T 996).

4

7

7

5

1

9

1

4

1

I

70

6

4

GIGI (MGM)

Soundtrack (E 3641).

5

1

3

5

4

6

10

8

8

1

7

6

68

7A 14

JQHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Swing Softly (CL 1165)......

4

6

10

10

2

4

5

36

7B 8

MUSIC MAN (Capitol)
Original Cast (WAO 990).

8

4

7

6

6

2

8

36

9A 9

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)

But Not For Me (LP 628)....

8

5

2

3

6

'8

10

J5

9B 7

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1243)..

9

4

1

5

1

J5

11

15

RAY CONIFF ((Columbia)
Concert in Rhythm (CL 1163)

1

9

4

5

3

J3

12

16

MY FAIR LADY (Columbia)
Original Cast (CL 6090).

6

9

6

2

4

13A 11

NAT KING COLE (Capitol) ,

Very Thought of You <W 1084)....

10

4

9

5

4

J3

13B ..

TENNESSEE ERNIE (Capitol)

Star Carols (T 1071).

1

7

#

2

15

FOUR LADS (Columbia)
Breezin* Along (CL 1223)_

7

6

9

3

16

10

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Johnny’s Greatest Hits (CL 1135)..

10

2

5

9

18

17

20

JONAH JONES (Capitol)

Swinging at the Cinema (T 1085)..

7

5

4

_n

18

21

PAT BOONE (Dot)

Stardust (DLP 3118)..

10

10

9

9

1

19

13

HARRY BELAFONTE (Victor)

Sing the Blues (LC 1006).

8

6

8

7

_15

20A 12

SOUTH PACIFIC (Columbia)
Original Cast (B2579-80).

6

3

10

u

20B ..

MANTOVANI (London)

Film Encores (LL 1700).

5

7

7

JA

22

KEELY SMITH (Capitol)
Politely (T 1073)...

23

18

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Merry Christmas (CL 1195).......

1

9

12

24

PERRY COMO (Victor)

End of Day (LPM 1885).

3

8

11

25

ESQUIVEL ORCH (Victor)
Other Worlds (LPM 1753)...

9

3

10

iPT^dnetdajy' December * 10, 1958

SCOSIC

ColP»dsWryitsoB:Iv«ryJoeHuBler, -

Tnmierslo Dot Other SgB^^ liBidforN.Y.

_ Earl Wrightson has joined the make his disk how on Decpa. His amiunSion --

■ Columbia Kecords roster. Wright- first single releases are due early up uryiff ffAAT\ tPiirrc* crviv

son has appeared in musicomedy in January. Carl is managed, by ^ ^ MICH HOOD TAKES 5TH

and tv. A few weeks ago the singer Mike Shepherd. They met while her piatten_ ifUVil. ilUUl/ imUja til 11

grooved a ^’Kiss Me Kate” album they were shipmates in the service. t > jfV IT ^ ITTiri?RAY PIHIR]

with Mary Mayo for Col’s low- —- - ^Sh^a’s Additions jn U.iJ. JUALDUA lIlUDi

price Harmony label. Joyi Upbeats The Shasta label, run by crooner Washineton- Dec 9

_ . _ —=—_ . Joy Records, new disk subsid set ^akely, bol^^^^^^^ Rackets Committee be

;*«Silent Love**
Magic.”

Manoti Supported by Other Unions
In Bid for N.Y. State Tudi of Arts’

with Mary Mayo for Col’s low-
price Harmony label.

Dot: Ivory Joe, Treniers

Hollywood, Dec. 9.

' —♦“ Proposal by Al Manuti, musi-

If/iff iiaaa *P 1 irr<r> dr**rTT) clans prexy of Local 802 of New

UCH. HOOD TAKES 5TH ^ork, that Govemor Elect Nelson

Rockefeller consider the estab-

IN U S JUKEBOX PROBE of * permanent N. Y.

ill U.|J. JUIILDVA inUDli state agency to foster music and
Washington; Dec. 9. the performing arts is getting wide
Senate Rackets Committee be- support among other shoW busi-^

Ivory Joe Hunter has been ously recorded for the Swan label,
signed to Dot by prexy Randy Combo kicks off under the Joy

up by JorM^irhaTMched c^^^^^^ last week with the signing of Jack ^en^ie Rackets committee oe- support ^ among other shoW busi.
to U&U Vtc “ prevf (Tex) WiUlams. Tommy Duncan, gan hearings Thursday (4) on nes ^ons Manuti proposed to

Wood. Tom Mack, veepee in manner with “Jus
charge of albums, will supervise Movies coupl^ y
Hunter’s Initial waxings. Hunter Seemed To Be.
first will cut a piano album, with
a string background, of his own umhe^rtb Ma
compositions.. . 'LSd‘nite^

^slvSMrdedfor^eSwmSd Cousin Herb Henderson and Bon- gangster penetration of jukebox N.Y. agency Immediately after his

Combo kicks^ off tmdCT tte Joy nie Sloan. Wakely is now preppiriff and related fields with a Fifth reelection of Local 802 last week

banner with “Just Like In The an album of country songs that Amendment clam-up by Frank m a smashmg victory In which he

Movies” coupled with “Oh» What have racked up 1,000,000 disk sales. Cammarata, veteran Michigan swamped the opposition.

^ j. .Lv uiaa.ci aiiu xiitcij ucixuiiuci, iias

AlwO pacted by Dot were the inj^ed to Kapp Records. He’s
Tremors, eight-man combo cur- already cut big .first T.P for Kapp,
rently playing at Gene Norman's “Songs hv Umberto Marcata.” due

Crescendo nitery.

single will be “When Your Hair the set are sung In Italian and
Has Turned to Silver” h/w “Never English,

Never.” Previously Kapp released Mar-

• cata in a “Volare” album which

Everest’s Pactees was recorded in Sweden. Marcata

The new Everest label continued is .currently-in the U. S. and is
its pacting spree last week. Added slated for a personal -appearance

to the label were Tommy Alexan- tour here and in Canada.

der. Coast bandleader; crooner-Bob. —-- _ _ ^ _

Manning;- and Sammy Gardner & Bel Canto: Orrin Tucker action. of the firm’s oi^onents. Camma^ dies for cultural enterprises could

His Mound^ City Six, dixieland Hollywood Dec. 9. Mrs. Rita Young, widow of com- rata, according tq. Kaplan, told this be obtained from local, state and

group out of St. Louis, for the pop Orrin Tucker has signed* with poser Victor Young and adminis- : individual to be “nice” to Music Federal agencies under proper

In the classical divisinn Canto Records. His first wax- tratrix of his estate, recently filed System. Kaplan said Cammarata conditions. He said that Local 802

tanked Ilf WiWHd “g. according to Russ MoUoy, exec a suit against the label asking $lfi.- also se^ed as timbleshooter for succeeded m gettmg a $50,000 ap-

fSmerconductoY^ theM^toD^^^^ v.p. of the label, will be released 500 in royalties which she claimed Music System m Youngstown, O P^oP^iation from the N.Y City

the MetroSan AuiSttonlo? to 15 “5 i* taSSed “The New due the estate for Young's score, when the comply was having dif- Board of Estimate last year to pro-

Air. Sound of Orrin Tucher." an LP Deeea deposited $17,500 with the ficulty distributing ne^ 100-record mote live concerts in cooperation

— ■ . featuring the batoneer bn sax with court, stating it had been under in- Seeburg jukes. Performance Trust

Seemed To Be.” -: hoodlum. He invoked the consti- American GuRd of Musical Ar-

— - Holland: Del Porter tutional privilege repeatedly when tists Is backing the Manuti recom-

.Kapp: Umberto Marcata Singer Del Porter has been pact- asked about racketeer inroads into mendation. Hy Faine, AGMA’s na-

Umberto Marcata, European ed by Holland Records, N. Y. indie, the Detroit jukebox industry. tional secret^, said that “the

disker and nitery performer, has His first platter will be “Sorry,” Although Cammarata wouldn’t creation of Lincoln Square, which
been inked to Kapp Records. He’s due next month. talk, committee staff investigator is being built in large part by con^

ready cut his .&st for Kapp, -^^- Arthur Kaplan testified that a tributions from private citizens

)ongs by Umberto h(mrcata,’ due i nir/i TniTi uta Detroit juke distributor. Music organizations, must be

be released Jan. 3. The tunes in nrP^A AnITx KIi IxIN ii System Inc.^ couldn’t place its matched on a broad statewide

fvifch* “"* ^ boxes around town because of al- acale by help, from the N.Y. State

r J 7 - 1 ... AN nAYS’ PAYOFF leged Teamster Union favoritism Government"

rh-eylously ^Kapp^^released UflliJ liliUll tQ^yg^d a competitor, Angott Dis- Manuti has also received sup-

« r?C 0 ?de(?ta“lweS’^l^ta - Dos Angeles, Dec.. 9. Irlbuting Co. port from other theatrical union

currently-in the U. k and is Determination of who is entitled The committee investigator re- leaders, representing technicians
ated for a personal -appearance to royalties on the album, “Around lated that Music System’s troubles p well as performers, in Informal

ur h«ce and in Canada. the World, in 80 Days,” is asked by were solved by a simple conversa- talks over the past few weeks.

—-- Decca Records in a Superior Court tion between Cammarata and one Manuti pointed out that subsl-

ne Norman s “Songs by Umberto Marcata,” due
Their initial to be released Jan. 3. The tunes in

DECCA ASKS REING

Manuti has also received sup¬
port from other theatrical union

Decca: Eddie Carl
Eddie Carl, 21-year-old recently

backing by 23 sidemen.

structions to pay royalties to the With not enough senators around ^^na allocations.

w’ith the Music Performance Trust

The LP Is comprised of such Michael Todd Co., and not to to make a quorum, probe won’t be

discharged from the Navy, will tunes as “Temptation,” “Lover,”' Young.

able to resume until January.

RETAIL DISK BEST SELLERS

P^iiEfr ——

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on reports ob¬
tained from leading stores in
20- cities and shovnng com-
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

National ^ S \ | ^

Ratine JH >a B ^ B

This Last > S I S 1

wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title ^ 3 a < ^

TEDDY BEARS (Dore)

1 1 To Know Him Is To Love Him.. 2 3 5.. 1

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

2 2 Tom Dooley...... 1. 2 .. .. 2

I. PLATTERS (Mercury) ^ '

3 6 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. 6 4 2 2 .;

PLAinHATES (Roulette) ^ ^ “

4 3 Beep, Beep.. 5 6 6. .. ' 6

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty) «

5 9 Chipmunk Song. . 1 ’ 1 1 5

CONWAY TWITTY (MGM)

6 4 It’s Only Make Believe.. 4 .

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

7 6 I Got Stune.r.... .. .. .. 8

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

8 7-^-*One Night. 7 7 .3 .. ..

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence)

9 8 Problems .. .. .. 9 5 10

CLYDE MePHATTER (Atlantic)

10 -14 A Lover’s Question.................. .. 4 .. 3

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)

11 17 Lonesome Town....10 .. ..

COZY COLE (Love)

12 10 Topsy No. 2. 9 .. .. 9

RICKY NELSON (ImperiaU ^ ~

13 15 I Got a Feeling........• ..

BOBBY DARm (Atco)

14 11 Queen of the Hop..... S 9 7

TOMMY EDWARDS (MGM)

15 12 It’s AU in the Game. .... .. ..

DORSEY-COVINGTON (Decca)

16 18 Tea For Two Cha Cha... ,, 10..

BILLY GRAMMER (Monument)

17 .. Gotta Travel On.:. 7 .. ..

CONNIE FRANCIS (MGM)

18A .. My Happiness...... .. 8 .. ..

,1 I 1 I

3 10 6 114

1 4 .. 98

6 1 1 78

8 4"^

9 8 2 51

7 .. 5 45

RITCHIE VALENS (Delphi)

Donna ..;

ROYALTONES (Jubilee)

Poor Boy-...

JIMMIE RODGERS (Roulette)

Bimbmubey ... .. .. ,,

FOUR COINS (Epic)

The World Outside.... ^ , . •

FATS DOMINO (Imperial)

Whole LoUa Lovin’._.

PRIMA-SMITH (Capitol) ■"

That Old Black Magic..... 8

FRANKiE AVALON (Chancellor) ’

I’ll Walt For You.

» Local 802’s parent body, the
American Federation of Musicians,
- has long pleaded with the national
Government to set up a “cultural
ministry.” Former AFM prexy
James C. Petrillo made this pitch
before Congressional committees
and in private talks with Presi-
; dents. In recent years, although
j there has been no move toward
j the creation of a new cabinet post
jfor cultural affairs, the music and
! the arts have been getting a big-
I ger play from various Gtovernment
! agencies, notably the State Dept,
for its international goodwill as¬
pects.

1st Round to WB
Vs. Warner Music

N. Y. Federal Judge Frederick
Van Pelt Bryan granted a prelimi¬
nary injunction to Warner Bros,
and its publishing subsid, Music
Publishers Holding Corp., in its
suit against Warner Music. Latter
firm operates in N.Y. under a Sid¬
ney Siegel. Joseph Diamond is
company’s legal rep.

The court held that the plain¬
tiffs have made out a “clear and
convincing case of unfair competi¬
tion and trademark infringement”
He also added, “It is probable that
th^ will ultimately be successful
in the action. They have also shown
that they will, suffer serious and
probably irreparable injury from
the defendant if not enjoined.”

An ordm* will be issued restrain¬
ing the defendant, pending a hear¬
ing and determination of the ac¬
tion from manufacturing, selling,
advertising or distributing records
under the Warner name.

Rambow’s Name Orebs

Salt Lake City, Dee. 9.

^ Bob Freed, of the Lagoon
Amusement Centre here, has taken
over operation of the Rainbow Ball¬
room, with plans for a big name
band policy, starting with Stan
Kenton in January.

Similar policy prevails for the
Lagoon.

Nathan-Neeley Roadwork

Syd Nathan, King Records prez,
and his general manager Hal Neely
swiing west from their Cincinnati
base last week to check branch
operations in Los Angeles and San
Francisco. During the Coast stay,
they’ll record Earl Bostic in a se¬
ries of albums.

On the return trek, they’ll stop
off at Dallas, Houston and New
Orleans to o.o. King’s branches
there. YVhile in Dallas^ they'll also
record Tini Lopez, young singer
' recently signed to the labeL

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USidEft

SPEAKMG OF SINGLES!

Watch for these NBC-TV shows, In color and black and white: THE PERRY COMO SHOW,
ELLERY QUEEN, and THE GEORGE GOBELSHOW. Th^re all sponsored by RCA VICTOR!

■k J|^ ^ ^ ^ 4 Jf ^ ^ ^ ^ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

. 19,-1!^'

Sdiaefer New
UA Pkge. Proi

Hal Schaefer, piaiiist>handleader
^vho had heeix sezrving as muslcid
director for United Artists Rec¬
ords, has been given the status of
an “Independent producer” for the
diskery. He’s been signed to do a
series of six albums for the UA
label Under a setup which parallels
the picture compass relationship
with its Indie pic producers.

Max Youngstein, prexy of the
UA’s disk operation, has been fav¬
oring the in^e disk production set¬
up as giving -maximum flexibility
to the creative end of the business.

Schaefer's first for UA under
his new deal will be titled “10
Shades of Blue” and will be ready
for shipment next month.

PjAm&Y S€oreboard

OF

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Statistical Sports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outiets

Coin Madimes Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

FRAN

WARREN

Sings

SUNDAY
KIND OF
LOVE

JESSE GREEt

FLAPPERETTE

Vocal - Instrumental

fablislMd by

MILLS MUSIC

NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists .and Tunes listed hereunder If
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets ensh
merated above. These findings are correlated vrith data from wider sources, which are exclusive
with VARirry. The positioTis resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de^
veloped fromjhe ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent (coin machines, rstaH
disks) and three ways in the case of tunes (^n machines, retail disks and retail sheet fntttie).

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

♦ ASCAP t BMI

TALENT.

ARTIST AND LABEL . TUNE

KINGSTON TEIO (Capitol)..TomDooleyf

ELVIS PBESIKY (Victor)....

TEDPYBEABS (Dore) .. To Know Him, Love Himf

PLAYMATES (Roulette) .. Beep Beepf

EICKY NELSON (Imperial).fl’ve Got A FeeEngf ''

^ ^ (Lonesome Townj^

CONWAY TWITTY (MGM)..It’s Only Make-BeUevef

PLATTEBS (Mercury) . Smoke Gets In Your Eyes*

Chipmunks (Liberty) ..,,, chipmunk Song*

EVEBLY BBOS. (Cadence) ....

(Love Of My Lifef

COZY COLE (Love) ....Topsy*

TUNES

TUNE PUBLISHES

fTO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM.... Warman

fTOM DOOLEY .. Beechwood

trrS ONLY MAKE BELIEVE.... Marielle

*BEEP,-BEEP........ HScL

*SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES.....Harms

fLONESOME TOWN ..... _ Eric

’^Chipmunk song .. Monarch

fPROBLEMS . A-Rose

*I GOT STUNG ........ Gladys

^IT’S ALL IN THE GAME Remick

On Hk Upbeat

GO CHASE A MOONBEAM

I Jerry VaM Calumbia 4-123t

I GREAT SOMEBODY
! GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE

I The SMithwftst High School Choir
I 0.1. OaWo, Diroctor Columbia 4*1299

EACH TIME YOU KISS ME
i THE BOX .

I Tha Fo«r Vako« Columbia 4*1291

New York

Sidney A. Diamond, trustee and
member of the Ck)pyright Society
U.S.A., win discuss “Copyright
Problems in the Phonograph Indus-
'try” at a limcheon of the society
Friday (12) at Toots Shops . . .
Norman Rubin , has joined United
Artists Records in the promotion
department.

Square handle of Tiny Tim, new
Roulette disked, is Howard Wflson.
He’s 14 years old and from the
Coast . . . Ray Passman into indie
disk promotion beginning with the
Miller Bros, and Beverly Kenny ...
Ziggy Lane, who’s now recording
for Carousel Records, opens at the
Golden Slipper, Glen Cove, Dec.
16 . . . Conway Twitty, MGM
pactee, touring the southwest until

THE NOVELITES

CiffTMtly (From Sopf. 4)

DUNES HOTEL, U$ Vegas

and CONTINUING THRU MAR. 4. 1959

PLUS: 16 ADDITIONAL WEEKS IN 1959
PLUS: 16 WEEKS IN 1960

Jj

Pars. Mgr.—NORMAN SCHUYLU

-ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION-

JOI OLASlit. Fras.

745 FI«h Ava. 203 N. Wabash AvG 407 Lincoln Rd. Mif Sunsot Blvd.
Now York 72. N.Y. Chicago. III. Miami Baach. Fla. H'wood 4«, Calif.
Fhona; Fhonat Phono: Phono:

PLaia 9-4i0t CEntral i-MSI JEfforson »-03»3 OLynipla 2-H4g

Dec. 18 . . . Don Elliott begins a
three-week stay at the Grate,
Miami Beach, Dec. 25. .

Tommy Edwards pencilled in at
Menuti’s Lounge, Houston, Dec.
29-31 . . . MiteheU Parish deffed
English lyrics to ’‘Senorita Pepita
de Cuba,” French tune comp<»ed
by Panl Dnrand. Mills Is publishing
it in the U.S. . . . Urania Records
has taken office space on Fifth
Ave. where new sales director BHl
Nielsen will he based. Diskery’s
general offices are in BelleviU'e,'
L.I.... Sandy Towt joined'Gotham
Recording as account exec. . . ,
Tony Scott Qnartet opened at the
Half Note yesterday (Tues.) for a
three-week gig ... Carlton Records
is promoting a “Mummers Strut’’
contest as a promotion for its
“Philadelphia U.SA..” disk by Nn
Tornados.

London

Belinda Music (London) Ltd-
moved with its affiliated companies
to new headquarters in SaviUe
Row last Saturday (6). The outfit
has taken over the whole of a four-
story building ... Hal Fein of
Roosevelt Music due for a five-day
business quickio next Monday (15)

,. . Swing fiddler Don Harper has
taken over as musical director of
the “Talk of the Town” theatre-
restaurant orch from Boy Gordon
.. . Harry Hayes Quintet opens at
Winston’s Club Monday (15).

.Hollywood

The 14-year-old Towne Twins
have been pacted by Marty Mel-
cher’s Arwin label. Deal was nego¬
tiated by Ma^ Sawyer of Juno
music and their personal manager
. . . Nelson Riddle teams tip with
Tommy Sands for the first time on
a new Capitol album . . . Pete
Bugnlo wilP supervise'a Dick Coni-

Chicago

Top 40

Continued from pegs 5T Sm^mS
for three or four “extras’* which
doesn’t leave much tuibtsble tim«
for exposure of the current platters
come to the stations In bulk
every week.

“Top 40” is also taking its toU
on the retail level. Dealers account
for the drop in singlo sales to the
radio stations that play the game
-“Top" record over and over again.
“There’s no' need for a teenager to
buy a record anymore,” they say,
“b^ause it can be heard dozens of
times a day across the dlaL”'

One of the diskery execs
summed up the situation tills way:
"When the disk jockey first took
over about 20 years ago we looked
to radio as an invaluable aid in
developing the business. Now,
radio is killing us.”

MITCH MILLER
SING ALONG CHORUS

on COLUMB'A 3ECCRD'>

LOVE SONG
FROM

THE BUCCANEER

f A V> : _ ^ V L ^ : C :: c : A ’ '

H11. r. I \j. fvS ; I

; ^ SLEIOH RIDK

100% FGCordGd

^SCARLET RIBBONS-

• from PEARY COMO'S
I«fG*t RCA Victor
LPM 1915

• THE KINGSTON TRIO
C«pItoI F.3970

MILU MUSIC, INC.

tino album session for Mercury ,..
Carmen Cavallaro in town for a
new’ Decca album imder Sonny
Burke’s supervision.

Verve’s Bemie Silverman riding
herd on his staff to get Mitii Gsy-
nor’s latest album, “Mitzi,” to dis-
tribs prior to Christinas ,,. George
Stoll has penned “A Soldier’s
Christmas” for Victor.

New Renditions
of Great Standards—

MA.

Ha's Making Eyas At Ma

. SHIPLEY FORWOOD an
Fratamtty aacorSs #F-ia4

CARAVAN— Parts I & It

• CORRINE,CORRINA

BILL HALEY and tHa COMETS 1
Dacca Racardt #9-J97l|

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

Dorothy Ashby I'm© held over
till Dec, 27 at the White House,
Minneapolis . . . Stan Kenton cur¬
rent at the Blue Note . * . Buddy
Greco threesome goes into the
Black Orchid's Junior Room when
refurbishing is completed about the
tot of the year. And ErroU Gamer
is due in the main roof Jan. 2 , , ,
ex-film hoofer Gene Drake, now
based in Chi and whose activities
are limited now to singing, tops a
two^day vaude stand at the Sheboy¬
gan (Wis.) Theatre Dec. 27-8. Joe
Pamello’s combo (from the Chi
Black Orchid) and a dance Une
round out the show . . . Jack Rod¬
rigues tUnesters opened Monday
W at the Flame Restaurant,
Duluth.

Pittsburgh

PhilXovato and his combo have
replaced the Joe Pape outfit at the
Mona Lisa. Latter was there for
seven years. Covato la the son of
Etzl Covato, longtime Pittsburgh
orch leader and night club owner
now ailing and in jetirement . . , :
Folir Checkers, local quartet Just
recorded- two of their own songs,
“Sheila” and “Broken Heart,” Itor
tile Ace label. .. With A1 Marsleo’s
departure from the New Arena
after year and a half for Howdy
Baum’s band, Jerry Eisner, saxlst,
is o^y one of Marslco's musicians
staying over with the spot’s new
maestro . . . Charley Boy, Giro
Rimac’s son and long part of his
father’s act, not with the Rimac
unit at Chateau. He 'has retired
from show business to go into the
mail advertising field on Long
[-Island:V: .

MARDI GRAS
’ MARCH ’

SILVER

BELLS

MUSIC CORPORATION

Wednesday, DeeembeF 10, 1958

P'SiiiEfY

TAVBBVnXB

63

*58 EDITION OF ‘JOE SENT ME’

U.S.-Russian Swap CouM Thaw Out
Or Go Boom on Two Cakes of Ice I

r

The State Dept. Cultural Ex¬
change Program with the USSR is
seen as being dependent upon two
major ice shows playing in the
Soviet Union next Season. Others
wise, it’s feared that, the Bolshoi
Ballet may not be able to play the
U.S. until an adequate substitute
show is found.

Although there is not yet any
talk of cancellation of either icer
playing in Russia, possibility re¬
mains of a dropout because of the
difficulty and expense involved in
moving the displays into Riissia, or
because the time element may be
too brief to permit the shows to
maintain their year-round commit¬
ments and still play the USSR.

“Holiday on Ice” will be the first
U.S. blade to play Russia. Layout
has been notified that it will open
in Moscow on March 29 for four
weeks and. will go to Leningrad,
also for fmm weeks. It's likely that
there will be no difficulty involved
In this show inagmuch as there are
two units in Europe and othen? in
Asia. Several units can consolidate
so that transportation costs will be
minimized. The show will have to
carry its own ice plant for the
Leningrad engagement.

John Harris, “Ice Capades” pro¬
ducer, has been notified that he
will appear as early as possible in
June, thus missing the distinction,
by a little more than two months,
of being the first ice show to play
the Russ capital.

In the exchange program, it Is
difficult to get large groups such
as the blades displays for a Russian
tour. At the same time, it’s felt
that a singer, a solo instrumentalist
or a chamber music group would
be insufficient exchange for a
group as large as the Bolshoi Bal¬
let or the Moscow State Circus,
both deals of which are still pend¬
ing. However, the Moscow State
Circus may go into Madison Square
Garden under S. Hurok auspices
In the slot normally allotted to the
World Championship Rodeo in
September,

If both Ice show deals go
through, it’s likely that present ar¬
rangements for U.S. tours of the
Moscow State Circus and Bolshoi
Ballet will also get the nod. Other¬
wise, the tours of one or both may
be dropped. An American tour of
the Red Army Chorus is being
talked about, but that would de¬
pend upon what groups become
available in the exchange program.

NBC and VARIETY
Correspondent

Irving R. Levine

surveys the Moscow night life
scene In his story

Seidel of Vodka,
Please IvanP

onother Edllorlol Feoture
In the upcoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^RIETY

Prado slOOG Suit
Against Agency
On False Billing

Los Angeles, Dec. 9.
Perez Prado has filed a $100,000
suit against Jimmy Jones and*
the Mark Anthony Agency, of San
Francisco, charging them with
fraud, misrepresentation and inva¬
sion of privacy.

^it, filed by attorney Morton
E, Feiler, claims that Jones, work¬
ing with the agency, advertised and
publicized four, personal appear¬
ance dates for Prado and Prado’s
band while actually having no con¬
tract at all. Dates Involved were
Aug. 8, at Civic Auditorium, Stock-
ton; Aug. 9, Memorial Auditorium,
Tulare; Aug. 10, Rosegarden, Pis-
mo Beach, and Aug. 17, Memorial
Auditorium, Sacramento.

Prado claims that as a result of
the advertising, riots took place
at the various auditoriums and that
this false advertising has also made
It difficult for the Music Corp of
America to get him new book¬
ings.

Feiler said he had a signed ad¬
mission of guilt from Jones and
pointed out that Rene Block, whose
band was actually booked for the
four August dates, refused to per¬
form unless Jones first signed a

LAKEWOOD, N.J., HOTELS

By JACK PITMAK

Chicago, Dec. 9.

Michigan Ave. adman Burton
Browne is expanding his saloon-
keep status. Tie’s about to parlay
the ^ widespread celebrity . of his
Gaslight Clubs (Chi, NeV7 York
and, on Jan. 13, Washin^on) into
a franchise-circuit of private key
operations to be known. as the
Black Sheep Clubs. First of these
is to tee off in Denver about Feb.
15, and ultimately expand in this
and other countries. Also picked
as early sites are Las Vegas, Los
Angeles, Frisco, Salt Lake City,
Omaha, Portland (Ore.), Seattle
and Minneapolis.

Just as the gaslight is symbolic of
the ’90s trademarks in Chi-N. Y.'j
axis, the new project wiU be identi¬
fied by a black lamb on a rock
with massive rams horns. Standard¬
ized decor, glassware (and bar¬
tenders with blazerss), etc., will
further mark all charter sites.

.. Disclosure of the project serves
to point up Browne’s singular and
amazing position in boniface,
circles. His Gotham and Windy
City private clubs, according to li¬
quor industry sources, hold a phe¬
nomenal one-two rank respectively,
among a national saloon census of
400,000. The Chi prototype, though
not a pioneer keyer locally when
it bowed over five years ago (anni
was October), led to a minor revo¬
lution in the habits of the town’s
nightowls, its swift success soon
motivating a flock of rivals. With
conformism on the rise, boozers
could find status—and a new con-
(Continued on page 70)

NEW AGVA SCALE FOR

The New York board of the
American Guild of Variety Artists
has -voted to increase minimums
Jn the Lakewood (N.J.) hotels.
Former low of $18.75 for Class C
Inns has been upped to $25. Class
B inns will pay $27.50 per single,
while Class A spots will shell out
$30 per show.

Highest minimum In the area
was allotted to Laurel in the Pines,
which was given an AA rating and
will pay $50 for singles on week¬
days and $75 on weekends.

Twelve Carver Opens
As New Club in Hub

Boston, Dec. 9.

A new club. Twelve Carver, with
Phil Bayon, who operates Prov-
incetown’s Weathering Heights, has
debuted in the former Joe Venuti’s
nitery on Carver St. The intimate
room, seating 75, has been done
over with Wedgewood decor.

With Bayon as emcee and doing
a turn himself, one act is being
booked on two-week stand, with
two shows nightly.. Singer. Nancy
McDonald is currently brefaking in
a new act in the room. Phyllis Dil-
ler opens Thursday (11), Versi-
tones, a trio, handles the music
end from the stage bar. A third-
floor cocktail loimge is used when
the downstairs room overflows and
B^yon takes the show upstairs.

contract relieving Block of all re¬
sponsibility.

N.O. Pick-a-Spot:
Traubel or O&J

New Orleans, Dec. 9.

Helen Traubel was signed Fri¬
day (5) by Seymour Weiss to open
a two-week engagement' at the
plush Blue Room of his Roosevelt
Hotel.

Competing for a biz with Miss
Traubel will be Olsen & Johnson
with their “Hellzapoppin’ Yock and
Roll Revue” at the Swan Room of
the Monteleone Hotel.

Both night spots have booked
strong attractions because of the
big crowds expected here for the
Sugar Bowl football classic be¬
tween the Louisiana State U.
Tigers, the nation’s No. 1 team,
and the Cleamson Tigers, on
Jan. 1.

Honolulu Deal for $18,WI0,M Cash
Gives Sheraton 4 Matson Hotels

Judge Grapples With

A Burning Question

— pes Moines, Dec; 9.

A wrestler’s pay doesn’t depend
on whether he has agreed to win
or lose, Harold C. (Sonny) Myers,
wrestler from St. Joseph, Mo.,
said in Federal court here this
week. Myers is suing P. L. (Pinkie)
George, Des Moines promoter, and
the National Wrestling AUiance,
of which George is, a founding
member, for $600,000, claiming the
Alliance has operated as a mon¬
opoly in violation of antitrust laws
and applied a toehold on the busi»
ness of booking wrestlers in the
U.S.

The testimony veered to the
pleasant effects of having good
gate receipts, inspired by televis¬
ing matches. “It has occurred to
me to wonder,” Judge Hicklin said,
“does this so-called racket depend
on the number of gullible suckers?”

Maksik Parting
With Uncle Sam
OnBWynT&C

Arrangements having been fi¬
nalized for terms upon which to
pay off creditors. Ben Maksik,
operator of the Town & Country
Club, Brooklyn, expects a clearance
in about two weeks. This means
the end of jurisdiction of the Fe¬
deral courts on his operations, he
said.-

Maksik filed a plan for reorgan¬
ization under Chapter XI of the
Federal Bankruptcy Laws last June
in which he listed assets at $499,-
346 and liabilities at $931,275. In
a second petition, Mrs. Doris Mak¬
sik, his wife, filed a similar plea as
president of the landor Realty
Corp, which had assets of $1,700,-
000 of which $1,500,000 was in¬
vested in real estate. This firm
listed: liabilities of $704,000.

During the period of Federal
supervision, Maksik has been oper¬
ating with shows with an average
cost of $3,500 weekly. However,
during that time he has been trying
to get names to come in on a
percentage basis. His pitches for
toppers went unheeded, he said,
although Jerry Lewis, who is now
ill, did respond to his letters.

By WALT CHRISTIE

Honolulu, Dec. 9.

Biggest hotel deal in Hawaii’s
history has been sealed with pur¬
chase by the Sheraton Corp. of
America of the four Matson
Navigation Co. hotels—Royal Ha¬
waiian, Moana, SurfRider and Prin¬
cess Kaiulani. Purchase price, in¬
cluding payment for stores on
hand, was approximately $18,000,-
000 in cash.

Robert Moore, Sheraton board /
chairman, said recently that Mat-
son and Sheraton “have had cer¬
tain conversations that are still in
the very preliminary stage”. He
said certain of his competitors
had shown interest in Matson’s Wai¬
kiki hotels and added, “if any¬
thing is going to happen. I’d like
to see what the situation is, just
to be in the running.”

It’s known that Hilton chain
reps had been studying the Mat-
son resort hotels for several
months.

Matson company stock has skj’-
rocketed in recent months, pre¬
sumably in anticipatort of a deci¬
sion to sell out the shipping com¬
pany’s hotel division.

Previously, Randolph Sevier,
Matson president, told employees
in a special bulletin that “it is pos¬
sible that in the near future an
offer will be made for the purchase
of the hotels.” He said the com¬
pany has not “sought” to sell the
hotels nor has it “solicited in¬
terest”, But, he added, “it is only
prudent business and in keeping
with managerial obligations to con¬
sider any offer that appears finan¬
cially attractive to Matson and
helpful to the Hawaiian economy
through its tourist industry”.

Matson until after World War
II virtually had a monopoly in the
Waikiki resort field, with the major
exception of the long-established'
Halekulani Hotel. And Matson vir¬
tually had the California-Hawail
passenger business all to itself on
its fleet of ships.

Changed Travel Picture

Advent of long-range airliners
and shipping competition has
changed the travel picture. And
Matson’s hotels have severe com¬
petition in Waikiki, There’s Henry
J. Kaiser’s mushrooming Hawaiian
(Continued on page 70)

^ /lememMoHce Hefiealf %ec. 5, /9S3

) By ABEL GREEN SI

Franklin D, Roosevelt had been
inaugurated the 32d President and
earlier in the year 3.2 beer had
become legal so when Utah be¬
came the necessary 36th state to
ratify the 21st Amendment that
repealed the 18th Amendment
(Prohibition) oh. Dec. 5, 1933, the
formality was anticlimactic. There
was little national excitement. The.
shrewd bonifaces of the class speak¬
easies were already gearing for
the closed-door, pseudo— “club”
operation that is typified by to¬
day’s “21,” Stork, El Morocco, etc.;
Variety promptly presented a
speculative essay on what repeal
might mean to nitery business and
the like.

The prognosis that didn’t quite
come off was that 175-200 big
night clubs would flomish on the
heels of repeal. It was true that
Prohibition, which had made scof-
flaw drinkers of many, also keyed
more Americans into the nitery
habits.

Helped Hotels Ont of the Red |

Repeal did start to take the class.!
hotels out of receivership. These
truly legitimate hostelry opera-

on gingerale and club soda setups,
and some even feared the continu¬
ance of BYOL (bring youi* own
liquor.) device.

The California wine industry pre¬
viously had started to conie into
its own legitimately, after Mrs.
Mable Walker Willebrandt had
been retained by the vintners , to
test a “wine brick” subterfuge to
the Volstead act.

Then there were the “com¬
plaints” that the legal brews didn’t
have the “kick” of the spiked
speakeasy brand of booze—people
had to be reeducated to proper
vintages and growths.

At the time of repeal, it will ber|
recalled by oldtimers top radio
favorites were “Romance of Helen
Trent,” “The Woman In White,”
“The Lone Ranger” and “Amos ’n’
Andy.”

Legit

“Tobacco Road” premiered that
year and was destined to run 3,182
performances, topping the previ¬
ous long-run record-holder, “Abie’s
Irish Rose,” by 855 (yd. topped
eventually by “Life With Father”).
■'Another Language,” “Pursuit of

jjAions couldn’t thrive and, suify^xf.,^aBgioe^J’f

“She Loves Me Not,” “Mary of
! Scotland,” “Sailor, Beware!,” “One
Sunday Afternoon,” “Ah, Wilder¬
ness!” were other legit hits.

The 70-story RCA Bldg, had just
opened, Albert Einstein decided to
settle in Princeton, and Adolf Hit¬
ler became chancellor of the Third
Reich (the next year he became
“Der Fuehrer”).

Jimmy Cagney’s Grapefruit Bit

Jimmy Cagney pushed a grape¬
fruit into Mae Clark’s kisser in
“Public Enemy” (the film gangster
cycle was still big b.o.); Mae West
boomed the b.o, with “Night After
Night” and “She Done Him
Wrong”; and that same week of
Prohibition’s repeal saw these films
on the Broadway and national mar¬
quees: Noel Coward’s “Design for
Living,” an Ernst’ Lubitsch pro¬
duction; Crawford and Gable in
Metro’s “Dancing Lady,” Eddie
Cantor in “Roman Scandals,” John
Barrymore in “Counsellor-at-LawJ’
re-creating the Paul Muni stage
role; Lee Tracy in 20th-Fox’s “Ad¬
vice to the Lovelorn,” Will Rogers
and ZaSu Pitts in “Mr. Skitch,”
Joe E. Brown in WB’s “Song of a

SOPH RED HOT MAMA
AT K.C. MUEHLEBACH

Kansas City, Dec. 9.

. Engagement just closed of
Sophie Tucker in the Terrace Grill
of the Hotel Muehlebach broke all
records for attendance in the de¬
luxe downstairs dinner-dancing
room. Nearly 6,000 covers were
chalked up in the 12 nights Miss
Tucker appeared, Nov._ 21-Dec. 4,
her first in the room and her first
night club date in K. C. in 20
years.

Hefty trade tarried not over the
cover, upped from $1.50 top to
$2.50, and a $2 beverage minimum
installed for the engagement (and
held over for the current Connee
Boswell stand). Seating capacity
Was jumped from the usual 275
to 350, all that could be jammed
into the room, and it was needed
for first shows most of the time.

While Miss Tucker’s deal puts
her in the class of Fort Knox
names, the hotel undoubtedly will
wind up in the black on the fort¬
night. This has set it to consider¬
ing other platinum-priced names,
within the confines o_ the limited
seating capacity. No other such
names have been set, but some are
being considered for occasional ap¬
pearances, according to Larry
Larrea, entertainment chief.

‘Puppets’ 12G, 1st String

Los Angeles, Dec. 9.
‘American Puppet Theatre,” In
for two weeks at the Ritz Theatre,
ran up an okay $12,000 for first
short stanza, opening on two-a-day ‘
basis last Tuesday (2).

House, scaled to $3.50, is geared

vauheVoxb

P^^nsfr

. Vc3ncBdaj5 December 10, 1958

N.Y. AGVA Moves to Ban Acts From
Tolice Card’ Cafes; Exec Committee

To Study Members With 'Records

The New York branch of the
American Guild of Variety Artists
Is set to defy the N.Y. police de¬
partment on the question of issu¬
ing^ cabaret permits to entertainers.
At a meeting of the N.Y. branch
Thursday <4) at the Nola Studios,
several resolutions were passed
unanimously, major one being to
forbid AGVA performers from
working in spots where police per¬
mits are demanded. Another reso^
lution was also passed thankmg
the Den in the Duane for fighting
the issue in the case of singer
David Allen.

l^ue must now go before the
executive committee for approval
Inasmuch as it affects members
coming into New York from othCT
cities. Since the motion to forbid
members to work in spots demand¬
ing a permit was introduced by a j
national board member llrving-
Grossman) with board members
Bussell Swann and Paul Valentine
voting in favor of the motion, it
appears to have an excellent
chance of getting a greenllght
from the executive committee.

A preliminary study of the situ¬
ation was made by a committee
headed by Orson Bean, who re¬
ported to the membership meet¬
ing. Earlier, he tried to get the
active support of national admin¬
istrative secretary Jackie Bright,
but was unsuccessful. However,
it's understood that since then,
Bright has reversed himself on this
issue.

At the meeting, the personnel
on this committee was enlarged to
10 members with Bean still chair¬
manning. They are Eoger Price,
Bussell Swann, Elaine May; Gale
Bobbins. Isobel Bobins, Christy
Ingan, Paul Duke, Milt Kamins,
Johnny Woods and Valentine.

Also present at the. confab was
Johnny Johnston who conducts a
deejay show from the International
restaurant over WMGM. Johnston
is arranging a session for tomorrow

THE

Direction:

CIRCLE ARTISTS CORP.

48 West 48tii Street
New York PU 7-7100

Personal Management:

SID HOWARD

R E E 2

List of gagS/ sadgets and
glmmlclcs. Or/ send $1
for list and professional
comedy file crammed
with 1,000 spicy gags.
EDMUND ORRIN, Dept. C

1819 Golden Gete.

Sm Francisco 15, California

(Thurs.) for Bright to state his
views on the subject along with
Bean and others interested in the
case.

There are currently two focal
points ir the fight against police
registration which also calls for
fingerprinting of performers. The
first case involves AUen and the
Den in the Duane. Allen served
time on a narcotics rap but since
his release from prison h^ been
reportedly “clean.” He encountered
no opposition from the State
Liquor Authority. The Den man¬
agement defied N. Y, Police Com¬
missioner Stephen Kennedy on the
issue. Matter is now in court with
a hearing scheduled for Dec, 20.
Maxwell T. Cohen is handling the
case for the Den and Allen.

In another issue, now before the
courts, a suit has been filed in the
name of Beryl Eubinstein, pianisti
J. J. Johnson, trombonist, and
bandleader Johnny Eichards. Eu¬
binstein, married, was convicted of
a marijuana offense while at col¬
lege. He has been denied a card.
Johnson has a temporary card, and
Eichards has a card. Eichards*
case stems from the fact that with
this legislation, his freedom to hire
has been impaired. Cohen is also
counsel on this case.

Arrest Mgr., Strippers Of
Mayfair, Dayton; 2 Others
Okayed, Didn’t ‘Show Off’

Dayton, O., Dec. 9.

Six persons, including five strip¬
pers and the manager of the May-
fair Theatre, were arrested' last
week (3) by three police officers
who first sat through an entire
performance. In Municipal Court
the next day. Judge Carl D. Kes¬
sler found three of the dancers
guilty of indecent exposure, and
ruled two others not guilty.. Stan¬
ley Montfort, manager, was freed
of a charge of aiding and abetting
indecent exposure, since the offi¬
cers had not proved he had hired
them for that purpose.

Joanne May DiRando, Cleveland,
and Ann Claudine Groff, Dillon,
S.C., were each fined $200 and
costs, with the $200 suspended.
Gloria Ann Marlow, Fall Eiver,
Mass., the feature attraction, was
fined $200 and costs, with $175 hf
the fine suspended. Linda Ham¬
mond, Detroit, and Thelma Marie
Cox, Hollywood, were ruled not
guilty, because they bared only a
small part of their anatomies.
However, Judge Kessler warned
that baring the breast will not be
condoned in the future.

The judge said, ‘T cannot casti¬
gate the performers and the thea¬
tre and not say a word of criticism
about the people who support
these enterprises by their attend¬
ance.”

The Biz Than Which
There’s None Like

^Ottawa, Dec. 9.

The annual nitery doldrums are
here again. Area’s two biggest ni-
teries—Gatineau and Chaudiere—
have shuttered for the refrigerator
months, probably to March or early
April. Gatineau closes Dec. 30,
Chaudiere’s final, show was Sun¬
day (7>.

Harry Pozy orch, house crew at
the Chaudiere, moves into Standi-
shaU, hotel for the club’s hiatus.

Located in Quebec, the two ni-
teries can’t use Christmas and New
Year’s business since provincial
law closes them at 9 p.m. each
holiday eve, and aU day each holi¬
day.

Hampton’s L.V. Lounge

Las Vegas hotels are continuing
.to sign names for work in the
lounges adjacent to the casinos.
Latest to ink a deal for lounge
work is Lionel Hampton, who goes
into the Riviera string Dec. 16
for four weeks.

Deal was set through Joe
Glaser’s Associated Booking Corp.

Towns May Bar Boards

Concord, NJE., Dec. 9.

The New Hampshire Supreme-
Court has ruled that cities and
towns in this state have the power
to restrict' the use of billboards.

The high court ruled against the
Rockingham Hotel in Portsmouth,
which challenged the constitution¬
ality of an ordinance which bans
billboards in rural ^eas in nearby
North Hampton.

The ordinance permits use of
billboards only when they are
located on the premises of the busi¬
ness establishments which they ad¬
vertise.

Spotligbts of 1958

(IBEW HAUL, CHI)

. Chicago, Dec. 5.

Frank Darling's production of
^’Spotlights of 1958,” ooitb BUlu
Eckstine, Jane Kean A with Ron
Fletcher)t Senor Wences, Augie 8c
Margo, Frank Marlowe, Double
Daters (4), DePaul U. Choir (16),!
Darling Dancers (8), Darling
Adorables (4), Lou Breese Orch
(14 >; choreography, Johnny Bach-
emin; $6 top for the public last
night; other performances pee to
members.

TYhatever profit-sharing accrues
I from their jobs. Local 1Q31 card-
; holders can. look forward to this
1 annual (this is the 13th) dividend
from their own ranks. A lot of
; dues coin invariably go^ into
these spectaculars, and their value,
by this time, is beyond question.
Frank Darling impresarios with a
^ lavish, hand; it’s not enough for
him to trot out a covey of stars—
there’s got to be showmansliip, le.,
a dance line, glamazons, lotsa
backdropping, Intricate scenic ef¬
fects, etc. Even to the finale, when
a flock of homing pigeons soar
from back of the house to the
stage. What may be one man’s
corn is another’s frosting, and in
this case the rank-and-file-glom the
frills with something near ecstasy.

The spread for aU'this sand¬
wiching is impressive, and if it’s
sometimes exotic to the Local
taste, there’s only scant hint of
same. Billy Eckstihe, toplining, is
up mostly with his own early
glories, such as “I Apologize” and
“Everything ! Have Is Yours,” and
the nostalgia nails the desired re¬
action. It’s a happy surprise out-
front when the warbler soft-shoe-
steps, and then gets away via his
vocal mimicry and trumpeting. As
in the boites, Eckstine impresses
with taste and polish.

Overall, Jane Kean appears ef¬
fective enough, though in this
showcase her racy takeoffs on
headliners don't meet consistent
audience ken, whereby some of the
; devastation is blunted. But it’s
first-rate spoofing and frothily
presented to general satisfaction.
S^t is helped by her footwork
with Ron Fletcher, and the glamour
of Miss Kean in and out of sundry
costumes.

No stranger for his vast video
guestinting, Senor Wences rates
eager appreciation from the mem¬
bership. It’s a deserved due for
ventriloquilas that are pure gems
of creative whimsy. For a capper,
his sticks-aad-tray. balancing bit
whilst conversing with his disem¬
bodied acolytes is sheer delight.

Augie & Margo keep-’em rapt
With fine slow-motion acro-ballet.
and some upbeat stepping. .From
a production standpoint, though,
it would have, been more effective
to split their two numbers for
double-slotting.

‘ Frank Marlowe’s comedies fun
to the raucous, via jousts with the
band, ihanagement, et al. His
earthier elements tickle for this
stand, but loom of questionable
value in most • frontline niteries.
LaughSter essays a few -vocaL im-
preshes of so-merit. His assault
on Brando’s film theming registers
fine, however, predicating mostly
on physical .exertion. The bit’s
best moments are the lack of synch
between the pit drummer and Mar¬
lowe’s trigger-squeezing.

Show is nicely spiced around the
song-and-dancing of the Double
Daters, two males and two femmes
who, besides an opening turn, har¬
monize the act intros. Sixteen
members of the DePaul U. Choir
make their appearance in a windup
production number that salutes the
holiday season. The Darling Danc¬
ers (8) are flashy in some fun-of-
th e-mine choreography, and skow
up niee in a polka production num¬
ber with some wild staging effects.
The Darling Adorables (4) parade
a glamor fillip through the pro¬
ceedings, and Johnny Bachemin
has provided good stage direction.
Lou Breese’s AFMers (14) give the
show mite than adequate backing.
“Spotlights” runs through Dec. 14,
the final day for the public at a
$6 top, with proceeds to charity.

hside Stulf-Yaude

PhU Richards, producer-star of ice shows at Ankara nitery in Pitts¬
burgh for several years, pulled out for the west coast last week
to rejoin his old partner George Arnold—flatter likewise a stager of
rink revues and Richards’ predecessor at Ankara—^for a shot on the
Milton Berle tv show Christmas Eve. Following that, they’ll go into
the new edition of the Ken Murray-Marie Wilson “Blackouts” for a
run. leers are expected to resume at the Ankara again after ,Easter,
at which time Richards plans to return to Pitt to take charge.

The Troupers’ program of holiday aid to /•children of theatrical
needy has been expanded to encompass help at any time of year, ac¬
cording to Ceil B. Jacobs, president of the theatrical charity group.
Troupers will distribute Christmas baskets, clothing and toys to a list
of about 300 for the Yule season. Mrs. Jacobs said that applications
for aid to the children are being received at the organization head¬
quarters in the Woodstock Hotel, N.Y.

Danny Kaye has recorded a tribute to late Sir Harry Laqder for a
radio program from British Broadcasting Corp. 5 ^dios at Glasgow
on Dec. 21. Show will be repeated on New Year’s Day ... Sir Win¬
ston Churchill wiU he heard in part of his famous “some chicken,
some neck” speech of 1941, in which he talks of Sir Henry’s famous
song “The'Laddies Who Fought and Won.” Howard M. Lockhart com¬
piling the program, to be titled “The Lauder Story.”

The London Hotels Information Seivice is offering its facilities for
use by agencies, performers and other branches of the entertainment
industry at no cost. Service is designed to aid overseas visitors in Lon¬
don obtain accommodations suitable to them.

Some U.S. talent agencies haVe already availed themselves of this
service and LHIS is seeking to extend the info facilities to other groups
as well.

Red Buttons, who was to have played a three-weeker at the Chez
Paree, Chicago, starting Dec. 29, will instead play that cafe for six
days beginning Dec. 26. 6uttQns was let out of the deal by the Chez
ops so that he could start work on a Metro release, “The Big Circus,”
which wiU start filming Jan. 5. He’s expected to make up the deal at
the Chez later on.

Princess Grace’s Sire

By GLENN TRUMP ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

San Francisco, Dec. 9.

This would be under the New
Acts file but the performer insists
it was strictly a one-shot deal and
that he is not at liberty.

JOHN B. KELLY
Comedy
15 Mins.

'TRA Convention, •
Fairmont Hotel, S. F.

Pressed into duty as toastmaster
when the Thoroughbred Racing
Assns. of the United States, Inc.
discovered they had no one to fol¬
low Bob Considine (1957) and Ar¬
thur Godfrey (1956) at their annual
banquet last Thursday (4), John B.
Kelly proved that the show biz
talent in the Kelly clan is not ex¬
clusively the property of his daugh¬
ter, Princess Grace or her other
1 Kin, playwright George KeUy and
onetime vaude headliner Walter C.
Kelly (“The Virginia Judge”).

Kelly Sr. is better known in TRA
circles as the president of the .At¬
lantic City. Racetrack and a board
member. But from now on he’s
more likely to be recognized as the

I Gambler Gus Greenbanm,
Vegas Big^e, and Wife
I Murdered in Phoenix

1 Phoenix, Dee. '9.

I Gus Greenbaum, former ovmer
I of L-as Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel and
most recently prexy of that resort’s
t Riviera Hotel, and his wife were
found dead in their Phoenix home
last week (3), victims of what po¬
lice called a double murder. Throats
of the couple had been slashed by
a nine-indi butcher knife.

A major stockholder in the Rivi¬
era and active in its operation,
Greenbaum bad been III for'the
past year. He was active in Las
Vegas civic affairs and participated
in several Jewish charities. He had
been a resident of Phoenix for the
past 25 years.

Violent death was experienced
in the Greenbaum family some
four years ago when the gambling
.figure’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Charles
Greenbaum, was suffocated in her
Phoenix home. At the time, the
! coroner’s jury termed the death
I murder,, but the case has never
been solved.

It also was recalled that convict¬
ed labor racketeer Willie Bioff met
violent death by a dynamite explo¬
sion of his truck in Phoenix a few
years ago.

group’s storyteller. The gags—and
many were topnotch dialect tales—
came in rapid-fire order that would
have done credit to a Berle or
Jessel. In fact, the howls were
interspersed with shouts of, “Who
needs Godfrey?”

. Introducing Kelly was another
racetrack owner well acquainted
with show biz. He was John G,
Celia, new prexy of the TRA and
op of the Gaklawn track in Hot
Springs, Ark., who also happens to
own the downtown legit house in
;St. Louis.

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PRODUCTIONS

3311 Moofrosa Baaleyard
Heastan 4, Texas

Berriard Sobel is completing
work on his forthcoming
book: A PICTORIAL HISTORY
OF VAUDEVILLE. Anyone in
possession of photographs
suitable for inclusion please
contact him through his
publishers:

THE CITADEL PRESS

222 Fearth Avcbm
New York City 3

The Amazing Stan of "WHAT'S ON YOUR MTHO*;

Lucille and Eddie ROEERTS

Currently—SHOREHAM HOTEL

WASHINGTON. D. C. M.C.A.

6 ^

VACBEVnXB

Wediieaday^ DecemlMir 10^ 195S

Sbw Biz on March Ihrough Georgia
As Dry, Balmy Weather Lifts Wickets

By SAM LUCGHESE

Atlanta, Dec. 9.

Balmy weather, coupled with a
protracted dry spell, has been
conducive to stimulating both gen¬
eral entertainment and nitery biz
throughout Georgia as well as
neighboring states. Especially
happy have been drive-in theatre
operators who, while they sympa¬
thize with farmers (who need the
rain), gleefufey count the insolent
chariots as they trundle the cus¬
tomers through the payoff gates.

As a rule, somewhere along the
line between advent of fall and
this time of year, a spell of bad
weather sets in. to keep folk in by
the fire and television sets. Not
so this year. Anti-freeze (type
used in automobiles) remains in
cans at filling stations and south¬
erners continue to play golf in
pleasant weather, go to niteries
and visit outdoor theatres in
droves. Downtown and nabe cine¬
ma houses are reaping their share
of shekels, too.

Meanwhile, an indication of ad¬
ditional good time signs are stores
crowded with Christmas shoppers.
Merchants are sanguine and freely
predict that business this year is
going to top that of 1957, which
set a new record for Yuletide cash
register receipts. High spot was
reached locally when Riches Inc.,
Atlanta’s leading department
store, grossed $1,000,000 in one
day.

Backing up this rosy picture was
report from Dept, of Labor’s Bu¬
reau of Labor Statistics that non¬
farm jobholders in the southeast
rose to 6,710,300 in October, iui
increase of 39,800 for the month.
This gain was attributed by Bruns¬
wick A. Bagdon, regional director
of the bureau in Atlanta, to “the
usual fall expansion in retail trade
and education” throughout the
eight-state area.

Bagdon stated that hiring in
manufacturing and related indus¬
tries, directly attributable to im¬
proving business conditions, was
of particular significance.

Five states—Alabama, Florida,
Mississippi, Tennessee and Vir- {
ginia — reported over-the-month |
employment increases, ranging!

from 22,100 for Florida, to 1,700
for Mississippi. Employment
dropped slightly in the Carolinas.
An increase of more than 12,000
in trade employment and general
expansion in the economy Posted
Florida w'ork forces.

Gains in manufacturing and
trade were important in Missis¬
sippi, Tennessee and Virginia. Ad¬
ditions to the public school sys¬
tems occurred in all the states.
Reductions in seasonal tobacco
employment lowered the Carolina
totals. The number of non-farm
workers in Georgia held steady,
according to the report.

Still Going Strong
America’s No. 1 Sepia Show
ARTHUR BRAGGS’

ID LEWI LD
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Capital Attractions

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TEMHE 2-35I0-II
TEMPLE 3-7QM (Nil.]

Hankins Buy Pkilly’s
Willow Groye, Promise
'Days of John P. Sonsa’

Phladelphia, Dec. 9.

Willow Grove Park has been
sold to the Hankin brothers, own¬
ers of the Willow Grove Shopping
Center. The brothers—^Max, Moe,
Perch and Dr. Samuel—^purchased
the 108-acre tract from Herman
Cohen, owner of the Pimlico Race¬
track, for an undisclosed sum.

Moe Hankin said he and his
brothers will continue booking top
bands and acts. Improvements for
the amusement park’s 1959 season
will begin immediately, he said.
“We intend to pnt the park into
the kind of shape it hasn’t been
in since John Philip SOusa played
here.”

Willow Grove was opened in
1895 by the old Union 'Traction
Co., then the title passed to the
Philadelphia Transportation Co. in
1940.

Joe Helprin, present manager,
will continue in that capacity.

AGVA Answers Acadenuc
Question Re Glee Clnbs

Chicago, Dec. 9.

American Guild of Variety Artists
is moving to recruit student vocal
groups on midwest college and uni¬
versity campuses. Action is mope
in anger than from organizing zeal,
for the xeason that the student
amateurs have been impinging on
pro territory. Regional director
Ernie Fast has' already enrolled
the 35-member all-male Purdue
choristers, who’ll henceforth har¬
monize in public as the “Collegiate
Singers.”

Union, acting on beefs froift
members and talent agents plans
more diligent policing of clubdates
and won’t permit its dues-payers to;
appear with college vocalizers who
aren’t AGVA. Organizational ef¬
forts are aimed chiefly at the glee
clubs that normal^ tour, and Fast
says he’ll be getting reports from
all AGVA branches under his pur¬
view as to which college groups
are “offending.” He was greenlight-
ed, he said,, when he raised the is¬
sue at a recent national board
meeting in New York.

Vaude, Cafe Dates

Dave Eetchum Sets Unit
For ‘GI Xmas’ in Orient

HoUywood. Dec. 9.

Dave-Ketchum has lined up the
talent to accompany him to the
Far East Dec. 15 on three-week
trek to entertain servicemen over
the holidays.

Troupe will include Kathy Wake¬
field. Louise Bryant, Robert Em-
enegger, Alliene Flanery, Doro¬
thy Barton, Jim Bates, Judy Moor-
house, Paul Gleason, Pat Alward,
the Ivy Leaguers, Emmaline Hen¬
ry, Lou McConky and Ted
Haynes.

Spitalny’s Indpls. Wing

Pittsburgh, Dec. 9.

Maurice Spitalny, veteran band¬
leader and for some time now a
booker, too, is expandifig his activi¬
ties in the latter field to include
an, Indianapolis office. That’s the
home of two married daughters,
and Mrs. Spitalny wants to be near
them, so she’s moving to the Indi¬
ana city permanently.

Spitalny himself will shuttle be¬
tween Indianapolis and Pittsburgh,
maintaining an apartment and a
business in both places.

Weavers’ 18 Orfe-Niters

The Weavers, folksinging quar¬
tet, will kick off its Spring" tour at
Philadelphia’s Town HaR Feb. 28.
Tour will consist of 18 one-mghters
in Chicago,- Milwaukee, Minneapo¬
lis, Detroit, Princeton, Quebec and
other key cities. The tour has been
arranged by Harry Zelzer’s Allied
Artists in Chicago.

The group is expected to go on a
European concert trek during the
summer. They recently completed
a recording session for Vanguard,
which will be releasing two new
albums as- well as single disks by
the Weavers.

Poll Cnstomers On What
They WantatMpls. Show
And Gny Lombardo Wins

Minneapolis, Dec. 9.

In a poll conducted by Harry
Cory for his annual Builders Show
here, scheduled for March 14-22
next year, to determine the attrac¬
tion or acts that 900 of his cus¬
tomers preferred for the show’s
stage portion, Guy Lombardo’s
Royal Canadians were the winners,
he says.

So Cory is bringing in the band
to provide the stage entertainment.
It’s the most expensive attraction
the show ever has had, costing in
the neighborhood of $30,000 for
the nine days, according to Cory.

Those receiving Cory’s question¬
naires were asked to specify their
preference among the^35 acts and
attractions which he ""listed. He
promised to try to obtain the one
or ones getting the most votes, if
within his budget.

The show’s previous highest-
priced attraction was Spike Jones
and his band. Ordinarily, the
stage presentation comprises five
or six acts with a name headliner.

Cincy Hotel Brings Back
The Gibson Girl (Lounge)

Cincinnati, Dec. 9.

Sheraton-Oibson Hotel has taken
over as Cincy’s sophisticated jazz
palace with opening of the Gibson
Girl Lounge, a SOiCKK) improve¬
ment of the former Keyhole Bar.
Initial combo is the Marian Mc-
Partland Trio.

New room, which had a pianist
as the only music, is on the hotel’s
Waliiut St. front. Rearrangement
provides a stage and increases
seating capacity.

In recent months the Sheraton-
Gihson and nearby Hotel Sinton
have been getting good weekend
plays on dancing to dixieland
music.

Saranac Ldie

By Happy Benway ^
Saranac Lake, Dec.-9.

Ned Shugrue, executive of the
Variety Clubs=WiU Rogers Hospi¬
tal, in for a look and managed to
spread a lot of good cheer among
the ailing gang.

Congratulations were extended
to Mrs. William “Mother” Morris
Sr. on her 85th birthday, celebrated
at Camp Intermission. WNBZ via
Johnny Garwood aired special good
wishes to the grand old lady of the
actors’ colony.

Ben Bagley, producer of “Shoe¬
string Revue,” was emergencied ia
from Gotham and is now imder
special observation. ..

Jack Adair, minstfelman of yes¬
teryear, floored with a fractured
foot and is now taking mile! walk¬
ing exercises with a cane.

Audrey Lumpkin, the daughter
of James Brennan, v.p. of lATSE,
hit by a virus that will keep her
here indefinitely. She resides In
our downtown colony,

Ray (lATSE) Van. Buren and
musician Paul O’Heam into the
general hospital for broncoscopy.
Both took, the ordeal like veterans
and are now back here getting
rest and care.

Write to those who are ilL

New York

Harvey Stone signed for the In¬
ternational on bill with Sallie Blair,
Jan. 14. Barbara Black inked for
layout to follow . . . Buddy Hackett
goes into the Deauville, Miami
Beach, Dec. 24 for eight days . . .
Dick Shawn pacted for the Statler
Hilton, Dallas, May 14, following
a stand at the Roosevelt, New
Orleans : . . Paul Anka to the
Olympia Theatre, Paris, Jan. 12 ...
Suay Stevens preemed at the
Golden Slipper, Glen Cove, yester-
"day (Tues.) . . , Dotty & Art Todd
current at the Bamboo Room of
the Roney Plaza, Miami Beach.
. . . Juan Cortez, who doubles be¬
tween the Bamboo and Candelight
Rooms of that inn, marking his
fifth years with the Schine chain.
. .. Johnnie Ray to give hiS seventh
annual Christmas party for hard-
of-hearing children, Dec. 18 at
Junior High School 47 auditorium.

Geene Courtney has signed a
management contract with Bill
Burnham . . . Dene Mustin the new
88er at the Philip II . . . Cast and
stage crew of Radio City Music
Hall holding their annual Christ¬
mas party at the Hotel Edison
Dec. 12 . . . The Signature go into
the Village Vanguard Dec. 22 . . .
Lonnie Sattin inked for the Roxy’s
New’Year’s show . . . Tony & Eddie
start at the Coral Island Hotel,
Bermuda, for a run on June 1.

Detroit

Phil Giles slated to start his hew
Flamingo Follies niterj’- production
Jan. 5 with plans to feature tap
dancer Bill Bailey, Pearl’s brother
. . . Detroiter Jefri Spencer, a
hoofer, in N. Y. getting new act set
by vet producer Leonard Reed . . .
Michael Hale & Benny Hayden,
zany team, headline Windsor Ca¬
sino holiday show ... Jo Ann
MiUer, former Blue Barron and
Tommy Dorsey thrush, at the
Roostertail ... Meg Myles into
Club Cliche . . . Oscar Peterson
I and trio at Baker’s Keyboard
' Lounge . . . Wager & Carroll re-
I turn to Yeaman’s Knife & Fork
I Club for second time this year . . .
Faye Adams into the Flame Show
Bar.

Chicago

Tim Kirby to the Sheraton-
Jefferson, St. Louis, Dec. 31
through Jan. 10 . . . Tidelands,
Houston’s new private plushery,
signed Billy Williams Quartet for
March 9, and Betty Kean & Lew
Parker to follow, March 23 . . .
Jimmie Komack and Cindy &
Lindy open at Mister Kelly’s Dec.
29, where Shelley Berman and
Della Reese are holding forth now
. . . Merriel Abbott reported near
closing a deal for Maurice Cheva¬
lier, in April, at the Empire Room.

Hollywood

Tony Romano is playing week¬
ends at the Palm Springs Tennis
Club . . . Organist Diqk Anrandt
is at the Honker, formerly Barra-
clough’s . . . Songstress Barbara
Barr opens a two-weeker at the
Riverside Hotel, Reno, New Year’s
Day. She’s now at Bimbo’s 365
Club, San Francisco . , . Ukie
Sberin is entertaining Sundays at
the Palm Springs Ranch Club . . .
Stan Irwin has set Frank Libase
for a three-week engagement in
the liotel Sahara show at Vegas
starring Fernando Lamas, begin¬
ning Dec. 23 . . . Jack Russell
holds over as 88er at Art Williams’
Caribbean . . . Songstress Ann
Hathaway opens a, two-week stand
in the Tideland Hotel, Houston,
New Year’s Eve . . . Lisa Carroll
opens in the Thunderbird Lounge
in Las Vegas for four weeks start¬
ing Dec. 23,

Tony Romano Is entertaining
weekends at the Palm Springs Ten¬
nis Club for the next four months.
Bobby Bronti on piano and drum¬
mer Gary Formen back the singer-
guitarist . . . Bobby Breen opens a
two-weeker at BUly Gray’s Band
Box Dec. 9 . . . Ukic Sherin is ap¬
pearing Sundays at the Palm
Springs Ranch Club ... Songstress
Barbara Barr opens a two-weeker
at the Riverside Hotel in Reno on
New Year’s Day.

Pittsburgh

Del Ray, magician, back home
after playing Flamboyan Club in
San Juan, Fu^o Rico, and goes
into the Ankara Dec. 22 for two
weeks with Somethin* Smith &
The Redheads ... Vaughn Monroe
gets New Arena booking Jan. 19
. . . Toni Arden hsd to cancel a
fortnight stand at Holiday House
on accoimt of illness. Sheppard
Sisters were replacements last
week and Connie Francis this week
. . . Phil Richards-George Arnold
ice act opens in Hollywood late
this month with new edition of
Ken Murray-Maiie Wilson “Black¬
outs” after an appearance Christ¬

mas Eve on Milton Berle tv show
. . . George Claire has pulled out
as booker for Town House and
Abriola brothers, who own and
operate the room, are doing their
buying direct now . . . Nino Repepi
named host and singing house m.c.
at Casa Loma.

Jack E. Leonard and Valerie
Carr go into Town House Dec. 22
and will stay through the holi¬
days . . . Bitner & Shannon booked
for club —dates and banquets
through first of year around’ this
territory . . . Deep River Boys get
week of Dec. ,15 at New Arena.

Houston

Ginriy Sims was in for a week at
the Cork Club . . . “Jamboree on
Ice,” tabloid skating show, opened
at Club Crescendo. Produced by
Robin Nelson, the troupe has its
own tiny rink within the club . . .
The Playboy Lounge will turn over
money from all sales at the lounge
Dec. 14 to the Goodfellows. Enter¬
tainment will be lined up by owner
Herb Shapiro to help boost the
crowd for the charity project.

Scotland

Sid Millward & Nitwits to Em¬
pire, Glasgow, with Morton Fraser
Harmonica Gang ... Robert Wilson
readying winter show for Tivoli
Theatre, Aberdeen . . . Johnnie
Beattie, Scot comedian, to Gaiety
Theatre, Ayr, for winter stint , . .
Marion Ryan, tv chirper, did a per¬
sonal at Maitless family’s Troca-
dero, Hamilton, near Glasgow . . .
Stewart & Mathew, dancers, to
Gaiety, Ayr, for vaude season.

SANDu scon

Currently

LECUPIDON

NEW YORK

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MCA

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THE COMEDIAN"

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The DEEP RIVER BOYS

Starring HARRY DOUGLASS

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Opening beceqiber •

NEW ARENA

PITTSEURGH

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Para. Mgru ED KIRKERY i's_

TiHi iiiiiiiHi iiiii III II III Hiiiiiiii iiHi III II iiiinr

Beeember IQ, 1Q5S

QS MMEAlV %!3LVB

ll#t^ M c r rc, W, IT*

**An Evening with Richard Ro&
gets” starring Mimi Benzell, Wil¬
bur Evans, Bill Tabbert; produced
by Stanley Melba, staged by Do¬
lores Pallet^ conducted by Leon
Leonardi, narrative by David
Greggary: Joseph Ricardel arch;
$2 cover.

This is the best of the com-
pcsers’ revues to daLO—and Stanley
Melba, who pioneered the idea at
the posh Cotilli(Hi Room, as an off¬
set to “impossible” salaries for
“names,” has done mighty well
with the two previous salutes, first
to Victor Herbert, then Sigmund
Romberg. Current ^‘Evening With
Ricfiard Rodgers” is the best for
several reasons, including a savvy
script by David Greggory plus the
fact that audience identification
with Rodgers Iboth with Larry
Hart and Oscar Hammerstein)
is a shade more contemporaneous
for a greater cross-section.

Not to- mention, of course, that
medley of Rodgers melodies, which
is monument enough for more than
one composer. From “Garrick Gai¬
eties” to “Oklahocia!”, from
“Babes In Arms” and “Jumbo” to
“South Pacific” and “Carousel/’
from other shows up to and includ¬
ing an excerpt from the just-
opened “Flower Drum Song,” it is
almost a case of who-can-hate-it?

Given three pros like the looker
lammister from the Met, Mimi
Benzellf seasoned barytone Wilbur
Evans who sang “SP” 792 times in
London; and tenor Bill Tabbert
who gave 1,700 censecutive per¬
formances as Lt. Joe Cable in the
original “South Pacific,” it’s ideal
casting.

Their marathon of R&H (for
Hart) and E3cH (for Oscar 2d) is an
arresting cavalcade of popular
standards that Tijfill long endure.
Many of them mirror the folk
songs of the days of our years, cer¬
tainly so far as the moneyed crowd
that patronizes rooms like the Co¬
tillion is concerned.

’I^e staging, lighting and dove¬
tailing has been sldUfuIly blended.
The narration is effective, hip, and
circumvents making this sound like
a living LP. The maturity of Lor¬
enz Hart’s lyrics will remain^ of
course, a perennial monument to
him. It's now a tossup which R&H
.qualifies for the “American Gilbert
& Sullivan” distinction—^regard¬
less, Dick Rodgers has produced
an ^Itime Hit Parade that remains
the dream medley for any Ameri¬
can composer to shoot at. Inci¬
dentally, in the current idiom of
LP remakes and variations of the
theme, this “Evening With Richard
Rodgers,” and with the same cast,
would make a very neat album.

Special conductor Leona Leon¬
ard! batons a tiptop show; the
three thrushes chirp to the hilt;
the solos and duets and fbute en¬
sembles are smoothly projected.
Withal, a fuUy satisfying evening
of song. Joe Ricardel adds the
necessary dansapation fillip; Pas-
quall is the durable greeter at the
door, the Pierre staff maintains
parity, and the addition of “Gogi”
as host seems certainly to have
added to the b.o. And even a Paul
Getty-owned hotel prefers okay
b.o. Abel.

Hotel Roosevelt, X, ©.

New Orleans, Dec. 4.
Joe E. Lewis {with Austin
Mack), Kathy Carr, Bobby Blan-
que, Leon Kelner Orch (10); $2.50
minimum, $4 Sat.

Joe E. Lewis is back at the start
of the racing season with some rou-
tmes as well as his familiar clas¬
sics. It’s been capacity biz in the
plush nocturnal rendezvous since
he opened.

The unpredictable pixie does
considerable changing of the song
parodies and gags with each show.
In the 40 minutes he holds the
stage, Lewis manages to keep up a
constant flow of seemingly ad lib
lines squeezed between the well-
knowh “post time” imbibing. He
seems to get better everytime he
plaj^ Seymour Weiss’ bistro.

His patter and parodies keep the
yocks coming fast, as do his asides.
Best are his song takeoffs on doc-'
tors, a rocket trip to the moon, the
popular hit of the day, “Volare,”
with words about Brigitte Bardot,
and “All 'The Way,” from “The
Joker Is Wild,” a pix based on his
ow’n life. Austin Mack does a top
job as piano accompanist.

Teeing off the show is Kathy
Carr, a blonde thrush with loads of
personality, showmanship and
know-how with a rhythm beat. She
scores nicely with songalog that in¬
cludes “Hello, Young Lovers,” “I
Love Him So,” “St. Louis Blues,”
“Shimmy Like My lister Kate,”
“Bill Bailey.” Bobby Blanque,
young baritone, shares in the
evening's applause with a group of
ballads.

Leon Kelner’s musical crew con-

REVlEWi^

trttates aa AEL-New Orleans med¬
ley featuring various members of
band in solos. Kelner himself does
a masterful job on the keyboard.
Band keeps floor crowded during
the ankle-bending sessions.

Liuz.

Hotel Radisson,

Minneapolis, Dec. 4.

“A -Night With Sigmund Rom¬
berg “ uhth Felix Knight, Earl
Wrightson, Betty Benee' Don Mc-
Grane Orch (10); $2.50-$3.50 mini¬
mum.

After “A Night With Victor Her¬
bert’s” highly favorable impression
and the boff mature ^spending”
trade it attracted, the logical thing,
no doubt, was for this swanky
Flame Room to have brought in its
successor, “A Night With Si^und
Romberg,” patterned along similar
lines.

Judging by the jampacked open¬
ing dinner show, advance reserva¬
tions and audience enthusiasm, it
looks as if this second offering
wiU duplicate its predecessor’s suc¬
cess. Again the singers fit the
tempo; and the numbers, culled
skillfully from the Romberg hit
musical comedies and of more re¬
cent vintage than Herbert’s but still
possessing nostalgic charm, caress
the ears pleasantly.

In this connection, it might be
said that this sort of fare ap¬
parently is local society’s dish as
indicated by the fact that a some¬
what similar presentation, on ' a
less major scale, is in its ninth
big year at another tony dining
spot, Schiek’s.

Of the present personable cast,
two members have some name sig¬
nificance here. Felix Knight has
appeared a number of times as a
single in this room and boasts a
local following. Earl Wrightson, of
course, is generally known through
television and radio. Miss Benee’s
operatic voice and beauty undoubt¬
edly will generate word-of-moutb
beneficial to patronage. j

All three performers contribute |
equcilly to a polished, intri^ing
performance. The fine vocalistics
are supplemented by acting ability;
which imparts added value to the
numbers. The narration explaining
the songs' original is laeed occa¬
sionally with witty verbal banter.

Incidentally, this room has had
both of these “nights” directly
from the New York Hotel Pierre’s
Cotillion Room.

Even ^vith Don McGrane absent
to attend his mother’s fimeral, his
orchestra, as usual, performs its
tasks admirably.

“Romberg” is here until Dec. 30
when Hildegarde takes over.

Rees.

Americana^ ]|fiami B.

, Miami Beach, Dec. 8.
Eartha Kitt, Dusty Brooks, Lee
Martin Orch. $3.50-$7.50 minimum.

Eartha Kitt is playing an annual
date in the Bal Masque and, from
the turnaway biz on opening night,
owner Larry Tisch could weU play
her on a more frequent basis. The
audience was comprised of regu¬
lars, some bus-tourists and a smat¬
tering of conventioneers. She looks
to set a record gross- for her run
at this time of year.

Miss Kitt has a mostly-new act
and the latter portion is an eye-
filler and buzz-raiser. Working at
start in be-caped ensemble, she
doffs the outer garments as she
progresses through her special-
material newies, one dedicated to
“millionaires” that contains lines
worthy of any top comic’s book. It
makes for laugh-filled returns into
the middle portions for the straight
song arrangements. Her ?‘Anna
Lucasta” comes off in good fashion,
desoite a hurried reading of the
middle talk segment. It is when she
hits the request trail and doffs her
sheath gown (in itself form-reveal¬
ing) to display a tassled outfit that
displays those exciting gams and
torso, that she hits the big buzz
and continued reaction rise.

She reprieves her standards to
continued build. Proof of hold on
a class room comes when she works
in a new bit, a temperature-raising
bump-grind routine around stage.
They loved it, and that takes in
the large.femme contingent.

Dusty Brooks is a young comic
who comes through in good style
despite coming on cold in the open¬
ing .slot. His is a mixture of the
familiar and the fresh with the
new^ slant dominant. Timing is
adroit. With sharpening of some of
his material he could be heading
for .the fast-risers in short order.
As is, he’s a personable lad, with a
delivery that's briskly Mefficient.
Running gag anent a cow builds
his act as he threads it through to
a surprise bit at windup to warm
returns.

Lee Martin and his orch back
proceedings in. ton style. Due at
end of week are Fernanda ^^’itel
and Gene Baylos. Lary, j

' A.

Los Angeles, Dec. 5.
Wiere Bros., Mildred Seymour,
Skrnnay Ennis Ordh (11); $2
cover.-

They’re billed as the “unpre¬
dictable” Wiere Bros., but they’re
not, not at all. This threesome does
^ a comedy act as precise as a tlght-
wire act, and there are ho missteps.
They are the only act in the floor-
show of the Terrace Room at the
Statler Hilton^ and they should be
a good draw. The Only thing that
could hurt them is that they have
had considerable exposure in this
area in recent months. But for a
team that changes its routines very
little, the'comedy holds very well,
getting laughs—^big ones:—even
from those who have seen the act
fairly often.

The Wieres—^Harry, Herbie and
Sylvester—are celebrating this
week the 100th anniversary in show
business of their family. Every day
of it is in the act—in the timing,
the know-how, the showmanship.
The team’s forte is the frontfd or
flank attack on propriety and sobri¬
ety. A threerviolin rendition of
Enecso’s "Romanian Rhapsody” be¬
comes a melee with Herbie and
Sylvester dueling with violin bows,
and balancing fiddles on their fore¬
heads. A misty version of “Clair
de Lime” is played straight except
that Hantys bow strings get loose
and wavy as a horse’s tail. A Haydn
excerpt becomes the background
(or foreground music, since the ac¬
tion occurs in the bac^round) for
a hat balancing act by Bylv.ester
and Harry. Herbie plays straight
through most of the act, while the
piano accomp, Mildred Seymour, a
statuesque blonde of heroic size,
manages to convey the impression
that she is the only sane person on
the stage'awash with lunacy. It’s a
very funny act and familiarity does
very littie to dilute enjoyment of it.

The act is in through Dec. 24,
holding the stage for two shows
nightly of 50 minutes each. Skim
nay Ennis and his orch do a brief
warmup medley of their best-
known hits and provide dance mu¬
sic between shows. Powe.

Sahara. Las ¥o<as

Las Vegas, Dec. 2.
"Hi Fi Holiday" starring Fred
Waring & His Pennsylvanians,
produced & staged by Waring; $3
minimum.

Fred Waring and His Pennsyl¬
vanians are challenging the nudes
and big name attractions in Vegas
these nights with a toi^drawer
package which doubtless wiU buUd
via word-of-mouth. It’s a clean
I show, exceUently staged and in
! good taste, which smacks of class
and polish throughout.

Congo Room is equipped with
stereophonic sound, which p’eatly
adds to the overaU effectiveness
of the weU-paced musicale. War¬
ing is a smooth mx. who also clicks
in the comedy department, espe¬
cially when he sings rock ’n’ roll
version of “When I Grow Too Old
To Dream.” Orch (20) and singers
(19) show, versatUity in well-
balanced repertoire featuring solo¬
ists Gordon Goodman, Leonard
Kranendonk, Angela Mario. Livio
Giorgi, Chuck Nelson, Jeannie
Steel, Eleanor Forgione, Joe
MafTne, and Patti Beems in such
numbers as. “Song of the Open
Road,” “He’s Gone Awav.” “Grafi-
ada,” “Return To Me.’‘ “I’m Gonna
Live Till I Die.” “Summertime.”
“Love Is Fiin,” “Mv Romance”
and “On Tod of Old Smokey.”

Warren Hard, drummer, and
Marjorie Meinert, organist, are
impressive in solo numbers, and
Irving Jaffa does a hit with minia¬
ture violins which is good for
yocks. Final part of program is
songalog saluting th^ various
American holidays. Stan Irwin
presentation runs through Def*. 22,
Duke.

Clii CliU Palm Springs

Palm Spring, Dec. 2.
Marie Wilson, Buddy Lester, Ben
Yost Royal Guards (3), Bill Alex¬
ander Orch (7); $2 cover week¬
ends.

Marie Wilson, Buddy Lester and
the Royal Guards were booked into
the StarUte Room separately hut
played like a well packaged and
integrated bUl. Show moved like
fast old time vaude, with variety
^and fun aU over the place.

Ben Yost’s Royal Guards open
with a modest and warming intro
in song and on comes Marie Wil¬
son looking as if age could not
wither nor custom stale her in¬
finite and lusty . variety. Starty-
eyed as ever,' but for real this
time, as she has not played many
niteries in her career on stage,
pix and tv, she comes on in a
shimmering white satin form-fit¬
ting strapless job, goes into her
helpless and humorous gab which
has been refreshed by new

writenb #a Buddy

Lester.

An old hand at the Chi Chi, Les¬
ter was in top form at show caught
and had the house howling nnd
stepping all over his intrlevapt
one-Uners. He stayed on too long
but that was 'fee feult ef the -cus¬
tomers, not Lester’s. Two paro¬
dies of Ted Lewis for a finife were
prefaced by a crack, “I don’t know
why I do imitations of me, he
never does one of me.” It must be
love because Lester doesn’t have
to imitate anybody but Lester to
keep ’em laughing.

Miss Wilson returns rigged in
rhinestones and sings “Diamonds
Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” She is
not a singer but who needs it with
that figure? Then she brings back
the Royal Guards who give a per¬
formance rarely exceeded in this
%asis of the sand dunes. Some of
their numbers have top concert
quality.

For a demanded encore Miss
Wilson joined them in a clowning
military uniform that fitted like
Max Baer's would fit Buster Kea¬
ton. They kept booting her out of
their numbers, stretching their
arms that made it difficult to miss
her poitrine.

Previously she reprised the sob-
ber of the autograph hound at
Grauman’s Chinese, which she had
done on the Ed Sullivan show. It
was a nice plug for the humanity
of George Jessel, anyway.

BiU Alexander’s band keeps a
fine pace with all the zany switches.

Scul.

Le Cnpidon, N. T.

Sandu Scott, Ish Ugardi and
Catun Orchs, Howard Beder; $3.50
minimum.

Le Cupidon, ndw regarded as a
prime showcase fm* femmes, is
debuting Sandu Scott, a blonde
looker who has been on the cir¬
cuits for some time. Miss Scott
impresses as being endowed with
a sufficiency of talent to get her
across in most spots, and has an
ingratiating manner along with a
weU-developed voice.

These seem, enou^ to get most
singers over, especially in an in-
timery such as Le Cupidon. Miss
Scott has come in with an icxpen-
sive act, even aside from eye-catch¬
ing couture. Her turn bespeaks a
lot of preparation and work on the
part of a complete staff, and there
apparently has been a surplus of
writers and arrangers—all of which
has the net ^effect of -obscuring
Miss Scott. She seems to be torn
between the expression of herself
and her colleagues, and it seems
that the others are always winning
out. What’s more, it’s to her detri¬
ment

There are a couple of instances
in which she's per^tted to be her¬
self briefly, and in these flashes
she shows up as a likable singer
and a warm personality. Her
“Under Paris Skies” and “1^1 Blu”
give her a chance to be herself.
Otherwise her special material
hides many of her virtues. 'The act
contains a lot of writing. Even in
the medley of oldies, there’s a con¬
trived effect with the Jolsonesque
score. And there’s a lot of special
material that hasn’t been kneaded-
to her needs. A partisan crowd on
opening night (2) gave her a re¬
sounding mitt.

The Ish Ugardi orch supplies
first-rate showbacking, Catun does
the Latino material, and Howard
Beder emcees. Of course, a prime
attraction at this -spot is Robert,
the ex-Versailles maitre d’ who is
dispensing an excellent brand of
groceries. Jose.

London House, Chi

■' Chicago, Dec. 2.

Cy Coleman Trio; $3 minimum
Fri.-Sat.

Gotham-based Cy Coleman unit
is in its first Chi stand through
Dec. 14. It appears to be another
timely booking by the Marienthal
freres, for Coleman is something
of a “boy wonder” in the pop music
field, just now riding on- the fame
of having cleffed “Witchcraft’^ and
“Firefly,” both current hits.

Trio’s modem, jazzworks, often
wildly improvisational, is always
highly listenable, even for non¬
buffs. Uptempo stuff has'a basically
non-cerebral vitality that’s in part
due to the crisp, emphatic per¬
forming of all hands (Aaron Bell
on bass and G- T. Hogan on
drums). Fine example is “Hurray
For Love,” the Harold Arlen de¬
light, which gets a real swingin’
treatment replete with catchy
march flourishes at the open and
close. Set caught offered wide ap-

S eal in titles, among them. “Foggy
lay” “Prelude- to a Kiss” (a
dreamy Duke Ellington creation),
and “Firefly,” latter given some
Coleman vocalizing.

Albeit progressive, trio works
free of pomposity, and the let’s-
have-fun spirit proves quite per¬
vasive, Combo will likely be op¬
tioned back here soon enough.

Pit. .

CueuMut H r u ve , L» A.

Los Angeles, Dec. 5.
Patrice Wymore, Betty Kean L
Lew Parker, Orrin Tucker drch
(13);‘$2-$2.50 cover, $3 mitiimum.

First reaction to an eyening^
spent'with Patrice Wymore, Betty
Kean and Lew Parker at the Co-
coanut Grove is that it was a di¬
verting one. Still, to hit the profit
point for the next three weeks, the
big red room will have to bank
heavily on Yuletide parties to
swell attendance.

Miss Wymore is a tall, shapely
brunet with a pleasant voice and
a somewhat frenetic approach.
Were she to soften her movements,
and avoid theatricality, her excit¬
ing personality would have an eas¬
ier time getting the upper hand.
Her selections are apt — “Some¬
thing’s Gotta G/ve," “Let There Be
Love,” ‘Toggy Day in London
Town” and an excellent arrange¬
ment of “Secret LOve” to back¬
ground of a music box. Spicing the
act is flamenco dancer Luis
D’Urbin.

Miss Kean and Parser, who in
private life are Mr, and Mrs. close
the show with some 40 minutes of
every kind of humor in the book.
It’s a new act—one of the few
husband, and wife comedy teams
in the country—and it's one whose
name is likely to build. From the
comedienne’s sedate entrance to
the following display of her potato
sack dress and cigar, from Parker’s
straightman answers and satiric
wit, it’s all slamhang entertain¬
ment. Best of the routines are in a
restaurant and in the home of John
and Blanche Bickerson, and the
couple plays them to the hilt. On
opening night. Miss Kean drew
hearty response to her audience
sojourns and made a laugh out of
picking up one fondling what ap¬
peared to be Jayne’ Mansfield’s
full-length white ermine coat.

Orrin Tucker and his orch (13)
are okay backstoppers for the 70-
minute show. Ron.

Tidelands, Ho«sten

Houston,, Dec. 2.

Rose Murphy with Slam Stewart,
Don Cannon Orch (6); no cover
or minimum.

Rose Murphy, a big femme with
a little voice, establishes a first
with her Houston opening at the
Tidelands Motor Inn’s Tideland
Club. Hers is the first Negro act
to appear on the city’s nitery cir¬
cuit, and the club’s stagesiders mitt
the show in fine fashion.

This thrush is not by any means
a great singer, but her tunes are
listenable and she’s at home vdth
the 88s. Her jazz ivory goes big
here. Equally well received is Slam
Stewart, who has a way with a bass
viol. He croons to his instniment
as he plays it, producing a unique
and pleasant effect as his voice
mingles with the strings.

Drummer Alexio Quintero does
well with the love song of a tiger,
chanted with the bongos, but this
specialty was cut from the show
after the Opening night presenta¬
tion. Otherwise he performs -on
the conventional skins, and ex¬
pertly.

Miss Murplp^'s act is well tailored
to a small, intimate club such as
this, whose floor-to-ceiling win¬
dows look out on the motor inn
courtyard, (The drapes over the
windows, incidentally, are now kept
closed during the shows. One night
during Marie McDonald’s recent
opening of the club, a plajrful
young couple in one of the apart¬
ments across the-courtyard failed
to pull their drapes. Not many
people watched Miss McDonald.)

The Don Cannon orch backs the
show expertly., the leader having
cut the band from 10 to six pieces.
The move is an improvement as
the orch was too loud during the
club’s first two weeks. This is a
danceable combo and popular bere.

Skip.

Ye Little €lnb, L. A.

Los Angeles, Dec. 6.
Sharon Lauda, Joe Conely; two-
drink minimum.

Ye Little Club is giving Sharon
Landa, an attractive brunet song¬
stress, her first pro outing in a
tandem booking with Joe Conley,
singer-comedian making his fir^
stand at this intimate BevHills
spot.

Despite the fact that Miss Landa
is just breaking in, her swin^
physical mannei: as she sings
comes across to good advantage.
Her easy way of warbling through
such tunes as “Just In Time,”
“How Long Has This Been Going
On?” and “That’s All” sustain in-
teresl. She’s an okay candidate for
a disk pact and film work.

Conley, an energetic young man,
falls a little short of his biUing as
a comic. While his singing is good
enough, his laugh material faUs
flat He is badly in need of a bet¬
ter routine, Kafa.

Wcdncgday^». December 10, 1958

PStsi^f

KIGHT CLCB REVlEtVS

69

Chez Paree 9 Chi

- Chicago, Pec. 2.

. Louis Prirria & Keely Smith, Sam
Butera & The Witnesses (6), Chez.
Addrahles (&}, George Cook Orch-
(8); $1.95 covet, $4’ minimum. ■

The Chez Paree continues to
convalesce off the “simple” rem¬
edy. of hotsy hookings. And by the
yardsticks of the biz, Louis Prima
& Keely Smith come pretty hot
for the nonce, well-flacked and
applauded per their excitement at
Vegas, Tahoe, and via the Capitol
waxworks, etc. Couple’s two-week
Chi debut kicked off to ropes up
and figures to notch fancy rev¬
enues over the stand.

The locals who made it despite
frigid weather consisted in’ the
main of “camp followers” and the
curious cognizant of the Prima-
Smith rep. All hands responded in
hearty style, and for this it would
be carping to suggest that the
duo’s hour-long exposure was over¬
staying it a bit. Besides, there isn’t
a lag in the show.

If Prima and Miss Smith are the
stars, saxist Sam Butera & The
Witnesses integrate so well as to
make it a genuine troupe outing,
yet not to confuse the issue of
who’s in front. Prima, contorting,
free-wheeling and outspoken,
steers it all in effortlessly smooth
fashion. His and the combo’s wild
ways find deft counterpoint in the
calm, cooh almost grave stance of
Miss Smith, who cleverly steals
some laugh thunder on her own as
the turn progresses.

The mercurial foolishness trade¬
marks the act. but wil<^ and yocky
as It gets, there’s no mistaking
the Solid musicianship that under¬
pins the whole. Prima’s raspy pipes
work over such identifiers as
“When You’re Smiling.” “Just a
Gigolo” and ‘T Ain’t Got Nobody,”
then switches to horning “Hold
That Tiger.” His spouse, apart
from interesting features, charms
with such well-suited faithfuls as
“When Day Is Done”, (in gently
swinging style), “I’ll Understand”
and “I Got It Bad.” There’s dandy
ducting, too, notably for “I’m in
the Mood for Love” and their cur¬
rent disclick, “O’d Black Magic.”

Miss Smith’s tmcopcerned m^-
ner shouldn’t throw anyone; her
thrushing has a highly listenable
quality, and she has a sure savvy
of lyrics that makes the trite seem
fresh. Windup has Prima and a
couple of Witnesses wending midst
the tables via “Saints Go March¬
ing In,” to boff palming.

Chez Adorables open with a
“Jungle Fantasy,” and George
Cook’s tunesters . provide . able
entr’acte dansapation. Show’s in
through Dec. 13, after which the
club may do its traditional holiday
darkening till Red Buttons launches
Dec. 26. Pit.

Adolphus Hotel, Dallas

Dallas, Dec. 5.

Danny Costello, Veronica Mar-
tell, Joe Reichman Orch l7); 1.50-
$2 cover.

Danny Costello is filling a return
date at the plush. Century Room
this year. Since his April show¬
casing, the handsome baritone has
acquired mucho show sawy to jus¬
tify headliner billing here and
elsewhere. He smartly mixes his
tunes for best effect and gets hefty
response piping such oldies as
“Lonesome Old Town,” “Just One
of Those Things,” “Come Rain Or.
Come Shine,” “Too Marvelous For
Words” and “I’ve Got You Under
My Skin.” Aside from his belting
ability, visual assets keep the dis¬
taffers on his side as he scores in
bis 20-minute stint with “Volare”
and a Ziegfeld Follies oldie, “If
You Got Music.”

Opener, English juggler Veron¬
ica Martell, cares neatly for her
multiple . Indian clubs, balls, plates
and tophats. Big score is a blind¬
fold stint in which she bounces
balls off the floor in perfect
rhythm. Her brief costume, re¬
vealing shapely gams, adds eye
appeal.

Joe Reichman is a boff emcee
and at terp time he loads the floor
with leather pushers. At show
caught (5) maestro added a floor-
show fillip by calling ringsiding
couples onstage for cha cha,
rhumba, samba and rock ’n’ roll
demonstrations. Bark.

Ilolel MnehloJiacIi, K. C.

Kansas City, Dec. 5.

Connee BosweUt Larry Green
Orch (8); $2-$1.50 cover, $2 bev¬
erage minimum.

Terrace Grill of the Muehlebach
is following its great success of
the past fortnight with Sophie
Tucker by bringing in Connee Bos¬
well for an expanded two weeks.
It’s Miss Boswell’s debut in this
room, although she has played in
town in the not too recent past.
Cover is especially pegged at the

$2 top for this engagement, against
$2.50 for Miss Tucker and $1.50
usual top. .Opening house Friday
(51 was healthy, and reservation
lists are goad for the engagement
extending through Dec. 20, a Sat¬
urday closing in contrast to the
usual Thursday.

As is well known, there is no
more willing and enthusiastic en¬
tertainer, and Miss Boswell swings
right into a 45-minute flurry of
songs. This time around she works
at the piano, embellishing her own
song stylings and pounding out a
mean rhythm or two along the way.

Her songology has a wide range,
from the opening “Smiles” medley
to “Begin the Beguine” and “How
Deep Is the Ocean” and on to other
rock-ribbed standards such as
Who’s Sorry Now” and “Basin
Street Blues.” Even “Tom Dooley”
gets into the act, by request, as do
some of her established numbers.
There was an extra fillip as she did
her Soph Tucker impresh of “Some
of These Days” with Miss Tucker
staying over to look on for the first
show. Miss Boswell raises the pace
to close strongly on “When the
Saints Go Marching In” and
“White Chri.stmas,” Winding with
evident satisfaction all around.

Quin. .

Jefferson, Sf. Louis

St. Louis, Dec. 2..
Hildegarde, Johnny Polzin Orch
(7); $1.50-$2 cover.

Hildegarde, playing the Shera-
ton-Jefferson Boulevard Room for
the first time,; proves right off the
bat that “The Incomparable” still
fits very nicely. Starting off with a
hello bit at the piano,' “It's. Good to
Be Here,” she loses no time in
warming up her audience who are
all on her side within a matter of
minutes.

She stays on for almost, an hour,
which seems about half that time,
with a frothy mixture of pianistics
and ditties ranging from the old
favorites associated with her
through the years to an engaging
French rock ’n’ roll number. Her
wardrobe is, as usual, tres elegant,
and as an extra chi chi note, she’s
passing out sips of champagne to
ringsiders instead of the roses of
yore.

The Boulevard Room, by the.way,
is getting an extra- break on luring
customers during the Hildegarde
booking, which runs to Dec. 19.
The Chase Club, only other hotel
nitery here booking big names,
shuttered Dec. 3 till . New Year’s
Eve. Johnny Polzin’s danceable
combo continues on the Boulevard
bandstand. Bob.

Barclay Hoicl, Toronlo

Toronto, Dec. 2.

Dap, Davm & Dusk, Wally Dean,
The Virginians (2), Phil Feilds,
Craig Daye Dancers (5), Jimmy
Amara Orch . (8), Ruben Rivas
Quartet; $1.50 cover.

With imagination and showman¬
ship, A1 Siegel, new owner-oper¬
ator of the Barclay Hotel, has
whipped togetlier a fast-moving
75-minute holiday show that is
beating the pistol on the Xmas
celebration. Opens with the Craig
Daye Dancers (new unit) in parkas,
sequined. briefies and muffs, for a
“Jingle Bells” medley, with Phil
Feilds in as new emcee and bari-
toning his robust “Wonderful” and
“Love Is a Many-Splendored
Thing” to heavy applause. It’s the
lead-in to the Virginians, man and
woman team, a rousing juggling
act. They deploy clubs and cigar
boxes in catches and transfers,
with the two doing a leapfrog rou¬
tine and a whirlwind finale of club-
catching.

Wally Dean is a very funny story-
tellei'j particularly his wife and
husband takeoff to an imaginary
bartender.- His raincoat bit, w'ith
the concealed motor horns to
“Gobfus,” is a great finish, en¬
hanced by the expert background¬
ing of Jimmy Amaro’s band.

As stars of the supper club show.
Day, Dawn & Dusk immediately
hit hot harmony with their “Wagon
Wheels” medley and then switch
to a slow rock ’n’ roll tempo for
.“Up a Lazy River” and a lusty
dixieland of “When the Saints Go
Marching In.” A religious novelty
in floorshow offerings is their
introduction of “Eli, Eli,” during
which solemn occasion no food or
drinks are served. Here is a Jewish
lament and ultimate triumph pre¬
sented in reverent treatment. Their
segueing “revival meeting,” plus
latter’s use of tamborines supplied
to the cash customers, is a rousing
finale to hardTWorking act.

Daye Dancers, with new cos¬
tumes and routines, are inter¬
spersed for a waltz ensemble in
white sequined bouffant ballet
gowns and tiaras; finale is in blue
briefies, again to Feilds’ singing of
“V(alking in a Winter Wonderland.”
Finishes with a company round-up
and crowd enthusiastically recep¬
tive. McStay, .

liiteriuitional 9 IK. Y.

'Jackie Miles, Four Aces, Boots
McKenna Line, Pat Paterno, Mike.
Durso and Palmieri Orchs; $6
minimum.

Jack Silverman’s International
theatre restaurant has come up
with a solid layout for the party
trgde due at this spot during the
holiday season. Miles is a Very
hep comedian, the Four Aces dish
up a popular brand of songology,
and the overall production has a
dressy look. On opening night (4),
there were, unfortunately, no pzir-
ties for the first show and biz was
down. The house, as Miles put it,
was not only empty but haunted,
a reference to some backstage
noises audible out front.

Miles registers with a bagful of
long yarns which he does with re¬
strained dialect. His Miami Beach
and Las Vegas references hit home
with the customers here. The only
reservation to Miles is his use of
indigo material. Some of the allu¬
sions, indirect to be sure, are way
out in the wild blue yonder, about
as dirty as you can get, at least
in public. But he’s a funny man
nonetheless and appears to get by
without being offensive.

The Four Aces have a more juve¬
nile appeal. This team was among
the. first of the new-style male
quartets to hit the bigtime foiir or
five years ago and opened the
sluice gates for the flood of sub¬
sequent amateur-sounding combos
who made the grade via records.
The Aces, while far from a pol¬
ished vocal group, are, however,
superior musically to the typical
rock ’n’ roll crews and have devel¬
oped a good nitery routine. Be¬
sides vocalling their hit tunes
(“Tell Me Why,” “Stranger in
Paradise,” Three Coins In the
Fountain,” ‘Xove Is A Many-
Splendored Thing”), they do a
flock of special material songs, a
spiritual, and “Saints Go Marching
In,” in which each member of the
combo doubles on a musical instru¬
ment. This is by far their best of¬
fering. The quartet also engages
in some hoofing Routines which add
a nice touch.

The Boots McKenna line com¬
prises seven dolls and three male
hoofers who really can dance. The
production routines and costuming
in three numbers are standard eye-
catchers, with Pat Paterno han¬
dling the vocals in a virile, bari¬
tone. Mike Durso’s orch cuts a
sharp show, alternating with the
Palmieri orch for the dansapation
tempos. Herm.

Black Orchid^ Llil

Chicago, Dec. 4.

Johnny Mathis (6), Eagle & Man,
Joe Pdrnello Trio; $2 cover.

The Orchid will go out with h
bang when it darkens Dec. 17 for
remodeling. Johnny Mathis is tlie
magnet for what’s a foregone
ropes-up two-w'eeker, and also what
could be his final stand here now
that the Chez Paree has inked him
for a spring date.

Singer generates beaucoup ex¬
citement, and it’s more than in¬
imitable vocalisthenics. He’s a bell¬
ringer with virtually every lyric,
especially in a medley reprise of
such identifiers as “Twelfth of
Never,” “Chances Are” and “It’s
Not For Me to Say.” But granting
the skitt-and-squeal set the right
to adulate, and not to gainsay the
remarkable Mathis personality,
there’s the question of how stylized
one can get short of self-caricature.
Unchecked, as in his “Funny Valen¬
tine,” it leaves no room to savor a
meaningful lyric, giving impression
Mathis’ concern is with the sound
rather than what’s being said. To
add to the distraction, a hint of Nat
Cole creeps in here and there,
notably in “Get Me to the Church
on Time.” Such dissonances, how¬
ever, are nearly no matter when
star is on the upbeat, per his “Day
In, Day Out” begoff, and lotsa
tribute is due his swingin’ four¬
some, this stand augmented by a
guitarist.

In the warmup, Esigle & Man
show glints of nifty comedies that
toe often trip over threadbere
material. Roly-poly Eagle, in tuxe¬
do shorts, calls ’em “kosher kilts,”
and scores with a barrage of one-
liners Whilst switching hats. But
the switch gags are one too many
and don’t help. Weakest bit is his
Russian to Man’s feed lines. Latter,
in the straight slot, doesn’t show
much, apart from fragmented war¬
bling, until duo teams with horns
for some impreshe.s, including a
wild tandem Louis Armstrong get¬
away. . P'd.

Town & I'onnlry* B*klyii

Bobby Darin, Bobby King, Ter¬
race & Gray, Nejla At'^s,: Ned
Harvey & Slcari Orchs; $5 mini¬
mum.

Ben Maksik is operating the
Town & Cotidtry Club on an en¬

tirely different basis this season.
He’s proving that there is a virtue
• in thrift. His present $3,500 limi¬
tation on shows indicates that a
lot of entertainment can be had
on this kind of budget. What’s
more, there’s a passable profit in
the operation. Last season, he
booked names for as high as $40,-
000 weekly (Jerry Lewis). With
eight losers. It was inevitable that
he made a pitch for a Chapter XI.

Maksik has learned tu live with¬
in his limitations. He has also
learned to manipulate sales so that
he can make almost any sort of
deal for sizable parties. A group
can come in for as little as $3 per
skull. Not too much is left for the
proprietor. It’s still the a la carte
customers that provide the profits.

For this show, Maksik has a
likable lineup headed by Bobby
Darin, an upcoming singer on the
Atco label; comic Bobby King (both
New Acts), together with Terrace
& Gray and Nejla Ates. There’s
Variety and entertainment here.

. Openers Terrace & Gray are re¬
peaters at this spot. They are a
lithe terp duo with lively routines
that' are well de.cigned and fast
enough to hit good mittings. They
do a form of ballroom work, with
a lot of twists from other schools,
and wind up a colorful hit.

Nejla Ates does her usual as
belly ballerina. She’s a cute
coocher who seems to want to get
out of that rolling sphere and do
more singing. She still has a lot to
learn in that department.

Ned Harvey does a good job of
showbacking and Sicari provides
the Caribbean music. Jose.

Gay 90*s, vS. F.

San Francisco, Dec. 2.
Sylvie Saint Clair, Ray K.
Goman, Bee & Ray Goman Sr.,
Sharon Apel, Joy Hcaly Dancers
(4), Dick Keegan Orch (4) with
Elliston Ames; $1-$1.50 cover.

Blonde singer Sylvie Saint Clair
and standup comic Ray K. Goman
combine to give this Paris-slanted
70-minute show a nice polish.

Miss Saint Clair, who wrote the
show’s opening and closing num¬
bers (“La Moustache du Pana” and
“He Loves Me, He Hates Me”), is
the centerpiece of these numbers,
and also sings “Pigale,” a novelty
about a hansom-cab romance and
a delightful novelty a'oout cat love
on the Paris roofs. She is a pro.
who puts over her numbers very
well and rates a big aud^'ence hand.

Ray K. Goman emcees show and
participates throughout, always
coming through with fast, funny
lines and keeping pace lively.

His dad, Ray Goman Sr., delivers
strongly with his banjo solos and
his mother. Bee Goman, offers a
couple of amusing, blue songalogs.

Takeoff on “Gigi,” with blonde,
buxom Sharon Apel as Gigi, has
some weak spots, but audience
likes it and Ray K. Goman gives it
plenty of laughs. Joy Healy line
does nice job and pianist Elliston
Ames, with Dick Keegan orch,

: provides strong support. Show runs
through Feb. 15, Stef.

Purple Onion, S. F.

San Francisco, Dec. 2.
Maya Angelou, Lou Gottlieb,
The Coachmen (3), John Price,
Aaron Young; $1.50 admission.

The customers get a big bang,
and their money’s worth, out of
this long (hour and 40 minutes)
and rather elaborate basement-
bistro show, with tall, sinuous
Maya Angelou the chief draw.

Miss Angelou sings, dances,
calypsonically and demonstrates a
relaxed but nimble wit between
numbers. She comes on with an
African folksong, accompanied
only by Aaron Young’s congo
drum, breaks into ‘Baby. Please
Don’t Go” (in which pianist John
Price also joins), does a rhumba-
ish Afro-Spanish number and tops
herself wilh “The Heat Is On,” The
inevitable . calypso (“Neighbor,
Neighbor”) follows, and in quick
succession she knocks out a Hai¬
tian folktune, “Fever,” “Sie.sta,
Siesta” and winds up with an Is¬
raeli number.

Clad in a low-cut, form-fitting
white gown, slit up to the hip on
one 'sid,e she makes a striking ap¬
pearance and sings in a rich,
throaty voice which never takes the
music too seriously.

Lou Gottlieb, a cerebral and ex¬
cruciatingly funny comic, gets a
big hand and consistent laughs in
a 32-minute stint of original ma¬
terial—he is an accomplished pian¬
ist and one of his funniest bits is
alDOut the types who crowd around
piano-bars.

’ The Coachmen ar^ composed of
i-hree youngsters of approximately
the vintage and style of the King¬
ston Trio, who played the Purple
Onion less than a year ago. Like
the Kingstons of a year ago, they
are still a little unsure of them¬
selves but have considerable poten¬
tial and rate'high with the crowd.
Show runs through Jan. 3. Stef.

Riverside, Reno

Reno, Dec. 4.

Goofers (5), Kay Brown, Star¬
lets (8), Eddie Fitzpatrick Orch
(11); $2 minimum.

The five. guys who bill tliem-
selves as the Goofers titled the act
apropos, what with the magnificent
ahd idiotic antics, the aero props,
the crazy arrangements, et al..

Doing a repeat on the Reno cir¬
cuit (but bowing in the Riverside’s
Olympic Room), the quintet gar¬
ners hefty palming in a 30-minute
varied turn before the spot. Add¬
ing the femme touch to the double
bill is talented Kay Brown, pert
and vivacious in the vocal depart¬
ment. And with a neat chassis.

Goofers take initial bow in an
intro of beautifully-gowned Mi.^s
Brown onstaging from audience.
She wins endorsement With ever¬
greens such as “Almost Like Being
In Love,” “If I Had You,” and
“The Party’s Over.” Vvith good
stage personality, she shows abil¬
ity on the jump stuff—and wisely
goes easy on titles requiring more
control. Emoting is convincing,
and pleasing.

The goofier top-billed act rates
support from opener ;to the out-in-
orbit finale. Jimmy Vincent proves
himself a precu'^sion arti.st with
“Sing, Sing, Sing,” Tom Terry on
string bass and .T'miry Dell on
trombone make with the aero bit,
plus talent on instruments. Jack
Holliday shows we 1 on piano, and
Frank Nichols show.s command of
the high notes cn the trumpet.

Varied upstage .si hit sees group
doing square dance on pogo sticks,
combining vocal.s. aero and terp,
and swinging from trapeze on in¬
strumental bits for finale.

Long.

Freseondo* I3ou.«iion

Houston, Dec. 3.

Robin Nelson's "Jamboree On
Ice," Jose Ortiz Orch (5); no cover
or minimum.

Robin Nelson's four-person
troupe, performing on a 12-by-15
ice cube, draws enthusiastic ap¬
plause from a good first-night aud
and that undoub.edly wondered
how so much action can be
crammed into so .^mall an area.
Small as the group is. the show has
everything. The performers, two
men and two pretty gir's. are hand¬
somely costumed and all are talent¬
ed skaters. The act has grace, vari¬
ety and novelty.

They open with an original ice
ballet (Nelson does the choreog¬
raphy), then Ray Abney does his
drunk act. His many deliberate
falls cannot conceal the fact that
he’s an expert on blades. Attrac¬
tive brunet Avey O’Connell does a
graceful solo ballet, and Nelson fol¬
lows with his solo, “Slaughter On
10th Avenue.”

Abney and saucy redhead Georgia
Brew do a slambang Apache num¬
ber that would be breathtaking
merely afoot. On ice, it’s cool, man.
Miss O’Connell return^; for another
solo, “What Lola Wants, Lola
Gets,” and Nelson skates on for
his “Balloon Man” bit. In t-v's he
sends balloons soaring about the
club, twists them into various
shapes resembling a multitude of
animals, etc. It’s a fine novelty
number, as it provides a break in
the all-skating show.

After Miss Brew does a rhythm
on the freeze, the cast returns,
singly, to the ice for a three-part
finale as bubbles float onto the
portable rink. Skip.

Jack Bcnii^on"s« L. A.

Las Angeles, Dee. 5.
Mel Tonne, Ruth Price, Billy
Dare; no cover or vnninnnn.

Jack Denison’s answer to L .4.*s
smog is the “velvet fog,” Mel
Torme, booked for the next four
frames. The booking establishes a
name entertainment policy for the
Sunset Strip eatery, and judging
by Monday’s (1) opening turnout,
Torme should pay off in velvet for
Denison.

Following an intro by the nitery
op, Torme goes into tunes which
include “That’s Why the Lady Is
A Tramp,” “When the Sun Comes
Down,” “It’s All Right With Me”
and “Lulu’s Back In Town.'’ It’s a
hep songathon which he presented
in a relaxed manner, and he draws
good response. Singer stood on
deck long enough to warble sev¬
eral encores, one of which he com¬
posed, “The Christmas Song,” for
the holiday season.

Also billed is Ruth Price, a
pixie-haired songstre.ss with an
okay voice but a poor selction of
material for this type of cliehte’e.
Rather than warble somewhat off¬
beat type of songs, she mieht fare
better with some standard.?.

An added plus at Denison’s is
singer Billy Dare who supplies
some good vocal entertainment in
the lounge between the four shows
nightly. Kafa.

72

IJSGITIMATB

USrie^

Shows on Broadway

The Bisenehanted

William Darrid ic Eleanore Saidenb«rg
presentation of three^ct drama by Budd
^hulberj; and Harvey Breit. based on
Schulber£'s novel of the same name.
Staging. David Pressman settings. Ben
Edwards; lighting. Jean Roscntbal; cos¬
tumes. Ann Both. Stars Jason Robards
Jr.. Rosemiry Harris; features George
Grtzzard. Whitfield Connor. Jason Ro¬
bards Sr.. Bernard Kates. John Cypher,
Salome Jens. Opened Dec, 3, *58, at the
Coronet Theatre. N.Y,; »6.90 top ($8.05

§Sep*^tearns ... George Grizzard

Victor Milerim . Whitfl^d Connor

Manley HaUiday.Jason Robards Jr.

Jere HaUiday . Rosemary Harris

Soldiers Richrrd Kneeland, Michael Del
Medico. Moultrie Pattern,
Larry Ward. Ned Wertimer

Girls.Merle Albertson. Nina Clair,

. Nancy Kovack. Sybil White

%urt Seixas .Jason Robards Sr.

Freddie . .. Bernard Kates

Georgette . Salome Jens

Wister LaSalle .. • . Jon Cypher

Party Guests Merle Albertson, Nma
Clair. Richard Kneeland. Nancy
Kovack, Moultrie Patten. Larry
Ward. Ned Wertimer. Sybil White

Dean Llewellj'n. JohnT edie

Mrs. LteweUvn . Eleanor Phelps

Prof- Connelly . Salem Ludwg

Mrs. ConneUv.Dorothea Biddle

Mr. Ridgefield .. Ned Wertimer

One of the limitations and merits
of a play about a wellknown actual
person is that the facts can’t be
phonied up very much. Otherwise,
during the frantic doctoring that
almost invariably accompanies a
tryout tour, they might have soft¬
ened up ‘’The Disenchanted,”
which opened last Wednesday
night (3) at the Coronet Theatre,
The show should have at least a
moderate run and is interesting
enough to arouse considerable dis¬
cussion.

Although this Budd Schulberg-
Harvey Breit dramatization of
Schulberg’s novel is engrossing
and challenging, it is not an easy
or comfortable play. Probably F.
Scott Fitzgerald, the personifica¬
tion of its leading character, would
find it unbearably painful, if he
were alive and could face it at all.
But it’s doubtful if even he could,
quarrel with the reality and pathos
of the portrait.

To have sweetened the tragic
ending or prettied up the charac¬
ters or situations, however, would
have marred the validity of the
picture, and turned an authentic
and moving drama into something !
resembling a soap opera, even if it j
had succeeded in increasing the'
popular appeal. For it's the play’s
truth, perhaps even more than its
compassion, that gives it dimen¬
sion and emotional impact.

‘‘The Disenchanted” is magnifi¬
cently acted, particularly by Jason
Robards Jr. in a beautifully con¬
ceived and projected performance
as the once-fabulously successful
author trying to recapture his
squandered talent and recoup his
finances and his professional stand¬
ing and regain his health with a
triumphant comeback novel. It’s a
fully developed and projected por¬
trayal, capturing the stubborn
pride, the lingering creative in¬
stinct and the anguish of the dis¬
integration of a spectacular talent.

Not in ready memory has an ac¬
tor succeeded so superbly in con¬
veying the indefinable aura and
feel of an autho^ This is not the
usual pseudo-literary stage figure,
the familiar striding up and down,
running fingers through the hair
and loosening the necktie. This
character of Manley HaUiday (the
coUaborators’ pseudonym for Fitz¬
gerald) seems to think and feel
like a writer—^what’s more, a gifted
and iUustrious writer. It’s an im¬
pressive further achievement for
the actor who first drew attention
only three seasons ago in an off-
Broadway revival of ‘‘The Iceman
Cometh” and two seasons ago won
acclaim in “Long Day’s Journey
Into Night.”

Rosemary Harris, the young Eng¬
lish actress costarred as the novel¬
ist’s glittering, shaUow, destruc¬
tively self-indulgent wife, creates
a sharply etched and striking char¬
acterization within the limits of a
somew’hat monotonous part, al¬
though' her apparently artificial
vocal tone becomes annoying after
a time.

George Grizzard is plausibly
eager, then resentful but still sym¬
pathetic as the young Hollywood
writer (presumably Budd Schul-
berg) who collaborates on the as¬
signment that proves the novelist’s
und()ing, W'hitfield Connor is au¬
thoritative and effectively brisk as
the confident and ruthless young
film producer and Jason -Robards
Sr., emerging from several years’
retirement (including a period of
blindness), gives a relaxed and
w*arm portrayal of the author’s de¬
voted publisher.

David Pressman has staged the
play with unobtrusive skiU,. Ben
Edwards has designed the basic,
skeletenized settings representing
a beach shack at Malibu, Cal., a
Wo.-Id War I canteen in Paris, a
room in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
N.Y., a mansion living room in
Beverly Hills, a room at the inn
at Dartmouth CoUege and a cot¬

tage at La JoUa, Cal. Jean Rosen¬
thal has provided the expressive
lighting and Ann Roth has sup¬
plied the Jazz Era costumes.

Aside from its appeal as drama
and value as material for pictures,
“The Disenchanted” should have
special interest to show business
because of the identity of several
of the key characters and the real¬
ity of its central situation. The
character of the young Hollywood
writer is obviously based on Schul-
berg himself. The film for which
he and the novelist are assigned
to write the screenplay is titled
“Love on Ice.” The two writers j
are sent to New York and then to |
Hanover, N.H., ostensibly to get
first-hand story material but pri¬
marily to impress Dartmouth of¬
ficials.

Actually, Schulberg met Fitzger¬
ald when they were asagned to col¬
laborate . on a United Artists pic¬
ture, “Winter Carnival,” and the
late novelist cracked up during
their stay in New York and at
Hanover. The executive producer
on the picture w'as Walter Wanger,
like Schulberg, a Dartmouth alum¬
nus. Hobe.

The Cold Wind and the
' Warm

Producers Theatre presentation of Rob¬
ert Whitehead production of three-act
(nine scenes) comedy-drama by S. N.
Behrman, suggested by his New Yorker,
magazine series and book, "The wor-
'cester Account.** Staging. Harold Clur-
man; settings. Boris Aronson; costumes.
Motley; lighting, Feder. Stars EU Wal-
lach, Maureen St?pleton;. features Son-
ford Meisner. Morris Carnovsky, SU Arno,
Timmy J^erett, Carol Grace. Suzanne
Pleshette. Opened Dec. 8, *58, at the
Morosco Theatre, N.Y.; $S.90 top ($8.05

opening). _ „

Tobey . .Timmy Everett

Willie . Eli WaUach

.Tim Nightingale Vincent Gardenia

Ida .Maureen Stapleton

Ren ...Jada Rowland

R-'-Ppanort .Sig Arno.

Mr. Sacher ............ Morris Carnovsky

ban.;. Sidnev Armus

Leah Suranne Pleshette

Norbert Mandel. Sanford Meisner

S. N. Behrman, who’s been turn¬
ing out suave comedies for more
than a third of a century, has at last
written a nlav close to his heart.
“The Cold Wind and the Warm.”
which opened Monday night (8) at
the Morosco Theatre, is his drama¬
tization suggested by bis New
Yorker autobiosraphical series and
the book, “The Worcester Ac¬
count.”

It’s an affectionate, touching
tragi-comedy, a mixture of quietly
humorous, heart-warming scenes
and strangely awkward, uncomfort¬
able moments, a loving, lovely play
that may have only moderate suc¬
cess. The fact that it’s a diffuse
play, with a somewhat intangible
theme and an abruptly sad “ con¬
clusion is likely to limit its box-
office draw ard film potential.
Since the work is autobiographical,
the finale obviously could not 'and
cannot be basically .changed.

Growing up is apt to be a pain¬
ful process, often involving traffedy
and heartbreak, and “The Cold
Wind and the Warm” is the story
of a sensitive boy’s agonized com¬
ing to maturity. In this tender
chronicle of the small. crises and
the intense joys and sorrows of a
Jewish neighborhood in turn-of-
the-centuty in Worcester, Mass.,
the influential figure in the lad’s
emotional development is his
friend and mentor, the adult-in-
years but juvenile-in-enthusiasm-
and-idealism Willie, who has no
recourse but suicide when his
protege grows up and he himself
finally has to face responsibility.

The play abounds in subtle but
richly expressive touches, and ordi¬
nal but real and distinctive char¬
acters. The author knows all the
people in the story, and he clearly
respects them and is loyal to them.
The cast obviously shares that de¬
votion, and the performances gen¬
erally have rare validity and depth.

As Willie, the key character, Eli
WaUach bas a workhorse role of
unusual comnlexity, and he acts it
with remarkable success, even
achieving cre(iibility and clarity in
the difficult, inarticulate emotions
of the final scene. In the spectacu¬
larly comic part of the boy’s in¬
corrigibly match-making aunt,
Maureen Stapleton gives a sympa¬
thetic flavorsome performance.

Timmy Everett is eloquently
hesitant and curious as the author
as a boy and achingly aware as the
same character .on the brink of
manhood. It’s an impressive por--
trayal by a rising young actor.
Morris Carnovsky is convincingly
stem but kindly as the lad’s devout
father, Suzanne Pleshette is ap¬
pealing as the forthright, generous-
hearted girl who loves Willie, whi^e
Sanford Meisner accepts the role
of the self-importantly rich neigh-^
bor, Sig Amo makes a comic stand¬
out of the bit part of a harrassed
marriage broker and Carol Grace
is at least decorative, in the shallow
role of a .‘:e)?-centcred flirt.

* Harold Clurman’s staging,, gives

Broodway fvbficift

Nat N. D6rfma»

d*crlt$ tht dilation of
mnslcal “ploys” Jo his

Lament for the
Bellylaff
* .* *

another bright Editorial Foatnro
duo soon in tho

53d Anniversary Number

of

considerable form to what might
otherwise be a scattered perform¬
ance. Boris Ar(>nson has designed
a necessarily complicated setting
with three principal playing areas
on two levels. Motley has provided
the picturesquely dated costumes
and Feder has (ievised the mood¬
enhancing lighting. Hobe.

The Night Circus

Jay Julien presentation of three-act-
(six scenes) drama by Michael Gazzo.
Staging', Frank Corsaro; settings, David
Hays; lighting, Lee Watson; costumes, •
Patricia Zipprodt. Stars Ben Gazzara,
Janice Rule; features Shepperd Strud-
wick, Arthur Storch, Albert Morgenstern,
John Harkins, Al Lewis. Opened Dec.^ 2,
*58, at the John Golden Theatre, N.Y.;
$5.90 top ($8.05 opetiihg).

Waiter .../.... Michael St. John

Owner-Bartender . - • Al Lewis

Businessman .- • • Arthur Suorch

Jade .. Albert Morgenstern

Prostitute .. ............. Patricia Rose

David Davidson -- John Harkins

Nellie Milwaukee ... Arlene Golonka

Daphne Ban .;. ■ . Janice Rule

Her Father .. Shepperd Strudwick

Old Schoolmates__ Albert Paulson,

Richard McMurray

Joy . Ben (Jazzara

PoUceman . IJazeH Gifford

Customer .* * • •

The Rock .. BarteU LaRue

Young Girl ............... Judith Loomis

If it were possible to shake up
William Saroyan, Samuel Beckett
and Mickey Spillane together, the
mixture might have something of
the nightmarish quality of Michael
V. Gazzo’s style. For the author’s
“Night Circus,” which opened last
Tuesday night (2) at the John
Golden Theatre, suggests the boozy
sentimentality of “The Time of
Your Life,” the disconnected un¬
intelligibility of “Waiting for
Godot” and the illiterate bmtality
of a Mike Hammer binge.

The production is a sort of re¬
take of the tawdry but shock-suc¬
cessful play of three seasons ago,
“Hatful of Rain,” bringing back
together author Gazzo, producer
Jay Julien, director Frank Corsaro
and actor Ben Gazzara. But al¬
though the first act has a sem¬
blance of reality and enough
heavy-handed comedy to make the
pretentious philosophical gab
bearable, the show degenerates into
a welter of maudUnly sophomoric-
nonsense in the secoifd act and
hifalutjn, absurb gibberish in the
third.

The story, such as it Is, centers I
around the earthy and supposedly 1
deep, significant romance between
an unhappy suburban heiress and
a swaggering merchant seaman
who uses multiple seduction to
hide his misery over the fact that
he never knew his.mother. They
are, the author plainly believes,
just made for each other, although
the implication- seems to be they
must endure tragedy (the girl has
an abortion, over his violent if
somewhat inarticulate opposition)
and separation before they can
find salvation together some day.

There T"iiy be a certain morbid
interest . the fact that. “Night
Circus” is localed in a saloon, the
original of which is directly across
from the Golden Thoatre, in West
45th St. In fact, according to the
publicity, Gazzo wrote much of
the script there, and a number of
the characters are supposed to he
more or less based on regular
patrons of the joint.

To honor such eminence, Har¬
old’s Show Place, as it was called
(it was the Theatrical Restaurant
some years ago, and popularly
known as Bergen’s, after Lou
Bergen, its bartender at the time)
has just been renamed Harold’s
Night Circus. Considering the
quality of the play, it’s a dubious
distinction, and it remains to bg
seen how long the new name is
retained.

In any case, the characters in
“Night Circus,” besides the two
mt}(ed-up leads, include • such
“beat” ginmill denizens as a
neighborhood streetwalker, an
efnotionally sloppy businessman
who keeps talkmg about suicide
because he can't face his terma-
gent wife in the suburbs, as well
as the hero’s laconic but opinion¬
ated pal and the latter’s not-quite-
bright mistress, several' assorted
barflies, the heroine’s spineless,'
hysterical father and her dis-

(ConUnj^

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

Shows Abroad

Moon On a Rainbow
Shawl ^

London, Dec. 5.

Tennent Production * New Watergate
Presentation Ltd. production o£ three-act
(six scenes) drama by Errol John. Staged
by Frith Banbury; decor. Loudon Satnt-
hm. Opened Dec. 4. *58, at Royal Court-
Theatre, London; $2.30 top.

Ephraim ... Earle Hyman

Esther^.. Jacqueline Chan

Mavis . Barbara Assoon

American salloi’ .. Robert Jackson

Sophia .. Vinette Carroll

Old Mack ... Lionel Ngakane

Rosa . Soraya Rafat

Policeman .. Johnny Sekka

Janette . Berril Briggs

Prince . Leo Carera

Charlie ... - - John Bouie

American soldier.Leonard Davies

Young Murray . Clifton Jones

“Moon on a Rainbpw Shawl.” by
a young West Indian, Errol John,
was awarded first prize in a play
competition by The Observer news¬
paper. As a fill-in, it has been
allotted a short engagement at the
Royal Court Theatre. It deserves
and may well get a wider showing.
There is nothing particularly origi¬
nal about its theme, but it is writ¬
ten with dignity, poetry and in¬
sight, and the acting is first-rate.

“Shawl” is set in a squalid back¬
yard in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad,
with vivid atmosphere of people
straining to rise above their en¬
vironment. Comment on the prob¬
lem of racial discrimination and of
the rich against the poor is im¬
plicit, but maintains the level of
drama and never lapses into
preaching.

The principal characters are a
young trolley-driver, whose un¬
happy adolescence has filled him
with hatred for the hopeless
squalor of his West Indies island,
but who is determined to emigrate
to Britain; the pregnant native.girl
he deserts; a has-been professional
cricketer who who turns to a petty
crime to enable his young daughter
take up a scholarship she has won,
and such assorted figures as wife, |
a saloon-keeper, a harlot and her
man.

The first act is desultory, merely
establishing the, atmosphere and
characters, but the second and
third acts increase in pace and
dramatic tension, with fairly torrid
love-making and effective tragi¬
comedy situations. Frith Banbury’s
smooth direction gets expressive
performance from cast which, ex¬
cept for a few minor roles, is all-
Negro.

U.S. actor Earle Hyman gives
a powerful portrayal of the young
hero disgusted by the rut into
which he has fallen. He is a hand- J
some, virile actor and he shares
some of the best scenes of the play
with Soraya Rafat as the pathetic
native girl.

John Bouie gives a stunning per¬
formance as . the middle aged
cricketer resigned to failure and
poverty. His .wife is played with a
forceful blend of comedy and
pathos by Vinette Carroll, and
Jacqueline Chan is moving as thp
young daughter. Among the lesser
roles Barbara Assoon scores as an
uninhibited tart.

Loudon Sainthill’s setting and
costumes seem authentic and add
much to the atmosphere of a play
that relentlessly holds the audi¬
ence’s attention and provides a
skUIful combination of (Irama, com¬
edy and tragedy, with no false con¬
cession to a happy ending. Rich.

The Grass Is Greener

London, Dec. 3.

Anna Deere Wiman 8c Jack Minster
presentation of two-act (four scenes) com¬
edy by Hugh and Margaret Williams.
Stars Celia Johnson, Joan Greenwood,
Hugh Williams. Staging. Minster: decor,
Hutchinson Scott. Opened Dec. 2. '58, at
St. Martin's Theatre, London: $2.80 top.

Victor . Hugh Williams

Sellars ... Moray Watson

Hilary . Celia Johnson

Charles . Edward Underdown

Hattie . Joan Greenwood

Hugh and Margaret Williams
have developed the knack of em¬
bellishing triflmg comedies with
a veneer of good humor and wit.
and they are delightfully helped
by the cast of their latest offering,
“The Grass Is Greener.” The re¬
sult is a hit that should keep the
compact St. Martin’s Theatre busy
for some months;

With only a single set and a cast
of five, the production must have
a moderate operating nut, although
at least three of the players pre¬
sumably get big salaries. At any
rate, Anna Deere.Wiman and Jack
Minster should recoup their in¬
vestment quickly.

Of the three stars, Joan Green¬
wood walks off with the acting hon¬
ors in every scene in which she
appears, making the simplest lines
sparkle as if every word is a bon
mot. Her personality is almost out¬
rageous and her coloful mode of
expression is a constant source of
merriment.

The basic plot may be regarded
as old hat, but it jserves more than
adequately. Hugh Williams plays
an Earl \vhose stately home is open
to the public at 50c admission. One
visitor, a show-me American oil

^ with the guided tour, walks into
the private apartment to see how
the landed gentry really lives. It’s
a case of love at first sight between
the Yank and Her Ladyship, played
by Celia Johnson. Thereafter it’s
just a good-natured frolic which
sags from time to time while the
Earl plots, with the connivance of
Miss Greenwood, to get his erring
wife back to their stately home.

Jack Minster has staged the
trifle with deft touch, rightly giv¬
ing his cast full rein. Apart from
Miss Greenwood, there is a famil¬
iar sturdy performance by Williams
and a very pleasant portrayal by
Miss Johnson. Edward Underdoi^m
plays the American miUionaire in a
restrained key, but Moray Watson
excels as the butler who spends his
spare time reading the Times and
writing a novel. The handsome set
by Hutchinson Scott rounds off
the production. Myro.

Cherie N'oire

(Dark Darling)

Paris, Dec. 4.

Mile. Parisys presentation of three-act
comedy by Francois Campaux. Stars Yoko
Tani, Jean-Jacques, Marthe Mercadier;
features Paul Demanire. Marcel Charvey,
Jean Sylvere. Staged by Jacques Charon:
scenery. Jacquie Deval. Opened Dec. 5»
*58 ?.t Theatre Michel. Paris; $3 top.

Cherie .i. Yoko Tanl

Henri .. Jean-Jacques

Solange . Marthe Mercadier

Huisier . Paul Demanga

Robert .. Marcel Charvey

Clerc...Jean Sylvere

Though fairly familiar in plot
and theme, this “East meets West”
comedy has enough ease in dialog,
movement and characterizations to
provide a pleasant evening. It is a
bit light for Broadway, however,
unless pr^ented as a star vehicle
piece, but has the possibilities for
films or stock.

The fairy tale romantic yam in¬
volves a'Polynesian girl’s arrival in
Paris to inspire an obseene writer
to do a book about the simple,
wholesome life, and thereby -ynn a
literary prize. In the process, the
author’s carping, venal mistress
gets the air.

Yoko Tani is an engagingly wise
innocent and her ingenuous strip,
when the angry mistress tells her
to take off a low-cut native blouse,
is a highlight. The other perform¬
ances are also ocnjoyable, and gets
by as a bit of theatrical confeebon.

Mask.

L’Annee dii Bae

■ (The Crucial Year)

Paris, Dec. 3.

Elisabeth Hijar & C3aude Qenia presen*
tation of three-act drama by Jose-Adre
Lacour. Features Rose Lefevre, Andre
Valmy, Monique Melinand, Michele Bar-
dollet, Sami Frey. Staging. Yves Roberts;
scenery, Jacques Noel. Opened Dec. 2, *58.
at Theatre Edouard VII. Paris; $3 top.

Mikki .. Michele BardoUet

Mic .,.Saihi Frey

Terrenoire . Andre Valm.v

Wife . Monique Melinand

General . Rene Lefevre

Cachou . Francis Nani

Giacomo . Roger Dumas

Jacques . Claude Mercutio

Evelyne .. Yori Bertin

Here’s a Parisian addition, to the
current Broadway crop of plays
about adult-caused juvenile upset.
It seems not merely Influenced by
Arthur MUler, but the general plot
outline is uncomfortably reminis¬
cent of the latter’s ’‘Death of a
Salesman.” It should have an ac¬
ceptable run here, hut is question¬
able for export.

The story involves a 16-year-old
youth who learns that his father,
whom he idolizes, is having an af¬
fair with the maid. The ensuing
emotional turmoil exposes unpleas¬
ant truths about various neighbor
families, leads to one suicide and
brings maturity to several young¬
sters.

Although the first scenes are
loosely written, the action coales¬
ces, and the general tone is under¬
standing and warm. The characters
are lifelike and the direction and
playing are convincing. Mosk.

Cathedrale de Cendres

(The Cathedral of Cinders)

.Alexandre Salkind presentation of
three-.'''’t drama by Berth Dominguez.
Stars Tony Taffin, Balpetre. Tania Bala-
chova; features Gianf Esposito. Alex¬
andre Randal. Francois Roulet. Staged by
Abel Gance; scenery and costumes. Jac¬
ques Clanurati. Opened Nov. 20. *58, at
Theatre D’AuJourd’Hui, Paris; $3 top.

Ligeria . Tania Balachova

Romulo ... Balpetre

Anibal ... Tonv Taffin

Parra .. Giani Esposito

Mendoza . Alexandre Randal

Lambrino . Francois Roulet

Colomha . Lucie Arnold

The authoress says in the program
that this play was inspired by her
own ext)eriences in the Mexican
Revolution. The -pieces seems
reminiscent of such Yank films as
“Viva, Villa,” however, with fam¬
iliar figures acting out a drama of
the uses and misuses of power.

Though colorful mounted, with
the full, Muoply of shootings, sing¬
ing and Latin passions, it suffers
frpm the confines of the stage, and
too much acition takes the form of
talk.

A military dictator alienates his
^ ,i(,(?, 9 htinue(J o^v page 76.)

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

P'^rWty

LEGITIMATE

73

Road NSG; 'Romanotf’ $28A N.H.;
Harris $25,208, ‘Abner 29^26, Ret.;

‘HoW$15,i9,D.C.;‘Two’$13,8tSt.L

Business on the road ranged
from fair to feeble for most shows
last week, with only a few getting
strong b.o. play.

The number of shows has also
tegun to fall off in- the traditional
December decline in tiyouts and
the shortage of touring, produc¬
tions.

Estimates for Last Week

Parenthetic designations jor out-
of-town shows are the same as for
Broadway, except that hyphenated
T with show classification indicates
tryout and RS indicates road show.
Also, prices on touring shows in¬
clude 10% Federal Tax and local
tax, if any,' but as on Broadway
grosses are net; i.e. exclusive of
taxes. Engagements are for single
week unless otherwise noted.

BOSTON

Look Back in Anrer, Colonial
(D-RS) (1st wk) ($4,95-$4.40; 1,590;
$34,000) (Kenneth Haigh). Over
$27,300 with Guild subscription.
Previous week, $15,500 at the
Shubert, New Haven.

CHICAGO

Auntie Mame, Erlanger (C-RS)
(14th wk) ($6,60-$5.50; 1,333; $4&,-
187) (Constance Bennett). Nearly
$34,400. Previous week, $31,600.

My Fair Lady,. Shubert (MC-RS)
(57th wk) ($7; 2,100; $72,979). Al¬
most $61,500. Previous week,
$60,200.

DETROIT

LiT Abner, Riviera (MC-RS, N.Y.
Co.) I3d wk) ($4.95; 2,700; $76,000).
Almost $29,500. Previous week,
$40,200.

Warm Peninsula, Shubert (CD-
T) (1st wk) ($4; 2,050;. $36,000)
(Julie Harris). Over $25,200 with
Guild subscription. Previous week,
$18,200 at the Hanna, Cleveland.

LOS ANGELES
Crazy October, Hartford (C-T)
(3d wk) ($6-$4.95; 1,024; $34,600)
(Tallulah Bankhead). Almost $30,-
800. Previous week, $31,000.

LOUISVILLE

Sunrise at Campobello, Mem¬
orial Aud. (D-RS) ($4.85; 1,800)
(Leif Erickson). Drew $12,700 for
seven performances here Tuesday-
Saturday (2-6) and another $1,000
for one performance Sunday (30)
at the American, St. Louis for a
total of $13,700. Previous week,
$15,100 at the American.

NEW HAVEN

Romanoff and Juliet, Shubert
(C-RS) ($4.80;. 1,650; $43,000) (Peter
Ustinoff). Nearly $28,800. Previous
week, $24,800 at the Forrest,
Philadelphia,

PHILADELPHIA
Whoop-Up, Shubert (MC-T) (4th
wk) ($7.50-$6; 1,894; $65,000). Over
$36,4()0. Previous week, $36,800.

SAN FRANCISCO
Auntie Marne, Geary (C-RS)
(9th wk). ($5.50; 1,550; $47,000)
(Eve Arden). Another $47,000.
Closes next Saturday (13).

Music Man, CuTran (MC-RS)
(7th wk) ($6.60-$5.50; 1,758; $59,-
000). Over $59,500. Previous week,
$57,300.

ST. LOUIS

Two for the Seesaw, American
(CD-RS) ($4.95; 1,600; $36,000)

(Ruth Roman, Jeffrey Lynn),
Over $13,800. Previous week,
$25,000 at the Shubert, Detroit

WASHINGTON

J.B., National (D-T) (2d wk)
($4.95-$4.4a; 1,677; $38,200). Al¬
most. $28,500 with Guild subscrip¬
tion. Previous week, $24,800.

Third Best Sport, Shubert (C-T)
(1st wk) ($4.95-$3.85; 1,541; $34.-
000) (Celeste Holm). Opened Dec.
1 to three favorable notices for
the star, but negative for the
play (Carmody, Star; Coe, Post;
DOnnely, News). Nearly ^5,800.
with Guild subscription. Previous
week, $23,300 at the Ford’s Balti¬
more.

SPLIT WEEKS

Auntie Marne (C-RS) (Sylvia Sid¬
ney). Totalled $31,000 for six per¬
formances, as follows; Purdue U-,
Lafayette, Ind., Monday-Tuesday
(1-2), two, $13,890; U. of Indiana,
Bloomington, Wednesday-Thursday
(3-4), two, $12,600; Palace, Youngs¬
town, Saturday (6), two,* -$4,600.

Previous week, $34,200 for six-per¬
formance split.

Diary of Anne Frank (D-RS)
(Francis Lederer). Totalled $23,^
000 for six performances, as fol¬
lows; Music Hall, Houston, Sunday
(30), one, $3,400; .Aud., Lubbock,
Tex., Tuesday (2), one, $3^800;
Municipal Aud., Big Spring, Tex.,
Wednesday (3), one, $5,400; High
School Aud,, Snyder, Tex., Thurs¬
day (4), one; $4,600; Texas Chris¬
tian U., Ft. Worth, Friday (5), one,
$4,200; Baylor U., Waco. Tex.,
Saturday (6), $1,600. Previous

week, $22,700 for seven-perform-.
ance split.

LiT Abner (MC-RS, bus-and-
truck Co.). Totalled $31,500 for
eight performances, as follows; Er¬
langer, Philadelphia, Monday-Tues¬
day (1-2), two, $6;i00; Playhouse,
Wilmington, Wednesday-Saturday
(3-6), six, $25,400. Previous wee^
$28,400 at the Erlanger.

Shakespeare’s Ages of Man (DR-
RS) (John Gielgud). Totaled $19,-
700 for five performances, as fol¬
lows* College Aud., Costa Mesa,
Cal., Monday (1), one, $3,200; Mil¬
likan highschool. Long Beach, Cal.
Tuesday (2), one, $3,400; Phil¬
harmonic Aud., L.A,, Friday-Satur-
day matinee (5-6), two, $9,400;
UCLA, L.A., Saturday eve (6),
one, $3,700. Previous week, unre¬
ported, totalled $17,100 for five
performances, as follows; College,
Portland, Ore., Nov. 24-25, two,
$6,700; Senior highschool, Sacra¬
mento, Nov. 26, one, $2,400; Curran,
S. F., Nov: 30, two, $8,000.

Tunnel of Love (C^-RS) (Eddie
Bracken). Totalled $13,100 for
eight performances, as follows:
Civic, New Orleans, Sunday-Tues-
day (30-2), four, $5,500; Northwest¬
ern State College, Nachitoches, La.,
Wednesday (3), one, $2,300; Aud.,
Memphis, Thursday (4), one, $3,800;
Kentucky Theatre, Paduka, Fri¬
day (5), one, $800; Coliseum,
Evansville, Ind., Saturday (6), one,
$700. Previous week, $12,300 for
eight-performance split. Closed in
Evansville.

Tonring Shows

(Dec. 8-21)

Aunt:* Mam* (Eve Arden)—Geary, S.F.
(8-13, closes).

Auntie Mam* (Constance Bennett)—
Erlanser, Chi (8-20).

Auntie Mam* . (Sylvia Sidney)—Keith
Albee, Huntington, W. Va. (8-9); Colony,
Marietta, O. (10); Lincoln U., Jefferson
City, Mo. (12); CSty And.; St. Joseph, Mo.;
(13); Victoria. K.C. (14-16); Aud., Denver
(18-20). .

Crary October (tryout) (Tallulah B.~nk-
head>—Hartford, T,.A. (8-13); Geary,. S.F.
(15-20) (Reviewed in VARIETY. Oct.
15. *50).

Diary of Anne Frank (Francis Lederer)
—^Municipal Aud., Tulsa (8-9); Municipal
Aud., N.O. (11-13); Tower, Atlanta (15-17);
Township Hall, Columbia. S.C. (18); Ovens
Aud.. Charlotte, N.C. 19-20).

Li'l Abner (bus-ajid-truck)—Stanley,
TJUca (8-9); U. of Vermont. Burlington (10);
Proctors. Schenectady (11); Community,
Hershey (12); -L-vric, Allentown (13);
Ford’s, Balto (15-20).

Li'l Abner (N.Y. Co.)—Aud., Rochester
(8-13); Her Majesty’s, Montreal (15-20).

Look Back In Anper—Colonial, Boston
(8-13); National. Wash. (15-20). .

Music Man (2d Co.)—<^rran, S.F. (8-.20)
My Fair Lady (2d Co.)—Shubert, Chi
( 8 - 20 ).

Romanoff and Juliet (Peter Ustinov)—
Hanna, Cleve. (8-13); Blackstone, Chi
(15-20).

Sha''esp*ar*'s As*s of Man (John Giel-
gud)- »-'Jnion Hishschool Aud., PhoeniK
(8); Temnle of Music ic Art, Tucson (9);
Lamar Tech Aud.. Beaumont, Tex. (10);
Mc^arlin Aud.-, Dallas (11): Westcott And.,
Tallahassee (12); Mary Washington Col¬
lege Aud.. lYederieksberg, Va. (15Ti Car¬
negie Mfusic HaU, Pitt. (16); King PhiUin
School Au(L, Hartford (18); Senior High¬
school Aud., Great Neck, N.Y. (19); Lis-
ner And., Wash. (20).

• Sunrise at Campobello (2d Co) (Leif
Erickson)—^Indiana. Indnls. (8-10); Victory,
Dayton ai-13); Royal Alexandra, Toronto
<15-20).

Third Best .Sport (tryout) (Celeste Holm)
—Shubert. Wash. (8-13): Lornst. Phillv
05-20) (Reviewed in VARIETY. Oct.
22. ’58).

Two for the Seesaw (2d Co.) (Ruth
Roman, Jeffrey Lviin)—Am<»»ican. St. L.
(8-1.3); Shubert; Cinev (15-20)..

Warm Peninsula (trvout (.Tulie H''>'rls)
—Shubart, Det. (8-13): Hartman. C"!. (l.s-17,
lay.c off> (Reviewed in VARIETY,. Nov.
5, ’.58).

Whoop-Up (trvrtut)—Shubert. PhiUv fO-
1.3. moves to N.Y.) (Reviewed in VARI¬
ETY, Nov. 12. *58).

SCHEDULED N.Y, OPENINGS

(Theefres Set)

BROADWAY

Wheop-Up, Shubert (12-22-58).

Comden A Green, Golden (12-23-58). .
ShaketMare's Apes, 46th St. (12-28.58).
Third %st Sport, Ambassador (12-30-58).
Legend, of Llzxio, 54th St. (wk. 1-26-59).
Reahomon^ Music Box (1-27-59).

Romlom for a Nun, Golden (1-28-59).
Rodhead, 4€th St, (2-5-59).

Maforlty of One, Barrymore (2-11-59).
Rivalry, Bijou (2-12-59).

First Impressions, Alvin (3-12-59).

OFF-BROAD WAY
Many Loves, Living- Theatre (12-21-58).
Mr. President, E. 74th St. (12-26-58).
Failures, 4th St. (12-29-58).

King Lear, Players a2-29-58).

Shr Shall Have Music, Actors (1-6-59).

On thr Town, Cameeie (1-15-59)'

Caligula, Phoenix (1-20-59).

ril .Call Yqu, Anderson (2-3-59).

Wbdtts, Sherltlail Sep (2-T8-99;'l

Rename Holtzmann, Bishop
As Prez and V.P. of MATA

David Marshall Holtzmann and
Robert H. Bishop 3d have been
reelected president and vice-presi¬
dent, respectively, of the Musical
Arena Theatres Assn. Holtzmann,
a New York attorney, is managing
director of the Cape Cod Melody
Tent, Hyannis, Mass., and the South
Shore Music Circus, Cohasset,
Mass. Bishop runs the Musicar-
-nival tents in Cleveland and Palm
Beach. < . ,

Walter Davis, who operates the
linger Lakes Lyric Circus, Skan-
eatles, N.Y., was reelected treas¬
urer and Benjamin Harrison Segal,
who runs the Oakdale Musical
Theatre, Wallingford," Conn., and
is also ^filiated with thS Warwick
(R. I.) Musical Theatre, was named
secretary. The firm of accountants,
Edward Lutz & Robert Carr, was
reappointed executive director of
the association, which represent 22
canvastops throughout the U.S.

St. John Terrell, who pioneered
canvastop presentations, is honor¬
ary president of the organization.

STRATFORD (ONT.)FEST
HIT NEW HIGHS IN’58

Stratford, Ont., Dec. 9.

The Stratford (Ont.) Shake¬
speare Festival had its top attend¬
ance (172,340 payees) and largest
gross. ($579,174) last summer, but
the operating profit ($36,615) was
less than half of the previous year
($76,349). The season ran 12
weeks, a fortnight longer than pre¬
viously, and the payroll was
higher.

Chief reason for the reduced net,
however, was $25,000 interest
charges "to assist the second
phase of construction of the n6w
theatre.’’ The figure was charged
against operating expenses.. The
new hardtop theatre cost approx-
mately $2,100,000, about $700,000
more than originally estimated.

David M. Rae has been re¬
elected president for one year, and
25 board members were also re¬
named.

Off-B’way Shows

Boy Friend, Cherry Lane (1^25-
58).

Crucible, Martinique (3-11-58).
Diversions, Downtown (11-7-58).
Hamlet of Stepney Green,
Cricket (11-13-58).

Heloise, Gate (9-24-58).

Ivanov, Renata 410-7-58).

Look Back in Anger, 41st St,
(11-7-58).

Man Who Never Died, Jan Hus
(11-21-58),

Of Mice & Men, Privince Town
(12-4-58).

Playboy of the Western Wdjld,
Tara (5-8-58).

Quare Fellow, Circle in Square
(11-27-58).

Salad Days, Barbizon Plaza (11-
10-58).

sextet. Royal (11-26-58).
Threepenny Opera, deLys (9-20-
55).

Time of the Cuckoo, Sheridan
Sq. (10-27-58); closes Feb. 8.

Tis a Pity She’s a Whore. Or-
pheum (12-5-58).

Triad, Theatre Marquee (11-21-
58).

Closed Last Week •
Deathwatch, Theatre East (10-9-
58); closed Sunday (7).

Journey With Strangers, Mews
(11-26-58); closed Sunday (7).

Cock-A-Doodle-Dandy, Carnegie
(11-12-58); closed Sunday (7).

Britisb Shows

(.Figures denote opening dates)

LONDON

At Drop of Hat, Fortune (1-24-57).
Auntie Marne, Adelphi (9-10-58).

Boy Friend, Wyndham's (12-1-53). .
*Br*ath of Spring, Duke York’s (3-26-58).
Brouhaha, Aldwych (8-27-58).
Chrysanthemum,' Wales (11-13-58).

Day In Life Of, Savoy (10-1-58).

Elder Statesman, Cambridge (9-25^58).
Expresse Bongo, SaviUe (4-23-58).

Fivo Fingor Exorciso, Comedy (7rl6-58).
Flowering Cherry, Haymarket (11-21 t57).
For Adults Only, Strand (6-25-58).
Friends A Neighbors, Vic. Pal. (11-11-58).
Grass Is Greener, St. Mart. (12-2^8).
Hook, Lino, Ainkor, Piccadilly (11-19-58).
Hot Summer Night, New (11-26-58).
Irma La Douce, Lyric a-I7-58).

LIvInr ♦or Pleasure, Garrick (7-10-58).
Long Day’s Journey, Globe (9-24r5S).
Repertory, Old Vic (a-17-58).

Meusotrep, Ambassadors (ll'25-52).

My Fair Lady, Drucy Lane (4-30-58).

No Concern, Wgstniinster (10-6-58).

Net in the Book, Crit^on (4-2-58).

Roar Like a Dove, Phoenix (9-25-57).
Salad Days, VaudeviUe (8-5-54).

Simple Spyman, WhitehaR <3-19-58).
•Tunnel of Love, ApoRo (12-3-57).
Unoxpoetod Guost, Duchess (8-12-58).
Where's Charley, Palace (Z-20-5B).
•transferred

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Bright One, Winter Garden (12-10-58).
West Side Story, Majesty’s (12-12-58).
D'Oyly Carte, Prints (12-15-58).

Who’s Your Father?, CTiridge (12-16-.58).
Kiiig Charming, Lyric Hamm.^ (12-17-58).
Two for Seesaw, Haymarket (12-17-58).
CIndrellB, Coliseum <12-18-58).

‘Dram’ $62,700, ‘Goldilocks’ $61,000,
‘Disenchanted’ $23,100 (6), ‘Cue’ 12^20

The seasonal slowup in business
hit Broadway last week. Receipts
dropped substantially for a num-!
ber of shows, but increases were
registered by a few, with parties
a contributing factor in some
cases.

The capacity entries included
"La Plume de Ma Tante,’’ "Mar-
riage-Go-Round,” "Music Man,"
"My Fair Lady,” "Once More With
Feeling," "Pleasure of His Com¬
pany," "Touch of the Poet,”
"World of Susie Wong” and the
newcomer, “Flower Drum Song.’’

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Reme),
MC (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi¬
cal-Drama), O ((Dpera), QP (Op¬
eretta), Rep (Repertory), DR
(Drama Reading).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices J where
two prices are given, the higher is
for Ffiday-Saturday nights and the
lower for weeknights), number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal arid
5% City tax, but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of taxes.

Bells Are Ringing, Shubert (MC)
(103d wk; 820 p) ($8.05; 1,453;
$58,101) (Judy Holliday). Almost
$47,S00. Previous week, $46,400.
Moves next Monday (15) to the
Alvin.

Cue for Passion, Miller (D) (2d
wk; 15. p) ($6.90; 946; $32,000) (Di¬
ana Wynyard, John Kerr). Almost
$12,500. Previous week, $18,400
for first seven performances and
one preview.

Dark at the Top of the Stairs,
Music: Box (D) (53d wk; 420 p)
$5.75-$6.90; 1,010; $33,000). Near¬
ly $18,100. Previous week, $22,-
400. Exits Jan. 17 to tour.

Disenchanted, Coronet (b) (1st
wk; 5 p) ($6.90; 1,101; $35,404)
(Jason Robards, Jr., Rosemary Har¬
ris), Opened last Wednesday to
two raves (Chapman, News; Mc¬
Clain, Journal-American), one fa¬
vorable (Atkinson, Times) and four
negative (Aston, World-Telegram;
Coleman, Mirror; Kerr, Herald
Tribune; Watts, Post); nearly $23,-
100 for first five performances and
one preview.

Drink to Me Only, 54th St. (C)

; '9th wk; 69 p) ($5.75; 1,218; $36,-
i 000). Almost $14,400. Previous
i week, $18,000. Closes next Satur-
j day tl3).

Edwin Booth, 46th St. (D) (2d
wk; 16 p) ($6.90; 1,297; $45,672)
(Jose Ferrer). Over $10,400. Pre¬
vious week, $14,200 for eight per¬
formances.

Flower Drum Song, St. James
(Ml!:) (1st wk; 8 p) ($3.05; 1,509;
$62,658). Opened Dec. 1 to one
rave (Coleman, Mirror), five af¬
firmative reviews (Aston, World-
Telegram; Atkinson, Times; Chap¬
man, News; Kerr, Herald Tribune;
McClain, Journal American) and
one negative (Watts, Post); over
$62,700 for first eight perform¬
ances.

Girls in 509, Belasco (C) (8th wk;
61 p) ($5.75-$6.9a; 1,037; $33,000)
(Peggy .Wood, Imogene Coca).
Over $21,800. Previous week, $22,-
800.

Goldilocks, Lunt-Fontanne (MC)
(8th wk; 65 p) ($9.90; 1,402; $68,-
843) (Don Ameche, Elaine Stritch).
Over $61,000 with parties. Previ¬
ous week, $54,800 with parties.

Jamaica, Imperial (MC) (52d wk;
412 p) ($8.35; 1,427; $63,000) (Lena
Horne, Ricardo Montalban). Over
$48,000 on twofers. Previous week,
$42,900.

La Plume de Ma Tante, Hoyale
(R) (4th wk; 31 p) ($7.50; 1,050;
$41,000) (Robert Dhery). Over
$39,700 with parties. Previous
week, $41,100.

Look Homeward, Angel, Barry¬
more (D) (54th wk; 428 p) ($6.90;
1,076; $40,716) (Miriam Hopkins, Ed
Begley). Nearly $20,400 on two¬
fers. Previous week, $23,000.

Make a Million, Playhouse (C)
(7th wk; 52 p) ($6,90; 996; $36,000)
(Sam Levene). Almost $21,000.
Previous week, $20,800,

Marriage-Go-Round, Plymouth
(C) (6th wk; 45 p) ($6.90; 1,062;
$42,200) (Charles Boyer, Claudette
Colbert). Nearly $40,700 with par¬
ties. Previous week, $41,400 with
parties.

Music Man, Majestic (MC) (51st
wk: 404 p) ($8.05; 1,626; $68,658)
(Robert Preston). Over $69,100,
Previous week, same.

My Fair Lady, HelliRger (MC)
(143d wk^. lol39 p). ($8J)5; 1.551;

$68,210) (Edward Mulhare, Sally
Ann Howes). Steady at $69,400,

Once More With Feeling, Na¬
tional (C) (7th wk; 55 p) ($6.90;
1,162; $43,000) (Joseph Cotton.
Arlene Francis), Nearly $41,300
with parties. Previous week, $34,-
900.

Pleasure of His Company, Long-
acre (C) (7th wk; 53 p; ($6.90;
1,101; $36,800) (Cyril Ritchard,

Cornelia Otis Skinner, Charlie
Ruggles, Walter Abel). Almost
$35,700 with parties. Previous
week, $36,600 with parties.

Say, Darling, ANTA (MC) (36th
wk; 284 p) <$7.50; 1,185; $50,460)
(Eddie Albert, Vivian Blaine,
Johnny Desmond). Over $31,200.
Previous week, $31,900. Moved
last Monday (8) to the Beck.

Shadow of a Gunman, Bijou (D)
(3d wk; 20 p) ($5.75-$6.90; 599; $20,-
400). Almost $10,300. Previous
week, $13,500.-

Sunrise at Campobello, Ckirt (D)
(45th wk; 356 p) ($6.90; 1,155; $37,-
500) (Ralph Bellamy). Over $35,500.
Previous week, $34,700.

Touch of the Poet, Hayes (D)
(loth wk; 76. p) ($7.50; 1,139; $43,-
067) (Helen Hayes, Eric Portmau,
Kim Stanley, Betty Field). Almost
$41,600 with parties. Previous
week, $41,000 with parties.

Two for the Seesaw, Booth (CD)
(47th wk; 372 p) ($6.90; 780; $31,-
700) (Dana Andrews, Anne Ban¬
croft). Nearly $30,100. Previous
week, $26,100.

West Side Story, Winter Garden
(MD). (63d wk; 500 p) ($8.05; 1,404;
$63,203). Over $43,400. Previous
week, $49,900.

World of Suade Wong, Broad-
hurst (D) (8th wk; 63 p) ($6.90;
1,214; $46,500). Over $45,700 with
parties. Previous week, $46,300
with parties.

Closed Last Week

Night Circus, Golden (D) (1st
wk; 7p) ($6.90; 800; $30,000) (Ben
Gazzara, Janice Rule). Opened
Dec. 2 to a unanimous thumb-doivn
(Aston, World-Telegram; Atkinson,
Times; Chapman, News; Coleman,
Mirror; Kerr, Herald Tribune; Mc¬
Clain, Journal-American; Watts,
Post); over $12,000 for first seven
performances and closed last Satur¬
day night (6) at an approximate
$20,000 loss on an $35,000 invest¬
ment (see separate story).

Opening This Week

Cold Wind and the Warm, Mo-
rosco (D) ($6.90; 946; $37,500) (Eli
Wallach, Maureen Stapleton). Pro¬
ducers Theatre presentation of
Robert Whitehead’s production of
? play by S. N. Behrman, suggested
by his New Yorker series and book,
"The Worcester Account;’’ opened
last Monday night (8).

Old Vic, Broadway (Rep) ($6;
1,900; $59,000). Shakespeare reper¬
tory of “Twelfth Night,” "Hamlet”
and "Henry IV’’ presented by the
Old Vic Trust, Ltd., and the Arts
Council of Great Britain, under
the management of S. Huruk; be¬
gan five-week run last night (Tues.).

Power and the Glory, Phoenix
(D) ($4.60; 1,150; $29,382). Phoenix
Theatre presentation of Dennis
Cannan’s adaptation of Graham
Greene’s novel; opens tonight
(Wed.).

J.B., ANTA (D) ($6.95; 1,185;
$45,892). Alfred de Liagre Jr. pres¬
entation of a play by Archibald
MacLeish; opens tomorrow night
(Thurs.).

Gazebo, Lyceum (C) ($6.90; 995;
$31,000) (Walter Slezak, Jayne
Meadows). Playwrights Co. and
Frederick Brisson presentation of
a play by Alec Coppel, from a story
by Myra and Alec Coppel; opens
next Friday night (12).

Farrell Sells Chain Co.

Albany, Dec. 9.

Anthony Brady Farrell, million¬
aire strawhat operator, legit in¬
vestor and former owner of the
Mark HelUnger Theatre, N.Y., has
sold the Ramsey Chain Co., the Al¬
bany firm he inherited from his
father. The price is understood
to have been $500,000.

Farrell, who produced several
Broadway musicals, including
“Hold It,” "Ail for Love” and
"Texas, Lil Darlin,” withdrew
from the New York legit scene
about a year ago with the sale
of the Hellinger Theatre to a realty
syndicate. He now operates the
Sacandaga Park (N.Y.) Summer*
Theatre and lives year-around at
a large estate in the vicinity.

Israeli actor-playwright Shmuel
Fisher is visiting. New York*

74

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

\ CASTING NEWS |

♦♦ > ♦♦♦»♦•»♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦

Following are available parts in upcoming Broadway, off-Broad-
way, touring, ind^istrial and television shov's. All information has
been obtained directly by the Variety Casting Department by tele¬
phone calls, and has been rechecked as of noon yesterday (Tues.L
The available roles will be repeated weekly until filled, and addi¬
tions to the list will be made, only when information is secured from
responsible parties. The intention is to service performers with leads
provided by the managements of the shows involved rather than to
run a lengthy list of blind items. j

In addition to the available parts listed, the tabulation includes pro¬
ductions announced for later this season, but, for which, the manage¬
ments, as yet, aren’t holding open casting calls. Parenthetical designa¬
tions are as follows: (C) Comedy, (D) Drama, (MC) Musical Comedy,
(AID) Musical Drama. (Rep) Repertory, (DR) Dramatic Reading.

Inside Stuff-Legit

A note in the prograni for shows playing the National Theatre, Wash¬
ington, says the house was built in 1835 and describes it as "the oldest
stage theatre in the U.S. that during its entire history has been used
only for the entertaining arts."

The Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, is believed to be about
25-30 years older, and has also always been used for theatrical pur¬
poses, mostly legit but some years ago occasionally for films or bur¬
lesque. The oldest theatre in the U.S. is .thought to be . the Dock
Street, Charleston, but it is understood not to have been used as an
entertainment spot for many years. *

From necessity ,the Netherlands Opera produced Puccini’s last
opera, "Turandot,” as it was written; without the duet at the end.
Puccini was too ill to conclude his opera and the epd was composed
by Alfano. However, when the world preem was given, in 1926 in the
Scala of Milan, Toscanini refused to conduct the last part that wasn’t
Puccini’s. As singer Johan van der Zalm had throat trouble, which had
affected him more than he thought at the start of the performance,
the end of "Turandot,". the duet between Turandot and Calaf, was
canceled.

Thomas Scherman of the Little Orchestra, who commissioned the
Mary Eodgers-Linda Melnick work, “Three To Make Music,” lately used
for children's matinees on Mary Martin’s, concert tours, does not own
the copyright. It is held by Chappell & Co., through its employee,
Irving Brown. Brown says, contrary to report. Miss Martin’s prospec¬
tive appearance Dec. 27 with the Little Orchestra is a separate trans¬
action, not conditional to her use of the musical story on her tour.

The Brooks Costume Co. has acquired a collection of costume li¬
brary books formerly owned by the late Paul DuPont. The collection,
considered one of the largest in the U.S., augments the company’s own¬
ership of the H. J. Heinz costume volumes, purchased several years
ago. The DuPont collection will be available for reference and research
by costume and fashion designers.

Dance Reviews

Legit

BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

Destry (MC) — Producer, David
Merrick, 246 W. 44th St.; director,
Michael Kidd; casting director, Ed¬
uard Fuller. Available parts: dark,
handsome villain; various western
types. Mail photo and resume.
Equity calls for dancers: Dec. 16:
Femme 11 a.m.; ma’e 2 p.m. Open
calls Dec. 18: Femme, 11 a.m.;
Male, 2 p.m. Imperial Theatre. 249
W. 45th St.

"Faster, Faster” (CD), by Wil¬
liam Marchant; producer. Carmen
Capalbo; casting director. Chuck
Smith, JU 2-1596-1597. Available
parts: second male lead, 21-22 ap¬
pearance. oyer 5-feet, 10-inch
height, rugged build, dark, hand¬
some; featured smaller role, hand¬
some Negro, under 30, successful
pop entertainer, Billy Eckstine
type.

Gay' Felons (O — Producers.
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey
Jones (36 CPS». Director, Shep¬
ard Traube. Available parts:
male lead. 40-50, Frenchman,
quiet, authoritative; male, 45-55,
short, stocky, loveable sbt, hen¬
pecked; about 12 assorted comics,
40-60; femme, 35-40, attractive,
quiet, w'arm, sensitive; male lead,
25 handsome, romantic. (Send photo
and resume to producers). Re¬
hearsals start Jan. 5.

New Faces of *59. Producer
Leonard Sillman & Frank Produc¬
tions, 17 E. 79tfa St. Mail photo
and resume to producers. Don't
phone.

Raisin in the Sun (D)—producer
Philip Rose“& David J. Cogan (157
W. 57th St., Cl 5-2255); director,
Lloyd Richard. Available parts (all-
Negro); Sidney Poitier’s; son,
10; African male college stu¬
dent. 24; female, 40-60; man, 35-50.

Three Against Time (D)—produc¬
ers, Tad Danielewski & Morris
Feld. Available parts: cul¬
tured well-built American general;
General’s wife. 45. submissive,
quiet, dominated by husband;
young,energetic businessman and
pretty, restless, discontented wife;
retired professor, old, but still
bright and alive; efficient, relaxed
Government official, 40-45; two
servants, either authentic, Indians
or of American-Indian descent;
sandy blonde eight-year-old girl,
vigorous, bright; scholarly nine-
year-old boy. (Mail photo and
resume to production assistant
Jeanette Kamins, 234 W. 44th St.,
Suite 702).

GFF-BROApWAY

(Parts Available)

A Clearing in the Woods (C).
Producers, Paul Michael & Gayle
Hinckley, Sheridan Square Thea¬
tre, 99 Seventh Ave., So. Director,
Jack Ragotzy. Available part:
femme lead, played originally, on
Broadway by Kim Stanley. Cast¬
ing through agents only. Also,
male lead. 45-50, neurotic, posses¬
sive father, played on Broadway by
Onslow Stevens; submit photo and
resume immediately.

ril Call You (MC)—producers,
Lyn Swann & Sterling Noel; direc¬
tor, Tad Danielewski. ^ Available
parts (experience required), male
for role of suave, successful busi¬
nessman; “character" landlady;,
ballet dancers to double as under¬
studies and play minor parts. Two
straight actresses to play comedy.
(Mail photos & resume to pro¬
ducers, 205 W. 54th St. Apt. 6B.

"On the Town” (MC). Producer,
Equity Library Theatre; director.
Jay Harnick. Equity Members only.
Call for dancer-singers only for
ensemble. Dec. 15: femme, 7 -9
p.m.; men, 9-10 p.m. Dec. 16;
femme, 10 a.m.-l p.m.; men, 1:30-
4 p.m. Dec. 17; femme 7-8 p.m.;
men, 8-10 p.m. Apply Golford’s Re¬
hearsal Studio, 1697 Broadway.

OUT OF TOWN

(Parts Available)

Alistress of the House (D)—de
Lys Theatre Associates Inc.; direc¬
tor, William de Lys; casting, R..
Mason (EN 2-9208). Available
parts: femme 20-28, sensual, child¬
like, beautiful; mulatto male.'^O-

; 35, handsome, alluring; Negro
femme 30-40, primitive beauty, full-
bodied; servants, 5 male, 5 femme,
Negro & white, non-speaking-mime,
modern dance, classic ballet back¬
ground.

Music Man (MC). Producer,
Kermit Bloomgarden; casting
director, Vaughan Bellayer; 1545
Broadway; JU 2-1690. Part avail¬
able for boy singer, not more
than 50 in. tall, emphatic personal¬
ity. ’

BUFFALO

Melody Fair, musical tent. Office
at Wurlitzer Store, 674 Main St.,
Buffalo- Pre-season auditions there
for singers, Saturday, Jan. 3, from
11 a.m. to. 2 p.m. Applicants must
be at least 18 years old, prepared
to sing one of three musical com¬
edy selections of own choice, avail¬
able for contract throughout the
summer.

FUTURE SHOWS

Ariadne & the Concrete Duck
(C)—producer, Howard Erskine (56
W. 45th St., OX 7-9620).

Far Away the Train-Birds Cry
(CD)—producer, Louis d’Almeida
(480 Lexington Ave., JU 2-8115).

Gypsy (MC)—producers, David
Merrick & Leland Hayward (246 W.
44th St., LO 3-0830).

Let's Go Steady (MC)—producer
Edward Padula (1501 Broadway,
LA 4-4860).

Madonna and Child (C)—pro^
ducer, Guthrie McClintic (1270
6th Ave,, Cl 7-51^2).

Rivalry (DR)^producers, Cheryl
Crawford & Joel Schenker (49 W.
45th St., JU 2-3466), in association
with Actors Studio Inc,

The Poker Game (C)—^Producer,
Norman Forman (106 CPS).

SHOWS m REHEARSAL

BROADWAY

Listen to the Mocking Bird (C).
Producers, Playwrights Co., 745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7OT0.

Redhead (MO. Producers, Rob¬
ert Fryer & Lawrence Carr, 234
W. 44th St., LA 4-2844.

Rashomon (D). Producers, David
Susskind & Hardie Smith, 444
Madison Ave., PL 3-1030.

Starward Ark (CD). Producer,
i Eddie Dowling, c/o Thomas
1 Sweeny, 137 W. 48th St.

OFF-BROADWAY

Failures (D). Producers, David
Ross & Lore Noto, 4th St. 'Theatre,
83 E. 4th St.

King Lear (D). Producer, Players
Theatre, 115 MacDougal St.

SIGNED

BROADWAY

Listen to the Mocking Bird:
Cavada Humphrey, Patrick Hines,
Donald Moffat, Clarence Derwent,
Angela Thornton, Phil Bruns,
Sheppard Kerman.

Raisin in the Sun: Ruby Dee.

Starward Ark: Nina Varela, Seth
Riggs, James Wright.

Tall Story: Donald Hbtton, Nina
Wilcox.

OFF-BROADWAY

Antony and Cleopatra: John Mc-
Liam, Rae Allen.

Crucible: Ralph Drischel (suc¬
ceeding David Metcalf).

Failures: Jeremiah Morris, Deb¬
orah Dare, Lucille Patton.

Family Portrait: Anne Leslie,
Iris Forrest, LoUiS Saporito.

Ivanov: Edward Asner.

King Lear: Dorothy Whitney,
Paul Sparer.

. Playboy of the Western World:
James Bernard, Herbert Voland,
Tom Makom.

Threepenny Opera: Emile Renan
(succeeding Edward Asner).

On the 'Town: Harold Lang, Pat
Carroll, Jimmie Komack, Wisa
D’OrsO, Evelyn Russell, Joe
Bova, Gubi Mann, Mitchell Jason,
Esther Jane Coryell, Esther Hor-
rocks, Patricia King, Marlene Dell,
Carol Sue Shaer, Judith Dunford,
John Smolka, Jim Moore, Jere
Admire, Tom Mixon, Leonard
Drum. >

Television .

Fuller, Smith & Rcss ad agency,
230 Park Ave. Casting director,

Ronnie Schlueter. Mail photo and
resume.

Grey Advertising, 430 Park Ave.
Casting, Jim Kaye. Submit photo
and resume by mail only.

I, filmed on location—CGS; pro¬
ducer, Gilbert Ralston; casting
through Mare Merson; address by
mail only, Barbara Tuck, CBS, 524
W. 57th St. Available parts: un¬
usual types, interesting faces, good
physical conditions, will consider
applicants having had odd occupa¬
tions. Submit photo and resume.

Kastor, Hilton, Chesley & Clif¬
ford ad agency, 400 Madison Ave.
Casting, Maggie Schaeffer. Photo
and resume by mail only.

Lawrence Welk show (Plymouth
Motors), ABC-TV — Seeking teen¬
age vocal and instrumental per¬
formers for guest appearances or
as permanent band members. Sub¬
mit disk or tape (home-recorded
acceptable) of wellknown pop or
standard numbers, plus recent
photo, short biographical summary.
Address Plymouth Show, ABC
Studio, Hollywood, or 2623 Santa
Monica blvd., Santa Monica.

Look Up &. Live, religious-
dramatic. CBS. Executive pro¬
ducer, Pamela Illott; producer.
Jack Kuney; casting, Marc Merson,
524 W. 57th St. Casting. from
files. Mail photo and resume.

Dela McCarthy Assoc./' 515 Mad¬
ison Ave. Casting, Colin D’Arcy.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration.

National Screen Service, 1600
Broadway. Casting, Carl Carbone.
Submit photo and composite for
consideration.

The Verdict Is Yours, unre¬
hearsed courtroom dramas. CBS;
producer, Eugene Burr; director,
Byron Paul; casting contact, Liam
Bunn, CBS, 524 W. 57th St. (do not
phpne). No open casting; all done
from files. Submit photo and res¬
ume for consideration.

WRCA-TV, (30 Rockefeller
Plaza, N.Y. 20), accepting appli¬
cations for auditions for all gen¬
eral talent, except dramatic actors,
alternate Tuesdays. Apply by mail
to "Open Auditions.”

Films

"Parrish,” adaptation of Mildred
Savage novel. Producer, Warner
Bros.-Joshua Logan. Available: title
role, 18-22, about 6 ft., medium
build, handsome, an "unknown”
actor. Mail photo and resume to
producer-director Logan, c/o War¬
ners, 666 Fifth Ave., N.Y.

New TTiealre World’

_____

"Daniel Blum’s Theatre World,
1957-58” ($6), appears in its 14th
annual volume with a new pub¬
lisher: Chilton of Philly replacing
Greenberg of New York. Latter
firm printed the yearbooks since
their inception in paperback form
in the 1944-45 season. Current
tome has same hard-cover format
that has been in effect since 1950-
51 edition. Book this year is dedi¬
cated to Elsie Ferguson, carries a
frontispiece of Lynn Fontanno
from "The Visit,” wtih portraits on
the jacket of the Lunts, Helen
Hayes, Ralph Bellamy, Robert
Preston and Anthony Perkins. In
addition to pictorial and factual
recap of shows of the past season,
Blum selects his usual group of
“promising personalities” from re¬
cent productions. Winners receive
an "award” and photo space in the
book, and include Joan Hovis, Rob¬
ert Morse, Wynne Miller, Colleen
Dewhurst, George C. Scott, Eddie
;Hodges, Jacquelyn MeKeever,
Richard Easton, Carol Lawrence,
Anne Bancroft, Warren Berlinger
and Timmy Everett.

Customary departments appear:
coverage of City Center, Phoenix
Theatre, touring companies, plays
opening and . closing out of town,
both Stratford festivals, bios and
obits of players, etc. As always,
book is handsome and valuable
record of the stage year. Rodo.

Ask Donations for 1959
Dallas Musical Season

. Dallas, Dec. 9.

The State Fair of Texas board of
directors last week called upon
businesses and individuals to sup¬
port the scheduled 12-week State
Fair Musicals Season next summer.
It approved a request for $200,000
from the, public, after a loss last
summer. In the past, the expo has
underwritten deficits.

Musicals’ . managing director
Charles R. Meeker Jr. said the new
procedure is in line with what
every other major summer group
does.

Oetet

(N. Y. CITY CENTER)

If, as Pontius Pilate is rumored
to have askecj, "What is truth?”
some latterday'cynic might well in¬
quire into a related value-bearing
some connection. For instance, "Is
all ballet, billed as ballet, ballet?”
Also, “Is everything that is played
as music, and billed as music,
music?” Pontius might ponder
these nice questions in the case of
“Octet,” Stravinsky’s double-four¬
some wood windy affair set to
dance by City Center newcomer
William Christensen (founder, San
Francisco Ballet) for the N. Y.
Ballet’s second premiere during
the holiday season and given last
week (2).

“Octet” is a sometimes humor¬
ous and always selfconscious little
work. As a type-piece, it has been
better done by the pop theatre
(i.e., the musicomedy stage) and
with more lucidity and "story” con¬
tent to boot.

As mated to this genre of hoof-
ology—for that’s what it is, since
"choreography” is much too pre¬
tentious a term to apply to this
derivative souffle—the extract
from Stravinsky seems more punc¬
tuation than music, albeit the com¬
poser of such conversions as "The
Rake’s Progress” is probably thej
master he is said to-be by those
who "dig” his idiom.

“Octet” may just as well have
been Stravinsky’s strident notes
for the so-caUed Elephant Ballet
he did for John Ringling North of
the circus some years ago and
which was put among the Sarasota
mothballs soon after. But there is
no faulting the dancers, the
mixed pairs consisting of Barbara
Walczak-Edward VilleUa, Roberta
LubeU-Robert Lindgren, Dido
Sayers-William Weslow, and Ju¬
dith Green-Richard Rapp.

Otherwise, a peppy and comfort¬
able, old-shoe e V e n i n g—the
i Tsehaikovsky - Balanchine "Swan
I Lake” (Allegra Kent, Nicholas
Magallanes, Shaun O’Brien, prin¬
cipals); the Glinka-Balanchine
"Pas de Trois” (Patricia Wilde,
Melissa Hayden, Jacques d’Am-
boise); and Jerome Robbins’ end-
of-a-near-perfect-night "Pied Pi¬
per” (with Edmund Wall handling
a~Slick licorice stick for the Cop¬
land concerto). Robert Irving con¬
ducted. Would it be bias, libel or
sheer imagination to say that he
refused, or found it difficult, to
"get with” Stravinsky? Trau.

Orphee

(Maurice Bejart Ballet)

Zurich, Dec. 1.

Maurice Bejart’s and Henriques-
Pimentel’s Ballet-Theatre de Paris
at the Stadttheatre here, estab¬
lished this French troupe of 14
dancers, founded last year, as one
of the most noteworthy modem
dance ensembles in Europe today.
Strictly offbeat and uncompromis¬
ingly modern, troupe looks headed
for the bigtime, with Paris and
London seasons skedded for next
year and tours of the U.S., Latin
America, South Africa • and Aus¬
tralia envisioned.

Full-length ballet (two hours in-
clfiding intermission) presented
here, "Orphee,” was created by
Bejart for this year’s Festival of
Liege, Belgium. It’s a new and
highly imaginative treatment of
the Orpheus legend, with electron¬
ic music by Pierre Henry and sets

and costumes by Rudolf Kuefner.
Sets, especially, are stunning,
though utterly simple.

Many may find this atomic-age
"Orpheus” baffling, if not down¬
right aggravating for its high de¬
gree of symbolism and often ab¬
stract conception. Inclusion of the
spoken word (partly via tape) also
is unusual fot a ballet. But it’s pre¬
sented with impeccable skill. Shock
reactions soon fade away. This is
mostly due to Bejart’s brilliant
performance in the name role and
portrayal by Michele Seigneuret as
his shadow. Mezo.

Off-B’way Review

Of Mice and Men

Ira J. Bilowitt (in association 'with
Unicorn Productions) rcesentation of a
two-act (seven scenes) musical adaptation
by Bilowitt and Wilson Lehr of John
Steinbeck’s novel, with music by Alfred
Brooks and lyrics by Bilowitt. Staging.
Jerome Eskow; settings, costumes and
lighting, Charles. A. Brandon: musical
direction, arrangements and underscore.
Samuel Matlovsky: Incidentally move¬
ment, Zova Leporska. Features Jo
Sullivan, Art Lund, Leo Penn, John F.
Hamilton. At Provincetown Playhouse,
N.Y., Dec. 4. *58; 83.90 top weeknights.
$4.60 Priday-Saturdar-Sunday ($5.75 open¬
ing).

Cast: Leo Penn, Art Lund, John P.
Hamilton, John Marriott, Tom Noel.
Tony Kraber, Kenny AdamS, Byrne Piven.
Jo SuUivan.

John Steinbeck’s "Of Mice and
Men” has been treated with care
in this musical version by Ira J.
Bilowitt, Wilson Lehr and Alfred
Brooks. The Insight, sensitivity
and compassion of the original
work is retained in the adaptation.
But although the music and lyrics
blend with the story and sustain
the mood, they do little to enhance
the basic values provided by Stein¬
beck.

The songs, with wor(is and music
by Bilowitt and Brooks, respec¬
tively, are tailor-made for the story.
Some are pleasant, but none is
strong enough to warrant the musi¬
cal twist on a property that re¬
mains a moving and penetrating
portrait of dreams and despair. It’s
to the credit of the adaptors that
in their failure to Improve on the
original they did not impair its in¬
herent quality.

Contributing importantly to the
satisfactory results achieved are
generally excellent performances.
Art Lund, as the dim-witted power-
full Lennie, captures the simplicity
and sincerity of the character. He’s
standout both in acting and sing¬
ing. Jo Sullivan, who shares most
^ of the vocal chores with Lund, is
good as the rancher’s lonely wife,
projecting a sense of warmth under
a cheap exterior.

Miss Sullivan delivers several
numbers nicely, with "Why Try
Hard to Be Good?” registering as
one of the musical’s stronger
items; Leo Penn is convincing as
George and John F. Hamilton, re¬
peating the role' he originated in
. the 1937 Broadway production of
Steinbeck’s play, is superb as the
elderly, one-armed Candy. John
Marriott is perfect as the hitter
Negro, Byrne Piven is properly
1 nasty as the rancher and Tom Neal,
Tony Kraber and Kenny Adams
score as hired hands.

Jerome Eskow’s direction is
commendable, particularly his stag¬
ing of the fight scene between
' Lund and Piven. Jess.

WcdneBdajy December 10, 195S

P^snfFf

choreography by..

brooks atwnson S

o\ I

»Rr"ofP®J"5;da»Uos» i

expresses

one baWe rnor®

■lOHN CHAPMAN

New Yori Doily News
"Definife higWighfs of 'The
Flower Drum Song" ore fhe
donees which hove been
Honey...
When humor, is needed,-
which IS quife offen. Miss
Honey has provided It '*

JOHN McCLAiN

New York ^

•■Carol ond Unos*

pbV was inven*

tentotious . e - of the

".""JT’" ’.nto.

second oct ..

and yet competing..

^o^e. j

WALTER KERR
New York Herald Tribune
'The moment, arranged
by choreographer Carol
Haney ... Is a joyful ex¬
periment In Innocence flirt¬
ing with sophistication,"

Haney

*Peciocu/a.»'’®y off

CflRefHIINEY

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein li and Joseph Field^s «———

“THE FLOWER DRUM SONG”

_at the ST. JAMES THEATRE, New Yorii —

Appearing on the

JanuaiT 13th GARRY MOORE SHOW (CBS-TV)

■ " ■■■ Personal Management > ■ '■

TELEVISION ARTISTS CORP.

Jock lertell JoIim Greenhut
n7 McmDmr Av«., Hnf Y«rk 22. N. Y., PLoh 2-21 U

76

LEemMATB

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

Capital of Canada Lacks Playhouse

After Year *Hai $10,000 in Trust Toward $400,000
Goal—Last House Burned

Ottawa, Dec. 9.

Theatre Foundation of Ottawa,
non-profit organization trying to
raise $400,000 to build a new legit
house in this capital, has $10,000
in trust kitty after its first year.
There’s also about. $40,000 in a
fund used for money-raising proj¬
ects. 60 permanent members have
given $100 each; 120 have given
$25; 40 seats in the future theatre
have been bought for $100 up; and
books of $1 “bricks” are being ped¬
dled by volunteers. Architect’s
plan is already complete and on
display.

Foundation has brought several
touring shows here, and sponsors
Canadian Players early next month
before they hit U.S. City control¬
ler Sam Berger is president; Ian
Fellows, CBC-TV announcer and
onetime managing director of now-
defupct Canadian Kepertory Thea¬
tre, v-p; Konald Grantham, Ottawa
Citizen editorial writer, secretary.

Russell House which birrned in
1928 was the Canadian capital’s
last dramatic theatre.

COMDEN-GREEN ‘ARREVE’
AS ACT ON BROADWAY

Betty Comden & Adolph Green,
who’ve been making «a “comeback”
as perfo.rmers wdth a series of Mon¬
day night off-Broadway shows at
the Cherry Lane Theatre, N.Y., are
about to make it to Broadway.
They’ll be presented by the Thea¬
tre Guild for a three-week stand
at the Golden Theatre, beginning
Dec. 23.

The uptown presentation, which
will be tagged “A Party With Bet¬
ty Comden and Adolph Green,”
will operate on a Tuesday-Sunday
sked, with weekend matinees. Al¬
though the Guild is not offering
the show as a subscription entry,
tickets will be available to sub¬
scribers at a discount.

The Monday night off-Broadway
performances of the pair, present¬
ed by JJG Productions (Joseph
Ademic, John O’Donnell and Gus
Sehirmer Jr.), was originally
slated for Nov, 10 and Nov. 17,
but was extended through next
Slon'day (15). The Cherry Lane de¬
but marked the team’s return to
the performing ranks after a
lengthy and successful stint in
turning out scripts and lyrics for
a number of legit and film musi¬
cals.

As writers, they’re currently
represented on Broadway by
“Bells Are Ringing” and “Say
Darling.’’

SKED 'HAND’ OFF-B'WAY

To Produce Francis Gallagher
Play About Van Gogh

An off-Broadw’ay production of
Francis Gallagher’s “The Hand of
Fire” is planned for mid-February
by Fred Sammut and Amnon Ka-
batchnik. The latter, currently ap¬
pearing in the off-Broadway pro¬
duction of “Hamlet of Stepney
Green,” will double as director,
while Sammut will double as de¬
signer.

The play covers a period in the
life of Vincent van Gogh.

SY TRAVERS

ON TOUR IN

Romanoff and Jnliot

Type Recasting

Casting apparently depends
on which version of a play is
being presented. Gina Pe¬
trushka, who made her Broad¬
way bow last season in the
“producer’s version” of “Com¬
pulsion,” is currently appear¬
ing at the North Jersey Play-!-
house. Ft. Lee, N.J., in Meyer
Levin’s own adaptation of his
bestseUing novel.

On Broadway, Miss Petrushka,
played the mother of the slain
boy. At the Playhouse, she’s
appearing as the mother of
one of the murderers.

Concert Reviews

Barrett $1.50 Series

(Moura Lympany)

It in no way slights the artist, a
fine one, to stress the management
policy and the price. It is one of
the authentic and challenging de¬
velopments of the present concert
season that Herbert Barrett has
inaugurated in Carnegie Hall, N. Y.
an uncompromisihgly highbrow
musical series of four concerts for
$5. More to the interest of the
concert world: the events are prac¬
tically sellouts.

The second of the Barrett
quality-at-bargain-admissions art¬
ists, the pianist Moura Lympany,
made her case with power and
subtlety in Mozart, Chopin, Lizst,
et al.

More will undoubtedly be heard
of this Barrett management inno¬
vation in cost deflation to the
music consumer. Land.

Byron «fanis

i A beautiful tone, brilliant tech¬
nique and extraordinary musical
sensitivity characterized the Car^
negie Hall recital of the yoiing
American pianist, Byron Janis,
: over the weekend (7). Presented
by S. Hurok, Janis emerged as a
mature, versatile artist in a de¬
manding program which, at the
end, foimd the audience shouting
with enthusiasm.

Some of Janis’ stage manner¬
isms are annoying, but that’s a
minor criticism. Recital proved
he belongs among the most promis¬
ing pianists of our time.. Hift. .

Shows on B’way

ContinneH from pag'e IZ .

The Night Circus

traught executive-finance who’s
the father of her unborn child.

Corsaro’s stilted and intense
staging doesn’t make the incoher¬
ent, incredible script any more
playable, but several of the leads
have the sort of concentrated vital¬
ity for which the Actors Studio is
noted, though they tend to use the
same few mannerisms (notably a
certain gesture with one or both
hands) monotonously,

Gazzara has undeniable magne¬
tism as the lugubriously mother¬
less seaman and Janice Rule is
decoratively tousled as the age-
of^ionsent delinquent girl (but
how she makes that trip from
Westchester County in early after¬
noon in her bridal gown is a puzzle
—does she come on the train, in a
taxi, or thumb, it?).

Shepperd Strudwick does-what
he can with the early scenes as
the girl’s complaining father, and
resists what must he an urge to
burst out laughing or flee into the
w’ings at the preposterous lines
he’s given to say in the third act.
Albert Morgenstern is manfully
bearded and forthrightly speaking
as the hero’s shipmate, and there
are 'creditable performance at¬
tempts by Arthur Storch, John
Harkins, Al Lewis, Michael St,
John, Patricia Roe, Arlene Golon-
ka, Albert Paulson and Richard
McMurray in supporting roles.

The David Hays scenery, repre¬
senting the dingy saloon and an
apartment living room-bedroom in
approximately the style of a
branch-line railroad station, are
graphic enough, and Patricia
Zipprodt’s costumes are con¬
vincingly tasteless. Inexplicable
as it seems, Columbia bought tne
film rights to “Night Circus’’ in a
pre-production deal, for $150,000
minimum and a ceiling price of
$450,000. Kobe.

(Closed last Saturday night (6)
after seven performances.) j

One for the Road

2= Continued from page 71
(Dec. 13), “Diary of Anne Frank”
(Dec. 20) and “Romanoff and Ju¬
liet” (Jan. 3).

The other nine shows include the
Constance Bennett and Sylvia Sid¬
ney companies of “Auntie Mame,”
the bus-and-truck and New York
companies of “Li’l Abner,” “Look
Back in Anger,” “Music Man,”
“My Fair Lady,” “Sunrise at Cam-
pobello” and “Two for the See¬
saw.” Of these only “Music” and
“Lady” rate as powerhouse entries.
The Bennett and Sidney editions
of “Mame”. have been generally
strong grossers, but the ipcoming
national release of the picture ver¬
sion is likely to hurt business for
the legit productions.

Only two additions to the tour¬
ing lineup are thus far skedded for
the six-month balance of the sea¬
son. They’re *T)ark at the Top of
the Stairs” and the Old Vic.
“Dark” moves to the road follow¬
ing the Jan. 17 windup of its
Broadway run, while the British
troupe resumes a hinterland hike
Jan. 13-Feb, 14, after the Jan. 10
termination of its current New
York stand.

“Dark” is one of the Broadway
holdovers that hasn’t had a touring
edition. Others in that category
include “Bells Are Ringing,” “Ja¬
maica," “Look Homeward, Angel,”
“Say, Darling” and “West Side
Story.” Of that crop, only “Bells”
and “Story” are considered likely
to move out-of-town at the conclu¬
sion of their Main Stem stands.

Adding to the bleakness of the
future situation is the dearth of
1959-60 touring entries in the new
crop of productions on the boards
as of last Saturday (6). In that
category are “Cue for Passion,”
“Disenchanted,” “Drink to Me
Only,” “Edwin ’Booth,” “Flower
Drum Song,” “Girls in 509,” “Gol¬
dilocks,” “La Plume de Ma Tante,”
"Make a Million,” “Marriage-Go-
Round,” “Once More With Feel¬
ing,” “Pleasure of His Company,”
“Shadow of a Gunman,” "Touch of
the Poet” and “World of Suzie
Wong.”

Of those, “Flower,” “La Plume,”
“Marriage,” "Pleasure,” “Poet” and
“Suzie” appear probable ito con¬
tinue through the ’59-’60 semester.
Chances of any except perhaps
"Pleasure” grtting a road company
duplication are slight because of
such factors as heavy production
costs, stal-s and inthe case of “La
Plume,” the forei^ company re¬
quirements. “Feeling” is also a
possibility to continue throughout
next season.

Regarding the other new Broad¬
way properties, second companies
or post-New.York tours are figured
unlikely.

Shows Abroad

Continued from page 72

Cathedral de Cendres

wife by his brutality. When a
would-be assassin kills her in er¬
ror, the tyrant walks out to his own
death.

Oldtime film-director Abel Gance
has tried to overcome some of the
grandiloquence by movement, but
the play sags and looks in for a
short run. It has no chance for
Broadway. The acting is good, the
sets are evocative and the musical
backings are helpful; Mosk.

L.’Etrangere dans iL^Be

(The Stranger on the Island)

' Paris, Dec. 2.

Maurice Jaquemont & Michel Lucas
resentation of two-act drama by Georges
oria. Features Jeaimine Crispin, Michel
Maurette. Jean Bolo, Yves Brainville,
Anne Perez, Jacques Degor. Staged by
Jean Negroni; setting, Maurice Albray.
Opened Dee, *58, at Studio Des Champs-
Elysees, Paris; $3 top.

Alicia . Jeannine Crispin

Pygmalion ... Jean Bolo

Demetrios. Yves Brainville

Nilson . Michel Maxuette

Blektra ..— Anne Perez

Harper ---;. Philippe Kellerson

Policeman .. Jacques Degor

This is a timely drama about
two C 3 T)riots, one with his British
wife, returning to their strife-
torn native island after a long
stay in England and absorbing the
English point of view. The hus¬
band’s shift of sympathy to his
homeland almost breaks up his
marriage.

The writing is literate, but al¬
lows most' of the vital action to
happen offstage, and presently
subsides into a talkfest. It looms
a film, property, however, if the
interiors and exteriors could be
developed. . It seems of little
Broadway interest, but could be
an off-Broadway bet. The acting
and physical production are good.

Mosk,

Emma Mascola, assistant execu¬
tive secretary for the Independent
Booking Office, left New York last
Friday (5) for a three-week Coast
vacation.

Norman Kean, assistant stage
manager for “A Touch of the Poet,”
has joined Hilliard Elkins’ manage¬
ment-production firm.

Tex Ballou is scenery and cos¬
tume designer for the upcoming
Broadway production of “Legend
of Lizzie.”

A repertory of two “Antigones,”
one, the modem dress version by
Jean Anouilh, and the other, the
classical Greek tragedy by So¬
phocles, is planned for off-Broad¬
way presentation on alternate
nights by Gregory Dawson, who
contemplates launching the project
next March.

The Carnegie Corp. of N.Y. has
granted $500,000 to Lincoln Center
for the Performing Arts “for
scholarships and other assistance
to young-artists in launching their
professional careers.” The funds I
will be administered by the Juil-
liard School of Music, which is to
relocate within the Center.

Edwin West has joined Stuart
Bishop and Dede Meyer as co¬
producer of “She Shall Have
Music,” formerly titled “Scarlet
Ribbons.”

Bob Burland will appear in the
Dec. 12-16 Equity Library Theatre
production ,of “Matchmaker” at the
Lenox Hill Playhouse,’ N.Y.

The annual $300 Philip Loeb
Memorial Award of the Actors
Equity Assn., given to an Equity
member for study and training
use, has gone to Kenneth Bute.

Donald Oenslager is set designer
for “A Majority of One.”

The third production next Tues¬
day (16) in the Mantinee Theatre
Series of the N.Y. Chapter of the
American National Theatre &
Academy at the Theatre de Lys,
N.Y., will be Ethel Colt in her solo
show, “Curtains Up,” directed by
Ezra Stone.

Michael Kidd* will stage and
choreograph “Destry Rides Again.”
Lehman Engel, currently musical
director for “Goldilocks,” will ditto
in that capacity on the new David
Merrick production, which is
scheduled to go into rehearsal in

Eddie Rich, who operates the
Colonie Music Theatre, Latham,,
N.Y., near Albany, is vacationing
in Europe.

Talent agent Charlotte Ching is
vacationing in Bermuda.

January. Oliver Smith wiU design
the scenery.

Chance Vought has been ap¬
pointed director of sales and pro¬
motion for the Forty-Third St.
Theatre, Philadelphia.

Ralph Alswang is set designer
for “^tarward Ark.” “Viva,” a
musical version of Metro’s “Viva
Villa,” with book by Felice Bauer
and Matt Dubey, Ij^cs by Dubey
and music by Harold Karr, is
planned for Broadway production
next season by Paul Gregory, with
Joseph Anthony as director.

Elmer F. Regner has been upped
from bax office manager to busi¬
ness manager of the Fred Miller
Theatre, Milwaukee. Sumner Ker-
nan, producer of the current off-
Broadway presentation of “Captain
Brassbound’s Conversion,” has
been set as publicist for the opera¬
tion. ‘

A musical version of Joe Mor¬
gan’s novel, ‘Expense Account,”
with book by David Dachs and
lyrics and music by Julia Mandel,
is planned for Broadway produc¬
tion next season by Harvey Col¬
lins and Mike Jackson. Morgan,
incidentally, is night news editor
of United Press International.

Champagne will be served to the
audience at the New Year’s Eve
performance of “Hamlet of Step¬
ney Green” at the .Cricket Thea¬
tre, N.Y.

John Marston’s “Object; Mur¬
der,” will be presented next Thurs-
day-Satiurday (11-14) by the Lambs,
N.Y., as the second offering in the
club’s series of “Showcase” pro¬
ductions. Bob O’Connell is pro¬
ducer and William Hellinger is di¬
rector. The cast will include Jay
Vclie, Roy Fant, Al Ram'sen, Rob¬
ert Hill, Don Douglas, Dan Wyler,
Wryley Birch, Ed Dorsay, Lome
Greene, Agnes Young, Irene Kane,
Geneva Helm, James Paul and
WilUam Lubin.

Neil Simon’s “Come Blow Your
. Horn” is planned for Broadway
production next season by Arthur
Cantor.

Justin O’Brien’s translation of
Albert Camus’ "Caligula,” which
preemed in Paris in 1945, is sched¬
uled to open Jan. 20 at the Phoenix
Theatre, N.Y., under the direction
of Sidney Lumet. Kenneth Haigh,
currently touring with “Look Back
in Anger,” will play the title role.

Director Alan Schneider and
Mason Adams plan an off-Broad¬
way production next spring of
Maim Rubin’s “The Trees of Prom-

. Cyjjl. Rltchvd .wili. direcL.lhe

Broadway production of Noel Cow¬
ard’s “Look After Lula,” an adapta-
tion of Georges Feydeau’s "Oc-
cupe-toi d’AmeRe.”

The Theatre Guild, Richard
Myers and Julius Fleischmann
have booked the Golden for a Jan.
28 opening of William Faulkner’s
dramatization of his novel, “Re¬
quiem for a Nun.” Zachary Scott
and his wife, Ruth Ford, will re-r
peat the costarriiig assignments
they originated in a London pro¬
duction of the play, while Tony
Richardson, the West End stager,
will ditto in that capacity on the
Broadway presentation. Beatrice
Reading, another member of the
London cast, will appear in the
N.Y. offering.

Ben Edwards will devise the
lighting for the upcoming Broad¬
way presentation of “Shakespeare’s
Ages of Man.”

Nina Wilcox will appear Dec. 15-
17 on "The Verdict is Yours” on
CBS-TV. She’s also set for a role
in the upcoming Broadway play,
"Tall Story.”

Theatre 200, the producing-in-
vestment firm formed three years
ago by Edward Specter, has
changed its corporate title to Ed¬
ward Specter Productions, Inc.

The Greenwich Mews Theatre,
formerly on an audience-contribu¬
tion basis, has switched to a fixed
admission policy with “A Journey
With Strangers.”

“Mis-guided Tour,” revue with
music by Shirley Botwin and Jane
White and lyrics by James Allen
Reid and Bob Bernstein, is planned
for off-Broadway production next
January by Reid.

“Fiorello,” a hew musical based
on the career of the late New York
mayor, Fiorello H. La Guardia, is
planned for Broadway production
next fall by Robert E. Griffith and
Harold S. Prince. Jerome Weidman
has been commissioned to write
the book. The music will be by
Jerry Bock and Arthur Penn will
direct.

The Broadway Chapel Players
production of “The Potting Shed,”
which is currently being presented
Sundays only at the Broadway
Congregational Church, N. Y., will
be the opening bill at the new 43rd
Street Theatre, Philadelphia. The
play will begin a two-week run
there Jan. 12.

British 'director Philip Burton
is giving a series of weekly lec¬
tures on The Actors’ Shakespeare
at the Cherry Lane Theatre, N.Y.

A London production of Arthur
Laurents’ revised version., of “Time
of the Cuckoo” is planned by Rob¬
ert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince
in partnership with H. M. Tennant
Ltd.

Oliver Rea is resuming Broad¬
way production activity as a part¬
ner with the Playwrights Co. in
the sponsorship of "Daarlin’ Man.”

George Batson’s “Brook Hollow”
has been optioned by Peter Saun¬
ders for London production in
February with Margaret Lockwood
as star.

Joseph Kipness will be part¬
nered with Howard Merrill in the
planned Broadway production next
season of a musical version Of the
Trench film, “Holiday for Henri¬
etta.” Edmund Beloin will adapt
the property and Jay Livingston
and Ray Evans wUl provide the
songs.

Jean Lee Donnelly, a Hollywood
packager of independent films,
plans making her Broadway man¬
agerial bow next February with
"Bright Interval,” by Mateo Let-
tunich.

An off-Broadway production next
January of Gerald Reidenbaugh’s
“Before the Wall” is planned by
producer-director Ira Circkner and
legit pressagent Betty Lee Hunt,
with Circker staging.

“The White Balloon,” by Czech-
(Continued on page 77)

» FOR SALE

jSHUBERT and COX THEATRES I

ia CincInnaH. Okie |

BLACKSTONE THEATRE

and Imm of

GREAT NORTHERN THEATRE

in Cklcogo, lllinolf
to purchastrs tntandlng to use tha
proparty boupht as Lagltlmata
Thaatres.

Reply to lex V-8058-59. Variety.
154 W. 46th Sf., New York 36

LaStfAfll

NEAPOLITAN

^ CUISINE

Wednesday, December 10, 1958

tJEGlTIIltATfi

77

Legit Bits

Continued from page 76

bslovakian poet Mirko Tmna, has
heen optioned by Gene . Koskey.
Another play by Tuma, ^‘The
Walk,” has been acquired by
Myron McCormack.

British acttess Diane Todd takes
over Monday (15) for Anne Rogers
in the touring company of “My
Fair Lady/’ Mi^- Rogers is slated
to return to England to replace
Julie Andrews as femme lead in
the London edition of the musical
next summer.

Jean Genet’s “Deathwatch” has
been published by Grove Press in
its Evergreen paperback series.

Marvin Z. Goldstein and Matt
Cimber are planning an off-Broad-
production of their adaptation of
Ferenc Molnar’s “Lovers and
Liars.” ^

Bob Merrill wlU be responsible
for the music and lyrics for David
Merrick’s proposed musical ver¬
sion of Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah, Wil¬
derness.”

Dore Schary will make his Broad¬
way directorial bow as stager of
“A Majority of One,” which he’s
co-producing with the Theatre
Guild.

David Merrick has optioned two
new properties for Roadway pro¬
duction. One is Felicien Marceau’s
French comedy, “La Bonne Soupe,”
and'the other is Mark Harris’ novel,
“Bang the Drum Slowly.”

Playwright Edward Chodorov’s
daughter. Ginger, is working as
secretary and production assistant
for Edward Choate, who’s planning
a Broadway production of Arthur
Kober’s “Now It Is Summer,” for¬
merly titled “Teacher’s Trow.”

• Coi-al Browne will replace
Googie Withers as the . Queen in
“Hamlet” for the forthcoming
Moscow and Leningrad appear¬
ances of the company from the
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre,
Stratford-on-Avon.

- Gene FOwler Jr. and Lon Yittes
will dramatize their “11 O’clock
Road” screenplay as a legit vehicle
for Dana. Andrews. The piece is
tentatively listed to open in March
at the Ritz Theatre, Los Angeles.
Andrews 4s currently costarred on
Broadway in ‘"Two for the See¬
saw.”

Singer Tony Romano and his
actress-wife Barbara Hayden are
collaborating on a musical, “The
Man Who Invented Love.”

The 1958 award for achievement
in the theafce has "been awarded to
vet Scot actor James Gibson by
the Scot Committee of the Arts
Council of Great Britain.-

According to word from acquain¬
tances in Toronto, her hometown,
Broadway actress Diana van der
Ylis is writing a play.

Ralph Meeker has been signed
as male lead opposite Shelley
Winters in Jay JuRen’s production
of Frank Corsaro’s “A Piece of
the Blue Sky.”

John Wayne has beeii appointed
company manager of the Old Vic
troupe currently at the home
theatre in London. No relation to
the Hollywood western star, he’s
the son of British film-legit com-
a play by tv writer William Manoff.
edian Nannton Wayne.

Kenn Randall, for the last two
seasons with the Los Angeles Civic
Light Opera Assn., will be general
stage manager for Ken Murray’s
new “BlackoVits,” opening Christ¬
mas night at the Ritz Theatre, Los
Angeles.

Jessica Tandy and Hume
Cronyn, who closed recently in
“The Man in the Dog Suit,” leave
shortly for a vacation oh their
private island-in the British West
Indies.

Cyrus W. Durgin, drama and
music critic for the Boston Globe,
is doing a five-nights-a-we ek. five
minute radio series on WBCN,
Boston; WXCYN, Providence;
WHCN, Hartford.

A Thursday and Friday night
series of religious dramas is being
presented at Saint Luke’s Lutheran
Church, N. Y., with “Family Por¬
trait,” by Leonore Coffee and Wil¬
liam Cowen. Equity performers are
used for the series, which will
includes revivals and original pro¬
ductions. The project operates on
a contribution basis.

London productions of “Visat to
a Small Planet” and “Hidden Riv-^
er” are planned for early next year,
with Hartney Arthur as co-produc¬
er, His partner in the presentation
of “Planet,” which will star
Arthur Treacher, will he Nat Stev¬
ens, while David Pelham will co-’
sponsor “River.”. Pelham and
Arthur are cuirently zefiresented
on the West End as co-producers
of “Auntie Marne.” The cast for
“River” will include Leo Genn,.
Catherine Lacey and David King-
Wood.

Jay Julien’s second sche4tiled
produetipu tof jdic. seaspn, " Frank
Corsaro^s “A Piece of‘Blue Sky/’.

formerly .titled “The Squirrel
Cage,” is to go into rehearsal Mon¬
day (15), with Shelley Winters star¬
ring.

Edwin Lester, general director of
the Civic Light Opera Assn, in Los
Angeles and San Francisco, and
Eleanor Pinkham, general manager
of L.A, operation, have been casing
the Broadway shows. Miss Pink-
ham has returned to the Coast and
Lester following in about a week,

Louis D’Almeida has put off his
projected Broadway production of
“Far Away the Train-Birds Cry”
until next spring.

Anna Cora Mowatt’s . comedy,
“Fashion,” first presented in New
York in 1845, is scheduled for off-
Broadway production at the Down¬
town Theatre by David Fulford
and William Dempsey. A score
for the presentation has been com¬
posed by Deems Taylor. Fulford
wiU double as stager.

Louis A. Lotito, president of City
Playhouses, Inc., and the League
of N.Y. Theatres, has been elected
president of the Council of the
Living Theatre Foundation, Inc.
Other Council officers elected in¬
clude Howard Lindsay, first vice-
president; Herman Shumlm, sec¬
ond veepee; Robert Whitehead,
third v.p.; Irene M. Selznick,
fourth v.p.; Vinton Freedley,
treasurer; James F. Reilly, assis¬
tant treasurer, and Warren Caro,
secretary.

Ken Wong, columinist and
drama critic of the San Francisco
Chinese World, is in New York
on a three-week visit, his first, to
cover the Oriental trend on Broad¬
way.

A touring production of “Tlie
Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,”
with Burgess Meredith repealing
tl^ title rfiaracterization he
originated on Broadway, is planned
by the Theatre Guild.

Herbert Berghof will move his
acting classes to a new location in
Greenwich Village early next year.

Marjory Fisher, music critic for
the San Francisco News, has been
assigned to New York. for the
entire winter to cover legit and
music.

George Jenkins is designing the
scenery for “TaU Story.” Noel Tay¬
lor, incorrectly reported in a re¬
cent issue as doing the scenery,
is providing the costumes for the
show.

Theatrical caricaturist AI
Hirschfeld has an exhibition of
drawing^and gouaches continuing
through Dec. 27 at the John Heller
Gallery, N. Y.

Mrs. Sidney Gordon, operator of
of the Falmouth (Mass.) Playhouse,
will he partnered with Robert
Whitehead in the planned Broad¬
way production of Arthur Kober’s
adaptation of “Let George Do It,” a
book by Governor John . Poster
Furcolo of Massachusetts. Mrs.
Gordon, wife of a Boston industrial¬
ist, brought the property to
Whitehead’s attention.

Direetor George Roy Hill will
join, the managerial ranks next sea¬
son as Kennit Bloomgarden’s part¬
ner in the production of “Entry B,”
adapted by Norman A. Brooks from •
the novel by Richard Frede. Hill
wiU -double as stager.

John Brooks will be associated
with Peter Dee in the projected
Broadway production of the lat¬
ter’s play, “Papa.”

Singer-actress Patricia Ruhl has
been signed for “Daarlin’ Man,’!
the niusical version of Sean
O’Casey’s “Juno and the Paycock.”
She’s managed by Laura* Springef.

Omar K. Lezman, co-producer of
[ the Coming (N.Y.) Summer Thea¬
tre and assistant to the producers
of the Phoenix Theatre, N.Y., has
been elected president of the
Council of Resident Stock Thea-
tresL

Steffen Zacharias, who operates
the Theatre Club, N.Y., has op¬
tioned “No Face for Evil,” by A-
bert H, Henderson Jr. He plans
presenting it next January at an
undesignated theatre:

Andre Gregory, assistant to Jean
Dalrymple at the N.Y, City Center
Theatre, and Mercedes Nebelthau,
will be married Dec. 18 in Bremen,
.Germany.

Jack del Bondio, general man¬
ager of “Drink to Me Only.” is
recovering from a heart attack at
the Flower Hospital, N.Y. He’s
expected to remain there at least
five more weeks.

Michael Abbott will be associate
producer with David Snsskind -and
Hardy Smith in the presentation of
“Rashomoni.”'

The Polish State Theatre, has
been qleared by the State Dept, for
a visit to the U. S; next March
under the joint auspicies of the
Jewish Center Lecture Bureau and
Jerry Hoffman.

Television scripter Ernest Kinoy
is adapting the Mark Harris novel,
‘-Something About a.tS61dier/-’ for

Broadway production by Kermit
Bloomgarden and Herbert Brodkin.
Anqthez Klnoy play, “Ariadne and
the Concrete Duck,” slated for
Broadway production by Howard
Erskine, has been postponed until
next season.

Robert Linden is production
manager for “Redhead.”

^ Warner Bros., in a pre-produc¬
tion deal, has purchased the film
rights to William Marchant’s “Fast¬
er, Faster,” which Carmen Capalbo
plans producing on Broadway next
February.

Director Jack Garfein has ac¬
quired the legit rights to John
Hersey*s novel, “The Wall,” which
is. being dramatized by Millard
Lampbell. Roger L. Stevens will
probably produce, via the Play¬
wrights Co. or the Producers Thea¬
tre. The film rights to the novel
are owned by David O. Selznick.

Dan Cushman, whose novel,
“Stay Away Joe,” is the basis for
“Whoop-Up,” is getting program
credit as collaborator on the mu¬
sical adaptation with Cy Feuer and
Ernest H. Martin, who are also the
producers of the tuner.

Garson Kanin will double . as
adaptor and stager of the French
play “La Bonne Soupe,” which
David Merrick intends producing
on Broadway next season. Ruth
Gordon (Mrs. Kanin) will star in
the presentation.

George Hamlin, representing the
Playwrights Co., and Marc Merson,
a CBS casting director, will co¬
produce Romeo Muller’s “Like
Wonderful,” which was presented
on television last year under the
title, “Love Me To Pieces.” Hamlin
is executive secretary of the New
Dramatists Committee and a pro¬
duction aide with the Playwrights'
Co.

George Abbott and John Allen
are postponing work on “The Jet-
Propelled Couch,” the musical
they’re adapting from Dr. Robert
Linden’s book, “The Fifty-Minute
Hour,” in order to write an original
musical for French singer Gene¬
vieve.

George Batson’s “Murder, on
Arrival,” tried out last summer at
Frinton, Eng., under the title,
“Brook Hollow,” is scheduled for
London production next Spring by
Peter Sannders, with Wallace
Douglas directing and Margaret
Lockwood as star.

Gielgud Gosis

Continued from page 71
advance, at $300 a week apiece,
or $1,800 total.

Leider, who’s producting the
show in association with Tennent
Productions, Ltd., get $250 weekly
for the fortnight preceding, the
N.Y. preem and then S250 weekly
until the show pays off. Tennent,
incidentally, is in for a 10% cut
of the profits. The office expense
is $150 weekly. Advertising and
promotion will run about $10,000,
the biggest item in the budget. -

The presentation, derived from
George Ryiands’ Shakespearean
anthology, will mark Gielgud’s first
N.Y. appearance in eight years. He
last appeared here during the
195Q-51 season in “The Lady’s Not
for Burning.” Leider, figuring that
working actors might want catch
Gielgud’s performance, is sched¬
uling Sunday nights and Thjursday
matinees.

Following the Washington wind¬
up of the tour Gielgud will plane
to Havana for a week’s vacation.
Leider, incidentally, has an option
for the presentation of the one-
man show on television.

Paris Legit Boom :

Continued from page 2

Mutiny,” and, from British thea¬
tre, ^-Loot Back in Anger” and
“Love. of Four Colonels.”

Marcel Marceau mime group is
comfortably settled at Arabigu and
“La Bonne Soupe” (The Gravy
Train), new play by Felicien Mar¬
ceau, author -of "The Egg,” which
recotmts the reminiscences of an
ex-prostie who made a social mar¬
riage, is firmly established at the
Gymnase.

New Barillet-Gredy light com¬
edy, “Le Chinois,” at La Bruy ere,
amusing satire on- literary prize
awards in which farce blends with
murder mystery, is pother click
for which there is U.S. and British
bidding. It has hilarious per¬
formances by Jacqueline Maillan,
a budding ^‘Gallic Beatrice Lillie,”
to keep it at boiling point. Revival
of Jean Glraudoux’s translation of
the 192*7 London hit, “Constant
Nymph,” at Marigny, though weak
and dated, is doing good bi^ and
same cotopany (Grenier) will, stage
^‘RemarkabJe Mr, Pennypacker” in
mid-December,

Literati

Sam Perlman Cited
J. Samuel Perlman, editor and
publisher of the N.Y. Morning
Telegraplrand Daily Racing Form,
was cited by the Thoroughbred
Racing Assns. of U.S. last week
“for his many contributions to the
thoroughbred industry.” Testi¬
monial, first of its kind in the
17-year-old history of TRA, also
hailed Perlman for “his objective
approach in the reporting and
editing of his journals.”

. Similar tribute came to Perlman
in. 1950 when the National Assn,
of State Racing Commissioners
saluted him for his efforts to up¬
grade and increase confidence in
racing activities. TRA’s citation
was presented at convention in
San Francisco.

Zolotow’s 2d Novel

Harcourt, Brace will publish
Maurice Zolotow’s second novel,
“O Careless Love,” next fall. Un¬
like the magazine writer’s pen¬
chant for show biz personality
interviews, this book has no amuse¬
ment industry background. His
first novel, “The Great Balsamo,”
published by Random House, did
have a magico as the central
character.

Zolotow’s first play, “The Mar¬
riage Equation,” which Burgess
Meredith will direct next fall,
plans to open on the Coast and
head east.

Roy Campanella’s Biog
Sportswriters Dave Camerer and
Joe Reichler, close friends of Roy
Campanella, will work wdih the
famed Dodgers catcher on his
memoirs for Little, Brown publica¬
tion next faU.

AP’s Reichler has been the only
newspaperman permitted to visit
Campanella during the early
montlM of his hospitalization.
Camerer, ex-N.Y. Herald 'Tribune,
is how sportscaster for CBS-Radio
and worked with the late Grant-
land Rice on his autobiography,
“The Tumult and the Shouting.”

‘Abbey Theatre’ Book

“The Abbey Theatre,” by Gerard
Fay (Macmillan; $4.50), recaps
history of famous Dublin play¬
house from its inception through
thejgreat years of Yeats, Gregory
and Synge, to the disastrous fire of
recent times, bringing account to
the present. Author is related to
two early guiding lights of the
Abbey: son of Frank Fay and
nephew of Willie. Book contains
fine photos, a bibliography, bios of
great Abbey personalities (All-
good, ■ Fitzgerald, Colum and
George Moore appear here),.and
a list of Abbey productions from
opening season (1899) to the
present year.

Interesting to note that Yeats
was represented both in '99 and ’58.
If not as definite as study as Peter
Kavanaugh’s “The Abbey Theatre”
(1950), for instance, current time
occupies important place in lit¬
erature on this playhouse. Down.

Reg Denham’s O.K. Book

“Stars In My Hair” by Reginald
Denham (Crown; $4) is the chatty,
often amusing autobiography of
the w.k. dramatist-director. Begib-
ning with his days as an actor in
Britain in 1913, Denham traces his
career through presenting, direct¬
ing and scripting. He ^helped create
such productions as’ “Fata Mor¬
gana,” “The Moon and Sixpence,”
“Ro^,” “Topaze,” “Ladies in Re¬
tirement,” “Dial M for Murder,”
“The Bad Seed” and “Janus.” Al¬
though he labels his memoirs “in¬
discreet,” Denham writes as one
Of the first gentlemen of the stage,
with cavalier salutations to each
-of his three wives: the two former
Mrs. Denhams — Moyna MacGill
and Lilian Oldland; and his pres¬
ent wife, Mary Orr. Book is dedi¬
cated to “the 3,000 actors and ac-'
tresses I have directed since 1922.
Heartfelt gratitude to those who
were patient and cooperative..
Hearty curses to those who were
not.”

Tome Is warm-hearted addition
to increasing library of recollec¬
tions of Important contemporary
stage folk. Rodo.

CHATTER

J. Bryan in working on a Gaby
Deslys biog.

Blake McVeigh appointed head
of Wisdom Mag’s press information
service.

Kay Campbell profiles Elick
Moll in December issue of The
Writer, Fred Gipson in January.

Publicist Grady Johnson, hand¬
ling “The ^4ve Pennies” at Para¬
mount, is writing a paperback for

Dell Publications on Danny Kaye
starrer.

Hawthorn Books’ g.m. Ken Gini-
ger to Yucatan, Mexico City and
Acapulco over the Xmas-New Year
holidays.

-John E. (Jeb) Byrne resigned as
Maine news manager of UPI to be¬
come press secretary for (tov.-
elect Clinton A. Clauson.

Author Sterling North’s son,
David S., married Joan Withers,
who studied at the School of
American Ballet in N.Y., last week.

Henry Ehrlich back at Look aa
department editor, resigning from
McCall’s which he joined in 1950
following a four-year stint on the
Cowles weekly.

Washington Post & Times-
Herald sports columnist Shirley
Povich’s son, Nathan David,
Columbia Law Univ. undergrad¬
uate, engaged to Constance Tobri-
ner, whose father is president of
the District Vf Columbia board of
education.

Chi Lyric Opera Grossed
$650,158 for ’58 Season

Chicago, Dec. 9.

Increased ticket prices brought
Chi’s Lyric Opera a record gross
of $650,158 in the 1958 season.
That’s more than $76,000 higher
than a comparable slate of 29 per¬
formances last season.

An unofficial audit indicates that
the Lyric played to 91% of capa¬
city this year, as against 93% in
the 1957 season. Thus, the in¬
creased scale did not reduce at¬
tendance, hut upped revenue.

Despite the whopping gross,
L 3 ndc continued to operate at a
sizable deficit, since grand opera
normally costs about a tliird more
to produce than 100% capacity
supports. Lyric has still to raise
$1QO,000 towards its current fund¬
raising goal of $300,000.

Stock Review

Willie Stark:

His Rise aoci Fall

Dallas, Nov. 26.

Aaron fVankel production of three-act
<12 scenes) drama hy Robert Penn War¬
ren. Stars John NcQnade; features Panla
Houston, Norman Smith, Henry Barnard.
Lily Lodge, Jay Lanin, Robert Short.
Staged by Frankel; technical direction,
James Pnngle; costumes. Frederic Keck.
Opened Not. 25, *58, :.t Margo Jones
Theatre *53, Dallas: $3.50 top.

Dr. Shipyrorth.Richard Lilleskor

Aloysius “Tiny** Duffy... Norman Smith

Sen. UacMurfee . Byron Sachs

Wm. "Gummy" Larsen. . Jc.seph Cranshaw

Jack Burden . Henry Barnard

Tom Stark. Gene Traylor

Willie Stark .. John McQuad*

Lucy Stark.Charlotte Askew

Sadie Burke.. Paula Houston

Dr. Adam Stanton . Jay Lanin

Anne Stanton . Lily Lodge

Jedge Irwin.Richard Longpian

Sugar-Boy .. Robert Short

Lt. Boyd . Byron Sachs

Cop ... Rich?rd LiUeskov

Talley . WUliam Berge

Nurse . Bcnnye Gatteys

Men......Ted Howard. Byron Sachs,

George Fouke

“Willie Stark; His Rise and Fall”
is a meaty melodrama, adapted by
author Robert Penn Warren from
his novel, “All the King’s Men.”
As staged here it is e.xcellent fare,
one of the better premieres at this
arena theatre.

. The play’s strong audience im¬
pact. Combined with its stark real¬
ism, indicates possibilities for ma¬
jor production. “Willie Stark” has
a few flaws, but they’re more than
offset by its overall quality, includ¬
ing John McQuade’s sock perform¬
ance as a “red-necked. Southern
state governor” whose domination
of his lieutenant governor offers a
few lighter moments, although his
demagoguery sparks the play.

The earthiness of the character
includes an ignored wife, a run¬
ning romauce with his secretary
and; for his downfall, an affair
with a young girl In the occasion¬
al-scenes where his domineering
trait is subdued, he’s a sympathetic
oharacter, beset by misery and
doubts.

Standout support is given by
Paula Houston as the secretary, a
sympathetic role; Henry Barnard
as the confidential assistant and
Ngiman Smith as a groveling lieu¬
tenant-governor. Richard LCng-
man scores as a judge and attorney
general who Mils himself after the
governor’s' exposm*e of one wong-
going,

Lily Lodge gives an earnest per- *
formance, but seems miscast, while
Jay Lanin is capable, as a defiant
doctor. Robert Short adds laughs
as a stuttering chauffeur-body¬
guard who kills the doctor.

Frankel's staging is good. Ad¬
roit use of a solo set by James
Pnngje adequately cares for the
12 scenes through multiple shift-
•ing of props. Bark.

CHATTEB

7S

W^dnetdayf Decemb^ 10, 1959

Broadway

MCA prexy Lew Wassennan
bade to Coast Monday and return*
ing thii weekend.

Varel & Bailly with their slx^
man Chanteurs de Paris locked
Monday (8) from France on the
liherte.

Trudy Goth, the globe-totting
opera buff will Christmas in Rome,
hit Athens before returning to
States Jan. 12.

Freyr & Carr have optioned Mae
Benoff’s comedy, “God Bless This
Bank," a first play effort by the
Coast tv scripter.

Ray Walker, veteran pianist and
composer, recovering from a heart
ailment at the Lutheran Medical
Center, Brooklyn.

Jussi Bjoerling will be back at
the Met nekt fall. Previously sang
there 14 seasons but has been ab¬
sent for two seasons.

Songsmith Harry Ruby gets the
Perry Como “salute” on this Satur¬
day’s show. WhUe east Ruby is
jdso talking a play deal.

Eddie Cantor has been keeping
active as advertising and mer¬
chandising consultant to Dunbar
Laboratories (Zonite, etc.).

N.Y. tadent agent Georgia Gilly
wrill'have as her Miami branch the
Gold Coast Agency run by Wally
Wanger at the Roney Plaza.

In-1908 Russian prodigy Mischa
Elman came to America, and Mon¬
day night at Carnegie marked his
golden anniversary as a violin vir¬
tuoso.

The Art (Anne) Buchwalds and
MCA’s Dave- Stein, both visitors
from Paris, getting the hospitality
“pour" treatment in divers spots
about town.

Cleo (Mrs. Carl) Brisson to her
native Copenhagen, where^ the
singing star died recently, tomor¬
row, (Thurs.) on the SS Stockholm
for the holidays.

The Peter Lind Hayes-Mary
Healy family corporation is called
Mount Tom Enterprises Inc., after
the Mt. Tom Road, New Rochelle,
where they reside.

Richard Huggett, Arts Theatre
Club, London, wants memoribilia,
anecdotes, etc. on Leslie Banks for
the book he’s doing on the English
actor who died six years ago.

■ Following 50-performance road
tour of his .so-called N. Y. Opera
Festival, Felix W. Salmag^ went
into army training. He’s now a
lieutenant colonel. He’s a. veteran
of the Battle of the Bulge.

Alicia Markova who did solo
dance bit for Victor Borge’s tv
special (Pontiac) left thereafter for
Britain where sheTl have seven-
week engagement in annual panto¬
mime “Where the Rainbow Ends."

In consequence of automobile
death of Richmond P. Gardner of
Bank of N. Y. new co-chairman of
the funds campaign for the Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts is
WiUlam M. Robbins of General
Foods.

Anna Sokolow personally rented
York Theatre on First Ave. for
Dec. 18-31 period to offer a dance
company. Jeff Duncan. Jack Moore,
Bill Frank, Kate Friedlich, Dorothy
Krooks and Noel Schwartz are in
support.

Ines de Juan and Jose Lopez
from the Ballet Espanol are
branching out for the night club
dates, starting Dec. 11 at El Chico
in the Village. Under 22, and mar¬
ried, publicity describes them as
“young and fearless."

Among the 23 indicted in N. Y.
Federal district court on a $2,0W),-
000 boiler-room charge are CSiarles

M. Berman, a stock- promoter of
Lewiston, Idaho, and former stock¬
holder in Las Vegas’ Flamingo
Hotel which he sold out iiul954.

It was Oriental time for-real at
A Bit of Bali, eastside eatery, at
post-theatre break last night (Tues.)
as the .cast of “Flower Drum
Song” and “World of Suzie Wong,"
among others, gathered there to
put on the feedbag and exploit the
spot opened in September under
the hosting of Frank W. Funk.

Indiana University at Blooming¬
ton is producing half a dozen
operas during the present academic
year. It had Tibor Kozma, former¬
ly of Met, to conduct “Butterfly^’
recently, Ross Allen staged and
the sets were designed by the
Greek, Andreas Nomikos, who
, made his American debut with the

N. Y. City Center Opera last sea¬
son via "Lucretia,” “Silent Wom¬
an" and ^‘Soldier Schweik." Pro-
fessldnals were used for the lead
roles.

An idea which Guy Lombardo
"and Leonard Ruskin had for co-
starring Eddie Fisher and Debbie
Reynolds in “Hit The Deck” as
their next summer’s Jones Beach 1
show has gone out the window, ]
even as a wishful-thinking casting,
for obvious reasons. Bandman and
Ruskin, coproducers of t^e Long
Island aquat'f’-thertre * “‘’’res.
Will run “f^'on'T of ’ for a

second semester, which has b^ep.

par—“Show Boat" and •‘Arabian
Nights both did better on their re¬
peat years.

Miami Beac&

By Lary SoUeway

(1755 Calais Dr.; UNion 5-5389)
Walter WincheU arrived earlier
than usuaL . I

GAC’s Vic Jarmel and Patti
Page’s manager. Jack Rael, talent-!
gandering while vacashmg here, j
Don Rickies moved his comedy
wares across the bay to - Miami’s
Admiral Vee motel for this season. |
Props local edition of femme
Friars Club, staging Installation
luncheon today (Wed.) at Eden
Roc.

f The Walter Annenhergs (TV
Guide) were first chickens at new
Diplomat Country Club in Holly¬
wood.

PoUy Bergen tees off Fontaine¬
bleau’s La Ronde season Dec. 20
with Jack Carter and Della Reese
set to follow.

Anna Maria Alberghetti and bal¬
let group from Paris’ Moulin
Rouge set for Christmas holiday
week by Eden Roc.

. Paul Gray, comic and local resi¬
dent, new partner in Murray Fran¬
klin ali-nitery and doubling with
FranMin as host-entertainer.

Coast scripter Sid Kuller work¬
ing on three local revues:, Ameri¬
cana, Lucerne’s new edition of
“Havana Mardi Gras" and Copa
City’s revival of “Jump For Joy."

Las Vegas

By Forrest Puke

(Dudley 2-6100)

Wanda Hendrix relaxing at the
Riviera. ^ ^

El Rancho veep Charlie Kahn
to N. Y. for 10 days.

New singer at Dunes has appro¬
priate name—^Bob Vegas.

Paul Kalet, manager of the Ink
Spots, extending his Dunes vaca¬
tion.

Mitzi Gaynor here to promote
opening of new dress, shop on the

J VI- • I.

Bert Parry resigned as publicist
and assistant to Flamingo's Abe
Schiller.

Silver Slipper producer Eddie
Fox in Cedars of Lebanon Hospi¬
tal, Los Angeles, for surgery.

Jimmy Cavgnaugh,. former
strsugbt for Hank Henry (Silver
Slipper), now in Dunes Minsky
show.

Shecky Greene, originally set-for
Tropicana lounge Jan. 7, will eo-
star in main room with Roberta
Sherwood.

Juanita Clive, featured dancer
in the Flamingo Show. Is married
to Alan Clive, British comedian
making American debut in new
Silver Slipper revue.

Marlene Kirk, cigaret girl at
Flamingo, given job as dancer in
Pearl Bailey show which opens
Dec/ 15. She’s wife of Flamingo
production singer Don Kirk.

IstanM

By Goksel Gortay

(Tel: 48 24 92)

The new 2,400-seater Site Cin¬
ema will preem with “Sayonara"
(WB).

French chirp Maria Vincent off
to Paris after an eight-week caba¬
ret run at the Club-X.

All tickets for the eight per¬
formances of the Bolshoi. Ballet at
the San completely sold out. .

“Love of Four Colonels” will be
next legit production at the Yenl,
with Nedret Guvenc in the lead.

Legit-film star Lale Oraloglu off-
to Italy for two-month vacation as
soon as she closes in the Chambre
Theatre’s production of “Miss
Julie."

Third annual International Thea¬
tre Fest for amateurs is over.
Among the 12 participants, Italian
Giovanni Poll’s Ca’Foscari Theatre,
of Venice, presenting samples of
Commedia'dell Arte, got the high¬
est praises.

Pocket Theatre started its fifth
seasoh with a bill of two legiters:
“The Man Who Married a Dumb
Wife,” by Anatole France, and
“Gentlemen Please Take off your
Hats" by Yilmaz Gruda, young
native playwright.

Kansas City

By J<^ Qninn
(VI 2-4131) -

Don Davis, KMBC-TV, elected to
18-man board of directors of Tele¬
vision Bureau of Advertising.

Judith Evelyn pl^ed the lead
In “Electra,” recent'production at
U, of Kansas City Playhouse. .

I John Sebastian, harmonica vir-
I tuoso, first guest artist with Phil¬
harmonic Orchestra’s Connoisseur
Concert series.

Sophie Tucker missed only one
evening of charity bookselling
while playing fortnfeht at Hotel
Muehlebach. Laryngitis forced her
to rest between shoys opening
night and she omitted usual lobbby
appearance. ,,,, - \t t > : ■ ^ ^

Loidoa

(COVenH Garden 0135/0/7)^

Exhibition of water colors by
actor P^ter Cushing In New Bond
St

Marlon Keene, currently In four
weeks’ cabaret engagement at the
Society.

Bandleader Edmuhdo Ros open¬
ing dancing school soon at his Re¬
gent St. nitery.

Duchess of Gloucester attended
2,000th performance of ‘.‘The Boy
Friend" at Wyndham’s Theatre,

Norman Collins, Associated
Television's deputy chairman, left
for Canada three weeks’ biz visit.

Sidney L- Bernstein, Granada-
chairman, and executive producer
Denis Forman back from Moscow
quickie.

Actress Sonia Dresdel named di¬
rector of productions for White
Rose Players at Theatre Royal,
Harrogate.

"At the Drop of a Hat," suspendr
ed for month because of illness of
Michael Flanders, resumed at For¬
tune Theatre.

Actor-writer Bryan Forbes to do
screenplay for Carl Foreman’s
“The League of Gentlemen," based
on the John Boland novel.

Anna Neagle served as chairman
of dinner committee when Musi¬
cians’ Benevolent Fimd held its
annual banquet at the Savoy.

E. J. (Teddy) Hinge, president
of Cinematograph Exhibitors
Assn., feted by industry at New-
ca^e dinner to celebrate his 70th
birthday.

, Paris

By Gene Moskowiiz

(28 rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)

! Eiko Ando in for opening of
: “Barbarian And the Geisha" (20th).

Le Carroll’s nitery inaugurating
dinners at 9:30 followed by regu¬
lar floorshow.

Afro eatery Le Cannibal now
giving Dark Continent show along
with sectional eats.

Pacale Petit snaring Suzanne
Blanchetti Award for most promis¬
ing film newcomer of the year.

'Two new late eateries, Les Petits
Paves and La Louisiane drawing
show biz crowds these days on the
Left Bank.

Barney Butler, Yank owner of
small Mars Club, had SRQ week
in headlining Billie Holiday for
three shows nightly with $2,50
cover,

•Leonard Bernstein made honor¬
ary member of Lamoureux orch
here after his highly successful
group of conducting and playing
stints with them during the last
few weeks.

Hit legit version of Irwin Shaw’s
‘Xucy Crown," by Jean-Pierre Au-
mont, already sold to 13 countries
with Isa Miranda to do it in Italy,
Lilli Pilmer in Munich and Elisa¬
beth Bergner in Berlin.

Gina LoUobrigida in to finish
some synch scenes in Jules Dassin’s
pic “La LoL” She then returns
to Madrid to take up “Solomon and
Sheba" (UA) with Yul Brynrier.

Left Bank cellar jazz club, Club
Saint-Germain-Des-Pres, i n a u g u-
rating Sat. and Sun. matinee jazz
sessions. Club features French
jazz. names as well' as top visiting
Yank players. It’s owned by Eddy
Barclay whose disk company puts
[ out most of the Yank and French
jazz platters here.

Boston

By Guy Livingston

(344 Little Bldg.;

HAncock 6-8386)

Pat Boone in for Boston Police
ball.

Agnes Moorhead sojourning
here.

A1 Vega trio current at Sherry
Biltmore.

McGuire Sisters . inked for
February BUnstrub’s date.

Susan Hayward in on exploita¬
tion for ‘T Want to Live."

Paul Levi, long time ATC film
p.a., opening his own office.

Chirp Nancy McDonald breaking
in new act at new 12 Carver club.

Ben Sack opens “BeU, Book and
Candle" at his Gary deluxer
Dec. 31.

Lou Smith, owner of Rocking¬
ham Park, patient at Beth Israel
Hospital.

Charles Kurtz man, Loew’s
northeast div. mgr., at Longwood
Hospital with virus.

Joe and Max Schneider, Steu¬
ben’s proprietors, pl annin g trip to
their native Vienna.

' Alan Kent topping the bfll at
I Bradford Roof along with Ann
! Clark, Larry Wilson.

Shoshana Damari, Israeli piper,
inked for annual Chanukah Fes¬
tival at Boston Garden Dec. 23.

Boston Symphony on its second
tour of season to New York, Wash¬
ington, New Brunswick and Brook¬
lyn.

Charles Kurtzman, Loew’s north-

off i curb in Miami, li now back
at work.

Lambert, Hendrlcki & Boss,
modem jazz singers^, and Irwin
Corey current at (3eorge Wein's
Stor^Ie.

Jos^h E. Levine, Embassy Pic¬
tures (jorp. prexy, back from Paris
and Rome where he viewed npwly
completed films.

Joseph E. Levine, prexy Em¬
bassy Pictures, openmg Manhattan
office for newly acquired film
property, “Hercules.”

Nelson Noble, Brookline metals
dealer, bou^t WILD from Bartell
Group, and moves it to. Sherry-
BUtmore with w. k. disker Stan
Richards as program mgr.

CUcago

(DelavxLTe 7-4984)

Jazz Ltd. now in its 12th year
as dixieland boite,

Jerri Winters featured at Sa¬
hara with Lurlean Hunter.

Soprano Jeanne Diamond of Lyr¬
ic Opera guested on Arthur God-
frejr’s CBS daytimer last week.

Walter KeUin upped to exec
assistant to Gaslight Club owner
Burton Browne and succeeded as
manager of Chi club by Howard
Brake.

Baritone Len Dresslar of WBBM-
TV’s “In Town Tonight” soloed
Friday night (5) with Chi Business¬
men’s Orch in longhair concert
broadcast on WBBM-FM.

Frank Darling’s ^annual Xmas
show for membership of IBEW Lo¬
cal 1031 current with Billy Eck-
stine, Jane Kean, Senor Wences
and Frank Marlowe heading bill.

Douglas Fairbanks, Brian
Aheme, Carol Channing, Elizabeth
Schwarzkopf and Roger Williams
her^ over the weekend for unveil¬
ing of Guildhall, Ambassador
Hotel’s swank ballroom-banquet
hall.

Detroit

By Fred Tew

(TU 5-8694)

J. L. (Joe) Thomas, since 1956
manager of World Theatre, a
downtown arty, takes over as man¬
ager of the Booth, a nabe house.

Detroit Free Press editorial
praised Sol Hurok for successfully
fighting State Dept, ban on bring¬
ing Russian ballet troupe to Ma¬
sonic Temple.

Local dailies,vtaking note of loud
jeers from football fans, made a
big to-do about lack of bootleg re¬
ception of Detroit Lions game with
Chicago Bears played in Detroit.
Local bars inst#illed high i^ntennas
to pull In WJIM-TV Lansing for
reception of Lion’s home gamek
Complaint was that the Lions
made deal with WJIM so its sig¬
nal wouldn’t be received in De¬
troit. Station denied charge, said
that failure In its transmitter was
cause of trouble.

Ireland

By Maxwell Sweeney

(Dublin 68 4506)

Thesper Barry Cassin named to
judge All-Ireland Drama Fest.

Sir Thoihas Beecham here to
gander prospects for orA tour next
spring.

Rick Bourke, top fund-raiser for
Variety Tent 41, named Tent’s
Chief Barker for 1959.

Paolo SilvefI in from Rome as
artists’ manager for current Dubljn
Grand Opera season at Gaiety.

Vic Oliver and songstress Ruby
Murray named stars of “Old King
Cole," Christmas production for
3,500 seater 'Theatre Royal, Dublin.

Dublin Globe Theatre and Cyril
Cusack Productions both received
cash grants from Irish Arts Coun¬
cil during past year, reports Coun-.
cil’s annual statement.

George Glass,.exec producer of
James Cagney stairer "Shake
Hands with the Devil" for Toy
Films, reported picture was com¬
pleted within its $1,250,000 budget
at Ardmore Studios.

Berlin

By Hans Hoehn

, (76 02 64)

Traditional Berlin film haU (Feb.
21) to be held at new Berlin HUton.

“Rock-’n-RoU in Heidelberg" is
titie of CCq pic with BiU Haley Sc
Comets on company’s 1959 agenda.

Helge Roswaenge, Scandlnavian-
bom opera singer, will appear,
along with a variety show, at Sport-
palast later this month.

U.S. pix currently playing the
local GI circuit include: “Andy
Hardy Comes Home" (MG), “Les
Girls" (MG) and “Up Front" <UA).
French pic “La Parislenne" Is also
shown over circuit.

Arthur Braimer (CCC) reported¬
ly signed James Mason for two pix.
He’s also trying to get Vivi^ Leigh
and Michele Morgan for his re¬
make, “Grand. Hotel," which .Curtis

HoDywood

Mike Todd Jr. pulled in from
Gotham.

- John Forsythe returned from
Yugoslavia. . . ^

Hugo Friedhofer returned from
EiLTopean stay.

i Y. Frank Freeman back from
Gotham h.o. huddles.

1 Myrna Fox currently In Las
; Vegas at Dunes lounge.

A1 Ritz down with serious virus
attack in Palm Springs.

Jack Emanuel reoptioned as War*
ner Bros, tv story editor,
i Inger Stevens off on 15-city tour
to drumbeat “The Buccaneer.”

Isabelle Whall joined Milton
Deutsch Agency for fair bookings.

Phil Gersh switched from Fam¬
ous Artists to Ashley-Steiner office^

Don Leon joined American In¬
ternational Pix as resident coimseL

George Pal skedded to speak be¬
fore Vancouver (B.C.) Missiles So¬
ciety Feb. 15.

Manny Harmon Orch into the
Beverly Hilton’s Star-on-the-Roof
for an indefinite stay starting
Jan. 5.

Charles Thomas elected chair¬
man of Motion Plctiure Industry
Health & Welfare Plan board of
trustees for 1959.

Tokyo

By Dave Jampel

(Press Club, 27-0161)

Gil Lamb here on 12-week Far
East tour with USO “Girls and
G^^s” show.

Swiss film, “Heidi,” will be
dubbed in Japanese in special
effort to lure local students.

UA sales manager Andrew Lott
Albeck due in shortly. He is ex¬
pected to finalize new distrib setup,

Paris Theatre BaUet with 31
members, led by Vitale Fokine, due
latter part of December for Japan
tour.

French conductor Jean Foumet
here from U.S. to conduct seven
performances of "Pelleas et Meli—
sande.”

Japan Film Fair slated to begin
at Munich March 6 will later move
to Berlin and Bonn for several
days at each city. .

Japan majors agreed to boost ad¬
mission prices at first-run hpuses
and are now settling differences on
amount and scale of boost.

Nippon Gramophone Recording
Co. planning to record 24-year-old
Yoshiko Hayakawa, daughter of
w.k. actor Sessue Hayakawa.

Former TPA topper Milton A.
Gordon here for o.o. with possibili¬
ty'' of future Japanese locationed
tv series; most likely a coproduc¬
tion.

As of Nov. 10, Japan’S' registered
tv sets numbered 1,414,179 of which
583,595 are in Tokyo. Estimated
.several thousand more are in use,
hut unregistered.

William H. Fineshrlber, veep and
director of foreign sales for Screen
Gems, here for two weeks of tele¬
film confabs on last lap^of three-
month global tour.

AA producer-director William
Castle expected in to lay plans for
spring production of feature “(con¬
fessions of an Opium Eater" star¬
ring MUko Taka of “Sayonara.’*
Local AA office applying to Fi¬
nance Ministry for use of blocked
yen earnings on production.

Frankfnrt

By Haxel Guild

(24 Rheinstrasse; 776751)

Two German film's, “Rose Bernd"
and “08-15,” to play before year’s-
end in Hungary.

Moscow State Circus, originally
scheduled to open Dec. 25 in Wies¬
baden, postponed to Feb. 26 to
Match 2, 1959.

Kurt Ehrhardt produced first
West German showing of Thomas
Wolfe’s “Look Homeward Angel’^
in Landestheater, Hannover.

“The Dictator” (NA-ChapUn) and
Warners’ “Old Man and the Sea"
classified as “outstanding" by Ger¬
man Film Classification Board.

“Twelve Angry Men," by Regi¬
nald Rose, locally adapted by Horst
Budjuhn, at town’s Klelne Theater*
with Fritz Remond directing and
Karl John and Sigurd Lohde in
the leads.

Gustav Gruendgens, director of
German Theatre in Hamburg, flew
to Rio de Janeiro to recover from
an eye ailment. He plans to produce
Grabbe’s “Don Juan and Faust" in
Hamburg in January.

German Film Export Union and
Unijapan^ arranged Gennan-Japa-
nese films to be featured next
March in Munich, and German
Filmweek set for October 1959 in
Tokyo, with German actors, direc¬
tors and workers participating.
Exchange Is for six' German films
and six Japanese films of special

'Deeeiiib^n 1(>,

»■

OBITUARIES

coi/. CHAKLES A. WALL

Col. Charles A. Wall, 59, v.p. in
charge of finance and treasurer of
Broadcast Music Inc., died Dec. 8
In New York after a short illness.

From 1928, Col. Wall was a mem¬
ber of the treasurer’s department
of NBC, serving as budget officer
and business manager of the pro¬
gram department. After World War
U, in which he served as colonel,
Wall'rctumed to NBCT as assistant
to the vecpee In charge of fiance.

In May, W47< he was appointed
v.p. and treasurer of BMI. The next
year he was named prez and treas¬
urer of Associated Music Pub¬
lishers. -

Survived by wife, a son, a daugh¬
ter, and a brother. Edmund WaU,
a musician with the N.Y. Philhar-.
monic.

M. A. LIGHTMAN

M. A. Lightman Sr., 67, prexy of
Malco Theatres, Inc., which oper¬
ates some 60 conventional houses
and drive-ins In the Memphis apd
mid-south area, died of a heart at¬
tack'Dec. 4 in Detroit, where he
was attending a bridge tournament.

A former president of the old
Motion Picture Theatre Owners of
America, Lightman foxmded the
Variety Club, Tent No. 20, in Mem¬
phis and was its head for seven
terms. He had numerous business
interests in addition tO' his thea¬
tres. . These included two shopping
centres, large real estate holdings
and two bowling alleys.

Born in Nashville, Terni., Light¬
man originally was in the construe-^
tion field but became an exhibitor
in 1925* After expanding his cir¬
cuit, he occasionally financed Hol¬
lywood films. He was particularly
noted for his civic activties. %He
headed the Memphis Little Theatre
League-and often sparked charit-
abl drives.

Bupviving are his wife, daughter

RAYMOND HUBBELL

Rest In Peace

and two sons. Latter are M. A.
Lightman Jr., v.p., of Malco. Thea¬
tres, and Richard Lightman, the
chain's treasurer.

PERCY KLEIN

David (Percy) Klein, 62, operatdr
of the Casino burlesque theatre in
Pittsburgh, died of a heart attack
in that city Dec. 1 at the Hotel
Edison, which b® owned. Death
came just as he was negotiating to
buy out the 45% interest in that
house still owned by Hirst circuit.
'Majority stockholder of the
Casino is Milton Jaffe, for the
George - Jaffe estate. He is now
manager of casino at Stardust
Hotel in Las Vegas and was' a long¬
time friend and business associ¬
ate of Klein’s. A year ago, after
the Hirst‘people gave up on the
Casino as a losing proposition,
Jaffe was on the verge of selling
the house when Klein prevailed on
him to give it another ti^ under his
(Klein’s) direction. He made it pay
from the beginning.

Klein had been a celebrated fig¬
ure in Pittsburgh’s night life for 40
years and his Edison Hotel, former¬
ly the Kilkeary, was a popular
gathering place for show business
ersonalities, particularly in the
urlesk and nitery fields.

He leaves his sister, two neph¬
ews and three nieces.

FERDINAND BRUCKNER
Ferdinand Bruckner, 67, leading
playwright for the G^man stage
In the 1920’s, died Dec. 5 in Berlin,
Born Theodor Tagger in Vienna,
he went to Berlin after WorM
War L " .

His first play, “Annette,” was
produced In 1921 at the Neues
Theatre in Berlin. After the pro¬
duction, he became a theatre man-
agei:.and director, and by 19^ had
his own theatre in Berlin. His best
known works include “Sickness of
Youth,” “The Criminal,” "Eliza¬
beth of England” and “Tiraon of
Athena.”

In' 1932 Bruckner went to Paris,
Where he wrote “The Races,” a
drama that deleted the advent of
Hitler in Germany, which made it
impossible to return to Berlin. The
. Theatre Guild produced the play
in the U,S. He returned to Ger¬
many in 1951 after 20 years in
exHe and was received as the grand
old man of German drama. He also
spent some time in Hollywood
where he wrote film scripts.

SIDNEY R. TRAUB

Sidney R. Traub, e4,'h'ead'.brthb’

■

Maiylimd Board of Censors from
1949 until 1955, died Dec. 9 in
Baltimore following a heart attack.
He was a controversial figure while
heatHng the board. A staunch op¬
ponent erf what he considered ob¬
jectionable to the public, he banned
outright in some cases, cut in oth¬
ers and even blacked out portions
of newsreels.

His biggest and stormiest bat¬
tles were against United Artists’
“The Moon Is Blue”, and some
medical reels titled “Birth by.i
Caesarean Section” and “The Mir¬
acle of Birth.” He lost the “Moon”
fi^ when a city court ruled the
film “not objectionable." Judge,
Herman M. Moser lifted Traub’s
ban on the medical pix.

' After his replacement on the
board by C. Morton Goldstein,
Traub bounced back in the news
on one occasion when he accused
Goldstein of “laxity” in okaying
showings of “She Shqulda Said
No” and “Because of Eve.’^ A na¬
tive of Baltimore, he wais admitted
to the bar in 1916. .

Surviving are bis wife, son and a
daughter.

FRANK A* KEARNEY
Frank A. Kearney, eci, director
and vice-president of the Geyer
Advertising Agency, died Dee. 2
in Yonkers, New. York,

He entered the advertising field
with the - Calkins & Holden firm.
Later he joined Churchill-Hail and
Blackett, Sample. Hummert. He.,
was executive assistant to the pres-r
ident wth Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sam-
ple, Inc., zmd then executive veppee
at W. Earl RothWeU- He joined
Geyer in 1952, and was elected to
the board of directors in 1956.

'For many years ^Kearney was
associated with the Boyle-Midway
add American Home Foods ac¬
counts of the American Home
Products Corporation, which ac¬
counts he supervised at Geyer. He
also was fecogpized as an author¬
ity on merchandising and. advertis¬
ing nationally distributed package
goods.

His wife, son, two daughters,
mother and brother survive.

DANNY ALVIN

Daniel Alvin Vinieno, 54, dixie¬
land drummer and bandleader
under the pro name of Danny
Alvin, died Dec. 6 in Chicago
about a month after illness forced
his retirement. A tailgate sideman
and leader for 40 years, he first
gained notice in 1920 iWhen Sophie
Tucker signed him for the Kings
of . SynCobation, then part of her
act.,

For a spRn of nearly two dec¬
ades, running through the ’30s,
Alvin played with the bands of
Wayne King, Bobby Hackett,
Georg Brunis and- Eddie Condon,
mostly in Manhattan’s Greenwich
Village jazz spots. ‘He returned to
Chi in 1947, joining the house tall-
gaters at Jazz Ltd., and less than
two years later- incepted his own
Kings of Dixieland for the Basin
Street, a nabe club.

Survivors include his wife, a
^ter and a brother.

HERMAN FIALKOFF

Herman Fialkoff, 50^ vet agent,
died Dec. 9 In New York of hepa¬
titis. Fialkoff, ^who headed his own
office for years, had lately been
sending shows into Japan and had
been U.S. representative for top
promoters in that country. He al$o-
represented sfeveral Japanese tele
and film studios.

Fialkoff, originally a registered
pharmacist, was brought into the
agency bu^ess by Harry Gour-
fain, a unit-producer and later pro¬
ducer kt the Strand Theatre, N. Y.
He booked resort hotels for many
years and helped develop the
Poconb Mountain area of Pennsyl-
vaida as a talent centre.

Survived by four sisters and a
brother. Funeral services are
scheduled for today (Wed.) at the
Riverside Chapel, Brooklyn.

. FRED 4)UlROU£T

Fred Quirouet, - 55, Ottawa’s
“society” ordiestra leader, died.
Dec. 2 In Ottawa. Former first
violin with the Ottawa Philhar¬
monic orchestra, he had batoned
his own 10-piece band for the past
20 years and had been steady at
Government House balls and
parties.

Quirouet began bis baton career
with ei^t years in the pit of the
Capital Theatre in Quebec City,
then switched to pop music. He
toured Bennuda and eastern Can¬
ada'between Ottawa bookings.

Surviving are bis wife, two sons,
two daui^te^, bro^r and sister.'

^ HOMER SAINTrGAUDENS

Homer Saint-Gaudens, 79, art
authority and legit director, died
DetrB in* MiSmf.''He 'lived'iH'Mi-

mi since retir^ a number of
years ago as diiector of fine arts
for the Oarnegie Institute of Tech¬
nology in Pittsburgh.

Early in Ms career he was a re¬
porter for the New York San, but
left that job to write art criticisms,
and then to bectonie a legit director
for Maude Adins. His Broadway
credits include “The Little Minis¬
ter,” “What Every Woman Knows,”
“The Red Robe,” “Legend of
Leonora,” “A Kiss For Cinderella"
and Eugene Q’NeiU’s Pulitizer
prize-winning play, “Beyond the
Horizon."

. His wife, son and daughter sur¬
vive.

JOSE COLLINS

Jose Collins, 71, the original
“maid of the mountains” and one
of the leading musicomedy stars
of the Edwardian age, died Dec. 6
in London.

“The Maid .of the Mountains”
was a successful London musical
of -the World War I period. It
opened in 1916 an^ ran for three
years. lUwas revived in 1921 with
Miss Collins -again plasdng her
original role of Tgresa. She ap¬
peared in plays and vaudeville jn
New York.from 1911-16.

Her first N.Y. appearance was
in “Vera Violetta” at the Winter
Garden. She also-appeared in “The
Ziegfeld Follies of 1913.” She. was
the daughter of Lottie Collins, a
vaudeyille performer who poflu-
larized the song, “Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-
De-Ay.” ,

LOU MELTZER
Lou Meltzer, 49, vet radio*tv
comedy writer, died of . a heart at¬
tack Dec. 3 in Hollywood. During
some IB years as a scribe he had
worked on most of the biggest
Shows in the two mediums. They
ranged from Fred Allen’s radio
productions through the early days
of tv on “Broadway Open House.”

Meltzer also did stints at various
times for PhU'Silvers, Pinky Lee,
Red Skelton and Eddie Fisher.
Prior to turning writer, he was a
’cellist in a symphony orchestra.

His wife and five children sur¬
vive.

BERTRAM AnLLHAUSER

Bertram Millhauser, 66, vet film
writer, died of a heart attack Dec. 1
in Hollywood. Starting his writ-
career on the Pearl White se¬
rials, he moved to HoUsTVOod in
1923 and became associated with
Cecil B. DeMiUe, working with
him on “Feet of Clay” and other
pix^ He later was with other stu¬
dios, active for many years, and
more recently served as story edi¬
tor on “The Lone Ranger” and
“Jim Bowie” teleseries.

His wife and two daughters sur-

JAMES S. SHEEHT
James S. Sheehy, 62, former Pa-
cMic division radio editor for
United Press International, died
Dec, 1 in San Francisco. He worked
on newspapers in Klamath Falls
and Portland, Ore., before joining
UP in Los Angeles in 1928. He
later served as UP bureau manager
at Portland and Seattle, was then
.transferred, to San Francisco and
for the last decade had supervised
the press association’s radio wire.
‘Wife and son survive.

^ ' IVOR LEWIS

Ivor Rhys Lewis, 76, Welsh-bom
actor and sculptor, died in Toronto
Nov. 26. Although all his stage
work was^ non-pro, he did much
professional radio work for the
Canadian Broadcasting Commission
(CBC’s predecessor). Most of latter
was' under I^one Gutiirie’s direc¬
tion. A retired department store
executive, he won the Governor
General’s Award for acting.

Four sisters survive.

HENRY FRIEDMAN

Henry Friedmjji 76. a lawyer
\<dio practiced in NeV York for 52
years until his retirement two and
a half years ago, died Dec, S in
N.Y. For more than 36 years he
was a lawyer for the American
Federation of Mnsicians and also
represented James C. Petrillo dur¬
ing his years as president of that
organization.

His wife, and son survive.

FHTLfP J. ZELLER

Philip J. Zeller Sr., 54, former
Toledo, O., theatre manager, died
Dfec. 1 of injuries suffered when
struck by an automobile two weeks
ago in Rockford, HL He left Toledo
to work for Warner Bros. Theatres
on the Coast, the Dickenson Circuit
in Kansas and Fox Midwest Thea¬
tres.

He leaves his wife, son, father,
sister and -a brother,.

RANDALL W. McILVAINE

Randall W. (Pinky) Mcllvaine,
49, longtime manager of the
Brandeis Theatre in Omhaha and a
former vaude dancer, was injured
fatally Nov. 30 when his car struck
a tree in Omaha’s Elmwood Park.
Eiriployied w a'^host iit the Colony

t>Iub at the time of his death,
IfcHvdne told police he fell asleep
at -the wheel.

Survived by his mother.

RUTH WHITE SMALLENS
Ruth White SmaUens, 62, com¬
poser and violinist and wife of con¬
ductor Alexander SmaUenSj... died
Dec. 6 in New York. She ‘ gave
recitals in the U.S. and Paris and
composed the music for the late
Norman Bel (Jeddes productions of
“Hamlet,” “Lazarus Laughed” and
“Arabesque." ' ,

She is survived also by two sons
and a brother.

LES WHITE

Les White, 51, vet cinematog¬
rapher, died of a heart attack Dec.
3 in HoUywood. Twenty years at
Metro, where he worked on “Mu¬
tiny on the Bounty,” he later was
with Columbia Pictures and other
majors, and recently had been ac¬
tive in tv.

His wife, three sons and a daugh¬
ter survive.

FLORENCE A. GUERIN
Florence Adimari GUerin, 48,
concert pianist, died Dec. 3 in
Philadelphia. She played with the
Philadelphia Orchestra under Leo¬
pold Stokowski and Eugene Or-
mandy.

Daughter, two sons, mother and
father survive.

FREDERICK O. KENNEDY
Frederick O. Kennedy, 48, vet
film stunt man, was killed Dec. 5
during the fUming of a scene for
‘Mirisch C6/s ‘The Horse Soldiers,”
locationing at Natchitoches, La.

He was a 20-year veteran of the
screen.

Mrs., Elizabeth McGrane, .70,
mother of Bon McGrane, longtime
orch conductor at the Hotel Radis-
son Flame Room, Minneapolis, died
Dec. 2 in Wilkes Barre, Pa. She
was a former concert singer. Two
other sons survive.

Myron Bradshaw, 50, drummer,
died Nov. 28 in Cincinnati. He
played in numerous bands, includ¬
ing Lours Armstrong’s. Son and
daughter survive.

Dr. Harry Smith, 60, longtime
dentist for the Actors Fund, died
Dec. 1 in New York. His wife,
daughter and son survive.

Mother, 84, of Donald G. Coe,
ABC director of special events,
died Dec. 3 in Boston, Mass.

Wife, 65, of Pete Smith, yet film
producer, died of a stroke Dec. 3
in Santa Monica, CaL

Brother, 61, of Johnny Boyer,
of WCAE sports staff in Pittsburgh,
died, of cancer Nov. 25 in Detroit. -

Father-of-fhe-Bride

Continued ^ from pace 2

Jacob K. Javiis (the groom is the
member of the Javits, Moore &
Trubin law firm).- Vanden Heuvel
is also executive chairman of the
International Rescue Committee..

Both at St. Patrick’s, with the
pew niunbers scientificaUy as¬
signed to invitees, and at the re¬
ception, there were no incidents as
a skiRed staff of security officers
in plainclothes attested to the well-
known efficiency of the -bride’s
I father.

I On another tangent, the father-
of-the-bride was traditionaUir so
concerned with all the details that
even his prime aides cracked, af¬
fectionately, “Jules regards this -as
the biggest production this side of
‘Quo Vadis.*” It almost was—done
in ultra manner including a-senti¬
mental touch as Guy Lombardo,
one of the oldest MCA clients, in¬
sisted on coming over from the
Hotel Roosevelt to play for Jean
Stein’s wedding.

J. C.’s brother Dave Stein re¬
turns to his Paris base next week;
Lew Wasserman, MCA prexy, dit¬
toes to Hollywood, "and now
things will settle back to normal,"
said another MCA exec. AH were
amused by J. C.’s ' preoccupation
that it was a running gag among the
exela whom Stein would ask,
“When did you get in?” a question
he may have asked them two days
before or that very morning. The
farflung MCA organization’s top¬
pers were among those who sched--
uled their affairs for the event. |

.After a honcomcon in Europe,
the vanden Heuvels will reside at
2 Sutton Place South. - - - - - . .

MARRIAGES

Jean Stein to William J, vanden
Heuvel, New York, Dec. 5. Bride Is
an Esquire mag staffer and daugh¬
ter of Jules C. Stein, board chair¬
man of Music Corp. of America;
groom is a member of Senator
Jacob K. Javits law firm.

Betty Lou Robinson to Mel
Feriier, New York, Dec. 7. Bride is
a legit and tv actress; he directs
CBS-TV “Arthur Godfrey Show.”

* Judy Frank to Richard Jablow,
New Ych*, Dec. 4. Biride, three¬
time women’s metropolitan golf
champion, is on staff of Golfmg;
groom if of the law firm of Butler,
Jablow & GeUer, attorney for the
Writers Guild of Arnerh:a.

Donna Beaumont to A. G. Cox
Atwater, Chicago, Dec. 4. Bride is
in dancing corps of “My Fair Lady”
touring company, now in Chi.

Mary Michael Pollock to ifdwin
Gifford, New York, Dec. 5. Bride
is p.a, for Cinerama and Michael
Todd Productions; he's a stage
manager for CBS.

Renee Stein to Dr. Robert Pol¬
lack, Passaic, N.J-, Dec. 7. Bride is
with General Artists Corp.

Germaine Anderson to Howard
Marion-Crawford, London, Dec. 5.
He’s an actor.

Horst Buchholz to Myriam Bru,
London, Dec. 7. Bride’s an actress
and model; he’s an actot.

Caroljii Ball to Richard Bald¬
win, Washington, Nov, 29. He’s on
radio station WJOY staff in Bur¬
lington, Vt.

Dr. Mathilde Danon to Arthur-
B. Krim, New York, Dec. 7. Bride
is on the scientific staff of the
Weizmann Institute of Rehovoth,
Israel. He’s president of United
Artists.

BIRTHS

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Arneel, in
N.Y. Nov. 26, a son. He’s on the
Variety N.Y. staff; mother is for¬
mer Doris Kuthy, with Sam Gold-
wyn and MCA offices.

Mr, and Mrs. James KrelL.son,
Los Angeles, Nov. 24. ‘Mother’s
daughter nf agent James Stanley.

MrJ and Mrs. Larry LeSueur,
daughter. New York, Nov. 30.
Father is a CBS newsman; mother
is former Dorothy Hawkins, erst¬
while fashion editor of N.Y, Times.

Mr. and Mrs. Les Berke, son,
Hollywood, Dec. 1. Father’s an as¬
sistant director.

Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Landis, son,
Hollywood, Nov. 23. Father is
' owner of Club Largo.

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Keefe, son,
Pittsburgh, Dec. I. Father's an an¬
nouncer at WCAE,

Mr. and Mrs. Robert* Homick,
son, Steubenville, O., Dec. 2.
Father’s on staff of WTAE in
Pittsburgh.

Mr, and Mrs. Bob Regehr, daugh¬
ter, Hollywood, Dec. 1. Father’s a
HoUjnvood Rack. ,

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Rossi, son, Bur¬
bank, Cal., Nov. 26. Father’s a
2()th-Fox sound editor.

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Corcoran, twin
sons, Santa Monica, Cal, Nov. 28.
Father Is a film publicist

Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Summers,
daughter, Hollywood, Dec. 3. Fa¬
ther is a film .publicist

Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Miller,
son, Burbank, Cal., Nov. 24. Fa¬
thers secretary-treasurer of Pacific
Drive-in Theatres.__

New Disneyland

Continaed from Rase 2 ;

present daily capacity of 20,000
persons will be raised te between
30,000 and 40,000. Work has al¬
ready started on the iwoject, .which
includes six different features.

Most sigmficant of these are a
rbpliea of the Swiss Matterhorn, a
perinising 146^ feet scaled at
1/lMf which wiH have two bob-
sledaruns circling and entering the
mountain, to cost excess of $1,-
150,000; the monorail system, run-
:ing three-quarters of a mile, cost¬
ing 41,000,000; and the sub project
tb^cost $2,150,000.

Program also will include a^new
cable skyway which., will pass
through the Matterhorn; four new
multi-level “autopias” for minia¬
ture cars; and two lakes for motor¬
boat excursions.

‘The monorail project is the re¬
sult of experiments made by a
Cologne, Germany, engineering
0mi, which has spent $6,000,000
in its development, and is to be in¬
stalled as a joint venture with this
firm. It will run on concrete
tracks 35 feet high. The sub voy¬
age .will be an underwater tour
of the seven seas, will all types of
life, a preview of future ocean
t^aveL ..

Wednesday, Deceniher 10, 19Sft^

eitttsi liEll 10 SMO 00

OlOlllO riClEO M!

,at,lev.ov-.nbrmiant

Sbe scored as b.g

LbW could be matched
as probab y as

, th.s stem. ,s the Laf'n

ae ot the best attract

U 3 Q pve*

joartei na-

, TOVi NOONAN

Q.llLCarC

;^'^^Wanafl,berghetf,'s.
her super/atE.e

change of pace for dan

^""’hers brands be

her the b,e

thro

fo star

Broadway .,
' packed the p,;

farptl,

'-Vc'/rf Toi.. ,

§esr

A

A

1

recei'jed a six

3 Wberghetti -

. . ^ if pver navti

“V. HeraPP--",":':

awav Opening, the

' a 6roaP~» ^
j.to.me. a..'"a"»

c » ■

.-tea to an ovation

1 n t.

iina'c

the

n’iCA

U'--

^c.

V'lOO*

prcV'

t:c C'
i.n a

vei'

i 0 9 c ■'

5 ca.n t recall m thu long history of fhr.

Latin Quarter when a star attraction
received the tremendous ovation that
roared through the big room as
luscious Anna Maria Alberghetti sang
her final number last night. It was a
well-deserved tribute »o a great artist

LOUIS SCGCL
N Y Joiirndl Anipr ^.d ,

FILMS

Tf FILMS

IFTYrs*

yOL. 213 No. 3

Pubuihtd Weekly at 154 West 46tli Street, Nev York 36, N. Y., by Variety, Xne. Annaal subscription, $15. Single copies, 85 cenU,.
Second Class Postage Paid at New York, N. Y;

COPYRIGETT* 1958, BY VARIETY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESER^'ED

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1958

80 PAGES

‘GUARANTEEING’ ROAD LEGIT

U.S. Christinas Card Statistics

The Barker Greeting Card people have Christmas card statlS»»
tics that sound like “Ten Commandments” grosses.

No. 1, Uncle Sam sells $125,000,000 in 4c stamps for 100,000
tons of greeting cards which, this year, will total approximately
8,000,000,000 at a price rang® from to $5 per card; 859& cos>,
under 25c.

The average family sends out 65 cards; average business 145;
OK for businesses to typewrite addresses, but it is better Bmily.
Post for family cards to be hand-written.

About 2% of all cards mailed wind up In the dead letter of*
lice because of no return and/or accurate forwarding addresses.

Taknt Agents Huniing’ Fihn Biz?

MCA s Wasseiman Sees Exhib Slump

OSCRIPTIONS Newspaper Strike Dents Show Biz;

M *SllRiflldL’

By ABEL GREEN 4-

Lew Wasserman, president of
Music Corp. of America, with full
Jmowledge that his talent agency
Ir among the top targets of the
broad charge that “the agents are
running and ruining show busl-
liess,'* via demands for stars, and
•^er allegations, nonethless sees
'the picture business on the thresh-
hold of even greater days—^under
certain conditions. —

No slouch in “putting together “

S ackages,” the MCA topper's thesis
\ that the “blending of proper j
values” Is one ingredient in which
th® old guard among the Holly¬
wood producers has been found
wanting. But, he stresses the mer-;
Chandlsing, selling and exhibition
Is an even greater shortcoming.

Expressing the “wish I was 15
years younger” (he’s 45), with a ^
(Continued on page 17) *

Trend of the Timet

For whatever it’s worth,
there Is not a single live show
among the new Nielsen Top 10
entries.

Eight are westerns, all
filmed. The other two, Danny
Thomas show and “Shirley
Temple Storybook,” are also
celluloid product.

By JESSE GROSS

The guaranteed audience concept
may be the vital factor in prolong¬
ing the legit road. Other remedial
measures, although considered nec¬
essary, are regarded In the trade as
dependent on b.o. insurance in the i
form of a pre-sold subscription
audience capable of producing
profits.

I The necessity of developing a
formula to guarantee road business
and methods of bolstering touring
activity and hinterland attendance
were ^scussed last Friday (12) at
an emergency meeting of the joint
committee of the Theatre Guild-
American Theatre Society and the
Council of the Living Theatre.

It was agreed at the confab that
coin from, the joint TG-ATS and
COLT fund be used to provide
financial assistance to producers
requiring such aid in preparing
touring productions. In discussing.

Whal’t My Sideline?’

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Howrard Ader, onetime side-
man- with Clyde McCoy and
Johnny “Scat” Davis, still job*
on occasional weekend “for
kicks.”

In between, the Sl-year-old
musician operates a pref ab firm
In the home construction field
which he figures wiU gross
over $3,000,000 this year.

Chirps his pressagent: "Well,
that's entertainmenti”

Show biz in New York took In
on the chin—hard—this past week
as the paralyzing newspaper de¬
liverymen’s strike cut its lines of
communication with the public.
Coming at the height of the

Details on the broadcast
•news coverage by the metro-
politan N. Y. radio-tv stations
and its effect on spot commer¬
cials etc. (P. 25); on legit b.o.
(P. 71); on niieries (P. 63),

that's entertainmenti” Christmas shopping and advertis-

■ - mg season, it cost everybody

^ ^ ^ • money—from the picketing deliv-

|J l(^|J *LI/\vir/kW»' erymen, to the newspapers, to de-
Imtvrl III ritfWCl partment stores and shops, to thea¬

tres and niteries. It left New York
^ Y\» I /I island on which people

Ho Ilieir I Atnnanir listened to expanded radio

MS l/lSIl LftllllUfllly and tv news broadcasts, fidgeted
A J in trains and subways without
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Ham- ^Jelr accustomed reading material^

h a Stripper’s Life So
Short That She Should Do
A Take Off’ on Taxesli

Bj LES CASPENTER (Continued on page 22)

, Washington, Dec. 16. »t ♦

Should a stripteaser get a tax ' * ^ ^

-break because her charms (and .. J

'fiieir earning power) diminish with
I’ither Time? ’ \

Here is the naked truth: - ► a

The Internal Revenue Service ^

ttys Federal law as now written ..

^oes not permit anyone in any busi- . r

sess to spread out income over a >4444414 » 4 4 4
long period for tax purposes on the

Temple Storybook,” are also the need for more touring shows, merstein 2d have branched out shoppy withom guides, arid shook
celluloid product. it was decided that producers of into the recording business. Their ILontinuea on page 19)

■ I . 1 ■ current Broadway offerings, par- first disk production is the original _ 1 rinn it m

f • ’ ticularly comedies, should be con- Broadway cast album of their Tr/irK I R.v NPWC lAaiH

nn Vo commitments “Flower Drum Song.” LiatA LUJ nCWb ICdill

vIUIKIUv Ull lOm 0^ second companies. It was also The original cast package Is be- ^Paplrorroi)’ fnr Rnoil*

emphasized that the touring pro- Ing distributed by Columbia Rec- * atlvagCU lUl IVUall^
*98 ductions should have stars of ords in a deal set between the PliTlItr Pnffim Hofa

L||||VAf»n|»|f|f A plA equivalent stature to those appear- newly formed Rodgers-Hammer- rillliy rOrUIII l/al6 uCl

1 IIIHCI U1 lilt Aviv Main Stem originals. stein Records Inc. and Columbia Philadelphia, Dec 16

^ * Regarding the star situation, a Record Sales Corp. R&K, incident- The CBS World News Roundup

A four and one-half-week mid- suggestion was made that the de- ally, are the producers as well as team, which annually telecasts its
night deejay campaign over New number of name per- the cleffers . on “Flower Drum report on the world, with Edward

York indie WMGM by singer-em- formers willing to undertake hin- Song.” R. Murrow moderating, is now' join-

cee Johnny Johnston, in behalf of terland hikes be discussed with Tune is the first original' cast ing the touring circuit,

singer David Allen, twice-convict- Actors Equity and talent agents, package to be owned by the writ- The team has been booked at

ed narcotics user (who has since figured that the union and the ing-producing team. Other sets this city’s Academy of Music on

taken the cure), may be climaxed percenters have an interest in the belonged to the diskeries grooving Jan. 6 to discuss “The Outlook
by both the American Guild of matter, on the theory that without the LP, with R&H coming in for for 1959.” Forum, for which tickets
Variety Artists and the American benefit of stars, producers are royalties as writers and/or pro- are. scaled from $5 to 50 cents,

Federotion of Musicians’ New York more reluctant than usual to at- ducers. This may be the first time was booked by the World Affairs

Local 802 combining forces to re- tempt a tour and consequently that writers or producers have Council of Philadelphia, an af-

‘Packaged’ for Road;
Philly Forum Date Set

Philadelphia, Dec. 16.
The CBS W’orld News Roundup

(Continued on page 72)

(Continued on page 58)

MandKi Q(2lLu>f WeU-Q^HMet <U

'CjoUa £04^.'^/Qucind

By ROBERT J, LANDRY ^

filiate of the Foreign Policy Assn.

With Murrow in the anchor spot,
the other eight members of the
team, brought in from various
parts of the world, are: David
Schoenbrun. France; Peter Kali-
scher, Far East: Ernest Leiser,
Germany; Paul Niven, ex-Russia;
Charles Collingw'ood, England;
I^ichard C. Hottelet, Latin Amer¬
ica: Eric Sevareid, Washington; and
Winston Bvu’dett, Middle East

ground that the ability to earn de- *7 think of. con0Tt management as the art of Refused on policy by the Met 'T Puritani” will be Wolilnrf R^llmnni

creaks with age. And, the tax making great artists happy, of displaying them at a special non-subscription event at Carnegie priced niitJo DaUlifUIIl

epnts add, only Congre^ can their artistic best, in works close to their heart. In, at $33 top. Already it is evident that the hall will

conferring prestige upon the great artist, manage- be full of Met opera regulars led by Mrs. August rOl D613I0I116 UVCrilOW
Hill snows no inclination in Con- ment confers prestige upon itself.'’ So states Allan Belmont. Oxenberg anticipates that this ringle The Waldorf-Astoria’s Emnire

gress to make-.such an alteration. Sven, Oxenberg, boy impresario, co-founder in 1951 operatic boxoffice blockbuster with Callas. (and. five Room was so oversold last Friday

Actually, no stripper has ever of the American Opera Society, the man who will other principals) will wipe out the current $45,000 (12> that for the first time th#

eeriously tried to depreciate in- present on Jan. 27 in Carnegie HaU. N.Y. the weR- seasonal deficit of the American Opera Society. room was shuttered ?nd thT entirl

publicized second coming of CaUas. “By nature and definition opera is a medium of ^ning shunted^^^^^

OxonboTg explaios, “When I realized that her stars” declares Oxenberg wha is, of course, also ropm *to accomodiate th^^SOO
terrific mad Scene in T Puritani' would come after fuUy aware that the frontpage firing of the Greek- ner reservations and 400 supper,

the critics deadline. I moved up our usual 8:45 American soprano by Rudolf Bing of the Met has at S5 cover

For Belafonte Overflow

The Waldorf-Astoria’s Empire

cp«?«!fiinv X American soprano by Rudolf Bing of the Met has at $5 cover. Harry Belafonte has

ThP takpitnff infn If curtafn, although the tickets were already printed.” infused her New York appearance, under rival been doing SRO biz,: but the Em-

rJ, a Oxenberg did this on his owm, Maria Callas having auspices, with extraordinary personal drama and pire only holds 800'(400 each *t

1 returned to Italy for the hoUdays. “It was my duty press value. The word around town Is that Callas dinner Ld supp” shows)
rrffnfi protcct her art, the convenience of the press and regards this as her “true New York debut” since for the first time in a long time,

article written by a Washing^n t^e showmanship of the occasion.”
tax expert, Lipman Redman. His jt -^35 showmanship again which Induced the
piece was headlined. The Strip- young impresario, not yet 30, to seek the Metropoli-
(Continued on page 67) (tan Opera House on a Sunday night rental basis.

regards this as her “true New York debut” since for the first time in a long time,
from her viewpoint it is a vehicle chosen by, rather the hotel found Its grand ballroom
than Imposed upon, her. not booked. Weekday cover is $4;

Undoubtedly there will be more tingling excite- the $5 tap goes on Friday and
(Continued on page 77) Saturday.

Gennafl Grew, MterSwolii^ m Cairo,
Confides Its Shock at Hitler Echo

Geneva, Dec. 16. A

German film crew and actors
encountered here en route back to
Germany from a location trip 'to
Egypt where they shot “Rommel
Calling Cairo” for Neue Film Ver-
leih, reported them^vcs some¬
what frightened by the political
climate in the Egyptian capital. It
was too much of an echo ct ^tier’s
period to the Germans.

may have gotten a btp dose
for the Egyptians considered us
natural haters of the British and
the Jews, their own pet hates.**
said one actor. All the party was
a p p a re n t l y shocked by the use in
Cairo of the “Hitler salute.” They
were told that Nasser had “Mein
Kampf * translated and distributed
in wholesale numbers, reported at
' 2 , 000,000 copfes.

Egsrtians have persuaded them¬
selves that Hitler, had he won the
war, would have liberated them
tContinued on page 79)

Cal AFM Local Sa Ki&’
Xmas Carols at a Store
‘Hurts Pros/ Scrooges ’Em

El Cerrito, CaL, Dec. 16.

The Richmond, CaL, local of the
American Federation of Musicians
stopped a dozen highs^odl young-,
sters from playing Christmas carols
at a shopping centre in this Frisco
suburb last week.

Twelve teenagers froin El Cer¬
rito H.S. bunt a platform in El
Cerrito Plaza and performed for
two nights—they’d planned on do¬
ing this right up to Christmas.

Before the third night, the high-
school principal, Claude Samples,
got a phone call from Guy Vargas,
business agent for the Richmond
AFM local. Said Samples:

“Vargas said we were taking
Jobs away from professional musi¬
cians. He said the concerts would
be picketed if they continue . . .
(Continued on page 67)

ETZGERALD DAUGHTER
SHUNS ‘DISENCHANTED’

Washington, Dec. 16.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s daughter
had a single comment, on “The
Disenchanted,” the current Broad¬
way drama based upon the life
of the late novelist. Said Mrs.
Frances Scott Fitzgerald Lanahan,
socially prominent local resident
who works as a reporter on the
Northern Virginia Sun, a subur-;
ban daily, “I wouldn’t dream of
seeing the play after reading the
book.”

(“The Disenchanted/* currently
at the Coronet Theatre, N.Y., is a
dramatization by Budd SchuTberg
and Hawey Breitjrom Schulberg’s ,
novel of tile same 'name. It*s un -;
derstood that Mrs. Lanahan dis¬
putes the accuTa<^ of the book’s
accownt of an incident in her
father’s final declining years. She
has reportedly also informed
friends that she has no intention
of reading 'the recently published
"Beloved Jnfidelj* by Hollywood
columnist SheUah Graham and
ghost writer Gerold Frank.-^Ed.)

‘Dimes’ Fetes Vogd

Joseph R. Vogel, president of
Loew’s Inc., will receive the an¬
nual March of Dimes Humanitarian
Award'at" a 'dinner in the grand
i ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria
on Feh. 12.

The award is given annually to
an outstanding figure In the mo¬
tion picture field. Previous recip¬
ients have been Spyros Skouras,
Leonard* H. Goldenson and Jack
L. Warner.

The $100-a-plate dinner for
members of the film industry will
be one of the major fund-ralring
events in the 1959 March of Dimes
appeaL

Stuart Schiilberg

who U aa expart or th« divtdad city
pf larliR recalls (circa 1948)

Soviets, CeUvloid,,
And C~S4s

OM of th« maay Editorial F««t«rM
la Hw sooR-da*

S3d Anniversary Number

K^fUETT

EretifBKejtt^MikXoddtoqi.

Charges Large Sums Diverted to Jewelry^ Paintings,
Car^ ^ifts—^Wants Accounting

Stopfi^Saliur;

mm

Gift Subscription

Inclosed find check or m.o.
for Send Variety for

two years .
three years.

Zona.... STATE.

FROM INDICATE IF GIFT CARD DESIRED

ADDRESS ...............

CITY...... Zone.... STATE......

One Year — $15.00 Two Years — $28,00
Three Years — $39.00 "

Canada and Foreign — $1 Additional per Year

154 West 4tl<i Street New York 34, N. Y.

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

; Producers, stars and especially
agents—press or otherwise—should
abut up about prices, percentages
aim participations being paid lb 6 se
days. It does nothing hut build up
resistance and antagonism in audi¬
ences, says vet producer Joe Pas¬
ternak.

Pasternak, who last week began
bis 75th feature film in 30 years
.as' a picture-m^er, isn’t very high
on the-tremendous sums being paid
(or promised) today, but if they are
given, he says, the “less said about
them the better.”

Once you “announce” that ttis
man or that man is going to get
$1,000,000, Pasternak says, the pic¬
ture can’t be good enough to please
an audience which waits with a
“show me” attitude.

It also antagonizes others, includ¬
ing reviewers and commentators,
he says. He urges a return to the
days when the glamor of stars and
Hollywood were emphasized “not
((Continued on page 67)

HOLLYWOOD ‘GLOOM’
ASTONISHES ZANUCK

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

“Amazed at gloom here” among
U. S. picturemakers, Darryl F.
Zanuek in press conference at 20th-
Fox yesterday (Mon.) contrasted
situation with that in Europe,
where, he said, he found “tremen¬
dous” enthusiasm for films, both
among producers, public.

Sole answer to overciming this
gloom, he said, is development and
Use of hew tal«it. Zanud^ .in Hol-
l 3 ^ood for first time in two years,,
disclosed his plans for next 18
months. Besides ambitious “De-
Luxe Tour,” which started year
ago, then halted, he will .fiTnn three
other features. for 20 th release.
These include Alexander Baron’s
^"There’s No Home,” which is
skedded for production by March
1. It’s story of fraternization dur¬
ing World War II, with location in
Sicily.

.. Others in prospect are a jail-
hreak yarn and a foreign Intrigue
story. He’s also dickering for “im¬
portant stage play” about to open
on Broadway.

Tour is slated to roll in Holly¬
wood and abroad in late spring or
early summer.

Zanuek will remain in Hollywood
through early January, to fill 10
major roles in “tour” before leav¬
ing for Sicily. He’ll offer partici¬
pation to none.

Deanna’s Russian Fan

Washington, Dec. 16.

Just back from a Russian
trip. Rep. Ed Edmondson
(D-Okla.) reports he was talk¬
ing to a man in Stalin^ad
and the UE.-USSR film ex¬
change agreement worked into
the convers’ation,

“I hope,” said Edmondson,
“that you will enjoy our Amer¬
ican motion pictimes.”

“I hope,”, said the Russian,
“you will send us some with
your great star, Deanna Dur-.
bin.”

(Miss Durbin, long since a
housewife in a Paris suburb,
starred in the last Yank film
sold to the Soviet in. 1538,
^‘One Hundred Men and a

NON-CAIHOUC PRODS.
SETPIUSXHBIOPIC

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Story of the late Pope Piui XII
will be produced as a $5,0(X),000
roadshow attraction by Menia-
Laurence Productions. Dan Menfo,
who partners new unit with Doug¬
las Laurence, .received the “full
and complete blessing” fot project j
Saturday (13) during a special audi¬
ence In the Vatican with Popfc^
John XXlil.

To be produced' in color and
some such process in Cinerama,
fihn will he given extensive coop¬
eration of the Catholic Church.
Based in the book, “The Pope of
Peace,” by Oscar Halecki and
James F. Murray Jr., property mQ
be lensed both in HoU^ood and
Rome. It will be the tiine that a
life of a Pope has been jdven offi¬
cial sanction by the Church for a
motion picture.

Negotiations originated six
months ago here by Merrin, form¬
er N. y. mag editor, and Laurence,
radio writer-director-producer and
producer-director of the annual
L. A. Home Show, reaching Car¬
dinal SpeRman and Papal delegate
in Washington, D. C., before con¬
sideration by Pope John. Neither
producer is a Catholic..

Ui. Author Milliollafld '
Still Cashes in on His
Ride on‘20th Centny’

Tokyo, Dec. 16.

American playwright Bruce Mil-
hblland is still cabling in on what
is proving to have been -the most
lucrative train ride in theatrical
history.

MilhoUand, who authored a play
called “Twentieth Century,” after
a' 1930 ride on that train with pro¬
ducer Morris Gest as his “per¬
sonal press agent,” has virtually
beiin living • off toe royalties of
that work for some 28 years, and
touring the world for toe last
seven years.

Original investment for Milhol-
land was 50c for a ream of paper
and $2 for copyrighting. Play was
ultimately doctored by team of
Ben Hecht and Charles MacArtour
and billing and royalties are split
three ways. After toe original play
success, a film version was made
in 1935 by Columbia .which in¬
troduced and establisljed Carole
Lombard as a comedy player. A
successful revival with Jose Ferrer
and Gloria Swanson was staged on
Broadway in 1951 and the Ford
Star Jubilee Theatre gave it the
tv spec treatment several years
ago.

Royalties from toe latter alone
(Continued on page 67)

Wilinin^n, Dbl., Dec. 16.

With Elizabeth Taylor and Mi¬
chael Todd Jr. among defendants,
actress Evelyn Keyes has asked toe
Court of Chancery here to order
an accounting of affairs of Michael
Todd Company^ Inc. .

Burden of her complaint: corpor¬
ate funds were used for property
“unrelated to and unnecessary for
corporation’s husineS'S'SUch as
Jewelry, paintings, cars, airplanes,
•yachts.”

Miss Keyes,-holder of certificate
for 100,000 shares in corporation,
also wants court to block payment
of $4,714,587.02 to Todd estate and
$174,053.34 to Todd Jr. from cor¬
porate funds.

She says principal asset of firm
is “Around toe World In 80 Days’*
which she says has earned $ 10 ,-
000,000 so far.

Miss Keyes’ complaint, filed by
Wmfaiti E. Taylor Jr., Wilmington
attorney, ntoies as disfendants
Todd Jr., as individual, and execu¬
tor pf father’s estate; Todd’s widow
as trustee of Todd’s will, officers of
company, Madora Tsujl, Hcrinan
OdeUi and J. J. Pfwninger.

She says that in 1956 she turned
over her 100,000 shares to Todd in
exchange for certificate, now held
by Todd Jr.

She said that during his lifetime
Todd and others named entered
into "conspiracy” to divert corpor¬
ate funds to themselves. Subsidi¬
ary companies were set up over¬
seas to further this alleged con¬
spiracy, it is charged.

Miss Keyes claims Todd used
money “to bestow lavish and ex¬
travagant gifts for his personal,
social, and other obligations.”

Accompanying complaint is-, af¬
fidavit from Taylor Jr. who says
that he saw more than $4,500,000
owing to Todd and his son on firm’s
balance sheet last September, He
says it is believed there are other
amounts listed as owing by sub¬
sidiary companies. Complaint
must be answered by Jan. 27.

Show Bizzers to Bat
On Medical Fnnd For
•kiired of L3n Rre

Chicago, Dec.' 16.

Show biz is participating in a
number of ways to help, raise
money for a permanent medical
fund to which the injured sur¬
vivors of the tragic fire at Our
Lady of Angels school will have
permanent access. Tte blaze was
toe one in which 89 school chil¬
dren and three nuns died a fort¬
night ago.

A $100-a-plate benefit dinner is
being held tonight CTues.) at the
Ambassador Hotel’s Guildhall, for
which Ed Sullivan, Jack Kelly of
(Continued on page 22 )

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ABEL GREEN, Editor

INDEX

Bins. 67 1

Casting News . 76

Chatter . 78 1

Film Reviews .. 6 i

House Reviews . 68

Ice Show Review.. 64

Inside Legit .72

Ipside Music -...... . . 54

Inside Pictures ..11

Inside Radio-TV ..44

International . 12

Legitimate . 70

Literati .77

Music . 52

New Acts . 67

Night Club Reviews ..... €8

Obituaries ..79 .

Pictures ...., 3

Radio ..22

Record Reviews 52

Frank Scully . 77

Television ;. 22

Television Reviews . 35

TV Films . 27

Vaudeville .. 62

OAILY VARIETY

(Published In Hollywood by Dally Varlaty, Ltd.!
tl5 a year. $20 Foreifgiu

Wyin^gday, Deccmlwf 1T» 19S8i

usmeFf

riCTCRES

SEMENENKO. ALLEN SELL TO WB

$100,ODOM a Lot o’ Confidence

With the backlog of new, unreleascd Hollywood product rep*
resenting an investment of over $ 100 , 000,000 tiiere’s ample evi¬
dence that the film companies are showing their confidence in the
future, states the Council of Motion Picture Organizations.

Addressing itself to the fourth estate via an ad In Editor & Pub¬
lisher, COMPO states there’s much news and advertising value in
the picture product for the papers to consider and recommends
stepped-up coverage.

UA Not Seeking More Showcases

Astor, Victoria and Share in Plaza Suffice for Diatrib,
Per Bill Heineman

lisher, COMPO states there’s much news and advertising value in Serge Semenenko, key money
the picture product for the papers to consider and recommends the^Wamer setnp, and his

steoped-UD coverage associate, Charles Allen, appear

p cuverdKc. _ bowing out of the company.

Semenenko, the Boston banker,

£11 III /I • ¥f • 1 Allen, the New York stock-

Shareholders Curious Ke Universal

owned a combined total of 200,000
---- shares of the WB common stock.

Resolution to Force Candid Merger Policy Foreseen Semenenko and Allen are selling I

—^Want Info on ‘Hidden Assets*

A group of minority stockholders
of Universal, which is 82% own^d
by Decca Records, plan to Intro¬
duce a resolution at U’s next an¬
nual meeting that the board of
directors take such steps that will
result in the merger of U and
Decca. The small holders advocat¬
ing such merger want each share
of Universal stock exchanged for
three shares of Decca.

In 195€, Decca made an offer to
exchange the remaining U stock
at the ratio of 2V4 shares of Decca
for one ^ara of U. However, many
minority shareholders considered
the offer too low and refused to
make the swap. .

What appears to be intriguing
minority holders at this time is the
so-called hidden assets of the com¬
pany—^the land and buildings car¬
ried on the balance sheet at cost
and the backlog of old pictures.
It’s felt that if U concludes the
deal with Music Corp. of America
for the sale of the company’s stu¬
dio realty for from $ 10 , 000,000 to
$15,000,000 it wUl result in a capi¬
tal gain for Decca. At present U is
collecting about $ 20 , 000,000 over a

Maurice Zolotow

who hoi lotorylowod colobt for
mHomI MogosiNot hos wrhtoa
a litoroiy foohieto eomporlog

*lay‘Gatshy^ and
Mike Todd

ont of tho moay Editorial Footaros
Ih tho sooa-doo

5Sd Anniversary Number

J.U1. uj. vj., xiuwcvci, iiiaujr

minority shareholders considered
the offer too low and refused to

make the swap. --

What appears to be intriguing 1M*||* i

minority holders at this time is the i^/Mlf||l||A||Q AC
so-called hidden assets of the com- VUU iTiUIlUIlO flO
pany—^the land and buildings car¬
ried on the balance sheet at cost IT •* I U ■ • ■ $

and the backlog of old pictures. I |||||Pf| AirflCfC

It’s felt that if U concludes the WlUiUU muOlO

deal with Music Corp. of America
for the sale of the company’s stu- inCO D

dio realty for from $ 10 , 000,000 to IM'lX KPVPHIIAQ

$15,000,000 it wUl result in a capi- ItfUU llV f UUUVO

tal gain for Decca. At present U is

collecting about $20,000,000 over a United Artists will gross in the
period of six years from Screen area of $82,000,000 for the 1958
Gems for the release of its pre- calendar year, according to offi-
1948 films. cial estimates at the near-year-

- end. This would represent the big-'

gest revenue intake in the com-
1^*| •i\ I 9 7 party’s bistory, surpassing last

their entire holdings back to the
company at market price, for a
total of about $5,000,000.

Semenenko has been particular¬
ly active in WB affairs, having
played a key part in its homeoffice
real estate deals and in negotia¬
tions looking to more streamlined
distribution operations in associa¬
tion with other companies, y ~

The sellout, it's stressed oh the
Street, ought not to be construed
as meaning any kind of discord at
the summit. All top-echelon mem¬
bers of the WB outfit are believed
now satisfied with the upbeat in
operations, including a currently
good fiscal quarter, the various
economies effected, success in tele¬
vision and pronounced support by
investors.

The latter has seen the common
issue on the N. Y. Stock Exchange
rise this year from the $16 level.to

Gag Wriftr

Louis Lasco

humorously oxpounds ea

Some Days You'Can^t
Sell a Script Nohoto,
Pardner
* * *

ont of tha many Ediferlal Foafurts
In the npcoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^stiEfr

Columbia Pic Co.
'Unquestioned’By
Its Shareholders

Though it has the Astor and Vic¬
toria theatres on Broadway, and
now also 50% of the Plaza art
house on the east side. United
Artists has no plans for acquiring
addditional showcases around the
country.

“There wouldn’t be any point to
it,’’ commented William J. Heine¬
man, UA’s sales v.p. “We don’t
want to compete with Loew’s, or
RKO or the chains. It’s different
in New York, because here our
three houses are actually a service
to our producers.’’

Heineman said there was no city
in the U, S. where UA had trouble •
getting its pictures exhibited. “If
we have a -good one they come
running to us, asking to book the
pictures,’’ he commented. ^*Why
would we want to load ourselves
down with overhead and with the
obligation to play a house even if
the picture doesn’t fit the slot.”

In New York, Heineman main¬
tained, UA so far hadn’t had any
problem keepjng the Victoria and
Astor profitably booked. “But we
don’t force our producers Into any
of these theatres,” he added.

issue on the N. Y. Stock Exchange “They’re free to ask for anything

rise this year from the $16 level.to Columbia Pictures expects “a they want. If a man .comes to me
$25. Further, important brokers slight gain or a slight loss” froi» and says he wants his picture in
are still talking it up for the cor- overall operations for the second the Music Hall, I’ll do my best to
poration, underscoring confidence, quarter of the current fiscal year get it into the Hall for him.”

Timetable for the stock divesti- which ends this month. Company Heineman said there were a
ture by Semenenko and Allen has toppers said they could not predict number of pictures that might just
not been fixed as to sj^cific day the final outcome as yet since it have well have opened on the cir-
oc took 30 to 45 days to obtain the cuit rather than on Broadway, hut

as takmg place before Jan. 1 for figures from foreign income. How- that, the “showcasing” mentality
tax considerations. ^ ever. Col will start off the second still held sway among The prS^

Continumg as biggest individual quarter with a non-recurring net ducers.

^^0 der .s president Jaek L. .f $2,679 000 which came extent a showcase bene-

wanter._--- r” 5 *^ 10 P» to question.

Film'Orphan’s’
Anti-Semitism As
Delicacy Issue

YEEPCY EPAULETS TO I This information was elicitec

JACKTER & KASTNER

JAUlkimi a IkfiiJiilLll Col’s annual stockhold-

e board of directors of Colum- ers' meeting on Monday (15). The
pictures elected two new vice session, held at the company’s

rrT^or“l??0M00. 1W*

The board of directors of Colum- ers' meetin
bia Pictures elected two new vice session, he
presidents at its meeting Monday homeoffice

screemng room, was

Kastner. Jackter is gener^ sales shareholders’ meeting in the re-

ineres no tellmg as yet what manager of the company and Kast- cent history of the film business
earnings, will amount to uer is president of Columbia Pic- Not a TS ouestionTvas asked
although’ so far, tne operations tures International Corp., a wholly bv the iL^s than 50 stSioId'ers
profit has been good. Net for the owned subsidiary.

first i^e months of this year Jackter has bTen with Col. since fhf floo/jL nneries^ ?^^

amounted to $2,^0,000, which re^ 1924, the year of its incorporation, business of th^ meeting took ao-
resented an 11%^ gam over the In 1933, he became assistant gen- nroSmate^v 20 SSutel to com-
correspondmg period of last year, eral sales manager and in 1957 ^ ^ mmutes to com

UA’s net for the full 1957 year was named general sales manager., ^ j t isd u

was officially listed at $3,100,000. KaStner joined Col International Both Schneider and Jaffe, who

On Broadway, there are some ob-
(Continued on page 22 )

Blame TV, Him
Pk Supply for UA
Chain’s Net Loss

tely 20 Stes to coX . Theatres, which

teiy 20 mmutes to com- stockholder meeting in

X- .. .XX- X. Baltimore Monday (15), reported a
ischneider and Jaffe, who net loss of $341,385 for the year
d reporters’ questions ended Aug. 31. 1958. ThiQ mm.

Exhibitor sehsitivitv in addition “et tor tne full 1957 year was namea general sales manager., jtx- x. muxiuay uo;, reportea a

to official censorshio mav keen officially listed at $3,100,000. KaStner joined Col International Both Schneider and Jaffe, who net loss of $341,385 for the year
Allied Artists’ “Never Love a Among the pictures mostly con- in Paris at the end of World War answered reporters questions ended Aug. 31. 1958. This com-

StraMer^frTm shov^^^ to the UA upbeat this II as managing director for Europe after the meeting, were opt^stic pares with a $219,000 profit for

aSas Film fSusea^ a bov w^ year were the continumg release and the Near East. In 1953 he about the outlook for the futime. the same period In 1957.

* - . _ . nf “ArmiTld flio in Rft nox,c rtrac 'hrniicr'hf f/x fVio AT V Virvxxxo/xflRrto JaffC Indicated that .he eXPCCtcd ClixiYrcfa TT A

and who, it is discovered, is Jew¬
ish. Some teenage violence is
among the results.

City resistance in Montreal was
overcome. But in New Orleans
there are certain exhibitors who
feel the theme “explosive” and
so far are refusing to play “Stran¬
ger.” Further, it’s being held up
In England and a few countries
on the Continent.

*orDhanflffG I “Around the World in 80 Days,” was brought to the N.Y. homeoffice J^affe indicated that he expected George Skouras, UA Theatres
- ® I “Witness for the Prosecution,” as executive v.p. and was elected Lhat gross revenues would be up prez, attributed the loss to televl-

“God’s Little Acre,” “Vikings” and president of the subsidiary the “a couple of million for the second slon and the lack of a flow of top

‘Witness for the Prosecution,

“The Big Country.

(Continued on page 19)

Remainder Small Menace On Video?

on the conunent. $9,640,804 as

111 ■ ■ ■ , , Though they are fully convinced applies a totally different standard who argue that to withhold all the against $9,137,549 in operating ex-

_ « that the swamping of television to films on tv than it does to films post-48’s from tv may well force penses. Operational loss for the

1 OrffV’ lATCfCt! JllIV films has been one of the ma- in the theatres, so that what might television into a more competitive year ran to $386,852.

A VI 5 j 015 VU vuij jgj. causes of the boxoffice decline, rate as a poor attraction on the big position. “They are here to stay,” Skouras reported that UA Thea
— ■ ■ ■ _■ I not all exhibitors are agreed on screen shapes as passable enter- commented one sales topper. “The ^35 weeding out its urmrofit

Jo TxiorxTxx-r,,* visdom of tho common front tainment in the livingroom, where more we push them, the more able sitnafinns TooeJo

the post-1948 product off there’s no charge, and no effort they’ll have to think of creating ^nd sS

. .. ; . .6. K ‘he-own programming, both W

^nxv, xxxTo ^ to the contrary was ex- This view is extended further by and on film. I’m not so sure we have onlv nrofitahTe »»

rfSSnWeH nn ^MnnTav P^^^sed in N. Y. last Week by a those who argue that the harm aren’t better off at le;4st cashing in Report said the $2 500 000 oro-

°mnn^h«i^n?SprhTi^*a^ visiting theatreman from out-of- done by the release of pictures to in one way. If we don’t sell at all, duction loan for “South Pacific”
^ town. “Out Of all the new pictures tv isn’t in the individual attrac- we find we ourselves losing aR sWd^be Taid up

product to the theatres. He noted
that, during the past three months,
business had improved by about
10 %.

Torgy’ Target July

Samuel Goldwyn is planning

work lies ahead.

the companies could sell to tv, each tions, but in the “saturation” effect around.”

should be paid up by the end of
1959. So far, $850,000 has been

will run distributor has no more than a of having eight or 10 pictures a That’s strictly a distribution ar- paid towards it ’
slightly over two and_ one-half dozen or so important films which night available for free. The mere gument, of course. Most exhibitors

hours. Performances will be on a count,” he opined. “If we were fact of watching one or two films don’t see it that way and would It- - ■ - ■ —

rescued seat policy, with a total of smart we’d buy these pictures in an evening, several times during rather take their chances than to D V 17

eight performances a week. from the distributors and let the a week, would be sufficient over a “feed” potentially good films to vllHri6$ 001611^ £tX6€ Y66p

‘ Directed Jjy Octo_Premlnger, ^e rest go to television. Most of them period of tinje to level off a per- tv. Few theatremen believe, how- _

film stars Sidney Poitier, Dorothy are so bad, they’d help rather than son’s excitement over pictures and ever, that a compete buyout of film

Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. and hurt us.” to raise his demands when it comes company libraries is feasible, and Hollywood, ec. 16.

Pearl Bailey. It has been filmed in Theory behind this line of think- to films in theatres. ( even fewer have any faith in the Charles Boren, vice president of

Todd-AO, with sound recorded in ing is that films on television are “It’s like the man who works in distributors actually selling off, the Assn, of Motion Picture Pro-

the Todd-AO six-track atereophonic an attraction only because of the a Candy store,” was one observa- particularly since they’d have to ex- ducers in charge of industrial re¬
wound. . occasional top pix that go on the tion. “If he has all the candy he plain to their stockholders why lations for past 11 years, has been

-^-' air, and that, were it not for these, wants, he’s going to be a mite they took less from the theatres appointed executive vp of org by

Fred Kohlmar bought “Baa Baa tv viewing would show a sharp finnicky-when it comes to buying . .. directorate.

Black Sheep,” best-seller by C 6 I. drop. - a box of chocolates to take home gouen sev admin-

Gregory S. (Pappy) Boyington, for There are two opposing points- to his wife.’* ®ral millions more from the eager istrative officer of entirp associr

Hollywood, ec. 16.
Charles Boren, vice president of

Black Sheep,” best-seller by Cdl. drop.

Gregory S. (Pappy) Boyington, for There are two opposing points-
Columbia Rlcturess release;"' ‘ ]t)f-view. One* Is "that tiie'-public

a box of chocolates to take home r“^“

to his wife.’* | ®ral millions more from the eager

There are distribution’*fececitth%y ewjt a aief

4

picnwM

Wedn^idaT, December 17 , 19 ^

Spanish Linpals'SoMy Bod^
Status Ending Jan. 15; Opens N.Y.

To Mexican Product Via Columbia

When Columbia Pictures starts
booking its Mexican films into New
York houses on Jan. 15 it’ll be the
first time in six months that the
company will have been able to
crack the metropolitan barrier;

Set up and in operation for most
of this year. Col is now competing
in the XJ. S. mart for Spanish-
language films with Azteca Films
and Clasa-Mohme., Meeting the
competition has been a slow grind
for CoL

In the important New Yoit mar¬
ket, swelled by the influx of the
Puerto Ricans, every single Span¬
ish house was booked up solid for
52 weeks with product from Col’s
two rivals. As of Jan. 15, however,
when most of the contracts expire.
Col execs say they’ll get their pic¬
tures into every house. Col still
won’t have any exclusive arrange¬
ments since it doesn’t, have suffi¬
cient product for that.

Col is bringing in the first Puerto
Rican-made feature, "Maruja,” and
expects it to be a popular hit in
the Puerto Rican neighborhoods.
Though the Puerto Rican popula¬
tion in N. Y„ Chicago and Los An¬
geles is fairly large, the market is
still too limited to produce Puerto
Rican features in volume in Puerto
Rico. Apart from that, costs of
making films in Puerto Rico aren’t
as low as generally suspected, and
the“ Puerto Rican names aren’t
known in the north.

Lndi Ciaire Doing ‘Cleo’

Hollywood, Dec. 16,
Producer Walter Wanger has
signed Ludi Claire to screenplay
“Cleopatra,” which he is produc¬
ing for 20th-Fox.

Miss Claire has arrived from
N.Y. for her assignment.

L. A. to N. Y.

Jim Backus
Chuck Blore
Donald Buka
Spencer Carlisle
June Christy
Steve Cochran
John Collins
Owen Crump
Laraine Day
Stanley Donen
Jeff Donnell
Mel Ferrer
John Halas
Audrey Hepburn
Burl Ives
Danny Kaye
Ray Kellogg
Milt Klein.

Jimmy Koinack
Philip Krasne
Peter Lawfbrd
Martin Leeds
Leo McCarey
Robert McElwaine
Kim Novak
Bob Purcell
Otto Preminger
Richard Quine
Tony Randall
Nelson Riddle
Jean Robbins
Barbara Rush
Spyros P, Skouras
Jack M. Warner
Franz Waxman
Henry Wilcoxon
John WUdberg
Eileen Wilson

N. Y. to L. A.

Rosemary Clooney
Jose Ferrer
Alan Jackson
Leon Roth
Harry Ruby
Marvin Schwartz
Lee Tracy
Card Walker
Randy Wood
Adolph Zukor

U. S. to Europe

Norman Granz
Oscar Hammerstein 2d
Robert Lantz
Leo Lax
Pilades Levi
Neil Paterson
Maurice SUverstein
Jerome Whyte

Europe to U. S.

Robv. .\rdney
William Bendix
Joseph .Green •

Gordon McLendon

Pieces-of-8-W riters

Writer credits can be com¬
plex but rarely so much so as
with Paramount’s “The Buc¬
caneer.”

Here’s the official roster of
authors on the Henry Wilcoxon
production: Screenplay by

Jesse L. Lasky Jr. and Bere¬
nice Mosk; frc~n a screenplay
I (for the first “Buccaneer” of
years ago) by Harold Lamb,
Edwin Justus Mayer and C.
Gardner Sullivan; based on
[ Jeanie Maepherson’s adapta-
i tion of “Lafitte the Pirate” by
Lyle Saxon. _^

TED SHERDEMAN SE
U WECHED ON DEAL

Hollywood, Dec. 16.
Writer Ted Sherdeman has
Superior Court suit here against
Universal, and its production ch^,
Edward Muhl. Seeking definition
I of 1956 contract and payment of
$15,000. he contends studio stiU i
owes in deal involving "Jungle
University.”

L Writer declares he was to re¬
ceive $45,000 to. write and direct
property, that in event U shelved
the completed script he was to re¬
ceive $30,000 plus an assignment
to direct the substitute film for
the additional $15,000. Starting
date of assignment for second (sub¬
stitute) film was to take place
within two years, accordii^ to
Sherdeman, who alleges studio set
neither.

Universal, on other hand, con¬
tends paragraph in contract re¬
lieves it from obligation if no
starting date is set. Sherdeman con¬
tends pact was not drawn in ac¬
cordance with his negotiations with
Muhl, and further states misrep¬
resentation by studio could, in ef¬
fect, result in defrauding him, en¬
riching studio by its own wrong¬
doing. If court upholds paragraph
in question writer asks contract be
reformed in accordance with nego¬
tiations.

With Xmas buying on with a
vengeance; current week before
Christmas is measuring up to the
familiar sour box-office picture
over the nation. Severe cold, snow
and, in New York City a shutdown
of all dailies via a deliverymen’s
strike, contributed further to
downbeat. Just how most exhibi¬
tors are coasting or using reissues
or any product available is re¬
flected by the fact that more than
64 different pix currently are play¬
ing in key cities covered by
Vajuety. '

"South Seas Adventure” (Cine¬
rama), second a week ago, is new
boxoffice champ. “South Pacific”
(Magna) is moving up from third j
to second position. "Windjammer?’ j
(NT) is climbing from seyenth;
place, far back in the paci^ to 'third;
spot.

"Gigi” (M-G), long high onj list,
is coming back currently to cap¬
ture fourth position. "Tunnel of
Love” (M-G), fourth last round, is
winding up in fifth slot. “House¬
boat” (Par), fifth a week ago, is
finishing sixth.

“I Want To Live” (UA), just get¬
ting started, is landing in seventh
spot. “Restless Years” (U), a newie,
is taking eighth money. "Home
Before Dark” (WB), eighth last
stanza, rounds out the Top Nine
list.

Runner-up films, mostly a sorry
lot, are headed by "The Robe”
(20th) (reissue), which is spotty.
"Nice Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” (20th) and "Old Man and
Sea” (WB) are the other runner-up
pix, but much weaker. Former had
the handicap of such an elongated
title. j

'Ken Ehglund

III 7 Msy stepg te ukcmi !■
tha

hamoroMtly axplorM

Neuroses, Hyperteii^
sions. Palpitations
*' *. *

OM of thr briglir Editarlol Faaliirtt
ii th« soen-diiav

53d Anniversary Number

of

USniETT

Pro-Yogel, Gnilden May
Bay Oat Louis A. Green,
End Loew’s Proxy War

Behind-the-scenes talks, which
may lead to a calling off of t^e
threatened proxy fight against
Loew’s inc. by dissident director
Louis A. Green, me taking place
between Green and director Ira^
Guilden, a staunch supporter of
prexy Joseph R. VogeL The Loew’s
management is not involved in the
discussions.

Guilden, according to reporty. Is
attempting to acquire all or part j
of the holdings of Green and Jo¬
seph Tomlinson, the insurgent di¬
rector who unsuccessfully chal¬
lenged management last year. If
the deal goes through—Green in¬
sists no agreement has been made
as yet—^it’s considered likely that
Green, his associate, Jerome A.
Newman, and Tomlinson will exit
the board.

Initially, according to sources
connected with Green, Green ap¬
proached Guilden in an effort to
buy out Guilden’s holdings at a
price said to have been above the
current market value. However,
the conversation is said to have
(Continued on page 79)

20th’s‘Stage’Door’Echo;
Hepburn Made it in ’36

"Stage Door,” last made, in 1936
and released by RKO, will 6e re¬
made by 20th-Fox. Property is one
'Of several which 20th reportedly
acquired from RKO.

. The original "Stage Door”
stared Katharine Hepbiirn, No cast-=
ing yet on the remake.

total gross of $26,000. “Man In¬
side” (Col), a new entrant, is rated
light in Erisco and slow in Buffalo.

Lone newcomer to hint potentialj
is “Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20th)."
Despite having to open in two
N. Y. houses at height of dailies*
strike, it shapes fairly big. Pic Is
displaying enough stamma in the
face of obstacles to forecast better
future returns.

“Aimtie Marne” (WB), which has
the benefit of playing with the
annual Christmas stageShow at the
N. Y. Music Hall, also forecasts
nice tidings for future engage¬
ments. Combo is landing a smash
$175,000 or near in second week
at the Hall.

"Blood of Vampire” (U), okay in
Cincy, looms nice in Balto and
mild in Indianapolis, where it is
top newcomer. "Mardi Gras”
(2pth), No. 1 last week, looks warm
in Balto, okay in Philly . and good
in Detroit.

{Complete Boxoffice Reports ori
Pages 8-9-10).

TV Scriptet

A1 Schwartz

(with apologies to $taalty KroiMr)
liamoroasly explores writer-predacer
relotioBs in his sketch

The Defiant Ones

* * *

another Bright Editorial Featort
in the epeoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^SaiETY

Jer%q^.iR<a)bmJ

■ "The Spider” (AI) did not boast
a single decent session although

National Boxoffice Survey

Pre-Holiday Sloughs Biz; *So. Seas’ New Champion,
‘Pacific’ 2d, ‘Windjammer’ 3d, ‘Gigi’ 4th

^ - ■* '

i; New York Sound Track ;;

Dirk Bogarde makes his American film , how in William Goetz' “‘The
Franz Liszt Story” at Columbia Pictures . . •. Jack Lemmon replaces
Dean Martin, who bowed out due to commitment for Hal Wallis’ "Ca¬
reer,” in Frank Sinatra’s Warner Bros, release, “Oceans 11” . . . Lewis
Meltzer scripting "Girl’s Town” for producer Albert Zugsmith at Metro
. . . Joseph Anthony set to direct Wallis’ “Career” . . . Arthur Frans
plays Busan Hayward’s spouse in 20th-Fox’ "The Snow Birch” . . Mi-
risch Co. bought rights to Frederick Smith’s novel, “Laws Be Their
Enemy.” story of racial tension in South Africa, for unit’s 1960 sked.

Warners would have us believe that Debra Paget wears very little
under a transparent space suit for her role in "From the Eiarth to the
Moon”^—but only for "dramatic and scientific” appeal and hot for the
sex angles , . . George Fraser exited Paramount after serving as pub¬
lic relations coordinator on "Ten Commandments.” , , . Walt Disney’s
"Grand Canyon” playing on tjie Coast this week to qualify for Acad»
emy Awards consideration. The 26-minute film, following the run, will
he withdrawn from circulation until February when it will be pack¬
aged with the “Sleeping Beauty” feature.

John Saxon goes into H-H-L’s "iiie Unforgiven” , . . Columbia pic¬
tures changed tag of “The. Secret Bride of Candy Rock” to "Lou Cos¬
tello and His 30-Foot Bride,” starring comic . . . Col dickering with
Elizabeth Taylor to star in and Joshua Logan to direct Edna St. Vin¬
cent Millay’s biopic based on Robert Farr’s "1 Burn My Candle at
Both Ends” . . . John Carradihe into Premium’s "Invisible Invaders”

. . . 20th-Fox changed locale of ‘Holiday for Lovers” from Europe to
South America, with shooting now to be done ill Lima, Sao Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro for David Weisbart production starring Clifton Webb*
Gary Crosby, Carol Lynley and Diane Varsi.

Hal Roach Studios’ first new pic for theatrical release will be "The
Swingin’ Story of Johnny Rock ’n’ Roll,” which N.Y. d.j. Alan Freed
will produce in January . . . Nitery comic Lenny Kent snaggqd fea¬
tured ,role in Columbia Pictures’ “Lou Costello and "His 30-Foot
Bride’’ . . . Songwriter Stim Jones plays Gen. U.S. Grant in Mahin-
Rackin’s "The Horse Soldiers” . . . Frank Fenton penning screen
treatment of "The Fiercest Hearts,” Stuart Cloete novel optioned by
20th-Fox ... Brigitte Bardot’s next is "The Paris Scene,” via ^onl Levy
and directed by George Clonzot, for Columbia Pictures, substituting
for "A Night in Paris” on actress’ Col sked . . . Robert Hardy Andrews
signed to script "Love and Faith” for Cairo producer Ramses Naguib*
and John Hoffman to cb-direct pic which rolls next September in
Egypt.

John Griggs, the radio-ty-legit-screen actor and lifelong collector of
old silent movies of" which he has one of the most precious (not
largesU private collections at his home in Englewood, N.J., did a by¬
line piece in the N.Y. legit Playbill recently on the subject . . . Ho
was at the time featured in., the Jessica Tandy-Hume Cronyn play,
‘The Man In The Dog Suit,’’ since terminated . . . The article has
been picked up for inclusion' in a high school textbook of essays on
Americana .

Lieut. Jack Haley Jr., son of the actor, is doing a bit of film work
himself. Air Force officer is a member of a crew which is filming the
operations of a “Narrow Gauge,” nmway lighting system at Dow Air
Force Base at Bangor, Me. '

‘^Hed” Silverstein, v.p. of Loew’s International, off to London and
Paris for a week to o.o. Metro production activities abroad , . . Carmel
Myers has acquired film and tv rights to WiUiam McFee’s novel, "No
Castle in Spain.” . . . Metro keeping Tony Perkins busy in New York
promoting "Green Mansions.” ... Larry Morris, V.p. of B. S, Moss ‘
Theatres, off to Miami Beach to attend the oi)enmg of the Roosevelt
Theatre, newest addition to the Moss circuit . . . Metro has set up spe¬
cial screenings of "The Doctor’s Dilemma” for members of the Shaw
Society, English professors and doctors ... In face of the N.Y. news¬
paper strike, Metro ran off and distributed its own digest of Holly¬
wood news. First edition was given out in the'Times Square area on
Friday (12). Main purpose, of course, was to c'all attention to two of
the company’s pictures, "The Doctor’s Dilemma” and ‘Tom Thumb,”
both of which are opening in N.Y. shortly .. . Walt Disney planning to
send Sal Mineo to Europe this spring to promote "Tonka.” ... In a
special ceremony in Rome last week, producer Sam Spiegel was pre¬
sented the Golden David by Donatello statuette by Giovanni Gronebi*
president of Italy, for the best foreign picture of the year—"The Bridge

on the River Kwai.”-Kim. Novak in Gotham to promote “Bell, Book

and C^dle” and to start "Middle of the Night.” . . . "The HiUs of
Rome,” an original story by Eric Moll* acquired by Metro and Is set
for production by Julian Blanstein.

It’ll be a “new” Paddy Cbayefsky who’ll be involved in the filmiza-
tion of his “Middle of the Night.” Chayefsky reportedly has had it play¬
ing producer, as he did with "The Goddess,” and he’ll now devote him¬
self exclusively to being an artist via screenplay ... In line with the
international campaign for Samuel Goldwyn’s "Porgy and Bess,”
Columbia’s European sales director Norbert Auerbacb, and Eric Muel¬
ler, sales manager for Germany, were on the Coast to discuss plana
for the handling of the picture in Europe . , . The international press
will meet Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos today (Wed.) at Metro’s
homeoffice. As his first Hollywood assignment, Villa-Lobos is writing
a special score for "Green Mansions,”

Warner Bros, now has money in “John Paul Jones,” but still no profit
participation. Coin was loaned to producer Samuel Bronston as an ad¬
vance against distribution ... I. Rappaport of Baltimore planning to
renovate the Hippodrome there . . , Max Youngstein, United Artists
v.p., personally bought the Nikos Kazantaakis novel, ’‘Zorba the Greek,”
b^ause he felt the offbeat yarn would make a good film . . . Mi¬
chael Bromhead, U.S. rep for Lion International, took offices here . . .
Harry Belafonte plans to sked most of his film work in New York. His
first for UA, “Odds Against Tomorrow,” roUs around February. Shd-
Icy Winters is set and Lloyd Nolan Is oh the point of signature.

American International Pictures is theatrically releasing “The Dark
Corner,” featurette produced some time ago by Ralph Hart for the
Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Pic has already received awards from
Venice Film Festival and Screen Producers Guild.

Publicity-exploitation brainstorming session at United Artists ra
"On the Beach” was taped for eventual use on a. radio show, probably '
“Monitor.” The Stanley Kramer film starts shooting in January.

Paramount was among the show business losers in the local press
strike. The newspaper blackout meant loss of coverage of the world
premiere of "The Buccaneer” in New Orleans after elaborate plan¬
ning had gone on to assure heaucoup space ... Sam Spiegel and Colum¬
bia still trying to work out a new distribution agreement with the in¬
die producer. Spiegel’s smash success, “Bridge on the River Kwai,” is
providing him with better terms in the future.

Cecil B. DeMille hit Atlanta following NeW Orleans opehing of
“Buccaneer” accompanied by his daughter and soh-in-law. Col. and Mrs.
Joseph Harper, plus his personal physican and pianist Van Cllbnm
who has the same doctor. Of his pehdiiig next biggie, the saga of Lord
Robert Baden-Powell, - founder of ^he Boy Scout world movement,
DeMille said he would, intelligence and energy permitting, make it
his most important film. ♦ ..

' Lee* Handley, owner of the Ar¬
cadia Theatre, Dallas, will require
three months before resuming.
Theatre suffered. $75,000 damages

Bob Otwell named manager of
the recently opened Empire 'Thea-
f fee,' San Antonio. Mrs. Ddrothy
[^ohney of Big D Pictum of DaHas '
OWnbiv^ t;*- VA 50 “ ^

PICTCBBS

s

Wednesday^ December 17, 1958 ____

in FILMS ON UA SKIDS BY 1960

TelePrompterOn
American Board

TelePrompter Corp., heretofore
listed as an over-the-counter secur¬
ity, will officially be traded on the
American Stock Exchange starting
today (Wed.).

The company, which specializes
in group communications equip¬
ment and services, had 356,591
shares outstanding when admitted
to trading on the American Ex¬
change, with 14% of the shares
held by Western Union.

Company, started in 1951 by Irv¬
ing B. Kahn, H. J. Schlafly Jr. and
Fred Barton, has had a history of
steady growth, gross revenues go¬
ing from $96,221 in the first year
to $2,264,345 in 1957. Gross rev¬
enue for the six months ended
June, 1958, were $2,024,197 and
company officials expect it to hit
about $3,500,000 by the end of the
year.

Starting with the tv prompting
device, the company has since
diversified into closed-circuit tele¬
vision and group communications
for business meetings. In the field
of closed-circuit, it has staged tele¬
casts for sports events, business
meetings and ifrovided its facilities,
for government projects. Its equip¬
ment and services are currently be¬
ing eniployed at the Redstone
Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala., as part
of the guided missle program. Re¬
cently the company completed a
closed-circuit installation which en¬
ables instruction by large screen
television between Fort Knox, Ky.,
and the Huntsville installation.

Order Republic to Answer
Gannaway-VerHalen On
‘Serrice Flop’ Charge

Los Angeles, Dec. 16.

Republic Pictures Corp. must
show, cause Friday (19) why a pre¬
liminary injunction should not be
issued enjoining company from
further distribution of two indie
films, “Hired Guns'* ‘ and “Daniel
Boone, Trail Blazer,’* produced by
Gannaway-VerHalen Inc.

Action stems from a suit ask¬
ing $556,835 damages filed by pro¬
duction outfit Dec. 9 in Superior
Court, on charges of fraudulent
misrepresentation and breach of
contract, in which an injunction
and accounting also were asked.

Complaint stated Republic
claimed to have a chain of ex¬
changes in both this country and
abroad, which suit said was a mis¬
representation since it was plan¬
ning to close the majority of its
U.S.. exchanges. Since April, 1958,
when these branches were closed,
according to suit. Rep despite the
urging of plaintiffs refused to dis-
trib pix to theatres, as per contract,
and sold them last October to tv.
Producers by this action were
damaged to extent of $500,000,
they claim.

G-V additionally asserted thaf
without any need 60 prints of
“Daniel Boone” had been struck
off, for which they want the $54,000
charged to them refunded. Balance
of damages is for expenses in¬
curred in Britain, An accounting is
asked, since plaintiffs claim ^at
Rep packaged the two pix with
other films and distrib didn’t turn
over a fair ratio of earnings.

COLUMBIA DIVIDEND
PAID IN SECURITIES

Board of directors of Columbia
Pictures, meeting after the annual
stockholders’ -meeting on Monday
(15), declared a stock dividend of
2V^% on the outstanding common
stock and voting trust certificates.
The stock is payable Jan. 30, 1959
to stockholders of record Dec. 26,
1959.

■ At the sanae time, the board de¬
clared a regular quarterly dividend
of $1.0614 on the company’s $4.25
cumulative preferred-Mock. Melon
is payable Feb. 16, 195fr to stock¬
holders.of record Feb, 2, 195jkv ; :

Suddenly the Shout, Hold Line at %9,
Becomes Advice-of-Counsel Whimper

By HY HOLLINGER
' The nation’s exhibitors and
their elected officials, heretofore
extremely vocal on the subject
of the necessity of withholding
post-1948 films from television,
are now soft-pedalling the issue,
apparently because of the fear of
varioiTs legal ramifications. A
short time ago Theatre Owners of
America was contemplating . the
formation of a trust to buy up
all the post-1948 pictures, the sole
aim being to keep them off televi¬
sion. Moreover, exhibitors groups
were considering various ways and
means to induce the film com¬
panies to “hold the line at ’49.”

However, the terse report is¬
sued by the new American Con¬
gress of Exhibitors this week on
the subject of the post-’48 films
makes it obvious that exhibitors
are now afraid that they are tread¬
ing on dangerous ground in their
all-out efforts to prevent the Re¬
lease of the backlog to television.

S. H. Fabian, chairman of the
Congress, and, members of the
executive committee appeared to
be exceedingly touchy on the sub¬
ject of the post-1948 films when
pressed by reporters to clarify the
short statement Issued at the con¬
clusion of the two-day meeting
Friday (12).

The statement, prepared by
William Forman, chairman of the
post-1948 film committee, de¬
clared:

“It is clearly apparent that
this subject, more than any
other on the conference agen¬
da, is fraught with'complex
legal ramifications. The com¬
mittee will undertake to dis¬
cuss its plans with appropriate
Government agencies and will
report the results in detail as
soon as practicable,**

Attempts by reporters to ob¬
tain a fuller explanation of the
legal problems involved brought
sharp rebukes, from Fabian and

his colleagues. They assumed the
attitude that the newsmen had
no right to press the issue and
repUed “no comment,” “it’s an
area we can’t discuss,” and “on
the advice of counsel, we are not
permitted to discuss it.”

Since this is the first time that
an exhibitor group has shown such
sensitiveness on the problem of
the post-’48 films, it appears that
tv syndicators and the networks
might have registered complaints
with various Government agen¬
cies relating to exhibitors’ at¬
tempts to withhhold films from
television. Conceivably, depend¬
ing on the approach employed,
theatremen may be faced with
legal compaints charging mon¬
opoly in restraint of trade. The
cautious statement of the Amer¬
ican Congress of Exhibitors makes
it apparent that exhibitors have
become aware that they are con¬
fronted with complex legal re¬
quirements on the issue of the
post-1948 films.

Scr™. hUidsU Bid Lgjsjs Ijs

For ll^AA Sympathy In

Job-Possibility QuesllKeW TcXES OzOUer

The N.y. Screen Publicists Guild
has proposed an Immediate meet¬
ing with the ad-pub directors com¬
mittee of the Motion Picture Assn,
of America to explore job possi¬
bilities for Guild members who
are currently unemployed.

The conference was suggested
by Nat Weiss, SPG chairman, and
Ben Berman, organizer of Dis¬
trict 65, with which the Guild is
affiliated, in a letter to Charles
Simonelli, chairman of the MPAA
committee.

In its letter, the Guild also noted
its approval of the MPAA’s newly-
established registry of available
ad-publicity-exploitation personnel
and offered to provide the MPAA
with a roster of SPG members
who are qualified to fill jobs in
the film promotion field.

Houston, Dec. J16.

Loew’s Theatres has leased its
Sharpstown Drive-In Theatre,
which it built and opened earlier
this year, to Claude Ezell & Asso-1
ciates of Dallas. This brings to 40
the ozoners being operated by
Ezell in the state.

The Sharpstown, the second ]
ozoner built by Loew’s in the
country, was built at an estimated
figure of close to $1,000,000. It is
a 2,000-caf capacity drive-in with a.
120 foot screen, elaborate play¬
grounds, including a zoo, a full size
carousel, a miniature train that can
carry 70 passengers, and a snack
bar, which was installed at a cost
of $50,000.

‘Beauty’ Into State-Lake;
Usual Top, $1.80, May
Hike for Big Cartooner

Chicago, Dec. 16.
Balaban & Katz State^Lake,
, which is completing installation of
j Todd-AO gear, has plucked Walt
!Disney”s “Sleeping Beauty” for a
I Feb, 12 bow here. Although Buena
! Vista has decided the cartoon fea¬
ture is to be offered the public
at roadshow prices (though not
reserved seats), B&K hasn’t de¬
cided yet what the scale will be.
Deluxer’s normal top is $1.80,
Film, which runs only 75 min¬
utes, is in the new Technirama-70
process, with" six-channel stereo¬
phonic sound.

Henry and Phoebe Ephron set
to adapt “0 Mistress Mine” at 20th-
Fox, also to be produced by latter.

Saskatoon House Burns

Regina, Sask., Dec. 16.

Fire of undetermined origin de¬
stroyed the Star theatre at Theo¬
dore, Sask., Sunday (30).

Owner Bill Achtymichuk esti¬
mated the loss at $25,000.

OUT SOON !

The

53rd Anniversary Number

By FRED HIFT

Because its books show that
many of the programmers are run¬
ning in the red. United Artists
is set to drop this''" type of prod¬
uct off its release roster. How¬
ever, what with current commit¬
ments and as yet unreleased back¬
log, the cutback won’t take effect
until 1960.

UA this year released some 48
films, and likely will put out- the
same number of films in 1959.
After that,. however, its sked is
likely to shrink to between 24 and
30 features, most of them in .the
“A” category. This is still con¬
sidered sufficient to keep the UA
release channel full, but it’ll then
be less cluttered with unprofitable
“B” pictures which have trouble
racking up bookings.

The UA experience with small
films definitely points to a need
for an overhaul. The “filler” type
product, brought in at between
$100,000 and $300,000, just isn’t
getting the breaks from exhibitors.
These pictures may gross $300,000
or $400,000 domestic and they’re a
drug on the market overseas. Iron¬
ically, some of the more important
action entries, like UA’s “The
Indian Fighter,” for instance, have
been hitting the 17,000 and 19,000
booking level, indicating a healthy
number of replays,
j Battle of ‘B’s’

! Conclusion to be drawn from
j this is that a lot of theatres ac-
! tually prefer rebooking oldies to
i making room for lowbudget pix
I of more recent vintage,
j UA actually is one of the last
holdouts in the “B” field, at least
in terms of volume. 20th-Fox, of
course, had its Regal films, but
they’re being reduced. Columbia
still has minor entries, and so
does Universal. But, more and
more, the swing is away from the
routine and towards the big, im¬
portant film which stands to turn,
up a big and important gross.

What bothers some at UA is
that the “little” picture, brought
in at a small negative cost, on
occasions still can be important.
“Marty” established that, and so
have a couple of pictures since.
For instance, producer William
Castle Ibrought in “Macabre” (for
Allied Artists release) at $100,000.
The picture will do an interna¬
tional gross of a little over $2,-
000,000. Trick is to draw the line
between ^vhat’s “routine” and
what is “offbeat” enough to catch
the public’s fancy.

At UA, the intention is to keep
a sharp eye out'for inexpensive
films that, by virtue of theme and
values, can follow in the “Marty**
pattern. Slated for the axe, once
the decks are cleared, are the run-
of-the-mill programmers for which
there now appears to be so little
room left.

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copyxind space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK U HOLLYWOOD 21 CHICAGO 11 LONDON. W. C. 2

154 W. 45lii Sr. 4404 S«Mtt Rlvd. 412 N. Mlchtgoii Av«. t Sf. MartlH** Place

Trafalgar Sqaara

PARIS. 2f raa Haeliarta

ROME, StaMpa Ettara

Van Druten Estate Settles,
Colufflhia Now Appears
Clear for ‘Anatomy’ Film

Indio, Cal., Dec. 16.

Settlement of the $2,500,000 suit
brought by John van Druten estate
against Columbia Pictures and
others over screen rights to the
novel, “Anatomy of a Murder,”
calls for payment of $50,000 by
Columbia.

Under terms of a petition filed
here by estate attorneys, the estate
drops all claims in exchange for
payoff. Defendants in suit, in addi*
tion to Col, were Otto Preminger,
United Artists, Ray Stark and
Michigan Supreme Court Justice
John Donaldson .Voelker, wh«
wrote novel under name of Robert
Traver. Nub of legal problem was
that van Druten, who wrote stage
adaptation, died before signing hie
agreement with Woelker which
gave screen rights to Stark.

Preminger is now set to produce
film for CJolumbia, based on novel
only, with other principals to share
in profits. Estate doee-oobehare.*^

mswwEWS

Tke BvccaMeer

(VBTAYISION--<X)LOB>

StraUff «ii prodnetioiL aiiA

BaMs, inclsdmir **sap«rTisor^

Ceol B. Deliffle. bHi wordj,

'n'liere action would ^ave bera

preferred,

FaramoiUit release of Henry Wacoxon
production aa "supervised** by Cecil B.
DeMille. Stars Yul Brynner. Charlton
Heston, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer, Inser
Stevens; features Henry Hull, £. G. Mar¬
shall. Lome Greene. Ted de Corsia,
Donalas Dumbrille. Robert F. Simon.
Jerry Hartleben. Fiun Jeffries. Directed
by Anthony Guljm. Screenplay, Jesse L.
Ladky Jr. and Bendee Mosk, from screen¬
play by Harold Lamb. Edwin Justls'Mayer
and C. Gardner Sullivan, based on Jeanie
Macpherson’s adaptation of "Lafiite the
Pirate” by Lyle Saxon; camera (Vista-
Vision-Tecnnlcdlor). Loyal Grixgs; editor,
Archie Marahek; musie. Elmer Bernstein.
Previewed at Paramount homeoffice,
N.y., Dec. 8. *58. Running time IJl MIHS.
Jean Lafitte............... Yul Brynner

Andrew Jackson ..- Charlton Heston

Bonnie &trwn ..Claire Bloom

Dominique Yon.Charles Boyer

Annette Claihome.Inner Ste^s

Ezra Peavey ...Henry Hull

Gov. ClaRxnme ...E. G. Marshall

Mercier . Lome Greene

Capt. Bumbo.Ted de Corsia

Collector of Port.Douglas Dmnbrille

Capt. Brown ... Robert F. Simon

Scipio . Sir Lancelot

Cariba . Fran Jeffries

Deacon. John .Di^rkes.

Sentry ..Hen Miller:

Pyke... George MatheWs

<ji«>t. McWilliams.Leslie E. Bradley.

Gramby . Bmce Gordon-

Commodore Patterfon... - Barry' Kelley;

Capt-. Locker. -Robert ^^aiwiA'

Behtde . Steven Mario

Whipple ..•.•- James Todd

'Higgs. Jerry Hartleben

Customs InspeptorOnslow Stevens

"Marie Claiborne.... .Theodora Davitt

Lt. Shreve. Wally Richard

Wendi ..... Iris Adrian

Creole Officer .. James Seay

Tripes .. Reginald Sheffield

Col- Butler .. Steidien Chase

Woman . . Julia-Faye

Toro .. Woodrow Strode

Capt. Flint... - Paul Newlan

Mme. Hilaire...Norma .'Varden

Dragoon Captain. John-,Hubbard

Rocket Officer . Brad Johnson

Captain# Corinthian Harry -Shannon

Major ... . Henry Brandon

Girl at ^hiet ....:.Billie Lee Hart

Mouse . Ashley Cowen

. Julio de Diego

Orlando Corona ... Manuel Rojas

Lobo . Syl Lament

Horse-Face .• ^Paul Wexler,

Tina . -... Kathleen Freeman

Little Girl .. - - Mimi Gibson

r’htgt'trnT* ... Leonard Graves

Junior Senator.......Raymond Qreenleaf

Capt Bart.Frederich. Ledebur

Major Reed . Judd Holdren

Lt. Rogers . Rolmi -Hughes

Hans.J.-jck Kruschen

Naval Aide .• Hwrian Warde

Senior Senator ...Charles Meredift

Tarsus ... Mike MaTsirki

Major Latour . Alberto Morin

"Cato. Chester Jones

Pirates_Mickey "Finn. Eric Alden. Jack

Pennlck, Frank Hagney

There’s a winning' eombmatioir
of boxoffiee values that suggests
'•The Buccaneer” is a likely suc¬
cess for the' initial dates—thanks
to names and a wham campaign.
Eomance is effectively brought in
the Cecil B. DeMiHe-supervised
production that focuses on the
colorful historical character of
Jean L^fitte. The names .include
Yul Brynner, Charlton "Heston,
Claire Bloom and Charles Boyer.

On the deficit side, and making
^'Buccaneer” a nervous entiy, is a
wordy script that lacks any large
degree of exdtemerit. While the
property is hound to attract a wide
audience at the st^, the facts are
that limited imagination in the
presentation is" showing and bound
to he a detriment in the full com¬
mercial playoff.

It’s a • first-time-out io£ Henry
Wileoxon as producer, after severi
credits as associate to DeMille,
with the latter now in the role of
“supervisor-” It marks the. debut,
too, for Anthotiy Quimi as director.

DeMille appears in a prologue to
cite chapter and verse anent the
role Dafitte played in American
history. And from there on in the
audience is ^ven an insight of the
person of Lafitte who, by his own
acknowledgement, is not the peg¬
legged pirate the on-looker might
have hoped to see.

- Instead, he’s a gentlemanly type.
Indeed almost'a suave cosmopolite
equally at horrie at a governor’s
ball as he is at seafaring adventure.
This may be historical accuracy
on DeMille’s part but it amounts
to a letdown for .the viewer who
had .come to expect a swashbuckler.
A crossed-blades adventure in the
DeMille tradition- of s]^ctacle
would have been more desirable.

Continuity-wise, “Buccaneer” is
a scrambled affair in' the early
reels. Under Quinn’s direction, or
due to a job of .editing that invites
criticism, one scene segues into
the next in what amounts to a dis¬
concerting sequence. Open to ques¬
tion, also, are the story angles in
the Jesse Lasky Jr.-Bernice Mosk
screenplay which derives from a
previous “Buccaneer” scenario put
out by DeMilie more than 20 years
ago and, in turn, from an adapta¬
tion of the original book by Lyle
Saxon.

It’s the War of 1812 against
Britain and the battle arena in New
Orleans. The action takes place on
land except for the sinking of one
ship, which is curiously under¬
played, by a renegade buccaneer.
For the audience this is little more
than flash information, pictoriaBy,
and yet it amounts to a key point
in the story. Lafitte, as played by
' Brynner, admits to responsibaity
for the massacre of the passengers.

was xasponslble, and his banishr
ment from the States, to ^ch he
was loyal, hardly seems fitting.

Highpoint it the land battle be¬
tween -^drew Jackson’s forces and
the British, with Jackson aided *y
LaHtte’s personnel and ammuni¬
tion. The British, like so many toy
soldiers, go down in defeat as
Lafitte rules the mast.

Inconsistencies an story content
aside, there waS a major effort in
production. Smne of the back¬
grounding by producer Wileoxon is
solid and effective. This certainly
looks, like the ’12 battle in terms of
authenticity of backdrops and cos¬
tumes; and performances are in
keeping "with the'^proper times and
places. Brynner is masterly as the
pirate. Charlton Heston is a hard,
firm Andrew Jackson, who, while
mounted on horse, sees the wisdom
of making a deal with the' pirate
Lafitte.

Claire Bloom is a fiery creation
who alternately hates and loves
Lafitte; Boyer is “light” as La-
fitte’s aide (a role basically incon¬
sequential), and Inger Stevens is
properly attractive as Lafitte’s true
love and daughter of the governor.

Competently working in featured
roles are Henry Hull, an aide to
Jackson; E. G. Marshall, as go'V-
ernor of New Orleans; Lome-
Greene, Ted de Corsia, .Douglas'
Dumbrille, Robert F. Simon and'
Jerry HaftieWfn: Hartleben j)ar-i
I ticularly registers. a5 an Il-year-
‘ old cabin boy. ' . ,

Photography is standout, with
Loyal Griggs behind the Tech-
nicoIor-VistaVision camera, its
pjusses being especially noticeable
in the fog-surrounded battle scene
between Sie British and the Amer¬
icans. Elmer Bernstein has con¬
tributed a meaningful musical
background auij'other credits all,
are top notch. Gene,

Tomkm

ICOLOR)

Good b.o. for this Disney pic in

situations where “Old Yeller,”

eto-* well,-.

Hollywood, Dec. 12.

Buena "Vista release of Walt Disney
presentation. Stars Sal Hineo; costars
PhU Carey and Jerome Courtland. Pro¬
duced by James Pratt, Directed by Lewis
R. Foster. Screenplay, Foster and I^e.
HzywKcA; based on the book, "Comanche,
by, David Appel; camera -(Technicolor"),
Loyal Grius; music, Oliver Wallace;, edi¬
tor, H. ISl^orth Hoaxland. Previewed at
Academy Awards Theatre, Dec. 12, 'S8.
Rxumin* time, f7 MlliS

White Boil .. Sal ilineo

Captain Keogh ..'...Philip Carey

Lieut. Nowlan ........ Jerome CourUand"

Strong Bear. Rafael Campos

Yellow BnU.H. M. Wynant

Prairie Flower ... Joy Page

Custer . Britt - Lomond

Captain Benteen. Herbert Rudley

General Terry . Sydney Smith

Sitting Bull . John Wareagle

Gpl;-Kom ..• Gregg Martell

Ace .. Pickms

Lt. Crittenden...".^....Robert Henry

Walt -Disney has had reinaricahle
success in padaying the combina¬
tion, of a yoMUgster and an animal
friend into boxoffiee success, i.e.,
“Old YeUerJ’. His new picture,
“Tonka,” repeats the formiila in. a
frontier setting with the climax of
Custer’s last stand at the battle of
the Little Big Horn. It seems to be,
on the face .of it, strictly for the
kids. But these Disney features
have a way of pulling beyond their
apparent strength, and with that in
mind, “Tonka’” should do better
than “Old Yeller.” “Tonka” is.Dis-
ney’jS Christmas picture.

The screenplay is based on the
stop^ that the only survivor of the
United States cavalry in its tangle
with Sitting Bull’s Sioux was a
horse named Comanche. According
to the screenplay by Lewis R. Fos¬
ter and Lillie Hayward, based on
David Appel’s hook, thia horse was
not only a U.S. calvary mount, but
was originally an Indian pony
named Tonka, which had Been
raised by a fledgling Teton Sioux
brave.

Sal Mineo plays the Indian hoy
who captured and trained the, stal-
Kon, which becomes Philip Carey’s
horse after it is taken by horse
traders and sold to the Army. Ail
finally meet on the plains of-the
Little Big Hran, where the fanatic-
glory-hunting Custer attacked the
Sioux on the theory that his out-
manned troops were more than a
match for the Indians, one white-
skin warrior being the equal of ten
redskins. He leamed the hard way.

The picture takes considerable
time to set the background forHhe
Indian boy, making clear his posi¬
tion in the tribe and the place and
attitude of the Indian nations of
the time. It also devote space to
his. breaking of the horse and his
training. It is probably somewhat
romantic in its view of the Sioux,
but seeing the whole thing through
Indian eyes, and the eyes of an
Indian youth, at that» gives the
story a fresh approach. There ate
ignorance, vanity and cruelty on
both sides and it is shown wittiout
excessive realism.

From the juvenile d^iuquents
wMch he has essayed in the past,
Mineo makes quite a leap to por¬
tray this clean-limbed young In¬
dian, but he does it with ease,iUHi[,

PH^BBTr

A Night to Remember.-

A British import which
preemed yesterday^ (Tues.) at
the Criterion, N.Y., “A Night-
to Remember” was reviewed
by Variety July 8, 1958. This
fresh film -version of the sink¬
ing of the “Titanic” was
praised by Rich, as “a sincere
and conscientious reconstruc¬
tion of a tragic event.”

Reviewer, however, pointed
out that the picture’s main
problem is that the story is
“too familiar to most people
for there to be any element of
suspense.” Direction of Roy
Baker was regarded “superb”
while Eric Ambler’s screen-
play also elicited laurels.
“With the name of Kenneth
More as marquee bait,” Ruih,
opined that the film “wiH like¬
ly attract ticket buyers bn
both sides , of the Atlantic.

Rank Film Distributors of
America is distribu'ting its par¬
ent organization’s production
in the UJS. _

conyiction. . Rhilip Carey and
Jerome Courtland, as U.S. Cavalry
officers, present, the -more inte^-
gent side of the Aincricah military
whUe Britt Lomond, as Custer,
strikingly illustrates the view-that
the only .Good Indian etc. H. M.
Wynant, as Miheo’s Indian ne itiis is,
Joy Page is his mother, and Rafael
Campos as his Indian chum, are
aU good- Others in the cast who
stand out include Herbert Rudiey,
Sydney Smith, John WarCaglej
Gregg Martell, Slim Pickins and
Robert Buzz Henry.

♦James Pratt’s production values
are excellent, and Lewis Forster’s
direction is (dean and straight-for¬
ward.-As with aU Disney-pictures,
the research into such things as
costumes and background is: au¬
thentic and helpfuL Po.we,

The Last BUtzkrieg

Okay for tile war market,
where expectations aren’t too
great.

. Hollywood, Dec, 12.

Columbia Tel«aie Sain Katxrnan. pro-
ductiOQ. Stars Van Johnson; costars Ker-
win MaUiews. Dick- York:-features LSrry
Starch, Lise- Bourdin. Directed hy Arthw
Dreifuss; screenplay. Lou Morhehn; cam¬
era, Ted Scaife: music. Huso De Greot:
editor, lien d’Oliveyra. Previewed Dec.
11, *58. Running time, 15 MINS.

Kroner ... Van Johnson

WUitx .Kerwin Mathews

Ludwig ... Dick York

Ennis .... Larry Storch

Belgiah girl....-Lisa Bovrd^

Steiner .. .. Leon Asldn

Von Ruppel .■ Han Bents v.di Berg

Kirsch ................ ....-Rohert Boon

Hoffner ..Ten van DninhoVen

Eindorf ... GIjsbert Tnrafeeg

LeviA...Montgomery Ford

Schwars ..— Charles Rosoihlum

=“The Dast Blitzkrieg’* iBp-
proh(di‘es World War II- from an
unorthodox angle in its story of n
German High Command plan to
sabotage the American war efrort
by infiltration behind the lines in,
.fiance. Treatment of this Sam
Kafaman pr^uctioo-r-to besol^.aa
an “A” for top billing—throws sym¬
pathy to the piincjpal chaTaCJer, k
German lieutenant, almost through¬
out its len^h, which may evoke
certain criticism. Film has been
given good production, however,
and should do okay biz for its in¬
tended market.

Van Johnson stars in the Lou
Morheim screenplay filmed entire¬
ly in Holland, jQfrb^ f^astillg with
thesp -playing the son of a high
Nazi general picked to lead, an
English-speaking squad into Allied
territory. Considerable stock, foot¬
age is utilized for actual war
scenes, and Arthur Dreifuss, who
directs at gpod pace, has the bene¬
fit of some' interesting types cast
in Holland. Occasioi^ Du t c h
landmarks likewise provide Scenic
interest to backdrop yam’s unfbld-
ment.

Some fairly suspenseful action
follows Johnson, who speaks per¬
fect English as. result of having
lived, in the U.S. before the war, as
he and his squad undertake their
assignment. Previously, he has
briefed them in American manner¬
isms, BO no-^suspicion can attach
to them if the Americans become
su-spidous. He joins an outfit,
claiming to be Ic^, and straight¬
way starts his plan of demoraliza¬
tion by a series of incidents "which
leave the Americans hanging on
the ropes but never out. There is
a growing sense of his becoming
^sgusted with Hazi methods, and
in the finale, after he been
discovered and made a .prigonm^,
he turns the tide of battle for the
American outfit. by machine gun¬
ning and wiping out a company of
Nazis before he dies.

Johnson acquits himrelf credit¬
ably and. gets top backing by a com-

'W«d]ieflday, Decembo* 17, 19S8

Mathews, a sadistic member ef his
squad, and Dick York, an Aineiv
ican sergeant who takes c(unmand
of his outfit after, his superiors
are killed. Larry Storch as an
American G1 and Lise 'Bourdin
in role of a Belgian girl are stand¬
outs in brief roles.

Technical departments are well
executed, leading off with Ted
Scaife’s deft camera work. Hugo
De Groot’s music score. Lien
d’Oliveyra’s editing and Ni^ van
Baarle’s art direction also are an
asset. WTiit.

Der Vernntreute Hiinmel

' (The Embeded Heaven)

<GERMAN-COLOR)

Berlin, Dec. 9.

UFA release of Rhombus production.
Stars Annie Rosar, Hans Bolt, "Victor
de Kowa; features Vilma Degisdier, Kal
Fis<Aer, Rudolf Vo«el and Kurt MeUeL

"Werfel; camera CAgfacoler); Bruno Mohdl;
music, Anton Proles. At Eoo Palast, Ber¬
lin. Running tipie, 105 AUNS.

Teta Linek .. Annie Rosar

Chaplain Seydel ..... . Hans Holt

Theo.. Victor de Kowa

Livia Argan.. Vilma Degischer

Leopold Argan .. Fred Liewehr

Mojmir.. Kurt Meisel

Masriia . Kai Fischer

Kompert Rudolf Vogel

Frau Linek ... Lotte Lang

Frau Fleissig...Jane Tflden

Franz Wcrfel'S novel bis -not l
been exploited to best advantage
but this is neverthdess the type of
feature pic which carries strong
boxoffiee potentiaL- PubUcitywise,
it can cash in on the fact that it
brings many scenes' ^ot inside the
Vatican including some cemsider-
able fcK^age of the late Pope Pius
XII. - It may sound -strange but
the latter’s function in .this film
comes close to being that of a real
supporting player.

Ernst Marischka has directed
this with much sentiment and he
wisely took advantage of the gen¬
erous support granted him by the
Catholic Church, Some may feel
that he went too far with, his
sentiments. This applies to his
numerous 'closemps of 'pilfrims^
the scenes aroimd the d^g aunt
Teta with a chaplain -giving her
the extreme unction, etc.

The ;film% standeut is the per¬
formance turn^.in by Anni e
Rosar who portrays the good-
naturedi naiv«, religious aunt Teta.
Latter thinks that God "will grant
her a place in heaven if she sends
aU her earned money to her
nephew so that latter can become
a priest. There’s no doubt that
Marischka found Miss Rosar ideal'
fo^ this role.

Another fine performance is con-
rtribUted by Hans Holt as the
chaplain-Seydel to whom Miss
Rosar unburdens her heart. Third
.impressive acting job is done by
Kurt Meisel, her spoiled nephew
Who embezzles aU her money:

Technically, the film benefits
from beautiful A^acolor photog¬
raphy. The Vatican scenes are
particularly eye - filling. Other
technical credits are satisfactory.

Hans.

Les Grandes Families

.. . ' (The Big Families)

(FRENCH)

Paris, Dec. 9.

Cinedis release 'of Filmsonor-Intenhon-
dia production. Stars-Jean Gahin, • Pierre
Brasseur, Bernard BUer; features Annie
Ducaux, Francoise Cfiristophe, JeSn Dfe-
sailly. Directed by Denys De La Patelllere.
Screenplay, Michel Audiard, De La Patel-
Kere from novel hy Maurice Druon; cam¬
era, Louis Page; editor, .Jacqueline Thle-
doL^t Paris. Paris. Running time, fS

nod .I....*.,. Jean Cabin

I*aen .. Pierre Brasseur

Siinon."Bernard Blier

Francois . Jdan Deaaillr

Adele..Annie Ducaux

Jacqueline .. Francoise Christophe

SUckly mounted story of high
finance skulduggery in one of
France’s top industrial families
benefits from a roster of topnotch
actors' However, it is somewhat
talky and its fine points of oh-:
servation on the French business,
social' and governmental scenes
might be elusive in foreign marts.
This looms mainly as a possible
entry for special foreign situations
cn its good mounting and acting.

Jean GalDln’s extraordinary pres¬
ence lends weight and credulity to
the pic in his portrait of a strong,
rugged individualist, ruling his
family and business (which include
newspapers, sugar mills, etc.) with
an iron hand, Pierre Brasseur is
shrewd as the black sheep of the
family who ends in a death struggle
on the stock exchange "with the
hard-headed Gabih.

It is this battle which leads to
the suicide of Gabin’s Son whom
he is really giving only his first
test under fir^. High finance bits
are somewhat confusing for those
not initiated. But the family im¬
broglios are well done while fine
acting all along the line, plus solid
direction and good technical as¬
pects, keep this looksee into high
finance moving and palatable film

Um Balle Daur Le Cbmm

tA Hlug In Tbe Heater)

(FRENCH)

Piris, Dec. 9.

Corona release ef FUaaatec prodactloii.
Star* Mijanou Barefot, Pierre Vane^
■ Rocer Hanin; featiurea - Paul Trankeur.
Colette Duval. Directed by Charles Ger¬
ard, • ]^cbel Deville. ScreeBplay. Albert
£iiaonin: camera, Claude Lecomte; editor,
Bernard Lefevre. At Triompbe, Parur.
Running time, 15 MINS.

Brigitte ... Mijanou Bardot

Tony .. Pierre Vaneck

Dick ... Roger Hanin

Peper . Paul Frankeur

Colette .. Colette Duval

Main reason for attention given
this pic is that it is Mljanou Bar-
dot’s first starring role. She is
Brigitte’s Idd sister. She is pert
and pretty but completely lacks
her big sister’s perverse, promising
attributes and emerges a fair in¬
genue without any signs pf stardust
or xmtoward possibilties of follow¬
ing in her sister’s footsteps.

In this, two exrparatroopers
running a nightclub, go rin for »
holdup when gangsters put the
squeeze on them for payments.
Direction is amateurish, full' of
insipid love scenes and badly done
sequences of violence. It only has
Yank possibilities for dualer fare
if the Bardot name ran be ex¬
ploited. .Mosic.

Fanfare

GDUTCH)

Amsterdam, Dec. 9.

Nederland release of Sapphire produc¬
tion. Directed by Bert Haanstra. Screen-
pUiy, Haanstra, Jan Blokker; music, Jan
Mul; camera, Ed v.d. Ende. With Mans
Kaart, Albert Mol, Bernard Droog, An¬
drea Domhurg and Ton .Lutz.

‘Tanfare” may. he one of the few
Dutch pix that will get its feet on
some little piece of ground outside
of Holland, Belgium and the Scan¬
dinavia market. Though the inter¬
national market will be limited
only to arty houses, ♦Fanfar^’ baa
some comedy appeal, Sai^
Mackendrick advised on the script
and pointed out possibilities and
limitations to director and . co-
scripter Bert Haanstra.

This has a typical Dutch badc-
ground, locale being the village
of Giethoorn where traffic goes!
mainly by boat along the canals,
i Situation humor steins from, com¬
petition between two brass bands
v/hich strive for a government sub¬
sidy. There’s also «omc slight love
interest between a ■village belle and
the only police man in the village.

Bert Haanstra makes his bow-as
a ieature 'film director, having
gained kudos in the last 10 years
with' documentaries at interna¬
tional fests. His first try comes off
very well His handling of the
actors, both pros and others, is
good. At times, however, the
mouthing of the dialog is awkwariL
Lensing is well done While the
music of Jan MuU fits in weR*
gani.

The SoUtmry Child

(BRITISH)

Modest drama -with little buf-

qnee 'value.

London, Dec. 9,

Biitifih .Llon releajc of a BeaconMield
(Peter Rogers) production. StariT PbUip
Frienil, Barbara Shellcr. . Dicceted by
Gerald Thomas. Screenplay, Robert Dun¬
bar. from Nina Bawden** novel; oditor,
Peter Boita; camera, Poter Hcnnaaify. At
SUigo. One, London. Running time, 44

Juaei Random .T......... Philip Friend

Harriet ... Barbara Shelley

Ann . .Sarah Lawnoa

Jean.. Rona-Andexaim

Maggie...Jnlia "Lockwood

Mrs. Xvans .. Catherlno. Lacey

The meaty plot of this modest
draina nee(is a rather wifi^ cgUvaB
than given in 64 minutes because
its various characters are only fkir-
trayfed sketchily here.

Ift a story of suspicion and its
impact on a f amity. Philip Friend,
acquitted of the murder of his first
wife, re-marfies. His strange be¬
havior arouses a cuspidon jn his
new wife’s mind tt at he may have
been guilty. But suspicion ^so
points to his teenage daughter attd
a local veterinary surgeon. Com¬
plications arise through an attrac¬
tive spinster neighbor and a jamg
man who bad had an aHair -witii
the dead woman. . The -climax
shows Friend’s new wife nearty
murdered.

Gerald. 'Thomas’s direction Is
tautiy straightforward and Robert'
Dunbar’s screenplay moves
smoothly, considering his lack of
elbow room. Philip Friend aptly
creates an air of mystery as the
acquitted murderer, but the main
burden of the drama falls on
Barbara Shelley as bis puziled
wife. Miss Shelley is an attrac¬
tive and intelligent actress who
promises to make her: mark when
given greater opportunities.

There are other capable per¬
formances hy Sarah Lawson, Jack
Watling and Rona Anderson. Julia
Lockwood plays the title role of
“The Solitary Child” and brings
a melanchdty feyness to a difficult

rele. : ?-v., -.-, iRWiiv

Wednesday, December 17, 195d

USfiiWFi

PICTCItES

PUZZLE: ‘HOW’ GET ‘MORE’ HLMS

Formal Organization Completed
Congress of Exliibs Now Hopes
Presidents Will Join Talks

Having formalized the organiza¬
tion and whipped up a comprehen¬
sive agenda, the American Con¬
gress of Exhibitors will now seek
a meeting with the heads of the
major film companies. The objec¬
tive of this meeting, it was stress¬
ed, would be to employ the ap¬
proach that all segments of the
film business realize that "they
are confronted with “an industry
in trouble” and that efforts must
be made to sit down around
conference table and see what
can be done to solve the mutual
problems.

S. H. Fabian, chairman of the
newly-formed Congress, declared
that the exhibitor group, a sort
of Motion Picture Assn, of Amer¬
ica of theatremen, would’ like to
meet with the film company pres¬
idents in a body, but that the Con¬
gress “will have to wait and see
what they (film companies) want.'
Efforts in the past by exhibitors
groups to confer with the film
company toppers in a body have
failed, with the film companies of¬
fering the excuse that such an all-
inclusive meeting would violate
the antitrust laws. Therefore, if the
Congress cannot convince the film
companies to hold an industry¬
wide meeting, it appears that indi¬
vidual sessions will be held with
the film company chieftains.

Fabian and other members of
the executive committee insisted
that the Congress would not pre¬
sent its program to the film com¬
panies as “demands,” but'rather
as contructive suggestions - that
should be discussed “in a frame
of mind that would result in work¬
ing out the problems that affect
all of-iis.”

Astor Meeting

- The establishment of the per¬
manent organization and the pro-
‘!gram. came late Frid^ (1) after
two- full days of meetings at the
Hotel Astor, N.Y. It was disclosed
that the original Committee of
26 plus the exchange area chair¬
men would constitute the per¬
manent main administrative com-
. mittee of the Congress. In addi-.
tion, the six-man executive com-
' mittee, named at the organizational
meeting called by 20th-Fox prexy
Spyros P. Skduras, would continue
to serve in that capacity. The com¬
mittee consists of Fabian, Theatre
Owners of America topper George
Kerasotes, Allied States Assn,
president Horace Adams, Max A.
Cohen, of the Independent Thea¬
tre Owners Assn.; William For¬
man, of the Southern California
Theatre Owners Assn., and Sol
Schwartz, president of the Met-
ropoUtan Motion Picture Theatres
Assn. Fabian continues as chair¬
man of the. executive and admin¬
istrative committees, with the post
-being rotated every three months.

Not Substitute

. It was emphasized again that
. the Congress would not supercede
the functions of the various ex¬
hibitor organization, but that its
.aim is to supplement and coordi¬
nate the activities of all exhibitors,
both affiliated and unaffiliated. The
Congress will rely greatly on the
exchange area chairmen and area
• committees in a manner patterned
after the industry’s War Activities
Committee.

The new organization will even¬
tually have ah offiice, probably in
N.y., and a staff of its ovm. For
the time being, the five participat¬
ing exhibitor organizations are con¬
tributing the coin necessary for
the expenses Involved. A finance
committee, however, has been
named to evolve a plan for the
financing of the Congress.- More¬
over, an organization committee,
headed by Robert J. O’Donnell,'
has been appointed to arrange for
the establishment of an office .and
the appointment of a staff. '
The conclusion of the two-day
meeting saw the submission of
various reports which will iStorVe

as the subjects and the approach
to be employed in the discussions
with the film company presidents.
Reports submitted included: In¬
dustry-government relations (Sol
Schwartz); toll-tv (George Kera¬
sotes); Industry research (Max
Cohen); producer-distributor-ex¬
hibitor relations (Horace Adams);
post-198 pictures (William For¬
man); ways and means to increase
film production' (S. H. Fabian).
Each report, it was pointed out,
was unanimously accepted all the
representatives of the executive
committee and the administrative
committee. -
The national coordinating com¬
mittee' of the Congress has au¬
thorized its executive committee
to confer with the triumVerate
of the Council of Motion Picture
Organizations for the purpose of
deciding which of the subjects on
the Congress’ agenda should prop¬
erly fall within the jurisdiction of
COMPO,

T Want to Live
Plays Part In
German Debate

Berlin, Dec.. 16.

The possible reintroduction of
capital punishment is (in view of
the considerable upbeat of capital
crimes) one of the hottest topics
in Germany. United Artists skil¬
fully cashed In oh when it invited
today (8) jurists as well as jour¬
nalists to' a preview of ^its Susan
Hayward starrer, “I Wanf to Live,”
at Berlin’s Cinema Paris. The dis¬
cussion (subject: capital punish¬
ment — yes or no?), led by the
local president of-the League for
Human. Rights (lawyer Schaefer),
which followed the film showing
turned out to be one of the most
intensive and interesting ones that
were experienced here lately in
connection with a film.

The greater part of the par¬
ticipants showed a clear dislike
for capital punishment and found
that the film will greatly con¬
tribute to influence public opinion
(here mostly in favor of capital
punishment) accordingly. Some
jurists, however, argued that the
case of Barbara Graham is not “ob¬
jective” enough to show the prob¬
lem of capital punishnaent. Had
this film’s principal figure been a
mass murderer a la Starkweather,
undoubtedly more would have
found that capital punishment is
justified.

Actress Susan Hayward was sup¬
posed to atten(| the Berlin showing I
Of her pic. However, she got stuck''
in Frankfurt in view' of the fog
which-cancelled all plane trips.

U. S. Supreme Court Sees It
■Washington, Dec. 16.

United Artists’ “I Want to Live”
rang up a high-level “first” when
it was screened in the private con¬
ference ro6m of the U. S. Supreme
Court before four justices interest¬
ed in seeing the film concerning
criminal justice.

No other commercial film not di¬
rectly involved in a case before
the coiurt has ever been shown in¬
side the Supreme Court.

Justice William O. Douglas, in¬
terested in the Barbara Graham
case, the film’s story line, made ar¬
rangements with UA representa¬
tives for the screening. UA had
invited him and his guests to a pri¬
vate showing at MPAA headquar¬
ters downtown. Douglas asked if it
could be screened instead in the
justice’s conference room.

Barbara Graham, convicted Cali¬
fornia murderess, unsuccessfully
appealed her death sentence to U,S.
Suihreme Courl^ - '

Exhibitors should subsidize In¬
dependent distributors and pro¬
ducers to make pictures, with the
subsidy being in the form of con-
tractural playdates and/or money.
This was one of the recommenda¬
tion'!' made in the report of the
committee on ways and means of
increasing film production of the
American Congress of Exhibitors.

[Previous attempt by Hal Make-
lim to finance product via exhibi¬
tor-guaranteed playdates was a
flop. — Ed.)

■ The report, submitted by S. H.
Fabian,' notes that many valuable
properties never reach the scr^n
because indie producers are not
able to promote the necessary pri¬
mary funds because of the uncer¬
tainty of playoffs after the picture
is completed. It is suggested that
the Congress organize a film com¬
mittee whose function would be to
solicit projects from indie pro¬
ducers and distributors. If the
film committee feels that a pro¬
posed package is worthy of sup¬
port, it is recommended that the
Congress should be apprised of
the committee’s view that exhibi¬
tors pledge to play the picture
when .it is completed or agree to
finance it “so that the overall sup¬
ply will be made available to the
exhibitors of the country.”

Urge ‘Numbers* Again
The committee also recom¬
mended that efforts be made to
impress present producers of the
desirability of making more pic¬
tures. Hollywood, it is stressed,
should be encouraged to make more
picrures and not to try to produce
a blockbuster each time. The im¬
portance of new faces and a good
story were emphasized. The com¬
mittee recommended the estab¬
lishment of a committee represent¬
ing a large number of theatres to
meet with producers and distrib¬
utors to impress them with the
sincerity pf exhibitors, who would
back 'up their promises of play¬
dates with contracts.

- The committee also suggested
changes in the consent decrees so
that *the formerly-affiliated thea¬
tres should be permitted to pro¬
duce and distribute films with pre¬
emptive rights for their own thea¬
tres. The report points out that
when the decrees were originally
promulgated there were no such
restrictions m the case of Para¬
mount and RKO. The report con
eludes, .therefore that the Dept, of
Justice' has, in effect, discrimi¬
nated against the other divorced
circuits by inserting such prohibi¬
tions in the subsequent decrees.

The Fabian report suggested,
too, that more foreign films should
be produced and aimed for dls-
tributibn and consumption in the
American market. It is recom¬
mended that foreign producers
gear their pix for the American
market, 'since it has been proved
that pictures designed for U. S.
consumption usually -win world¬
wide acceptance. It’s noted that
to accomplish this would probably
require the use of American stars
and directors.

In addition to encouraging the
increased production of pix, the
Congress pledged its support to
help maintain all existing sources
of production. Therefore, it rec¬
ommended:

Th^t exhibs offer their assistance
in money and playdates, or both,
to the management pf any com¬
pany confronted with financial dif¬
ficulties or attempts to liquidate the
company. Recommendation was
also. made that exhibitors should
be permitted to acquire stock in
the existing major Mm companies
so that it can help Companies in
trouble resist thtf efforts of liqui¬
dators and “as a concrete mani¬
festation of support and confidence
In the' management of these com¬
panies.”

It was stressed that In order to
implement these resolutions that
standing committee of exhibi¬
tors be appointed to put the pro-
l)osaif “iilfo fuH^rce‘‘tnd effect/*

Exhibs Urge Detribs Use Many
Different Advertising Agencies
To Circumvent 'Sameness in Copy

Noel Meadow

kat whipped up an Ingenleni

Show Biz Fictionary

another bright Editorial Ftatnre
In Hie soon-dne

53d Anniversary Number
of

f^SjRiEfr

Color TV Closed
Circuit Demo

■Washington, Dec. 16.

The world’s first large-scale
demonstration in color of Eidophpr
—the Swiss developed big screen,
closed circuit television system—
will occur here when 5.000 scien¬
tists gather for the 125th annual
meeting of the American Assn,
for the Advancement of Science
here, Dec. 26-31.

. Eidophor, created and perfected
in Switzerland under the sponsor¬
ship of CIBA, Swiss pharmaceuti¬
cal firm, is described as a revolu¬
tionary closed-circuit tv system
unlike any in commerci^ use.

Dr. Raymond Taylor, 'director of
the convention which will bring
together top scientists from
throughout the nation as well as
a number from abroad, said Eido¬
phor color, not previously dem¬
onstrated in its latest form, is
claimed to be “far superior” to
any other color tv system.

ICey to its operation is an oil
(called Eidophor oil, for which a
patent is pending). Electrons are
allowed to impinge on a film of
this oil 1/lOth of a milimeter
thick resting on a concave mirror.
This results in the projection of
“clear” color onto a screen with¬
out depending on the light of phos¬
phor.

General Electric has made the
equipment for the demonstration
here. Reportedly, CIBA or one of
its subsididiaries has negotiated an
agreement with 20th Century-Fox
to test potential commercial use
of Eidophor.

One-hour demonstrations of live
color telecasts over Eidophor will
be held on a 12-by-l 6-foot screen
in the Sheraton-Park Hotel ball¬
room at p.m. on the ni^ts of
Dec. 27, 28, 29 and 30. Education¬
al programs will be televised live,
all connected with science. On the
final night, a heart operation on a
dog will be televised from several
miles away.

C. J. TEVLIN'S VENTURE

Will Undertake To Screen Revised
■Version of ‘The Bat’

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

''C. J. Tevlin, who headed RKO
Studios during the Howard
Hughes regime, will make a mod¬
ernization of Mary Roberts Rine¬
hart’s sliding panel goosepimple
play, “The Bat,” as his first indie
production.

Tevlin has blueprinted plans for
a program of films, to be launched
early next year.

Linda Christian will star in Rex
Carlton-Jo Heims indie, “'Witch¬
craft,” to roll next month in Mexico

... - ...

■ A recommendation that the film
companies select a different adver¬
tising agency for each picture was
made by Irving Dollinger, alter¬
nate for Horace Adams, as chair¬
man of the committee on exhibitor-
distributor relations of the Ameri¬
can Congress of Exhibitors. Point
made in the report is that so much
film advertising is so similar that
it is difficult for the public to no¬
tice a difference. The report notes
tliat either the pressure of one pic¬
ture on top of the other is too great
for original advertising or it Is im¬
possible for the ad department of
any company to have a proper per¬
spective on its own product. Sug¬
gestion is made that part of the
ad budget be spent locally on cam¬
paigns in playoffs following the
first-run engagements.

Other points made in the report
include:

That exhibitors be consulted
when new marketing methods are
being considered.

That the shortage of prints,
rather than saving money, is ac¬
tually costing distribution more*
and that pictimes must be played
while fresh in ordet to bring in the
most amount of coin. Excuse of
shortage of prints is destroying ac¬
cepted runs and is illegally extend¬
ing the historical clearance system.

That exhibitors should promise
to invest a certain percentage of
playing t’me to pictures aiming to
develop new stars.

That exhibition is willing to co¬
operate to the extent the law al¬
lows to improve the present clear¬
ance system.

That exhibitors must find a way
to prevent the unfair competition
of armed forces theatres.

That exhibit'on is in. favor of
voluntary block booking but ob¬
jects to enforced block selling.

That exhibition is opposed to ad¬
mission price fixing on part of the
distributor.

That exhibitors favor changes in
competitive bidding and would fa¬
vor its demise if a sound alternate
system can be devised.

That exhibitors are opposed to
the withholding of top pictures for
preferred holiday playing time and
insist on orderly release of pix.

That an arbitration system should
be established.

Herman Levy limits Tune,
Takes Wage Cut at TOA;
Practice in Hartford

Herman M, Levy, who in addi¬
tion to serving as general counsel
for Theatre Owners of America su¬
pervised the exhibitor organiza¬
tion's N.Y. offlce^.has given up the
latter function to devote more time
to his law practice in Hartford,
Conn. He continues as general
counsel but reportedly at half of
his previous fee of $25,000.

As chief executive of the N.Y.
office. Levy had to make frequent
trips from Hartford. In a sense,
he performed the duties of the late
Gael Sullivan as well sis the func¬
tions of general counsel.

Under the new setup, the N.Y.
office will be rim by a staff con¬
sisting of Joseph G. Alterman, ad¬
ministrative secretary; Albert
Flqersheimer Jr., director of public
relations, and George Roscoe, di¬
rector of exhibitor relations.
George Kerasotes, TOA pre^, is
expected to make frequent trips to
N.Y. to take on many of the du¬
ties formerly performed by Levy
in administrating the organiza¬
tion’s headquarters.

Palance for ‘Bali'

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Jack Palance is being paged to
star in “Passenger Bali,” Security
Pictures film which rolls early in
1959 off the coast of Mexico.

Security toppers Phil Yordan
and Sidney Harmon are now dis-
l-eussing the dead'^with'Pafethce.

6

11131 HKl^WS

The Bveeaneer

(VJSTAYISION-.^LOK)

Straur ^ :prodvetioiL uiA
xasMs, Ineladinir "lapeiTisoi^
Cedil B* BeUfille^ liiit wordTf
wlicre action would lave
preferred.

Faramoiuit release of Heury Wilcoxon-
production aa •'sttperyised*' Ijy Cecil B.
l>eMi]le. SEtars Yul Biynner, Charltojx
Heston, Claire Bloom* Cixarles Boyer, Inser
Stevens; ft^tures Henry HulL E. G. Mar¬
shall, Lome Greene, Ted de Corsia,
Donalas Duizibrille, Bobert F. Simon,
Jerry Hartleben, Fran Jeffries. Directed
hy Anthony Quinn. Screenplay, Jesse L.
La^ky Jr. and Bernice Mosfc from screen¬
play by Harold I,amb, Edwin Justis“Mayer
and C. Gardner Stdlivan, based on Jeanie
Macpherson*s adaptation of "Lafitte the
Pirate” by Lyle Saxon; camera (Vista-
Viaon-Tecnnlcolor), Loyal Gri<£s; editor,
Archie Marshelt; music, Ehner Bernstein.
Previewed at Paramount homeoffice,
N.y., Dee. S, ^58* Running time 121 MINS.

Jean Lafitte... Yul Biynner

Andrew Jackson ... Chiton Heston

B<mnie Brown .............. Claire Bloom

‘Deminitiue You .Charles Boyer

Annette Claihorae.Inger Stevens

Ezra Peavey...Henry Hull

Gov. Claibome ..£. G. Marshall

Mercier.. Lome Greene

Capt. Bumbo Ted de Corsia

Collector of Port.Douglas Dumbrillc

Capt. Brown . Robert F. Simon

Sc^io .. Sir Lancelot

Cariba . Fran Jeffries

Deacon...- John .Dierkes ,

S«try...-Hen Miller^

P5yke ...... Geor^ MatheWs

<ki£pt. McWilliams.Leslie E. Bradley.

Gramiby ... Bnice Gordon-

Commodore Patterson... . Barry'Kelley:

Capt-. Locl^r... -Robert -i^arwick

Behndie ... Steven Mario

Whipple ..James Todd

‘Miggs. Jeny Hartleben

Castcfflas Inspepfor.,...^. Onslow ^tevens

"Marie daibomc .. .Tbeodbra Davitt

Lit. Shreve ... Wally Richard

Weach ... Iris Adrian

Creole Officer ... James Seay

Tripes ..* Reginald Sheffield

CoL Bntler ... Stei^en Chase

Woman .. . JuHaFaye

Toro . Woodrow Strode

Capt. Flint.Paul Newlan

Mme. Hilaire .Norma .Varden

Dragoon Captain .. John- Hubbard

Rocket Officer ..._... Brad Jetoson

Captain, Corinthian ....v. Harry Shannon

Maior ... ....i... Henry Brandon

Girl at .Billie Lee Hart

Mouse .... Adilev Cowen

Miguel . Julio de Diego

Orlando Corona ......... Manuel Rojas

Lobo . Syl Lament

Hcarse-Face .:... Paul Wexler.

Timr . ... Kathleen Freeman

Little Girl .............. Muni Gibson

CldghizQla . Leonard Graves

Jtmior Senator....i-,.Raymond: Greenleaf

Capt. Bart.Frederich Ledebur

Majea: Reed . Judd Holdren

Lt. Rogers .. Robin Hughes

Hans - ..Jack Kruschen

Naval Aide .." H»rian Warde

Senior Senator ........ Charles Meredith

Tarsus ..... *. - Mijee Mazurfa

Major Latour .. Alberto Morin

Cato.. Chester Jones

Pirates....Hickey Finn, Eric Aldeh. Jack
Pennick, Frank Hagney

There’s a winning' eombination
of boxoffiee values' that sugg^ts
^*The Buccaneer^’ is a likely suc¬
cess for the’ initial dates—-thanks
to names and a wham campaign.
Romance is effectively brought in
the Cecil B. DeMille-supervised
production that focuses on the
colorful historical character of
Jean l 4 fitte. The names , include
Yul Brynner, Charlton ‘Heston,
Claire Bloom and Charles Boyer.

On the deficit side, and making
•’Buccaneer” a nervous entiy, is a
wordy script that lacks any large
degree of exdtemerit. While the
property is hound to attract a wide
audience at the st^, the facts are
that limited imaginatioif in the
presentation ir showing and bound
to be a detriment in the full com¬
mercial playoff.

It’s a ’ first-time-out for Henry
Wilcoxon as producer, after severi
credits as associate to BeMifle,
with the latter now in the role of
“snperviapr.” It marks the, debpt,
too, for Anthony Quimi as (firecior.

DeMille appears in a prologue to
cite chapter and verse anent the
role Hafitte played in American
history. And from there on in the
audience is given an insight of the
person of Lafitte who, by his own
acknowledgement, is not the ^g-
legged pirate the ondooker might
have hoped to see.c

was responsible, and bia.bani^
ment from the States, to "gdiich he
was loyal, hardly seems fitting.

Hi^point ii the land battle be¬
tween Andrew Jackson’s forces and
the British, with Jackson aided -by
Lafitte^s personnel and ammuni-
tinn. The British, like so many toy
soldiers, go down in defeat as
Lafitte rules the mast.

Inconsistencies in steay content:
aside, there was a inajm: effort in
production. Some of the back¬
grounding by producer Wilcoxon is
solid and effective. This certainly
locfelike the ’12 battle in terms of
authenticity of backdrops and cos¬
tumes; and performances are in
keeping with the'^proper limes and
places. Brynner is masterly as the;
pirate. Charlton Heston is a hard,
firm Andrew Jackson, who, while
mounted on horse, sees the wisdom
of making a deal with the' pirate
Lafitte. .

Claire Bloom is a fiery creation
who alternately hates and loves
Lafitte; Boyer Is “light” as La-
fitte’s aide (a role basically incon¬
sequential), and Inger Stevens is
properly attractive as Lafitte’s true
love and daughter of the governor.
Competently working in featured
roles are Henry Hull, an aide to'
Jackson; E. G. Marshall, as gov¬
ernor of New Orleans; Lorne
Greene, Ted de Corsia, .Douglas
Dumbrilie, Robert F. Simon and
Jerry Haftlebifii: Hartleben par¬
ticularly registers. a$ an ll-year-
old cabin boy.

Photography is standout, with
Loyal Griggs behind the Tech-
nicoIor-VistaVision camera, its
plusses being especially noticeable
in the fog-surrounded battle scene
between the British and the Amer¬
icans. Elmer Bernstein has con¬
tributed a meaningful musical
background an^mother credits all
are top notch. Gene,

Toiidca

iCOJiOR)

Good h.o. for this Disney pic in
situations wliere “Old Yeller,”
dii wcU^i

Hollywood, Dec. 12.

Buena Tista rdeasff of Walt Disney
presentation. Sltars Sal Mineo; costars:
Phil Carey and Jerome Goiirtland. Pro¬
duced by Janies Pratt. Directed by Lewis
R. Foster. Screenplay, Foster and Lillie.
Hayward; based on the book, ‘‘Comanche,”
by, David Appel; camera .technicolor^
Loyal Grixss: music, Oliver Wallaces edi¬
tor, H. EUCTrorth Hoa^land. Previewed at
Academy Awards Theatre, Dec. 12, "58.
Running time* ^7

White Buil Sal B&jeo

Cagptam Keogh .PMbp Carey

Lieht. Nowlan ........ Jerome CoorUand

Strong Bear.. Rafael Campos

Yellow Bull ..H. M. Wynant

Prairie Flower ... Joy Page

Custer . Britt - Lomond

Captain Benteen.. Herbert Rudley

General Terry ............ Sydney Smith

Sitting Bull ........... John Wareagle

Cpl:-Kom...Gregg Martell

Ace . .. Slim Pickrns

Lt, Crittenden..;....Robert Henry

Walt Disney has had remarkable
success in parlaying tiie combina¬
tion, of a -youngster and an animal
friend into boxoffiee success, i.e.,
“Old YellerHis new picture, ^
“Tonka,” re^afs the fonndla In. a
frontier .setting with the climax of
Custer’s last stand at the battle of
the Little Big Horn. It leems to be,
on the face.of it, strictly for the
kids. But these Disney features
have a way of pulling bejDnd their
apparent strength, and with that in
mind, “Tonka’* should do better
than “Old Yeller.^’ “Tonka” is.Dis¬
ney^ Christmas picture.

The screenplay is based on the
story that the only survivor of the
United States^ cavalry in its tangle
with Sitting Bull’s Sioux was a
horse named Comanche. According
to the screenplay by Lewis R. Fos¬
ter and Lillie Hayward, based on
David Appel’s book, this hmrse was

A Night to Romenihei;-

A British^^ import which
preemed yesterday (Tues.) at
the Criterion, N.Y., “A Night*
to Bemember” was reviewed
by Variety July 9, 1958. This
fresh film version of the sink¬
ing of the “Titanic” was
praised by Riefu, 3S “a sincere
and conscientious reconstruc¬
tion of a tragic event.”

Reviewer, however, pointed
out that the picture’s main
problem is that the story is
“too familiar to most people
for there to be any element of
suspense.” Direction of Roy
Baker was regarded “superb**
While Eric Amhler’s screen¬
play also elicited laurels.
“TOth the name of Kenneth
More as marquee bait,” Rich.
opined that Ihe film “will like¬
ly attract ticket buyers tii
both sides. of the Atlantic.

Rank Film Distributors of
America is distributing its par¬
ent organization’s production
in the UA

convictibn. , Rhilip Carey * and
Jerome Gourtland, as Xi.S. Cavalry
officers, present, fhe more inteRi^
gent side of the American military
while Britt Lomond, as Custer,
strikingly illustrates the view-that
the only .Good Indian etc. H. M,
YTynant^ as Mineo’s Indian nemisis,
Joy Page as his mother, and Rafael
Campos as his Indian chum, are
all- good. Othera in the cast who
stand out include Herbert Rudiey,
Sydney Smith, John Wareagle;
Gregg Martell, Slim Pickins and
Robert Buzz Henry. -

♦James Pratt’s production values
are excellent, and Lewis Forster’s
direction is clean and straight-for¬
ward.-As with all Disney-pmtures,
the research into such, things as
costumes and background is i au¬
thentic and. helpfuL Po.we,. j

Th«- Last: Blitzkrieg

Okay for tiie war markeie

Wliere expeeiations aren’t too

great.

. Holiywopd, Dec, 12.

Colmnbia r«l«aae of Sun Katxman pro¬
duction. Stars Van Johnson; costars Ker-
win MaUiows. Dickr York;-features Larry
Storch, Lise Bourdin. l^rected hy Arthi;ir
Dreifuss; screenplay, Lou Morheiin; cam-
e<n, Ted Scai^ musicn Hugo De Greot;
editor. Lien d'ORveyra. Previewed Dec.
11, ‘SS. Running time, tS MINS.

Kroner .. Van Johnson

Wilitx .. Kerwin Mathews

Ludwig ... Dick York

Ennis .... Larry Storch

Belgish girl ...... ..........Lisa Bovr(R^

Steiner . ....,...,. ...... Leon Asidn

Von Ruppel Han Bents T.d. Berg

Kirsch .......- .**. -Rehert Boon

Hoffner ............ Ton van Dninhoven

Eindorf .. Gijsbeit Teistee^

Levin, .Montgome^ Ford

Schwkrs .. Charles Roaenhium

'‘The Last Blitzkrieg’* ap¬
proaches World War n* from an
unorthodox angle in its ^ory of a
German High Cbmniand plan to
sabotage the American -war eHort
by infiltration behind the lines ire
.France. Troatment of this Sam
Katzman pr^uction-rr-to be.soli4 ^
an “A” for top billing—throws s;m-
pathy to the principal ehairafe’ter, a
German lieutenant, almost through¬
out its len^h, which may evoke
certain criticism. Film has been
given good production, however,
and should do okay biz for its in¬
tended market.

Vail Johnson stars in the Lou
Morheim screenplay fihned entire¬
ly in Holland, offbeat easting with

-n__z__ *•!___ _ > 1 .

WednesJayy Dceembey 17, 1958

Mathews, a sadistie ipemher of his
j squad, and Dick York, an Aineiv
ican sergeant who takes command
of his outfit after, his superiors
are killed. Larry Storch as ^
American GI and Use Bourdin
in role of a Belgian girl are stand¬
outs in brief roles.

Technical departments are well
executed, leading off ’with Ted
Scaife’s deft camera work. Hugo
De Groot’s music score. Lien
d’Oliveyra’s editing and Ni^p van
Baarle’s art direction also are an
asset. Whit.

Der Venmtreute Himmel

I (The Embezzled Heaven)
<G£RMAN-C0LOB)

Berlin, Dec, 9.

UFA release of Rhombus production.
Stars Annie Rosar, Hans Holt, Victor
de Kowa; features Vilma Degisdher, Kai
Fishier, Rudolf Vogel uid Kurt MeiaeL
Directed hy Ernst Marisuikau S(a«e^lay,
Ernst Marisfcbka, firom noyet hy Franz
Werfel; camera (Agfacoler); Bruno Mbhdl;
music, Anton Proies. At Eoo Falast, Ber¬
lin. Running tipie, 105 MtNS.

Teta Linek...Anzde Rosar

Chaplain Seydel .v. Hans Holt

Theo.... Victor de Kowa

Livia Argan .... Vilma Dcgischer

Leopold Argan .. Fred Liewehr

Mojmir.. Kurt Meisel.

Mascha ...... Kai Fischer ^

Kompert Rudolf Vogel'

Frau lanek .......Lotte Lang |

Frau Fleissig ... Jane TRden

Use BaUe BamrLeCaBM

XA Blug In Heaidr)

1 (FRENCH)

rtris, Dec. 9.

Corona release mi FilBiatec pzxHlBctioii,
Stars Mijanou Bardot, Pierre Yaneck,
Roger Han^; feaPnres * Paul Frankeur,
Colette Duval. Directed hy Charles Ger¬
ard, * Michel Deville. Screenplay, Albert
Simonin; camera, Claude Lecomte; editor,
Bernard Lefevre. At Triomphe, Paris*
Running time, 15 MINS.

Brigitte ................ Mijanou Bardot

Tony .... Pierre Taneck

Dick ... Roger Hanin

Peper .. Paul Frahkeur

Colette .. Colette Duval

Main reason for attention given
this pic is that it is Mijanou Bar-
dot’s first starring role. She is
Brigitte’s 3dd sister. She is pert
and pretty but completely lacks
her big sister’s perverse, promising
attributes and emerges a fair in¬
genue without any signs pf stardust
or imtoward possibilties of follow¬
ing in her sister’s footsteps^

In this, two exrparatroopers
running a nightclub, go 4n for »
holdup when gangsters put the
squeeze on them for paymmits.
Direction is amateurish, fuH' of
insipid love scenes end badly done
sequences of violence. It only has
Yank possibilities for dualer fare
if the Bardot name can be ex¬
ploited. Mosk,

Frsmz WerieV^ novel hks not

Fanfare

been exploited to best advantage
but this is nevertheless the type of
feature pic which carries .strong
boxoffiee potentiaL- Pubiicitywise,
it can cash-in on the fact that it
brings many scenes' ^ot iniside the
Vatican including some consider¬
able fcK^age of the late Pope Pius
XIL - it may sound stran^ but
the latter’s function in .this film
comes close to being that of a real
supporting player.

Ernst Marischka bas directed
this with much sentiment and he
wisely took advantage of the gen¬
erous support granted him By the
Catholic Church. Some may feel
that he went too far with his
sentiments. This applies to his
numerous closers of 'pilgrims^
the scenes aroimd the dying aunt
Teta with a chaplain ^giving her
the extreme imctton, etc.

The standput is the per¬
formance turned .in by Annie
Rosar who portrays the good-
natimedi naive, religious aunt Teta.
Latter thinks that Cxod will grant
her a place in heaven if she sends
all her earned money to her
nephew so that latter can become
a priest. There’s no doubt that
Marischka found Miss Rosar ideal'
for this role.

Another fine performance is con-
rtributed by Hans Holt as the
chaplain-Seydel to- whom Miss
^sar unburdens htt* heart. Third
.impressive acting job is done by
‘Kuii; Meisel, her spoHed nephew
who embezzles all her money;

Technical^, the film benefits
from beautiful Agftcolor photog-
T^hX- The Yatipan scenes are
particularly eye - filling. Other
technical credits are satisfactory..

Hans,

Xes Grandes FamiUes

' (The Big Families)
(FRENCH)

. . .. Paris, Dec. 9.

Cinedis release 'of FilmsonorrLitermqn-
dia production. Starsr Jean Galrin, - Pierre
Brasseur, Bernard BUer; features Annie
Ducaux, Francoise CKristophe, Jedn De-
sailly. Directed by Denys De La Patelliere.
Screenplay, Michel Audiard, De La Patel¬
liere from novel hy Maurice Druon; cam-:
era, Louis Page; editor, .Jacqueline Thie-
dot^^t Paris, Paris. Running time, fS

.... Jean Cabin

iMiamn Pierre Brasseur

Sanon.’Bernard Blier

eDUTCH)

Amsterdam, Dec. 9.

Nederland release of Sapphire produc¬
tion. Directed by Bert Haanstra. Screen¬
play, Haanstra, Jan Blokker; mnsic/ Jan
Mul; camera, Ed v.d. Ende. With' Hana
Kaart, Albert Mol, Bernard Droog, Ah-
drea Domhurg and Ten Lutz.

“Fanfare” may. be one of the few
Dutch pix that will get its feet on
some little piece of ground outside
of Holland, Belgium and the Scan¬
dinavia market. Though the inter¬
national market will be limited
only to arty houses, <^Fanfar^'' has
some comedy appeal^ Samiy
Mackendrick advised on the script
and pbinted oiit possibilities and
limitations to director and co-
scripter Bert Haanstra.

This has a typical Dutch back¬
ground, locale being the village
of Giethoorn where traffic goes
mainly by boat along the canahs.
Situation humor stenos from, com¬
petition between two brass bands
v/hich strive for a government sub¬
sidy. There’s also «ome slight love
interest between a village belle and
the only police man in the village.

Bert Haanstra makes his bow* as
a feature film director, having
gained kudos in the last 10 years
with* documentaries at interna¬
tional fests. His first try coines off
very welL His handling of the
actors, both pros and others, is
good* At times, however, the
mouthing of the dialog is awkward.
Lensing Is well done while the
music of Jan Mull fits In

Tile SoUtauny Caill4

(BRITISH)

drama wHh little mar¬
quee value.

. London, Dec. 9.

British . Lion release of a BeacMUiCield
(Peter Rogers) production. Start* PlUlilp
Friend,, Barbara Shelley.. Directed by
Gerald Thomas. Screenplay, Robert Dun¬
bar. from Nina Bawden's novel; edUor.
Peter Boita; camera, Peter Hemneesy. At
Studio One, London. Running time, 44
MINS;

James Bandom nillp. Friend

Harriet _........... Barbara ShCUey

Abb ..... SarahLawaoit

Jean.... Roaa*Ander«<m

Maggie .. Julia Lockwood

Mrs. Evans ........... Catherine Lacey

Cyril .... Jack Watiing

Mrs. Dennison.. . Violet Farebrother

Archie ... John Fjihlaa

Doctor Frank Ferqrtii

The meaty plot of this modest

8

PICTrCBE CkOSSES

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

LA. Hits Bottom; lank’ limp
‘Horrak’ Dim $9,000, To Live Uvely
8J^G, 34 Days Smash4P/^, 1044

Los Angeles^ Dec. 16. 4--

New low for considerahly more
than a year is being reached by
first-runs here this stanza, absence
of strong openers and Christmas
shopping, taking a toU. “Nice Little
Bank That Should Be Bobbed^ , is
pacing newcomers but shapes only
dim $12,500. four theatres.

“Last Hurrah,” in first multiple-
theatre appearance, looks limp
$9,000 in three situations. “Monster
From Green Hell” looms pale
$6,700 in two spots.

“I Want to Live” still is strong
in third week at Fox Beverly with
$6,500. “Anna Lucasta” shapes
healthy $8,000 in third session in
two spots. Of hard-tideet pix,
“Windjammer” is torrid $15,000 in
36th Chinese week. “Around World
in 80 Days” is rated big $11,500
in 104th roupd at Carthay.
Estimates for This We^

Pantages^ Four Star» Los An¬
geles, Loyola (KKO-UATC-FWC)
(2,815; 868; 2,017; 1,298; 90-$1.50)
—^“Nice Little Bank That Should
Be Bobbed” (20th) and “M^k of
Zorro” (20th) (reissue). Dim $12,-
500. Last week, Pantages, Los An¬
geles, Loyola, “Mardi Gras” (20th)
(2d wk), “Blood Arrow” (20th)
(Pantages) (2d wk), “From Earth to
IMoon” (WB) (Los Angeles, Loyola)
(2d wk), $9,300. Four Star, “Last
Hurrah” (Col) (6th wk). $1,800.

Hillstreet, Wiltem, Vogue (RKO-
SW-FWC) (2,752; '2.344; 825; 90-
$1.50)—“Unwed Mother” (AA) and
“'‘Joy Ride” (AA). Sad $6,200. Last
week, Hillstreet, Wiltem with New
Fox, “Tarawa Beachhead” (Col),
“Whole ' Truth” (Col), $10,900.
Vogue with Downtown, Uptown,
“Night of Blood Beast” (AI), “She-
Gods of Shark Beef’ (AI), $6,000.
should seek remedial legislation

State, Hawaii (UATC-G&S) (2,-
404; 1,106; 90-$1.50)—“Monster

from Green Hell” (DCA) and “Half
Human” (DCA). Pale $6,700. La.st
week, “Party Girl” (M-G) and
“Haunted Strangler” (M-Gl (2d
wk), $5,300.

Downtown, New Fox, Uptown.
(SW-FWC) (1,757; 765; 1,715; • 90-
$1.50)—“Last Hurrah” (Col) (1st
multiple-theatre release) and “Kill
Her Gently” (Col) (Downtown,
New Fox), “Tarawa Beachhead”
(Col) (Uptwon) (m!o.). Limp $9,100.

Downtown Faramonnt (ABPT)
(3.300; 90-31.50)—“(Tirl With Itch”
(Indie), “Back to Nature” (Indie),
“Sin Street Confidential” (Indie)
(Continued on page 10)

Pitt’s Cold, Trade Ktto; '
Ttmaer Brisk at $9,000,
‘Spider’3i€,‘Baiik’3G

Pittsburgh, Dec. 16.

The weather’s miserable Qurrent-
ly and so is business. Cold and
snow plus Christmas shopping are
producing plMity of gloom at the
boxoffice. Only “Tunnel of Love”
at Penn is making any kind of a
showing. Elsewhere downtown,
“The Spider” at Stanley and “A
Nice Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” at Harris are doing noth¬
ing. “Restless Years” at Fulton
looms lightweight as are arty house
pix.

Estimates for This Week
Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 80-$1.25)—
“Restless Years” (U). Film ver¬
sion of “Teach Me How To Cry”
well-liked by crix hut John Saxon-
Sandra Dee on marquee isnT strong
enough. Doesn’t look to top $4,000.
light. Last week, “MarcR Gras’*
(20th) (3d wk) $3,000 in 5 days'
Guild (Green) (500; 99-$i.25)—
“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert) (3d
wk). One of few times a i^ench
pie clocked rave notices which
didn’t help. Slim $1,400. Last
week, $1,700.

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 80r$1.25)
--“Little Bank Should Be Bobbed”
(20th). Poor at $3,000. Last week,
“Last Hurrah” (Col) (3d wk).

Penn (UA) (3,300; 80-$1.2J
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G). Nan
especially Doris Day’s, help
some and should get close to $9 (
only fairly bright spot in cun
session. Last weel^ “Housebc
■ (Par) (3d wk), $7,206.

Squirrel HUl (SW) (900; 99-$l
—-“Murder by Contract” (Col)
wk). Fading to $1,400 In 6 d;
Last week, modest ^,100-.
..Stanley (SW) (3,800; 80-$1.2J
-2^® Spider” (AI). Another
those teen-age . horrors but ■
one’s out of orbit. Dismal $6
looks about all. Last week. “Pi
Girl” (M-G), $7,500.

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week.$456,600

(Based on 20 theatres)

Last Year .$49$>300

(Based on 23 theatres)

"So. Seas" Stout
9GinSlowK.C.

Kansas City, Dec. 16.

. Going is slow this round, with
both the weather and shopping sea-;
son putting reverse English on box-
offices. Two spots offer some
brighter aspects, “South Seas Ad¬
venture” opening its run at the
Missouri to better than average,
trade while “Hot Angel” at Para¬
mount is running nearly to average.
^Tarawa Beachhead” at Midland
and pair of reissues in three Fox
Midwest theatres are' light as are
other pix. This weekend brought
some of the season’s coldest
weather.

Estimates for This Week

Glen, Dickinson, Shawnee Drire-
ih, Leawood Drive-in (Dickinson)
(700; 750; 1,100 cars; 900 cars; 75-
90)—“Fright” (Indie) and “Man
Without a Body” (Indie). Slim
$4,000, Last- week, “Day of
Triumph” (Indie) and “Noah’s Ark”
(Indie), same.

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 90-$1.25)
—“God Created Woman” (Kings)
(45th wk). Down to $1,000, low
for Bardot but satisfactory for time
of year and run. Last week, $1,100.

Midland (Loew) (3.500; 75-90)^
“Tarawa Beachhead” (Col) and
'“Whole Truth” (Col). Drab $5,000.
Last week, “Party Girl” (M-G) and
“Decks Ran Red” (M-G), $6,500.

Missouri (SW-Cinerama) (1,194;
$1.25-$2)—“South Seas Adventure”
(Cinerama). Opened last 'Thurs¬
day (11) for regular run following
benefit Wednesday night. Looks
for okay $9,000, and good for time
of year. Last week, “Windjam¬
mer” (NT) il3th wk). $16,000.

Paramount (UP) (1,900; 75-90)—
"Hot Angel” (Par) and “When Hell
Broke Loose” (Par). About aver¬
age $6,000. Last- week, “House^
boat” (Par) (3d wk), $6,200 in 8
days.

Roxy (Dunvood) (879; 90-$1.25)—
“Big Country” fUA) (5th wk)-.

• Down to fair $3,500. Last week,
$4,500.

RockhiU (Little Art Theatres)
(750; 75-90)—“Lucky Jim” (Kangs).
Oke’ $900. Last week, “Follies
Bergere” (Indie), $1,700.

Uptown, Fairway, Granada (Fox
Midwest) (2;043; 700; 1,217; 75-90)
—“Bend of River” (U) and “World
In His Arms” (U) (reissues). Mild
$6,500. Last week, “Mardi Gras”
(20th) (2d wk), $6,500.

‘RESTLESS’PACES NEW
ST. LOO PIX, $10,000

St. Louis, Dec. 16,

Trade is offish currently but
not any more so than usu^ for
this time of year. “Restless Years”
at the Fox looms moderate ta pace
newcomers. However, the St. Lmds
looks to do fancy hiz with a pair
of oldies, “The Rohe” and “Deme¬
trius and the Gladiators.” The Am¬
bassador continues in a seventh
brisk week with “South Seas Ad¬
venture.”

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW•^Cinerama) (1,>-
400; $1.20-$2.40)^"South Seas Ad- :
venture” (Cinerama) (7th wk).
Rousing $11,000 or close. Last
week, $12,000. ‘ |

Apollo Art (Grace) (700; 90-
$1.25)-—“The Awakening” (Indie)
(2d wk). Okay $2,000. Last week,^
$3,000.

Fox (Arthur) (5,000; 65-90)—
“Restless Years” (U> and “Money,
Women, Guns” (U). Modest $16,-
000. Last week, “Mardi Gras”
(20th) and “Party Crashers” (Par)
(2d wk), ditto.

Loew’s (Loew) (3,200; ®0-90>—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and “Th&
Muggers” (UA) (3d wk). Hep $7.-
000 or over. Last week, $11,500.

Orphenm (Loew) (1,000; 60-90)^
“Tarawa Beachhead” (Col) and
“She Played With Fire” CCol).
(Continued on page 10) j

INDPLS. BUSINESS SLUGGISH

*Vampire’ T^^ Moderate $7,001;
*Hoiiseboat’ Nke in 4ih

Indianapolis, Dec. 16.

Biz continues at modest level
here, prolonged cold wave adding
to usual pre-holiday luIL “Blood of
Vampire” at (jircle is boxoffice
leader but mild. “Houseboat” still
is nice in fourth stanza at Keith’s.
“South Pacific” is running down
after 35 weeks at Lyrid but is stay¬
ing in expectations of holiday re¬
bound. j

Estimates for This Week j

Circle (CockrIll-DoUe> (2,800;
75-90)—^“Blood of Vampire” (U>
and “Monster on. Campus” (U)^
Mild $7,000. Last week, “Mardi
Gras” (20th), $7,500.

Keith’s (C-D) (1,300; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (4th wk). Nice
$5,500. Last week, $6,500.

Loew’s (Loew) ' (2,427; 75-90>—
“Whole 'Truth” (Col) and “Tarawa
Beachhead” (Col). Thin $4,000.
Last week, ‘Torpedo Run” (M-G)
and “Terror in Texas Town” (UA),
$4,500.

Lyric (C-D) (850; $1.25-$2.20)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (35th wk).
Oke $5,000. Last week, ditto.

'So. Seas’Sbffdy
I8G in Sad Frisco

San Francisco, Dec. 16,

Usual pre-Xmas Influences are
sloughing trade here this session,
with exhibitors short on new fare
and reissues plentiful. Of openers,
“War of Worlds” paired with
“When Worlds Collide” shapes
best, being fairish for oldies at the
St. Francis. “South Seas Adven¬
ture” stiU is socko in third round
at Orpheiun despite the downbeat.
Elsewhere, outside of “Gigi” and
“South Pacific,” the takings are
mighty dull.

Estimates for This Week

GoHen Gate (RKG) (2,859; $1.25)
—“Revolt In Big House” (AA)
and “Johnny Rdcco” (AA). DuR
$6,500 OF near. Last week, “House¬
boat” (Par) and "Saga Hemp
Brown” (U) (3d wk), $10,000,

Fox'(FWC) (4,651; $1.24-$1.50)—
“Nice Little Bank’* (20th) and “Bus
Stop” (20th) (reissue). Slow $7,00()
in 6 days. Last week, “Mardi
Gras” (20th) (2d Wk), $7,500.

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 90-$1.25)
—^“Dunkirk” (MrG) and “Andy
Hardy Comes Home” (M-G). Dull
$7,000. Last' week, “Tunnel Of
Love” (M-G) (2d wk), $8,500.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$1.25)/
—“Man Inside” (Col) and “En¬
chanted Island” (WB). Slight $6,-
500. Last week, “Last Hurrah”
(Col) and “Life Begins-At 17” (CoD^
(2d wk), $9,000.

St Francis (Par) (1,400; $1.25-
$1.50)—“War Of Worlds” (Par) and,
“When Worlds Collide” (Par) (re¬
issues). Fairish $7,000 or close.
Last week. “Home Before Dark”
(WB), $10,000.

Orphenm (SW-Cinerama) (1,456;
$l,75-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (3d wk). Fine
$18,000. Last week. $19,500.

United Arfists (No. Coast) (1,-
207; 90-$1.25) — “Gun Runners”
(UA) and “Cop Hater” (UA). Drab
$4,500. Last week, “Man Of West”
(UA) and “Hong Kong Confiden¬
tial” (UA) (3d wk), $4,700.

Stagedoor (A-R) (440; $1.25-

$3.00)—“Gigi” (M-G) (23d wk>.
Okay $8,000. Last week, $9,000.

Presidio (Hardy-Parsons> (774;
$1.25-$1,50) — “Up The Creek”
(Ranlri (2d wk). Down to $2,400 or
less. Last week, $3,000:

Vogue (S. F. Theatres) (364;
$1.25)—-"Seventh Seal” (Indie) (4th
wk). Good $2,900. Last week,
$3,000.

Alexandria (United California)
(1,170; $lfi0-$3.5a)—“South Paci¬
fic” (Magna) (24th wk). Still soHd
$9,000. Last week, $12,000.

Pre-Holiday Ifits Buff;
‘Spider’86,‘RoW 66

Buffalo, Dec. 16.

Pre-holiday doldrums are in full
force here this stanza, with even
half-way decent showing the ex¬
ception rather than the rule. Best
showing of any newcomer is being
made by combo of “The Spider*'
and “Brain-Eaters,” rated fair at
Paramount. Elsewhere it is imehty
drab though “The Robe” is doing
fairly well for an oldie at the
Center. “The Pages’* looms poor
at Lafayette.

Estimates for This Week
; Buffalo (Loew) (3,500; 70-901 —
“Little Bank Should, he Robbed”
(20th) and “Flaming FrontlerT’
(20th>. Drab $6,500. Las^ week',
(Continued on page 10)

Hull Sails to’$8 Low Biit Kesdess’
Oby $13,IKI0;‘Wffldjanmer Fast 17G

Key (jty

Estimated Total Gross ^

This Wilbk.$1,7W,2««

(Based on 23 cities and 250
theatres,, chiepy, first runs, in¬
cluding' N. Y.)

Last Year ....$1338,181

(Based on 20. cities and 219
theatres.)

ProY. Biz Skids;
"Badlaiiders’l^G

Providence, Dec. 16.

Whole city is slow currently.
State’s “The Badlanders” leads but
it’s sad for a big house. Majestic is
sluggish with third week of
“Houseboat” Strand shapes drab
with “A Nice Little Bank' That
Should Be Robbed,’’

Estimatea far 'This Week

Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-80)—
“Gim Runners” (UA) and “China
DoU” (UA). DuU $4,500. Last
week, “Defiant v>nes” (UA) and
“Enemy Outer Space” (UA) (3(f
wk), $3,000.

Majestic (SW) (2,200; 65-80)—
“Houseboat” (Par) and “Howdy
Partners” (Par) (3d wk). Slow
$3,500. Second was happy $6,000

State (Loew) (3,200; 65-80)—
“The Badlanders” (M-G) and “Law
! and Jake Wade” (M-G). Sad $7,500
or near. Last week, “Tunnel of
Love” (M-G) and “Dunkirk” (M-G)
(2d wk),'$8,000.

Strand (National Realty) (2,200;
65-80)—“Little Bank That Should
Be Robbed” (20th) and “Ghost
Drivers” (Indie). Mild $4,000.
Last week, “Party Girl” (M-G) and
“No Place To Land” (Rep) (2d wk),
ditto.

Mpls. 6.0. Sloi^hed By
Cold WeatEer, Pre-Xmas;
‘Colonel’ Slow $5,500

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

*016 boxoffice, of course, is pay¬
ing its usual heavy pre-Christmas
toll here currently. The drop is
steeper than ever due, no doubt,
to hitter cold. There’s every
indication it’ll be traditionally the
year’s worst week. The lone im¬
portant fresh entry, “Me and
Colonel,” is being sacrificed to the
seasonal trend, with a tepid total
at Orpheum.

It’s the 25th and fifth weeks,
respectively, for the two hard-
ticket “South Pacific” and “Wind¬
jammer” and the fourth for “Tun¬
nel of Love,” “Night Heaven Fell”
and “Houseboat.” None of these is
getting far this stanza.

Estimates for This Week

Academy (Mann) (947; $1.50-
$2.65)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(25th .wk). All right $6,500. Last
week, $6,000.

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65)—“Windjammer” (NT) (5th
wk). Also siirely due for a big
comeback after this stanza. Satis¬
factory $10,000. Last week $13,000.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 90-$135)
—“Houseboat” (Far) (4th wk).
Winding first-rate rxm. Seasonal
$3,000. Last week. $4300.

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 90-$1.25)—
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (4th wk).
Finishes oke engagement in view
of Christmas* proximity and cold
wave. Mild $4,000. Last week,
$4,500.

RKO Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 85- I
90)—and Colonel” (Cpl).
Slow $5,500. Last week, “Man of
West” (UA) (2d wk), $4,000.

• RKO Pan (RKO) (1,800; 85-90)— !
“Hell Squad” (AI) and “Tank Bat¬
talion” (AI), A Christm^ gift fb?:
action fans. Good $5,000. Last week,
“Unwed Mother” (AA) and “Joy
Ride” (AA), $5,000.

SUte (Pari (2,200; 85-90)—“Rest¬
less Years” (U). No names, blit
moderate $8,000. Last week,
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk),

$5,500.

Suburban World (Manaz) (800;
85)—^“Cry Terror” (M-G> (reissue).
Light* $1,200. Last week, “Cant.
From Koepenick” (Indie) (2w wk),^
3 days, and “Reluctant Debutante”^
(2d run), 4 days, $l,20a

Worid (Mann) (400; 85-$l‘.25)—
“Night Heaven Fell” (Kings) (4th
wk). No complaint here; Good
$4,200. Last week, $4300i ' ‘ I

Boston, Dec. 16.

Hub pix biz ctmtinuex slow with
sub-zero weather and Xmas shop-;
ping sloughing trade to low mark
ef year. Of the new entries, “Nice
Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” looks mild-at the Memo¬
rial. “Restless Years” is rated okay
at Paramount and Fenway where
day-dating. Hub will have one less
first-run after New Year’s when
the Fenway, operated for years as
twin combo with Paramount, will
be dropped by New England Thea¬
tres Jan. 7.

Holdovers predominate cur¬
rently. Hard ticket shows are lead¬
ing with “Windjammer,” stout at
the Boston in 17th week. “South
Pacific” looms bright in 36th at
the Saxon. “Gigi” shapes "hep in
16th at the Gary.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (B&Q) (1,371; $1.25-$1.50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (8th
wk). Slow $3,000. Last week, same.

Beacon Hill (Sack) (678; 90-$L50)
—“No Sun in Venice” '(Indie) and
“Model” (Indie) (4th wk). Good
$3;000. Last week, ditto.

Boston (SW-Cinerama) (1,354;
$1.25-$2.65)—^“Windjammer” (NT)
(17th wk). Stout $17,000. Last weel^
$19,000.

Capri (Sack) (1,150; 90-$1.50)-^
“Man in Raincoat” (Indie) and
“Toraro” (Indie) (3d wk). Oke
$3,000. Last week, same. .

Exeter (Indie) (1300; 75-$1.25)—
“Rockets Galore” (Rank) (4th wk).
Third week was neat $4,000.

Fenway (NET) (1,376; 60-$1.10)—
“Restless Years” (U) and “Appoint¬
ment With Shadow” (U). Slick
$4,000. Last week, “Mardi Gras”
(20th) and “When Hell Broke
Loose” (20th) (2d wk), $3,000.

Gary (Sack) (1,240; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) {16th wk). Hep $10,-
000. Last week, ditto.

Kenmore (Inde) (700; 90-$1.50)—
“My Uncle. Mr. Hulot” (Cont) (5th
wk). Nice $4,000. Last week, $5300..

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-$I.10)
—^“Nice Little Bank Robbed”
(20th) and “Valerie” (Indie). Mild
$10,000. Last week, “Home Before
Dark” (WB) and “Once Upon
Horse” (U) (4th wk), $9300.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 70-
$1.10)r-“Houseboat” (Par) (4th
wk). Dull $6,000. Last week, $7300.

Mayflower (ATC) (683; 75-$1.25)
—“Arsenic and Old Lace” and “In¬
spector General” (reissues). Pair
$2,000. Last week, “Onionhead”
(WB) and “Fraulein” (20th) (2d
runs), $3,500.

Paramount (NET) (2,357; 70-

$1.10)—“Restless Years” (U) and
“Appointment With Shadow” (U).
Good $9,000. Last week," “Mardi
Gras” {20th) and “When Hell, Broke
Loose” (20th) (2d wk), $6,500.

Pilgrim (ATC) (1,000; 60-$1.10)—
“Spider” (AI) and “Brain Eaters”
(AI) (2d runs). Fair $3,500. Last
(Continued on page 10)

Omalia Biz Sad Albut
‘Moon’ Fair at $7,0Q(^
Tacific’ 9i6, M

Omaha, Dec;, 16.

It’s a sad tale at downtown first-
runs this week« Stores are open
nightly for Xmas shopping. This
eind the Auto Show slashed the
weekend biz. Lone fairly good pic
is “From Earth to Moon,” and it’s
only mild at Orpheum. “Tarav)a
Beachhead” at the Brandeis and
“Restless Years” at the Omaha are
both failing to impress while
“Little Bank That Should , Be
Robbed” is downright dull at the
State. Hard-ticket “South Pacific”
slumped at the Cooper but is still
strong for eighth go-round.

Estimates for This Week
‘ Brandeis (Cooper) (694; 901—
“Tarawa Beachhead” (Col) and
“Apache Territory” (Colh Fair
$2,000. Last week, “Me and Cdt>
onel” (Col) and Coronation short
(2d wk). $3,000.

Cooper (Cooper) (708; $1.50-

$2.20)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
<8th wk). Hep $9,500. Last weelL
$ 12 , 000 .

OuMha (Tristates) (2,066; 75-90)
—^‘Restless Years”^ (U) and
Craters” (Par). Slim $4,000. Last
week, “Blood of Vampire” (U) and
“Monster on Campus” (U>,^ M.QOff
for 8 days,

Qrilwiim (Trlstates) (2,980; 75-
90)—^‘Trom Earth to Moon” (WBl
and "A& Young As W§ Are” (Par).
Fair $7300 or near. Last week,
“Mardi Gras” (20thl (2d wk)/
$4300,

State (Cooj?eri (850; 9(J)—“Little
Bank That Should Be Robbed”
(20th). Mild $2,500. Last week,
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d wk),
same.

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

f^SRt&Ff

PICTURE GROSSES

DETROIT OK DESPITE SHOPPING

Chi Hungry for Biz; loon Bright
$13,m‘Hawk’Bigl4G,2d,lucasta
Lofty 13G, 3d, ‘Days Boff 17G, 89th

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Pre-holiday downbeat has the'
Main Stem wickets growling with
hunger (for trade) pains. Most ef
deluxers are sitting tight, at least
till Xmas week, so there are only
two new arrivals this round.
Roosevelt’s double bill,v “Enchanted
Island’’ and "From Earth to
Moon,’’ is headed for a good $13,-
000. “Law and Jake Wade’’ in-
Itialer looks fair $6,500 at the
Loop.

Second round of “Mark of Hawk”
at Woods is shaping nice. Orien¬
tal’s third stanza of “Anna Lucasta”
looks, oke, with ditto frame of
“Geisha Boy” figured modest at
the Chicago. “I Want to Live”
shapes good in fifth session at
States-Lake;

Second stanza of “Little Bank
That Should be Robbed” • and
“Sierra Baron” looms fair at the
Garrick. “Home Before Dark” is
rated fairish in third United Artists
frame.

Surf’s fourth round of “Inspector
Maigret,” hypoed some by reviews
and word-of-mouth, is holding oke.
“Houseboat’s” sixth week at the,
Esquire is also taking okay coin.'

Of the hard ticket films, “South
Seas Adventure” notched a fine
12th session at the Palace while
“Gigi” shapes good in 23d stanza
at the Harris. “South Pacific’’
went with the tide for a fair 38th
frame at the Mc'Vickers. “Around
World in 80 Days” managed a great
89th week at Todd’s Cinestage.

Estimates for This Week

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 90-$1.80)
—^^“Geisha Boy” (Par) (3d wk).
Mild $15,000. Last week, $21,000.

Esquire (H&E Balaban) (1,350;
$1.50)—“Houseboat” (Par) (6th wk).
Good $7,000. Last week, $8,000.

Garrick (B&K) (850; 90-$1.25)—
“Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” (2Dth) and “Sierra Baron”
(20th) (2d wk). Mild $5,000. Last
week, $9,000.

Harris (Todd) (934; $1.25-S3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (23d wk). Good $12,-
500. Last week, $14,000.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.50>—
“Law and Jack Wade” (M-G). Oke
$6,500. Last week, “Crawling
Eye” (DCA) and “Cosmic Mon¬
sters” (DCA) (2d wk), $6,000. *

Mc'Vickers (JL&S) (1,580; $1.25-
$3.30)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(38th wk). Fair $12,000. Last
week, $16,000.

Monroe (Jovan) (1.000; 65-90)—
Reissues. Last week, “Machete”
(UA) and “10 Days to Tulara”- (UA)
$4,500.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 90-$1.50)
(Continued on page 10)

I’ville B.O. Slumps But
‘Wind’Fair $4,500;«
Dull 7G, ‘Tarawa’ Sad 4G

Louisville, Dec. 16.
weather is unusually cold for
this area. This plus pre-Christmas
shopping is sloughing first-nm
trade currently. New films are ’of
the so-so category which is no help.
“Nice Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” and “Cattle Empire” at
Rialto shapes slow. The Mary Ann
combo of “Wind Across Ever¬
glades” and “Badman’s Country”
Is rated fair. “Tarawa Beach¬
head” is poor at the United Artists.

Estimates for This Week
Brown (Fourth Ave.) (1,200; 90-
$1.25)-^“Gigi” (M-G) (5th wk). Fair
$4,000 after fourth week’s $4,500.

Kentucky (Switow) (900; 60-90)
—“Houseboat” (Par) (3d.wk). Oke
$5,000 after second week! hit same.

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,000;
60-90)—“Wind Across Everglades”
CWB) and “Badman’s Country”
CWB)) Fair $4,500. Last week,
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d wk),
$5,000.

Rialto (Fourth Ave.) (3,000; 60-
85)—“Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” (20th) and “Cattle Em¬
pire” (20th), Slow $7,000. - Last
week, “Mardi Gras” (20th) (2d wk),
$ 8 , 000 .

United Artists (UA) (3,000; GO-
DO) — “Tarawa Beachhead” (Col)
and “Hkrd Man” (Col). Poor $4,000
or near. Last week, “Decks Ran
Red” (M-G) and “Dunkirk” <M-G),
$5,000.

PRE-XMAS BOPS SEATTLE

*Queen Space’ Okay $8,000,
^Houseboat’ Fair G in 4th

Seattle, Dec. 16.

The week before Christmas and
Tacoma traditionally have been the
two toughest showbiz weeks, as old
vaudeville artists used to say. This
is certainly true of biz here this
session. “Queen of Outer Space”
and in “iYankenstein 1970” combo
looms okay at Coliseum. “Gigi”
also is oke in 10th round at Music
Box. Fifth • Avenue is fair with
“Houseboat” in fourth stanza. But
elsewhere the takings are lean.

Estimates for This Week

Blue- Mouse (Hamrick) (800;
$1.50-$2.50) — “South Pacific”
(Magna) (29th wk). Off to $4,000.
Last week, $6,100.

Coliseum (Fox-Evergreen) (1,874;
90-$1.50)—“Queen of Outer Space”
(AA) and “Frankenstein 1970”
(AA). Okay $8,000. Last week,
“Nice Little Bank” (20th) and
“Wolf Dog” (20th), $6,800.

Fifth Avenue (Fox-Evergreen)
(2,500; 90-$1.50) — “Houseboat”

(Par) and “'Vormg as You Are”
(Par) (4^ wk). Fair $4,500. Last
week, $6,300.

Music Box (Hamrick) (850; $1.50-
$2.80) — “Gigi” (M-G). (10th wk).
Oke $3,500. Last week, $4,600.

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,200; 90-
$1.50)^—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
and “Appointment with Shadow”
(U) (3d wk). Mild $4,500. Last
week, $5,700.

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2,700; 90-
$1.50) — “Lost Missile” (UA) and
“Fearmakers” (UA). Sad $3,000'in
4 days. Last week, “Blood of Vamr
P’re” (U) and “Monster of Campus”
(U), $5,400 in 6 days.

Paramount (Fox - Evergreen)
(3,107; 90-$1.50) — “Girl In Bikini”
(indie) and “Scandal in Sorrento”
(Indie) (2d wk-5 days). Slow $4,000.
Last week, $9,300.

in Wash.

. Washington, Dec. 16.

Downtown stores are crowded
with Christmas shoppers • and, this
means poor pre-holiday business
for film houses here. “Sierra
Baron” and “Nice Little Bank That
Should be Robbed” both made
disappointing entries, and won’t
stay. “Tarawa Beachhead” had a
more promising bow. “Windjam-
mer,” successful for nine weeks, is
departing. “Tunnel of Love” is
fair in final nine days of third
Capitol week.

Estimates for This Week
'.Ambassador-Metropolitan (SW)
(1,490; 1,000; 90-$1.25)—“Home Be¬
fore Dark” (WB) (3d wk). Okay
$7,000. Last week, $10,700.

Apex (KB) (940; 60-90)—“Win-
dom’s Way” (Rank). Mild $2,200.
Last week, “Mitsou” (Indie), $1,800.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 90-$1.25)
—“Tunnel of Love” (M-(j) (3d wk).
Fair $11,000 in final 9 days, as
Capitol made way Monday (15) for
three-performance sh'ovnng of
Beryozka Russian Folk Ballet.

Columbia (Loew) (904; 90-$1.25)
—^“Sierra Baron” (20th). Disap¬
pointing $4,000 and leaves. Last
week, “Fiend Who Walked the
We.st” (20th). $4,600.

Keith’s (RKO) (1,850; 90-$1.25)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (5tfa wk). Slipping
to $6,500 after $8,300.

MacArthur (K-B) (900; $1.10)—
“A Town Like Alice” (Rank). Slow
$3,000. Last week, “Gideon of
Scotland Yard” (Col) (2d wk),
$2,800.

Ontario (K-B) (1,240; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (9th wk). Okay
$3,000. Last week, $3,500.

Palace (Loew) (2,390; 90-$1.25)—
“Little Bank That Should Be
Robbed” (20th). Poor $7,000. Last
week, “Mardi Gras” (20th) (3d wk),
$6,500.

Plaza (T-L) (276; 90-$1.50)—

(Continqed pn §age 10), .

mm iP.

Detroit, Dec. 16,

Pre-Christmas slack season has
set in, however, lower-level grosses
among the downtowners still are
respectable. “Restless Years”
looks good at the Michigan, “Re¬
volt in Big House” shapes fairish
at the Palms. “Camp on Blood
Island” is average at Brbadway-
Capitol.

Others are holdovers with the
liveliest being “South Seas Adven¬
ture,” going great in 11th week
at the Music Hall, “South Pacific”
still is stout in 36th week at the
Adams. “Old Man and Sea” is
rated okay in fourth stanza at
Madison. “Mardi Gras” stiU is
okay in third week.-

Estimates for This Week

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,100; $1.25-
$1.50)—^“Mardi Gras” (20th) and
“Ffontier Gun” (20th) (3d wk).
Down to okay $10,000. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,000;
$1.25-$1.50)—“Restless Years” (U)
and “Appointment With Shadow”
(U). Good $16,000. Last week,
“Last Hurrah” (Col) and “Gun-
smoke at Tucson” (AA) (2d wk),
$ 12 , 000 .

. Palms (UD) 12,961;. 90-$1.25)—
“Revolt in Big House” (AA) and
“Johnny Rocco” AA). Fairish $12.-
000. Last, week, “Home -Before
Dark” (WB) and “Wolf Larsen”
(AA) (2d wk), $10,000.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1.25-$1,50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (4th
wki. Oke $8,000. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500;
D0-$f.25)—“Camp on Blood Island”
(Col) and “Snorkel” (Col). Aver¬
age $12,000. Last week, “Spider”
(AI) and “Brain ‘Eaters” (AI) (2d
vvk-4 days), $8,000.

United Artists (UA) (1,667; $1.25-
$3)—^^“South Pacific” (20th) (36th
wkv. Strong $9,000. Last week,
$8,900,

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1.25-
$1.50)—‘Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
(4th wk). Down to $6,500. Last
week, $8,000.

Music Hall (SW - Cinerama)
(1,208; $1.50-$2.65)—“South Seas
Adventure” ((Cinerama) (11th wki.
Terrific ' $17,000, Last week,
$18,000.

Trans-Lux Krim (Trans-Lux)
(1,000; 90-$1.50)—“Julius Caesar”
(M-G) (reissue). ' Weak $4,000.
Last week, “Gigi’’ (M-G) (8th wk»,
$3,30.0.

SEASON HITS TORONTO B.O.

N.Y.: Usual Pre-Xmas Dip Heightened
By News Strike; ‘Inn’ Dff to Fine 63G,
‘Mame’-Nativity Show Sock $175j

CLEVE. TAKES DRUBBING

‘Spider’ Fair, $10,000, ‘Restless* 8G,
‘So. Seas* IIG, 2d

Cleveland, Dec. 16.
Key mainstem houses are tak¬
ing a drubbing here this round.
About the best newcomer is “The
Snider,” rated fair at the Allen.
“Restless Years”, is only a sten be¬
hind but is not good at the Hipp.
“South Seas Adventure” ‘ is off ■;
sha;rply in second stanza at the \
Palace but still is good, especially
in view of conditions.

Estimates for This Week
Allen (SrW) (3,800; 75-$l)—

“Spider” (AI) and “Brain Eaters”
(AI). Fari $10,000 or-close. Last
week, “Home Before Dark” (WB)
(2d wk), $9,500.

Continental Art (Art Theatre
Guild) (850; $1.25)—“There’s Al¬
ways Price Tag.” (Indie). Poor
$L200- Last week, “Capt. From
Koepenick” (Indie) (2d wk), $1,400.

Heights Art (Art Theatre Guild)
(925; $1.25)—“Pantaloons” (Indie).
Okay $2,000. Last week, “Julietta”
(Indie), $1,000.

Hippodronie (Telem’t) (3.700: 85-
$1.25)—“Restless Years” (U). Mod¬
est $8,000. Last week, “Mardi
Gras” (20th) (2d wk), ditto. 1

Lower Mall (Communitv) (500;
70-90)—“Milk Maid” (Indie) and :
“Gri-Gri” (Indie). (2d wk). So-so ;
$1,500 after $3,000 opener. i

Ohio (Loew) (1.244; $1.25-$2,50) .
—“South. Pacific” (Magna) (36th i
wk). Mild $4,000. Last week,'■
same. 1

/Palace (SW - Cinerama) (1.523;!
$1.25-$2.40)—“South Seas Adven-•
ture” (Cinerama) (2d wk). Off to
good $11,000. Last week, $26,500,
States (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)—
“Dunkirk” (M-G). Dreary $7,000.
Last week, “Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
(2d wk), $6,000.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700: 70-90)—
“Tunnel of Love” M-G) (m.o.)!

! Passable $7,000. Last w' e e k, j

‘Robe’ Fair $8,000; “So. Seas’
Strong IIG, ‘Defiant’ 9G

Toronto, Dec. 16.
Biz is generally drab all over
the city, but there are some good
spots.. Several houses are playing
reissues or just coasting until holi¬
day season arrives. Only new¬
comers are “The Goddess,” doing
okay; “Decks Ran Red,” rated poor
and “She Played with Fire,” which
is sad. However, “Defiant Ones”
looms okay ini second round.
“South Seas Adventure” shapes
good in third stanza.

Estimates for This Week
Carlton (Rank) (2,518; 75-$1.25)
—“The Robe” (20th) (reissue). Fair
$8,000. Last week, “Folies Ber-
gere” (Rank), $7,000.

Century, Downtown, Glendale,
Midtpwn, Oakwood, Odebn, Prince
of Wales, Scarboro, State (Taylor)
(1,338; 1,059; 995; 1,089; 1,393;‘752;
1,200; 684; 694; 50-75)—“Decks
Ran Red” (M-G) and “Apache Ter¬
ritory” (Col), Poor $17,000. Last
(Continued on page 10).

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re-;.
ported herewith from the vari¬
ous key cities, are. net; i.e.,
w'ithout Usual tax. Distrib¬
utors share on net take, when
playing' percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in¬
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the D. S. amusement
tax. . .

‘Geisk’Good 8G,
Philly; ‘Party’ 8G

Philadelphia, Dec. 16.
There are few blue chip pix to
counteract the seasonal downbeat
this round. Cold weekend and long
forecast of heavy snow for Sunday
clobbered biz. Some of numerous
holdovers shape as best bets cur¬
rently. “Geisha Boy,” most im¬
portant new entrant, is somewhat
of a disappointment albeit good at
Randolph. “Party Girl” is rated
fast in third Arcadia session.
“Windjammer” is holding nicely in
seventh frame and getting same
money as last week. “Home Be¬
fore Dark” looms snappy in third
Stanley stanza.

Estimates for This Week
Arcadia (S&S) (536; .99-$l.S0)—
“Party Girl” (M-G) (3d wk).. Fast
$3,000. Last week, $10,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,480; $1.20-$2.40)—
“Windjammer” (NT) (7th wk). Hold¬
ing at nice $10,500 same as last
v/eek.

Fox (National) (2.250; 94-$1.49)—
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (3d wk). Two
previews helped to get okay $6,80p.
Last week, $7,500.

Goldman (Goldman) (1,200; $1.40-
$2.60)—“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(5th wki. Weak $3,000. Last week,
$4,000.

. Midtown (Goldman) (1.200; $1.20-
$2.50) — “South Pacific” (Magna)
(38th wk). Good $6,200. Last week,
same.

Randolph (Goldman) (1,250; 94-
$1.49)—“Geisha Boy” (Par), Dis¬
appointing but good considering at
$9,000. Last week, “Last Hurrah” i
(Col) (4th wk). $5,500. i

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 99-$1.80)—
“Home Before Dark” CWB) (3d wk).
Snappy $10,000. Last week, $12,000. i
Stanton (SW) (1,483; 99-$1.49)—
“Mark of Hawk” (Ur and “En¬
chanted Island” (WB). Mild $5,000.
Last week, “Blood of Vampirer
(Continued on pa^e l ^)., i

It’s the week before Christmas,
and Broadway first-run managers,
with few exceptions, will be glad
when it is over because ^m busi¬
ness is that slow, if usual "for this
time of the year. If anything, it
is a bit worse than customary,
deluxers having to contend with
unusually cold weather, snow and
the strike of newspaper deliverers
in addition to the familiar Christ¬
mas buying.

Shutdown of all N.Y. daily
plants poses a tough proposition
for all new bills as the Paramount
found out last week when it
preemed “Inn of Sixth Happiness.”
However, despite that handicap
this new production looks to hit
a very good $46,000 opening ses¬
sion. It looks like big $17,000 at
the Plaza in preem weele

Same trouble faces “Night To
Remember” which starts its regu¬
lar run today (Wed.) at the Crite¬
rion following a big preem last
night (Tues.). The Roxy will have
the same obstacle when it tees off
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” and
new stageshow today (Wed.).

As usual, the Music Hall is going
against the offish trend. With its
annual Christmas stageshow and
“Auntie Marne,” it looks to climb
to sock $175,000 in the second
round ending today (Wed.) or $5,-
200 ahead of the opening week’s
$169,800.

Second stanza of “Jewel Box
Revue” on the stage plus “China
Doll” at the State naturally was
hurt by the newspaper strike. It
looks like good $22,000, not so bad
considering but disappointing fof
such a big, expensive layout.

“I Want To Live” stiU is one of
the strongest holdovers with solid
$16,000 in fourth round at the
'Victoria. “Houseboat” looks to
reach a good $18,000 in current.
(5thi session at the Capitol. “Big
Country” is off to a fair $11,000 or
close in llth-final week at the
Astor. “Separate Tables” opens
there tomorrow (Thurs.), day-dat¬
ing with the Normandie.

“Doctor’s Dilemma” tees off to¬
day (Wed.) at the Trans-Lux 52d
Street. “Geisha Boy” preems at the
Mayfair next Friday (19).

Most hard-ticket pix are being
hard hit currently. “South Seas
Adventure” is holding best with an
okay $23,600 for 21st stanza at the
Warner.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1,094; 75-$2)—
“Big Country” (UA) (llth-final
wk). Current week ending today
(Wed.) looks like fair $10,000 or
close. The lOth week, $12,000 “Sep¬
arate Tables” (UA) comes in to¬
morrow (Thurs.).

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25-$2)
—“My Uncle” (Cont) (7th wk)..
Sixth round ended Sunday (14) was
fancy $7,500. Fifth, $9,800.

Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$2.50)
—“Houseboat” (Par) (5th wk). This
session winding up tomorrow
(Thurs.) is heading for good $18,-
000 or near. Fourth was $25,000/
Stays until “Buccaneer” (Par)
opens on Dec. 23.

Criterion (Moss) (1,671; $1.80-
$2.50)-r-“Night to Remember”
(Rank) opened last night (Tues.).
In ahead, “Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(11th wk). The lOth session fin¬
ished Sunday (14) was mild $7,600.
The ninth, $9,600. Regular run of
“Remember” starts today . (Wed.).

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)
—“Pepote” (UMPO) (3d wk). Ini¬
tial holdover stanza ended Sunday
(14) was mild $4,500. First week,
$6,000. “Bell, Book, Candle” (Col)
comes in Dec. 25.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75)—
“My Uncle” (Cont) (7th wk). Sixth
we^ finished Sunday (14) was
solid $6,300. Fifth was $8,400.

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592;
$1.20-S1.80)—“Tosca” (Indie) (8th
wk). This round winding up today
(Wed.) looks like light $3,000,
which is second week at this lower
scale. Last week, $4,200. “Separate
Tables” (UA) <H>ens Dec. 18.

Palace (RKO) (1,642; 90-$2)—
“Roots of Heaven” (20th) (10th wk).
Ninth week ended yesterday
(Tues.) was modest $*7 non
The eighth $9,500. “Rally Round
Fl?f^. Boys” (20th) onsns Dec. 24.

Odeon (Rank) (813; 90-.$1.80)—
‘Trom Earth to Moon” (WB) (4th
(Continued on page JO).

10

nciun aimssBM

Vcdncaday^ Bcccmlier 17, 195S

Ck; So^; ‘Vimpire’ Oby
‘So.Seas’BiglllG,7tli,‘islaiiir7G

Cincinnati, Dec. 16. 4

Cincy film |p:osse> shape so^o
ttm stanza In face ef prdlcHis^d
near-zero weather and Xnas* ap¬
proach. Double horror comho of
^Blood of Vampire” and ‘Monster
on CampQ^* at the Palace holds
first-run lead followed closely by
•‘Enchanted Island” and “When
TT^n Broke Ijoose” at small Grand.
Bassue of “Giant” rates fairish at
the Alhee. Keith’s is

closed for a week, allowing for
^art of Todd-AG equipment in¬
stallation. Longruns “^uth Pa¬
cific” and "South Seas Adventure,”
are dippipg to expected lows dur¬
ing se^onal slowdown.

Zatimates for This Week

Alhee (HKO) <3^00; S0-$1.25)—
“Giant” <WB) <reiKue). Fairish
$6,500. week^ "Houseboat”

(Par) (3d wk). ditto.

Capitol (SW-Cinerama) (1,376;
$1.20-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) <7th wk). Good
$10,000. Last week, $11,000.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; P0-$1.10)—
“Enchanted Island” CWB) . and
“When Hen Broke Loose” (Par).
Nice $7,000. Last week, “tunnel of
Love” (M-G) (2d wk), nine days,
$7,500, at $1^ top. .

Keith*s (Shor) (1,500; 90-$1.257^
Shuttered this week, permitting
first st^ for Todd-AO egiiipment
installation. Beopens Dec. 18 with
“Seventh Vojrage jed Sinhad” (Col).
Last week, nine days, “Mardi
Gras” <20th) (2d wk), $4,400.

“Mardi Gras” grossed $4,000 in
second week at Shor’s Twin
Drive-In.

Palace (HKO) (2,600; 90-$1.10)—
“Blood of Vampire” (ID and “Mon¬
ster -on Campus” (U). Okay $7fi00.
Last week, “Home Before Dark”
(WB) (2d wk), $6,000 at d0'$1.25
scale.

VaDey (Wiethe) (1,300; $lfi0-
$2.50)—“South Pacific^’ (Magna)
(33d wk). Thin $3,500 for slight im¬
provement over last week's $3,000,
low for run.

LOS ANGELES

(Continued from page -8)
(reissue) (2d wk). Fair ^,800. Xiast
week, $10,700.

Fox Beverly (FWC) (1,170; 90-$2)
—"I Want to Live” (XJA) (3d wk).
Strong $8,500. Last week,. $10,500.

Orphenia, Hollywood (Metro-
politan-FWC) (2,213; 756; 90-$1.50)
—“ Anna Lucasta” (UA) (3d wk).
Hefty $8,000. Last week, $11,600.

El Bey. liis (FWC) (861; 825; 90-
$1.50)—"Houseboat” (Par)’ (4th
wk) and “White Wilderness” (BV)
(El Bey) (2d wk), “Torpedo Run”
tM-G) (2d wk). Okay $6,000. Last
week. $7,200.

Warner Beverly (SW). (1,612; 90-
$1-50)—^“Bell, Book, Candle” (Col)
(5th v*). Trim $6,500 or close.
Last week, $8,500.

Fine Arte (FWO (631; - $1.50-
$1.75)—“Old Man and Sea” (WB)
(6th wk). Oke $3,000. Last week,

Warner Hollywood (SW^Cine-
rama) (1,389; $1.20-$2.65^-“South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama).
Started 12th week Sunday (14)
after solid $17,300 last week.

Fox Washire (FWC) (2,296; 90-
$lfi0)—“Cat On Hot Tin Roof’
(M-G) (16th wk). Plump $4;000.
Last week, $4,900.

Hollywood Faramoimt (F&M)
(1,468; $i.65-$3)—“Gigi” (M-G)

(23d wk). Good $12,000. Last week,
$12,900.

Egyptian (UTAC) (1,392; $1.65-
$3B0)—^‘South Pacific” (Magna)
(28th wk). Soft $10,000. Last week,
$11,500.

Chinese (FWC) (1,408; $1.75-
$3fi0)—“Windjammer” (NT) (30th
wk). Torrid $15,000. Last week,
$17,200

Carthay (FWC) (1,135; $1.75-
$3.50) — "ATound World in 80
Days” (DA) (104th wk). Big $11,-
500. Lastweek, ditto.

ST. LOUIS

(Continued from page 8)

Fair $5,000 or close. Last week,
“Fearmakers” (UA) and “Last
Paradise” (UA), $4,500.

Pageant (Arthur) (1,000; $1.80-
$2.25)—“South Padfic” (Magna) i
(35th wk). Modest $4,000. Last
week, $5,000.

Richmond (Arthur) (1,000; 60-90)
—^“Snow Was Black” (Indie), Sad
$800. Last week, “As Long |\s
They’re Happy” (Rank) and
“Gentle Touch” (Rank), $1,200.

St. Louis (Arthur) (3,600; 60-75)
—“The Robe” (20th) and “Deme¬
trius and Gladiators” (20th) (re¬
issues). Fancy $12,000. Last week,
“Spider” (AI) and “Brain Eaters”
(AI), $15,000.

Shady Oak (Arthur) (560; 60-90)
—“Truth About Women” (Cont’I),
Oke $2,000. Last' week, "White
Wilderness” (BV) (3d wk), same.

PORT. DRIFTS ALBEfT
‘AT WAR’FINE ROOD

POTtland, Ore., Dec. 16.

First run hiz is drifting much
lower in current round, many
houses using holdovers and long-
runs. "South Pacific” is steady in
29th week at Broadway. "House¬
boat” shapes only passable In third
inning at Paramount. Best bet
looks to be oldie combo of “At
War With Army‘s and “Off Limits,”
rated fine at Oj^heum.

E^dimates for This. Week
. Broadway (Parker) (890; $1.50-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(29th wk). Steady $5fi00. Last
week, $5,400.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.50)
—“Girl In Bikini” (Indie) and!
“Scandal In Sorrento” (Indie).'
MUd $6,000. Last week, "Mardi
Gras” (20th) and “Diamond Safari”
(20th) <2d wk), $6,400.

Guild (Indie) (400; $1-$1.50)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (17th wk). Fair
$4,000. Last week, $4,300 first !
week of change of policy to pop,
prices, continuous run.

Liberty (Hamrick) (1.865; $1-
$1.50)—"Tunnel of Love”^ (M-G)
and "Decks Ran Red” (M-G) {3d
wk). Modest $3,000. Last week,
$4,600.

Orpbeum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.50)—^“At War With Army” In¬
die) and "Off Limits” (Par) (re¬
issues). Fine $7,000 or close.'
Last week, "Little Bank That
Should Be Robbed” (20th) and
“Naked Earth” (20th), $5,900.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; $1-
$1.50)—^"Houseboat” (Par) and “As
Young As We Are” (Par) (3d wk).
Passable $4,500. Last week, $6,500.

BUFFALO

(Continued from page 8)
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (2d),
$6,800.

Center (AB-PT) (2,000; 70-90)
“The Robe” (20th) and “Man Called
Peter” (20th) (reissues). Fair $fe,000.
Last week, “Home Before Dark”
(WB) (2d wk), ditto.

Century (UATC) (1,410; 70-90)—
"Man Inside” (Indie) and “Going
Steady” (Inme). Slow $5,500. Last
week, “Case Against Brooklyn”
(Col) and “Let’s Rock” (Col),
$2,200 in 4 days.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 70-90)—
“The Pagans” (AA) and “Wolf
Larsen” (AA). Poor $5,000. Last
week, “Gun Runners” (UA) and
“Street of Sinners” (UA), $5,000.

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-
90)—^“The Spider” (AI) and “Brain-
Eaters” (AI). Fair $8,000. Last
week, “Houseboat” (Par) and
“Party Crashers” (Par) (3d wk-4
days), $6,000.

Teck. (Loew) (1,200; 70-90) —
“Defiant Ones” (UA) (3d wk). Soft
$3-,500. Last week, $4,000.

Cinema (Martina) (450; 70-90)—
“The Matchmaker” (Par). Light
$1,000 in 5 days. Last week, "Gates
of Paris" (Indie), $900.

WASHINGTON

(Continued from page 9)
“Razzia” (Indie)- (2d wk). . Nice
$4,500 after $6,500 for opener.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 90-$1.50)
—“T a r a w a Beachhead” (Col).
Good $6,000. Last week, ‘Last
Hurrah” (Col) (7th wk), $4,500 at
$1.80 top.

Uptown (SW) (1,100; $1.25-$2.50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (5th
wk). MUd $4,500. Leaves after
dis^pointing run, with “South
Pacific” (Magna) which preceded
it to be brought back in.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,300;
$1.25-$2.40)—^“Windjammer” (NT)
(9th wk). Great $15,000 in final
week following $15,200 for eighth.
“South Seas Adventure” (Cine¬
rama) is in nhxt.

BOSTON

(Continued from page 8)
week, “Man Inside” (Col) a
“Ghost of China Sea” (Col), $7,5

Saxon (Sack) (1,000; $1.50-$3.
—^“South Pacific” (Magna) (3(
wk). Bright $10,006. Last we
same.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (730; 75-$1.25
^'Assault” (Brenner) and “W
and Wicked” (Indie). Oke $4,0
Last wedk, “Hitler’s Sins” (Ind
and “Blood of Bataan” (Indie)
wk), $3,000.

OnUieum (Loew) (2,900; 90-$I.
—“Torpedo Run” (M-G) and “Fe
makers” (UA) (2d wk). DuU $8,0
Last week, $11,000.

State (Loew) (2,600; 75-$1.25
“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d v
Drab $5,000. Last week, $6,000.

PiSiRIEfT

(M $ 7,006 h
Balto; ‘Vmpire’•‘Camfus’
Nieellfi, 1 UI.’ 3 G, 3 d

Baltimore, Dec. 16.
Hi gh spots t his framp are a hor¬
ror hill h^ded hy a "Blood of
Vampire” with horror atagediqw
at Hipp and “Geisha" Boy,” which
is openii^ well at Town. Else¬
where, biz is way down. Third new
hill, “Tarawa Beadihead” and “En^
chanted Island,” at Stanley, is dull.
Double reissue of “Wee Geordie”
and “Ship Was Loaded” looks mUd
at the Cinema. ^*Houseboat” is oke
in fifth at Mayfam and same can
be said for “Mardi Gras” in third
at the Century,

Estimates for This Week
Centuiy (R-F) (3,106; S0-$1.25)—
“Mardi Gr^” <20th) (3d wk). Slow
$3,000 after $6,000 in second.

Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50-

$1.25)—“Wee Geordie” (Indie) and
‘Ship Was Iioaded” (Indie) (re¬
issues). Slow $1,500. Last week,
“Lovers of Paris” (Cont) (2d wk),
$ 2 , 000 .

Five West (Sdiwabcr) (460; 50-
$1.50)—“Insprotor Maigret” (Lo-
pert) (4th wk). Good $2,000 after
$2,700 in third.

Hippodn»e CR-F) (2,300; 50-
$lfi0) — “Blood of Vampire” (U)
and "Monster on Campus” (U).
Nice $11,000. Last week. ‘Last
Hurrah” (Col) (2d wk), $4,000.^
Little (R-F) (300; 50-$1.25) —
"White Wilderness” (BV) (4th wk).
Steady $2,500 after same for third.

Mayfair (R-F) (980; 50$1.50) —
“Houseboat” (Par) (5th wk). Oke
$3,000 after $5,000 in previous
week.

New (R-F) (1,600; $l,50-$2fi0) —

; “South Pacific” (Magna) (37th wk).

! Oke $3fi00. Closes this week.

I Playhouse (Schwaber) (460;- 90-
: $1.50) — “Me and Colonel” (Col)

I (10th wk). Good $3,000 after same
in ninth.

' Stanley <H-F) (3,200; 50-$1.25)—
“Enchanted Island” (WB) and
“Tarawa Beachhead” (Col). Slow
$4,000. Last week, “Tunnel of
Love” (M-G) (3d wk), $3,500,

Town (R-F) (1,125; 50-$1.25) —
“Geisha Boy” (Par). Good $7,000.
[Last week, “Home Before Dark”
(WB) (3d wk), $4,000.

TORONTO

- (Continued from page 9)
week, "Unwed Mother” (AA) and
“Joy Ride” (AA), $14,500 for four-
house combo.

Cooksville, Danforth, Fairlawn,
Humber (Rank) (636; 1,330; 1,165;
1,203; $1)—“Here to Eternity”
(Col) (reissue) (2d wk). Fair $10,-
000. Last week, $17,000.

Edinton, Palace, Jtunnymede,
York (FP) (1,080; 1,485; 1,385; 877;
$1)—“Indiscreet” (WB) (2d run).
Light $9,000. Last weel^ “Onion-
head” (WB), $11,000.

Hollywood (FP) (1,080; $1-$1.25)
—^“The Goddess” (Gol). So-so $6,-
500. Last week, “Matchmaker”
(Par) (3d wk), $4,500.

Hyland (Rank) (1,057; $1)—“She
Played with Fire” (Col). Sad $4,-
OOO. Last week, "Wind Cannot
Read” (Hank) (2d wk), $4fi00. .

Imperial (FP) (3,343; 75-$I.50)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (2d
wk). Light $7,500. Last week,
$10,500.

international (Taylor) (557; $1)
—^Law and Disorder” (IFD) (3d
wk). Oke $3,500. Last week, $4,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,098; 60-$l)—
“Defiant Ones” (UA) (2d wk). Okay
$9,000. Last week, $14,000.

Townc (Taylor) (695; $l-$2.5a)—
"Gigi” (M-G) (21^ wk). Good $6,-
000. Last week, $6,500.

TiveU '(FP) (995; $1.75-$2.40)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (24th wk).
Off to fairish $6,000. Last week,
$7,000.

University (FP) (1,255; $1.50-
$2.40)—“South Seas Adventure”
(Cinerama) (3d wk). Down to good
$11,000. Last week, $13,000.

I Uptown (Loew) (2,074; €0-$l)—
“Torpedo Run” (M-G) {2d wk). Oke
$6,000. Last week, $8,500.

PHILADELPHIA

(Continued from.page 9)

(U) and “Monster on Campus” (U),

$ 6 , 000 .

. Studio (Goldberg) (400; 99-$1.49)
—:“Frankenstein 1970” (AA) and
“Queen of Outer Space” (AA).
So-so $3,000. Last week, "God
Created Woman” (Kings), $4,00Q>
Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 99-$1.80)
—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (3d wk).
Neat $6,500. Last week, $7,500.

Viking (Sley) (1.000; 75-$1.4g)—
“In Love and War” (20th) (6th wk).
Slow $5,000. Last week, $6,000.

World (Pathe) (604; 9o-$1.80)—
"Ordet” (Indie). Trim $2,100. Last
v/eek, “Lovers and Thieves” (20th)
$2,500.

BROADWAY

(Continued from paip 9}
wk). Third session finished yester-
day (Tues.) was $5,500 or near.
Sec^d was $6,400. Last i&turday’s
trade actujdty topped the sefiond

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,665; $1-

$2) _ “Inn of Sixth Happiness^’

I (20th). First week ending tomor¬
row (Thurs.) is heeding, for very
tgood $46,000. Opened with benefit
preem night of Dec. IL In ahead,
“Mardi Gras” (20Gi) (3d wk-fl days), ’
$25J)00.. “Inn” looks a sure bet to
carry though the year-end holi- ■
daySf " <

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; -90-
$1.80)—“Horse’s Mouth.** (Lopert)
(6th wk). Fifth stanza ended Mon¬
day (15) held with fancy $15,300.
Fourth was $21,000.

! Radio City Meaie Hall (Rockefel¬
lers) (6,200; 90- $2.75) — “Auntie
Marne” (WB) with annuel Kmas
stageshow and “Nativity” pageant.
(2d wk). This session winding up
I today (Wed.) is perking to smash
$175,000 or near. First wepk, $169,-
800, over hopes. Stays on Indef
with by far the heaviest advance
sale in Hall’s history for reserved

seats.

Rlvoli (DAT) (1.545; $2-$8.50)—
“South Paci^' (Magna) tilth wk).'
The lOth stanza completed MoDday
(15) was fair $15,000. The ninth
week, $18,000.

Plaza (Lop^) (525; $L50-$2)—
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20th).
Initial round ending tornwrow
(Thurs.) shapes to land very big
$17,000 or near. In ahead, "Inspec¬
tor Maigret” (Lopert) (9th wk),
$6,400 in eight days. Opening week
for “Inn” is amazing for season of
year in view of some previous
opening week highs of about
$19,000.

Roxy (Inflie) (5,765; .90-$2.50) —
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
and new stageshow. Opens today
(Wed.). In ahekd> "Tunnel of Love”
(M-G) and stageshow (4tii wk^
days), dipped to light $37,000 or
near. Third full week, $45,000. •

State (Loew) (3,450; $lB0-$2.50)
—Jewel Box Revue” onstage with
“China Doll” (UA) (3d wk). Second
frame ended yestuday (Tues.)
held comparatively weH *t good
$22,000 or near. First was $29,000.
Bill stays through Dec. 23.

Sutton (R&B) (561; 95-$1.86) —
"Gigi” (M-G) (7th wk). Sixth round
ended Saturday (13) was great $17,-
500. Fifth was $20,300.

Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540;
$1-$1.50) — "Doctor’s Dilemma”
(M-G). Opens today (WedJ. In
ahead, “Richard HI” (Lopert)
(leissue), did mild $3,200 in 9 days.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,003; 50-$2)
—“I Wapt To Live” (UA) (5th wk).
Fourth stanza finished Monday (15)
was fine $16,000. Third was $19,500.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,600;
$1.80-$3.50)—^‘South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (22d wk). The
21st frame ended Saturday (13)
was okay $23,600. The 20th week,
$22,800.

CHICAGO

(Continued from page 9)
'—“Anna Luca^” (UA) (3d wk).

I Lush $13,000. Last week, $20,000.

Palace .(SW-Cinerama) (1,434;
$1.25-$3.40)^"South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (12th wk)/ Fine
$24,000. Last week, $31,000.

Roosevett (B&K) (1.400; 90-$lB0)
—^“Earth to Moon” (WB) and "En¬
chanted :bland” (WB). Good $13,-
000 or near. Last week, "Mardi
Gras” (20th) (3d wk), $12fi00.

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 90-
$1.80)—“I Want to Live” (UA)
(5th wk). . Good $12,000. Last
week, $18,000.

Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; $1.25)
—“Inspector Maigret” (Lopert)
(4th wk).* Oke $2,500. Last week,
$2,300.

Todd’s Cinestage (Todd) (1,036;
$1.75-$3.50) — “Around World”
(UA) (89th wk). Great $17,000 or
near. Last week, $15,600.

United Artists (B&K) (1,700;
90-$ 1.80)—“Home Before' Dark”
(WB) (3d wk). Mild $9,500. Last
week, $13,500.

Woods (Essaness) (l,2(jC 90-$1.50)
—“Mark of Hawk” (U) (2d wk).
Good $14,000. Last week, $23,()00.

World (Teitel) (606; 90)—“The
Awakening” (Kings) (2d wk). Okay
$3,000. Last week, $3,500.

Koebner Now ComptroDer

Frederick E. Koehner, who
joined Paramount last.May as ex¬
ecutive assistant to treasurer
James E. Richardson, this week
was^named comptroller of the com¬
pany. The post is a newly created
one which heretofore was handled
within the framework of the Rich¬
ardson office.

Koehner went to Par from Price
Waterhouse & Co., where he was
I managing accountant specializing
i in the amusement industry.' '

[miCCANEER’SDlGHONS

HlTSDE]ltlIiElNN.d.

New Orleans, Dec. 111.

Cecil B. DeMflle, here for the
world premiere of “The Bucca*
neer,” Thursday (11) was ordered
to appear in civil district court lor
questioning Jan. 2 in an effort to
'pinpoint responsibility for produc¬
tion of Paramount feature.

Judge Paul E. C^hasez set the
date for the hearing in'advance of
the filing of a suit on behalf of
Henri de Bathier Claihome of
Cross Center, Va., a great-grand¬
son of one-time Gov. William C.
Claiborne of Louisiana.

I DekHlle. was served the order as
he was about to address the Young
I Men’s Business Club at The Roose-
'belt Hotel at noon luncheon.

"Before we file the suit we want
to be sure who is responsible,”
Hugh M. Wilkinsoh Sr., local at¬
torney for Oaiborne, said.

Claiborne charges that "The
Buccaneer” depicts Gov. Claiborne
as taking part in actions, dialogue
I and family associations which
never happened and subjects his
"honor, fame and memory to
hatred, contempt and ridicule”
which has caused his descendants
great mortification.

Wilidnson said he ho]^ to learn
DeMUle’s exact connection with the
film and that of others inyidved to
learn *Vhcther. or not DeMille per¬
sonally approved the distortion of
family history or whether he will
excuse himself hy placing the
blame on associates or subordi¬
nates.”

DcMille’s only comment on the
petition was:

"I have not studied it much; I
will turn it over to toy attorney.”

The present-day Claiborne also
charges the film depicts his an¬
cestor as having a daughter of
marriage-age who associated with
and was engaged to Jean Lafitte,
which history records he could not
have had legitimately.

Premiere of "The Buccaneer”
was held at the Saenger Theatre
following parade 04 Canal. St., the
jciy’s main stem. Here for show
brides DeMille were producer
Heniy Wilcoxson, Inger Stevens,
Don McNeill and Fran Allison of
radio’s Breakfast Club, all of
whom made appearances on stage.

Eaylier in day several hundred
kids saged re-enactment of “Battle
of New . Orleans” on plains of
(]Sialmette where history say*
Andrew Jackson, aided by pirate
Lafitte, trounced Briish Redcoats
on Jan. 8,-1815.

City officials and press joined
Hollywood celebs after preem at
the- Cabildo for a dinner. Mayor
Morrison proclaimed it "Jean
Lafitte Day.”

Atlanta Pipes-In

Atlanta, Dec. 16.

Motion picture critus from yari-
oys points in Southeast converged
upon Atlanta Thursday (11) gath¬
ered .around festive board at Capi¬
tal City Club sipped drinks, ate
squab on toast and listened atten¬
tively to piped-in yoiqe of Cedi B.
DeMille as he spoke at premier of
"The Buccaneer” at New Orleans.

Critics were here as guests of
Paramount with Atlanta Branch
manager Foster A. Hotard as host.
At completion of , long distance
ceremonies (Crescent City's may¬
or’s voice was heard via long di^
tance, too) guests taxied to Wilby-
Kincey’s 4,400-seat Fox Theater,
where they witnessed "sneak”
screening of "Buccaneer” along
with some 3,000 cash customers.

DeMille personally visited At¬
lanta Saturday (13) and was inter¬
viewed at a press conference at tho
Dinkier Plaza Hotel. Ho made an
appearance on WSB-TV, taped nu¬
merous interviews for Atlanta
radio stations. He was escorted to
Atlanta by Leonard Allen, Para¬
mount’s Southern division exploi¬
tation chief. In his party, much to
everybody’s surprise, was Van
Cliburn, the sensational young
pianist.

"Buccaneer” is set to open a
two-week run tomorrow ("Wed.) at
Fox.

DeMille’* Perspective

Atlanta, Dec. 16.

Asked by the press here what
he thought about the suit in Loui¬
siana by descendants of the 1815-
era governor of that state who
charge disparagement in the film,
"The Buccaneer,” vet producer
Cecil B. DeMille quipped:

"I don’t think it will shake the
United Nations.”

12

-EVTKltNA'nONAI.

f^SkWFf

^VARItTY^r LONDON OFFICI
% St. Martlii's Place, Trafaliar Square

Tank-Styled’ Election Rallies Plus
Free Cabaret For W. Berlin Voters

Berlin, Dec. 9. -f-
West Berlin, once more in the
spotlight of international politics,
used a “new style” in the recent
electoral campaigns. Party rallies
were coupled with cabaret pro-

U.S. Play for Scot Fesl

Raw Stock Policy

Madras, Dec. 9.

The government of India has an-

Edinhurgh,-Dec. 9.
First performance of a new play

writers didn’t like them, others ; ofjj Vk^Company^'of Lon-

The%ttes thlmfeives were di-, ‘o ‘®ke part in next year’s Festival,
vided, too, about these rallies. I

Some party leaders said: “Why w * | _ mT

should we be so deadly serious? I|||l|^ A HAnt^ fUAYy
Let’s give the whole thing a light UlllICl llllUUlv livTf
touch. Let the crowd have fun, j
too.” Others said: “No! These times j
are too serious. What’s suitable 1
for America needn’t be suitable
for us. Political speeches with
cabaret are tasteless in a city like
Berlin.” !

The wealthy parties, including nounced a policy that individual
the Communists (who seemed to | exporters, who are normally in the
have an Inexhaustible monetary j export trade, would be allowed to
source these weeks), favored this I import raw stock on individual li-
speeches-plus-cabaret because they , censes, providing such proposed ex-
could alford them while the little ’ ports are four times in value the
’ (and mostly poorer) parties disliked . cost of raw stock imported by
these rallies. them.

No doubt but that the crowd took ' An assurance to this effect has
a fancy to these rallies. After all,: to be given by individual importers
they were gratis. And many ral-; who intend exporting Indian films
lies came along with name enter- ‘ made out of imported raw stock, in
tainers. : addition to bank references. The

Commies Got Chance To Rally ^ allotment of stock under license
The Communists (SBD). who would be 25^ in value of the
have only a ridiculously small num- money that prints made out of the
ber of followers in West Berlin,' stock are expected to bring into
were given the opportunity to par- India. This proportion will be
ticipate in this free city’s elections. ^ strictly adhered to in issuing li-
They made substantial use of it.'’ censes for import of raw stock.
Possibly no other local party (six ^ ^ suggestion was made that pro-

in all) held so many rallies and ; ducers who sell or export their pic-
meetings. Socialist Unity Party tures for exploitation abroad may
held their big mass rallies at permitted to import raw stock,
Sportpalast and Festhalle am bought in Far East or^ other areas
Funkturn, two popular West Ber-.hy their distributor on their ac-i
lin spots count, under bond for the specific

ThbCommies used a cabaret ral- purposes of making prints'withiu
ly at the big Sportpalast with a a stipulated time of six months and
lineup of 22 numbers. It was a export the prints thus made of cur-
strictly party-lined up program j fent or old releases. In this w^y,
consisting of songs, choirs and re-• could bring in moje foreign
citals featuring such personalities 1 exchange without involving any di-
as Wolfgang Langhoff, director of j re^ expense from India.

East Berlin’s Deutsches Theater;! This idea does not seem tb have
actor Harry Hindemith, both i the authorities,

holders of the Commie National there is a possibility that the
Prizr among others i measure may be tested for what-

^Thl XerVg Smmie rally (at t\TlndSn7/,$in/^rth^ iTV
the Funkturm) saw an entertain-;

TTipTit nrnffram of 13 ounibBrs It i ^ cost of raw stock paid on
feateed Ihoirs and ballet groips. !

One ballet number, incidentally,: Singapore or other areas,
poked fun at the Americans. The ‘ • jj i n i >10

dancers (all in American uniforms) InSnfld S LaFS OClUIlldt SetS
expressed that. there’s nothing to. ^ 1 i 1 ' zw n «

beat the Soviet Sputnik. This num- [ \f Ap|r);A]||| ‘Mw p 1
her garnered lots of applayse from l iWj T dll LdUJf ,

Pig’s Hotcbfflson Plans
Usins Pnbfic Relations
Rep to Aid Film Biz

London, Dec. 16.

As a result of firsthand experi¬
ence gained by Fred E. Hutchinson,
managing director 6 f Paramount,
during: ah extensive tour of key
cities in the United Kingdom, and
to counteract the effect of an over¬
plus of downbeat industry publi¬
city, Par is appointing a public re¬
lations executive whose function
will be to proihote the company’s
product throughout the country, ex¬
cepting London. .

Hutchinson’s toUr was designed
to spread the message of Par’s
faith in the future of the industry
in pursuance of the theme begun
by Barney Balaban and continued
by George Weltner during his
round-the-world hop. Weltner be¬
gan the campaign in Britain with
an industry luncheon at the Dor¬
chester Hotel, attended by top
brass among exhibitors.

On his return here last W'eek,
Hutchinson said he was amazed at
the reaction of the pressmen, all
of whom seem to have been con¬
vinced that the picture industry,
had thrown in the spbnge and left
the field wide open to television.
In consequence, his “message of
faith” garnered wldespred publi-
j city» throughout the provincial
press and has convinced him of the
need to concentrate on promotion
as a round-the-country operation,
j The new PR appointment dating
j from the New Year of the cam-
! naign, will begm with “House¬
boat.”

j jia.utchinson added that he was
! particularly impressed by the re¬
sponse from exhibitors at all the
meetings hundreds . of whom' had
sent letters and telegrams both to
Weltner and himself.

Vancouver Rallies Imported Talent

Vancouver, Dec. 16.

Vancouver’s 1959 encore of its International Festival has set
Herbert von Karajan and Oivin Fjelstadt as two guest conductors.
The first is from Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Statoper, the
second from the Oslo Philharmonic.

Elizabeth Schwartzkopf will spend four weeks in Vancouver mak¬
ing a number of appearances with the local symphony and giving
solo recitals as well.

Festival wiU mount Gluck’s opera “Orpheus” with Kersteln
Meyer, contralto from Sweden, in top role.

Japan’s Takaruzka Dance Troupe is also lined up, beginning a
North American tour with the Vancouver date. Hungarian Quartet
is another booking.

John Reich is contracted to direct the stage play for the Season,
Schiller’s "Mary Stuart”

Vancouver also is plotting another “Film Festival” although its
own, and San Francisco’s, experiences have been less than happy.

‘Gigi’ London Proem, Feb. 4

London, Dec. 16.

“Gigi” has been booked as the
first pic for Columbia’s new West
End theatre, skedded to open
Feb. 4.

The house, to be known as the
Columbia, is situated on Shaftes¬
bury Avenue and is the first to be
built in London’s West End in 20
years. It has a capacity of approxi¬
mately 750 and is equipped for
every type of screen presentation,
including Todd-AO.

Rehearsing Now for Feb,

the Commie audience.

Entertainers For CDU Rally

Over in the democratic camp, the ; Stockholm, Dec. 16.

biggest politics-plus-cabaret rally; The long awaited opening of “My
was .staged by the Christian Dem- • Fair Lady” at Oscars Theatre in
ocratic Union (CDU), the most pro-; Stockholm is now scheduled for the
American party here. Latter’s cab-' middle of February. Behind a veil
aret program was non-political. It cf secrecy Swedish producer Gus-
had two of Berlin’s most Ber- taf Wally has turned over all the
linese comedians, Walter Gross ^ problems and the possible, profits
and Ewald Wenck (both of RIAS’: to producer Lars Schmidt, Ingrid
^ “Islanders” satirical <1 a b a r e t _ Bergman’s fiance. This will be the
group). Willi Rose, also a true I first production in a foreign Ian-
born Berlin entertainer, provided ; guage.

the jokes and .songs. Ethel Resehka, | In hopes of an outstanding pro-
chansonette, delivered a Can-Can,; duction, rehearsals started here a
among other things, Otto Kerm- i few days ago. . Lars Schmidt says
bach. West Berlin’s most nonular that the costume and set sketches
old-Berlin bandleader supplied the | have been sent over from London,
music while Joachim Krueger w’as He says interest is enormous and
emcee. thousands of ticket orders have al-

" One local party candidate got ready been received,
the idea to couple a fashion show; Having spent the greater part of
with his political endeavours. This' the Fall in Paris where he has
was an obvious attempt to win the • three productions running, Schmidt
femme voters.. , says that there are very few new

_# ; works of interest in France, Eng-

f vv I 'TT n 1 : and the United States for the

Jap rroducer Ups Sked ‘present, as for Ingrid.Bergman, he

^ A f A ^ n wants to stay in Europe

Of Cartoon Features time being and hopes to ap-

V* VU 1 I.VVU 1 . vut.tuvw g Paris stage.

Tokyo, Dec. 9. ; -

Toei, one of Japan’s six majors,,
has stepped up its production of |
cartoon feature pix since the re¬
lease of “Hakujaden” (Story of
White Snake) and two new ani¬
mated films are now in the w’orks.

First, will be
Sasuke,” and

BULGARIA-HUNGARY

SWAPPARnCETURE

Washington, Dec. 16.

Behind the Iron Curtain, there’s
no curtain on culture, or so they
say.

A plan to step up exchanges of
cultural leaders between .Bulgaria
and Hungary in 1959 was signed
in Sofia Dec. 8 , the U.S. Foreign
Broadcast Information Service
reported.

The exchanges . will include
teachers and . instructors, writers,
journalists, painters, theatre
workers^ cineiRa workers, museum
workers, musicians, ensembles and
so forth.

Ekaterina Avramova, chairman
of the Committee for Friendship
and Cultural Ilelations with For¬
eign Countries, signed for Bul¬
garia, and Ivan Kallo, Hungarian
ambassador in Sofia, signed for
Hungary.

‘Peyton Italian
Topper in 6 Mos.

Rome, Dec. 9.

“Peyton Place” (20th), with a
total of about $1,241,000, led Ital¬
ian boxoffice totals for the period
Dec. 1^1957 to last June "30, a re¬
cent survey here shows.

The survey (which leaves out
such holdover items as “10 C’s,”
“Giant,” “80 Days,” etc.) is con¬
fined to pix opening within that
span, and shows six of the top 10
to be Yank product, four to be
Italian, and nne French-Italian.
(Of first 40 pix, 20 are U.S.-
made, 19 Italian or co-produced,
and one British.)

Following “Peyton” on the list
are. in order, “Young Lions”
(20th), “Belle ma Povere” (Beauti-
fi’I but Poor) (Titanus-Italian),
“Vacations on lischia” (Rizzoli-
Italian), “Sayonara” (WB), “La
Parisienne” (Rizzoli-Franco-Italian),
“Pride and Passion” (UA), “Hus¬
bands in City” (Oscar-Italo), “Tq-
to, Vittorio and Doctor” (JoUy-
Italo), “Band of Angels” (WB),
“Bridge on River Kwai” (Col) and
“Labors of Hercules” (Oscar-Italo).

Reds’Sarcasm:
War Crimes Lead
To Fame in West

The East Germans, whose DEFA
production outfit puts out promo¬
tional material in German, Eng¬
lish and Russian, has come up with
its own version .of the mistaken
identity theme used in “Captain
von Koepenick.” DEFA calls its
nicture "The Captain from Co¬
logne.”

Its theme is such blatant prop¬
aganda that it’s worth summariz-
I ing:

I Albert Hauptmann, an unem-
! ployed waiter, turns up in a hotel
; in West Germany where old
i*Wehrmacht soldiers and officers
celebrate a reunion. Hauptmann is
mistaken for a war criminal re-
■ cently returned from Argentina.
T As such he’s immediately ac¬
claimed and offered a good job,
rising even to become a member
of the West German Parliament.
Then the real Hauptmann turns
up, encouraged by the amnesty for
war criminals.

The w'aiter is brought to trial.
If only he could come up with a
small war crime, he could come
under the amnesty act. But “he
cannot point to a single ‘service’
of this kind,” and so must go to
jail for not being a war criihinal.

BFPA, Brit. Film Makers
To Haddle on Rank Plan

London, Dec. 9. I
The British Film Producers ■
A.ssn. and the Federation of British '
Film Makers have accepted an in-i
vitation froni the Cinematograph!
Exhibitors Assn, for joint discus-'
sions as to the possible effects of
rationalization—the Rank plan. Ar¬
thur Watkins, BFPA prexy, reveal¬
ing news of the confab, reiterated
his association's fears of falling
production if a true third circuit
was not brought into being to cater
for independents.

Kenneth Winckles, joint assist¬
ant managing director of the Rank
Organization, had recently out-
i lined some of the plans for a third
circuit, but said Watkins, these
were by no means certain and the
situation was still far from deter¬
mined in any way.

More About ‘Smelly’ Pix

Paris, Dec. 16.

Mike Todd Jr.’s coming “smell-
o-vision” pic, “Smell of Trouble,”

J will not be the first film to use
'Shonen Sarutobi-; odors as part of the sense aspect
the second, “Sai- of his film, according ta young
yuki,” is about the journey of a ■ Yank filmmaker. Kenneth Anger,
demon monkey. | He has already finished a short,

Former will go into production “Pleasure Dome,” which has Schi-
this month and the. second one in i aperelii perfume, sprayed into the
February. Production costs for, theatre to mark the appearance of
each is expected to be slightly a female, witchlike character,
higher than $11,000^ “Hakujaden” Anger is set to do.a film version
was Japan’s first full-length fea- of-the controversial hook, “Historic
turc cartoon. ' j D’O,” about sex taboos^ i

British Pix Defense

Collects Over $325,000

London, Dec. 9 .

^ In its three months since it came
into operation last Aug. 31, the
Film Industry . Defense Organiza¬
tion (FIDO) has collected over
$325,000 by. its levy on admissions.
When'the scheme was inaugurated
it was estiniated to yield between
$1,500,000 and $2,000,000 in a year.

FIDO was set up Jby the industry
as an agency to compensate pro¬
ducers Who might otherwise 'have
been tempted - tor sell -theatrical
features to television. Negotiations
for the acquisition of .appropriate
Covehaints are in hand in i;espect
to a number of features. ' ‘

14U.S.,13BritisliPix
Ont of 38 Preemed In
Stockholm Last Month

• Stockholm, Dec. 9.

There were 38 films opened at
Stockholm first-runs during No¬
vember, with 14 American pix and
13 British topping the list. The
State Censorship Board continues
to nix most new horror films. The
most recent one banned is “I Was’
a Teenage Frankenstein” (AD, pre¬
sented to -the censors here by Me¬
tro. ^

“In exchange, another horror pic,
“The Fiend Who Walked The

West” (20th), banned here In Oc¬

tober, was re-censored'Dec. 5, and:
this time it got the greenlight “for
adults only.” The company had

made several cuts of the most

prominent horror scenes.

Passing the Swedish censors also
was “Female Jungle” (A.R.C.), a
production from 1956, with Jayne
Mansfield just beginning her film
career. The Swedish title, “Nat-
tens blondiner” (Blondes of the
Night) will be a help to the pic be¬
sides the Mansfield name.

100 Tom Thumb’ Playdates

Metro’s Christmas attraction,
“Tom Thumb,” has been booked
for a saturation opening in 100
N. Y. metropolitan area theatres
on Dec. ^l.

Theatres In the Loew’s, RKO,
'Skouras, Century and other circuits
have booked the George Pal- pfo-
.duction for the holiday playdate.
Companion feature in many situa¬
tions will be. “Andy Hardy Comes
fiome,” the first new Hardy film
in 12 years. '

Mass Murderifer Free

Berlin, Dec. 9.

The news magazine, Der Spiegel,
reports that an admitted Gestapo
mass-murderer has been living un¬
disturbed in a suburb of Stutt¬
gart. An SS officer and in charge
of the Gestapo prison in Stuttgart
from 1944 to 1945, Anton Dehm in
1946 admitted to murder of a Jew¬
ish woman, a French woman and
several others, including a group
of foreign slave laborers.

Der Spieg'el quotes a German po¬
lice official who interrogated Dehm
who told him how he killed the
Jewish woman: “Yes, I hung her.
But first, the string broke because
it was made of paper. Then the
woman said to me; “You too have
a mother. Why don’t you let me
live.” And I slappel her across the
mouth, and then she was quiet.
And then I got a stronger rope
; and finally hanged her.” Added the
police official: “This is the kind
of thing one can never forget. It
was cold-blooded murder.”

Because he killed the French¬
woman, the French imprisoned
Dehm Tor a while.’When he re¬
turned to Germany, a Germ an
judge said nobody had ever heard
[of slave labor killings. As for the
hanging of the woman, Dehm sim¬
ply said he had had orders to kill
her in the basement of the prison.
Those who interrogated him said
they were convinced he acted most¬
ly on his own and without orders.

30YEARS0FnLMS
ON BBC RADIO SHOW

London, Dec. 16.

Sound track excerpts featuring
some of the top picture stars of
the last 30 years will be .broadcast
by the BB.C via a radio program
titled “The Talkies,” which will
go out Dec. 22. There will also
be interviews with Sir Michael Bal-
con, Herbert Wilcox and Ann a
Neagle about their early sound
film experiences.-

Among voices heard will h»
those of John Boles, Deanna Dur¬
bin, A1 Jolspn, Shirley Temple,
Charlie Chaplin, Charles Laughton
and Jeanette MacDonalc^

'VARIltr^ LONbdN wrici
« ft. MavtHi'i- TralalfM f^uir*

pgsam

DmauvAnoNAc

13

Paris, Pec. 18.

Several international film accords were worked out here the last
week. The French-British, and the Frfnch-Sps^h pacts were
signed^ While the French-Italian Agreement la being held up im-
til the exact tenure of Film Aid in both countries is decided by
their respective governments.

French-British setup has a liberal exchange of features except
for only 33 dubbing visas for the British for the year. It runs out
Oct. '59. Coproduction was also discussed.

French-Spanish talks stressed better distrib of Hispano features
here and better distrib terms for French product there.

French-Italo Accord was repetitive since the two countries are
closely allied filmically. However more time was promised Italo
films which have lost out here b.o. wise the last few years while
French films continue to gain in Italy. '

R&H Version of tindereOa’ Plus
'Earp’ New London Panto Entries

London; Dec. 16.

America is represented in the
West End's Christmas entertain¬
ment by the Bodgers and Hammer-
stein version of “Cinderella,” the
personal appearance .of Hugh
O’Brian in his tv guise of Wyatt
Earp and by the Aerial Chapmans,
starring for the first time in Lon¬
don, with Bertram Mills’ Circus.
This year there wlU be two West
End pantos and usual crop of spe¬
cial children's shows playing
matinees plus one new entry. But
because ^ the closing down of
Harringay Arena, there is no room
for Tom Arnold’s usual circus,
with the field left open to the
Mill Brothers at Olympia.

There will he considerable ri¬
valry between the two West End
pantomimes at the Coliseum and
Palladimn. The Rodgers and Ham-
merstein “Cinderella” has* tv
singer Yana making her West End
stage debut, as Cinders, rock-and-
roller Tommy Steele as Buttons
and Jimmy Edwards as the baron.
The Palladium stages “Sleeping
Beauty” and also leans heavily on
tele for its marquee value. Charlie
Drake and Bernard Bresslaw, who
have rocketed to stardom in the
past few months, will be the prin¬
cipal comics. 'Another tv new¬
comer, Bruce Forsyth, current
emcee for “Sunday Ni^ at the
Palladium,” has been added to the
cast.

Among the nabe theatres which
will stage pantos arc Finsbury
Park Empire with "Aladdin,'*
Streatham Hill Theatre, also offer¬
ing “Aladdin”; Chiswi^ Empire,
with “Cinderella'* and the Wimbles
don with ‘^bes in the Wood.”

Wyatt Eari? comes to the Odeon,
Tottenham Court Road, sponsored
by the Ruik Organization. This is
the first live show at this cinmna
for more than 20 years. The
Western player will act and fight
in typical western setting. The
inevitable “Peter Pan” at the
Scala has SarA Churchill in the
famous role of Peter while Julia
Lockwood again plays Wendy.

Among the other regulars dick¬
ering for the attention of ducat-
buyers will be “Noddy in Toyland”
at the Yictoria Place, and Markova
and: Anton Dolin In "Where the
Rainbow Ends'* at a new home^
the Rank-owned New Victoria cin¬
ema. For children with tastes for
ballet and opera, there win he two
Christmas treats, “Schwanda the
Ba^iper” and "Hansel and Gretel,"
at Sadler's Wells and “The Nut¬
cracker” ballet at the Royal Festi¬
val HalL There is one icesbow,
“Holiday on Ice,” at the Empire
Pool. V

“When Knights Were Bold” and
“Charley's Aunt” are missing this
year from the usual attractions,
the latter because Norman Wisdom
in “Where’s Charley?” is srill run¬
ning at the Palace. The film people,
make an attempt to attract pa¬
trons away from the theatre with
Metro’s film fantasy, “Tom
Thumb.”

Raink Drops Newneds
Tronr 2 Tkatre Chaos

London, Dea 18.

All newsreels win be withdrawn
from the Rank Organization's two
theatre chains starting Jan. 29.
The decision to discontinue their
showings Was taken after a detailed
probe of flhngoers'^ tastes and a
market research survey.

The Rank Organization: had pre¬
viously announced that it was
ceasing-publication of its two news¬
reels- and win be substituting a
magazine-type feature in color next
Feb. 2.

Greek Theatre Chief

Wants Japanese Show

Tokyo, Dec. 9.

Wrapping up a Far Eastern
swing that included stops at Hong
Kong, Bangkok and here, James A.
Doolittle, general, director of Los
Angeles’ Greek''Ebeatre, said he.’s
interested In presenting a Japa¬
nese show, whether he buys the
package directly or whether some¬
body else is the importing agent.

Possibility looms that Doolittle
will return to ^apan in the spring
with some of his staff to tailor a
show for America. He .told
Variety: “We’d like to have the
opportunity of working with some
of the Japanese th^tre organiza¬
tions in the creation of shows that
would be particularly suited for us,
using the abundant talent that is
herci We feel that every one in
America should have the opportu¬
nity of seeing Japanese entertain¬
ment”

Nowmlfelsiiiki

Helsinki, Dec. 9.

Ingrid Bergman qualifies as un¬
disputed top boxofEice draw here
this fall- It's contributed to her
personal popularity that “Indis¬
creet” (WB) has developed into a
big surprse hit here in this Fin¬
nish c^tal. ,

Now in its fifth week at the
Kino Falatsi, the luc is playing to
capacity and has been seen by
more fiban 40,00(1 in this short time.

“Bridge on River Kwai” (Col),
now on an ^ended-^un in its 14th
week, it has he«i seen by 100,000,
which Bieaas that every fourth cit¬
izen here has' seen it. Latest b.o.
smash looms! in tough guy, Eddie
Constantine,, now here in his first
German “Hands Up, Eddiel”
WhidL had a teriHic start la^ week.

•“10- Cotnmandments” (Par) con-
tinnes a aSow 15th week, stai un¬
der expeciatiom; bid a money-
m^er of sorts, anyhow.

Tn» Tests If ONflbies
lUerRedlbleNiied
hfl Pk PredKerSj

London, Dec. 18.

The mteinationat F^eraticm of
Filin Producers has. given the
‘thumbs down” to two film festi¬
vals next year behind the Iron Cur¬
tain, one being. Karlovy Vary
(Czechoslovakia) and the other one
Moscow. The' decision was
taken at the receit meeting in
Paris wMch gave a prelim green-
to the annual junkets at Can¬
nes, Berlin, San Sebastian and
Venice.

is the first time the Inter¬
national has nixed the CieGh fest
at Karlovy Vary in which Amm-
can majors have been participat¬
ing ott a aemi-^ieial - basis,. Apr
parently it Was felt that the event
was too heavily loaded in the j
propaganda stakes In favor of the
East.-

There had never i^eviously been
a Moscow fest, bid last year the
federation gave the okay to a fes-'
tlval is Lenhi^d. The venae
was subsequently switched to a
Black Sea resort, hut finally the
whrJe project was abandoned. The
Soviet junket did not conform to
the liitertiational rules; and could
not, therefore, receive ' official
backing.

SiUKfftri 950 ||lQfC Reverses Frier Poficy, Says

■ ■ '■■■ ■ ■ » : e, w a mr w ^ a

Salzburg, Dec. 18.
The Salzburg Festival, July 26
to Aug. 31 will include:

Opera

I _

'Hlrpheni and Elydike” by Gluck.
Five performances in Rockz Rid¬
ing S^ool

“The Mafic Flute” by Mozart.
Five performances in the Festival
House

“Silent Woman” by Richard
Strauss, five performances in the
Festival House

“Cost Fan Tutte” by Mozart,
four performances in the Residence
“Julietta” by Heirao Erbse, three
performances in the Festival
House

“The World on tte Moon” by

Haydn, four performances in the
Salzburg Provincial Theatre

Pfeiys

“Everyman” by Hugo** von Hof¬
mannsthal, seven performances on
the Cajthedral Square
**The Tower” by Hofmannsthal,
three performances in the Rockz
Riding School.

Lanza's ‘Serenade’ Tops
German Fix Set to RoD
Next Yr4 R«d Co-Prod.

Berlin, Dec. 9. .
Of the various films currently
in production here. Corona’s “Ser¬
enade einer grossen Liebe” is prob¬
ably the most tqlked-about oner.
The Mario Lanza nmne is re¬
sponsible for that. “Serenade,'
with an English working title of
“Silent Melody” and which Ificely
wiU b e called “For the First-Time,”
has created here some guessing as
to which national colors it wiU be
sailing. The producing outfit is
the German Corona while Constan¬
tin, also a German rtompany, will
handle the distribution in German-
language areas plus Benelux coun¬
tries. ^ce some of the principal
pl^hers. are Goman as are some
of its staff, local filmitcs call it a
German film,

However, the actual fact is that
“Serenade” is more of an Amer-^
lean film. Metro cemtributed the
lion’s share of..the 'financial costs
and also has (excei>t in. above
mentioned territories world ri^fs.
Constantin also supplied much of
the coin. But Corona, the pro¬
ducing company, has only a very
small investoent.

Director Rudy Mate put it this
way: A German company is pro¬
ducing an American film In Italy"]
(Rom^ Naplesv C^^rDi, Austria
(Vieilu and Si^bi^) and G&-
many (Berlin). Pic is based on an
original story by Andrew
With the latter, this fQm has five
American key men mt-its payndl:
dirrotor Bfate^ music directwr
Georgie Stoll and the two chief
cutters. Gene RUggiere and Peter
Zinner. With the exceptioii of
Mate, who has a non-e]CGlusive coh-
traet with Orfurabia, idl are Metro
contr ec tec s. * ,

A tinter CTechnicoIor) in Technir
ramav it is being shot in English.
The pnman: ^nchronization is td
be done IHur. It centers around a
c^chnded American singe: CLah-
za> who fdls in love with a deaf
German gM (Johanna von Kpe-
zianK Latter gets ba<i her hear¬
ing and both she and Lanza even¬
tually fall in love.

Iahtcii BacaS to Do
Pk With India Locale

London, Dec. S
Lauren Bacall is to co-star with
Kenneth More for the Rank Or¬
ganization in “North West Fron¬
tier,” which will be filmed on
location in India and completed at
Pinewood Studios.

The film, which will be In Cine¬
mascope and Eastmancolor, is due
to start rolling next month. It is
based on a story by Patrick Ford
with Frank Nugent doing the
screenplay, Marcel Heilman is pro¬
ducer and J. Lee Thompson has
been signed to direct.

Hayti' (Aauie) Chaffi
Slows 1780,008 Profit

Sydney, Dec. 9,

Under tiie direction of lEriiest
Tumhull, H^ts’ pic loopi operat¬
ing aroand 18(1 cinemas here and
affied to 20th-Fox, turned in a
profit of $780,000 for the year end¬
ing last June 30;.

Turnbull admitted that the real
impact of tele' had not been felt
the pa^ jSnancial span. He
said the positiem was being close¬
ly waifediid and that every possible
ecfloomy would be introduced cbv-
tile hew ferm. The topper
denied that the circuit would
shutter ^‘a lot” of cinemas in the
coming year-

“Only those bouses, would,

be disposed, of in keeping with
tighter economy in loop opera¬
tion,” Turnbull said. i

Tempest’Hits B.O.
h Italy Like One

Rome, Dec. 16,

All previous Italian boxoffice
records have been widely beaten
by Dino DeLaurentiis’ production,
“The Tempest,” which Paramount
releases abroad, in its initial Italo
dates.

Playing at normal prices, it hit
close to $15,000 in its first four
days at Naples’ Metropolitan Cine¬
ma, wlrile topping $11,250 for the
same period in Genoa’s Verdi The¬
atre, both record figures. “Tem¬
pest” copped a new high $6,250 for
a single day record in Naples,
while setting same record in Genoa
standing precious reemd thmre was
v/ith some $4,500 for one day (long¬
standing previous record there was
$3,900;

.“Tempest,” Technicolor-Techni-
rama pn^uction which stars Van
Heflin, Silvana Mangano, Geoffrey
Horne, and many. others, will be
r^eased througlmot Ital^ during
the strong Christmas holiday sea¬
son. Statewide release by Para¬
mount has been slated for Feb¬
ruary.

SeeNewFroidGoit
SoMi Decidog Fate Of
Fhiii, Fik AM Law

Paris, D^ 16.

While waiting for. the coming
new ministerial ^pointments; film
circles are buzrihg with possible
changes In the picture setup here.
Host feci that needed Film Aid
will be prolonged no matter who
gets in «id the Centre Do Cinema,
the governmental administrative
film body, will be kept intact But
reports are again gaining momen¬
tum that Jacques Flaud, longtime
CDC PTMy, may be on his way out.

ARhou^ most industryites ad¬
mit Flaud has done a great deal to
raise French film quality and for¬
eign prestige by his handouts for
qiaHty pix, it is felt ti^ pressures
from fop commerci^ producers,
who want more say in CDC AM
Fund activity, may push Flaud out
of office.

It is intimated that Henri Fre-
nay, who recoitly quit as head of
the SyndicMrte eff Film Producers
to run against' leftkd forces and
lost, would be'rewarded for his try
hr gett i ng the reins of the CDC.
However, this is post-election talk
and most faidie producers feed that
Flaud has done a lot for the French
industry and witr remain as CDC
heaM after the new governmenl
goes into effect

Yank film reps have great respect
for Flaud in spite of his detremina-
tion to give out 40 Yank visas on
a merit basis instead of allowing
the Motion Picture Export Assn, to
dtwy tiiem on a global basis as
they do the other 70 of the 110 an¬
nual visas. Yank aid to French pix
via production investment and film,
distrib is now considered a good
deal by UR. companies.

-Some infomied sources also told
Variett that they felt a good solu¬
tion to aH Fihn Aid proHems would
be a sort of European Cranmon
Mart Bank set up between the six
signatories for loans towards Jftftns
of both local and coproduction pix
by and for the CM members.

By HAROLD MYERS

London, Dec. 16.

With a terse five-line statement
following a spedal meeting of the
board, the National Film Finance
[dpip. has reversed its previous
policy, and announced that British
Lion Films is no loiter for sale.
Board meeting was, it is understood,
a direct sequel to the publication
of last week's Variety exclusive
that Herbert Wilcox and his wife,
Anna Neagle, were bidding to take
over the production-distrihution
company. That story was cabled
back to London and front paged
the following day in the Daily Ex¬
press.

The NFFC called its board meet¬
ing for Thursday (11). After a
two-hour session, the following
statement was’released:

.. “The National Film Finance
(Torp. announces that no negotia¬
tions for the sale of the corpora¬
tion’s interest in British Lion Films
Ltd., are in progress and that no
such sale is now contemplated.”

Earlier in the day John -Terry,
managing director of the NFFC,
admitted to Variety that negotia¬
tions were in. progress with Wil¬
cox and also with other Interested
partie;s who were unnamed. He
suggested that the Variety ’story
went a little too far in using*the
word “bidding,” but would have
been on the mark if it had substi¬
tuted^ the word “negotiating.”

As'far as can be ascertained, in
discussions that haveijeen clouded
with secrecy, the main stumbling
block to any deal, whether with
the Wilcox group or another syndi¬
cate, was the future of Shepper-
ton Stud ios. It Is believed that
the NFFC was thinking In terms
of a package deal to include tie
distribution outfit and the 11-stage
lot at Shepperton. Prospective
buyers seemed to be more inter¬
ested in the distribution company,
and were reluctant to assume the
responsibility, with the accompany-^
ing overheads, of a major studio
operation.

It is just about two years ago
since it was first officially ai-
nounced by the government that it
was prepared to sell British Lion
back to the industry for private
operation if a suitable buyer could
be found. It is known there have
been informal discussions over sev¬
eral months, but it was firmly be¬
lieved that the Wilcox-Neagle dral
was on the point of fruition when
Variety broke the story.

State-Sobskfized TNP
Wants to F&i ^w$

Paris, Dec. 9.

After the stata^Mbsidized Come-
die-Francaise’s excursidn into film-
making by canning Moliore’s “Le
Boi^eois Gentilhomme,” the otlner
nationalized house. Theatre Na¬
tional Populaire, headed by Jmh
V ilar, also would like to film some
of ite classical repertoire. TNP
seen^ to have it over the C-F at
the boxoffice via actm: Gm’ard
Philipe, one of the top film stars
hare.

C-F’s “Bou^eois” diff only so-so
biz commerdalfer l«it is heavily
backed by state film handouts as
cultiiral activity.

Corpus Christi (Tex.) Drive-In
Theatre shuttered indefinite.

EDINBURGH GOES OH

Lord

Cameron Gives Assurances
On Festival’s Fntme

Edinburgh, Dec. 9.

There is no fear of the Inter¬
national Edinburgh Festival of
Music and I^ama going out of ex¬
istence, or even being restricted.
A leading behind-the-scenes fig¬
ure, Lord Cameron, gave this as-
sfurance here.

He recalled how, in the last
few months, suggestions had ap¬
peared in the press that the Fes¬
tival was nearing its end, or that
it might he held only every three
years. Linked with these rumors
was the suggestion that its finan¬
cial prospects* were poor.

As one closely associated with
its organization, L<^ Cameron
said Edinburgh would most defin¬
itely go on, and that the financial
resources required would be found,
not merely for-a Festival pruned
and carved to suit a ditninkhing
revenue but for one which would
maintain the standajrd that liad
been set.

*VARIITr^ tONMN OFriCl
A SI. Tralilfr mwiff

TOTERNAHOyrAE 13

Paris, Dec. 16.

Several international film accords were worked out here the last
week. The French-British, and the Fr^nch^Spa^h pacts were
signed^ while the French-Italian Agreement is feeing held up un¬
til the exact tenure o£ Film Aid in both countries is decided by
their respective governments.

French-British setup has a liberal exchange of features except
for only 33 dubbing visas for the British for the year. It runs out
Oct. *59. Coproduction was also discussed.

French-Spanish talks stressed better distrib of Hispano features
here and better distrib terms for French product there.

French-Italo Accord was repetitive since the two countries are.
closely allied filmically. However more time was promised Italo
films which have lost out here b.o. wise the last few years while
French films continue to gain in Italy. ^

R&H Yersion of ‘Cmderelb' Plus
‘Earp’ New London Panto Entries

4----—-^:-—

London; Dec. 16.

America is represented in the
West £nd*s Christmas entertain¬
ment by the Bpdgers and Hammer-
stein version of “CindereHa/’ the
personal appearance of Hugh
O'Brian in his tv guise of Wyatt
Earp and hy the Aerial Chapmans,
starring for the first time in Lon¬
don, with Bertram Mills’ Circus.
This year there will be two West
End pantos and usual crop of spe¬
cial children's shows playing
matinees plus one new entry. But
because bf the closing down of
Harringay Arena, there is no room
for Tom Arnold’s usual circus,
with the field left open to the
Mill Brothers at Olympia.

There will fee considerable ri¬
valry between the two West End
pantomimes at the Coliseum and
Palladium. The Rodgers and Ham-
merstein “Cinderefia’* has* tv
singer Yana makii^ her West End
stage debut, as Cinders, rock-and-
roller Tommy Steele as Buttons
and Jimmy Edwards as the baron.
The Palladium stages '"Sleeping
Beauty” and alsc lew» heavily on
tele for its marque value. Charlie
Drake and Bernard Bresslaw, who
have rocketed to stardom in the
past few months, will he the prin¬
cipal comics. ‘Another tv new¬
comer, Bruce Forsyth, curreiit
emcee for '"Sunday Ni^ at the
Palladium^” has been added to the
cast

Among the nabe theatres which
will stage pantos are Finsbury
Park Empire with “Aladdin^**
Streatham Hill Theatre, also offer¬
ing “Aladdin''; Chiswick Empire,
with “Cindcrella”^^ and the Wimble¬
don with ^^bes in the Wood.”

Wyatt Eafp comes to the Odeon,
Tottenham Court Road, sponsored
by the Rank Organization. This is
the first live show at this cinmna
for more than 20 years. The
Western player will aefand fight
in typical western setting. The
inevitable “Peter Pan” at the
Scala has Sarah Churchill in the
f^our role of Peter while Julia
Lockwood again plays Wendy.

Among the other regulars dick¬
ering for the attention of ducat-
bu3^rs wiH fee “Noddy in Toyland”
at the Victoria P^Ke, and Markova
and Anton Dolin hi "'Where the
Rainfeow Ends'* at a new home,,
the Rank-owned New Victoria cin¬
ema. For children with tastes f<^
ballet and- opera, there win fee two
Christmas treats, “Schwmida the
Bagpiper” and'Hansel and Gretrf,”
at Sadler’s Wells and “The Nut¬
cracker** ballet at the Royal Festi¬
val HalL There Is one iceshow;
“Hejiday on Ice,** at the Empire
Pool.

“When Knights Were Bold” and
“Charley's Aunt” are missing this
year from the usual attractions,
the latter because Norman Wisdom
in “Where’s Charley?” is still run¬
ning at the Palace. The film people
make an attempt to attract pa¬
trons away from the theatre with
Metro’s film fantasy, “Tom
Thumb.”

Rdnk Drops New^eds
froor 2 Theatre

Londmi, Dec. 16.

AH newsreels will be withdrawn
from the Rank Organization’s two
theatre chains starting Jan. 29.
The decision: to discontinue their
showings was taken after a detailed
probe of fihngpers*^ tastes and a
market research survey.

The Rank Organization; had pre¬
viously announced that it was
ceasing-publication of its two news¬
reels and will he ^bstituting a
magazine-tjTpe feature in color next

Greek Theatre Chief

Wants Japanese Show

[ Tokyo, Dec. 9.

[ Wrapping up a Far Eastern
[swing that included stops at Hong
[ Kong, Bangkok and here, James A,
Doolittle, general, director of Los
Angeles* Greek ^Theatre, said he*s
interested In presenting a Japa¬
nese show, whether he buys the
patiage directly or whether some¬
body else is the importing agent.

Possibility looms that Doolittle
Will return to 3^apan in the j^ring
with some of his staff ta tailor a
show for America. He .told
VARiETy: “We*d like to have the
opportunity of working with some
of the Japanese theatre organiza¬
tions in the creation of shows that
would be particularly suited for us,
using Hie abundant talent that is
here;. We feel that every one in
America should have the opportu¬
nity of seeing Japanese entertain¬
ment”

Helsinki, Dec. 9.
Ingrid Bergman qualifies as un¬
disputed top^ boxoffice draw here
this falL It*s contributed to her
persona l p oputoity that “Indis¬
creet”' (WB) has developed into a
big surprise hit here in this Fin¬
nish ci^tal. \

Now in its fifth week at the
Kino Palatsi, the pic is playmg to
capacity and has been seen by
more than 40,000^ in this short time.

“Bridge on River Kwai” (Cbl),
now on an ^ended-ron in its 14th
we^ it haaf fee«i sera by 100,000^
which ineans that every fourth cit¬
izen hrae has‘ seen iL Latest ho.
sma^ loam^ ik tough guy, Eddie
Constafitine,. now here in his first
Gennra pi^ Up, Eddiel”

" ich had ar terr^c start la^ werfe.
Tff Gottimanfaent^ (Par) con-
tinnea a idow I5th week; stm un¬
der expectatioi^, but a moneys
maker of sorts, anyhow.

Tw» Fob If
Uiier Rc4 Rile Hied
% iel ^ Prfdkers

London^ Dec* 161 •
The InterBatioBal F^raation of
Filin Producers has given the
; “thumbs down’* to two Hint festi¬
vals next year behind the Iron Cur¬
tain, one being. Karlovy Vary
(Czechoslovakia) and the other one
in Moscow. The- decision was
taken at the rcerat meeting in
Paris wMeh gave a ^lim green-
^Rght to the annual junkets at Can¬
nes, Berlin, San Sebastian and
Venkew

TMa is the Hrst time the Inter¬
national has nixed the Czech fest
at Karlovy Vary in which -torai-
can majors have been participat¬
ing off a aean-offieial. basis^ Apr
parently it Was felt that the event
was too heavily loaded in thei
propaganda' stakes in favor of the I
Ikstv- • \ J

There had never previously been i
a Moscow fest, bid last year thej
federadioii gave the okay to a fes^l
tival in LeniB^rad The rende j
was subsequently switched to a!
Black Sea xesor^ but finally the
whole project was abandoned. The
Soviet junket did not conform to
the Infernational yules, and could
not, therefore, receive official

Sdinf forlDSS

Salzburfc Dec. Iff.

The Salzfeurg Festival, July 26
to Aug. 31 will include:

} , ■ Opera : I

1: “Orpheiift and Elydike” by Gluck.
Five performances in Rockz Rid¬
ing School

^The Magic Flute” by Mozart
Five performances in the Festival
House

“Silent Woman” by Richard
Strauss, five performances in the
Festival House

“Cosl Fan Tutte” by Mozart,
four ^performances in the Residence

“Julietta” by HeinH> Erbse, three
performances in the Festival
House

“The World on Moon” by

Haydn, four performances in the
Salzburg Provincial Theatre

I Phiys _ I

“Everyman” by Hugo'von Hof¬
mannsthal, seven performances on
the Cajthedral Square

'"The Tower” hy Hofmannsthal,
three performances in the Rockz
Riding School.

Lanza’s 'Serenade’ Tops
German Fix Set to Roll
Next Yr4 Real Co-Frod.

Berlin, Dec. 9. . !

Of the various films currently
in production here. Corona's “Ser¬
enade einer grossen Liebe” is prob¬
ably the most tqlked-about one.
The Mario Lanza nmne is re¬
sponsible for that. “Serenade,^’
with an English working title of
“Silent Melody” and whidx likely
will be called “For the First-Time”
has created here some guessing as
to wfei^ natidnair colors it will be
sailing. The producing outfit is
the German Corona while Constan¬
tin, also a Germ^ dompany, will
handle the distribution in German-
language areas plus Benelux coun¬
tries. Since some of the principal
players: are German as are some
of its staff, local filmites call it a
Gmmsan film.

However, the actual fact is that
“Serenade** is more of an Amer-^
iean film. Metro cemtributed the
lion's shame of .Hie ‘financial costs
rad also has (except in. above
mentioned territories world ri^^.
Constantin also supplied much of
the coin. But Corona, the pro¬
ducing company, has only a very
small investoent.

Director Rudy Mate put it this
way: A German company is pro¬
ducing an American film In Itjdjr
(Rome, Naples^ Ci^ri); Austria
{Yienm and Silzbi^) and Gra-
many (BerlinK Pic is based on an
original ^oty by Andrew Solt.
With the iattcr, this film has fii^
Amancra key men mx-its payroll:
dirrator Matcv music direetdr
Georgle Stoll and the t?ro chief
cutters, Gmte Ruggiero and Peter
Zinnra. With the exci^tion of
Mate,, who has a non-^^cclusive coh-
: tract with Ck^umbia, all are Metro
contr ac tc cs. *

A tinter (Tcchnicolorl in Techni-
ramaw R Is being shot in EnglisK
The permra ^mchronization is to
be d«ie Irfer. It centers around a
eeiebnded American singra CLan-
fzi^ who fails in love with a deaf
Gennra gM (Johanna von Koc-
ztral. Latter gets ba<* her hear¬
ing rad both she and Lanza even¬
tually fall in love.

flayti' (Aiitae) CUi
S&m ^e,90» Profit

Sydney, Dec. 9.

Under the directfon of Ernest
TurabuB, H^fs’ pic loopi operat-
around 18(1 cinema here and
allied to 20tfr-Fdx, turned in a
profit of $780,000 for the year end¬
ing last June 30;.

Turnbull admitted that the real
impact of tele'had not been felt
'ovra Hid pa^ ftnanctal ^pan. He
said the poshira was being close¬
ly wat^iid and that every possible
:eccbo&)^ would be introduced cbv-
' oii^ Ae hew term. The topper
denied thri; the circuit would i
shutter “a lot** of dnemas in the!
coming year^ |

‘Dniy those &i:^e houses would
be disposed, of in keeping with !
tighter economy in loop opera-1

^ By HAROLD MYERS

Iianren Bacall to Do
Pic With India Locale

London, Dec. 9.

! Lauren Bacall is to co-star with
Kenneth More for Hie Rank Or¬
ganization in “North West Fron¬
tier,” which will be filmed on
location in India and completed at
Pinewood Studios.

The film, which will be in Cxne-
maSeope and Eastmracolor, is due
to start roiling next month. It is
based on a story .*hy Patrick Ford
with Frank Nugent doing the
screenplay, Marcel Heilman is pro¬
ducer and J. Lee Thompson has
been signed to direct.

London, Dec. 16.

With a terse five-line statement
following a special meeting of the
board, the National Film Finance
-Cqxp. has reversed its previous
pdlicy. and announced that British
Lion Films is no loiter for sale.
Board meeting was, it is understood,
a direct sequel to the publication
of last week's Variety exclusive
that Herbert Wilcox and his wife,
Anna Neagle, were bidding to take
over the production-distrihution
company. That story was cabled
back to London and front paged
the following day in the Daily Ex¬
press.

The NFFC called its board meet¬
ing for Thursday (11). After a
two-hour session, the following
statement was^ released:

. “The NaHonal Film Finance
C^orp. announces that no negotia¬
tions for the sale of the corpora¬
tion’s interest in British Lion Films

hW Rome, Dec. 16.

All previous Italian boxoffice
records have been widely beaten
by Dino DeLaurentiis* production,
“The Tempest,’* which Paramount
releases abroad, in its initial Italo
dates.

Playing at nmmaf prices, it hit
close to $15,000 in its first four
days at JNapIes* Metropolitan Cine¬
ma, while topping $11,250 for the
ssune period in Genoa's Verdi The¬
atre, both record figures. “Tem¬
pest’* copped a new high $6,250 for
a single day record in Naples,
while setting same record in Graoa
slradiiig precious recced there was
v/ith some $4,500 for one day (long¬
standing previous record there was
$3,9(Kt

.“Tempest,” Technicolbr-Techiii-
rama prc^uction which stars Van
HeHin, Silvraa Mangano, Geoffrey
Horne, and many others, will be
releasi^ throughout Italy during
the strong CJhristmas holiday sea¬
son Statewide release hy Para¬
mount has been slated for Feb^

ruary.

&eNeirFreiiclG(iTt
Som De<^uig File
Fbiul, Fili AU Law

Paris, D^ 16.

While waiting for. the coming
new ministerial i^pointparatk Ohn
cirdcs are bumhg with possiWe
changes'iu the picture setup here.
Most feel that hraded Film Aid
; will be prolonged no matter who
gets in and the CCnHre Du Cinema,
the governmental administrative
film bo^, will fee kc^t intact But
reports are again gaining mmnen-
that Jacques Flaud, longtime
GDC prcjor, may fee on his way out. i

AlHtou^ most industryites ad-
mit Flaud has done a gpreat deal to
raise French fUm quality and for¬
eign prestige by his handouts for
qimRiy pu^ it is frit tibit pressures
[ Hroni: the top commerciri producers,
who want more say in GDC AM
^ Fund activi^, may push Flaud out
: ef offfce.

; if Is intimated that Henri Fre-
nay, who recently cprit as head of
;the Syndicate of Film Producers
to run against’IritM forces rad
lost, would be rewarded for his try
by ge ttin g the reins of the CDC.
However, this is post-election talk
and most indie producers feel that
Flaud has done a lot for the French
industry and wiH remain as CDC
he^ aftra the new government
goes into effect

Yank film reps have great respect
for Flaud in spite of his detremina-
finn to give out 46 Yank visas on
a merit basis instead of allowing
the Motion Picture Expert Assn, to
diwy them on a global basis as
they do the other 70 of the 110 an¬
nual visas. Yank aid to French pix
via production investment rad film,
distrib is now considered a good
deal fey tIH. companies.

- Some informed sources also told
Variety that they frit a good solu- ;
turn to aH Fite Aid problems would
be a sort of European Common
Mart Bank set up betwera the six
signatories for loans towards films
of both local rad coproduefidn pix
by and for the CM members.

Corpus Christt (Tex.) Driye-In
Theatre shuttered indefinite.

Ltd., are in progress and that no
such sale is mow contemplated.”

Earlier in the day John Teriy,
managing director of the NFFC,
admitted to Variety that negotia¬
tions were in. progress with Wil¬
cox and also with other interested
parties who were unnamed- He
suggested that the Variety ^tory
1 went a little too far in using-the
I word “bidding,” but would have
[ been on the mark if it had substi-
ttuted^the word “negotiating.”

I As'far as can be ascertained, in
discussions that have-feeen clouded
with secrecy, the main stumbling
block to any deal, whether with
the Wilcox group or another syndi¬
cate, was the future ot Shepper-
ton Studios. It is believed that
the NFFC was thinking in terms
of a package deal to include the
distribuHon outfit and the 11-stage
lot at Shepperton. ProspecHye
buyers seemed to be more inter¬
ested in the distribution company,
and were reluctant to assume the
responsibility, with the accompany¬
ing overheads, of a major stnifio
operation.

It is just about two years ago
since it was first officially shi-
nounced by the government that it
was prepared to sell British Lion
back to the industry for private
operaHon if a suitable buyer could
he found. It is known there have
been informal discussions over sev¬
eral months, hut it was firmly be¬
lieved that the Wilcox-Neagle deal
was on the point of fruition when
Variety broke the story.

&aie-Siilsi&ed

Paris, Dec. 9.

After the statsFrabriffized Gome-
die-Francaise's excursirfn into film¬
making by canning Moliere’s “L®
Bourgeois Gentilhomme,” the other
nationalEsed house. Theatre Na¬
tional Populaire, headed by Jean
Vilar, also would like to film some
of its classical repe^ire. TNP
seems to have it ovra the C-F at
the boxoffice via actor G^srd
Philipe, one of the top film stars
here.

C-F*s “Bou^eois” did' only so-so
biz commercially Imfe is heavily
backed by state film handouts as
a cuIHiral acHvity.

EDINBURGH GO€S ON

Lord Cameron Gives Assurances
On Fcslival'si Futioe

Edinburgh, Dbc. 9.

There is no fear of the Inter¬
national Edinburgh Festival of
Music and Drama goin^ out of ex¬
istence. or even being restricted.
A leading behind-the-scenes fig¬
ure, Lord Cameron, gave this as¬
surance here.

He recalled how, in the last
few months, suggestions had ap¬
peared in the press that the Fes¬
tival was nearing its end, or that
it might he held only every three
years. Linked with these rumors
was the suggesHon that its finan^
cial prospects* were poor.

As one closriy associated wfth
its organization. Lord Cameron
said Edinburgh would most defin¬
itely go on, and that the financial
resources required would be found,
not merely foe a Festival pruned
and carved to suit a diirdnkhing
revenue but for one whjkih wotdd
maintain the standard that had
been set.

v^"

%

PiSitEff

Once...

ONLY ONCE
IN A

LIFETIME
A CAST...

A STORY...

A MOTION FICTURE
LIKE TNIS!

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

I '

.iih ON HUB* GLADYS COOPER-CATHIEEN NESBIH'FaK AYiMElt-lKiO TAYlW-MJMIEV MlTOir • Productd HAROU HECHT
ScreMpUy by TERENCE RATTiGAN ml JOHN GAY ‘SSUST DMcd by DELBERT MANN • - a cunim mwcm m. mm

THIS AD IS NOW APPEARING, OR WILL APPEAR, ON
A FULL-PAGE IN NEWSPAPERS IN EVERY MAJOR CITY
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WATCH-FOR-IT!

PICTtHtES

15

W'ednesday^ December 17, 1959'

UAsStE^

'Get More Out of life Revised

[FOR DEPARTING BOB COYNE]

Eobert W. Coyne, who is resigning as president of >i:he Council
of Motiori Picture Organizations to join the Di^Hled Spirits Insti¬
tute, is about to change his slogan. Prom now on, cracked Arthur
L; Mayer, it’s to be "Get More out of Life-r-Go Out to a Saloon.”

Mayer was acting as toastmaster at a New York luncheon Thurs¬
day (11) as 350 film company and theatre execs joined in a testi¬
monial for Coyne. It marked the first time in memory that a prom¬
inent industryite was saluted at a time coinciding with his de¬
parture from the trade for another post.

Among those making with the plaudits were circuit operators
S. H. Fabian and E„obert J. P’DonneU and, representing the Mo¬
tion Picttu’e Assn, of America, Abe Montague. All’underlined the
spearheading role played by'Coyne in -obtaining Federal admis¬
sions tcix relief. Ticket tax exemptions so far have meant a saving
in the billions of dollars, stated Montague.

Inforttial sideline conversation at the luncheon made it clear that.
substantial industry sentiment is for a continuation of COMPQ,
in accordance with a resolution adopted by the organization’s board
and . exec committee last Tuesday <9).

COMPO is BOW working on a deil whereby Coyne wiU take on
the job of consultant.

'Saddle of Night’ Shoots m East

George justin Decries 'Long Distance Bungling’ By
Coast Ciiards Who Hereafter Bum-Rap Manhattan

.4 -—-:-—-^^^-.

FUm pr^uctloB, New York
style, recet;Mf- A'’Significant boost
with the aiming of George Justin
as the' iuE-fledged producer of
^‘Middle- of "the Night,” the Kim
Novak> Fredric .March starrer
which will be filmed completely in
Gotham.. Justin is a product of
Gotham film-making and one of
the staunchest advocates of N.Y.
as a film production centre.

All of J^^tin’s. fa:aining, which
started about nine years ago, has
been kisqLuired m N-Y., starting
with d^mentaries, moving on to
telepi3f';ind fea^e film produc¬
tion. punng that. period he has
served ;-«i^'productiOn manage on
such lilEanhattan-fi^Imed pictures as
"On the Waterfront," “A Face in
the CS^d;” "12 Angry hlen,"
"Acroa th^ Evergkdes” and *The
Goddess," The latttf .saw him move
tip to ait associate producer sta^
and of the Night," which

Colum^ is financing and releas¬
ing, mirks his debut as a full pro¬
ducer. ■ .

Canada’s Industrials

Ottawa, Dec. 16.

Leading film “sponsors” in
Canada, W number of prints
In actual use, are: Aluminum
Co. of Canada, Anglic'an
Church, British Columbia
Electric, Bell Tele p ho n e,'
Canadian Caiicer Society, Can¬
adian General Electric, Cana¬
dian National Railways, Cana¬
dian Pacific Rcrilway, Imperial
Oil, Molson’s Brewery, Red
Cross, Saskatchewan 'Wheat
Pool, Seagram’s Distillery,
Shell Oil, Trahs-Canada Air¬
lines, the Federal Govern¬
ment, and provincial govern¬
ments of British Columbia,
Manitoba,' Ontario and Que¬
bec.

S<y- reports Crawley Films
Ltcf, OtUwa, .Ganada’s largest
commercial i[lm producer.

Theatre Gear Mfrs.

During hit years as a production
manager,. JuStin lus developed a
crew of techirfcians who woi*
with hw-mi^tlie^tictures made In
Gotham.*.‘.iSfldto to Justin, these
associates In minor jobs

and have : aince moved up to be¬
come depaitment heads. They in¬
clude assistant. director Charles
McGuire, chief property man Lou
Toth, chief elecrician Buddy For¬
tune and chief grip Tommy Brown.

“Middle pf .the Night," based ^
Paddy ChayesfSky’s legit play, is
budgeted at $l;DOO,000. Justin has!
scheduled a 25-day shooting sched¬
ule at the Gold Medal Studios in
the Bronx wh^h he is determined
to keep. Rehearsals started Mon¬
day (.15) under the guidance of
director Delbert Mann, at the Pair
ladium Ballroom in midtown Man¬
hattan. Actual production begins
Jan. 5.

Justin, wbio has long Insisted
that N.Y. prcsiuction is three times
as inexpensive as Hollywood, aims
to prove hiS:pomt with “Middle of
the Night.” ;He maintains that ex¬
penses will be kept to . a minimum
.and that the extras usually asso¬
ciated withifiim production will be
eliminatefiU For example, he* in-,
sisted that thtte Will be'no limou¬
sine service from Manhattan to the
studio for the. stars. He said they
would have to come by subway or
taxi at their own expense.

Disputing Hdllywopdites who rap
N.Y. production- 'facilities and
costs, Justin—^terming them hit
runners—contends they come to
Gotham without the proper prep¬
aration. “They choOse the wrong
people and to do everything
by long distance," he declared.
“They bungle through several
weeks of work and then chaplain
that they’ve been , taken. — How¬
ever, peo^? who know N.Y. pro¬
duction can unquestionably do It’
<dieaper;_thaii in HoHywdpd,”

Justlii ndcftowledges that N.Y.
still doesn’t. *sVe th#. lacilfties
equal tot "^o^e in Hollyiydpd, but
he beli^vc^ that once f>roduction
and tlm-'.iiMVD4t|ide of N.Y. film-
xnaklng; &e equipment

and wUl

would we

(N.Y.) had five raort studios with
large stages," he declared.

Face Grief, Cohen
Report Recites

Unless the motion picture in¬
dustry embarks on a scientific
. technologficaL research program,
it faces the prospect of seeing'
mainifacturers- of theatre equip¬
ment going out of business. Sev¬
eral have, already faUen by the.
wayside. And. miless there is some
coordinate ivogram on the part
of the industry to keep the manu¬
facturers in business, theatres may
have to face the future without
the ability to buy theatre equip¬
ment.

This dire warning ^is contained
In^the report of the research • com¬
mittee of the American Congr^
of Exhibitors. The report, submit¬
ted by chairakn Max A. Cohen,
is an nll-racompassing one and
contains detailed suggestions on
the various areas of research that
the Industry must pursue in order
^ to compete sudcessfully in the cur¬
rent market

It calls for an analysis of the
amusement dollar, the portion the
[ industry receives, and a study of
the pr^nt-day film patron.

It suggests ‘a comprehensive sur¬
vey of film advertising techniques
and recommends a complete over¬
haul.

It pleads for vital research in the
marketing of motion pictures.

[’ It wonders about the “styling"
of current pictures.

It calls attention to the neces¬
sity for the modernization of the¬
atres and technical advances in
pro^tlonv such as 3-D and the
use of wide-gnage film. The com¬
mittee noted that it saw a crude
demonstration of 3-D without
glasses and also reported that Cen¬
tury Projector Corp. is working
on a new process for wide screen
projectioiis.

It suggests Improvements in
sound systems. * ■

It Taps the type of adyertis&g
itiUs ctrtrefltly obtainable from the
film companies.

Bronston Raps His Ex-Accouiitant;
Repeats 'Harassment’ by Glassmad
Can’t Halt 'John Paul Jones’ Dates

-—--No fewer than 19 litigations are

LET-US-RUB-HEADS

PubQcisfs Bid Like-Minded Unions
Confer on Joint Problems

A joint conference of all AFL-
CIO unions of advertising and pub¬
lic relations employees has been
invoked by the N.Y. Screen Pub¬
licist Guild!

Guild’s proposal was made to
the Assn, of Theatrical Pressagents
and Managers, Hollywood Publi¬
cists Local 818, International Alli¬
ance of Theatrical Stage’ Employ¬
ees; N.Y. Publicists Local. 872,
lATSE, and National Assn- of
Broadcasting Employees and Tech¬
nicians,** Local 11,; New York.

The move follows by bna week
the conclurion of the AFIrGIO
^merger In New York .State and
coincides with intensified .umrser
moves among AFL-CIO actor un¬
ions.

Subjects suggested for discussion ^
at the joint conference “of publi-.
cists’ unions include organization
of the unorganized in rthe^^d of
advertising, aid public rriatiohs;
establishment .of coanmon contract
standards; inciuding sals^ mini-
miims, job s^urity provisions and
other benefits, ^imination of jur-!
isdietional disputes; mutual aid |
and.assistance, and other joint ef-
.•forts.

|. It’s stressed that the initial meet-
! ing proposed by SPG would be an
j exploratory session and would re-
[ quire no commitments from any
[ of the participants. -

The SPG represents homeeffice
pub-ad staffers at Warner Bros.,
United Artists, Metro, Universal,
Columbia and 20th-Fox.

BLOCKBUSTER TERMS
IN SMALLER SITUATIONS

’ H Minneapolis, Dec. 16-

Read This One Before?

Corpus Christi, Tex., Dec. 16.

Police emptied the Center
Theatre here in the downtown
section of the city of some 200
patrons by telling them they
were hunting for a valuable
package, and then started
looking for a bomb.

The evacuation, and hunt' at
the house began after John
Harvey, manage^ of the Center
found a handwritten note say¬
ing a bomb had been planted
in the building. Police and fire
officials found nothing at the
end of their search.

New Peseta Rdes
Face Co-ProAicer
Deals in Spain

Spain has issued a new law whi<^
virtually kills the use of .locally-
blockc^, ifidustrial money for film
production, Samuel Bronston, pro¬
ducer of “John. Paul Jones," re¬
ported in N.Y, last week. “JPJ,”
which was shot most in Sp^, was
to a large part finatticed in this
fashion.

pending in the involved John Paul
Jones Productions, but president
Samuel Bronston, charging “har¬
assment" from his former account¬
ant, Barnett Glassihah, said none
of these actions would interfere
with the release .of the film “John
Paul Jones,” which Warner Brps.
will distribute. Picture was
directed by John Farrow.

Bronston reported in N.Y. last
week that the picture would start
[scoring in London this week and’
would be ready for release around
February. Meanwhile, he’s prep-
ping “Son of Man," the story of
(Christ, again in partnership with
Farrow. Film - is to be shot in
Spain and Jerus^om, starting next
March or April. After that, the
due will laundi “Lord Nelson.”

Bronston and Irving Margulies,
counsel for JPJ, as weU as attor¬
ney Ferdinand J. Wolf, recounted
Classman’s various alleged efforts
to get hold of the-company. Bron¬
ston termed “ridiculous" Glass-
man's data of being the full own¬
er of a company “without putting
in one cent.”

Glassman, who says he once em¬
ployed Bronston, maintaln's he’s
the latter’s partner in J. P. J.
Glassman’s yersloit. of their rela¬
tionship complejtely contradicts
Bronston’s-

-!Jn this territory’s towns as small
as 4,000 to 5,000 population, such
as Hastings and 'St, Peter,. Minn.,
.^hpre the Berger circuit has^the-
3tfres, film companies are demand¬
ing percentage for all. i^^oddbosteis
“4nd even some nop-blotkbasters,”
qpmplains Lowell. . Kaplan, the
Gain’s buyer-booker, :

t Denouncing sueh a distri^tor
I policy, Kaplan cdls it “disigrace-
fuT and a “death warrant'' for'the
i-showhouses.

He cites “The Big Country” *
current “non-blockboster as far as
the Minneapolis firstnm was con¬
cerned" which he can’t flat Imr
his small towns- - • '

“If we can’t make enough money
on the blockbusters in these towns
—and when we pay pcrcentage-^^
offset our inability to a auffi-
cient, if any profit, on tbe'run of
the mill product, we'll be Better off
if we close the' theatres' dooirs
there.” . .

Bionsfon, who ptafis to ad-t
ditibaal film' in utd the

n4w Sptaisl^ regoiatib^ demand¬
ed that any doi^rpdQcer hi a pro-
duetion now had’ to have b' 35%'\
equity in the fOm;. Itodea
from abroad then imiiM. be turned
over to the GovemnnHSt, whieh re-
in^urses .at the pfficiM; fi^ of

Move was made paotty tn avoid
inflation Via tta

amounty .of pesetas, and 'also to
help ailevJUite Spam’s poor foreign
currency position. Bt Hte past,

American, inakfttg a fUm in Spam
would get himself “fictitious” al¬
lies by doling out ieiiitprial '
to a picture. . !

Bronston said It would now be
necessary to devise new methods’
that take these new yegulafioais
into account He said the atfitade .:court
the Spanish government had

of the. Spanish govemmeiri; had jigainst iis.” Bronston said Glass-
been roost cooperative and he was man ■'had supervised the building
convinced Madrid was anxioos for ships fm: “John Paul Jones"

production to cootinne. * and had been paid $20,000

salary for his servies for doing so.
However, Glassman bitterly com¬
plained 'about the treatment his
wife allegedly received when she
arrived in Spain, and from then
on friction between Bronston and
, , - .r, « 1 1 —t I Glassman became such that the

Exhibitors Feel If Present Laws Can t .Help Film former‘said "i just had to fire

’ him."

■ According to Wolf and Margul¬
ies,. the Italian books and parts of
the American books on “John Paul

According to Bronston, Glass-
man used to be Ms accountant and,-
when Bronston went to Spain ta
prepare for “John Paul Jones.” he
gave Glassman power of attorney.;;
What happened thei, aeccHrding to"
Bronston, is that Glassman put his.
signature to various papers, which
then totally snarled the operatims.

the company. ^‘We*re still try¬
ing to untangle this mess,” said
Margulies.

Trophy Productions, whrch is
headed by Glassman, originally
held the. story rights to “John
Paul Jones” and in turn was given
4.% of the picture- «H*J was sup¬
posed to purchase tie rights from
Trophy, but latter -won’t accept a.
^5,000 check; whki—according
to Wolf—-“makes them feel they
have an ace up their sleeve in
They 'want to use that

Theatres, New Laws Must Be Secured

The committee bn Government-
industry relations of "the American
.Congress of Exhibitors recom-
m^ded that if Government agen-.
Viet as* now empowered cannot aid
the.picture business, the industry
sho^d see)c remedial ’ legiriation
from Congress. Howeve; the re¬
port, submitted by chairman Sol
A. Schwartz, suggested, that only a
unified approach by all segments
of the industry be made to Con¬
gress and that “there ^ould be no
different ^ups going off at tan¬
gents talking to legislative leaders
as this could easily result in utter
confusion and destroy the possi¬
bility of securing the desperately
heeded help."

Specific suggestions made by
the committee included:

Clarification of block booking,
with the recommendation that an
expression be solicited from the
Dept, of Justice that group picture
selling and buying be specifically
authorized in those cases where
there is no competing exhibitor for
the run who requests picture by
picture selling.

Changes In the consent decrees
and exemptiems from the antitrust
laws, allowing Columbia, United
Artistt, Univer^ Jpanmount and!
RKO ^etyrea to operate tb^atres^
if they kb-desire; Americah Broad¬
casting- Paramount theatres and

RKO Theatres may produce and
distribute pix; Wsttner Bro?.,
Loew’s and 20th-Fox may not oper¬
ate theatres unless specific permis¬
sion is granted by the Federal
Court; Stanley Warner, Loew’s
Theatres and .National Theatres
may not engage in prod^tion and
distributian exc^ by specific per¬
mission of the Federal Court. It is
noted that^tiicse three companies
are not prohibited presently from
producing pictures but only from
engaging in distribution.

The report also suggests that
injunctions in the consent decrees
against pooling arrangements be
suspended so. that such arrange¬
ments can be made “for the pur¬
pose of sustaining., brsiness and
not created for the pui^ose of in¬
juring anyone or putting anyone
out of business or obtaining an
unfair position. The exact nature
of these pooling arrangements is
not disclosed, but the report sug¬
gests A possible three^year experi¬
mentation '-to observe whether or
not the pooling agreements are in
the public interest.

The reports recommend amend¬
ments to the consent decrees so
that exhibitors may serve on the
board of 4irectors of film com¬
panies. ,

It also calls for <3overpin«rf;
finahdar aid fo esdiibitors via the
Small Business Administration.

Jones” are missing and Bronston
has been unable to get hold of
them. Bronston said Glassman was
representing himself as an (rfficer
of the company, “which he is not."

Noting that his backers included
such names as Pierre Dupont III,
Ernest Gross. General Motors,
Laurence Rockefeller, Stuyvesant
Pierpont, Firestone, Eastman Ko¬
dak, etc. Bronston angrily noted
the bankruptcy proceedings
brought against him in. Newark,
N.J. “We are not insolvent,” he
stated. Earlier, Glassman had
sought a custodial receivership in
Jersey. However, the Court va¬
cated it, stati^ there could be no **
decision pending a full trial.

Both Wolf and Margulies min¬
imized last week’s decision by
Judge Sylvester J. Ryan in N.Y.
Federal Court which lifted the
temporary restraining order *
against Glassman. Bronston’s at¬
torneys said the only issue up for
discussion before the court was
one of jurisdiction and that deci¬
sion on the basic issues was stiU
pending. Bronston has brought an
action for declaratory -dudgment
against Glassman seeldng to solve
the question of literary rights,
Glassman has opposed this on
iet^tnical j^ounds, ^There’s also a
Glassman ault Vs.- Bttaisfon pend¬
ing in N.Y. Supreme Court.

16

Wednesday, Decemher 17, 1958

20ths

senes of

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THE SBSHIFF OF
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OFF tHE MOVIE PAGE:

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Wedneiday, December 17, 1?>58

PICTURES

17

Couret Brothers Say All Europe
Save Spain 'Spoiled’ for Yanks

4 ----

Guy Madison Latest Film Actor To
Find Participation Booby-Trapped

Hollywood,'Dec. 16.

Italy has been ruined for U.S.
feature and tv film production,
and so has most of the rest of
Europe^ with costs now as high as
they are in this country, but Spain
is still cheap and will remain that
way if the situation Is handled
rejillstically—^by Spanish produc¬
tion companies for U.S. producers.

So say top executives of a Span¬
ish film concern, the Coiuret Or¬
ganization, currently here to pre¬
sent advantages of Spanish pro¬
duction to U.S. feature and film
producers* |

^‘The situation in Spain today
is about the same as it was in ;
Italy 10 years ago,” said one of
them, Pierre Couret, with his
brother, Charles, one of the direc¬
tors of the Couret Organization,
a production-distribution-exhibition ]
combine with subsidiary compan¬
ies in France, Italy, and Portugal,
as well as Spain.

“Costs Soared in Italy when it
was swamped with U.S. produc¬
tion companies. We want to avoid
this in Spain,” Couret said. “And
it can be avoided with local com¬
panies—such as ours-T-handling
production.”

Both Couret and his associates,

. Jose G. Maesso, general manager
of Tecisa (Television y Cine, S.A.),
one of the Couret subsids, and
Henri Leiser, Tecisa executive pro¬
ducer, are here to line up U. S.
coproductions. Couret has been
for seven years Paramount dis¬
tributor and representative in
Spain, and Leiser is acquainted
with U.S. methods through former
residence here.

The Couret Organization’s. com¬
panies in four European countries j
p^mit other advantages for U.S.
producers than those of cost. The
setup, permits Americans to take
advantage of government subsidies
and import licenses. With. Couret
companies in more than one coun¬
try, double subsidies can be col¬
lected.

Couret will put up 100% finan¬
cing for the production against a.
share in disMbution and/or ex¬
hibition. There are good ^oot-
• ing facilities now in Spain, they!
saidr hut they plan to expand in¬
terior-space and construct a west¬
ern village for features and tele-
-series.

“Five minutes from Madrid
there Is country that absolutely
duplicates Arizona and California,”
Leiser said, “and our weather is
even more reliable than here.”

As to costs, Couret said that on
a recent U.S. pic shot in Spain, a
certain set cost $30,000. Blueprints
for the same set shown to construe- i
tlon experts here showed it would j
cost $225,000 to duplicate in Hol¬
lywood. !

Three major cost-sayings, ac¬
cording to the trio, are on sets,
crowds and costumes, all available
at a fraction of U.S. cost in Spain
and cheaper there than elsewhere
in Europe. Even in countries like
France and Italy, where costs are
higher,.savings can be effected by
use of the native, Couret compan¬
ies, they said.

Couret said that during the week
he and his associates spent in New
York, the week they are spend ing
here, and another week they plan
in Gotham before returning to
Spain, the question has been only
of selecting which U.S. companies
or individuals they wish to ^ busi¬
ness with.

TAXaAIMVS.CHAPUN I
TOl.A.TRIALJAN.5

Washington, Dec. 16.

Trial of the Government’s .in¬
come tax claim against Charlie
Chaplin has been set for Jan. 5 in
Los Angeles before U.S. Tax Court
Judge John E. Mulroney.

Although the bulk of records oil
the case have been already shipped
to the Coast, papers remaining here
show the Internal Revenue Service
contends Chaplain owes $486,950.44
in Income tax for the calendar year
1953, plus $29,217.03 in interest.
Previous published reports indicat¬
ed i larger tax deficiency claiiUed
^ lli^:ier0v«7iihent of $1,242,532,.
liu^Udiiig years prior to 1953.
There wa* nb way here to confirm
the accuracy of the larger figure.

Oughta Show USSR Films

Albany, Dec. 16.

“It would be a shame if no
Albany, theatre were to show
any of the Russian films, in
the cultural exchange program
between' the Soviet Union and
the United States.” Thus-de¬
clared Hugh M. Flick, former
N.Y. State Censor.

Flick made this statement
last week, as a followup to a
comment at a recent meeting
of the Communications Arts
GuHd of the Albany CathoUc
Diocese. Asked then about the
exchange program, the ex-
chief censor said he could see
“no Tharm” in the exhibition
of such Russian films by
American theatres—“because
the program- has been care¬
fully planned and will be close¬
ly supervised.”

COMPETTnONSWAPPEr
OUT OF EXISTENCE

Victoria, Tex., Dec. 16,
Mrs. Rubin S. Frels has made
au exchange of theatres with the
J. G. "Long Ciremt. She took over
the Floyd Theatre in El Campo and
Long took over the State. Theatrb
in Bay* City. .

This gives each circuit all thea¬
tres in each town. . The two cir¬
cuits have been on a strong com¬
petitive basis for many years.

Sam Firks Purchases
10,000 National Shares

Samuel Firks, director of Na¬
tional Theatres, is stepping-up his
stock interests in the company.
He just bought an additional lO,-
000 shares of the common isue,
bringing his total ownership up
to 60,000 shares.

Chairman Elmer Rhoden sold
11,300 shares, cutting his hold¬
ings to 54,000.

TV’s ‘Earp’ Up for Role;
Seeing Foreman in London

Hollywood, Dec. 16.
Producer Carl Foreman is nego-
tiatmg for Hugh 6’Brian to essay
one of the live.eo-starring roles in
“Guns of Navarone,” due to roll
in April.

O’Brian,. who" Is television’s
“Wyatt Earp,” huddles on the
project with Foreman in London
next week.

ALEX OQRDON SEPARATES

Quits Ainerican International —
Seeks New Distributor

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Alex Gordon, who has been with
American International Pictures
since its formation" as a vp and
released his indie produ.ct through
this outlet, has severed connec¬
tions 'and hereafter will work
through other distribs.

Initialer on his 1959 , slate,
“Atomic Submarine,” may go via
Allied Artists. Program also In¬
cludes “War Against Crime,”
“Mask of the Red Death,” “The
Beetle” and four exploitation pix.

Curtail ‘Art’ Policy

1 Pittsburgh, Dec. 16.

Quality Theatres art group,
which started out with three houses
and then dropped to two, is now
one. Original set-up of Shadyside,
Crafton and Studio was organized
last May with eye on better bar¬
gaining position to meet competi¬
tion uf couple of well-established
surc-seaters. Squirrel Hill and
Guild.

Croton, however, lasted only a'
few weeks, pulling put to resume
its old subsequent run grind poli¬
cy. Now Studio, in nearby Belle¬
vue, has withdrawn but more than
that has shuttered altogether. That
leaves the Shadyside, and- it will
contmue as an arter,

. Located in a ndjghbbrhcmd suit¬
ed to .^at kind of a policy, it's
been the only one of the three
ever, to do any business anyway. i

I Wasserman

Continued from pase 1
potential on what he could do In
“r unning a picture company” (it’s
no secret he had been offered the
'top Metro studio post), Wasser-
!man points to all forms of allied
merchandising and selling in con¬
trast to the “old-fogey methods that
stiU exist in our business.”

“Look the Sutton with *Gigi’
and the lines around the block. So,
If the former, so-called ‘downtown
deluxers’ are a flop give me a
dozen Buttons or Plazas or Baron¬
ets; sell pictures with a regard to
public comfort and courtesy, and
see how fast they’ll get away from
th tv sets you mention.

“If the picture business is so
positive that television is all the
people see, then why don’t they
use tv to sell their product^—and
by that I mean the good pictures.
Sure, you Say RKO and Loew’s
use tv here in the east, hut it’s
on their run-of-the-mine pictures.
Let them use tv to seU ‘River
Kwai’ or ‘Sayonara* or any of the
other blockbusters. But what hap¬
pens when these boff pictures
come to the. suhsequents?—little
or no advertising because they
figure the backwash from the Mu¬
sic Hall or the Capitol or some-1
wheres will . suffice, although I
must say I’ve just Jioticed how
Loew’s has been plugging ‘80
Daj^* on tv for its subsequent
bookings.” , I

Wasserman points to solid play
properties which thrive with ‘no i
blockbuster cast on the marquee,’ ]
He points to RCA-NBC utilizing'
its broadcasting and recording fa-;
(duties to plug some play proper¬
ty which it has financedL

He points to these in contrast to
the recent exhibitor conedaves
“blaming” Hollywood, the stars,
the agents, anything, and anybody
but themselves or wanting to Rec¬
ognize that the fault also may lie
in the inept selling at the point of
customer acceptance—^the film au¬
diences.

I Wasseman points, to at least
one company. United Artist^
which seems to have found the key
to buck the trend and emerge as
a vibrant major company. “There’s
no depression for them. Why is it?
UA pictures must fight the same
opposition as the others. Or could
it be because they have youth and
young thinking in. the manage¬
ment?”

A reverse sampling of foresight
and find-out-for-yourself is cited by
Wasserman in re color television.
When the networks waxed enthusi¬
astic about the . horizons of spec¬
trum tv it could have meant an
additional $2,500,000 overhead to I
shoot the divers Revue Produc-
tions-MCA series in color. Was-1
serman and his staff, instead, went
to the engineers and technicians
at the source and learned from
their hesitancy that color video
was not, as yet, foedproof for aver¬
age-customer consumption. MCA
decided to keep shooting in black-
and-white. At that, time some of.
the young^engineers felt “color tv
won’t he foolproof for maybe 10
years.” They overstated it by a
few years, of course, but MCA
also didn’t go overboard.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
MENACES VIRGINIA

Richmond, Dee. 16.
Virginia exhibitors, via the Vir¬
ginia Motion Picture Theatre Assn.,
a Theatre Owners of America
affiliate, have launched a campaign
to kiU a proposed daylight savings
time bill which will be presented i
to the Virginia legislature. The
bill is being sponsored at the next
session of the State legislature by
the Virginia Travel Council. '
Theatremen feel that the bill has
a good chance of passing unless the
exhibitors embark bn a strong
campaign to defeat the bill.

Cornel Wilde Prodneing

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Cornel Wilde will make two
features for Columbia Pictures
under his own indie setup. First
is to be “Caves of Night,” which
Wilde will produce-ijirect and pos¬
sibly costar in with his wife, Jean
Wallace.

Wilde previously produced pair
for Paramount. ‘TJeyU's Hairpin”
and “Maracaibo.”

’18 Vets Rap Russo Swap

Manchester, N.H., Dec. 16.

The U.S. State Department
“cultural exchange” program
which would pave the way for
Russian-made motion pictures
^to be shown in theatres
‘throughout this country has
been denounced in a strongly
worded resolution adoped at
a special meeting of the Coun¬
cil of Administration, N.H.
Department, Veterans of
World War 1.

The resolution promised
that “definite action -will be
taken In each locality to ex¬
press our open opposition to
the exhibition of Soviet-made
films.”

“Soviet strategy has restored
to the subtlest forms of infil¬
tration, one of which is a so-
(zalled ‘cultural exchange’ pro¬
gram,” the resolution siaid.

JET-HEETFORCARSIN
TOTOWA, N. J„ TEST

A combination heating and air
<5onditiomng unit for individual
cars, demonstrated at the Totowa,
N. J., Drive-In Theatre. last week,
utilizes techniques new to ozoner
operations. Developed by Jet-Heet
of Englewood, N. J., system uses
forced, filtered air from a small-
diameter flexible duct to heat or
cool a parked car.

Heart of the system is an oil-
fired furiiace which will heat some
30 cars at an estimated cost of
one to two c^nts per car per night.
Tl^ reportedly is less than what
drive-in owners now pay to heat
caiis with conventional electric
units. Totowa Drive-In, operated
by the Eastern Management Corp.,
has had a 50(l-car heating unit in
use for the past two months.

Warners’F^. 22 Week
Goal: Erery House WB’d

“Every” theatre in the United
States and Canada will he playing
a Warner product — either a fea-
ture or a short — in the week be¬
ginning Feb, 22. This assurance
was given this week by Bernard
Goodman, who is captain of the
company’s sales (irive honoring
president Jack L. Warner.

The “Big'Warner Week,” as it’s
billed, is part of fhe overall sales
campaign which runs from Dec.
2S to April 4.

Academy, Minneapolis,
Ponders ‘Sleeping Beauty’

Minneapolis, Dec, 16.

With “Porgy and Bess” not ex¬
pected to he ready until late next
year, Ted Mann, owner of 'the
Todd-AO equipped hard-ticket
Academy here, is considering the
Disney full length feature cartoon,
“Sleeping Beauty,” as a possible
successor to the theatre’s current
“South Pacific” when a replace¬
ment is deemed advisable.

"Beast” is nearly completed and
would lend itself to the Academy
equipment sans changes. It only
runs 75 minutes, however.

Since the To(id-AO instaRation
and its virtual rebuilding the Acad¬
emy has housed only two attrac¬
tions, both hard ticket. “Around
the World in 86 Days” ran 50
weeks and “South Pacific” now is
In. its 25th week and still playing
to profitable business.

SHOWMAN-CITY AGREE

Latchis Gets Land Via Swap Plus
$27,911 Cash

Keene, N. H., Dec. 16.

After one day of hearing in Su¬
perior Court here, the City Coun¬
cil accepted a compromise in a
land seizure case against D. Lat¬
chis Inc., which operates film the¬
atres In New Hampshire and Ver¬
mont.

Under the plan, the‘L.atchis firm
will transfer 7,769 square feet of
land in Railroad Square ' to the
city, receiving 1,868 square feet
of city land In a swap, as well as
$27,911 in cash.

The city will tear down two
warehouses in th^ area tb make
way for a new parking lot.

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

After starring in eight films on
participation deals, Guy Madison
asserts “I won't make another pic¬
ture on participation without any
cash guarantee.” Madison esti¬
mated ‘he had earned only one-
third of what he should have on
those eight pix, and then mainly
because he had maicle settlements
on several, to get sopne cash out of
them. Thus Madison aligns him¬
self with Rory Calhoun, who re¬
cently blasted participation deals.
In Calhoun’s case, he declared he
not only hadn’t earned any coin on
his pix, but that the producers In¬
volved owed him $100,000.

Madison, currently preparing to
star in a new vidseries, “The Sword
and the Arrow,” at Hal Roach stu¬
dios, said he would not go for an¬
other participation deal “unless I
can control the release, know in ad¬
vance about the billing, how the
picture will be released, what the
Rental percentages will be.” He
said he had starred in a film at Al¬
lied Artists, but the studio gave
priority campaign and release to
some low-budget product it had
bought elsewhere, alleging this was
dcneTjecause the profit margin was
greater for AA on the low-
budgeters,

‘•An actor should seek to ellm-’
inate a one-cori>oration contract
because If ‘ he has nothing to say
about the release, billing or per¬
centage, he will be burned even if
he has a real picture,” he said.

Madison’s vidseries gets under
way Jan. 19 at the Roach lot, with
Helen Ainsworth as producer, Ar¬
thur Luhin director and Pev Mar-
ley cameraman.

LC. ASSN. ENDORSES
CONGRESS OF EXHIBS

^ Kansas City, Dec. 16.

Motion Picture Assn., last week
at its annual meeting held in the
llotel Bellerive chose four direc¬
tors as one of its principal items of
business. Harry Gaffney, Ameri¬
can International representative,
was re-elected, and new board
members are Russell Borg, branch
manager, and Howard Thomas, of¬
fice manager, Warner Brothers;
and Abbott Sher, Film Delivery
exce.

Term is four years. Outgoing di¬
rectors, besides Gaffney, are Ed
Hartman, booking service operator,
Ben. Marcus, Columbia district
manager, and Clarence Schultz,
former circuit executive. Directors
meet in January to elect officers
for 1959. Richard Orear, Common¬
wealth circuit execs, has served as
1958 president.

Committee reports showed the
association had a year of successful
activities, outstanding one being
building of Earl Jameson Memorial
Cabin at the YMCA boys ciamp.
This was done at a cost of $2,492, it
was reported by Arthur Cole, wel¬
fare chairman, and in addition the
association provided half the camp¬
ing fee for 50 boys and bought 10
Y memberships.

50% BOOKED UP

Texas Drive-ins Convention Space
Selling For Feb. 16-18

Dallas, Dec. 16.

More than half of the booth
space available for the seventh
annual convention of the Texas
Drive In Theatre Owners Assn,
has been reserved. The conven¬
tion is scheduled for Feb. 16
through 18 at the Hotel Adolphus.

Mrs. Evelyn Neeley, of the Wei-
senberg Theatres, is chairman of
the booth reservation committee.

Coffee Cappuccino Cuffo

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

The St. Louis Park theatre in
the earliest 28-day subsequent-run
clearance slot is playing “Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof” with the dozen
others day and date.

As an Inducement to attend the
attraction there instead of at any
of the other theatres, the St. Louis
Park is playing up in big type
above the picture’s name “Coffee
Cappuccino served in our lounge
—no charge.

It’s the only non-art house here
to serve a free beverage and the
lone one that serves ^‘coffee Cap¬
puccino.”

IS

USidffFf

Wednesday, DeMmber 17^ 195S

It happened
at the

frontier

that

mflamed

event

never

f i! rri e d
before

M-G-M

DEBORAH YUL
KERR BRYNNER

in

ANATOLE LITVAK’S

Production of

“THE JOURNEY"

ce-tUrrlng ^

ROBERT MORLEY • E. G. MARSHALL

KURT KASZNAR . DAVID KOSSOFF • MARIE DAEH3

JASON ROBARDS, JR.

Sortin Piny by GEORGE TABORl
In METROCOLOR
Aft Alby RJciur#

PraduojMi and OIrcetad by

ANATOLE LITVAK

1' • ...I

FOR 19jS>’s
HALL OF FAME

Hollywood sent its brightest stats to
the actual location. Thqr hiought
back the stoiy of an unforgettable
journey and a love born In the fetr
mentofthe greatest revolt of pur dme.

PIGsdPFf

FICTURIS

19

WTedoMday', DecenAer ITy 1959

N^spaper Strike Dents Show Biz

Continued from pace 1 s=iss=^==

^'eir heads in amazement over
•what a small body of men can do
to the newspapers of a metropolis.

Though some of the papers, not¬
ably the N. Y. Times and the
Herald Tribune, kept going, I.e,
kept their staffs busy turning out
stories and reviews as if they were
publishing, the overall losses of
the nine metropolitan dailies were i
estimated at about $17,000,000, The
N. Y. Times alone last ’Sunday (14)
lost about $1,000,000, this being
traditionally one of the fattest and
most profitable issues of the year.
However, the N. Y. Post, the News,
Mirror and Others decreed leave-
of-absence without pay^for staffers
and made no attempt to pitch in
“for the record.”

One paper that did continue to
publish: the WaU Street JoumaL
Mixing news and financial info, It
boomed in sales.

SiMudsh Daily’s En^ish Section

El Dario de Nueva York, Span-
Ish-language daily, began putting
out two pages of news in English
the first day of the strike. Pictures
have idso been captioned in Span-

*Variety^ Stands Out

Variety probably got the
most thorough reading in
many a year on the part of
laymen as well as show biz
executives.

Said one: “I’ve read Variety
twice already and I'll read it
a third time on the train
home.’*

Ish and English. The usual press
run of 75,000 was doubled to 150,- i
000, but because of mechanical
limitations the paper was. unable,
except in a couple of cases, to ac¬
cept advertising from any but its
usual; clients.

The papier,handled by the Metro¬
politan News Co., has had no dis¬
tribution problem during the strike,
but itfs figured the closing of Sev¬
eral newsstands cut into the poten¬
tial number of sales. Jerry Ross,
editor-in-chief and associate pub¬
lisher of El Diario, has been edit¬
ing th^ English pages. The paper
has held to its usual siie of 48
pages daily and 56 on Saturday.

Only, medium to substantially
gain from the strike was local
radio which swamped with
customers .tfying to buy spot plugs.
Broadway was gloomy over the
whole thing. “We^e opening ‘Sep¬
arate Tables’ and ‘Doctor’s Dilem¬
ma’ at our - ’I?rans-Dux hduses, but
Crod duly; knows ..whether the pub¬
lic knows about It,” said Richard
Brandt, T-L' chain prexy. Other
houses we^. operating in a similar
vacuum; Legit shows Were suffer¬
ing too, with no; reviews to tell, the
pubUd. ‘‘J; B.‘’ --and' *‘The- Disen¬
chanted” got Brooks Atkinson
raves in the Times, but meagerly
projected -via capsule broadcast-

ingSi

N. Y. Times* 2-Fage Dummy

Akin to the photo-engravers*
strike of five years ago, the N. Y^.
Times Is publishing a tworpage
dummy each day for the record.
Page 1 is the usual'national;: and
International news. Page 2 will-in¬
clude capsule critiques of show biz
events, with Atkinson’s drama re^
views getting the largest, space. If.
a major film, it too will recei've
Increased space; otherwise it’s capr
aulized lor the annals.

Meantime, in the same manner
that the N. Y. Mirror has been
feeding the AM and 'TV stations
on spot news, the Times has been
doing a spot-news coverage for its
wholly owned WQXR, New York
indie.

A new vote by the deliverers was
slated for last night (Tues.) which,
nnless It is less stringent, could
augur, a long-drawn-out tussle be¬
tween the publishers and the
union. It’s no secret that the
dailies, having lost the cream pre-
Xmas revenue already, don’t care
If it prolongs still more.

With already more than half of
the 6,200 N.-Y. Newspaper Guild
personnel laid off, and with some
14,000-mechanical staffers out (ex¬
cept for SectrJlGiaj;is’ Union),
any funjS^^iainate would mean
widesprgad- .^;^offs. Many metro¬
politan dalHifiHlready have done,

so. The Times still Is operating on
a day-to-d^ schedule.

The film companies found out
this past week that it’s as difficult
to live without the critics as With
them.

With the nine metropolitan
daiUes not publishing (though for
twd days, at the start pt the de¬
liverers* strike they published out
didn’t get on the stands), the ad-
pub departments turned to radio
and television to get their message j
across to the public. |

Hurt'via no ads. and no reviews
in the film field was 20th'Fox’s
“inn of the Sixth Happiness,”
which __ bowed in a publicity
vaciium at the Paramount and
Plaza' theatres. The French Im¬
port, “He Who Must Die,” slated
to open at the Beekman Theatre
yesterday (Tues.) after an invi¬
tational preem Monday (16), was
switched to open next Sunday (21)
on the theory that the lack of re¬
views could kill its chances.

[ At 20th, Charles Einf eld, ad-pub
v.p., said an effort would, be made
to get the newspapers to run the
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” reviews
when publication is resumed.
Meanwhile, several large ads for
the: film, run off the entertainment,
pages,' got into the papers hut
were seen by few since that was
on one of the days when the N.Y.
Times, for instance, was published
but could be obtained only at the
paper’s offices. 20th wiR get a re¬
fund.

If the strike continues this
week, films like “Separate Tables,”
“A Night to Remember,” “Seveirth
Voyage of Sinbad,” “Geisha Boy,”
“Doctor’s. Dilemma,” C. B. De-
MBle’s “Buccaneer” and a couple
of others will be affected, i.e., will
have to open sans reviews, ads, etc.

Reviews aren’t the only prob¬
lem. -Gplumbia, for instance,
brought in Kathy Grant for inter¬
view on “Seventh VoySge” and
20th had Jill St. John in to meet
the press, only there was no press
to meet and the space was lost. ■

Some companies, like-Rank, got
p^mission from the papers to
quote from unpublished reviews in.
the air plugs,

A couple of houses, like the
Music Hall, with “Auntie Marne,”
didn’t suffer too much, particular¬
ly because ad campaigns had got¬
ten started prior to the strike.

No Lamp For ‘Sinbad’

Impro^ation marked the ef¬
forts, of the film Companies as they
sought various means to call* at¬
tention to their pictures opening
in New York during the city-wide
newspaper strike.

' CDlumbia, which had the . bulk
of its ad campaign for “The
Seyejith Voyage of Smbad,” open-
todqy (Wed.) at . the Roxy, ear¬
marked for newspapers, scrambled
immediately for radio-tv exposure
and was able to corral $25,000 of
ihg today (Wed.) at the Roxy, ear-
seven radio and four television
stations.' This Svas more money
than the company planned to spend
on Its newspaper campaign.

At the same lime, the company
contracted for $5,000 worth of
postei space - in the N.Y. subway
system. - Col also hired four large
sound trucks to cover the boroughs
of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and
Que ens. The sides of the trucks,
i^ch visited’ every ' iir^ortant
shopping district in each of the
■boroughsj were equipped with. 24-
i^eets.

As an additional gimmick, CJol
merchandized the Parents maga-
zme award it had received for the
picture. The Board of - Education
accepted 1,700 poster reproduc¬
tions of the award for placement
in 914 elementary apd junior hi g h
schools. '

Initially, Col'had brought Kathy
Grant, who stars in the picture,
to New York for national tele¬
vision spots and local newspaper
interviews. With the strike on,
the company-induced Miss Grant
to remain several more days so
she could make additional radi(^
tv appearances. In addition to
network. exposure on “I’ve Got a
Secret” and the Peter Lind Hayes
^ows, she-^made appearances on
eight local radio^ and tv shows,
plus “mystery gtiest” on “What’s
My Line?”

The buUishly booked radio-tv
spots were dominantly bought, nqn-
cancellably by the department
stores, shopping centres, and the
like, keyed to the Chrirtmas trade.

The picture companies found
themselves uncertain on the ex¬

tent of their commitmentf, tmable
to make as firm time-buy^g deals,
since the embarrassed-witii-riches
networks and Independent stations
had a waiting line of potential ad¬
vertisers, dominantly- -the mer¬
chants, who, regardless, with Xmas
on the horizon, don’t mind such
firm commitments.

The picture bunch is subjected
too often to bOxoffice vagaries and
a. budget for one picture, if it
should fail to materialize b.o.-wise,
might not be applicable to the suc¬
cessor film.

39 Yrs. for Cninmms^
Stockton as Soccessor,
Brenner Step-Up at MG

Alan F. Cummings, Metro’s vet-
bran manager of branch operations,
retired Friday (12) after 39 years
in the industry.

He was succeeded' on Monday
(15). by Sidney Stockton. At the
same time, WHliam Brenner moved
up as Stockton’s assistant.

Cummings was associated with
the Goldwyn Co, before Metro was
organized. H.e has been M-G’s
manager of branch operations
throughout its history. Stockton, a
29-year veteran with the- company,
first joined Metro as a clerk in the
N. Y. exchange in 1929..

Unprodded Col

Continued from pagO 3
quarter. He noted that the income
for the balance of the fiscal year
depended largely on the boxoffice
results of “Me and the Colonel,”
“The Last Hurrah” and “Bell,
Book and Candle.” »

Jaffe stated that the company
would make 36 pictures during the
current’ fiscal year as compared to
42 a year ago. Most o£ the pictures,
he said, would he of the block¬
buster variety. He said he expected
that the overall program would be
more expensive, but added that he
could not estimate the actual cost
of the pictures. The greatest ma¬
jority of the films, Jaffe noted,
would he made in conjunction "with
independent producers. With the
exception of Samuel Goldwyn’s
“Porgy and Bess,” Jaffe said Col
Would finance the picture 100%,
Of the 36 pictures, six will be
made abroad.

Both Schneider .and Jaffe indi¬
cated that Col had instituted im¬
portant economies during the year
and -was continuing to keep careful
tabs on expenses on “a day by day
basis.” Jaffe reiterated that the
[company is interested in;tiiversifi-
[ cation, but stressed that this, -type
[ of raepansioh. would be in the
I amusement field. Althou^ Cot has
its own music and record compa¬
nies, Jaffe said the company was
checking into other music and disk
firms "to see if they can 'be ae-'
quired.”

As compared with the belief of
the executives that the second
I quarter this year would show a
[slight gain or loss, the“ompany
I lost $395,000 in the second stanza
[of last year. Jaffe sziid that the
company was “looking to a more.
profitable year” from -Screen
: Gems, Col’s vidpix subsidiary. In
' the fiscal year ended June, 1958,
i Screen Gems grossed'$28,000,000
while the theatrical fiW division
tallied $85,000,000. For Ihe previ¬
ous year, it was. Screen Gems,!
$22,000,000; the theatrical division,
$79,000,000. !

In the formal portion of the
meeting, the board of directors was
reelected. The board is comprised
of Schneider, Jaffe, Leo,M. Blankc,
Abe Montague, Donald S. Stralem,
Alfred Hart, A. M. Sonnabend,
Ralph M. Cohn and Mendel B. Sil-
berberg. I

The stockholders ratified a new
contract for Jaffe, as first v.p. and
1 treasurer, commencing July 25,
1958 and extending for seven
[ years. Additionally, the stockhold¬
ers ratified the granting of extra.!
stock options of 10,000 shares of
common stock to Jaffe and an op¬
tion of 15,000 shares to production
v.p. Samuel J. Briskin. Following
the stockholders’, meeting, the
board met and reelected the offi-
cere of the company.

More than 83% of the outstand¬
ing shares were represented in
person or by proxy at the aniwat
meeting.

Fnsco Federal

With Goldwyn&Embassy Sans Verdict

Texas on Schweitzer

Dallas, Dec. 16.

The Ministerial Alliance in
a nearby East Texas city
brought up the subject of
showing a film biography of
Dr. Albert Schweitzer the other
day but ran into unexpected
objection. Two members said
Dr. Schweitzer wasn’t a Chris¬
tian, but another was more,
curt.

“Never heard of him,” he
said.

BILL BUTLDi CHIEF
BARKER LONDON TENT

London, Dec. 16. •
Bill Butlin has been confirmed
as CMef Barker of the London
Tent of the Variety (Rub for 1959.
Monty Berman has been named
first . assistant chief barker and
Irving Allen, Second assistant.

Other appointments made by
the crew at its meeting Include
.Sam Eckman Jr. as Property
Master and Michael Shipman as
Doughguy.

Bob Lewis Heads Houston
Houston, Dec. 16,
Bob Lewis has been elected
Chief Barker of Variety Tent 34.
Other officers named were J. C.
Kirby, first assistant barker; Harry
Martin, second assistant barker;

I Richard McGarr, doughguy, and
Jack Bryant, property master.

Canvasmen are Sidney. Ballon,
Lesley Hunt, Ted Roggen, Augie
Schmitt, Bobby TinteroWr Fred
i Baum, Mack Howard, Paul Boesch,
Bruce Layer M. M. Lewis, and
Francis Deering.

Krendel Heads Toronto

Toronto, Dec. 16.
The 1959 executives of Variety
Tent 28, Toronto, which supports
an occupational guidance school
for handicapped boys here, elected
the following: Chief Barker, Dan
Krendel, Famous Players (Cana¬
dian); assistant bfirkers. J. J. Fitz-
gihbons Jr., Theatre Confections,
and Phil Stonje, CHUM, (radio),
Toronto; doughguy Frank Strean,
Canadian Automatic Confections;
property master, George Heiber,
United Artists; Canvasmen, (all of
Toronto), Bert Brown, Famous
Players (Canadian); Don Summer¬
ville, Prince of Wales Theatre;
Paul Johnston, Eaton Auditorium;
Ernest M. Rawley, Royal Alexan¬
dra. Theatre; Lionel Lester, Na-:
tional Booldng Co.; George Alt¬
man, Mavety Films Ltd.

Past (Riief Barker b? Nathaniel
Taylor, prexy of 20th Century
Theatres, which operates some 60
houses in Ontario. Taylcwr Was re-
ceritiy chosen as “Mair of Yeai“
by the Picture Pioneers of Canada.

San Francisco, Dec. 16.

Federal Judge Edward P. Mur¬
phy, who had tried two multi-mil-
lion-doUar motion picture - anti¬
trust cases in the last 18 months
and hadn’t given a verdict on
either one, died of a heart attack
at a Livingston, Cal., ranch Satur¬
day (13) night. He was 54.

Two cases tmder consideration
were (a) Sam Goldwyn’s against
Fox and (b) the lYisco Embassy
theatres’ against Fox and all major
producer-distributors. Both cases
had been filed in 1950 and the
Goldwyn case came to trial in
mid-1957 with trial lasting six
months. Embassy case came up
last spring and lasted four months.
Judge heard both without a jury.
Verdicts were expected early in
1959.

Maxwell Keith, one of Goldwyn’s
lawyers, said Judge Murphy’s death
left three alternatives.

(1) Complete retrial, which Keith
thought unlikely;

(2) Stipulation by both sides that
another judge, read the transcript,
which runs more than 8,000 pages,
and render a verdict;

(3) Retrial of Goldwyn’s case
against. Fox along with Goldwyn’s
case against Mike Naii^’s United
GaUfomia Circuit—original Gold-
•wyn suit named Fox and Naify
circuit as codefendants but Judge
Murphy had severed Naify from
case and it was believed that find-

; ings in case against Fox would be
decided factor in Goldwyn’s suit
against Naify.

Judge Murphy, native of Nevada
and U. of Santa Clara, law grad¬
uate, was named to Federal bench
by President Truman in 1950. Wife
survives.

DAILIES AS FILMS’
nRST LINE OF SELL

This week’s Council of Motion
Picture Organizations* ad in Editor
& Publisher further rams home
the idea that newspapers are • be¬
coming increasingly interested in
motion picture news, and the pub¬
lic is, too.

A piece in New York’s Journal
; American on special prices for
“Golden Age” (60 and over) In
Gotham theatres brought 8,000
letters from readers, COMPO re¬
lated. Detroit News Is starting
a .special tabloid section with
emphasis on pictures and picture
people. Films are getting more
Space in Montreal and Boston
papers. * ’

This has been the trend across
the nation, states COMPO, in Its
pitch to induce dailies which al¬
ready haven’t done so, do so.
Meaning give more “recognition”
to films.

Preminger Gets on With
His Future Film Jobs

Sior’s Tooling-Up

Cincinnati, Dec. 16L

S. & S. Amusement Co., headed
by Ruben Shor,has contracted for
equipment to present Todd-AO
Blms at downtown Keith’s and the
rwin Drive-In.

InstaUaticm at Keith’s, to cost
n excess, of $75,000, is slated
tor completion in February with
Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” to kick
Dff new process. It -will cut 250
seats from present 1,500 seat
rapacity.

Twin Drive-In installation, fitst
tor an ozoner in the nation, .may
aot be made for a year and will be
mly on the Reading road side of
the double operation,

Presentiy Louis Wiethe’s swank
T’alley Theatre, a 1,300-seater in
suburban Roselawn, has the only
rodd-AO equipment locally.

Mid-Cin Inc., another enterprise
beaded by Shor, has scheduled sea¬
sonal closing of its Dixie, Ramona
smd Valley driye-ins in the Hamil¬
ton, Ohio, areas for Dec. 14.

P. J. McCarthy Buys 3

Edinburgh, Tex., Dec. 16.

D. J. McCarthy, San Marcos
heatre owner, has purchased the
Vzlec, Citrus and Juarez Theatres
lere from Noble Holt, head of
Sdinburgh Theatres.

McCarthy now operates a total

Otto Preminger retiumed yester-..
day (’Tues.) to his Manhattan office;
(Carlylq Productions Inc.) after
completing his directorial chore,
for Samuel Goldwyn, ‘Torgy and
BessJ* on the Coast

in addition to “Anatomy of Mur-,
der,” which is now legally cleared '■
for Columbia Pictures, PremingeC;
has preparatfons afoot for three fu¬
ture features, “Exodus” by
Uris, “The Other Side of the Cotii”r:
by Pierre Boulle and “Bunny Lake
Is Missing” by Evelyn Piper.

Westfield, Mass., Facelift

Gateway Co. of Danbujy, Conn.,
leased its Park Theatre In West-
field, Mass., for 21 years to a client
of Berk & Krumgold, theatre
brokers.

House, a firstrun, 1,200-seater, Is
being refurbished and reopens
Christmas Day.

L«A/t Apollo to Goldberg

Hollywood, Dec. 18.

Apollo Theatre, one of the oldest
film houses on Hollywood Blvd.,
has been taken over on longterm
lease by Mort Goldberg, operator
of the Academy Theatre, Holly¬
wood.

Policy will be to book both for¬
eign and domestic films day-date
with the Academy. After refui*- =
bishing, tiieatre will open New'

20

ncToos

DecemBer ITy .lOSS

P’SaOEff

Industry Wants Wa^ WJ Privaqr

DOOM PARAMOUNT IN VK

Site Will Go To Towb'i Bircest
Skyscaper

TOA’s George Keraiotei Complains to United Press
On Its Trouble in Film Biz* Story*

Although the motion picture
industry and particularly exhib¬
itors are inclined to admit in their
own private conclaves that the ^‘in-
d.ustry is in trouble,” it appears
to be strongly opposed to any out¬
sider saying so, especially when
the outsider has nationwide news¬
paper circulation; In another ex¬
ample of this type of thinking,
Theatre Owners of America has
taken sharp issue with a United
Press-International dispatch from
Hollywood claiming that the
"movie business has never had it
so bad.”

In a letter to Frank Barthol¬
omew, president of UPI, TOA
prexy George Kerasotes charged
the story was "so contrary to the
actual status of our industry” that
he requested that "correctiye ac¬
tion be instituted which will
oounteract the erroneous picture
left with the public by this story.”
The article was based on the reduc¬
tion of Hollywood production
which,'according to Kerasotes, left
the impression that “our industry’s
future is in great jeopardy and
that soon very few movies will be
available to the public.”

Kerasotes claimed that the
article was prepared “as though
sensationalism were the objective.”
He maintained that it was con¬
trary to the actual status of the
industry. While admitting that
less films are being made, Kera¬
sotes declared that mere number
"is no criterion or indicator of the
health of our industry.” He main¬
tained that quality and not quant¬
ity "is the factor-that speUs box-
office success and health for our
Industry.”

• Kerasotes then went on to cite
examples aimed at showing that
brighter days are ahead for the
picture business. He called atten¬
tion to the increase in film com¬
pany stocks, Sindlinger’s analysis
of film attendance, articles in Bar¬
ron’s and the Wall Street Jomnal,
and previous UPI stories.

Rink Fights B.O.
Tax Excused Fix

Philadelphia, Dec. 16.

Boulevard Ice Eink, Inc., has
brought suit to void the city
amusement tax as unconstitutional
because it proposed to exempt film
houses next year. It claims -the
State Constitution requires “all
taxes be uniform.”

City Solicitor David Berger
holds that a “legislative body may
classify subjects of taxation and
treat different categories different¬
ly, as long as subjects within each
class” are treated equally.”

The Boulevard Rink is one of
three separate corporations that
also operates a dance hall and a

pool. The suit was filed
by Martin J. Cunningham whose
father operates the ballroom and
pml- -all subject to the amusement
tax.

Hav* recently acquired a consldqr-
abl« library of -low and medium
budgtfad, old and recently released
theatrical films. Would like to merge
with or purchase some additional
new theatrical or television shews or
some better quality films released
since 1941.

Would also consider acquiring sub¬
stantial Interest in film or television
production company.

Writs BOX 1216 VARIETY.

154 West 46Hr Strcdt, N«w York.

New York Theatre

— RADIO CITY iUSIC RIU—i

'chtfelltr Cintsf • Cl M600

-‘AUNTIE MAME” SUm'nf 1
ROSALIND RUSSELL

FORREST TUCKER • MMl BltlM* ftO CUM
H TRaxfluiu-r Mi uchhwus

A WARNER 8ROS. HOUSE

? LSdfd'M me Ultf MW

Bowling as Adjunct

Wichita Falls, Tex., Dec. 16.

Charles Weisenburg, head
of Weisenburg Circuit, with
headquarters at Dallas, is to
construct a 32-lane howling
alley on property adjoining his
Seymour Road Drive-In near
here.

Weisenbmrg also owns bowl¬
ing alleys in Dallas and Fort
Worth.

RKO Chain Wins
Disassociation h
Skouras Truster

List Industries (RKO Theatres)
has won complete severance from
the $101,000,000 antitrust suit
brought against the circuit and
various distributors by • Skouras
Theatres. Within the framework
of this action, the 1^0 chain filed
a counterclaim for $42,000,000
against 20th-Fox.

Last August RKO entered into a
settlement of all the issues and
moved for a formal dismissal, War¬
ners, Loew’s, Paramount, Colum¬
bia, Universal and United Artists
sought to block this, saying it was
to their advantage to have RKO
remain with them as defendants in
the Skouras action. New. York Fed¬
eral .Judge Dimock ruled this week
in RKO’s favor.

NABESFOEOWARTERS
IN BOOKING TEST

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

Two local non-art leading de luxe
neighborhood houses in the earliest
28-day clearance slot are trying
an experiment which in two in¬
stances proved highly successful
for an art theatre here.

They’re playing day and date
Metro’s “Cry Terror” which orig¬
inally was booked downtown on a
twin bill at a “B” house and later
was picked up by the “fine arts"
Campus and sold in such a manner
that it ran five weeks to big busi¬
ness. All other uptown theatres
had-passed it up because of its
downtown insignificance.

The two non-art houses are play¬
ing “Cry Terror” several months
after its run at the art theatre, the
Campus, and using the same type
of advertising as the latter did.
They’ve combined in large type-
packed newspaper ads describing
the “unusual” merits of-4he picture
and offering money back to any
dissatisfied patrons.

Prior to “Cry Terror,” the Cam¬
pus enjoyed the same profitable
experience with ^The Killing”
which also played on a twin bill im-
noticed at ttie “B” house, but which
the Campus ran four weeks very
profitably. This one, too, had been
passed up by other neighborhood
houses, but which later landed a
number of uptown playdates on the
strength of its Campus showing.

"Spare’ Theatre Used To
Substitute After Blaze

Atlanta, Dec. 16.

When $125,000 fire gutted East
Point Theatre, management had a
spare on hand and quickly resmned
operations. Short time before blaze
destroyed house’s auditorium on
North Church Street, East Point
Amusement Co., which owns build¬
ing had shuttered Fairfax Theatre
also located in East Point on Main
Street. John H. Stembler, presi¬
dent of East Point firm as well as
Georgia Theatre Co., which oper¬
ates both hoiftes, switched to
Fairfax,

Thfee firemen narrowly escaped
death when roof of auditorium col¬
lapsed and stubborn blaze threat¬
ened three nearby business build¬
ings before it was finally brought
^ under control.

Considerable damage was done
; to front section of theatre,* where
[ manager’s office, ticket offices-and
f concession stand are located.

r Los Angeles, Dec. 16.

Downtown Paramoimt Theatre,
3,300-seat Paramount circuit house
which was sold last week to Bev¬
erly Hills realtor David Shtisett
for $2,000,000, eventually wfil be-
replaced by a new skyscraper but
the move won’t be made for some
years according to the buyer.

Original plans are reported to
have called for site to become a
^ant parking area, but these ap¬
parently are now replaced by sky¬
scaper project, which would be the
tallest in L.A.

Admitting that the L.A. Civic
Light Opera Assn, is thinking of
moving from its present Philhar¬
monic auditorium situation to the
Downtown Paramount, Shusett,
said it had not definitely decided
to come into his new building nor
had he made, a commitment to
them.

Properly was*built 36 years ago
In centei? of downtown L.A. and
for many years operated under
name of the Metropolitan Thea¬
tre.

Murder Drive-In;
Must Adjust

Houston, Dec. 16.

Show business is no business to
make light of. District Judge Wil¬
liam M. Holland ruled..

The judge gave operators of the
|San Felice Golf Driving Range 48
hoiurs to readjust a battery of 56
flood lights that were wrecking the
amperage—and the businesses—at
the Post Oak Drive-In Theatre,
i J. S. Groves, owner of the ozoner,
[testified powerful lights from the
[neighboring golf range were forc-
[ing theatre patrons to shield their
car windows with newspapers, jack¬
ets and diapers.

“You could read a newspaper in
all the light that spilled over,”
Groves testified..

The theatre owner Said his biz
had dropped off 20 to 30% since
the driving range opened in late
October.

Groves pointed out that the trour
hie could be ended by lowering or
tilting the floodlights so that the
li^t could stay on the property of
the driving range.

The attorney for the driving
range countered with a suggestion
that Groves ought to build a higher
fence around the opeil air show
place.

A contractor who installed the
driving range lights testified the
range now had less than a satirfac-
tory amount' of light for night
golfers.

“I suggest that you consider the
theory of living, and letting live,”
Judge Holland said. “You could all
go out there and do a little experi¬
menting instead of bringing this
into court”

But when the litigants showed no
enthusiasm for the philosophical
maxim, the judge spelled out his
order.

He specified that the golf range
operators must tilt down the flood-
li^ts on the tee line to focus not
more than 175 yards southward
toward the drive-in theatre, and
that none of the floodl^hts may
focus beyond 50 feet inside the
range’s east and we.st boundaries.

Groves had asked a court in-
jimction requiring the range Ughts
to be shut off between 6 p.m, and
midnight, and $10,000 in damages
for loss of movie patrons.

DOHERTY NAMED IN MEMPHIS

Memphis, Dec. 16.

Edward Doherty, co-owner of
Exhibitor’s Services here, was
elected Chief Barker of Variety
Club, Tent No. 20. He succeeds
Tom Kirk of film row here. The
new chief has been a member of
the local tent for 20 years and is
also a member of the Motion Pic-
tm*e Pioneers.

Others elected were George
Simpson, first assistant barker; Eli
(Slim) Arkin, manager of Warner
theatre, press director; Joe Keifer,
Malco, doughguy; Nate Evans and
Pete Smith, entertainment chiefs;
Carl Shorter, director; Fordyce
Kaiser, second assistant barker;
Bailey Pritchard and Poward Ni¬
cholson. property masters.

Reports Long Lines In Lands' Without Television-^
He’s an Ex-Firebrand

From Art io Annuity

Albany, Dec. 16.

• Frank O’Neill resigned, after
. five weeks’ service as manager
of the : Delaware (Stanley
. Warner art house), to become
an insurance agent in Ben¬
nington, Vt.

He had managed lor the
Smith drive-in interests in
New England and for Stanley
at the palace in Norwich, be¬
fore coming to Albany.

Zabel-Uppert
Takeover LA 10
Starting Jan. 9

Los Angeles, Dec. 16,

New owners of Fanchon & Mar¬
co’s Southside Theatres Circuit,
10- house chain in L. A. area, plus
the lease on Hollywood Para¬
mount, formally take oVer opera¬
tion on Jan. 9.

Purchased by Edwin Zabel, for¬
mer Fox West Coast Theatres top¬
per, and vet California circuit op¬
erator Robert L. Lippert, for
slightly over $2,500,000, deal was
transacted through Scott Radio,
Chicago firm in which partners
own the controlling stock. It was
negotiated through this company,
thereby making new corporation
[an Illinois firm, to take advantage
[ of a $1,300,000 tax loss, which now
I can be absorbed by new outfit, still
i to he named. Zahel will be prexy
! of new organization, while Lippert
I will remain a substantial stock¬
holder.

New circuit will have no connec-
[ tion with Lippert’s own chain,
which numbers more than 60
houses throughout state and in
Southern Oregon.

In addition to the Hollywood
Paramount, which has been oper¬
ated by F&M through a separate
corporation and on which a term
lease extends until 1978, the 10
Southside theatres include the Bal¬
boa, Manchester, Baldwin, South-
side, Rio, Triple A, Alto, Bay, Im¬
perial and Ritz. The Alto has not
been operated recently as a theatre,
but leased to the Sky Pilot, evang¬
elistic organization which broad¬
casts a weekly program. Latter
three houses are operated on a
sublease by Helm & Hoffman, who
will continue to operate, these as
before.

F&M chain was. formerly headed
by Marco Wolff, who retired as
prexy and from show biz about 18
months ago to enter Christian Sci¬
ence work. Since then, his brother,
Roy, has prexied operations. Lat¬
ter will now bow out of new or¬
ganization.

PRIZES & RAVES NO
HOIST FOR TANCHAU’

American exhibitors, a product-
hungry lot, are turning up their
noses at an import which has re¬
ceived substantial critical aedaim
and walked off with important
honors at various international
festivals. Save for the art house
operators (and -even they haven’t
shown too much enthusiasm)..the
Indian-made “Father Panchall”
might just as well not have been
made so far as the Yank bookers
are concerned.

This indifference would seem
surprising, on the surface at least,
for “Panchali” has been accoladed
at fests at Cannes, Edinburgh,
Stratfort, Out., Vancouver and.
San Francisco.

Too, published reviews in the
States for the most part have been
of rave tone and the emrent run
of the picture at New York’s Fifth
Avenue. Cinema has shown box-
office power in those terms.

Judy Gringer, 17-year old Danish
actress-ballet dancer, arrives in
the U.S. early February in con¬
nection with release of “Dollars
from the Skj^” in which she’s ap^^
I pearing.

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

It delighted Bennie Berger when
he saw the long lines of holdouts
in front of the motion picture thea¬
tres in India and other Far East
countries, he reports.

Back from a three-month trip
around the world, exhibitor Ber¬
ger says he found the contrast in
the coxmtries where they don’t
have television and where they
do, as far as theatre patronage is
concerned, “it’s great enough to
move even, a film distributor’s
heart—and*^ that’s going some.”

Upon his return Berger found
on his desk an invitation to attend
the recent Spyros Skouras New
York meeting which produced the
Congress of Exhibitors. He and
Mrs. Berger had run across Skou¬
ras in Greece.

Berger, who was the North Cen¬
tral Allied president most of its
existence, asserts he’s an ex-fire-
hrand and wouldn’t have attended
even if he had been in States —•
he’s through with film industry
organizations “for the present at
least.” “I’ve done my share — now
let the others, try to get things
straightened out,” he declares.

Fred Stein Chain
Goes for Bigger

Los Angeles, Dec. 16.

Fred Stein Enterprises, Southern
California film theatre circuit, ex¬
pects to expand its operations by
nearly 50% -during the early part
of 1959.

Now operating 12 theatres eifiier
as oWner or lessee, Stein Is now
negotiating for six houses in the
area, some near the completion
stage.

Circuit, according to Stein, is
now in a position to take over
larger and more important situa¬
tions, so isn’t particularly looking
for small theatres. Stein operates
houses as far south as National
City, near the Mexican border.

St. Louis Kcks Up N.Y.’s
Golden Age Club Idea

! St Louis, Dec. 16.

A Golden Age Movie Club,
membership in which is open to
every person in the greater St
Louis area 60 years of age or
older, has been inaugurated by
the Fox Theatre, according to
EdwRrd Arthur, general manager
of Arthur Enterprises Inc, Mem¬
bers of the club -will be admitted
to all regular Fox Theatre per¬
formances for . 50c at the matineef
and 60c in the evenings.

“The Golden Age Movie Club
Idea originated in New York,**
Arthur said, “and immediately
upon hearing of it we decided to
form a club at the Fox Theatre
here. It has always been our
policy to offer a special admission
price to members of the armed
f orceSi certain handicapped -people
and to admit children undbr 12
years old free when accompanied
by their parents.

“With many elderly people liv¬
ing on limited Social Security and
Retirement Benefits, we felt that
a special reduced admission price
would provide them with an op¬
portunity to get out and enjoy
themselves. Should the Idea prov#
popular at the Fox, we will estab¬
lish similar clubs at other theatres
in the group which we operate,”

Hampton Arts Theatre Ino. has

been authorized to conduct a thea¬
trical productions business In
Southampton, Suffolk Coimty; N.Y.
Capital stock is 200 shares, no par
value. Directors are; John T. and
Susan Puma, Giselle Plnsler, Isllp,
David Gliboff. Islip, was filing
attorney at Albany.

CALIFORNIA

$3,MO Dn.— $309 mo. till poM—OS Inf.
$30,000 total prict. Bohind fottf. Bxcl.
MALIBU fAOVi^ COLONY. 4 yrt. eld
—Moderh-^.rot ft.^-S0x40 llv.. rm.—
J frpls.—3 br.—J. b?.—don:—3 prfieo—
walled for pKv.— Se-sches bteoss. Col#
widow. Sacrifice. WEbster 5-M10.

USRiSfr

PICTURES

21

DecemlMF 17y 195B

Bureau Of Missing Business

Who Keeps Buying Film Theatres?

By ROBERt J. LANDRY

Theatres are being sold to become parking lots and to become sky-
scraipers (per Paramount in Los Angeles), but this partictilar issue of
Variety is replete with news items establishing that theatres are still
being purchased for operation as such and as investments with the
anticipation of profit.

These news items spell out an answer to current pessimism. Grant¬
ed that the film industry is in transition, in some instances cOnvuli
sively so. Yet those who know best—^because they see the intimate
figures, the pui^les of everyday grosses—are inspired to buy, to ex¬
pand, to seek bigger houses, more houses, new stakes in tomorrow.

One Boston theatre, the Fenway, “locked" to another house further
downtown, is given up. Against this surrender, cutting from 17 to 16
the number of first-runs, Boston has an entirely new deluxer promised
to start construction in 1959. Equally arresting, another Boston down¬
towner, the Metropolitan, is contemplating a return to, at least ex¬
perimentally, live talent. 4“

All over the land the stories of

horse-trading in theatres is a con¬
stant obligato. It rises above the
melancholy of shuttered houses,
of managers and owners pleading
before City Councils for the elim¬
ination of municipal boxoffice ad¬
mission taxes as the narrow mar¬
gin between survival and extinc¬
tion.

Can anybody seriously imagine
an America without film houses?
No. Without certain situations,
without sloppy managements, with¬
out barns that were too big when
first built? Yes, of course. But not
without exhibitors.

The present situation is one to
try men’s souls, and regardless 6f
any interview-granting visiting
Hollywood producer, exhibitors
have souls. More to the point per¬
haps, the times tax intelligence.
The evidence on that point is less
precise. Some film exhibitors
clearly never took Economics I and
n in school.

I Academy-Variety Aid Coming

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

•Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences and Variety Clubs
International have agreed to col-
lab on the promotion of motion
pictures. Toppers from both orgs,
including Academy prexy George
Stevens and International Chief
Barker George Eby, sat down last
week and held exploratory talks
on cooperating in the future.

As a result of discussions, each
ot-g will set up a. committee to
draft speclfilc points of interest
and participation. Stevens also
was Invited by VCI to appear be¬
fore its convention in Las Vegas
next Spring.

Decay of Downtown*

Manchester, N.H., Dec. 16.

• This ciy’s leading theatres are
expected to receive considerable
benefit from the activities of the
newly organized Downtown Mer¬
chants* Association, which will
seek to halt the trend of patronage
at new business establishments
which are springing up in various
Areas on the outskirts of the city.

A double page advertisement
run by the association in local
newspapers emphasized that the
Elm street-Hanover street area
has first-run film houses, 2,095
parking areas, more than 350
stores “in one big convenient
area" and “the finest banks."

Teachers and ‘Tom Thumb*

sponsor of the event, still was
counting returns at week-end, but;
it is expected the organization will
net around $3,000. Premiere was
on a basis similar to others in the
past, with a $3 rate in the balcony
and $5 main'floor, and these have
general;]^ returned a net near the
$3,000 • mark, according to Boris
Betnardi, Missouri manager. Cham¬
ber will use the money in its public
school safety program.

Up Main street two blocks,, next
evening, Paramount had a sneak
of “Buccaneer,” following a dinner
of press people from the surround¬
ing area cities. In a nearby res¬
taurant, group of about 30 were
hooked in to the closed-circuit feed
from New Orleans. Picture opens
Dec. 17 in the Paramount.

Saturday was special event day
at the Midland Theatre where
“Tom Thumb" hit 3,000 orphans
and handicapped youngsters en¬
joying the Mayor’s (H. Roe Bartle)
Christmas Tree Party. Mayor an¬
nually puts on a program of enter¬
taining and helping the needy at
the holiday season, but had never
before staged a theatre party.
Theatre and picture and house ar¬
rangements^ were provided by
Maurice Druker, Loew’s manager,
and Mayor's group furnished trans¬
portation and treats for the young¬
sters.

Giveaway Gimmick: Disks

Dallas, Dec. 16.

The Melba Theatre has ai
ranged to give away one popula
recording to each of the 100 pei
sons buying tickets to the doubl
feature, "The Crawling Eye" an
“Cosmic Monsters.”

Disk jockey Jim Lowe of WR]
will distribute the platters.

I Beyond The Stereotypes?

Chicago, Dec. 16,
Sock grosses for “Bolshoi Ba
let” (Rank), reissued on two-pe]
formance one day runs at thre
nabe theatres last week (3), raise
trade eyebrows, and bid to reoriei
exploitational thinking here, o
screen culture.

In addition to film page ads, pi
was also blurbed among the leg
tombstones to reach more like]
patronage. Grosses included $2,5C
at the Coronet,’ and about ^1,0C
each at the Terminal and Hyd
Park. First two are Balaban .
Katz situations. ,

Metro acted as host to 4,000
school teachers and their children
Saturday (13) at a special pre-
. view screerung of “Tom Thumb"
at the Capitol Theatre, N.Y. The
George PM production will play
the Loew’s Theatres circuit during
Christmak week.

Metro and Loew’s Theatres sent
the invitations to the principals
of all elementary schools in the
area. Each teacher received a
regular ticket and two additional
tickets so they could bring their
children.

* • *

I Showmanship Not Extinct 7
Kansas City, Dec. 16.

Exploitation broke out in a
flurry bn theatre row last week,
three mainstem houses putting on
extra events, most imusual here in
the pre-Christmas season. Missouri
Theatre opened “Cinerama South
Seas Adventure’* with a premiere
on Wednesday evening, complete
With ‘ hula dancers, • Hawaiian
string orchestra and lobby full of
palihs,, south seas dioramas and
leis. - . -

Junior Chamber of Commerce^*

I Perverse Public Demand |

Minneapolis, Dec. 16. •

It wasn’t good news for exhibi¬
tors hereabouts when WTCN-TV,
“yielding to public demand," de¬
cided to start its nightly “movies
spectaculars” 15 minutes earlier,
at 9:45 o’clock, even though it
meant the' elimination of the John
Daly 9:30 ABC network news
show.

The bulk of the local public ap¬
parently is more interested in mo¬
tion pictures than news over the
air and the new starting time
brings the features in line with
the theatres’'final evening shows,
it’s pointed out by WTCN-TV ex¬
ecutives.

In. dispensing with the Daly
news show, WTCN-TV, a Time-
Life station, received the net¬
work’s okay. Its own local Mc-
Citen’s night news show moves
back from 9:45 to 9:30.

Making exhibitors more unhap-^
py is the fact that WTCN-TV at
the same time is launching its
presentation of the Paramount' tv
library features acquired at a cost
da 'tfaeiieif hborhoo<bof' imwinilUoii’

dollars and doing it with a big ad¬
vertising and publicity c amp aign.

Of course, with both WTCN-TV
and KMGM-TV shooting the best
features available for video every
night for all of 1958, not. to men¬
tion the KETP-TV (NBC), the
WCCO-TV (CBS) and KTGA-TV
(educational) evening programs,
exhibitors haven't found too much
to cheer about, they say, even up
to now.

WTCN-TV Is leading off its Par-
amoxmt presentations with “The
Heiress,” “Reap the Wild Wind"
and “For "Whom the Bell Tolls’*
which, it claims, are being seen
here for the first time on the aif
anywhere and which will be close¬
ly followed by “This Gun for
Hire,” “Road to Singapore" and
“Wake Island.*’ Stars include Bob
Hope, Bing Crosby, John Wayne
and Alan Ladd. t \

* * * 1

j_ No Comment on This _1

Houston, Dec. 16.

George Lee Marks, owner and
manager of the Avalon Theatre has
become personal manager of Sher-
rv Riley, local model. Marks used
Miss Riley in a Bikini suit in con¬
junction with the showing of Bri¬
gitte Bardot in “Girl in the Bikini”
at the Avalon.

The promotion Marks used here
consisted of inviting the general
public to come out and take pin up
photographs of Miss Riley when
the pic opened.

Marks plans on sending Miss
Riley out across the state to pro¬
mote interest in Bardot pics.

. - ♦ * . *

I Empty House Blues [
Minneapolis, Dee. 16.

Here’s what local exhibitors, in
their loudest wails of anguish yet,
complain right now what they’re
up against:

Extra large newspaper ads, for
example, told last Thursday (4) of
“the world television premiere"
on WTCN-TV of “Reap the Wild
Wind" with John Wayne, Susan
Hayward, Ray Milland and Paul¬
ette Goddard. And on another
station, KMSP-TV, Gary Cooper
in “High Noon." Both the same
night. And for free!

That night, too, the temperature
was in the neighborhood of zero
and there was a' high wind. And
this month Christmas shopping ap¬
parently has started earlier than
usuaL

* * *

1 Co^ ‘Appreciation* [

Gladewater, Tex., Dec. 16. ’

W. G. Rike, manager of the
Cozy Theatre, has Inaugurated a
new policy on Tuesday nights 1
which will be known as “Apprecia¬
tion Night." On those deiys Rike
will have an admission policy ofj
25c for adults and children free.

Rike also lurges the patrons to
shop local stores where they will
find “more bargain than just the
one at your Cozy Theatre."

* ♦ ♦

I Cedar Rapids* Showmanship \

Cedar Rapids, la., Dec. 16.

Exhibitors here are in the midst
of their own business building
campaign that’s already set a pat-'
t^rn' for hoopla and garnered
reanis of newspaper space. Local
activities are viewed as a test, and
a Tri-States circuit official stresses
that the promotion is independent
of any industry-wide efforts.

Results to date appear enco)n'-
aging, though it’s thought too early
to properly assess impact, and the
plan now is to continue the bally
indefinitely—^perhaps for months.
For its part, Tri-States will adapt
th» blueprint elsewhere in the ter¬
ritory if local results warrant.

Joined for the campaign are
Tri-States’ Paramount and State
Theatres and RKO’s Iowa, all first-
runs, and the Palace, Times and
Cedar Rapids Drive-In (a year
'round ozoner).

Campaign kicked off during the
Thanksgiving holiday, when kids,
were invited free to any of four
downtown houses or the drive-in. j
Stunt jammed the main stem with
moppets and shoppers, and neces¬
sitated extra police details. An ex¬
ample of exhib cooperation is the
continuing use of r special trailer
blurbing top plctmres booked for
local screens, sans regard for in¬
dividual theatres.

^ - Aii thf 4)n>tihabft^«icteiidr- tht

Showmanship and
Today Than ‘Mere

What brings the public to the
filni boxoffice today are neither,
stars nor content, but only show¬
manship, I.e., gimmicks, producer-
director William Castle main¬
tained in N.Y. last weekj

Here to plug his upcoming
“House on Haunted Hill" (an Allied
Artists release) In which he introes
“Emergo," a gimmick calling for
a fullsize skeleton to come danc¬
ing out over the heads of the audi-
ence^ Castle stated his philosophy
quite frankly. “We’re in an.age in
which we are out to ‘wow’ people,"
he said,

“The ‘selective’ group, the people
who go to see pictures because of
what’s in them, they’re In the
minority. There’s really no such
thing as sophistication. Ours is a
first-impression business today.
They come out to a picture If they
think it’s something special, some-"
thing that’ll shock ’em, or surprise
’em, a picture with something xm-
usual to offer.

“And it’s no longer a ‘canned’
industry. Now, when the public
doesn’t like a film, they come out
of that theatre screaming at the
manager. Going to see pictures
isn’t a luxury any more. It costs
money and, more important, it
means sacrificing time that might
be spent otherwise. If people are
disappointed with What we give
them, they let us know."

Castle said he refused to make
a distinction any longer between
“A” and “B" pictures. “There are
only good pictures or bad pictures,"
he said, “just as there is no longer
any relationship between cost and
good taste. I’ve seen expensive'
films done in very bad taste zmd
cheap films done in excellent taste.
I’m getting very tired of the little
guy being pushed around and hav¬
ing a lot of dirt thrown at him.
If there are pictures made that are
in bad taste, and I know there are,
1 am willing to vouch for the fact
that they’re made by the major
studios as well as the independents.

town’s two video and three radio
outlets, as well as the Cedar Rap- j
ids Gazette, which,, in the wake of
the kiddie carnival, pitched In
with a four-column spread on up¬
coming blockbusters due here.
Story stressed the heavy coin In
the pix as an indication of faith in
the industry's future.

Apart from its scattergun as¬
pect, the campaign also pdans to
draw beads on specific publics, e.g.,
transients, shoppers, new residents,
and old people.

■ ♦ ♦ ♦

I ‘Geisha Boy* Tie-np (

In a tieup with the New York
Herald Tribune, Paramount has ar¬
ranged for a special showing of
“The Geisha Boy" for youngsters
on the dailsr's Fresh Air Fund list.
Fund annually arranges for sum-,
mer vacations for needy children.

• The film was shown at N. Y.’s
Mayfair Theatre last Saturday
(13) morning. Rockland'Bus Com¬
pany arranged for fi:ee transporta¬
tion.

* * ♦

I |Money-Back Promises |

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

“Satisfaction or your money
back” in effect or literally is be¬
coming quite commonplace here in
the effort to lure customers into
the theatres. Two showhouses cur¬
rently are employing the gimmick,
one even going to the extreme of
offering double the money back.

Starting in the uptown houses. It
even has spread to the downtown
theatres. The RKO Orpheum In
its newspaper ads “guarantees"
that “‘Me and the Colonel’ Is one
of the season’s most delightful and
heart warming pictures with Danny
Kaye giving his finest perform¬
ance."

Ads go on to say that “after you
have seen the new Danny ^ye
picture, if you honestly can say
you did not enjoy it, see the man¬
ager and he will give you a gueAt
tie]^ for ‘W fntuce^ipeifoniitBceb^

Gimmicks Greater
Stars’—Bill Castle

And, in either case, there’s no ex¬
cuse for it."

Castle, who’s been getting many
offers from majors but is sticking
with AA “because they'll get be¬
hind every one of their pictures
and offer the independent pro¬
ducer more of an individualized
partnership," said his first for AA
—“Macabre” — was financed by
himself. It cost $100,600 and will
gross around $1,300,000 domestic
alone. “House on Haunted Hill” is
financed 50-50 between him and
AA. It was brought in on a $500,-
000 nut.

His next, again In partnership
with AA, is “Confessions of an
Opium Eater," which will be the
first American film to be shot en¬
tirely in Japan, using a Japanese
cast and crey. Miiko Taka of •
“Sayonara” has been signed to
star. Film will be in colqr and
Cinemascope and is budgeted at
around $1,000,000.

In working with the majors, the
independent tends to get lost, Cas¬
tle opined. “If you have a hit you’re
okay. But if your picture doesn’t
move, you get lost in the shuffle.
They’re no longer interested in
pushing it." Emphatically, he said,
this wasn’t true of Allied Artists.

Castle, who thrives on “the gim¬
mick,” said every fine film today
was being promoted on that basis.
“What’s wrong with it?" he asked.
His “Emergo” process in “House"
consists of a $170 unit that allows
the man-size skeleton to emerge
from a cage on stage, move over
the audience and return. Gadget Is
pushbutton controlled from the
booth. Action is woven into the
film. Castle said he figured some
300 Emergo units would be pro¬
duced and the theatres would ship
them on from one to the other.

“It's a gimmick,” he said, “plain
and simple. It’ll make people talk.
Word-of-mouth travels faster today
than ever. And in ‘House on
Haunted Hill’ I've got the first
ghost picture in many years. It’s
reMly scary and that’s fine. It’ll
bring people in. "What’s wrong with
that?" ^

With “Cry Terror" the Suburban
World even goes the Orpheum sev¬
eral better. Following the lead of
three other neighborhood houses
which previously had played the
picture after its downtown box-
office flop, the World in its news¬
paper ads says: “We personally rec¬
ommend this picture and to back
our recommendation we offer you
‘DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK*
if you do not feel this is one of
the most suspenseful and exciting
pictures you’ve ever seen."

The neighborhood “fine arts**
Campus, w'hich occasionally devi¬
ates from its mostly foreign films
policy to play a crime thriller
that has passed unnoticed down¬
town firstrun, played “Terror" in
this fashion and got a five-week
run out of it. Previously, it had
done the same with “The Killing.**
♦ ♦ •

I Reform That Flopped [

Film industry executives are ad¬
vised to “spend less time fighting
each other and naore time fighting
for their self-preservation” in an
article by Arthur L. Mayer, indus¬
try vet, appearing In the latest
issue of Film Quaterly.

Titled “Hollywood's Favorite
Fable," it traces the results of
the consent decree and says, “This
effort to superimpose by legal fiat
an entirely new structure on a
functioning Industry proved as dis¬
astrous as could be anticipated,"
i.e., the producers sold their thea¬
tres, sold films ‘ to television and
lost their incentive for volume
production.

Mayer’s proposed cures: Re¬
sumption of block booking with
reasonable cancellation privileges;
permitting circuits to produce and
permitting producers to become
exhibitors again, but not to the
former monopolistic extent; dis¬
continuance of competitive bidding
for films which, he maintains, £
tmenforceable except for a limited
number of b.o. hits. Mayer also
urged aibltratioB 4»fi^ntcoyeiiti66*

22

ncmus

kSftWTf

Wediiei4<y> December 17, 195S

*Offensiye £ Obscene" Hearings
Continue Eariier Albany Probe;
Horror Market Under Scrutiny

By JAMES L. CONNERS

Albany, Dec. 16.

The public hearings at the Statb
Office Building in New York City,
Thursday and Friday (18-19) which
the Joint Legislative Committee
oh “Offensive and Obscene” Ma¬
terial will hold on “the exploita¬
tion of sex, horror and terror in
motion pictures and motion pictime
advertising,” are, in effect, a con¬
tinuation of a session in the As¬
sembly Chamber last January.
Then, Hugh M. Flick, former State
Censor; Sergeant Francis McDer¬
mott, of the Legal Biureau of the
New York City Police; Albert J-
McAloon, executive secretary of
the Rhode Island' Youth Commis¬
sion, and other officials were wit¬
nesses.

At-that time, posters for “The
Monster That Challenged the
World” and “The 'Vany)ire,” as well
as nev^paper copy run by New
York City and upstate theatres for
films such as “I Was a Teenage
Frankenstein,” “The Black Scor¬
pion,” “The Green Man,” “Nana,”
“Kronos the Killer,” “Tarantula,”
“Creature From the Black
Lagoon,” “Garden of Eden,” “10
Days In a Nudist Camp,” “And
God Created Woman” and “Sins
of Cazanova” were made part of
the Committee’s record.

Findings Reported
They appeared, later, in a 208-
page bound report, which set forth
15 findings.

Two of these were thatr “News
paper and billboard advertising for
motion pictures is becoming in¬
creasingly objectionable, with
lurid displays to attract the pruri¬
ent-minded and garish presenta¬
tions of horror and terror,” and
“These advertisements frequently
distort the character or content of
the motion pictures actuaUy
shown.”

The first two, on which Commit¬
tee Chairman Joseph R.Younglove,
Johnstown assemblyman, and
Committee Counsel James A.
FitzPatrick, of Plattsburgh (for¬
mer committee chairman), say they
have received many additional
complaints, are certain to be con¬
sidered at this week’s hearings.

Younglove said last week that,
the Joint Committee’s concern
with films featuring “excessive
brutality” extended to television—
he called the latter “a prime of¬
fender.” the Committee’s 'field
was expanded, several years ago,
to include television and radio.

The Johnstown legislator as¬
serted the Committee “viewed
with alarm the apparent increase
in the number of motion pictures
featuring and exploiting descrip¬
tions or imrtrayals of sexual pas¬
sion, sex crimes, horror and bru¬
tality.” He added: “Advertising
accompanying pictures of this
type frequently transcends the
bounds of decency.”

Influence of Pix
“It is alarming,” declared
Younglove, “to note the transfer
(from comic books and magazines,
where “improvement” has been
achieved, due, in part, to the
Committee’s efforts) to the motion
picture medium (of sex and hor¬
ror), because that medium, by its
very nature, is capable of exert¬
ing a very real influence upon
young and impressionable minds.”.

At the new hearings, represen¬
tatives of the motion picture in¬
dustry and of civic, religious and
fraternal organizations will be
heard, along with one or more
officials of the MPD. The latter’s
present director, Louis Pesce, is
slated to be among the mtnesses—
FitzPatrick did not disclose the
list.

Pesce, in the Division’s report
for the year ending March 31,
1958, made a number of acute
observations on the present trends
in motion picture production and
advertising, and the reasons for
both.

They stem from the “narrowed”
jurisdiction of the MPD, due to
recent court decisions. The Divi¬
sion’s area Is limited to “obscenity”
and even there, the application
must be confined to the effects of
a motion picture on adults, not on

more” pictures were being pro-
.duced that contained elements
which, • “though not legally objec¬
tionable, are offensive—especially
in terms of the moral needs of
teenagers.”

’These elements include: “ex¬
treme horror, gruesome imagery,
maiming of humans and animals”;
“extreme violence, brutality and
sadism”; “false values—^glamor-
izatlon of anti-social ideas, of
crime or criminals”; “juvenile de¬
linquency and drug addiction”;
“erotic content—suggestive scenes
portraying immoral sexual rela¬
tionships”; “nudity and exploita¬
tion of clinical matter (child-birth,
artificial insemination, etc.);”

Pesce Notes Concern
There had been “increasing con¬
cern on the part of the Legisla¬
ture and various segments of the
public, with respect to motion pie- ;
ture advertising,” continued Pesce. I
This concern "arises out of the
fact • motion, picture advertising
reflects the content of motion pic¬
tures, which, though not actionaWe
unde? our current jurisdiction, is
increasingly offensive.” . At times,
“some theatre managers tend to
sensationalize and to place undue
emphasis on elements of crime,
hoiTOr, violence and sex, in a man¬
ner which is offensive to good
taste.”

“Nevertheless,” wrote Pesce,
“most theatre advertising of this
sort falls short of violation of law,
in that the material is not flagrant
enough to constitute obscenity.”
The MPD’s authority extends to
poster advertising, but not to film
copy in newspapers, Pesce pointed
out.

Although, “at times, individual
theatre managers are responsible
for a particular infraction regard-
'ing advertising, the distributor is
perforce held responsible,” the
MPD report Stated,* “since the li¬
cense for the film in question is
issued to him.”

A “close check” is kept by the
MPD’s inspectors “on theatres in
problem areas, and the few viola¬
tions which have occurred have
been immediately and voluntarily
corrected by the theatre manager
or distributor involved.” Pesce re¬
vealed. *

Lack of Jurisdiction
Coming to the heart of the
present situation, Pesce said, “The.
Division has no jurisdiction in the
area *of misrepresentation, unless
obscene material is involved. In
many of these situations, it would
he difficult ta substantiate a charge
of misrepresentation, since the ad¬
vertising material is suggestive but
ambiguous—blending itself to what¬
ever interpretation a particular
viewer is disposed to make.”

Continued the MPD report:
“Critics’ quotes are cleverly used
in this manner—very ofteT} out of
context:"

Pesce disclosed that the Divi¬
sion had “from time to' time sought
the cooperation of acceptance edi¬
tors where a newspaper had print¬
ed particularly offensive adver¬
tising.”

The Division found these editors
“to be reluctant to interfere with
the publication of an advertise¬
ment, unless some specific element
of misrepresentation could be
demonstrated, or unless the ad
contained material which was par¬
ticularly offensive.”

However, since the MPD’s re¬
port was written, newspapers in a
number of cities—Los Angeles,
Chicago, St. Paul and others—^have
tightened up.

Pointing out that a hill (from
the Joint Legislative Committee)
which prohibited advertising that
distorted or misrepresented the
“character or content” of a mo¬
tion picture, had been adopted by
the I95a Legislature, but subse¬
quently ran into a veto by Gover¬
nor Harriman—because it was too
broad and vague, under “due
process” decisions—, Pesce opined
that ^‘thc offensive quality of much
of the current advertising reflects
the quality of the content of films
which we are constrained to license
because of our narrowed Jurisdic¬
tion.”

He continued that it would be
“desirable to prevent the exploi-

lensive and borderline fUnu,” but
“in view of the current judicial
attitude in matters concerning
freedom of speech, it seems clear
that the coiirts would not counte¬
nance the suppression of advertis¬
ing material which substantially
reflect the licensed content of mo¬
tion- pictures.”

Flick, who is in his present posi¬
tion as executive assistant to Dr.
James E. Allen, Jr„ State Educa¬
tion Commissioner,, acts as “liai¬
son” between the latter and the
MPD, commented after the Joint
Legislative Committee had an¬
nounced the dates for the Nfsw
York hearings—that “If all mem-
I hers of the advertising and com¬
munication media, as well as those
interested in improving motion
pictures, cOuld work together, it
would result in the elmination of
objectionahle and misleading ad¬
vertising.” .

The ex-chief censor was con¬
vinced that “The good* will, com¬
mon sense and decency of editors
and advertising men had produced
a great deal of acceptable adver¬
tising.” ,

It was “equally obvious,’^ con¬
tinued FHck, that “people will
criticize one obscene, salacious or
suggestive advertisement, rather
than to compliment clean copy.”

This tendency had led to “the
mistaken impression on the part
of sorhe individuals that salacious
or borderline advertising is good
for business.” Flick declared “A
careful examination of the. situa¬
tion would indicate that the con¬
trary is the case.”

The educator, like Messrs.
Younglove and FitzPatrick, be¬
lieves that some of the present
trends in motion picture produc-.
tion, as well as in advertising and
exploitation are “doing a great
industry vital harm.”

Jury Exonerates ExBib |
For ‘Street Oomer’ Scene
Of Birth of Infant

Houston, Dec. 16..

A jury of five men and one wom¬
an deliberated less than five min¬
utes before finding Jesse Allen
Dodson, theatre manager, iimocent
of charges that he displayed a lewd
and obscene film in a Galena Park
theatre last Aug, 16. He had been
charged with the misdemeanor of¬
fense after a posse of Galena Park
police and Justice of the Peace
Dave Thompson raided the Galena
Theatre and confiscated the film,
“Street CJomer.”

Part of the film alleged to he
“lewd” was shown to the jury , in
Judge Jimmie Doncan’s county-
court-at-law. This pictured the
birth of a baby under recognized
medical conditions,

Dodson did not testify in his be¬
half nor did Defense District At¬
torney Travis Ballard caU any wit¬
nesses. Several ^tnesses for the
state testified that under certain
conditions the film could be con¬
strued as “lewd.”

Charges against Dodsofi grew
out of protests from a minister
who objected to the film being
shown to children.

Enif Showcases: UA

— Continued from page 3

vious advantages, though N. Y. is a
I difficult market -to figure. For in¬
stance, 20th-Fox, with its. tieup
with the Paramount Theatre, slot¬
ted “Mardi Gr^” there. It did
disappointingly, considering the
film’s special appeal for the teen¬
agers^ Yet, out-of-town, “Mardi
Gras” Is doing very well.

Question Is asked whether, had
20th not had its tieup with the
Paramount, it might have followed
a different, and ^ssibly more ad¬
vantageous booking policy, with
“Mardi Gras.” Same was true in
the past with the Roxy, where 20th
admitttidly booked ffims which
didn’t belong there.

The exhibitors have argued that
the decree should be relaxed to
allow all the majors to have key
city showcases again. The theatre-
men argument is that this would
promote more production. Point is
argued with a good many in dis¬
tribution doubting that thii would
be the net effect.

UA could have had the Play¬
house and the Du Pont in 'Wash¬
ington after the K & B circuit
walked out of . its deal with Ilya
Lopert, but UA wasn’t interested,
and Trans-Lux Theatres now is

20di Anima} hwication
Of LoyaTty to Legkm
At Catholic Schkes

- . Washington, Dec. 16.
For the 20th year in a Tbw,j
Catholics throughout the U.S, were
asked Sunday (14) to renew their
support of the National Legion of
Decency. The pledge was read at
aU masses in U.S. churches.

Bishop James A. McNulty of
Paterson, N. J., new chairman of
the Bishops’ Committee for Mo¬
tion Pictures, Radio and Televi¬
sion, expressed optimism that the
“large and influential section of
the Catholic community” will sup¬
port the Legion’s objectives.

•The pledge Catholics were called
upon to suport is as' follows: .

“I condemn indecent and.

. immoral motion jnctures and .
those which glorify Crime or
criminals. I promise to do alt
; tfwit I can to strengthen public
opinion against the production
of indecent and immoral films
and to unite with all who pror
test against them.

. “I acknowledge my ohliga-
tion to form a right conscience
about pictures that are danger^
ous to my moral life. As a
member of the Legion of De¬
cency, I pledge myself to re¬
main away from them. I prom¬
ise, further, to stay away al¬
together from places of amuse¬
ment which show them as a
matter of policy.'"

More Than Meets The Eye

Pointing to the legion of De¬
cency’s year-old A-III (Unobjec¬
tionable for Adults) rating. Bishop
James A. McNulty of New Jersey i
last week urged Roman Catholics
to refrain “more than ever” from
seeing “B” and “C” rated films.

The pledge, he noted, "has been
a forceful instrument*'^ of the Le¬
gion in “crystallizing public opin¬
ion in the field of motion'picture
morality.” The Bishop said the
pledge simply recalled the specific
obligation ■ that Catholics “and in¬
deed all men” have with regard
to motion pictures “even if there
were no Legion of Decency.”

The Legion operates^both out in
the open and behind the scenes.
Last week, for the first time, it
openly recommended a picture
(“Inn of the Sixth Happiness”)
to Catholic patronage. This more
positive approach to films will be
[ applied to other ^‘worthy” films as
they come along, the Legion In¬
dicated.

However, even though they have
been approved by the film in¬
dustry’s own Production Code, the
film companies - continue to clip
scenes from pictures to please the
Legion. This is done after the
film has passed the N.Y. censor,
and after it has received the
Indusf^’s own Code seal. When
the picture reaches the theatres,
it has been trimmed to con^ly
with the objections of the Legion,
which thus has censored it for
all—Catholics and non-CathoIics
alike.

The film companies, while under
no direct obligation to bow to the
Legion, do so rather than risk
a run-in with the rating body, or
a possible “Condemned” tag;on a
picture. *1116 cuts now demanded by
the Legion, or at least “advised”
by it, go way beyond simple ques¬
tions of morality. In one recent
instance an entire scene was cut
simply because the Legion felt
there wasn’t enough compensation
for overall negative values in the
film.

‘This kind of censoring at times
bring on violent clashes with the
creators, who may have Intended
to give the very Impression (not
necessarily visual) to which the
Legion objects. However, most of
the companies take the view that
it’s easier to live with the Legion
than to fight it This in turn pro¬
vides fuel for those who argue
that the Legion today constitutes
the real censorship body In the
film hlz.

GEBMiNfATHOMCSIN
PRAISE OF‘COLONEL’

Cologne, Dec. 16. '

The German Catholic film com¬
mission has selected Columbia
Pictures* “Me and the Colonel”
as one of the year’s best motion
pictures.

Film concerns an anti-Semitic
Polish colonel and a Jewish tailor
fleeing from German occupation of

Catholic Students
Boast of Damage
To Local Exhibs

Washington, Dec. 16.

A student campaign in Spring-
field, Ohio, against “objection¬
able” films has resulted In a
“marked decline” in attendance at
area motion picture theatres, the
National Catholic Welfare Confer¬
ence reported here.

NCWC said the drive against
“obscenity and horror” in motion
pictures was begun at a student
assembly at (Central Catholic High
School of Springfield, and spread
to coimty public high schools.

The students took a “Movie De¬
cency Pledge,” as they called it.
Some 74% of films sho^ In area
drive-ins there during the last year
were classified as either morally
objectionable in part or con¬
demned by the Legion of Decency,
Welfare Conference quoted Mi¬
chael Chakeres, vice president of
Chakeres Theatres Inc., operator
of most film houses there, as deny¬
ing his company was showing ob¬
jectionable motion pictures. He
called them “family entertain¬
ment,” and asserted 99% were
“passed” by the Legion.

fingerprinting

Continned Irom pace 1

peal the cabaret license statute.
This calls for fingerprinting of
nitery perform^s and musicians in
Gi;^ter New York niteries. It also
automatically rules out employ¬
ment of known dope users or those
previously arrested and/or con¬
victed for same.

Johnston’s midnight deejay cam-
pai^ has been predicated on the
“paid his debt to society” premise,
and having done so he championed
! reemployment of capable pros like
: David Allen in the Gotham saloons.
He aired disks sung by Allen.
Among the 4,000 pieces of mail
voluntarily sent Johnston, he avers
there was not one gainsaying his
position .that Allen now has the
right to work, having purged hlm-
.self of his crime with a 22-month
prison stretch.

The nocturnal debate reached
“Town Hall Tonight” proportions
last week when AGVA exec sec
Jackie Bright “debated” with ‘Eu¬
gene Victor, Local 802 attorney,
who has been designated by the
Musicians’ N. Y, chapter prexy Al
Manuti as his stand-in. After much
post-midnight palaver into • the
open mike of Johnston’s origina¬
tion point (the “Celebrity Ldimge’*

I of Jack Silverman's International
Restaurant, N. Y.), the AFM attor¬
ney indicated “joining forces” with
AGVA to repeal the “police card
identification” requirement in
Gotham cabarets. (Miami is the
only other key city which has a
similar requirement but is said to
be not as “stringent” as New York.)
The vauders’ and the musicians*
protagonists concurred in t “why
fight each other” stance but would
seek to ameliorate, Gotham cab¬
aret license provision.

Johnston’s pitch has been that
cases like Alien have an inalien¬
able right to work as assured them
under the Bill of Rights.

Chi Fire FHiid

Continued from pas* 2

“Maverick” and possibly Ann
Blyth are planing in for appear¬
ances. Among the local performen
who will entertain are Fran Alli¬
son, Connie. Mitchell and Bill
La^ence.

Two legit shows, “Auntie Marne”
and ’“My Fair Lady,” each evinced
a willingness to give an extra ben¬
efit performance for the fund
around Christmastime, but tha
plans are pending clearances from
the trade unions. It’s intended
that everyone connected with tha
shows donate their sendees with¬
out pay for the fund-raising.

Typical of several smaller ven¬
tures for the cause is a teenaga
record hop benefit at Holiday Club
B^dlroom next Sunday afternoon
(21), at vdiich local deejays will
appear. Bandleader Dan Belloc
will-amcee: the

youths, •

Pesce, \uibo reported

RADIO-TELEVISIOIV

23

Wednesdayv December 17, 1958

PSaSIEff

YEAR END: ‘WHO’S ON SECOND’?

Nielsen s Top 10-8 Are Westerns

(Second November Report)

With the exception of Danny Thomas and • “Shirleir Temple
Storybook,” eight of the Top 10 Nielsen shows are westerns. Of
perhaps major significance, however, is the fact that ABC-TV
dominates the Top 10 with four entries, NBC and CBS having three
apiece. Of the Top 15 shows, CBS has seven, ABC five and NBC
three.

The Top 10 lineup:

Gunsmoke .... CBS 41.4

Have Gun, WiU Travel....CBS 35.5

Wagon Train ......NBC 34.3

Danny Thomas ... CBS 3i.6

, Shirley Temple ....NBC 30.8

Rifleman .... ABC 30.7

The Real McCoys.....ABC 30.6

Wells Fargo ....... NBC 30.2

Maverick ....... ABC 29.8

Wyatt Earp ...............ABC 29.5

BBDO Cries TouT

Thinks NBC Erred in Slotting Astaire
Repeat Opposite Du Pont

Milland Sat. Entry Qves CBS-TV
A 7-Nights-a-Week SRO at 10:30

BBDO, agency on the “Du Pont
Show of the Month” entry on CBS-
TV (and whose client also has a
$1,500,000 stake in such NBC en¬
tries as Steve Allen and “Today”),
Is doing a bum over NBC’s deci¬
sion to slot the Fred Astaire repeat
for Chrysler in the 10 to 11 p.m.
period on Jan. 28.

That’s the same time and the
same night when one of DuPont’s
major showcases, “What Every
Woman Knows,” will be presented
on CBS. In view of the acclaim
accorded the Astaire show on its
Initial presentation, it’s considered
a foregone conclusion that it will
attract a hefty audience. But why,
BBDO wants to know, slot one spec
aga^st another and dissipate both
audiences?

Revlon Biz To
LaRoche Agency

The lion’s share of the $1,000,000
Revlon account which was up for
grabs has been assigned to C. J.
LeRoche. Agency has picked up
the Sun,, Bath, Baby Silicare and
High Gloss hair spray accounts
with only the Thin Down products
Btill to be assigned. It is believed
that Thin Do^ will go either to
Warwick & Legler or Mogul,
Lewin, Williams & Saylor.

The portion of the business
handled by Dowd, Redfield & John¬
stone was turned loose when Ed¬
mund Johnstone, exec v.p. of
DR&J, resigned from the agency.
Trade reports have it that John¬
stone wni join the Edward Weiss
agency based in Chicago. Revlon,
which Johnstone had a grip on,
will not follow because the Weiss
agency has a conflicting. product,
Helene Curtis.

ROBT.SARNOFFAS
NAB’S KEYNOTER

Robert W. Sarnoff, chairman of
the board of NBC, will get the
Keynote Award at the annual con¬
vention of the National Assn, of
Broadcasters on March 16 when
the industry organization meets in
Chicago^

Sarnoff will get the kudo because
of his role as outstanding spokes¬
man for the industry and for his
series of letters to tv editors

9 ___

Renewal Coin For

‘Masquerade Party’

P. LoriUard has given NB€-
TV's Thursday night “Masquerade
Party” a vote of confidence by
Inking the panel show for an¬
other 13 weeks.

The renewal of the Wolf Pro¬
ductions package goes into effect
on Dec. 25 and takes the show
into April. Bahkroiler LoriUard j
was repped by'>Lennen! fc.NewelL j

Rngged Individualist
Storz Latches on To
NBC as an Affiliate

Kansas City, Dec. 16.

Radio trade listened intently this
week for the changes coming out
of the acquisition by Btorz Broad¬
casting Co., owners of WHB here,
and other stations, of KOMA, Okla¬
homa City. No more had Storz
bought KOMA than he also picked
up an NBC affiliation for it.

Heretofore, strictly a ruthlessly
formula operator of Independent
stations, this is Storz first hookup
to a major network. It wfil enable
him for the first time to research
the values of a network-local blend
of broadcasting. In contrast to his
up-to-now experience as a local in¬
dependent only—at WQAM, Miami,
WTIX, New Orleans and WDGY,
Minneapolis, as well as at WHB.
Formerly th e Sto rz hometown sta¬
tion was KOWH, Omaha, but that
^was sold recently.

An even more bizarre aspect is

TO NEW STATUS

By GEORGE ROSEN

The new Nielsens, just out, are j
almost shattering in their Implica- j
tions. ABC-'TV dominates the
Top 10 listings (first time in his-,
toryj, capturing four places, with
CBS and NBC dividing up the re¬
mainder three apiece. On four
nights of the week ABOTV boasts
the toprated show (“Maverick” on
Sunday; “Rifleman” on Tuesday;
“Real McCoys” on Thursday; “Walt
Disney Show” Friday). In short,
Leonard Goldenson. has got him¬
self a network.

Further “new Nielsen” intelli¬
gence as researched by ABC: Of
the 30 half-hours prime time in
which all three networks are com¬
peting with commercial program¬
ming, ABC and CBS each lead in
11 instances with NBC leading in
eight places. (A rundown of the,
I complete 42 half-hours seven nights
a week 7:30 to 10:30 shows CBS
leading with 17 places, NBC second
with 13, ABC third with 12). ]

The onward-&-upward ascent of
ABC in the three-network tv com¬
petition must inevitably add up to
one of the more interesting and ex¬
citing chapters when the debit and
credit sheets of ’58 are tallied.
What makes it all the more re¬
markable is that only a year ago
ABC, by its own admission running
a poor third in the inter-network
rivalry, was still being talked
about as. the “potentially promis¬
ing network.” Its “arrival” into
the bigtime is borne out by the
following statistics:

.For the same November Nielsen
period a year ago ABC had an
average nighttime rating of 18.5
(in the 7:30 to 10:30 periods). CBS
had a 25.3 and NBC a 23.6. This
year the score reads: ABC, 20.1;
CBS, 23.9; NBC, 21.7—a major
stride toward closing the gap.

While in the daytime area there’s
still an iffy status to the network’s
new bid for afternoon audiences,
with some $15,000,000 in sponsor¬
ship coin riding on the outcome,
the nighttime story is something

Trendex Top 10

(Week Dec. 1-7)

Gunsmoke .CBS 35.7

Perry Como .NBC 32.8

Loretta Young ... ,NBC 32.6
Lucy-Desi .........CBS 31.7

The Rifleman ... .ABC 30.6

Maverick .ABC 30.2

Wagon Train _NBC 30.0

Danny Thomas_CBS 28.3

Wyatt Earp .ABC 27.8

Havfe Gun ...CBS 27.4

Much More Than
Sixpence at Stake
On Olivier 'Moon

For the first time in tv annals a
$300,000 production Is being taped
in advance, without benefit of a
sponsor. That’s the gamble which
NBC-TV is 4aking (although the
network.Is highly confident of an
early sale wrapup) on the David
Susskind-produced “Mcjon and Six¬
pence” starring Sir Laurence
Olivier..

Olivier has been in rehearsal on
the 90-minute “Sixpence” spec for
the past week. Olivier wants to be
back in England some time be¬
tween Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, so the
tape cannot be shown around the
agencies until after the first of the
year. It isn’t likely that anybody
will buy. the show imtil they can
see the finished product And since
Olivier wiU be back in England and
since tape doesn’t permit for re¬
shooting or reediting, it’s a case
of NBC putting its faith on the
Olivier track record and the other
promising potentials in counting on
a winner.

Olivier’s “take home” stake is
$^00,000 which, it’s understood, he
wanted for tax purposes in Britain.

Looks like CBS-TV will be head¬
ed for a seven-nights-a-week sell¬
out 10:30 to 11 p.m. starting in
March, when SchUtz is scheduled
to move into the Sat. late nite pe¬
riod (now station time) with a new
Ray Milland half-hour vidfilm se¬
ries. If everything goes as antici¬
pated, it will be the first time since
1952 that the network has boasted
that kind of a fringe time SRO.

Schlitz has placed the order and
it’s now up to the stations. Since
that’s the time period following
“Gunsmoke,” the certainty of an
audience pickup practically clinches
the station’s acceptance. Beer com¬
pany is checking out of its current
“SchUtz Playhouse” CBS entry,
which it shares with Lux, and the
latter will take over the whole half-
hour.

The new Milland series is a spin¬
off from the Revue Productions
“Suspicion” series of last year, as
a pilot for a new private eye series
off the Revue shelf.

That 10:30 to 11 p.m. SRO on
CBS will go like this: Sunday,
“What’s My Line”; “Desilu Play¬
house”; Tuesday, Garry Moore
show; Wednesday, “U. S. Steel”
and “Armstrong Theatre”; Thurs¬
day, “Playhpuse 90”; Friday, “Per¬
son to Person” and Saturday, blil-
land.

P&G’s 'Buckskin’
Dumps 'Tic Tac

With Pillsbury cancelling out on
“Buckskin” and Procter & Gamble
letting go of “Tic Tac Dough” and
seeking a new show, NBC-TV
managed to fit the 7:30 to 8 pieces
together. Result: “Buckskin” will
now be sponsored by P & G. Cur¬
rently shown Fridays at 7:30,
“Buckskin” will shift over to the
“Tic Tac” Monday slot for its new
sponsor ride.

For a while it looked like Ford
might renew its sponsor allegiance
with “Buckskin” (automotive had
it last summer as the fill-in for
Tennessee Ernie) but nothing hap¬
pened. What did eventuate took
care of the P & G problem nicely.

Ince’s TV Staffers: life
Wish He Hadn’t Done If

Minneapolis, Dec. 16.

Fortune’s attack on television
doesn’t signify in the least that
Henry Luce plans to turn his back
on it, in the opinion of the Life,
Time and Fortune busing execu¬
tives who came on from New York
and Chicago to attend the WTCN
radio and tv Christmas party
here.

The execs pointed out that
Lpce’s audio and video invest¬
ments are too heavy to indicate
such a thing.

They emphasized "there is a
solid wall between the publica-
tidns’ editorial and’business staffs
and while they wish Fortune hadn’t
done it, there’s nothing they can
do about it.”

WTCN Is owned by Time-Life.

Florida Citrus Finds
‘Whaf s My line'Jnicj

Florida Citrus, handled out o
Benton & Bowles, which a fev
weeks back bought a shortten:
deal on CBS-TV’s “What’s Mj
line,” is currently laying plan*
to take alternate week sponsor
ship of the show.

-Hi view of the fact that Helene
Curtis has asked for relief by
Feb. 1, it appears that the Citrus
Commission will be picking up the
tab aternate weeks sharing the
bill with Kello.gg, Florida Citru'
is currently trying to get enou^’
ir.oola together to pick up

(Continued on page 50)

(Continued on page 50)

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 36 HOLLYWOOD 2t CHICAGO 11 LONDON, W. C. Z

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PARIS, 21 roe Hiehttte'

ROME, Stonpa Esttra

24 KAMO-ITOKyiSIOy _

Announi^rs’Strike Tbeat Balks
AFTRA, TV Networks* Accord

Networks and American Federa-4

tion of Television & Hadio Artists
were reportedly very near a final
agreement Monday (15) on a new
two-year performers, contract, that
is until the announcers’ category
met in N. Y. in an eight-hour crash
session. The gabbers, meeting until
& a.m.’ yesterday (Tues.) morning,
voted , two-and-a-half to one in
favor of striking the webs and
their owned & operated stations
unless the employers came through
with job security guarantees in the
new pact.

At deadline yesterday, AFTRA’s
negotiators and the networks
planned to meet, to discuss this
issue, the last of the major blocks
to a final accord between the webs
and the 12,000-actor union. Matters
In the few days before the an¬
nouncer editt had been moving
along rather well, it’s reported.

Fearing that the use of video
tape would eliminate the necessity
for the present number of announ¬
cers, this AFTRA category wanted
it understood in the contract that
their : present levels of strength
would not be Cut.

Networks have resisted this item
strenuously, not for fear of having
to retain a fuU complement of just
60 or 70 announcers, but reported¬
ly because a guarantee to AFTRA,
against staff cuts due to automa¬
tion, would serve as a precedent
for the several other unions with
which the networks deal. (Broad¬
ly, video tape is considered part of
the automation process.)

Until last we ek, s tockpiling was
a key issue. AFTRA wanted the
guarantee that absolutely no re¬
corded tv or radio programs made
by AFTRA members would be
used by the networks during a
strike by AFTRA. Instead, the
networks, in informal talks with
the union, promised they’d honor a
rule that affects only kinnies,
tapes, etc., made in the 60 days
before the end of each AFTRA
contract. In this regard, the union
got the webs to agree that nothing
but the “normal amoimt” of pre¬
recorded programming can be
made within that time. For in¬
stance, if a web only shoots five
soapers on tape in a normal week,
they cannot suddenly switch to 10
a week.

Settlement on the question of
contract clauses 88 and 89, con¬
cerning the extent and limits of
AFTRA jurisdiction among pro¬
ducers of network programming,
has not actually been finalized. But
it is understood on good authority
that the union is permitting
“slight” language changes, whicn
in the union’s eyes will not alter its
right to put an AFTRA label on any
shop which produces video tape
for a web.

In practice, it is believed that
AFTRA wiU not attempt to stick
the traditional film shops, like
DesRu, Four-Star, etc., which may
shift to tape, with its label, at least
not immediately. Those shops are
now under Screen Actors Guild
jurisdiction. But it is held likely
that the SAG production houses
will ultimately become the subject
of direct legal fights between SAG
and AFTRA, instead of between
AFTRA and the networks.

NBc-Tv amoflo

Daytime Dilemma

The Edison Electric Institute has
placed a $1,000,000 dajUme tele¬
vision order at NBC-TV but the
network seems to be having trou¬
ble meeting its-: request. The buy
by the Institute to plug its “Idve
Better Electrically” campaign,
calls for the web to deliver one
quarter-hour ]ger week over a 16-
week period on three out of four
selected daytime shows.

For the drive which starts on
Feb. 9, the Institute wants time on
“County Fair,” “Price Is Right,’*
“Tic Tac Dough” or ‘Treasure
Hunt” So far the web can ony
deliver part of the time desired
on one of the four shows, “County
Fair.' .

Institute, is ,repped in the nego¬
tiations by ^1^ ,^ A

PROBE ON RATINGS.

PUT OFF TILL FEB.

Washington, Dec. 16.

Senate hearings on television
ratings and their influence on tv
programming, slated for January,
will- be postponed until February,
Sen. Mike Monroney (D-Okla.),
sparkplug of the effort to air the
issue publicly, told Vamety. The
testimony will be taken in New {
York. !

The delay, Monroney said, will
be to permit Sen. Warren G. Mag- ;
nuson (D-Wash.), Senate Commerce |
Committee chairman, to participate
i in the hearings. Monroney said
Magnuson cannot fit the sessions,
expected to last two or three 'days,
into his January schedule.

The committee’s Communications,
Subcommittee, headed by Sen. |
John Oi Pastore (D-R.L), will con- |
duct the inquiry into ratings. But, !
Monroney said, Magnuson request- I
ed that he also sit in on the tes¬
timony and the questioning.

Monroney said the list of wit¬
nesses to be invited to testify has
not been firmed up, but that it.
definitely will include all three tv
network presidents, as well as
others.

“The public needs the facts on
this numbers game,” Mom*oney
said, “because it is affecting dras¬
tically what the public can see and
cannot see on television.”

Whitney Buying
Radio Stations
In Gotham Area

Having just bought into WVIP,
Mt. Kisco, N.Y. and WNRC, Npw
Rochelle, N.Y., John Hay Whitney,
Ambassador to Britain and pub¬
lisher of the N.Y. Herald Tribune
is reportedly dickering for the pur¬
chase of two Long island Outlets,
WGBB, 250 watter in Freeport,
and WGSM, 1,000 watter in Hunt¬
ington. Both are full-time stations.
Whitney also has interests in the
Corinthian group of tv-am out¬
lets. Major motive' is to use the
AM outlets to promote the Trib
and build up circulation in out¬
lying areas.

The New Rochelle and Mt.
Kisco deal was worked out with
Martin Stone, lawyer and pro¬
ducer of “Howdy Doody,” “TV.
Bingo,” “Author Meets the Crit-
les,” etc. Stone and Whitney each
will have 45% interest in the Mt.
Kisco 1,000 watt day timer with
E. Monroe O’FIyn holding 10%
of the stock. Stone and V^itney
will each have 50% interest in the
500 watt daytime station in New
Rochelle which this we ek al so
changed its call letters to WWES.

Interest in the Westchester sta¬
tions w'as acauired for approxi¬
mately $175,000 by Plymouth Rock
(Continued on page 50)

yp il

HONEY DREAMERS

Records Transcriptions
Mgmt: ART WARD Direction

Oxford 7-9034 MCA ,

Ta|ie Delays By
Mils? CBS To
Play It By Ear

CBS-IY has come up with an
answer to the query raised at the
last general Affiliates Conference
in Washington regarding the pos¬
sibility of an affiliate’s making
video tape delays of network pro¬
grams.

Carl Si Ward, veep and director
of affiliate relations at CBS-TV,
this week informed affiliates tiiat
“until sufficient experience and
knowledge has been provided to
permit the issuance of a set of de¬
tailed and consistent rules, we shall
consider any requests for permis-
! sion to tape network programs on
a case-hy-case method.”

Ward said the network would re¬
view from time to tim e during the
experimental period its experience
in this field and will issue to affili¬
ates additional rules as they are
made.

Ward stressed the importance of
“simultaneity” and making it pos¬
sible for an advertiser, through a
single purchase, to achieve nation¬
wide circulation “at a predictable
and uniform point in the schedule,”
Therefore, Ward told affiliates,
“the very essence of networking
precludes haphazard or piecemeal
rescheduling of programs on a sta¬
tion-by-station basis.” He went on
to say that to okay tape delays of
network programs would result in
the “dissipation of the unique ben¬
efits which networking provides to
the public; to advertisers and to
affiliates themselves,”

Ward made it clear that only In
unusual circumstances and unless
a clear showing to warrant excep¬
tions is made, tape delays will be
nixed. Okays will be granted if (1)
a prior request is made by the
affiliate; (2) prior request of the
network, and (3) if sponsored, prior
consent of advertisers.

Scorecard on Mary Martm

At the request of Richard Hailiday, husband-manager of Mary
Martin, the sipger’s Easter Sunday “twin bill” (matinee and night),
on NBC-TV will be trimmed to two hours, Hailiday expressing
the belief that a 60-minute afternoon show followed by SO minutes
of nighttime exposure would be too arduous in view of her current
coast-to-coast concert swing. As result, the Sunday night show,
like the matinee, will be hour length, with the material from her '
present concert lour providing the basis for her two-way tv stint.

On the sponsorship front, it looks like the Frigidaire Division
of General Motors will go for the tab on the evening program,
with no sponsor set as yet for the daytime entry.

Both Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein 2d put in an ap¬
pearance last week during a matinee of Miss Martin’s Boston-con¬
cert engagement, presumably to discuss tentative arrangements
on their next Broadway musical, which will star Miss Martin in
a book based on the famous Trapp Family. It’s undeqstood the *
show will go into rehearsal next August witti an eye toward a
Broadway opening next fail. (Originally there had been some'disv
cussion about doing the Martin ^ow even before “Flower Drum
Song,” but when these plans were changed the singer decided on
her city-to-city fall-winter concert engagement).

Miss Martin still “owes”. CBS-TV one spec, which was originally,
intended for presentation this month. However, this was put back
until early next season. In view qlthe upcoming Radgers-Hammer-.
stein musical, this may throw the CBS situation into some new
^^sparls. eiu* ' ys‘e co.* uey

Wediieftday, Dceember 17, 195S

TV &Kills: Some Bridsh Fmdi^s

Medium ‘Not as Bad as Painted^ But ‘No Great
Harbinger of Culture’ Either

INDUSTRY WARNED
OF RATING ABUSES

Another crack was taken yester¬
day (Tues,) at the frequent radio
and video station practice of “rat¬
ing IrFPoes.” Gene Accas, associate
media director of Grey Advertis¬
ing, told the attendees -at a Radio-
TV Executive Society time buying
seminar, “The problem of broad¬
casters, and of advertisers, stern
not so much from the volume of
broadcast audience measurement
as from the interpretation of the
data.” ’

Accas challenged any attempt
to “tamper with” ratings, ’ maih-
, .taining that it creates nothing but
I confusion. He slammed the one-
week . station promotions which
give a false picture of rating
levels.. He said this “arti^al in¬
flation” was unjust to advertiser,
who “don’t normally buy one p*e-
riod or a schedule for only one
week,” but that time buying “is
done with longrange delivery
levels in sight.”

Harper as Board
Chm. at McC-E;
Other Exec Shifts

McCann-Erickson in top level
executive changes has named
Marion Harper Jr. as chairman of
the board of the agency vice Harri¬
son K. McCann, co-founder of the
agency who Is retiring as chairman
of the board and a member of the
finance committee. Harper will
continue as president of the
agency. McCann was elected hon¬
orary chairman of the agency.

At the same time, Haenry Q.
Hawes, longtime associate of Mc¬
Cann has retired a§ a director of
the agency' and member of the fi¬
nance committee. Both Hawes and
McCann will act as consultants to
the agency.

Still other changes at the agency
see Robert E. Healy, formerly exec
veepee being elected vice chair¬
man of the board and Wilbert G.
Stilson, exec v.p. voted chairman
of the operations committee. AU
appointments at the agency take
effect immediately.

The agency has confirmed the
fact that Sylvester L. (Pat) Weaver
Jr. will be a consultant on special
projects. Weaver’s contract calls
for him to work exclusively for the
agency.

Kellogg, Lever Coin
. On CBS-TV's Year-End.
Pnbaffairs Programs

. CBS-TV has landed hefty spon¬
sors for two big year-end public
affairs programs.

“Where We Stand,” on Sun¬
day, Jan. 4 from 4 to 5 p.m.
will be sponsqred by American
Safety Razor Co. Program will
compare positions of U.S. and
USSR in arms, economics and
education.

CBS-TV’s 10th annual “Year of
Crisis” program on Sunday Dec.
28 from 10 to 11 p.m. will be spon¬
sored In full by Kellogg Co. and
Lever Bros,

All told, CBS-TV plans to have
four year-end assessment pro¬
grams totalling five hours of time,
probably the biggest in its his¬
tory,

GE Gutters ‘Camera,’

But Only Temporarily

“Man With a Camera,” the Don
Siarpe production aired Friday
over ABC-'TV, is getting the spon¬
sor’s axe in March but it will be
' back.

1 General Electric, which has
backed adventure series this sea¬
son, has run. out of television
money and will not pick up its
option. Pleased with the skeih}
GE will bankroll ‘agaiit when the
season rolls around.

London, Dec. 16.

British moppets dodge educa¬
tional programs of the. type la¬
belled “good for them” by deft
channel switching to catch west¬
erns, crime series and thrillers.
So an investigation, entitled “Tele¬
vision and Your Child” just pub¬
lished, suggests that commercial tv
and BBC-Ty should call a “truce”
and agree to air educational pro-
, grams at tj||i||ame time.

The repJHj^hich is the work of
, three psychologists and took four
years to compile, is based on an¬
swers, given by 4,000 children to
400 questions. The majority of
kids, it was discovered, look in at
evening adult offerings, through
preference and take in most of the
drama shows. It was here that the
authors felt that tv could have a
bad effect by teaching false values,
in view of this it’s suggested that
programs should be better bal-
, anced with Jess crime between 6’
p.m. and 9 p.m. and with violence
and horror saved until after 10
p.m. And while westerns are
okayed as pretty well harmless,
there is another suggestion that
children’s adventure plays should
seek other types of heroes than
cowboys.

The report assures that tv does
not make children do badly at
school, in fact the medium in¬
creases their general knowledge
and fires them with ambition to go
for executive jobs. TV does not
cause listlessness, loss of sleep, bad
dreams, lack of concentration, or
eye strain, nor does it make the
tots more aggressive or more pas¬
sive.

Id fact, “television is not as black
is it is parted.” But, the report
warns* “neither Is it the great har¬
binger of culture and enlighten¬
ment that its enthusiasts tend to
claim for it”

Sponsors Flock
To Terry Mason

CBS-TV has bobbed up with
*what it regards as pip of a “Perry
Mason” sale this week with Preem
and Ansco contracting for one-
third alternate week sponshorship
starting next month. Agency is
Benton & Bowles. Other clients
Already In are Parliame^nt, Sterling
Drug and Gulf.

Sale gives “Perry Mason” dra¬
mas virtual SRO status through
next season with just a few 4five
participations to be exact. from
Dec. 27 thru Mar. 1) available.

, CBS-TV sales execs are proud
of the sales outcome of “Perry
Maso^” which was launched with
artistic success last season but
sans sponsors despite the fact that
it tied Perry Ctomo in the Nielsens
last June and this season forged
ahead- of the • NBC-TV Saturday
night singer.

Sales staffers decided to scrap
the idea of selling the show in
t half-hours and switched to one-
j third sponsorshix>s with resultant
1 payoffs.

Lowell Thomas, Others
In $7^(1,000 Bo;; 2i
ProTideDM Takeorer

Washington, Dec. 16.

A group headed by * Lowell
Thomas has worked out deal for
purchase of WPRO-TV-AM-FM^
Providence, R.L, for. reported .$7,-
000,000, the second big Providence
sale within a week, according to
trade circles here.

^ The three WPRO broadcasting
properties with CBS affiliation are
being sold by William S. Ciherry
Jsr (who has WDBO-AM-FM-TV in
Orlando* Ela.) and - minor stock¬
holders.

WPRO-'TV operates on channel
^2- ■

. Only last week, WJAR-AM-’iW*
Providence, was sold in a mult^le-
package- deal "-involving ^W^iim
Zepkendrtff Sr. Affd Roger L.'45te^

'v/^vwens. ssjjq i>i

We^esdaj, Deeember 17^ 19S9

PSHiBfir

RABlO^TELEVlSaOlV

2%

TV-AM SCORES ON A STRIKE

Good Try, Anyway

Looked like CBS-TV last week had grabbed. Itself probably the
most prized “offbeat casting" parlay of the yeenr in signing Groucho
Marx to tangle with diva Maria Callas, with conductor Sir
Thomas Beecham as an. added starter, for an upcoming’Ed Mur-
row-Fred Friendly “Small World” segment. After the CBS press
dept, had heralded the news, however, Groucho was obliged to
back out and asked for a raincheck for a future “Small World" in¬
stallment Instead it’ll read: Victor Borge, Callas and Beecham.
No date for airing set yet.

Still another show biz parlay is lined up for the Sunday eve¬
ning telecast. This one will have Vivien Leigh coming from Lon¬
don; Kenneth Tynan, the British drama critic currently “guest¬
ing” for the New Yorker, and Sam Goldwyn, who will be picked
up from Hollywood.

Russian TVs 'Hard Sell’ With
Tarty’ as Product: Mike Wallace

Russian tv is the most commer--'
oial in the world. Its object is to
sell only-one product, namely the
Communist Party, and everything
is geared to the selling of the
System. This is one of many ob¬
servations brought back by Mike
Wallace, American Broadcasting
Company’s staffer, who represent¬
ed the web on the recent State
Dept, radio-tv delegation to the
USSR.

Wallace spent considerable time
studying tv news as gathered and
telecast in Moscow, Leningrad and
other Russian cities. Moscow TV
News, Wallace said, works In con¬
tact with but independent of Mos¬
cow Radio, and is apparently in¬
ferior to the latter in the eyes of
the reigning forces.

The group of four U.S, broad¬
casters who recently returned from
a 19-day State Department tour of
Russian radio and tv, including
WaUace, Ralph Cohn, prexy of
Screen Gems; Jerry Danzig, NBC
Radio program veepee; and Ralph
Harmon, Westinghouse Broadcast¬
ing engineering veepee, were
speakers at an informal talk ses¬
sion sponsored by the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences in N.Y.
Monday (15)

It is Wallace’s opinion that Mos-
! cow TV News is in about the same
position that tv news occupied
here back in the 4Q’s and early
50’s.v.He said the Moscow tv edi¬
torial line was developed by the
chief editor, Arkady Efroimson, in
collaboration with Ivanov, overall
super of the setup, Wallace said
there was no contact for editorial
direction with Tass, Isvestia or
Pravda.

Moscow TV has a staff of 16
persons working directly in news.
Local news from the rest of the
country is furnished by local tv
outlets with film sent by air from
Leningrad, Kiev, Tblisi, etc. Film
crew's for news as such are vir¬
tually unknow’n, Wallace said.

There are two news programs
■ daily, 7 to 7:10 p.m. and 10:30 to
10:55 p.m., more 6r less depend-’
ing on the time of the end of the
feature film or the end of the act
of the play being televised. The
ABC commentator said four out of
the 16 staffers in the tv news sot-
(Continued on page 44)

Mennen Scrams
‘Pursuit’ for NBC

WPfX fN. Y.) GM.

Fred M. Thrower Jr.

details t!i» why & how of the

Only Way to Offset
Attacks
* * *

another Iright Editorial Featare
in the npceniing

53d Anniversary Number

of

PSstnsfr

Grey, agency on the NBC ac¬
count and also agency of record on
the Mennen tv account valued
at $3,000,000, has shed its cloak as
a turncoat and is bringing Mennen
coin back to NBC. Agency this
week decided that CBS-TV’s “Pur¬
suit" hasn’t pursued enough view¬
ers and has decided to drop the
program. Final date of termina-
ion has hot. been resolved.

The advertising agency which
earlier in’ the year turned down
an offer from NBC, involving a
sizeable network contribution on
program costs, if Mennen took
sponsorship of either the Friday
night ‘‘EUery Queen” series or the
Satifrday night “Cimarron - City,”
has decided to take NBC up on -at
least part of the deal. The new
(Continued on page 46)

Beaumont Case’s
4th Time Around

Washington, Dec. 16.

The Beaumont (Tex.) tv channel
six case, involving ex-Gov. W. P.
Hobby, Federal Communications
Commission decisions and two
arguments before U. S. Court of
Appeals, was back before that court
for an additional hearing Monday
(15).

Losing applicant. Enterprise Co.,
publisher of two Beaumont daily
newspapers and licensee of KRIC
Radio, contends the FGC permitted
abuse of its processes in giving
station (originally in August, 1954)
to Beaumont Broadcasting Corp.,
which has radio pronerties in Beau¬
mont and Wichita Falls. Tex. FGC
has twice since reaffirmed the
grant to Beaumont,

Legal dispute is over the manner
in which ex-Gov. Hobby of Hous¬
ton, owner of the Houston Post and
KPRC^AM-FM-TV and husband of
Oveta Culp Hobby, former Eisen¬
hower cabinet member, acquired
right to buy 32V^% of Beaumont.

Involved in this deal was with¬
drawal of a third applicant, KTRM,
Inc., who was paid $55,000 by
Hobby, with Beaumont to repay
the amount to Hobby later. Leon¬
ard Marks, Enterprise attorney,
maintained some questions still
haven’t been answered, and that
the case should be remanded to
the FCC for more hearings and a
fourth decision.

Sod of Santa

Tucson, Dec. 16.

It’s happened—now Santa Claus
is looking for favors.

Miss Evelyn, . the teacher of
KGUN-TV’s “Romper Room” pro¬
gram, took her small son downtown
last week, for shopping. “Santa was
appearing at one of the main de¬
partment stores,” she said, “so
naturally a visit was in order. In
the middle of Santa’s conversation
with my son Ronnie, Santa glanced
up at me and .inquired, *Miss Eve¬
lyn, how may my four-year-old son
appear on your kindergarten pro¬
gram?’

“My son Is stiU wondering how
-come Santa has children of his

Deprived- of their nine major
daily newspapers as a result of
striking deliverymen, Gothamites
turned almost completely to radio
and tv. outlets for their news of
the world. The consensus was that
the broadcasting industry had in¬
deed fulfilled its public service
obligations to viewers and listen¬
ers. Moreover, many of the met¬
ropolitan radio-tv outlets rang up
tidy sums from advertisers here¬
tofore indifferent to the sales po¬
tential of the medium.

Unlike the last newspaper strike,
this one definitely appeared to
bring newspapers and radio-tv
closer. Whereas previously any
stepped-up increase of news on
the part of the fifth estate was re¬
garded as an intrusion, the cur¬
rent paper tieup instantly resulted
in newspaper-radio-tv alliances
that bespoke solidarity and a com¬
mon purpose of the two media of
communication.

One of the more notable press-tv
alliances was that of the New
York Times and NBC News which
telecast a two-hour Sunday (14)
morning program over WRCA-TV,
N.Y. and WRC-TV, Washington,
Under ordinary circumstances such
a program would have cost ap¬
proximately $20,000, but in this in¬
stance it was aired as public serv¬
ice with NBC News footing the ex¬
penses.

The N.Y. Times segment of the
“Sunday Newspaper of the Air”"
ran for one-hour and featured
14 of the Times’ top editor,
reporters and correspondents with
their writings that did not get
into print. The^ staffers were
Arthur Kroch, Wa^in^on politi¬
cal pundit; E, C. Daniel, an as¬
sistant managing editor; Dan
Schwarz, assistant Sunday edi¬
tor; James • Roach, sports editor;
Lewis Funke, drama editor, who
read Brooks Atkinson’s Sunday
piece on “The Disenchanted";
Edwin L. Dale of the Washington
Bureau; Joseph Durso, assistant
city editor; John Desmond, editor
of the Review of the Week ;Fran-
cis BroWn, editor of the Book Re¬
view; Howard Taubman, music
critic; Bosley Crowther, film
critic; Jack Gould, radio-tv critic
and Robert C. Doty, chief of the
Paris Bureau, on the shortwave
circuit from Paris. This portion
of the show was produced by Chet
Hagan of the NBC staff, after hud¬
dling with Ivan Veit, the Times’
promotion director. Decision to
present the Times show was made
on Fridciy (12) night by Bill Mc-
Andrew, NBC veep in charge of
news, and Hagan. Merrill Muel¬
ler of NBC News served as anchor
man. In opening the show, he dis¬
played the front page layout of
the Sunday Times, “the paper that
will never be printed,” adding “its
headlines would have reported
these stories” and then segued
(Continued on page 50)

TV ‘Greatest Cultural
Calamity in History’Sez
Louis Kronenberger

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Louis Kronenberger, professor
of theatre arts at Brandeis U.,
regaHs television as “the greatest
cultural calamity in this country’s
history.” It has, he says, “enor¬
mously increased our escapist in¬
stincts while cheapening our es¬
capist symbols.”

Kronenberger made the state¬
ment in a piece he authored for
the current issue of What’s New,
mag published by Abbott Labora¬
tories for the medical profession.
His article said that the medium
nourishes American daydreams of
success with its giveaway shows
and happy endings. Our anxiety-
ridden culture needs a happy end¬
ing, Kronenberger says, and tv
has intensified that need. Its close-
ups of authentic real life seem to
allow that “you too. can play.”

Losii^ ‘Several Millions a Year/

Hayes Bares Why & Wkrefores
Of Streamlined CBS Radio Setup

Matstro

Harry Sosnik

writes why

It’s Not Quite That
Easy to Fool the Public

another Iright Editorial Featiire
due soon In the

53d Anniversary Number -

of

f'SRIETT

Sunday, Tuesday
Program Strategy
Keys NBC Huddle

Program strategy for ’59 was
kicked around by NBC-TV program
braintrustees, just back from their
Florida “hideout,” with major em¬
phasis on hypoing the Tuesday
schedule. It may wind up with the
following results:

“Californians" v/ould be dumped
from its Tuesday at 10 berth,
with Singer, co-sponsor of the
show, moving into the “Bob Cum¬
mings Show." Mentioned as a
possibility for that slot is the new
“Ginger Rogers Show." However,
latter entry is also being mulled
for Tuesday fi:30 imder RCA spon¬
sorship in event the George Gobel-
Eddie Fisher programs get the
heave next spring. (Understood
Liggett & Myers is puUing out of
Fisher completely.)

Also getting major attention W’as
the . Sunday 7:30 successor to
“Northwest Passage,” which is get¬
ting axed. “Buddy Bregman Show”
will likely go in for the balance
of the season with a new hour en¬
try, “Mississippi River Boat,” the
most likely candidate Jn the fall
when NBC opens up the 7 to 8
p.m, periods for a 60-minute entry
(thus getting the jump on “Mav¬
erick" by a half-hour).

By JO RANSON

CBS Radio will be infinitely
stronger and far more valuable to
its 200 affiliates once the Program
Consolidation Plan is put into prac¬
tice, Arthur Hull Hayes, the web’s
prexy, made it two-cents plain this
week.

Under the new plan, the network
will be a far greater force than in
the past, Hayes observed. More¬
over, the new network radio struc-
tme as unveiled and okayed by
affiliates at the recent Gotham
powwow has intrigued many other
stations, ’and they want in, too,
Hayes said.

Thirty-one stations have sought
affiliation with, CBS Radio, within
the past few weeks, according to
Hayes, as a direct result pf the an¬
nounced plan. Three NBC affiliates,
completely unsolicited, have asked
to join CBS Radio, he added. All
told, the 31 outlets range from 250
waiters to powerful 50,000 waiters
from California to the Eastern sea¬
board, and from Michigan to Texas,
Hayes observed.

As for ai|iliate defections since
the plan unveiled, only one,
WJZ, the (Goodwill Station of De¬
troit has asked out. “It is always
possible there will be one or two
others who will decide not to go
along,” Hayes declared. “How many
more will disaffiliate is difficult
to answer precisely, because just
10 days ago one affiliate west of
the Mississippi came in and said
it wanted to stay on the old con¬
tract and wouldn’t sign the new
one. After talking to us and going
back home, the station manager
called UD and said he was going
along. We had 200 affiUates before
(Continued on page 44)

WNEW-TV DICKERS
ELSA MAXWai SHOW

Elsa Maxwell, veteran lady-
about-town and iiA;ermittent guest
on the NBC-TV Jack Paar late-
nighter, may soon be getting a
viedo stanza of her own. WNEW-
TV, the Gotham independent, is
dickering with General Artists
Corp. for ffher once-weekly
services.'

Should there be a deal. Miss Max-
v/ell will oversee a 30 or 60-minute
gab stanza, with an all-around
roster of celebs in tow. It’d either
go into a 10 or 10:30 slot on WNEW
for local consumption.

Station said this week that noth¬
ing has been signed but “we’re
still dickering."

Oppenheimer Prqipiiig
Joan Blondell Series

Holl^ood, Dec..T6.

Jess Oppenheimer is moving
back into action at NBC-TV with
the development of a new Joan
Blondell situation comedy series
titled “The Jacksons.” Pilot on the
new series will roll next month,
with Miss Blondell playing a mar¬
ried woman whose hubby has re¬
tired and children ill married but
whose mitornal instincts must still
be satisfied and keep getting her
into situations. .

P&G, Elgin Coin
On Emmy Awards

Although the Academy of Tele¬
vision Arts and Sciences hasn’t
firmed up the date the Emmy
awards are to be given out, an
order has been placed at NBC-TV
by Procter & Gamble for one-half
of the telecast with Elgin Watches
negotiating for the second half of
the program.

What appe'ars to be holding up
setting a firm date is that the
Academy is considering chang-
i ing the awards from the calendar
year to making presentations based
on the television season, from
September 'to June of the fol¬
lowing year.

The P&G order was placed
through - the Grey Advertising
agency. This marks the second
year that Procter & Gamble has
picked up the tab, having backed
half of the telecast last year.

MANHAnAN SHIRTS
DROPS SAMMY KAYE

After the Dec. 20 exposure,
Manhattan shirts is dropping the'
Sammy Kaye ABC-TV musical
stanza, but it’s understood that
the same bankroller has already
committed itself for a six to eight-
week ride come next spring, in
order to reach prospective Fa¬
thers’ Day customers. Meantime,
the network is mulling a continua¬
tion of the Saturday-at-lO half-
hour in the interim. ;

Web at the moment figures iff
likely the show will continue with¬
out sponsor if only because the
network wants to fill the time slot
with some kind of programming,
and Kaye, a low-budget package,
has been getting about a 20%
share of audience. Manhattan
Shirts will have had the show for
•14 weekf ^hen^dt'goef*T)ff.* - " *

2C

P^SRiBff

'Wiednesday, December 17<, 1958

MefuihSze i^endes Fiod It
T«h^ & Tougher to Survive
Other tybpo kit Fronts

By JACK BERNSTEIN
Madison and Michigan Ave.-
based agencies are finding that
"two can’t live as cheaply as one.”
^rdly a week has gone by in ad
raw dttring *58 witiHJttt an an¬
nouncement -that two agencies
have reached the decision to merge
shingles. The changing economics
of the agency business and of ^
services required of the advertising
shops with marketing, meix^andis--
Ing, research and public relations
no longer considered additional
services but rather a part of agency
day-in and day-out affairs has led!
to a rash nf mergers never before;
seen in the agency field*

The changing age^ncy scene is:
based on one premise alone: that
you have to* be large in order to
survive. The inability of meditim- \
sized agencies to profitably pro¬
vide the additional services re-
q^ed by present-day advertisers
requires the mating of the, smaller
shops.

Geyer Advertising and Morey,
TTtmvm & Warwick made the news
this week by joiiung together to
form a $30,000,000 oirganization. A
little more &an a week ago Dona¬
hue & Co and Keyes, Madden &
Jones combined facilities in New
York, Chicago and Los Angeles for
the “purpose of expanding services
of both agencies.” The D&C and
KM&J fusion gave the two agen¬
cies combined billings df $50,000,-
000, Other medium-sized agencies
which have recently joined forces
are Reach, McCIinton & Co., and
H. B. Humphrey, AHey .& Rich^ds
to unite in a $25,000,000 operation;
(Reach, McClhiton & Co., and J. ^
Pershall of -Chicago mated a few
•weeks hack), Lennen & Newell
joining with Buchanan &• Co. imd
ahsorMng Merchandising Factors,
San Francisco: Emil -Mognl mating
■ with Lewin, Williams, & Saylor; the
merger of three Coast agencies,
Honig, Cooper, Harrington & Mi¬
ner; Doner & Peck teaming up; the
newly-fonned combo of Kastor,
Farrell, Chesl^ ■& Clifford with
Hilton & Riggiy and Grant Adver¬
tising and- Kimball Co. rmiting.
(These are just a few of the larger
agencies which are pooling their
resources.)

(jther than the need to provide
expanded services is the’ n^d for
branch offices to service the ac-
toun^. Under the DonahUe & Coe
and'^KM&J arrangement, D3cC Will‘
service aie New York accounts of
both agencies while KM&J will
provide the same service' in Chi-
eago. With the rise of television
as the top advertising medium also
comes the need for a Coast office.
(Nearly a dozen agencies have this
year worked out arrangements with
agencies on the West Coast to serv¬
ice the accoimts or have tjdren
Coast based agencies and made
them a dividOn ’Uf New York
agencies.) A score of agencies
have lost accounts this year be-
oanse the national advertiser
wanted a local office; This is par¬
ticularly true of the automotive ac-
• counts handled out of Detroit.

Still other reasons lie in the de¬
sire to get new blood into top
ifaanagement and the desire of
owners to achieve capital gains by
merging. But principally, the mer¬
ger is based on the economics of a
profitable area of. operations. In
brief, small accounts earn the
agency little profit unle^ handled
cm -a fee basis and l^e accounts
dwnand the expanded services and
branch offices for servicing ac¬
counts.

, The Joining of medium-sized
agencies with combined facilities
make it possible for larger organ¬
izations to pitch for the more at¬
tractive accoimts.

All is not sweetness and harmony
with the combining of forces and
sometimes it takes years to work
out the kinks in both management
personnel and product conflict.
There is also the school of thought
that agencies never reaUy merge
but Shat one agency eventuaUy ab¬
sorbs the second.

But still, medium-sized agencies
have been forced to take the gam¬
ble if they are going to be in the
position of competi^ and if they
want, acr

counts which demand more serv¬
icing.

u SHORTIS: N. W. .Ayer has com-
pletly reorganized ite television
commercial production department
eliminating the separate status of
the live cnmHierc'ial sector and film
commercial department and has
combined the two departments
under the same roof under the di¬
rection of Tom Calhoun, veepee i
and manager of the tv-radio pro-!
gramming and production. -The
shifting around involves an esti-:
mated 30 employees. Calhoun re¬
organized his tv department so that
"the film producers would be able
to do the live blurbs and vice
versa.”

George J. Abrams, in an address
before the Advertising;. Club of
Washington last week (9) suggested
the immediate creation of an Audit
Bureau of Television^ to measure
the quantitative and qualitative cir-^
culation of television audiences.
Abrams believes that the bureau
diould be '1216 cpunterpart of the
Audit Bureau of Circulations and
should perhaps be under the su¬
pervision of the Federal Commu¬
nications ^Commission.

Les Blumenthaf, wKo at* one time
was director of radio-tv at Norman,
Craig & Kummel, is the top choice
to succeed William Lyons as radio-
tv director at. Dowd, Redfield &
Johnstone.

Blumenthal’s appointment ap¬
peared to set jfof this week but
ag^ei^ aedvity ha? held upthe
nomination. (Edmund F. Johnstone
resigned last week as execfv.p. and
walked off with $1,000,000 Rev¬
lon account, throivipg agency, in
tizzy) and holthng up the probable
appointment. As director of the
radio^tv sector, Blumenthal be
responsible for ah estimated $4,-
000,000 in broadcast b TIUng s-

By the way the agencies handed
nut bonuses this year it doesn’t
pay to work for a large agency.
McCann-Erickson, which pick^ Up
the $24,000,000 Buick account and
in general had a spectacular year,
.will not reward their. employees.
On the other hand, the Kudner
Agency which Tost an. estimated
$46,000,000 in General .Motors bill¬
ings hilmded employees che^ this
week. J. Walter Thompson dis¬
appointed executives of the agency
by only handing '‘something extra”
to employees in the $7,500'dlass
and lower. * For the top .level boys
their stockings will be bare. Young
& Rubicam did not follow in the
path of the larger agencies ..and
distributed bonuses yesterday
(Tues.),

McCann-Erickson has opened 'a
new nfBce in Amsterdam. The
latest, addition gives .the agency
eight European ofiBces; with a staff
of approximately 1,000. Jose
Chennaux, who has been with
McCann-Erickson in Brussels, has
been named manager of the new
office.

SWITCHES: Fuller, Smith &
Ross has espanded the duties of
(lerald T. Ailhur, v.p. and director
of media to include work on devel¬
opment of radio-tv campaigns for
all dlents. In new appointments at
the agenty, Ed^ Marvin and
Henry J. Mazzeo have been as-,
signed to the radio-tv sector as
copywriters.

Thomas H, Calhoun, manager of
radio-tv prdgrammihg and produc¬
tion at N. W. Ayer, has earned
veepee stripes.

Ben R- Donaldson, advertising
ccmsultant of the Ford Motor Co.,
has been elected chairman of the
board of directors ef the Adver¬
tising Research Foundation. Amo
H. Johnson, v.p. of J. Walter
Thompson, named vice chairman
of the hoard.

Hilda Brown Kahn, formerly a
copywriter at Young A Rubicam,
joins Norman, Craig A Kummel as
assistant to the creative director.

Carvel l^spn, manager of
Compton AdVi^sings Portland
office, upped to a yeepee.

LOST FOUND: Grant Adver¬
tising is exi)ected. to pick Up sev¬
eral million dollars in.billings by
being appointed agency for the
Old MHwaukee beer account of
Schlitz Brewing Co. Appointment
of Grant does not oome ras a sur¬
prise to the advertis|i^j^v,tK»de.,

cause the agency iias been work¬
ing on -xeactrvatUig the l^er #?-■
count tor several' months. It is
thought, however, that this mi^t
be the ;handwrit3ng on the wall, to
J. Wal^ Thompson which handles
the Schlitz hiz. '

Advertising plans call for Grant
to begin test marketing the beer
in key. areas an the South, Old
Milwaukee was first introduced in
1934 and produced in large quan¬
tities until 1942. At one time it
accounted for over' 70% of the
Schlitz sales. The beer is current¬
ly being distributed in five states.

C alki ns A Holden has been
named to handle the advertising
for Klopman Mills, manufacturers
of greige goods. S. R. Leon Inc.,
previously handled the hillings.

Arnold Bread account, currently
housed at the Charles W. Hoyt
ageficy, is reportedly shopping
around for another agency.

Chi Agendes

By LES BROWN

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Leo Burnett CoJ has mdded
i toee-of its departments—^research,
marketing and media—into a sin-
unit which shaR be known' as
Marketing Services Itiyirioif, with
Joseph M. Gieeley, v.p. and senior
m'ark’eting officer, the overall
chieftain. Leimard S- Matthews
h^ been, appointed exec overseeing
media .'and research, with, John
Coulsoh continuing as head of the
research dept, and Thpmas A-
Wright as head of media. All are
ve€i>s, Wright getting his stripes at
the time of the new appointment.

Henry' M. Hemstead has ankled
Gordon & Hempstead, which was
created in a merger last February,
to reopen Ms former agency under,
his oWh name, Marvin Cordon
continues to operate the agency as
Gordok & l&mpstead, although
tho latter’s accounts have moved
with' hun.

Clinton E. Frank agency bn a
new business spree with Catherine
dark’s Browhherry (^ens Inc.
andvBosch Brewing Co. joining the
fold. ■ only two weeks ago, the
agencyt had snared the $1,000,000
Curtiss Candy billiiigs. Bosch ac-
coimtvankled Henri,. Hurst & Mac¬
Donald for Fraik, and Bfownb'eixy
Ovens left lilienfeld- & Co;

Irv Seidner who was head copy~
writer on the Brownherry account
at lili e nfe ld, has left the agency to
manage a coffee shop in Chicago.

• Waldie -&-Briggs plucked Amm-
.to.Tools Inc. • j

•Wallace J. Cordon signed bn
with Crant Advertising as copy¬
writer. Previously he was eopy
group head at Erwin, l^asey, Ruth- ■
rauff & Byam-

LondoflAgeiides

By BARRY BARNETT

I , "■ London, Dec. 16.^

I A c^oon -campaign to boost
[.Ever Ready dry bell batteries •will
•begin early next month. Commer¬
cials will he beamed from all tv
outlets. Agents are Creenlys Ltd,

A novelty tv campaign by- Har¬
rison Heaters, which is being hand¬
led by the 'Alfred Bates 8c Son
agency, delivers fihe selling mes¬
sage in Lap, the native longue of
Laplanders. "Voices are ’accompa¬
nied by subtitles. Spot runs 30
seconds.

Lint^is has Enounced the .for-
ma.tion of a subsidiary company,
Linfilhis. The new outft will be¬
come operational on Jan, I, and
will make advertising films for the.
parent agency. It’ willj however,
also undertake outside commis¬
sions for this t^e of film work.

The.^ John Hobson 8c , Partners
agency is now handling the Mentor
Shirts

Pmrtoa-t»-F^h»m Pr^uctn

John Aaron &
Jesse Zousmer

hove some bockstoq* meMorits
iff tficTr

Don^t Say It Isit'l So j

oMriMT bright Edlterial VMfaw
!■ the tooa-d—

53d Anniveraaiy Tiumber

i TV-iybPro3iKto^ ii

IN NEW YORK CITY ...

WCBS Radio sales manager Tom Swafford off to Chicago to attend
the Food Brokers’ (Convention. He’ll be. back Dec. 22 , . . Bob Saudek,
producer of "Omnibus,” was cited'last Sunday (14) at'Bostop Univ,
for his "outstanding work in tv.” Award was made by Harold C. Case,
prexy of the school . . , WOBS Radio Galen Dr^’.s wife, Ann, back
from the Coast following film tests . . . Matt Mattox, choreographer of
Patti Page Show, received the 1958 Dance Award from American Dance
Society . . , Milton Berle will be guest of honor at N.Y. Chapter of
Academy of TV Arts and Sciences next March at Waldorf-Astoria.
Max Liebman will produce the dinner show ta^ed "Close-Up 1959.”
. . . Bill Wendell, new emcee of "Tic-Tac-Hqugh,” hack in towd after
one-week stay in Florida . , . Mello-Larks did the kine for upcoming
Hal March variety tv riiow . . . .Alfred. R. Mata Joins Gene Hennessey
Productions as .talent -consultant. He was formerly ■with Ogilvy, Ben¬
son. & Mather as tv producer . . . Paul Taubman was Interviewed
on Dave Garroway’s "Today” Monday (15). • •

Steve de Satnik, formerly WPIX tedinical director of master con¬
trol, named chief engineer of Metrox>olitan Educational TV Assn, re¬
placing Don Collins who moved to Video-Tape Productions Inc. . . .
CBS newsmen Boh Trout and Walter Croukite reversing roles for year-
end shows. Trout, who did election- show on CBS Radio, wiU be anchor
man on CBS-TV "Big News of '58” wrapup Jan. 4 while .Cfonkite, who
emceed,, CBS-TV election show, wilT be anchor man of .CBS Radio "Big
News of .’58” Dec. , St Jobli’'s tJnivl gi've'diiiher fer "NffiTA pro¬
duction staff at N.Y. "Ath letic Club (10) concerned with' Russian lan¬
guage telecourse on WPIX. In attendance were Katherine Alexieff,
instructor; META prexy Alan Willard Brown and producer Amram
Nowak. Father St. John’s: prexy, officiated . . . Comedian Jim

Backus will be guei^ar -on NBC-TV’s "County Fair” today (Wed.) . . .
CBS-TV exec veep Hubbell Robinson back at'his desk after a hoiit
with a heavy cold . . . Oscar Katx, CBS-TV veep of daytime programs,
back from Coast biz trip . , . Lee Hanna, ex-staffer of "Eye on New
York” and-"This is New York,”- joined WNEW news staff . . ^ CBS
maestro Alfredo Antimini has busy. Christmas sked lined up. He
conducts 30-pieoe C7BS orch on Jinu^ Dean Show Monday •(22) and on
Sunday '(21) conducts CBS-'TV music program with soprano. Maria
Stader : . . Tino' Barrie, who managed the late Tommy Dorsey, has
joined the staff of Bullets Durgom, Jackie Gleason’s personal manager.

Claude A. Mahdney, vet farm news editor and broadcaster, will join
the.Washington news staff of Mutual Sunday (21). For the past 10 years
Mahoney has been farm news editor for CBS, having joined that web
after seven years at -WTOP, Washington. He will begin his- own sched¬
ule of news and farm shows on MBS after .ttie first of the year .
Chemical Corn Exchange Bank, sponsor of WPIX’s "World'. News” at
7 p.m., will cancel its commercials nn the Christinas Eve show and
present instead the caroling of the Ghemical Corn Exchange Bank
Choir. . .

Singer Danny Scholl, hospitalized since Thanksgiving Day With miis-
cifiar disturbance, -will be discharged from Roosevelt Hospital Satur¬
day (20) and appear otn Jack Pair’s Show Monday, Dec. 22 arid Friday,
Dec. 26 . . . Christmas parties aplenty for needy kids: Jinuiy Blaine,
host, on NBC-V’s “Riiff and Reddy’’ show will do a benefit for needy
children at. L.I.U.’s Brooklyn Center, • Monday (22); Fortnnn Pope,
prexy, of WHOM, tlm^winf a yuletide parly for 1,000 Puerto Rican
children in hallrooiriJ of West .Side Branch YWCA, Saturday (20) . •» .
Paul Tripp and wife. Ruth Enders appearing in. continuing legal case
on "Verdict is Yours” daytimer over CBS-TV thru Friday (19). Also
c^e of typecastmgi They play Mr. and Mrs. . . . Steve Lawrence takes
time o^ -frpiq ar^ diMes to guest on NBOTV’s "Perry Como'Show”
Saturday, Dec. 27 . . . Benn Sqnires has joined staff of NBC-TV’s "To-
dp^”^as assistant to producer Boh Bendick ... Jiansl and CwTefenee
(TaryJ Clyne to the Coast next week for their annual •^^lUG^New
"gear’s -qinckie for a P^Mo? Springs holiday. He returns to HoHyvrood in
mid-January On further McCann-Erickson business . . . AJl^ede A®-
and all 30-pieces, of Columbia Concert Orch doing Jbnnqf De^’a
CSS-TV’er Dec. 22 . .. Dave Gregory set as writer .on Paf^ Page AB(>
TV stanza . . . Leonard G. Goldenton, AB-PT prexy^ received-^gina
-Alpha Mu frat certificate of merit for "distinguished cormriunity and
philanthropic endeavors.”

m HOLLYWOOD . , .

Jack Runyon, long one of the top agency execs on the Coast, -will
open his own office in Frisco but shuttle along the scahoard.'He*!! staH
^.with $500,000 in billing . . , Dick CheviUat and Ray Singer-^hipping
up a comedy script foit-Naney Walker to"be piloted by SOreetf Geins
... Jean Bartel, an erstwhile Miss. America, back from a month in
Brazil as guest of TV Rio. Her findings on the state of viedd there
be .spread before the TV Academy at its’January meeting . . . Chrlaty
Walsh and flank Booraem picked a Bcvhills site for the new office of
Ogilvy, Mather 8c Benson. 'Dieir landlord is Alan Ladd, who owns the
t bank building . . . Sherry jMkson who played Danny Thomas’ moppet
daughter, pulled out so she can set up her own series, "Adventures of
Sherry.” . . . Parke Levy has blocked out in his mind a stage show.
You Can’t Go Bade.” Natur^y it would open in Philly, "his old
stamping ground . . . "Ben Gage, who pioneered the variety show .for¬
mat on tv in Hollywood, will be fadng the cameras again for the ftitt
time in eight years. He’ll play "Marshal Mort Dooley” In "Gud Sfiy,”
a topoon of "Maverick,” . . , Eric Sevireid (vent hick to Washington
still wondering how the "Playhouse 90” crew ever gets the show on
^ air for 90 minutes every week. He did the narration on "Seven
Against the Wall” and admitted it was a frightening experience. Elec¬
tion night was never like this, he avows. '

WNBQ looking for news commentator tp replace Clifton Uiley at
^ ^nuaiY . - * Dom Wrin upped to program directorruf
WIND, vice Dave Croninger . , , Chnek Henderson, p.r. chief of NBC
o&os who docked here a month ago, returns to Gotham- this weekend
. . . Singer Nancy Wright doubling this week at (jld Heidelberg.and
as vocalist on 'Ereakfast Club” . . . '^nce Garrity, WAAF deejay who
was elected to the Sanitary District board, has been appointed to the
Public B^dmg Commission . , . John' Fink, Trib’s second string tv
cntic, switching to the gazette’s Saturday video supplement, TV Week
^ editor. Dick Blafc^dee, who has been ailing, will rejoin the Tribune
Magazine staff ... WflBM radio oveihauling daytime programining in
Jimu^ Witt accent on singer Billy Leach and King’s Jes^ Both
wiU be featimed in three live variety shows daily. Station is nlso in
silkier . . , Ron Terry’s "TV Polka Party” on
W<5N-TV^ging a .-polka queen contest . . . Henry Cooke’s ^ning
^t on WMAQ expanded to four and a half hours daily , . , WNBQ
issued new rate card upping prices In Glass C time and incepting di^
count plans in AAA and-AA^ ui:.-

liv • • •

Big contingent of Hub tv people flew to Rome to cover devation oi
Richard Cardinal Cushing for WBZ-TV. Rev. Walter L, Flaherty, *air
radio and tv for the archdiocese of Boston; WBZ-TV staff film produ^
cer Philip GalUgan, and Bod MacLeisK Westliighouse WastogtOB

TV-FILMS

27

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

VIDFILMS’ WINTER OF CONTENT

->4-

Vidpix: Loaded for Action

With the exception of CBS Films “Rendezvous,” virtually all of
the fresh syndication entries heading for the mid-year syndica¬
tion season are in the action-adventure vein. “Rendezvous” is an
anthology series, 13 of which were made in the U.S., and the re¬
mainder being lensed in Britain. Its writing credits are imposing
and will be watched with keen interest by the trade.

The action-adventure fold embraces Ziv’s “Tombstone Terri¬
tory”; CBS Films’ “Border Patrol,” and upcoming “Silent Sabre”;
Screen Gems’ “Stakeout”; independent Television Corp.’s “Can¬
nonball,” now unreeling in Canada; and MCA TV’s second year
■production on “Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer,” (only private
eye in the group).

Also available for mid-winter airing with many markets yet un¬
sold are ABC Films’ “26 Men”; National Telefilm Associates’ “U.S.
Marshall,” “William Tell” and “George Jessel’s Showbusiness,”
(only^musical in group); and Screen Gems “Rescue 8.”

Why Amoco Went Syndication

Sponsor Identification, Flexibility, Promotion Values
Cue Shift From Network

Why did aea advertiser such as
the American Oil Co., with years of
experience in network tv advertis¬
ing, switch to syndication for ’59?
(It bought CBS Films’ ‘'Border Pa¬
trol” in wide sweep of markets for
a major regional.)

In the words of Charles W. Shu-
gert, exec v.p. of the Joseph-Xatz
& .Co., the agency which handles j
the Amoco account, syndication is
“local, flexible, identifiable and
promotable.” Shugert> in an ad¬
dress before the recently concluded i
CBS Films sales conclave, ex¬
plained each of the four major rea- j
sons for his client’s decision this
way:

“It’s lodaL .^oco is a regional
marketer. We market from Maine
to Florida, west to and Including
Ohio, then East of the Mississippi
River, plus Arkansas and . Houston,
Texas^ We ^have many marketing
problems unique to «ach section in
which we operate. Therefore, for
the most effective, use of tv, or any
media, .the local aspects far out¬
weigh the prestige (if there is any)
of national advertising.

“It’s flexible—the flexibility of
syndication, such as day of week,
time of day and some choice of
competing programs. Many good
network shows have failed because
of a program on a competing sta¬
tion. With syndication you can
pick your competitor and you don’t
pick someone you can’t lick.

.“It’s- identifiable—^the opportu¬
nity a syndicated show dffers to
build within our Amoco organiza¬
tion and build-for Amoco, an iden¬
tity in a property that through lo¬
cal promotion, becomes ‘our pro-j
gram.’ Even though Amoco’s ‘Per- 1
son to Person’ show had high rat¬
ings and prestige among its regular
viewers—the personality of Mr.
Murrow and the prominence of his
(Continued on page-49)

White Exits Guild
For Own Setup

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

William B. White, exec producer
for Guild Films, has turned in his
resignation to prexy John Cole,
and is activating his own vid-
filmery. Palm Springs Produc¬
tions.

White was named to the pfo-|
ductjon post nine months ago, but
Guild has had no vidpix produc¬
tion in that period, so he asked for
and received “amicable settle¬
ment” of his year-long pact. ' I

Guild is Involved in videotap-!
Ing of local shows for syndica¬
tion, and White did supervise'
that work. Stretch Adler, Guild’s
national. sales manager, will as¬
sume supervision of the taped
shows, and will also function as
western division sales manager.

White’s own vidfilmery will pro¬
duce “Date With Judy,” for which
Eileen Leslie is writing the pilot
script. In addition, he has several
other pilots planned. “Judy’.’ and
one of the other pilots will be
made in conjunction with■*Guild.'

CBS fariM Commantafor

Pave Schoenbrun

hiscribet kic own eloMip m tke
Frtack ideo of odocotioR Ir
a kHRioroii pioco

Meanwhile^ Back In
the Sixth Grade
* ★ *

ORO of tko RioRy idtforlal Footorot
Ir tko tooR-dao

[ 53d Anniversary Number

of •

CNFs {for Year
As ZNew Shows
I Are Firmed lip

Hollywood, Dec, 16:

California National Producfions
last week firmed up two more
propiwties and set a pilot deal on
a third, with an eye toward reach¬
ing a total output for the year
of six properties. CNP signed for
39 “Philip Marlowe” stanzas from
Goodson-Todman, and for 39 of
Jack Chertok’s “Ruditsky” shows,
with production of both to start
next month. *

Also starting in mid-January,
at Metro, is the pilot of a science-
fiction entry, “Outpost in Space,”
in which Cal Nat is partnered with
the Hollywood special .effects
team of Jack Rabin and Irving
Block, Pilot script is by Tony
Barrett and Tony Ellis, latter now
producer on Four Star’s new
“Black Saddle.”

Ideally, according to Cal Nat
production chief Frank Cleaver,
the company would like to come
up with six ^properties, three of
which would * constitute full com¬
mitments for 39 films each, the
other three pilot properties. Sim¬
ilarly, CNP would like to do three
a year for national sale, three for
syndication. However, on “Mar¬
lowe” and “Ruditsky,” company is
aiming for a national sale, even
(Continued on page 48)

OF, PAR-SUNSET '
CO-FINANCING DEAL

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

. Official Films and Paramount
Sunset are near a deal to co-finance
three pilots a year over a five-year
period, with an annual budget of
f $150,000. Official would utilize
Par-Sunset facilities and make co-
! production deals with indies on
pilots.

Hal Hackett, OF prez, here td
wrap up the deal, confirmed nego¬
tiations, and said, ‘‘It looks good.”
Hackett added OF has eight prop¬
erties on the fire, but hasn’t de^
'aidfed'Which to do first. *

HoUywood, Dec. 16.

Telefilm industry is enjoying its
biggest winter in terms of new
production, with a total of 16 half-
hour series involving minimum
production outlays of $18,000,000
rolling in December and January.
These 16 shows represent actual
series production, not pilot films,
with minimum production sched¬
ules of 13 shows each.

Sudden upturn is traceable to a
combination of factors. One is the
heavy network cancellation rate
early this year, which finds four
of the new shows already sold
for network airing. Another is
the activity of syndicators, now
propping for their traditional sec¬
ond biggest season of the year, a
period which roughly stretches
from January-thru-April. Also
acting as a hypo is the creation of
new . distribution outlets like
United Artists Television, which
has three shows slated for produc¬
tion, or Gross-Krasne-Sillerman.
which has one.

Actually, only three shows are
starting up under 1.3-week deals,
four are in on 26-week pacts and
the remainder have firm commit¬
ments for 39 shows, In the latter
category, shows aren’t necessarily
•slated for syndication, since UA
TV, for example, is committing for
39 but will try to sell nationally
at first; ditto California National,
with its two ;>3w shows. -

List of new shows in production
is as follows: Ziv has already
started up on new production on
“TcMnbstone Tdtritory,” dormant
since last year, and is about to
start on “Bravo,” with Gerald
Mohr, and on “Lock-Ou^” with
Macdonald Carey, CNP starts
“Philip Maiiowe” and “Ruditsky”
in January at Metro. UA has Den¬
nis O’Keefe’s Cypress Productions
already shooting at Hal Roach
Studios, started Nortlistar Produc¬
tions’ “Troubleshooters” today
(Tues.) at Desilu, and star's North-
star’s ‘Hudson’s Bay” in January*
probably alsa at Desilu.

• At Warner Bros., this week, with
10 episodes of six series before
studio cameras, telefilm activity is
at its peak. Pressure of the con¬
centrated production effort will
force • certain producers to double
norniaX assignments.

Busiest series is “77 Sunset
Strip,” with four hour-long stanzas
grinding within the week. To take
the pressure off producer Howie
Horwitz, “Sugarfoot” producer
Harry Tatelman will undertake
production reins on “Eye Witness,”
one of the quartet of “77” epi¬
sodes. Tatelman also will have a
pair of full-hour “Sugarfoot” ses¬
sions to contend with.

• Rounding out iiext week’s film¬
ing activity -are a “Lawman” seg¬
ment, and a “Cheyenne” telepic.

Four Star Films has already
started “Back Saddle,” slated as a
January replacement for Ligget &
Myers, and is about to start “Rich¬
ard Diamond,” slated for a Feb,
15 start on CBS-TV. Jack Webb
(Continued on page 51)

Filmways Seeks to issue
154,000 Shares of Stock

FUmways plans to make itself
a public corporation, the Securities
& Exchange Commission permit¬
ting The telefilm and tape blurb
production company has filed with
the government agency for per¬
mission to . issue 154,000 shares of
stock.

The issue will increase the Film-
ways stock line to very -nearly
448,000 shares, 294,000 shares to
be held by officers or members
of the corporation, it is under¬
stood. All but 14,000 of the issue
is in new stock, with the former
amount coming from the personal
holdings of president Martin Ran-
sohoff. This will leave Ransohoff
and. his family with 140,000 shares
in Filmways.

It’s reported S. D. Fuller & Co.
will underwrite. - -

It s 'Sooner Than You Think’ On
Features-on-TV, Well Drying Op
But Real Crisis Couple Years Off

Seripter

J, P. Miller

odmenlshtf

Don^t Do as I Do

* * *

RRRthRr Edherial Frahir*

Ir Hir sooR-dHR

53d Anniversary Number

of

USHIETT

Longer Resbted;
Rack Up Ratings

The tv potential for foreign pix
—American dubbed and of good
calibre—^is growing brighter. It’s
not a simple matter of the dimin¬
ishing pool of Holl 3 ^vood pix avail¬
able for video, with station film
buyers turning to foreign product
in desperation.

In market after market, the bet¬
ter imports such as “Rififi” and
“Scandal in Sorrento” a.*e racking
up commanding ratings, similar to
those for better Hollywood vintage
product.

When Flamingo Telefilm Sales
went into the haarket about a year
'ago with the first sizeable quantity
of American-dubbed foreign prod¬
uct, many of them blue-chippers,
it was met with a good deal of re¬
straint from many station film
buyers. Today, its catalog is in
from 70 to 75 markets and has
grossed about $1,000,000^ on about
4() pictures.

The catalog has a flavor of stars
and Individual theatrical track rec¬
ords unique in its field. The so-so
foreign imports couldn’t fare as
well, not at this stage anyhow. In¬
cluded in the catalog, derived from
Distributors Corp. of America, and
other sources are “Anna,” “Bitter
Rice.” “Rififi.” “Gold of Naples.”
“Hulot’s Holiday,” “Please, Mr. Bal¬
zac,” and “Frisky.” Not all of
Flamingo’s product is of that sta¬
ture, but these are representative
of the topper^.

RKO TELERADIO
UPS WM. GRUJHBLE

William H. Grumble, head of
both WHBQ and WHBQ-TV, Mem-
phis, has been promoted to the post
of v.p. of RKO Teleradio Pictures.

Assigned to RKO headquarters,
he will handle special assignments
for RKO o&o radio and tv proper¬
ties. He will report directly to
Thomas F. O’Neil, prexy of Gen¬
eral Teleradio. His firet assign-,
ment will be to check RKO’s Coast
stations, KHJ radio and tv, Los
Angeles, and KFAC, San Francisco.

RKO recently concluded its an¬
nual meeting of top radio and tv
execs in the organization.

Italo’s School-TV

Rome, Dec. 16.

Italian television’s ambitious
“school-TV” (Telescuoxa) program
has gotten under way, and a re¬
ported 1440 “Viewing posts” in
public places and/or school areas
throughout the peninsula
Courses include Italian, drawing,
math, French, science, ^ography
ah(f beiigibit' ' ’ ** ’

Everyone’s been talking about
when the feature supply to tv will
dry up. For the record—other than
the MCA library of Paramount pix
and occasional packages from tra¬
ditional sources—^the time is now.

National Telefilm Associates only
has about another two packages to
draw from in its deal with 20th-
Fox. Columbia subsH Screen
Gems, which has been parcelling
out the vintage pix of its parent
company, has about another 200
from the Columbia librarj'. Addi¬
tionally, there are about 400 Uni¬
versal pix yet to be released by
Screen Gems.

Then there are the foreign im¬
ports distributed by Flamingo.
United Artists Television also
should come out with a new pack¬
age in ’59, augmenting the supply
of indie productions coming from
smaller features-to-tv distributors.
Also represented are the nost-’48’s
of Republic Pictures. Other than
that it’s slim pickings.

The comparative dearth of prod¬
uct probably won’t be felt to any
great extent on the station and
viewing level until another two or
three years. Many large station
users of cinematics are husbanding
their supply, via some neat use of
repeats and supplemental pix buys
as new packages are brought out
in the market.

Current situation is a far cry
from what nrevailed. iust three
years ago when the unloading of
the RKO library opened the vaults
of the other majors and thousands
of pix came into the market. (Over
.$200,000,000 has been realized
from the sale of the pix of major
studios).

But what cinematic syndicators
are banking on is a break in the
post-’48 ^situation. Currently, the
iMjor studios are receiving mil¬
lions of dollars in revenues from
licensing tv fees of their pix. Ques¬
tion asked is .what will the majors
do when those revenues dry up?
Syndicators feel that the majors
will be forced by banking interests
and their own instincts of survival
to take those assets represented by
the post-48’s and dump them on tv.

When the pressure is present,
syndicators feel that, the majors
will then talk turkey with the Hol¬
lywood guilds for a formula on
residual payments. Present deal
v.'ith the majors prevents distribu¬
tion of pix produced after August,
'48.

Another situation which could
upset the post-’48 freeze is the
sellout for liquidation of any of
the major companies. Then, the
Hollywood guilds would have no
strike weapon redress against the
paticular company. That happened
when Republic Pictures, gave up
motion picture production and at
the same time began selling off its
post-’48’s to tv.

Best guess is that in about on-
other three years, the hard pressed
majors will reach some accord
with the guilds on a residual for¬
mula.

DA-TV Threesome
To Roll in Jan.

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

United Artists ’TV will have
three of its series in production,
here by mid-January. Already
underway, at Hal Roach Studios,
is Cypress Productions’ '“Dennis
O’Keefe Show.” Starting today
(Tues.) at Desilu is Northstar Pro-
tion^ (John Gibbs) “Trouble¬
shooters,” with Keenan Wynn and
Bob Mathias. Slated to begin in
January, probably also at Desilu,
is the second* Northstar package
for UA, “Hudson’s Bay.” with Bar¬
ry Nelson.

Both “Hudson’s Bay” and

' ' 'fContinuea* on page '51)”‘

Wednesday, December 17, 195S

29

^ A private line to 1.6 million different

families. What eonnections-more than any other
station in New York!* And look who's doing the selling:
y star personalities like Jack Sterling, Freeman & Hayes,

Lanny Ross, Galen Drake, Jim Lowe and Martha Wright
They’ll boost your sales.. .easy as r^i f m r-*

PLl-2345

WCBS RADIO

REPRESENTED BY CBS RADIO SPOT SALES

^CBS daily averaget 2.633,400 different homes. Latest Cumulative Pulse Analysis, December

30

TV-FIUMS

psmn

20tli-Fox SiteDs Out TV Ambitims;

. SISMMO Roster of Pri^aininii^

Twentieth Fox Television has-*--

HeeeauWr 17, 1958

SAG s Gotham Branch Sweeps Caucus

Candidates Into All 9 Council Seats

-^

nine projects to roll for next sea¬
son, with another six possibilities
on the drawing board. Potential
investment in production for the
20th-Fox subsid could run as
hi gh as $15,000,000.

Plans for the ’59-’60 season were
spelled out by Martin ManuUs,
exec in charge of 20th-Fox tv
production. Twentieth-Fox prexy
Spyros. Skouras, commenting on
the Manulis effort, made it clear
that irs the biggest tv push in^
the company’s history, Skooias
also spoke of his comp^j^s de¬
termination to play as big a r^e;
in tv as it plays in tte motion:
picture, industry. As to Imdgets,:
Skouras foresaw the day when flie;
tv budget will be comparable to;
the $60,000,000 20th-FQac is In-:
vesting today in motion pictures.

The nine projects ready to be •
acted upon for the ’59-’W season
include: “Mr. Belvedere,*^ balf-
hour comedy series, based cki the .
Gwenn Davenport character oC the;
same name; “Esther Williams ;
Show,” an anthology series hosted
by Miss W illiams who also will’
play a role every second week;
“The Many Xnves of Dobie Gil-
lis,” haU-bocr comedy series based
on liax Shnlman teenage char-
jKtoT;, "With Shuhaan scriptii^

- Also “HellmjffinfBS,” action se¬
ries scripted by Bichard Trega-f
skis; “Sunny Side Tip,” (tentative ;
title), comedy §eries with Tom:
Ewell sought as lead; “Five Fin¬
gers,” cmmterespionage skdn;
“Whodunit,” mystery meller; “Pro¬
file,” one hour dramatic biogra-' j
phical series; and “Festival,” a 80-
minute once a month special, ]
either dramatic or musical Jor-j
mats. ]

Manuilis said casting on each -
of the shows wasn’t rea(^ to be1
announced as yet He said pilots
would be done on some, while
others he hoped coaid he sold
sans pilot All the projects are
aimed for networking. He said he
thought eventually 20th-Fox mi^t
get into syndication, but was quite
vague about that. All the com¬
pany’s studio facilities have been
made available to him, Manulis
added, and virtually all the pro¬
duction is scheduled for Holly¬
wood.

Video, production topper, in re¬
sponse io a question, said that his
operalioai wasn’t confined to film,
hut go into live tv t and

tape. In the sales eirfi, company

i^resented by William Morris
Agency and has Irving Asher, v.p.,
pitching the shows to national
sponsors, agencies, and networks.

The six projects which are in
(Continued on page 49)

Sloppy Editing Of
Feature Fix on TV
Scored by finbbard

San Francisco, Dec. 16.

‘Tew live programs are slopped
so carelessly on tv screens as are
most feature films.”

With this remark Ray Hubbard,
recently named program- manager
of Westinghouse’s KPIX, Frisco,
began his disucssion laa week
“The Problems of Editing Feature
Films for Television” at a KPIX-
sponsored luncheon. Occasion was
the start of the channel’s cam¬
paign for its Paramount package
purchase — it’ll break the package
open Jan. 5 with ‘Tor Whom the
Bell Tolls.”

In the course of his talk Hub-
hard took some hefty digs at tv
film editors across the country.

“Some terrible crimes are com¬
mitted,” he said. “In Washington,
D.C., a month ago. ‘Going My Way*
was cut from 130 to 60 minutes
.. .in Boston, ‘Tales of Hoffmann”
was cut from three hours to 77’
Ihinutes, and when you ask the
reasoning behind this, you’re told,
‘It’s just a musical, we cut out-
the singing and stick with tlte ’
plot.’

“Most tv stations have not faced
up to the requirements of present¬
ing feature films on tv.”

In addition to indiscriminate
cutting, he accused many chan¬
nels of too-frequent commercials
and had spacing «f the commer- ;
cials.

! Fonda's Depirty^ Series

I Hollywood, Dec. 16.

[ Deal is being finalized for Henry
Fonda to star in “The Deputy,” a
new Revue series.

Plan is to shoot a pilot In Janu¬
ary, at Republic. Fonda starrer
will be another boss opera.

‘WelCwnelo

Ti3e£Qm synffieabn have been
reporte^y wutittg lime and maaey
hy aendiiig tiiem saSesman the aeV-
end thonand nsBea to Aostralia In
the effort to idose deals with tv’ers'
there. AR but the most it'actional
amount of celh^id bnyii^ tor
Down Under tv ops is done in
Hew Tork.

The Aussie commercial outlets
currently on the air either buy film
through a N. T. agoit or .send their
own executives here on periodic
buying junkets. Ifs said that the
almost con^ete refusal to buy
film from visitiBg aalesmen is
sparked by the “Australian peyxdiol-
ogy” of peihaps finding better,
product by orders In Ibe

places the telefilm comes from.

BSy, Melboiime, and TCM, ^d-
ney, buy tfaroe^ Charles IGchd-
soninH. Y. A33I, the other Sid¬
ney commercial tV*er, and GTV, in
Melbourne, alters^ sendzng ex¬
ecutives here twice yearly to ojb.
and buy product Colin SednaH,
rf GfTV, and James Osvdn, of ATN,
have handled those cbmes to date
and they have a residmt buyer in
N. Y. too.

Though Australia’s noncommer-
dal outlets arerbelieved to make
their final decisions at home, most-
of the heavy perusing and buying
wctrk is dcme in N. Y. The Aus¬
tralian Broadcasting Commission, i
in N. Y., screens and services the;
prodnct, while men sudi.as ABC’s]
Charles Moses, do the Sidney-to-i
K. Y. junketing to line up the basic |
materia ]

New stations are due to take the!
air sometime next year in Aus-]
tralia, both of tire commercial and;
governmental (ABC) variety. It isi
believed ABC will pursue ita pres-’
ent policy for the new stations, ;
while Michelson is abeady involved:
in losing the fnm deals for the;
new Adelaide commercial tv’er. It’s'
considered a certainty he’ll be
handling the new Brisbane x^era-
tion, too, since it is controlled by
the same people who run HSV.

A year ago, the Aussie govern¬
ment increased the amoimt of
money that could be spent outside
(Continued on page 51)

£NXT’s 10OG ProootioB
hoopla for Kiclu^ Of
Par Feature on }an. 5

Hollywood, Dec. K.

KNXT, the CBS-TV o&o here
and one of the early purchasers
of the Paramount library from
MCA-TV (for which it expended^
over $7,000,000), is propping a
$100,000 ad-^omotion campaign to
kick off its showcasing of the Par-
backlog, which begins Jan. 5.

Station wiU concentrate the cam¬
paign into the week of Dec. 26,
with some $50,000 worth of on-
the-air promotion hacked by an¬
other$50,000 in out-ofpocket
costs in terms of trade ads, half-
pages for the entire wedc in all
four Los Angeles dailies plus a
raft of community newspapers in
the suburbs,-seven local-page ads
in TV Guide and a radio package
on KNX, CBS lister station.

To personalize the canqiaign,;
station has signed starlet Sandy'
Warner who had a featured spot
in “Some Came Runnii^,” as the
focus of all the promotional hoop¬
la. She’s doing a flock of spots
for the station, and additionally
will serve as hostess of the sta¬
tion’s “Early Show” film showcase
(Continued on page 49) '

ABC FQJHS SALES
IN CANADIAN MARKET

Colm O’Shea, who recently
opened up ABC Films’ Toronto of¬
fice, has perked up sales for the
outfit in the Canadian njark^.
Prior to O'Shea’s appointment,
ABC Films didn’t have an account
exec stationed in C)anada, but han¬
dled sales via the homeoffice.

For the fourth quarter of ’58,
ABC Films registered six multi¬
market deals and four station con¬
tracts.

The multi-market de;^ Involve
“The Adventures of -.Jte Bowie,’’
to Sussex Ginger Ale, IAd.«
playing in all Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick and Prince Bdwaziis Is¬
land; ‘‘Douglas FairibUBki; Jx.;
Presents” to the Cauadton Bxead-
icasting Coip^ and two-year eon-i
tracts for “Herakf Playbooise” and;
“ilDeran’s Kalridoicope,” - also to\
CBC. The ether two mnlti-mazket;
sales are ^PSaybouse” to the;
French netwodc .of CBC -and “26;
Men” to Molson’s Bareweiy ttmongh.:
Maclarea Advertiriag for jdaying
on WGB, BoSato, and ‘WCNY» Wa-
tertown.

Station contracts are adtiii
CHSJ, St. Jotow NB.. for “Herald
Playhouse” aid ‘Tlaybouse” and
with CHLT, ^eibrodk. ^Qoel^
for “Jim Bo\We” and “Bowling
Qyeens,”

U.S. Court Gets SG

The Govemmotfs move to upset i
the Screot Gems deal for distri-;
bidlon of &e Uxdvecsal pre-’48;
backlog is before* Federal Judge;
l^lvester J. Byan.

The case, filed in N.T. IBstrict]
Court last April, 'stems from tte;
Justice Depaitmenfs aHegatioBi
that the Screeil •Gems-UMvcrsal^
deal violates the Sherraan. anti-;
trust laws in that the Screen^
Gems takeover <m distribatlou of-
Universal product xeducto eompe-'
tition in the featnres-totV Bdd;
and is a price-firing tool. . ' ]

Preliminary motions of Hie In-]
volved parties were filed lari?
week, with additicmal memoraii- ;
dums requested. Judge Byaa xe-j
served devision on the Govwu-;’
ment’s hid for an immediate ime-j
liminary injunction-penifinf :i^idy I
of the additional briefiL ]

The court queried attorseys for]
both rides as to toe tbniiig of the
projected trial, izriacated a derire j
to go to trial on toe case in about J
three months.

The Screen Gems agreemeidS
with Universal calls for toe focmer ]
to pay toe latter a. minimum]
guarantee of ^20,000,000 over ai
seven-year period and provides
for Screen Gems to receive a
graduated scale of distribution
fees.

Vi^ix Clriter

J. Edward Owen, iMmeriy of <
MCA-TV and OHidal Films, has]
joined ABC Films as an accoimt
exee covering the central divisioa
.... hfiekey Shaq ghneis y will get
the lead role in MOM-TV’S pro¬
jected Navy comedy series, t^ta-
tively titled ‘Micfc^ McGcnigie.”

.. . WGN-TV in Chi is color tri«r
casting California National Produc¬
tions’- “Danger Is My Business.” ... ^
Handling network and national'
sales for United Artists Television
is John J. Mnlvihill. He most re¬
cently was associated with General
Teleradio . . . Robert J. Krih has
joined CBS Films as an account
exec. He formerly was associated
with WOR-TV, N.Y., in a similar
capacity.

Martin Diamond, who has spent
46 years with the Michelson clan,
first as “traffic manager for the
Michrison and Sternberg exportery
and since 1938 as t.m. for Charles
Michelson’s radio-telefilm distribu¬
tion-production house, retired this
weric... Bemie Kowalski to direct
first two episode^ of Screen ^ms*
“Stakeout” being shot in Florida;
Max Erlich wrote the Initialer and
M, L. Davenport the second half-
hour . . . Adolf (Hank) Aldrich to
Transfihn as motion picture scenic
designer ... Jean Martuv (jhock.
Full O’Nuts coffee girl, is appear¬
ing in Jan. 13 “Naked City” and
later in a “N.Y. Confidential.”

Cooperman’s Pilots

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Screen Gems exec producer Al¬
vin Cooperman is readying a trio
of pilots for the Columbia video
subsidiary.

They are Mac Hyman’s “Prome¬
nade Home,” about teenagers; “Mr.
Blandings Builds a Dream House”;
and a sci-fact series.

TYPOiducersTo

EfedaMeifer;

London, Dec. 16.

On toe Initirizve of the Duke of;

a meeting was held in]
WurfcinghMn Palace last Friday]
(12) to jorange a merger between
toe Britiril Film Academy and the
Gkdld at Television Producers. The
Dske is president of the BFA.

The new organization, to be
kimiin as the Society of Film and
Tfievision Arts, will endeavor to
*Snap n)ve the standard of film .and
televirion production and stimulate
puk^ uppredation of the aits.”

. ilninng toaae who attended the;
Patorr*minting were John Davis,;
mana^hg directo of the Rato Or-t
ganliat^ and chairman of South-:
cxn Telieviriqn; ^ Michael Balcini, ]
e x ec utiv e prodbioer of Ealing IBms;
G«i «M Beadle, Sector of BBC-TV;:
BiH Waxd. yz^uction controller
Associated Trievision, and Roger-
MriiwH, who Is to be administra-^
ier of toe aew socie^. ^

SMs(1SgLlW) i
DdUes asanEnelo ;
todm Slack Periods:

More and more actors are

burineas execs—to cushion.]
toe ;3nevi^^ riack periods in the
paxdrtrion and to parlay their tal-]
ents tndride toe acting ^ena. ^
latest example is Richard (DickD ]
SanmoBS, who plays the title role
in *SergeaBt Preston of the Yu¬
kon” Sanmons jmw is an exec inj
toe Jack Wxatoer OrgaiBEation, and
Jar toe pari week has been ini
N. Y. eoDfentog ou sal« problems
M pWtting toe toein of 76 episodes
into syndiratkm. ]

Simmons arid that when his act-]
htg stmt ended on the series last]
September, "Wrather approached]
Mm and asked him to stay put. |
■Wcatocr made the non-acting pro- ]
posal that SinmHms learn the vari¬
ous iacets of toe biz of the Jack
Wratoer Organization and apply'
himself as a. general exec. (Latest ]
Wrather enterprise is the Mg In¬
dependent Television CcMrpJ
Simmons prior to making the
“Sergeant Preston” series had been
a contract player at Metro. Not
that Simmons, like other perform¬
ers wearmg two hats, plans to give ;
up acting, but he’s much more
aware and involved in business
than his predecessors. (ITC is
weighing further production on
.“Sergeant Preston” for the syndi¬
cation mart).

Because of tax reasons and other
benefits, many actors in telepix
hive entered the business route
via part -ownership in series, a la
Broderick Crawford in “Highway
Patrol.” And of course Ihe bari-i
nesk sueoess- pyramid is topped Jby ^
Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball of
Desilu and Djck Powell’s FourrStar
Films.

! Termini Expanding

Walter M. Masters, former agen¬
cy veepee and onetime officer jn,
the U. S. diplomatic corps, is join-:
ing Termini Video Tape as a geB-]
eral executive. Move is part of the:
-expansion-reorganization plans of
the video tape commercial produc¬
tion company, which was estab¬
lished in N. Y. some months ago.

Masters was a veepee jmd m
writer-producer of radio soaps (In¬
cluding “David Harum”) In toe
Blackett, Sample & Hummert agen¬
cy of yore.

A resounding victory was won
last week by the Caucus of Per¬
formers in Television Commercials
when its candidates swept all nine
open council seats in a general
election by the N. Y. branch of
Screen Actors Guild. This puts
into office seven men and two
women from a group which has
been cagnessly opposed to the poli¬
cies of toe SAG coxnmand on the
westjcpist.

With over 1;000 of the 3,600
members of toe branch voting, it
was toe largest vote toe New York
Mm imiion ev« had-:-on aaytiiing.

:ffi|diest jHimber of votos any oj>-
porizig ootmcil eandidate won
againri- tbe Caucus was 635^ while
toe lowest any Conncibaan-elect
won wa^ 561. In mt»t cases, toe
Caoens <won by wMl over two-to-
ooe against toe relatively unor¬
ganised ojniositian for toe nine
ichalrs.

Caucus did not put any candi¬
dates in the xunning for toe seven
branrii officer vacancies, bat
Weisl, closely allied with
Caacos princ^les, won a vicepresi¬
dency whSe running an an inde-.
pendent JSince Weist and the six
other candidates for high office
were vneontested, hence shoo-ins,
the Caucus repqrte^ felt it would
be wiser apreading its influence by
not including Weist on toe Caucus
slate.

BAG bylaws permit a candidate
nmmi^. for a presidency, vlcepzes-
ideiHy; treasurer or secretmy to
nxn rimoltaneonriy for council, so
WMri also 'xan as an indie ior a ,
eoandl seat He was defeated, but ‘
he received the second bigheri
count for any loser—300 Votes.
Thrima Ritter, also am independ¬
ent, got 335 votes in loring;

Tbe Caucus placed Louis Van
Booten (706 votes), Ken Roberts
(670), JXa Sharbutt X668), Carl
Frank (644), Ron Bawson (628),
Joyce Gordon (622), Mat Mattox
(602), Omck Gdldstcin (576) and
Adrienne Moore (561) mi the coun-
^ There are 21 otoer seats on
toe briprb counciL

Tom Bhiiiey was elected uncon¬
tested prexy of SAG, N. Y., and
Phil Foster, Weis^ Jbric JdacGke-
for and Len Wayland won vice-
preridencles and Haael Mack and
Joe Bell became treasnrer. and
recording secretary, respectively-

'when Caucus was first

fonned several montos ago. Its first
goal being to needle SAG national
contract negotiators into getting
wbat toe group frit were “more
equitable” fees for blurb actors,
it sat tenned a “group Of dis¬
sident, rich announce." SAG op¬
position indicated that ihe Caucus
didnT represent any more than 80
or 90 men and wmnen.

Kennedy QoRs Brit
Jnn^ for flephant
Crass & ii^ Series

New Drihi, Dec. 16.

Burma-born John Kennedy has
quit a razzle-dazzle career of mas¬
terminding Tommy Steele and
other top pop singers in Britain
and .is back in the videoless South
, Asian subcontinent to film 13 tele-
pix for the world market. Teamed
with ^British writer-director Ken¬
neth Sume, be will make 10 half-
hour vidfilms in this country and
three In its southern island neigh¬
borhood of Ceylon.

Kennedy, one of whose most re-
ceart promotional successes is Bom¬
bay thrush Shari Mahal, was fea¬
tured in a recent editorial-page in-
terriew in the London Daily Mail
on toe eve of his embarking on the
new lelepixing phase of his career.
The Mail summed Kennedy up as
an “exrdeck hand, ex-publicity hoy,
ex-freel^nce photographer who
picked up a Bemondsey lad in a
Soho coffee bar and turned him
into the Tommy Steele industry.”

Hume and Kennedy are looking
for a Sabu-type boy for these tele-
fibns—a nonprofessional, knowing
English, aged 10 to 12, to be fea¬
tured with an elephant. The 10
Indian vidpix, to be shot indoors
at RK Studios, Bombay, and out¬
doors on location in Mysore, will
each he self contained but with a
linking story. If successful, 26
more will be filmed.

Deceidbef 195 ff

TV-FILMS

sr

GORDON: ‘HAVE $$. WILL SPEND’

liondoiii Dec. 10.

"Ci«o KidV’ (Dancaa Renalda) arrivsl in London had
Smeced consideraMe presa coverall* as well aa creating tremen¬
dous fan Interest Ss arrival at the Savor Hotel was^'enough to
put c virtual stop in service. Thu waiters^ the pageboys and the
commissionaires appeared to be more concerned with looking after
the star than tiddng care of the constant stream, of visitors. His
presKDce was featured hr most of the national press in special
stories and the news and picture coverage was ii^ve average.

The flve-dar visit of Renaldo'in the United Kingdom last week
was exploked to disprove Ihe consistent allegations of violence
ibr the nMm. of violence in American telefilms. During his short
■topever he did personals in London^ Birmingham and Glasgow
and aba.fiHed a number of guest tv dates^ indhding, an appear¬
ance OB Associated-Bediifusfon's Tjate Extra’* show,

Edward JL Stem, president of Ziv IntemationJd^. who w«t in
London with Benaldo, pointed out that the Cisco Kid had so far
appeared In I5d telefilms, but not a single person had been killed
h| any mat of them. There had, he conceded,, been occasional shots
(fis arm) in some of the ftlm^ but never a fatal casualty.

Tisn International topper felt that the presence of Kenaldo in
London would go a long way towards dispelling the widely held
^theory that American -^pix were loaded on the side of vio-

Of 20th & Ikatres m RFA Deal

Further hearings on National-^
Theatres’ plan to acquire Nar'
tional Telefilm Associates will be
held Friday (19).

Initial roimd of hearings In N.Y.
Federal District Court brought
some sharp questioning from the
bench last week.

Judge, Edward Palmierl raised
the question of whether the
planned asquisition might conflict]
with the industry’s consent decree,,
which divorced 20th-Fox and He-
tional Theatres. Twentieth-Fox is
partnered with Nation^: Telefilm
Associates in the NTA Film Net¬
work and National Theatres, under
the terms of Its decree, is barred
from distribution of theatrical
product

National theatres came into
court with an agreement with the
Department of Justice confining
and spelKng out its theatiical
distribution role if NT’s plan to
acquire NTA goes into effect Na¬
tional Theatres has approved the
purchase of about 15% of NTA’s
stock from prihcipal stockhoMtfs.
The dead itsa provides for the
purchase of NTA’s remaining
stock under similar terms. Court
permission is needed for the deal
to go through.

In pointi]^ out that 2Qth-Fax
has a 50% iownership in the NTA
Film Network;, Judge Pidmieri
said thi^ this. In effects brmgs
(Continued on page 40>

n'CSialFfiriiBt

With- ___

for JndepeBdimt. *relcvittm Cckp^;
set for ;Uae «a^iand: biiAwaa^ .oat--|
fit. is ’wefildii^

of __ ■ ■ ..

ager fc
in Log

hnd.'in

'Coart' intigTniartBK~ajbB''.wfli .Ht
bdefe# oii: TEtTi fiwt hii s nihK :frt^":
dicatiomcB^;.'^€llttMabniE**''fw:'l|je?
introed is

Freiberg ig.'fiptjrti id- In- hfimr>aa iBg-

- fidd.force Of aboirt- SSaMWat ttfai
stage.

Unlike other syiididlrtion outfftK.
•-but very much like ibt «c^
up—ITC maintaiTis few jirsuipi
ent offices inrtheU.S. BengoB fiBr
that is to keep the men he the
field on the rqa^ visiting dUfas ai t
markets within t euk rt y.

Permanent offices he the apUiBK
of Frieberg tends la Invidvw mmm
with execs and deikal^ticeetlifV'l
than field selling. OnlypemNigenfe
offices maintained bjf ETO are In:
New York, Chicago and Log
gelei.

Bm Foi IHce

As PnrtKer di Te^

Hollywood, Dec. 16.,
Ben Fox is replacing Frank Bibas
as producer of “The Veil,” Boris
Karloff starrer for Hal Roach. Lat¬
ter exited in policy hassle, but re¬
tains piece of series, which he
created.

Eight shows are in the can on
series, which wiU be the first Roach
entry for his own syndication, when
and, if Jie acquires or forms a com¬
pany. Fox produced “Code Three”
for Roach syndication throu^
RABCO and ABC Films.

Chicago,. Dec. 10.
WBBM-TV' is embarking on. a
nme-day blockbuster binge- the first
! of the ye« to flex its big emematic
rmnseie^ now that it has the Tfifi
^Parjunoimf titles which MCA-TV'is.
ipeddfing. Starting Jam ^ statioo
liis sbrttiBg three heavyHVCtgfats n
[day. (four, on Saturdays); in itsxegn^
t|ar feature film berths-^t 4.'3a in
:>the aft^oon, at at

land at midnight where pre-
^rtoorty it had shMim reruBa ud
iflee dregs of its catelog

Frank. Atiass, jn^am dfeeetor
thevtatioir, says he IhBj expects
,WB9M-TV to take dbmhdkn of the
[tv fihtt; arenas hat uiarket be-
rfaee long. The dthinxy :^i^ee, ac-
ieampdlbied by. keiifr Advertising
Promotion, ft bgr deA^ » war
Laiftfihig'-atteBCiift liiit the

Biffitfiliiii Also if
fw^e^eftligwiaHtBe first official

. feels, should->cfve

fast start in the race
ftrtuie fiin supremacy in 1959;

slots, WBBM-TV
[hae achcauMt irt succession over
on page 47)

^eWIRODl

DobAk Hyde;, who peod^eed "a,
Btey Playhm^’ lor Gkasa-Kan^
■e and the old “Lone Woir^ afcrag
htemmt s executive ptod b ee r os
BVRaeor prodndiibn for Gcoas-
I feaawfs SiBennan: tdefflmcry. He’s
[euetut^ exee producer of the up-
eoBfae G-K-S syndicated; padkage
being riiot in

Sbw has a big stake In

BcHbii trtepfe production, IB^de’s
new lob bedunes a key (me in the
lately revaotped G-K-S operation.

Fflil TV i Pll

Milt Gordon, who parlayed his
Television Programs of America
Into the neatest vidpix financial
trick of the year, with the sale
of his TPA to Jack Wrather’s In¬
dependent Television Corp. for
$11,365,000, is back in business,
with a “have money, will spend”
shingle posted as a come-on for
creative talent. Gordon has formed
Galaxy Attractions Inc., with him¬
self as president, and he has
wooed over his ex-TPA aide Man¬
ny Reiner from the'Wrather org.
to install him as exec veepee of
the new company. Reiner also has
a % stake in the company.

In accordance with his agree¬
ment with Wrather, Gordon will
stay out of the distribution end
of the business. Instead he- will
move into the area of finanemg]
and producing television and thea¬
trical properties, both film and
live, but with major emphasis on.
filming of shows. Under the broad
*op«ational base, Gordon will pro¬
duce new tv film and live shows
for network showcasing; produce
feature films; finance independent
producers for both networic film
series and feature filmsr finance
Independent productions, owned
by top stars or writers for both
tv and theatrical exhjiuti<Hi.

Unusual aspect of the new Gal¬
axy setnp is the “share and share
aI3ce” formula establisiied by Gor¬
don, whereby stars, producers and
writers .will have a percenta^
stake not only in the ownership
of their own particular films, but
win have a broader base for capi¬
tal gains. Thus Galaxy win be a
“wide open field”” foe creative
con^onents. Unusuid procedure in
film financing is for the partners
in each property to share only in
the of that one property.

Gordon’s . plan ostoisibly offers
stars, prodneers and writers
greater finsicial security. (In the
TPA srilnut the entire TFA ex¬
ecutive and creative ^up shared
in the proceeds (»f the company
sale to rrcj

Galm^ intends t(r m»k^ a hum-
1^ of production deals with
leading pro<hicns, botit in the
U.S^ and abroad, wha wOl head
up their own productfon groups
In. assoemtion: ■ witli Galaxy. In
IRie with, this plan, Leon Frona-
kess, former exec pro^ccr of
TPA, is forming his own produce
thm unit within G;rtaxy :&ame-
work:

: Gordon and Berner (hdter re^
as ITC veepee fm charge of
fiKrtgn operatioBs on' Dec 51)
leave foi* HaQywood in JEuutacy
for huddles with proAuxts aBdl
penoualities. Ootfit wSl hrtid
^pi^er in Seagmr BEause In N«r
York.

Rob«rtEIlisMiiir‘

OntiKTroiikbd*

. HolTywooi, ^
Telefilm .prociucerx ccadil jpei m]
Irt more guolity for ohlSr-h ““
more money if they ch'
method by which they .<
rectors; in the opinion' of
Rofbei^ EUU Miner. Lather;
six months ago a live direetoir out]
of New York, is now under noib'
exclusive pact to Screen Gems far
30 vidpix in 18 months, andis biap'
on the Ireelance front aa wcH wiar
:a “Peter GuniX*^^ current and office

DirecleEX shouid be used extei^
slre^ in front and hadk of actual
shootiBg; b^eve^ which

is to say in easing ud hr cutthig.
Under present en^biyiBCBt cir-
cumstances; the director has little
to say in castiiv imdi even less
be the edttmg. Yet, in terma of
quality, these are essential, ddree-
ffimti: eiements. in telefilmmajmig,
says Miller, and the situation tould
he rectifi^ by producers by keep^
ing. on the dhector during the
(Continued on page 48)

4 ^lecs ofi MA Fbi Network s
3 Roster; Shirley Vintagers Hot

NTA ‘Dream Package’
Bought by WRa-TY

WRCA-TV, N-Y., which has been
doing some selective buying for its
“Movie i’* feature, showcase, has.
closed a deal for National Tele¬
film Associates “Dream Package”
of 85 pix.

. Price'~was about $16,000 each.
Deal calls for three rims over an
l^month period.

Titles incliide: “Call Nbrthside
TTT,” James Stewart and Lee J.
Cfebb; “This Above AH," Tyrone
Power, Joan Foidaine and 'Ehomas
MitcheU; “Heaven Cait Wait,”
“Remember the Day," “Devil in
the Flesh,” "Mother Wore Tights”
and "Can of the Wild.”

In syndication, the practice of
introing one fresh series at a time
remains more firm today than ever
before.

Unlike the pitch made on the
national level, when a telefilmery
may have a wide roster of product
to offer (as witness the 20th-Fox
vidfilm array detailed elsewhere),
the sales effort on the local level is
confined to offering one show at a
time.

Occasionally, a telefilmery in¬
volved in syndication will find it¬
self with a roster of new shows
for the market-tn-market field.
Usually, that situation comes about
more by unfmseen circumstances
than by design. An example this
season is National Telefilm Asso¬
ciates* syndicatioit arm. This sea¬
son it’s o^ering “WHliam TeU,”
“U. S. Marshal,” “George JesseFs
Show Business,’* and “Waller Win¬
ch^ File.” But Lerife Harris, the
new syndication tc^er. hopes to
avoid the more than oae-at-a-time
aituatioB nexi year.

Reason NTA got Its shelves
loaded ffiat way was; that “Walter
IWffich^ FHe’’ dune off network
wiffi another 18 fresh episodes;

T(^” produced in Engr-
Iiad; came in from overseas; a
large regional was made on “U. S.
MacahM/’ keying its general ^n~
dkaffiM; and the George Jessel
:boifod “Show Business’ hhs been
ikipkffig acpiind for some time
Lart braeoir Gffkiaf films was
ne tarn hxpvy having three prop-
itjeetit liBliiad.- at one time, “De-
*Titg .Story,” and “Sword of
on page 47)

+ The NTA Film Network, with
renewals coming in from Vick
Chemical and Dumas Milner, is
building its programming structure
for ’59. The new year, for the first
time, will see the web scheduling
four spectaculars, most likely via
video tape *

But perhaps the bigger program¬
ming news fesr ’59 is the web’s
heavy accent on giirley Temple
vintage pix telecasting. The Tem¬
ple pix have provefd a rating win¬
ner and commercially very suc¬
cessful (current group of Christ¬
mas specMs is SRO).

OnJ^ contraction, if it so can be
described, is. the coming axing of
the web’s afternoon strip “TV
Hour of Stars,** consisting of tele¬
film reruns of htnir-Iong 20tIi-Fox
and Warner Bros, shows. 'The J(fim
Conte hosted series wiH be put Into
syndication. Web found ffie after¬
noon programming fitid ecemomi-
cally unfeasible, with affiliate sta¬
tions desuing the time for local
programming.

Continuing will be the evening
three half-hour shows, “How to
Marry a Millionaire,” “This Is
Alice” and “MiMi Without a Gun,”
American Tobacco’s, single spon¬
sorship of “Millionaire” following
its 13-weefc sponsorship looks like
it will not contiinie, although no
definite word has been received.
But it’s conswiered Iflbdy that the
tobacco company wiH continue
with some participations. Vick
Chemical, for the next 13 weeks,
has picked up one spot each week
on two series. Dumas Milner has
inked for one spot weekly on all
three shows. Also coming in for
participation ride is Congoleum
Naim, probably one spot on a show
alternate weeks. Web execs are
confident that the three shows will
be SRO for the next 13-week cycle.

Shirley Temple pix will be
scheduled on the web for 14 weeks,
starting Febmary and continuing
weekly through June. Eight Tern--
pie pix will be held off for Christ¬
mas '’59 specials. Among the new
titles will be “Curly Top,” “Little
Princess,” “Little Colonel,” and
“Baby Takes a Bow.” In the group,
there will be some reruns.

The projected spectaculars, de¬
tails on which are still being kept
under wraps, will be two hours in
length and will be scheduled one
a month for four months beginning
in March. Two will be dramas and
one a musical. Greatest likelihood
is that video tape will be utilized,
although the possibility of a live
presentation hasn’t been entirely
ruled out.

ALOHA
PntTSWiTHAFAKA

Hetwdubrr Dec; 10.
Twb tv pilot boffi featui^j

xoBfleM by the Dob Feddecaoe
FrodDctiona; Ca., pco^^es

the lAwrence Show.

Fedderson budgeted tooiit $50,-
000 on. the plots, fihirtd on video
tape. One series tentatively is
tiried "Aloha from: Hawaii” The
other would have an audience par-
tlcipatioB format and is antici-
^ted as a fivedaysarweek day¬
time program.

Producer- ffeela Apaka, entertain¬
ment star at Henry J. Kaiser’s
Hawaiian Village hotel, potentially
can become “one of the big stars
in the US.”

SlerbigPuDback
OffFwe Series

S^erHag-Ti^vision distribbery is
losing five teleffim series which it
had ^tributed for tWOrxnd-a-half
years. Ovmmr.of the brieibm Wil¬
liam jyjUBtr 'Ctcytaa^ has decided
to reissue the fikks throng his
production company. Radio It Tele-
visibn Packagers Inc.

Senes are ‘^Greotesf Fi^itX
the Gentufy,” "World’s Grmdest
Fighters—In Action,” “Bl« Fi^”
“(Cartoon Classics SerM” and
“Jungle.”

Caytmr attributed the ptdffiacfc
to e policy ffizfi; yet it is under¬
stood ffiat Ca^rtoB asd Stm&^ ex-
eeativex Istd^ had strong

cSfferenc^ of opmhnc (m (^stribu-
trcBt of hiy films.

Caytou has isked Jay Williams
as eastern sales rep, Bany-Graf-
man o£ Chicago for the midwest
and John A. Ettlinger for the
Coast, GjQi;on, who is “in the
process” of naming south-south¬
west agents, will direct the overall
sales op«*ation.

He (Usclosed that a new group of
104 (plus 104 oldies) are in produc¬
tion on the. cartoons. Flicks are
five-and-a-half minutes each. He’s
also working cm the pilot of a situ¬
ation comedy with Jimmy Save.

17, 1958

(the other networks hove 3 opiece)

* Another network led on two nights, Monday
and Saturday; the third led only on Wednesday,

Source: National Nielsen II November Ee- ^
port 1958, Average Audience per minute-
tSunday through Saturday, 7:30-10:30 E.M,,
NYT, all-sponsored evening programs.

ABGmEinsiON

34

BADIO-TEI^EVISIOX

USiilETT

• Wednesday, December 17, 1958

GI European Channels To

Lose Out on U. S. TV Shows

Ramstein^ Germany, Dec. 16. -f-

Thousands of American service¬
men and their families who view
American television shows on the
two Armed Forces Television sta¬
tions at Ramstein and Spandahlem,
West Germany, are doomed to dis¬
appointment some time next year,
when many of the most popular
shows will no longer be^ presented
here.

Because of a recent dispute with
an American writers’ union, com¬
mercials can no longer be included
on the kinnied* shows, which are
supplied to the military overseas
by the commercial sponsors, work¬
ing through the Armed Forces
Radio and Television Service in
Hollywood.

Since some of the sponsors will'
no longer pay the fee for the
kinnies, sans commercials, these
shows will go off the air for the
thousands of televiewers across
the Atlantic.

“We’ll be able to stay on the ziir
—but we’ll be hurting by February
or March,”’ Technical Sergeant
Jerry Huard, station manager of
the Armed Forces Television at
Ramstein, admitted.

“Because of our place on the
circuit of filmed shows, we won’t
be hurt for several months, until
the end of February or March.
But then we expect a lot of
changes.”

The filmed shows played on the
two stations in Germany are part
of a. regular circuit sent from the
States, and are usually from six
to eight months old when they
reach Germany. So the station
has a backlog supply to use in the
meantime.

“Some of our better shows will
be taken off,” according to Huard.
“Negotiations are right now under¬
way with the networks to see what
shows we can retain.”

Local unsponrored television
shows from the States will still be,
shipped to the military overseas.

“Some of oi:r most popular
shows are ones that -originated lo¬
cally and then became network,”
Huard added. He cited “Stars of
Jazz,” which originated in Los An¬
geles and then v ent across the
network-

A special added problem faces
the military-operated television
stations in Germany when the com¬
mercial-less shpws arrive. The
station is understaffed, and has a
few men with technical training
for industry. But when the new
shows arrive, sans commercials,
the time will be reduced by as
much as five minutes for a half
hour program—and the local sta¬
tion will be called upon to origi¬
nate many news shows and time-
fiJlers to occupy *^t!ie?e breaks.

“We expect a hi> of a hassle
.when we have to fill iu all those
spots. But we’ll keep on the air,”
Huard concluded.

Lombardo’s New Year’s
Pickup Gets Coffee Com

Savarin Coffee bought WCBS--
TV’s special New Year’s Eve Show,
featuring Guy Lombardo and his
Royal Canadians from grill room of
Hotel Roosevelt. Program will be
telecast from 11:15 p.m- to 12:15
a.m. with six minutes out before
and after midnight for pickup of
goings-on in Times Square, with
Bob Trout covering.

Gotham outlet of CBS-TV also
sold the quarters of ’Gator Bowl
and Orange Bowl game that web
released for local co-op sale. Buyer
is Canada Dry.

E. J. Reynolds, Carter Rise
Shave Cream and Renault Motors
are picking up the tab for network
telecasts of the two gridiron
events, IGator Bowl on Saturday*
Dec. 27, and Orange Bowl on
New Year’s Day,

Geyer Latest To
Merge Agencies;
Maddens Switch

Two more Madison Ave.-based
agencies have decided to mate.
Joining the parade of mergers are
Geyer Advertising and Morey,
Humm & Warwick to form Oey«r,
Morey, Madden & BaUard with
estimated combined billings of
$30,000,000. Mating takes place
officially on Jan. 1.

Two other mergers were in the
making this week with Kastor,
Hilton, Chesley & Clifford and
Atherton & Currier close to unit¬
ing. (An executive of KHC&C re¬
ported the deal to merge was in its
final stages). KHC&C bills an es¬
timated $9,000,()00 and the com¬
bined billings will approximate
$13,000,000. On still another front,
Calkins & Holden has been shop¬
ping around for an agency to
merge with and have had discus¬
sions with the Chicago based Ed¬
ward H. Weiss agency.

While agency mergers are no
longer a subject of amazement
along Madison Ave., the actions of
one of the principals in the new
organization comes as a surprise.
Edward D. Madden, president of

WNBQ AXES UTLEY,
OTHERS WANT HIM

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Clifton Utley, news analyst who
won this year’s Du Pont award, is
losing his 10 minute ’news-com¬
mentary strip on WNBQ the first
of the year because of disappoint¬
ing ratings'. Most of Utley’s spon¬
sors for his 10 p.m. tV show backed
out when the latest ARB gave him
ratings of between 5 and 6 versus
WBBM-TV’s 25 for Fahey Flynn
and P. J. Hoff in their nightly
news-weathercast.

Understood* WNBQ is seeking a
new berth for Utley in a straight
commentary format, but meanwhile
both WBBM-TV and WBKB are
beckoning for his services.

To Georgia Gov.’s

Sheldon Reynolds’

Two to Get Ready
In Shift to Cooper

Hollywood, Dec. 16»
Sheldon Reynolds, long a Wil¬
liam Morris client, has switched
over to the Frank Cooper office
and is in active development on
two series primed at late spring
or fall selling season. Both are
action-adventure stanzas, with the
Cooper office as co-packager on
one of them. The other, titled
^’Appointment -With Fear,” win be
first to roll, either in London or
Paris after the first of the year.

Cooper office has never been as
active, according to prexy Frank
Cooper, with a sale already in on
“Willie,” Syd Zelinka-Walter New¬
man series which ABC-TV has
picked up; sale of Doug Heyes’
“Bravo” series stan*ing Gerald
Mohr to Ziv, and high interest on
another package, a costumer. Big
problem, according to Cooper,- is
that there aren’t enough good
package properties . around, • and
large part of the agency’s function
is to prod its writer clients into
developing properties.

In the view of Cooper, a vet in
the bu.siness, this is “uranium
time” for packagers, in view oPthe
current programming weakness at
the networks. “Anything that’s
good can-be sold right now,” he
states, “because the networks
need programming so badly.”

Atlanta, Dec., 16.
WSB-TV, o&o by Atlanta News¬
papers, Inc., publishers of Con¬
stitution (a.m.) and Journal (p.m.),
doesn’t scare worth a darn. Gov.
Marvin S. Griffin found out last
week when he made a formal de¬
mand for equal time to reply to
what he charged was a ■ political
program carried on station’s
“Press Gallery,” a public service
program,.

Program in questipn, a 30-imn-
ute segment sponsored alternately
by Journal and Constitution, re¬
sumed operation for Winter Sun¬
day (7) with two state legislators,
Rep^ Frank Twitty, of Camilla,
and Sen. Carl-Sanders, of Augusta,
two of Gqv.-elect Ernest Van¬
diver’s floor leaders, discussing
matters to come before Georgia
Greneral Assembly for ' coming
session.

Gov.. Griffin, in a wire to Marcus
Bartlett, WSB-'TV’s general .man¬
ager, charged that “the program
was devoted almost entirely to
maligning the present administra¬
tion and slanted for political pur¬
poses."

(A release from the governor’s
office made note of criticisms of
state purchasing practices on the
program.)

Griffin threatened to take mat¬
ter up with the Federal Communi¬
cations Commission if he did not
receive a favorable reply by noon
Tuesday (9). Governor demanded
equal time for reasons of public
service. “Press Gallery” is spon¬
sored by both newspapers as a
public service.

Bartlett summanly turned down
Gov. Griffin’s request and said
station and the Atlanta newspapers
Keyes, Madden & Johes has re-! did not ’agree with him that the
signed to join the new organize-! program was a- “political discus-
tion as vice chairman of the board. 1 sion.”

(Madden was principally responsi¬
ble for the fusion of Keyes, Mad¬
den & Jones and Donahue & Coe
just two weeks ago.) In joining
the new agency Madden is expect¬
ed to bring with him most of the
key N.Y. accounts of KM&J which
insiders feel he has tucked away
in his hip pocket. The actual
amount of new business he will
bring to Geyer, Morey, Madden &
BaUad is still subject to specula¬
tion with Madden holding confer¬
ences with his former clients.

The president’s chair of the new
agency will be taken over by Sam
M. Ballard, formerly prexy of
Geyer. Sylvester M. Morey, ex¬
president of MH&W takes over as
chairman of the board and B. B.
Geyer, formerly chairman of the
agency which bore his name,
reigns over the exec committee.

Present plans call for the staffs
of both .agencies numbering 3.00
to remain intact with offices to be
maintained in New York, Detroit
and Dayton.

“After close to a year of- confer-
j.ences, both agencies have become
convinced that there can' be . a
meshing of experienced personnel
and facilities which will work to
the benefit of all our respective
clients,” Sam Ballard ^aid. “This
is one agency merger where eco¬
nomic conditions have played a
very minor role in our thinking,
since both agencies are in solid
financial positions with good profit
records In the year now ending.’*

Bartlett informed governor,
however, that station had planned
to invite him to appear on show
Dec. 28 foUowmg appearances on
previous Sundays by U. S. Sens.
Richard Russell and Herman
Talraadge.

•'Romper Room' hi Ganadd

Moncton, N.B., Can., Dec, 16.

“Romper Room,” Bertram H.
Claster’s kindergarten-on-tv show,
starts on CKCW-TV here Monday,
Feb. 9.

It marks first station outside of
U.S. to carry the kid show which
is currently seen local and live,
cross-the-board in some 70 cities.

Hollywood Scripier

Sam Kurtzman

tokts yen bock-of-thc-video*
cdmtrai ia his ffcotisa

My Fair Lolita

another bright Editorial Feature
in the joon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^mrr

— ^ —

From the Production Centres

Continued from page 26 —^

corresp, sent daily films flown from Rome and beeper telephone con¬
versations direct to WBZ-TV and arranged for covering consistories,
15, 17 and 18 . . . Miniature ice skating rink being built in WHDH-TV
studios for “Ice Capades of 1959” but on Bob Clayton’s “Boston Ball¬
room,” Saturday (20), along with guests June Valli, Jerry Dallman,
Barbara Evans and The'Crests . . . WNAC-TV skedding three big films
for Sunday (21), ‘The Firefly,” Jeanette MacDonald-AUm Jones star-
er, from 12 noon to 2, 'Shirley Temple in “Kiss and TeU,” 2 to 3:30,
first Hub telecasts, and “Three Godfathers” starring John Wayne, 3:30-
5:30 . . . WBZ-TV nabbed nice comment on its presentation of hour-
long tv film, “Benny in Brussels’,’-highlights of BG and his orch at the
Brussels Fair, with Norm Prescott hosting . . . Marjorie Mills in new
show, “Marge Mills With Ken Show” on WHDH cross-the-board, 9:45-
10 a.m. . . . Ed Pearle, WBZ press director, off to Manhattan w'ith win¬
ner of “Miss Popularity Contest” for roimd of show§ and niteries . . ,
Bill Givens, formerly musiqal dir., and exec, producer WBZ, ankled to.
WORL Monday (15) as program dir.* and air personality.

m WAsmmTON . . .

Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., with prexy Don McGannon and
other top execs acting as hosts, gave its annual'deluxe Christmas eat-
drink party here honoring FCC Commissioners and staff members Fri¬
day (12), with hundreds enjoying themselves . . .Lewis SchoUenberger
of CBS news won decisive victory in race for National Press Club
board of governors, while NBC news’ Bryson Rash drew no opponent
for club secretary . . . WTTG-'TV became first station here with video
tape' recorder, which general manager John McArdle happily called
his “Christmas present” . . . WWDC had an all-day broadcasting party
Monday (15) celebrating both the birthday and 23d radio anniversary
of its morning personality. Art Brown . . . WGMS, local good music
station, put a twist on the old pre-Christmas saying, by broadcasting
“only (blank) more days to Beethoven’s birthday”; although there is
a dispute over whether the composer was -bom Dec. 15 or 16, the sta¬
tion chose Dec. 16;

IN LONDON . . ,

Graham Dowson* director of the British Nielsen Television Index
Service, will join the board of Southern Television, early in the new
year with the appointment of sales director . . . Val Parnell* Associated
Television topper, discussing the possibility of a series of six tv dates
for American comedian Henny Youngman next* year . . . American ac¬
tress Louise Allbritton wjU-make her British tv bow in an Associated-
Rediffusion production of “The Big Knife” on Dec. 30 . .. . ABC-TV
tossed a launching party at its new London Sales Organization head¬
quarters in Hanover Square .. . The Cisco Kid (Duncan Renaldo) made
four cominercial tv appearances during his five-day quickie here last
week ... Tommy Steele, Diana Dors, Peter tellers among artists
named to appear in the'first of A-R’s “1959 Shows” on Jan. 1.

IN PITTSBVRGH ...

Ray Scott, Ch. 2 sportscaster, has been assigned by CBS to telecast
the Gator Bowl game from Jacksonville^ Fla., between Mississippi and
Florida on Dec. 27. He’U be asssisted by Frank Gifford, New York
Giants halfback, doing the commentary and Joe Foss* out of Chicago,
the half-time recap . . . John Fabac upped to continuity writer in
KDKA-TV traffic department. Carol Mahn^ viEicating the'job after nine
years ... Ed Conway’s 11 o’clock news on Ch. 11 has been extended
from 10 to 15 miautes . . .Cecil Brown coming here Jan. 6 to address
the Radio and Television Club . . . Martha Sabo, former secreta^ to
Barry Kaye, ex-WAMP deejay, has taken over music directorship of
WEEP . . . Inco Metals has renewed Ed Schuaghency’s three-times-a-
week 7 a.m. lO-minute newscasts on KDKA radio through ’59.

IN MIMSEAPOLIS . . .

Accompanied by Minneapolis Morning Tribune columnist Will Jones,
folk songster Gene Binestein, U. of Minnesota faculty member, was in
New York to appear on the Pejer Ljnd Hayes network tv show . . .
WCCO Radio has become region’s key Conelrad station with installa¬
tion of new fuU-power broadcasting and Civil Defense equipment, in¬
suring continuous 50,000 watts based on a 150,000-watt Caterpillar
diesel generator having automatic controls . . . Character actor Parker
Fennelly here to visit commercials sponsor . . . WTCN-TV eliminated
the John Daly nightly ABC network news show to start its feature pic¬
tures 15 minutes earlier at 9:30 o’clock to accede to public demand for
the earlier movie start. . . WDGY giving away turkeys to luc^ dialers
from now to Christmas ... Response reported as “staggering” after
WLOL disk jockey Sandy Singer offered over air for free printed cop¬
ies of Ten Commandments suitable for framing . . . WCCO topper Bob
DeHaven personally conducted ah airline Hawaii tour.

IN DETROIT . . .

James H. Quello, who in the past 11 years has been program and
public affairs manager, public relations and advertising director, and
sales promotion manager of WJR, has been named operations manager.
Reginald P. Merridew, managing director of WJW, Cleveland, will take
QueUo’s old post as program manager . • . George WUliams, manager
of field operations-for Paul-Marsh Co., publishers of au tomotive serv¬
ice manuals, has been named to the sales staff of WWJ , , . The job
of “color commentator” on Detroit Tiger broadcasts and telecasts is
George Kell’s if he wants it. Kell formerly was third-baseman for the
Tigers. He would replace the late Mel Ott who died recently of in¬
juries received in an auto accident . . .. WWJ-TV will offer nine spe¬
cial Christmas programs ... WWJ’s Fran Harris on vacation with news¬
caster Ven Marshall filling in on her. interview program.

IN PHILADELPHIA ...

Robert N. Pryor, v.p. of public relations at the WCAU stations,
unanimously elected veepee of the Television and Radio Club of Phila,
. . . Claude Haring, vet sp orts announcer, now a men’s clothing sales¬
man in Upper Darby . . . WFIL-TV, sole station locally using Ampex
video tape, has just purchased another recorder . . . Marvin Miller, who
hands out the checks on “The Millionaire,” will dedicate a bank here
(Jan. 9) . . . Thomas H. Calhoun named v.p. and manager of tv-radio
and production of N. W. Ayer. Before joining agency in 1951 he was
national sales rep for WEEI, Boston .. . Panelist Kitty Carlisle lectured
before the Women’s Club of Bryn Mawf (13) . . . Radio’s Paul Taylor,
Fred Harper and Chuck Hoover debuted gab-session “Opinion” on
WRCV-TV (15) . . . Auto dealer Harold Robinson, a WIBG deejay, do¬
nates all fe^ from his weekly record hops to charity.

IN CINCINNATI . . .

Annual Christmas fund of Ruth Lyons for children’s hospitals and
homes in WLWland zooming past last year’s peak $208,000. The first
pop album by her 50-50 C lub group, “Ten Tunes of Christmas,” is a
top seller in this area . . . WKRC stations piling up toys and cash for
Greater Cincy’s neediest kids in eighth such drive. A citizens’ commit¬
tee distributed $40,000 this year from the fund . , . Paul Dixon’s WLW-
T go-minute a.m. audience participation show is reserved through 1960
. . . WCPO-TV originating Saturday night wrestling shows in its own
studio after six months of filmed versions. Referee is liniJbrted from
. Chicago. _

TELI^SION REVlSVl^S

We&cAlaf, Deeemlier 17, I9SS

PSRtffFi

35

Tele Follow-Up Comment

Open End

At this point in his on-air career
launched this fail, what'was once
a potentiality has become a reality:
David Sussl^d, tv and legit pro¬
ducer, has become one of video’s
leading interlocutors. He also is
one of the medium’s most fastidi¬
ous handlers of the English tongue,
joining idiematics to high-style
talk in a hep and proyocative
manner that makes him an integral
part of the show. Perhaps more
important, he knows how to pick
the guests, and as an employer of
top ivory (via Talent Associates)
there is no doubt that the path is
made easier, of course. It’s an
ideal intra-trade parlay that Suss-
yind makes the most of in a per¬
sonal kind of palaver which he
manages to sustain over a mara¬
thon route vis-a-vis the panelists
on the Tuesday night benzedrine
time over New York’s WNTA.

Last week’s (9) session on the
legitimate theatre from the
horses’ mouths was a Vesuvius of
Ideas. (About a year ago, when
liT David was in one of his more
Goliath-slaying moods on a gue^-
shot, he was asked what thoughts
he had about the subject under
discussion and he said, “I am a
Vesuvius of ideas.” This is a gent
that refuses to hide himself under
a bushel; the technique obviously
hits paydirt with customers.)

Rarely has tv exposed such glib
and knowing characters of the.
theatre as last week’s aU-British
“Open End” threesome—legit-film
difecto]^ Peter Glenville, film-legit
actress Margaret Leighton and the
London Observer’s absent-on-Ieave
critic, Kenneth Tynan, now pUndit-
ting for the New Yorker mag in
the wide and nearly unfiUable gap
created by- the death of Wolcott
Gibbs^ . It was a civilized, md
sometimes even erudite discussion,
running practically the gamut. of
the theatre’s creative facets. There
was a sensitive balancing of the
scales as to acting and the styles
thereof, direction, writing, back-
stage g^bits, the field’s eco¬
nomics, approaches to drama
criticism, etc; It was ^did, often
stunning so, occasionally self-
effacing, always superlative insofar
as it somehow managed, by some
kind of professionlil magic, to be
stimulating over the long course.

The course was the longest in
“Open End” history; it started at
the usual 11 o’clock and was still
racing without puffing at neariy
1:15 a.m. It is a wonder how some
half-hour programs seem way
overlong, and this ^ one far too
short, at least for interested stayer-
uppers on a night, say, when
Vasiety is just being- put to bed
and a working stiff has had it.
This was ttte kind of “agent pro¬
vocateur” to wake up the most
somiuvolent

In 135 minute* of this deep¬
probing give & take of “the state
of the theatre,” only one with total
recall—^who dat?—can do justice
to such a , conversational “ chef-
doeuvre. The station has not made
transcripts available since the first
-show, presumably for economic
reasons. A tape is available, but
that means going over most of
the ground again.

Note-taking, even lots o^ it (as
was done), is no substitute for the
ambient script, especially in view
of the back-and^forth complexities
In such programs. Therefore,
leaving a couple of dozen whammo”
statements and . points of view
aside, and unfortunately so be¬
cause of the up-to-date importance
of the subject matter, whether of
the “practical”-*commercial”^ or
^‘intenectual” ' variety, the trade
would be most concerned with at
least two of GlenviUe’s major con¬
tributions:

1. Top actors should be playing
on Broadway regularly. They do
not because the “enormously hl^
rewards” in the tf.S. (pictures,
televhaonl are too great,. versus
Britam’s West End where the fore¬
most actors are nearly always on
view. Thus, American names
“disappear” from the theatre,
going into pix and tv “to make
production deals and become “cor-
poiratfons.” they live in a world
of “tax experts and cori>orations.”
“It's a terrible pity.” “AH leading
talents are very overpaid.” It’s a
battle for “top place” (salaryl and
“suicidal.” Taxation (in America)
makes this “pointless.”

2. Both -Equities (British and
Amgricmi) should go “mutual” by
allowing free,' unlimited exchange
of s^sts. .

It was pointed out in the«latttf
connection that some American
hits flop in London due largely to
casting of English actors .in the
key a^/or suhrkey roles'. It had
bemi. brought out in ah earlier
portion of the show that the

British, excelling at form, style,
the spoken word, and at delinea¬
tion of “civilized human beings,”
are swnetimes h£ird put in portray¬
ing the “murkier” characters, re¬
lating, gay, to. sex, drink, dope and
“false religions,” of some Amer¬
ican plays. In reverse, American
actors and the plays thereof, in
works distinctly British, suffer a
like fate on Broadway. Trau.

Playhouse 90

The'attention to detail and other
minutiae in John Houseman’s pro¬
duction of “Seven Against the
Wall” on * ‘Playhouse SO” over
CBS-TV (11) was nothing short of
extraordinary but the gun-point
question remains to be answered:
was this highly super-reahstic ex¬
cursion among the Windy City
hoods worth all the painstaking
effort expended on it.

True, Eric Sevareid gave the
pesh cops-and-robber spectacle, an
aura of documentary validity and
apparent editorial importance hut
it didn’t quite rouse today’s tv
viewer to heights of righteous in¬
dignation. It was ho-hum despite
the avalanche of dum-dum hulletsv

“Seven Against the Wall” was
fashioned by Howard Browne apd
David Davidson from a forthcom¬
ing tome by Browne and related
the bloody tale of the A1 Capone,
battle with George “Bugs” Moran,
during the days of prohibition in
the Windy City all resulting in the
gory rubbing out of six members
(^ Moran's gang and an optometrist
friend of the North Side gang
leader. The killings took place on
St. Valentine’s Day, 1929, in a dis¬
mal garage on North Clark St.
Franklin Schaffner, director of
this production, saw to it that no
detail was overlooked, lavishing
on virtually every scene the affec¬
tion that Shah Jahan must have
given to the construction of his
Taj Mahal mausoleum in memory
of his sultana.

The production recalled the era
of the submachine gun in the violin
case and the gun-toting hoods bit-
on fat coronas If anything, it
did- picture the futility of the Anti-
Saloon League’s frenzied efforts to
wipe out the saloons of America
and painted, though perhaps not
voluntarily, picturesque canvas of
Capone’s $60,000,009 enterprise in
prostitution, dope and booze after
his dishwashing days at the Har¬
vard Inn in Coney Island.

Sponsors were Kleenex, Crest
Toothpaste, American Gas, Elgin
Watches and Allstate Insurance-
hut the (Mitfit that should have
picked up the tab was th' Cigar
Institute of America. Rotis.

Jerry Lewis Show

If JHTy Lewis devoted as much
effort to assuring himself of good
material as he physically expends
on a performance, he’d be way out
in firont of the comec^ pack. But
Lewis' tv efforts, as exemplified
his second NBC-TV outing for
Tmiex last Wednesday night, are
assihning more and more of a look-
alike aspect, with Lewis knocking
himself out for a minimum of re¬
sults..

Problem is that Lewis and his
writers, having come up with a
comedy dcetch idea, fail to follow
through, presumab^ feeling that
the Lewis zahiness can carry the
load. Result is that apart from an
idea, Lewis has little to work with,
and, let’s face it, after aU these
years, the physical stuff like the
crossM-eyes,' the triple-takes and
the rest don’t have the effective¬
ness they once did. So what hap¬
pens? Lewis Ranees through a
sketch or bit with no material be^
hind him, and it’s like seeing the
same thing a d(»en times over; it’s
gotta be weak.

A second trouble is Lewis' ap¬
parent relnctance to share or
spreai^the workload. The success
of the Martin & Lewis teaming
aside,; much of comedy effective¬
ness depehds on reactiims, whether
to sitvMioii, to a foil or stooge, but
always to another person. So much
of Lewi^ effvts at doing it aU by
himself, relying on off-camera peo¬
ple or fituatioiis against which to
play, agahi tend toward come(^
bacrenness. .

■ Fact is that the best elements of
; his Wedneseby night show involved
playing against others. His “Me &
ow” dance turn with
Bobby Vim was a fine piece of
: business; also that part of bis Jack
Paar tidceoff involving a pair of
ifeudtng; femmes,, with Kathleen
Freeman tur^g in a fine impresh
of Elsa SgaxwelL and Ziva Bodann
! a kno^out as a Zsa Zsa-type, with
ILewis squeezed in the middle on a
small coodi.

Lewis had. one good solo gag,
more of an inside bit than anyt^g
else. His ^*tibrant, thrilling and
beautiful new singing discovery,”-
(Continned on page 48)

gift of the magi

With ■ Gordon MaeRae, Sally Aim
Howes, Howard St. John, Bibi
Osterwald, the Home Town Quar¬
tet Sally Gracie, Tammy Grimes,
others ^

Writer: Wilson Lehr
Exec Producer: Albert Selden
Producer-Erector: George Schaefer
60 Mins., Tues.; 9 pjn,

SHEAFFEB PEN COi
CBS-TV, from N.Y. (tape)

(BBDO)

Dramatic license was taken with
an O. Henry classic,- “The Gift o£
the Magi,” in expanding the short
story into an hour-long teleplay
with music. But while the Wilson
Lehr adaptation chose for the most
•part to ignore the tragic overtones
of the original, nevertheless this
Tuesday (9) CBS-TV origination
emerged as enjoyable Yuletide
fare.

For woven among the thin
threads of the book was a tapestry
of some seven -tHnes? written and
composed by Richard Adler, and.
delightfully sprig by Gordon Mac-
Rae, Sally Ann Howes and other
cast members. Some of the better
numbers were “Christmas in Your
Heart,” appealingly warblejd by
Miss Howes, and “We Were Two
Different People.” Latter a cute,
lilting song, was enga^gly duetted
by MacRae and Miss Howes. ' •

, To pad out this 'Ealent Associates
Ltd. patkage, executive producer
Albert Selden and producer-direc¬
tor George Schaefer tossed in a
number of period sets and scenes
that attempted to catch the at¬
mosphere of the gaslight era. They
backgrounded the chronicle of an
impqvishefed couple who sacri^
ficed their personal treasures to
buy Christmas gifts for the otfi^.

Women’s suffrage came in for a
mention while a yesteryear saloon
was the setting for some oldtime
singing waiters (The Home Town
Quartet) to croon “My Sugar is
the Salt of the Earth.” In another
sequence where the young wife
parts with her tresses, Miss Howes
and Bibi Osterwald deftly illus¬
trated their bargaining by duetting
“Madame Won’t Buy My Hair.”

While the Adlerian music and
Ijrics unquestionably wtt’e a far
cry from the spirit and dignity of
the O. H:airy stoiy, it’s- obvious
that if such weren't taken

thiic musical v^iorr. wouldn’t have
;been possible. Those viewers with
sufficient imagination ta accept the
improvisations made .by .Lehr and
Adler probably found this version
of “Magi” their cup of tea.

As previously noted MacRae and
Howes were in fine .yoice. Howard
St. John was a somewhat stereo¬
typed Scrooge-like boss. Miss
(Continued on page 43)

AMAHL AND NIGHT VISITORS
With Rosemary Kuhlman, Kirk
Jordan, Leon Lishner, Andrew
McKinley, David Aiken, Francis
Monachino, Carmen de Laval-
lade, Glen Teltey, Charles Saint-
Amant; hostess, Arlene Francis
Producer: Samuel Chotzinoff
Director: Jean-Claude Schwartz
Conductor: Herbert Grossman
Composer-Librettist:. Gian Carlo
Mcnotti

60 Mins., Sun. (14), 5 p,m.
PONTIAC

NBC-TV, from N.Y. (color)
(MacManus, John & Adums)

The Christmas spirit doesn’t
reaUy seem to he in the air untU
NBC-TV presents “Amahl and the
Night Visitors,” the Gian Carlo
Menotti opera, presented on tlie
network last Sunday (14) for the
ninth time. As with all works of
stature, repetition simply added
depth and beauty to the show.

With the exception of Amahl,
the crippled boy, sung by Kirk Jor¬
dan for the past two years, the
opera was sung by the identical
cast that first put it on back in
1951. The Menotti music again
wove its magic, coloring the mov¬
ing little tale of the three kings
with its plaintive, modem themes,
ideal opera music that never quite
clings to the ear.

It was a smooth,-excell^intly sung
and acted show that Samuel Chot*
zinoff produced and Jean-Claude
Schwartz directed. Rosemary
Kuhhnain’s voice sounded better
than ever and she dominated the
scene. Young Jordan, the boy
whose selfless generosity and love
works a miracle, was touchingly
effective and sang well. Leon
Lishner, Andrew McKinley and
David Aiken were splendid as the
three kings who stop by in the
poor cottage on their way to Beth¬
lehem.

As the ^ge, Francis Monachino
sounded fine*- Carmen de Laval-
lade, Glen Tetley and Charles
Saint-Amant added charm with
their imaginative sheepherders’
dance. It was a lively, weU-staged
scMie in which Menotti’s music
caught all the gaiety and hospita¬
ble spirit of a simple people.

Herbert Grossman conducted
with a good ear for required bal¬
ances between orchestra and solo¬
ists. Arlene Francis was the hos¬
tess. Whether at the windup she
sniffled because of a cold or be¬
cause of emotion was difiicult to
telL In any case, she made the
point. The Pontiac commericals
were better than usual Color reg¬
istry was excellent It’s a safe bet
that “Amahl” is one tv piece that’s
here to stay. Hrft.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE
(Hallmark Hall of Fame)

With B^ph Bellamy, Carol Chan-
ning^, Maurice Evans, Tom, Pos¬
ton, Cyril Ritchard, WUHam
Shatner, Jessica Tandy, Mar¬
garet Hamilton,' Hiram Sher¬
man, Richard Earl Thomas, oth-
thers; Franz Alters oreh
Producer: Mildred Freed Alberg
Director: Kirk Browning
Writer: Helen Deutsch
60 Mins., Sun. (14), 7 p.m.
HALLMARK

NBC-TV, from N.Y. (color)

(Foote, Cone & Beldivg)
Helen Deutsch’s idea of “star¬
ring” a festive Christmas tree—
something unusual and beautiful
to behold—^with its assorted bau¬
bles 'evoking images or fantasies
around which would be built a 60-
minute joyous Yuletide special for
television, probably sounded jim-
dandy. Add to that such a top¬
flight marquee array as Ralph Bm-
lamy, Maurice Evans, Cyril Riteh-
ard, Jessica Tandy, Tom Poston,
Carol Channing and Hiram Sher¬
man and, in anticipation of the
end result, one could probably be
forgiven for flipping. '

But with aU possible goodwill
toward man and “Miss Deutsch,
Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “Christ¬
mas Tree” presentation on NBC-
TV Sunday night (14) was hardly
anything to flip about. Once hav¬
ing established her potentially
promising and commendable con¬
cept for a Xmas show. Miss
Deutsch let her viewers down. Aa
it turned out, the tree, in truth,
rated the star billing—^that and
the exceptionally fine and brilliant
hues and tones of NBC-RCA’s com¬
patible tint. Seldom was color put
to better use or (for the few who
had- the opportunity to see it) pro¬
vided such a zingy fillip to an
otherwise routine offering.

Miss Deutsch ,cap only have her¬
self to blame, for. her scriptiog
“recreations” of .the tree’y glitter¬
ing objects somehow seemed to
pale in translation, particularly in
the draina vignettes. There were
two that took up more than a third
of the show’s running time—one
with Jessica Tandy and featuring a
fetching moppet, Richard Earl
Thomas, c^led “The Miracle of the
Orphanage” (based on a story by
Luise Putcamp Jr.), and the other,
“Before The Store Closes,” with
Tom Poston and Hii^ Sherman,
among others. The “message”
was there—in both instances—^but
those indefinable qualities to lift
them above the saccharine were
not.

The show’s formal roamed far
and wide without much cohesion
or unity (except to return td the
tree, which was always rewarding
in color). There was a brief tele-
play, “Light One Candle,” with
Ralph Bellamy and William Shat¬
ner, which was a variation on a
theme done so much more brilliant¬
ly two hours earlier (same networic)
in “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”
There was some cavorting on ice
as “Mimi and Moe” and a doll
came to life off the tree. There
was a “Promenade On Christmas
Day” panto bit and a madrigal by
Cyril Ritchard and Carol Chan¬
ning that promised more than was
forthcoming, and there was Mau¬
rice Evans in a short-short narra¬
tion of the Nativity episode from
St, Matthew and St. Luke. The
various episodes were linked by a
musical score of carols sung by a
choir of mixed voices.

The tree deserves an extra Xmas
bonus. Rose.

N. Y. PHILHARMONIC YOUNG
PEOPLE’S CONCERTS
With Leonard Bernstein
Producer-director: Roger Eng¬
lander

Exec producer: Richard Lewine
60 Mins., Sat, 12 (noan>

GBS-'rv, from New York
Leonard Bernstein turned New
York’s Carnegie Hall into a musical
schoolroom for a new series of N.Y.
Philharmonic Young People’s Con¬
certs, With Bernstein in charge
there’s no reason for the you^g
’uns to cut classes-and It won’t hurt
the adults to go along with them.

Pattern of the new series fol¬
lows the course last year' when the
concerts were launched at Carne¬
gie. In fact, the opening show of
the season was a repeat of the
last program of the preceding sea¬
son which wasn't televised due to
“mechanical difficulties."

Bernstein continues to make his
longhair lectures vivid and inter¬
esting (he scripts the show him¬
self) via samplings of the classics
on his keyboard or with the full
:symph. In “What Makes Music
Symphonic?,** Bernstein developed
themes from MozarJ, Beethoven,
TschalkovskY and Brahms,' with
EMs Presley's “AU Shook Up”
“The Bridge on ,The River Kwai”
and “Frere Jacques” thrown in. for
[good measure to get his. points
I across. Gnnw

TILL TIME SHALL END
With Tony Britton, Alan Webb,
Gwen WatforC. K^naston Reeves,
Kevin Stoner,, N<raan Claridge,
John H. Moore, Charles Cnllum,
Tony Beekley, Bernard Brown,
WBliani Roaehe, Fabm Drake,
J^Ml Gabriel. Gcoige Skillan,
Graham Rowe, €hir Deghy, Paul¬
ine March*. Vanessa Redgrave,
Annabel B^op, Dorothy Darke,
Bfichnel Jesset* Beatrice Yarley,
Redmond Phittips, Roger Boston,
Roger Wintott, Joby Kanchard,
Roy Madron, Peter Doughty,

‘ Maik Braekenbnry, JHl Booty,
Robert dorder, Raymond Gra-
. ham, R ichar d Hetden, Patrick
. Milner, BfiDiam PatenalL Susan
Stranks* Robert S. Young
Writer: Clemence Dane
Prodneer: kDchael Barry
9# Mins.; Sun. (38), 8:45 pm.
BBC-.'IV; from London
Clemence Dane was commis¬
sioned to write this piay for BBC-
;TV to commemorate the ^OOth
anniveraary of the accession of
Queen Elizabeth I to the throne of
EngUrid. It had aU the potentiali-
: ties of an important historical
Eama, but,'afr it turned out, added
very little eithm: fatetually or en-
rtertainment-wise to what had
been written before.

The production was given an
opulent quality in costumes and
: design. The lavish Elizabethan
styles were matched by the hand¬
some mounting and Michael Bany
produced the whole show with a
sure and smooth touch. The cast,
too, was quite distinguished, with
Gwen Watford playing Elizabeth
mid Tony Britton and Alan Webb
as Lord Rbbmi; Dudley aid Sir
WiDiant Cecil reroectively. Irii-
portant British players, ampug
them Kynaston Reeves, YameSsa
‘ Redgrave, Beidrtee Varl^ and
Fabia Drake, were hi compara¬
tive^ mlnbr parts.

With ail- these plus features,
therefore, it was disappointing that
the weakest link of, the production
I- should be im dreEhafic contenL’l
That it was not historically accu¬
rate was“Of-*nnnt«rimportaiiccr * "

having taken license to dramatize
history, the authoress should have
made a more inspiring job of her
treatchent. Instead, far 90 minutes
it was virtually a battle between
the Queen and her advisers on
marriage.. She was prepared to
jeopardize alliances with^ Austria
and Spain to wait for Lord Robert
to be free to- marry, hnt his wife’s
death was in circumstances that
made that impossible.

Gwen Watford showed style and
personality in a highly demanding
role;* Tony Britton Was too much
the dashing hero, but Alan Webb
wsa solid and dignified as the Sec¬
retary of State. The rest of the cast
was up to a very high standard.

Myro.

FILMTOWN BERLIN

With Berthold Ebbeeke, narrator

Producer: SFB (Bei^)

Director: Rcinhard Elmer
45 Mtus.; Mon., 9 pjn.

W-German. TV, from W-Berlin

Filnt studio activity is currently
very l^k in W-Berfin. This gives
SFB a good epportimity to bring
interesting film shots aid inter¬
views over the (Jerman tv screens.
Too bad that this oK^rtunity has
not been exploited to better advan¬
tage. This program i* actnally
nothing more than a superficial
dedication to some of the current
produrtions, not even smoothly put
together. The Interviews here are
mostly corny routine, the shooting
scenes rather dullish. There have
been considerably better programs
before, this one lacks wit and
imagination. With some care and
more refined questions ou the part
of the interviewer. It couM have
been u pleasant show. Bo it’s only
something for teenagers, and only
if latter have a predilection for
nuivies.

The reporter leads us first to
the local Area studtos where Veit
Harlan is shoqtktg *TT1 Carry You
On My Hands" starring Kristina
Soederbaum (Harlan’s actress-
wife! and Hans Holt A iSiort in-
tContiriued on page 46)

36

f'^aiETr

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

TOP AUDIENCE
SHARES
EVERYWHERE!

4-Sfation

SAN FRANCISCO

KROH

50 . 6 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
15.6 Dating AR> Aug.'5S

"IT HAPPENED
ONE NIGHT"

3-StaHon

COLUMBUS, OHIO

WTVN

48 . 3 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
22.7 Rating ARB Jan.'58

"JOHNNY

O'CLOCK"

2-Station

ROCK ISLAND-
DAVENPORT

WHBF

71 . 1 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
14.5 Rating ARB June '58

"DESTROYER"

7-Station

NEW YORK

WCBS

43 . 1 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
11.0 Rating ARB Oct. '58

'^HE BLACK
ANGEL"

4-Station

CHICAGO

WBBM

57 . 1 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
27.0 Rating ARB Oct. '58

"LOST

HORIZON"

S^tation

PHILADELPHIA

WFIL

54 . 7 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
20,3RaHngARBOct.'58

**ALL QUIET ON THE
WESTERN FRONT’

3-Sfation

MIAMI

WCKT

41 . 6 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
20.0RaHngAmJan.'58

"GOLDEN BOY"

3-Sfation

KNOXVILLE

WBIR

60 . 1 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
15.8RaHngAR8Mar.'58

“YOU CAN’T TAKE
IT WITH YOU’’

S-Station

ATLANTA

WS8

53 . 8 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE
12.8 Rating ARB Jan. '58

"DEAD

RECKONING"

4-Station

MINNEAPOLIS-

ST.PAUL

WTCN

55 . 0 %

- SHARE OF AUDIENCE
75.5RaHn9ARBFeb.'58

'FRANKENSTEIN"

3-Station

FT. WAYNE

WANE

55 . 4 %

^REOF AUDIENCE
15.4 Rating ARB Fd).'58

"MYSISHR

EILEEN"

2-Station

BIRMINGHAM

WDRC

69 . 9 %

SHARE OF AUDIENCE <
15.1 Rating ARB Mar.‘58

/'KISS
AND TELL"

PICK YOUR PACKAGE

“SHOCK!”

“SON OF SHOCK”

“THE SWEET 65”

52 all-time
champions of chili I

20 of the screen's
sconest greats I

65 power-locded
attractions !

“WESTERN

FEATURES”

1 35 action-all
-the-way westerns ;

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

P^lETY

S7

TV-FILMS

Vcdniwday^ Dccemlier 17, 195S

3 «

U&rieSt

nnTT tuttt ci? r'l'TV nv r'lT'V Dl^nr*!? AHf r*!! ART* Varitty's tDeekly chart is based on the 22 major markets regularly reported by Tele-
f^AKlETT • 1 UII-UI-UII riiUtrliAlU l^nAn l. month, in addition to 133 other Telepulse tabulated U.S. markets, covered

over the course of a year. Cities mill be rotated weekly. Tne Variett cnari is a com^Vation of data on syndicated films, as well as nettoork and live programs, in each
inarkeU Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands for local ptogrammihg and the (•> for network shows.

CLEVELAND

Stations: KYW, WEWS, WJW. TV Homes: 464,100. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958,

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED SHOWS
RK. PROGRAM—DAY-TIME STA. DISTRIB.

AV. iAV.
RTG. SH.

TOP COMPETITION
PROGRAM STA.

AV.

RTG.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS AV.

RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. Gunsmoke <Sat. 10:00-10:30) .WJW 36.9

2. Loretta Yoirag (Sun. 10:00-10:30)....KYW 34.2

3. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).KYW 32.7

4. Real McCoys (Thurs, 8:30-9:00).WEWS 32.2

5. Danny Thomas" (Mon. 9:00-9:30).WJW 30.9

6. Wagron Train (W^ed. 7:30-8:30)...KYW 30.5

7. Sugarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30) .WEWS 29.7

8* Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30).KYW 28.9

9. Maverick (Sat. 7:30-8:30).WEWS 23.7

10. Father Knows Best (Mon. 8:30-9:00). WJW 28.5

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS AV.
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TLME STA. RTG.

1. tEarly Show (M-F 5:45-7:00).KYW 16-4

2. *American Bandstand (M-F 4-5:30) .WEWS 15.9

3. tPopeye & His Friends (M-F 5-5:45) . KYW 15.8

4. tHome Edition, Wea. (M-F 7:15-7:30).KYW 15.4

5. tSohio'.Reporter (M-F 11:00-11:15) ..WJW 13.6

6. tilth Hour Nws, Wea. (M-F 11-11:15). KYW 13.1

7. tNews-Tom Field (M-F 11:00-11:15). .WEWS 12.7

8. *Mickey Mouse Club (M,W,F 5:30-6).WEWS 11.9

9. ■►CBS News (M-F 7:15-7:30) .WJW 11.8

10. tNews-Tom Field, Wea. (M-F 6:45-7) WEWS 11.2

1. Sea Hunt (Sat. 7:00)WJW .Ziv

1. Silent Service (Sat. 10:30)......WJW.CNP

2. Waterfront (Mon. 10:00) . ... ..WEWS.... MCA

3. Death Valley Days (Thurs. 10:30).. .KYW.... .‘.U. S. Borax

4. Union Pacific (Wed. 10:30). KYW.CNP

5. Roy Roffcrs (Sun. 6:30) ....WEWS-CNP

6. Popeye (Mon.-Sat. 5:00)..,;.. KYW..... .AAP

7. Harbor Command (Sat. 10:30)...KYW.Ziv

8. 26 Men (Sun. 6:00). .... ......... WEWS.... ABC

9. Highway Patrol (Tues. 8:00)....WJW.Ziv

10. Superman (Fri. 7:30)..KYW..... .Flamingo

11. Little Rascals (Fri. 7:00).WEWS.... Interstate

12. Annie Oakley (Sat. 6:30)..WJW.CBS

12. If You Had A MUlion (Thurs. 7:00).. WEWS.... MCA

13. Decoy (Mon. 10:30)....KYW.Official

14. State Trooper (Tues.. 9:30)..KYW.MCA

15. Bishop Sheen (Mon. 7:00)..WEWS.Propagation

Society

16. Brave Eagle (Sat. 6:00) ..KYW.CBS

16. MacKenzie’s Raiders (Thurs. 7:30).. .WJW..Ziv

16. Walter Winchefl (Tues. 7:30).. WJW..NTA

19.5

52

It’s A Great Life...

.KYW

10.5

19.5

44

Harbor Command ......

.KYW

15.2

17.9

33

Arthur Murray .

.KYW

21.0

17.2

36

Playhouse 90 .

.WJW

25.5

17.0

36

U. S. Steel Hour.

.WJW

18.5

16.2

41

I Love Lucy .

.KYW

12.5

16.0

48

t American Bandstand ..

• WEWS

13.0

1 Mickey Mouse Club ..

-WEWS

11.3

15.2

34

Silent Sei*vice ....

.WJW

19.5

14.9

42

Materpiece Theatre .-...

.WJW

10.5

14.2 .

24

Sugarfoot .

.WEWS

30.2

13.2

28

Rin Tin Tin.

.WEWS

18.5

13.0

32

Early Show...

• KYW

15.7

12.2

37

To Marry A Millionaire.

.WEWS

10.9

12.2

30

( Early Show ..

.KYW

17.3

/ Home Edition'..

.KYW

16.7

12.0

27

Bob Cummings.

.WEWS

16.2

11.9

21

Red Skelton...

.WJW

27.9

(Early Show .

.KYW

14.7

11.5

32

1 Home Edition ----

.KYW

14.3

10.9

39

Herald Playhouse.

-WEWS

10.2

10.9

24

Leave It To Beaver.

.WEWS

25.9

10.9

22

Sugarfoot .

.WEWS

29.2

BUFFALO

Stations: WBEN. WGR.* TV Homes: 363,500. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958,

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30) .WBEN 43.9

2. Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).WBEN 39.5

3. Phil Silvers (Fri. 9:00-9:30).‘...WBEN 35.5

3. W'yatt Earp (Tues. 8:30-9:00).W^GR 35.5

4. Have Gun WiU Travel (Sat. 9:30-10) WBEN 34.5

5. Jackie Gleason (Fri. 8:30-9:00).WBEN 33.9

6. Sugarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30).WGR 33.6

7. Fve Got A Secret (Wed. 9:30-10).WBEN 33.‘5

8. Real McCoys (Thurs, 8:30-9:00).WGR 33.2

9. Red Skelton (Tues. 9:30-10:00).WBEN 32.9

TOP TEN MULTIrWEEKLY SHOWS

1. til O’clock News (W-F 11-11:15).... WBEN 23.9

2. tEsso Reporter (M,T,Th (11-11:15) WBEN 23.2

3. tNews-Poth, Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15) WBEN 20.5

4. ^American Bandstand (M-F 4:30-5) . WGR 17.4

5. Art Linkletter (M-F 2:30-3:00) .WBEN 16.7

6. ‘^Big Payoff (M-F 3:00-3:30).. WBEN 16.4

6. tWea., Sports (M-F 11:15-11:30).... .WBEN 16.4

7. *CBS News (M-F 6:45-7:00).WBEN 16.3

8. tSportsreel-Mazer (M-F 11:15-11:30) WGR 16.3

9. *Verdict Is Yours (M-F 3:30-4:00).. WBEN 16.0

L

-WBEN..

..CNP

36.5

65

Flight.

. .WGR

19 ^

2.

.WGR...

. -NTA

31.2

71

Colonel Flack ..

.. WBEN

12JJ

3.

State Trooper (Thurs. 7:00).......

.WBEN..

..MCA

28.4

66

Sammy Kaye.....

..WGR ’

14.9

4.

Target (Mon. 9:30).

.WBEN..

.. Ziv

27,2

52

Goodyear Theatre ....

. - WGR

25.5

5.

Annie Oakley (Tues. 7:00).

.WBEN..

..CBS

24.9

65

If You Had A Million..

..WGR

13.5

6.

Official Detective (Fri. 10:30).

.WGR...

...NTA

23.5

49

Person To Person.

..WBEN

' 24.9

6.

26 Men (Thurs. 10:30)..

.WGR...

. .ABC

23.5

42

Playhouse 9() ..

..WBEN

31.9

7.

Highway Patrol (Tues. 10:30)......

.WGR...

. -Ziv

23.0

45

Garry Moore .

..WBEN

28.4

8.

Death Valley Days (Mon. 7:00)-

.WBEN..

.. U. S. Borax

22.9

58

Ernie Ford ...........

..WGR

16.5

9.

MacKenzie’s Raiders (Wed. 7:00)-.

.WBEN..

.. Ziv

22.5

53

This Is Alice.

. . WGR

20.2

10.

Mike Hammer (Mon. 10:30)...

.WGR...

. .MCA

20.5

43

All Star Jazz.

..WBEN

26.9

10.

Tugboat Annie (Sun. 6:00)...

.WGR...

.. .ITC

20.5

73

Small World .

..WBEN

7.5

11.

Whirlybirds (Tues, 7:30)...

.WBEN..

.. CBS

19.5

37

Sugarfoot ..

..WGR

33.7

12.

Flight (Sat. 10:30).......;..

.WGR...

.. CNP

19.2

35

Silent Service ....

..WBEN

36.5

13.

Boots and Saddles (Sun. 10:30)-

.WGR...

.. .CNP

18.9

39

What’s My Line.

..WBEN

29.5

14.

Jeff’s CoIUe (Sat. 5:00).....

.WGR...

. .,.ITC

16.5

58

Beat The Champ.

..WBEN

11.9

14.

Popeye (Sat. 8:30 a.m.)....’.

.WBEN..

.. AAP

16.5

90

Rumpus Room.

..WGR

1.9

15.

Huckleberry Hound (Thurs. 5:30). -

.WGR...

.. .Screen Gems

16.3

58

Dinner Theatre..

. .WBEN

11.9

15.

Wild BiU Hickok (Fri. 5:30).

.WGR...

.. -Screen Gems

16.3

58

Dinner Theatre.

. .WBEN

11.9

16.

African Patrol (Sat. 7:00).

.WGR...

. „ .Grosse-Krasne

15.5

54

U. B. Roundtable.

..WBEN

13.2

16.

Sea Hnnt (Sun. 3:30) . ..:..

.WGR..:

,. -Ziv

15.5

41

FootbaD ...

..WBEN

22.5

CHARLESTON-HUNTINGTON WCHS. whin. WOAY, WSAZ. tv Homes: 148,600. Survey Dates: Oct. 10-30. 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30) .WHTN

2. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9).. WSAZ

3. Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30)- .WSAZ

4. Real McCoys (Thurs. 8:30-9:00).WCHS,

WOAY

6. Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30)_WSAZ

6. Sugarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30).WCHS,

WOAY

7. Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).WSAZ

8. Perry Como (Sat, 8:00-9:00) .WSAZ

9. Ernie Ford (Thurs. 9:30-10:00).WSAZ

9. Peter Gunn (Mon. 9:00-9:30). * WSAZ

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. ‘NBC News (M-F 6:45-7:00).WSAZ

2. tNews Picture (M-F 6:30-6:45).WSAZ

3. tNews Headlines (M-F 11:00-11:15). .WSAZ

4. tJim Thacker, (M,W,F 6:15-6:30) ...WSAZ

5. ♦American Bandstand (M-F 4-5:30).. WCHS,

WOAY.

6. ♦Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.) WSAZ

7. tSpinach Pl’yh’s. (M-F 5-5:30, 6-6:15). WSAZ

8. *News-Daly (M-F 10:30-10:45).WCHS,

WOAY

9. tSpts Parade, Misc. (M-F 6:45-7:00) WCHS

10. tEsso Reporter (M-F 6:30-6:45)_WCHS

10. tMidday News (M-F 1:00-1:15).. ..WSAZ

BISMARCK

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 7:30-8). .KFYR

2. Bob Hope (Tues 8:00-9:00).KFYR

2. Lawrence Welk (Mon. 8:30-9:30).... KFYR

3. Californians .(Tues. 9:00-9:30).KFYR

4. Millionaye (Wed. 8:00-8:30).KFYR

5. Lawrenrt Welk (Sat. 8:00-9:00)..... KFYR

6. Wagon Train (Wed. 6:30-7:30).KFYR

7. Steve Allen (Sun. 7:00-8:00).KFYR

8. Peter Guun (Mon. 8:00-8:30).KFYR

9. Boxing (Fri. 8:00-8:50). KFYR

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. tNews, Wea., Sports (M-F 10-10:30).. KFYR

2. tNews Report (M-F 6:00-6:15).KFYR

3. -fBugs Bunny (T,Th 6:15-6:30)....... KFYR

4. tPopeye (M,W 6:15-6:30).KFYR

5. *Mickey Monse, Misc. (M-F 5:30-6). .KFYR

6. txMarshal Bill (M-F 5:00-5:30).KFYR

7. tNews (M-F 10:00-10:15).KBMB

8. tWca., Sports (M-F 10:15-10:30).. KBMB

9. *CBS News (M,Th 6:15-6:30)........KBMB

10. t6 O’clock Report (M-F 6:00-6:15).. .KBMB

1 .

2 .

3.

4.

5.

6 .
6 .

7.

8 .

9.

10 .

11 .

11 .

12 .

13.

13.

14.

14.

15.

39.8

38.3

36.8

36.1

36.0

35.8
34.0
33-8

33.3
33.3

23.8

23.5

19.0

18.7

16.4

15.5

14.2

13.6
12.4

12.3
12.3

7.

8 .
9.
9.

10 .

10 .

11 .

12 .

13. *

14.

15.

16.
17.

39.0

37.9

37.9

37.3
37.0

36.9

36.4
36.1
35.8
35.7

28.8

25.6

25.3
25.0

20.4
20.0

19.6

18.3

17.3
16.8

26 Men (Tues. 7:00).

-WCHS..

..ABC

24.8

49

Political ...

.WSAZ

13-8

Whirlybirds (Thurs. 7:00)..

.WSAZ..

.. .CBS

24.3

45

. WCHS

145

Official Detective (Sat. r0:30).

.W(^S..

...NTA

21.8

39

Highway Patrol.

.WHTN

19.8

Union Pacific Wed. 7:00).

.WSAZ..

...CNP

20.8

38

-WCHS

13.3

Highway Patrol (Sat. 10:30).

.WHTN,.

. . Ziv

19.8

35

Official Detective.

.WCHS

21.8

Casey Jones (Wed. 7:00). 1.........

.WCHS..

.. Screen Gems

19 3

35

WSAZ

20 8

• WHTN..

.. CBS

19.3

36

WSAZ

17 8

WilRam Tell (Mon. 7:00).__.....

.WSAZ..

...NTA

18.8

34

Mama ..

WCHS

15B'

It’s A Great Life (Sun. 10:30)......

.WSAZ..

...CNP

18.3

38

What’s My Line..

.WHTN

20.3

Death VaBey Days (Fri. 7:00).. * .

.WSAZ..

.. .U. S. Borax

17.8

34

Gray Ghost

.WHTN

19.3

Jeff’s Collie (Sat. 8:00).

.WCHS..

.. JTC

16.8

24

.WSAZ

32.8

Mama (Mon. 7:00)...

.WCHS..

.. CBS

15,8

?9

William Tell ..

WSAZ

18 8

Sea Hunt (Sat. 8:30)...

.WCHS..

.. -Ziv*

15.8

22-

Perry Como.....

-WSAZ

34B

Target (Wed. 10:30)...... ..

.WSAZ..

.. .Ziv

15.3

35

Ginger Rogers ..

.WHTN

15.8

Code 3 (Thurs. 7:00).

.WCHS..

.. Hal Roach

14.5

27

Whirlybirds .. .

WSAZ

24.3

Sherwood Forest (Tues, Thurs. 6:00)

-WCHS..

.. .Official

14.5

36

f Lonesome Fiddlers ...

WSAZ

22.8

) Hy Lo Brown.

.WSAZ

14.8

Huckleberry Hound (Mon. 6:00)-

.WCHS..

.. Screen Gems

14.3

36

j Spinach Pl'yh’s, Misc. .

.WSAZ

16.0

( Jim Thacker...

.WSAZ

17.5

Jungle Jim (Mon. 7:00).

.WHTN..

... Screen Gems

14.3

26

William Tell ..

.WSAZ

18.8

Ramar of the Jungle (Sat. 9:30 a.m.).

.WSAZ..

.. ITC

14.3

59

Badge and Bullets ..:..

.WCHS

5.3

Silent Service (Sat. 7:00)....

.WHTN..

... CNP

13.8

SO

Record Hop .

.WCHS

16.8

Stations: KBMB, KFYR. TV Homes:

11,900,

Survey Dates: October

10-30,

i958<

Jeff’s CoUic (Thurs. 8:00).

.KFYR..

...ITC

35.3

55

Little Women .

.KBMB

29J

Danger Is My Business (Tues. 9:30).

.KFYR..

...NPG

31.3

52

Garry Moore ....

.KBMB

29.3

Dr. Christian (Wed. 7:30).

.KBMB..

..Ziv

30.0

51

Keyboard Kapers ......

.KFYR

29.3

San Francisco Beat (Sat. 9:30).

-KBMB..

.. CBS

29.3

55

Brains and Brawn......

.KFYR

24.S

Harbor Command (Wed. 9:30)......

KFYR..

.. .Ziv

26.3

48

Ginger Rogers..

.KBMB

28.5

Highway Patrol (Thurs. 6:30).......

.KFYR.,

.. .Ziv

25.3

61

Glen Cannon...

.KBMB

16.9

Silent Service (Wed. 8:00).........

.KFYR..

.. .CNP

25.3

41

Millionaire ...

.KBMB

37.8

Whirlybirds (Tues. 8:30).*

IKBMB..

.. CBS

24.3

40

Bob Hope.

.KFYR

86.8

Star and the Story (Tues. 6:30).

.KFYR..

.. .Official

23.8

52

Honeymooners.

.KBMB

22.3

Star Performance (Tues. 10:30)....

.KFYR..

...Official

22.8

57

Target ..

.KBMB

17J

Whistler (Sat. 8:30):..

. KBMB..

.. CBS

22.8

39

Lawrence Welk.

.KFYR

36.9

Honeymooners (Tues. 6:30).

.KBMB..

..CBS

22.3

48

Star and the Story.

.KFYR

23.8

Honeymooners (Sat. 8:00)..

.KBMB..

.. CBS

22.3

37.

Lawrence Welk ..

.KFYR

87.3

Cisco Kid (Sun. 5:30)..

.KFYR..

...Ziv

21.8

57

Air Power ..

.KBMB

16J

MacKenzie’s Raiders (Wed. 10:30). -

.KFYR..

.. .Ziv

21.3

57

Polka Party .

.KBMB

15.8

Grand Ole Opry (Thurs. 10:30)....,

-KFYR..

.. .Flamingo

20.7 -

58

Late Show .

.KBMB

15.3

Rescue 8 (Tues. 7:00)...

.KBMB.,

,.. Screen Gems

20.5

37

Eddie Fisher _*.

.KFYR

35.3

Bishop Sheen (Sun. 6:00)..

.KFYR..

., .Propagat’n Soc.

20.3

46

Lassie .‘....

.KBMB

23.8

African Patrol (Sun. 10:45)____

.KFYR.,

.. .Gross-Krasne

19.8

67

Late Show ...

.KBMB

10.0

Janet Dean (Sun. 9:00)....

.KBMB.,

Guild

19.3 ■

37

Red Owl Theatre.......

.KFYR

32.8

i

Deccmlier 17, 19SS-

PTStiSfv

TV'FnJHIS

39-

-TELEPULSE aTY-BY-OTY PROGRAM CHART.

ever the course of a year. Cities will he rotated weekly. The Variety chart is a compilation of data on syndicated films, as well as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands for local programming and the (♦) for network shows.

ST. LOUIS

Sfafions: KMOX, KSD, KTVL TV Homes: 570,000. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1950,

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS AV.

RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30)..KMOX 38.9

2. Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).... .KMOX 32.9

8. Have Gun WDl Travel (Sat. 8:30-9). .KMOX 29-1

3 . Lineup (Fri. 9:00-9:30). .KMOX 29.5

3 . WhaVs My Line (Sun. 9:30-10:00) ... .KMOX 29.5

4 . Phil Silvers (Fri. 8:00-8:30)..KMOX 29.2

5. Gary Moore (Tues. 9:00-10:00)..KMOX 29.0

6. Loretta Youngr (Sun. 9:00-9:30) ..... .KSD 28.9

7. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 8:00-8:30).KMOX 28.5

7. I’ve Got A Secret (Wed. 8:30-9:00).. .KMOX 28.5

7. Red Skelton (Tues. 8:30-9:00)....... KMOX 28.5

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS AV.
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. no O’clock News, (M-F 10:00-10:15).KMOX 18.0

2. tEye On St. Louis (M-F 10:15-10:30) KMOX 14.3

3. tS. S. Popeye (M-F 4:00-4:30). .KMOX 13.3

4 . tLate Show (M-F 10:30-Signofr).KMOX 13.()

5. *Edffe of Niffht (M-F 3:30-4:00).KMOX 12.7

6. te O’clock Report (M-F 6:00-6:15). .KMOX 12.3

7. *CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30)....KMOX 12.0

8. *Brig:hter Day (M-F 8:00-3:15).......KMOX 11.9

8. *Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m:). .KSD 11.9

9. *Secret Storm (M-F 3:15-3:30)..KMOX 11.7

INDIANAPOLIS

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED SHOWS

AV.

AV.

1 TOP COMPETITION

AV.

RK.

PROGRAM—DAY—TIME

STA. DISTRIB.

RTG.

SH.

PROGRAM

STA.

RTG.

1.

Death Valley Days (Sat. 9:30)......

.KMOX...

.U. S. Borax

30.9

58

Brains and Brawn.

.KSD

12.5

2.

Highway Patrol (Thurs. 9:30).

.KSD._

. Ziv

25.7

42

Playhouse 90 ..

.KMOX

24.5

3.

Mike Hammer (Fri. 10:00)...

.KSD.....

.MCA

22.9

51

f 10O’clock News, Wea..

.KMOX

16.7

\ Eye On St. Louis ...

KMOX

14.7

4.

Frontier Doctor (Thurs. 10:00)-

.KSD.

.HTS

21.2

47

) 10 O’clock News, Wea..

KMOX

18.7

( Eye On St. Louis

.KMOX

13.7

5.

Whirlybirds (Tues. 10:00).

.KSD,....

. CBS

18.5

46

f 1() O’clock News, Wea..

.KMOX

17.7

) Eye On St. Louis.

.KMOX

14.0

6.

Harbor Command (Wed. 9:30).

.KSD.

. Ziv

18.2

35

U. S. Steel Hour.

KMOX

24.5

7.

Sea Hunt (Fri. 9:30)..

.KTVI.....

, Ziv

17.9

31

Person To Person.

.KMOX

26.5

8.

State Trooper (Tues. 9:30).

.KSD.... .

.MCA

17.5

32

Garry Moore ...

.KMOX

28.5

9.

U. S. Marshal (Wed. 10:00)..

.KSD.

.NTA

17.2

42

f 10O’clock News, Wea..

KMOX

18.0

1 Eye On St. Louis.....

.KMOX

15.0

10.

Rescue 8 (Mon. 9:30)..

• KSD.

• Screen Gems

16.9

30

All Star Jazz.

.KMOX

23.9

11.

Sheriff of Cochise (Mon. 9:30)......

.KTVI_

NTA

15.5

28

All Star Jazz .

.KMOX

23.9

12.

Annie Dakley (Sat 6:00)..

.KMOX...

.CBS

14.5

47

(Wrangler’s Cart’n Club.KSD

8.7

1 Sammy Gardner .

.KTVI

8.0

13.

Whistler (Mon. 10:00)....

.KSD.

CBS

14.4

37

C lOO’Cilock News, Wea.,

.KMOX

19-0

( Eye On St. Louis.

.KMOX

14.3

14.

Col Flack (Sun. 9:30)..

• KSD.

.CBS

14.2

26

What’s My Line .

.KMOX

29.5

15.

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 4:00) ..

KMOX....

AAP

13.3

51

American Bandstand....

.KTVT

8.4

16.

I Search For Adventure (Thurs. 6:30). KSD--

. Bagnall

12.9

27

I Love Lucy..

.KMOX

17.9

17.

Count of Monte Cristo (Thurs. 9:00)

.KTVI.....

ITC

11.9

18

Groucho Marx.

.KSD

27.9

17.

Jeff’s Collie (Wed. 6:30) .

.KMOX...

.ITC

11.9

23

Wagon Train ...

.KSD

27.9

17.

Stories of the Century (Sun. 8:30).,

.KTVI.....

, HTS

11.9

18

Alfred Hitchcock .

.KMOX

27.9

18.

Patti Page (Thurs. 10:45).

-KSD.

.Screen Gems

11.7

38

Late Show .

KMOX

10.7

Stations: WFBM. WISH. WLW-I, WTTV.

, TV Homes:

189,400.

Survey Dates: October

10-30,

1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).WISH 33.9

2. Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30)...WISH . 32.2

3. Father Knows Best (Mon. 8:30-9:00). .WISH .30.9

4 . Have Gun WiU Travel (Sat. 9:30-10) .WISH 29.2

5. Desilu Playhouse (Mon. 10:00-11:00)..WISH 28.5

6. Jackie Gleason (Fri. 8:30-9:00).WISH 28.2

7. Ann Southern (Mon. 9:30-10:00).WLSH 27.9

8* Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00). WFBM 27.5

9. Perry Mason (Sat. 7:30-8:30)........WISH 27.2

9. Texan (Mon. 8:00-8:30) .WISH 27.2

9. Wagon Train (Wed, 7:30-8:30).WFBM 27.2

1.

2 .

3.

4.

5.

■ 7.
8 .
9.
10 .
11 .

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. *CBS News (M-F 6:45-7:00).WISH 15.0

2. tNews, Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15).WFBM 14.8

3. tNews, Wea. (M-F 6:30-6:45)..WISH 14.5

4 . *As The World Turns (M-F 1:30-2). .WISH 12.6

5. ♦NBC News (M-F 7:15-7:30)...WFBM . 12.2

6. tNews, Wea. (M-F 7:00-7:15)...WFBM 11.7

7. *American Bandstand (M-F 4-5)..... WLW-I 11.6

8. tPopeye (M-F 5:00-6:00).WTTV 11.5

9. *Art Linkletter (M-F 2:30-3:00)_WISH 11.4

10. ♦Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.). .WFBM 11.3

12 .

14.

15.

15.

16.
17.
17.
17.

Highway Patrol (Sat 10:30).

...WISH.:.

.. Ziv

27.0

57

Cimarron City.

... .WFBM

Death Valley Days (Sat 7:00)_

...WISH.;.

..U. S. Borax

24.2

54

Bums & Allen . ..

... .WFBM

Annie Oakley (Sat 6:00).

...WISH...

..CBS

22.9

58

1 Sheena, Queen of Jungle WLW-I

Sea Hunt (Tues. 7:00)..

...WISH...

..Ziv

2L9

44

f News, Wea.

] NBC News.

.. .WFBM
.. .WFBM

Whirlybirds (Mon. 7:00).

...WISH.;.

..CBS

19-9

41

f News. Wea.-,

) NBC News.

...WFBM

...WFBM

Flash Gordon (Sat 1:00).

.. .WFBM..

..Guild

17.9

76

Hockey .

...WISH

Target (Tues. 7:30).

...WISH...

. - Ziv

17.5

32

Sugarfoot .

.. -WLW-I

Official Detective (Tues. 8:00)...

...WISH.,.

..NTA

15.9

27

Sugarfoot .

.. .WLW-I

Flight (Thurs. 7:00)....

.. .WLW-I..

..CNP

15.5

35

N. Y. Confidential...

...WTSH

Sky King (Sat 11:30 a.m.).

...WFBM..

.. Nabisco

14.9

58

Sweet Time -....

...WISH

Badge 7i4 (FrL 7:00)..

...WISH...

..CNP

13.5

33

(News, Wea.

) NBC News.

...WFBM
.. .WFBM

State Trooper (Wed. 10:30).

.. .WFBM..

,. MCA

13.4

32

Ginger Rogers .,,,

...WISH

Roy Rogers (Sat. 12:00 Noon)...

...WFBM..

..MCA

12.7

55

(Heckle & Jeckle...

} Marion Schools ....

.. .WISH
.. - WISH

T\yenty Six Men (Sun, 6:30)-

...WLW-I..

..ABC

12.5

33

Air Power..

...WISH

N. Y. Confidential (Thurs. 7:00).

...wish;..

. .ITC

12.2

27

Flight ..

...WLW-I

Terrytoons (Sat. 11:00 a.m.) ...

...WISH...

.. CBS

12.2

•44

Fury.

...WFBM

Soldiers of Fortune (Sun. 6:00)..

...WLW-I..

..MCA

11.9

39

Movie .

.'..WISH

Dr. Hudson (Mon. 7:30).

... WLW-I-.

. -MCA

11.5

22

Name That Tune ...

.. - WISH

Popeye (Mon.-Fri, 5:00)...

...WTTV:.

.. AAP

11.5

34

Francis Farmer Presents WFBM

Union Pacific (Wed. 7:00)..

...WLW-I..

..CNP

11.5

26

j This Is Alice .

... WISH

10.4

10.9

7.2
11.0
11.7
13.0
13.3

3.9

22.2

20.9
12.2

7.5
11.7
12.0

19.5

10.5

4.5

11.9

15.5

13.9

10.9

24.5

8.2
14.2

WICHITA

Stations: KAKE, KARD, KTYH. TV Homes: 94,200. Survey Dates: October 10-30, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1 . Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).KTVH 40.8

2. Wyatt Earp (Tues. 7:30-8:00).KAKE 35.8

3. Maverick (Sun. 6:30-7:30).KAKE 34.0

4. Real McCoys (Thurs. 7:30-8:00).KAKE 32.3

5. Rifleman (Tues. 8:00-8:30).KAKE 31.3

5. Sugarfoot (Tues, 6:30-7:30).KAKE 31.3

6. Zorro (Thurs. 7:00-7:30).KAKE 30.8

7. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9)..KTVH 30.0

7. Pat Boone (Thurs. 8:00-8:30).KAKE 30.0

8. Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).KTVH 28.3

JOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1 . tNews At 10 (M-F 10:00-10:15).KAKE 21.5

2. ♦Mickey Mouse Club (M,W,F 5:30-6).KAKE 19.4

3. tWea., Man About Sports KAKE 18.8

: (M-F 10:15-10:30).

4. tLittle Rascals (M-F 12:15-12:30)_KAKE 15,7

5. *Adventurc Time (T.Th 5:30-6:00)... KAKE 14.4

e. tlO O’clock News (M-F 10:00-10:15).KARD 14.3

7. *American Bandstand (M-F 4-4:30).'.KAKE 12.8

8. ♦CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30).KTVH 12.0

9. tWea.,. Evening Edition (M-F 6-6:15) . KTVH 11.9

10 , tNightcap News (M-F. 10:00-10:15).. .KTVH 11.8

1 .

3.

4.

5.

6 .

7.

, 7.

7.

8 .

9.

10 .

11 .

13.

13.

14.

14.

15.

16.

.MacKemie’s Raiders (Sat. 9:30).KTVH_Ziv

Sea Hunt (Thurs. 9:00).KAKE.Ziv

Death VaUey Days (Fri. 9:30)...... .KAKE,... U. S. Borax

Whirlybirds (Sun. 9:30) .KARD.CBS

Mike Hammer (Thurs. 9:30).KAKE.....MCA

Highway Patrol (Tues. 9:30)..KARD_Ziv

Annie Oakley (Wed. 6:00).KAKE.>.. CBS

Looney Tunes (Tues. 6:00)..... KAKE_Gufld

O. Henry Playhouse (Sat. 9:30).KAKE_Gross-Krasne

Sky King (Fri. 6:00).KAKE .... Nabisco

Science Fiction Theatre (Fri. 8:30).. KAKE-Ziv

Popeye (Sat. 10:30 a.m.)..KAKE_AAP

Bugs Bunny (Thurs. 6:00).KAKE.... AAP

N. Y. Confidential (Fri. 9:00).KAKE..., ITC

Burns and Allen (Mon. 9:30).KAKE.... Screen Gems

Huckleberry Hound (Thurs. 5:00). *. KAKE..,. Screen Gems

Target (Thurs. 7:00)...KTVH.... .Ziv

Woody Woodpecker (Tues, 5:00).KAKE_Kellogg

Little Rascals (Mon.-Sat. 12:00 Noon).KAKE. . Interstate

Colonel Flack (Wed. 9:30)...KARD ... CBS

25.8

41

O. Henry Playhouse....

• KAKE

19.3

25.3

36

Groucho Marx.

.KARD

23.3

23.3

37

Fred Astaire.

.KARD

22.8

22.3

35

MGM Premiere Theatre.

.KAKE

23.0

21.8

34

Masquerade Party.

-KARD

21.3

19.8

32

77 Sunset Strip .

.KAKE

25 3

19.3

55

1 Evening Edition.

.KTVH

11.0

1 CBS News .

.KTVH

10.5

19.3

49

(Evening Edition.

.KTVH

13.5

] CBS News.

.KTVH

14.0

19.3

31

MacKenzie’s Raiders ...

.KTVH

25.8

18.5

46

(Evening Edition.

.KTVH

14.5

) CBS News ...

.KTVH

14.0

18.3

29

Boxing .

.KARD

23.3

17.9

59

Brave Eagle .

.KTVH

7.3

17.8

51

( Evening Edition.

.KTVH

11.0

) CBS News.

.KTVH

11.5

17.3

28

Fred Astaire .

.KARD

27.3

16.3

29

Hall of Fame.

.KARD

21.5

16.3

52

Hi Fi Hop.

.KTVH

9.7

16.0

26

Zorro .

.KAKE

30.8

16.0

52

Hi Fi Hop.

.KTVH

9.7

15.7

55

(World of Agriculture.

.KARD

9.5

1 Cairtoons .

.KTVH

9.5

14.8

24

Ginger Rogers.

-KTVH

23.8

BAKERSFIELD

. TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS ] 1-

1. ' Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).. .KERO 39.0

2. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9). .KERO 38.3

3. Perry Como (Sat 8:00-9:00)...KERO 36.5

4.... Steve Allen (Sun. 8:00-9:00).........iKERO * 36.3

5. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00)........KERO 34.0

6. Peter Gmm (Mon. 9:00-9:30).KER(J .33.3

7. Jerry Lewis (Sat 9:00-10:00)....... KERO 32.9

8. Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30)..... .KERO 32.3

9. Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 8:30-1)0:00)....KBAK 31.8

10. Dinah Shore (Sun. 9:00-10:00).......KERO 31,6

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. +This Day ’58 (M-F 6:30-7:00)...KERO 21.9

2. tTrading Post (M-F 5:45-6:30).......KERO 19.21

3. *CBS News (M,T,Th,F 6:15-6:30).... .KBAK 18.5

4. tWea. (M,T,Th 6:09-6:15) .KBAK 17.7 :

6. *Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6).. .KBAK • 16.5

6. tMeet Mitchell (M-F 5:00-5:45).KERO 14.9

7. tSpotlight Mov. (M-Th 10:30-Signoff) KERO 14.7

8. tToday Is Ours (M-F 1:00-1:30).KERO 14.1;

9. *Price Is R’ght (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.). .KERO 14.0

10, ♦Truth or Conse. (M-F 12 Nn.-12:30). KERO 13.9

3.

4.

5.
5.

5.

6 .
L
8 .
9.
9.

10 .

11 .

12 .

12 .

13.

14.

15.

16.

SfaHons: KBAK, KERO

TV Homes:

70,800

. Survey Dates: October

10-30,

1958.

Rescue 8 (Wed. 8:30)..

..KERO...

•Screen Gems

33.0

53

I’ve Got A Secret.

.KBAK

29.3

State Trooper (Mon. 9:30).

..KERO...

MCA

31.8

64

Crusader .

.KBAK

17.8

Sea Btent (Tues. 8:30) .... ..

..KERO...

.Ziv

31.0

51

Red Skeleton.

.KBAK

29.3

Badge 714 (Thurs. 7:30).

..KERO...

.CNP

29.8

59

Little Women.

.KBAK-

20.8

Casey Jones (Sun. 6:30)...

..KERO...

Screen Gems

29.3

70

20th Century.

.KBAK

12.5

Jeff’s CoUie (Tues. 7:00).

..KERO...

ITC

29.3

56

Men of Annapolis.

.KBAK

22.8

Mike Hammer (Fri. 8:30)...._

..KERO...

.MCA

29.3

57

Lux Playhouse .

.KBAK

22.3

Big Story (Sat. 7:30).....

..KERO...

.Flamingo

28.3

58

Wanted—^Dead or Alive.

.KBAK

20.8

Cowboy-G Men (Sat. 6:00).

..KERO...

.Flamingo

28.0

70

Wild BiU Hickok .

.KBAK

11.8

.. KERO...

.Ziv

27.3

52

To Tell The Truth.

.KBAK

25.0

All Star Theatre (Mon. 10:00)....

..KERO..,

•Screen Gems

25.8

62

Lawman ..

.KBAK

15.8

Decoy (FrL 8:00).

..KERO...

•Official

25.8

47

Phil Silvers .

.KBAK

29.0

Charlie Chan (Thurs. 7:00)...

..KERO...

ITC

25.5

50

December Bride .

.KBAK

25.3

Medin (Sun O’SO) r ...

. . KBAK...

, CNP

25.3

46

Dinah Shore .

.KERO

29.3

Boots and Saddles (Tues. 8:00)...

..KERO...

.CNP

24.8

46

•Arthur Godfrey.

.KBAK

29.3

Gray Ghost (Sun. 9:00)...

..kbaK...

CBS

24,8 ^

42

Dinah Shore..

.KERO

34.0

Sheriff of Cochise (Mon. 7:30)....

..KERO...

.NTA

23.3

48

Father Knows Best.....

.KBAK

24.8

Men of Annapolis CTues. 7:00)...

..KBAK...

, Ziv

22.8

44

Jeff’s Collie.

.KERO

29.3

Union Pacific (Thurs. 1():30) .

.. KBAK...

CNP

21.8

54

Spotlight Movie .

KERO

18.3

Huckleberry Hound (Wed. 7:00)..

..KBAK...

Screen Gems

21.5

42

Texas Rangers.

.KERO

29.3

■y«ihrM.a«y.- PawaAer 17, 1958

WedniudMjy Dmmlier 17 , 195 S

PSSdSff

DiPciiMAcr 17^

P^SSSBff

P^ftTY-nVil FEATURE CHART

Vahikty^s w&ekly chart, hosed on ratings furnished hy Pulse^s latest repc^ on to such factors as fh§ tims and day, fha hlyh and low ratVngs for iho measured
feature films and their competition covers 155 markets. Each' week, two different feature period and share of audience^ Ainc« these factors reflect the effectiveness
markets will be listed, vfith the 10 top rated features tabulated. The tabulation excludes of the feature and audience compositUm, i.e., a late show at 11:15 p.m. would hardly
features, and their ratings, telecast up to 6 p.m. during the midweek. Their exclusion have any children viewers, but its share of audience may reflect dominance in ihtd
is dictated by Pulse*s method of reflecting daytime midweek rating data. time period. In the cities where stations acU their feature programming on a multi

Factors which would assist distfibutors, agencies, stations and advertisers in stripped bas« utilising the same theatrical throughout the week a total rating for^the
determining the effectiveness of a feature show in a specific market have been total number of showings for the week is given, the total rating not taking into^acd^t
included in this Variety chart. Listed below is such pertinent information regarding the. duplicated homes factor. Barring Unscheduled switches in titles the listed features
features as their stars, release year, original production company and the present for the particularly rated theatnial filmed show are as accurate as could be ascer-
distributor included wherever possible along uith the title. Attention ^ould be paid tained. Under Time Slot, S. O. stands for Sign-Off.

ST. LOUIS

Stations: KMOX, KSD. KTYI.

TV Homes:

570,000. Survey Dates: November 2-15,

1958.

PULSE

AVERAGE

AVERAGE

AV.

TOP 10 FEATURE FILMS

RUN

TIME SLOT

BATING

HIGH

LOW

SHARE

TOP COMPETITION

STATION RATINGS

L “BOOM TOWN”—

1st Run

1st Rim Theatre

18.4

21.0

14.7

53

Man Without a Gun.....

..KSD.

...15.0

Clark Gable, Claudette

Sat. Nov. 8

Saturday Double Feature—

Colbert, SpencCT Tracy;

10:15 p.m.-S.O.

“Forever Amber” (Repeat).

..KSD..

.. .10.1

MGM; 1940; MGM-TV

KMOX

2, “THE LETTER”—

1st Run

Late Show

15.6

18.0

13.3

59

Channel 2 Theatre—

Bette Davis, Herbert

Fri. Nov. 7

“The Tall Lie" (1st Run)..

..KTVI ......

... 5.7

Marshall, James Stephenson;

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Warner Bros.; 1940; AAP

KMOX

3. “CASS TIMBEB LANE”—

. Repeat

Late Show

14.9

16.7

12.7

48

News, Weather.

..KSD.

...11.3

Spencer Tracy, Lana

Mon. Nov. 10

Dr. Cylvia Sorkln.

..KSD.

... 8.7

Turner, Zachary Scott;

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Jack Paar Show.......

..KSD .......

... 8.9

MGM; 1947; MGM-TV

■KMOX

4. “MB. MOTO TAKES A CHANCE”—

1st Run

Saturday Early Show

14.8

15.3

14.3

53

Movie— “Captain

Peter Lorre,

Sat. Nov. 8

January” (Repeat)-.

..KSD.

... 8.0

Rochelle Hudson;

5:00-6:00 p.m.

20th Century Fox; 1940; NTA

KMOX

5. “BATAAN”—

Repeat

Late Show

13.6

16.0

11-7

54

News, Weather.

..KSD .......

...10.7

Robert Taylor, George

Tues. Nov. 11

TDon Faurot.....

..KSD .......

... 8.3

Murphy, Thomas Mitchell;

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Jack Paar Show.

..KSD.

... 7.3

MGM; 1943; MGM-TV

KMOX

6. “BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE”—

Repeat

Request Performance

13.4

15.3

11.7

40

Football—

Linda Darnell,

Sun. Nov. 9

Greenbay vs. Chicago.

..KMOX.

...14.0

Robert Newton;

2:30-4:30 p.m.

Omnibus .•..

..KSD.

...10.2

RKO; 1952; C&C

KTVI

7. “HIGH WALL”—

1st Run

Late Show

11.9

14.3

9.3

38

News, Weather.

..KSD.

...13.3

Robert Taylor, Audrey

Wed. Nov. 5

Charlotte Peters............

..KSD.

...123

Totter, Herbert Marshall;

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Jack Paar Show..

..KSD..

...13.9

MGM; 1947;- MGM-TV

KMOX

8. “FOREVER AMBER”-

Repeat

Saturday Double

10.1

11.0

9.3

30

1st Run Theatre—

Linda Darnell, Cornel

Feature

“Boom Town” (1st Run)...

..KMOX.

...18.1

Wilde; Richard Greene;

Sat. Nov. 8

20th Century Fox; 1947; NTA

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

KSD

9. “CHEYENNE KID”—

1st Run

Gun Fighters

9.2

9.7

8.7

28

Football—

Tom Keene,

Sun. Nov. 9

Greenbay vs. Chicago.

..KMOX..

... 15.8

Mary Mason;

1:30-2:30 p.m.

RKO; 1940; C&C

KTVI

10. “ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY”-^

1st Run

Late Show

9.1

12.0

6.7

35

News, Weather..•.

..KSD..

...14.0

Susan Peters, Signe Hasso,

Thurs. Nov. 6

Patti Page.

..KSD..

...11.7

Jean Pierre Aumont;

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Jack Paar Show.

..KSD.

... 7.6

MGM; 1943; MGM-TV

KMOX

>

CLEVELAND

Stations: KYW,

WEWS. WJW.

TV Homes:

484,100. Survey Dates: November 5-12,

1958.

1. ‘‘CAPTAIN JANUARY’*—

Shirley Temple, Guy Kibbee,

Slim Summerville;

20th Century Fox; 1936; NTA

2. “THE GREAT ZIEGFELlj*^—
William Powell, Myma

Loy, Luise Rainer;

MGM; 1936; MGM-TV

S. “THEY WERE EXPENDABLE”—
PART I

John Wajme, Robert
Montgomery', Donna Reed;

MGM; 1945; MGM-TV

4 . “HIGH BARBAREE”—

Van Johnson, June
Allyson, Thomas Mitchell;

MGM; 1947; MGM-TV

5. “TUMBLING TUMBLEWEED”—
Republic; 1935; MCA

6. “BELLY THE KID”—
Robert Taylor, Brian
Donlevy, Gene ^Lockhart;
MGM; 1941; MGM-TV

6. “BOY’S TOWN”—

Spencer Tracy, Mickey
Rooney, Gene Reynolds;

MGM; 1938; MGM-TV

7. “A GUY NAMED JOE”—

Spencer Tracy, Van
Johnson, Irene Dunn;

MGM; 1944; MGM-TV

8. “THEY WERE EXPENDABLE”-^

PAR'PH

John Wayne, Robert
Montgomery, Donna Reed;

MGM; 1945; MGM-TV

9. “ACTION IN THE NORTH

ATLANTIC”—

Humphrey Bogart, Raymond
Massey, Alan Hale;

Warner Bros.; 1943; AAP

1st Run.

Shirley Temple
Theatre

Sun. Nov. 9
3:00-4:30 p.m.

WEWS

22.3

24.7

18-7

1st Run

Academy Award
Theatre

Sun. Nov. 9

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

KYW

18.9

22.3

15.3

Repeat

Early Show.

Thurs. Nov. 6
5:45-7:20 p.m.

KYW

17.9

19-0

15.9

Repeat

Early Show
Tues.Nqv. .IL
5:45-7:20 p.m.'

' KYW

17:5

. 18.3

: 15.9

Repeat

Saturday Matinee

Sat. Nov. 8

4:00-5:00 p.m.

KYW

16.5

18.0

. - i5j

Repeat

Early Show

Wed. Nov. 5

5:45-7:20 p.m.

KYW

,15.8

15.9

14.7‘

Repeat

Early Show

Mon. Nov. 10
5:45-7:20 p.m.

KYW

15.3

16.3

14.3

Repeat

Sunday Playhouse

Sun. Nov. 9

1:00-3:30 p.m.

KYW

14.3

15.7

11.7

Repeat

Early Show

Fri. Nov. 7

5:45-7:20 p.m.

KYW

13.4

16.7

15.7

1st Run^

Premiere Theatre

Sat. Nov. 8

13.0

V

15.0

11.3

11:26 p.m.-S.O.
WJW

68 Simday Playhouse—“A Guy

Named Joe” (Repeat).

-KYW _

Small World.

.WJW

Ted Mack Amateur Hour.

.WJW ....

47

What’s My Line.

.WJW .....

.20.2

Sunday News Final.

Regal Theatre—“The

.WJW .....

.13.7

Fountainhead” (1st Ru.n)....

.WJW .

47

Adventure Time..

Big Show—“Each Dawn

.WEWS ....

I Die” (1st Run).

.WJW .

.10.7

News—Tom Field, Weather...

.WEWS ....

-11.3

If You Had a Million.

.WEWS ....

.....12.0

47

. Adventure Time...

Big Show—^“Blackwell’s

.WEWS ....

- 9.8

Island” (1st Run) _____

.WJW .

. = Highlights of the News.

.WEWS ....

News—^Tom Field, Weather...

.WEWS ....

.10.7

52

City Camera;......

Weekehd With the Stars—

.WJW .

.10.7

“Tars and Spars” ,(Repeat).

.WEWS ...,

43

Mickey Mouse Club..

Big Show—“Little

.WEWS ....

_12-5

Caeser” (1st Run)_•...

.WJW _

....10,5

Highlights of the News-...

.WEWS ...

News—Tom Field, Weather...

.WEWS ...

....11-7

City Camera..

.WJW _

....11.7

43

Mickey Mouse Club..

Big Show—“Black

.WEWS ...

..:.12.5

Legion” (1st Run).

.WJW ....

....11.0

Bishop Sheen... •.

.WEWS ...

....11.3

43

Frank Yankovic.

.WEWS ...

_13.3

Family Theatre..............

.WJW ....

- 8.9

Kit Carson...

Sfilrley Temple Movie—

.WEWS ...'

.... 7.9

“Captain January” (1st Run)

. WEWS ...

39

Mickey Mouse Club,.. •.

.WEWS ...

_12.5

Men of Adventure..

.WEWS ...

.... 9.2

Highlights of the News___

-WEWS ...

News—^Tom Field, Weather...

.WEWS ...

_12.3

41

Little Rascals.

Best of Hollywood—“White

-WEWS ...

-13.0

Cliffs of Dover” (Repeat)..

.KYW .

..MO.l

^ednesda^, December 17, 1958

P^Sro^

KYwaevelaad

lk':ints VVeiiti, McBih
moving in ... live

hi

' <.x ^ ^ i

Wf^TV i

KDKA l*ittsNii^

■^.»«»rt*nv<OHa-»? aifnMfXfWK-tMiWft l»t

What

makes

eleven

firsts?

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Tomrav Hunter into
1.2r)3XM)0 homes

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WW Boston

>cpvtt*v(

Ratings!. Sales. Showmanship. A community's belief in a station. The people behind the
mikes and the cameras. The people behind the desks. These are some of the reasons why
Westinghouse Broadcasting CJompany stations a^ leaders in their markets. Beyond thesej and
basic to the operation of each station, is the WBC business creeds a point of view and a policy oni

LOCAL OPERATION ... to assure intimate knowledge of local tastes and problems so that
programming can best serve local needs. GROUP ASSISTANCE ... to maintain high
creative standards through the inter-change of ideas among the stations and the
corporate staff of broadcasting specialists. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ... to participate
actively and effectively in civic affairs. PUBLIC SERVICE ... to develop the same creative
attention and showmanship to public service as required for all programming.

PAHl COMPETITION ... to sell aggressively, offering fair and identical terms — as published—
to everybody, guaranteeing the quality and integrity of our product to all advertisers.

In short... a continued dedication by management, staff and talent to advancing the techniques
and standards of broadcasting as dynamic instruments for educating, entertaining and
selling. Broadcaating is most effective on stations that have earned the respect and confidence
of the communities they serve.

© 0 © Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc.

44

aABIOf-TEURYISIOlV

PSRiffrr

'Wednesday, December 17, 1958

Hayes Re CBS Radio

; Contianed from pase'25 ^

PCP. We expect^to have 200 after
the contracts are all in/’

‘Can Go On Forever*

Both Hayes and John Karol, veep
in charge of network sales for CBS
Eadio, believe they can stay in
business forever and so can the
affiliat es under the new system.
Nor have they ever lost sight pf
CBS prexy Frank Stanton’s obser¬
vation made at the affiliates’ meet¬
ing three years ago when the chief-i
tain remarked: “We all have con¬
fidence in radio’s future.”

“Of course, wd have confidence,
more than ever,” Hayes said. “First
of all, our owned-and-operated sta¬
tions are going ahead just like
most stations are doing. As far as
the network is concerned, PCP
was put together to build a new
confidence in the business of net¬
work radio by setting up a firm
financial base for both the network
and affiliates. There is only one
Way a network can exist-^-and that
Is profitably.”

Hayes was confident PCP would
end up with the network making
money and consequently continu¬
ing for a long time. CBS Radio
network has been losing several
million dollars yearly since 1954.
“We have been losing at the rate
of a few million dollars a year,”
Hayes said, adding with emphasis
that “so has every other network,
some losing more than we have.”
But PCP will make network radio
pay, Hayes reiterated. To the ques--}
tion will CBS Radio’s revenue top
or fall below the corresponding
q)eriod in 1957, Hayes said the net¬
work was about even with last year.

To look to Congress or the FCC
for a solution to radio network
problems is to conduct a latter-day
rain dance, Hayes said. The prob¬
lem of network radio is not a regu¬
latory one, but a simple matter of
economics, he added. “CBS Radio
alone has the. prograin strength,
-after 10 years of tv, to institute a
revolutionary'measure such as PCP
which will provide i new economic
base for radio netwwk—and in¬

deed a profitable one for aH con*
cemed,” he said.

Both Hayes and Karol .are cer¬
tain that as far as station clear¬
ances, a thgrny problem iu net¬
work radio, are .concerned, PCP
will solve this because under the
new plan the vexing clearance
problem will virtually vanish. CBS
Radio execs and their colleagues
also pooh-poohed NBC board chair¬
man Bob Samoff’s recent letter to
tv editors in which the latter im-
p^ed that CBS Radio was ' of a
‘defeatist’ mind about the future
of radio.

“We think that ‘defeatist’ is best
defined by just sitting still and
doing nothing when times are
tough,” Hayes said. "We believe
that by the positive steps we have
taken, we have shown real con¬
fidence in the future of the medi-
mn. As we recall the Samoff piece,
some reference was made to not
belnff concerned about ratings. If
we.had 4heii: Ratings, we really
.Wou)d be concerned! Because, as
we keep pointing oiit, whether you
take Nielsen or Pidse—^ere is
just no contest between CBS Radio
.and othtf rietworlcs.” .

CBS Radio reports advertisers
as enthusiastic over P^ and what
it offers them. Three major adver¬
tisers have Teportedly. si^ed for
the coming year with billings that
will top three million dollars year¬
ly. These advertisers are said to be
Stewart-Warner, Bristol-Myers and
Lewis-Howe. More such sales will
most likely he announced through¬
out the winter, Karol said.

NBC Radio’s assertion that it
was responsible for bringing back
the major advertisers is regarded
with considerable skepticism at
CBS. CBS Radio cited such ex¬
amples to' disprove NBC Radio’s
claims: The Lever Bros, account
was brought back to network radio
by CBS and not by NBC. It was
the result of many months of re¬
search and sales effort with both
the account and . its several agen¬
cies. Lever Bros, currently has a
schedule of 22 daytime serM imits
on CBS Radio; General Foods- is

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TONI ARDEN'S FUTURE ROORlNeS:

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For Decco:

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Bookings: WHlMm Morris Ag^y

currently on both CBS and NBC
but spending about 13% more
weekly on the former; American
Home Foods has beeh an exclu¬
sive CBS Radio account during
1958; Standard Brands was
brought back to network radio by
CBS and is currently spending
over a million dollars each year
for Godfrey, etc; General Motors
which has over 91% of its network
radio biz on CBS Radio; Bristol-
Myers biz for 1959 is more than
double that signed up by NBC for
this account; R. J. Reynolds is said
to be investing its bulk of radio
network dollars on CBS Radio in
20 programs per week These and
others, according to CBS Radio,
have been and will continue to
put most their eggs in the CBS
basket. Karol also pointed out
that among other important ad¬
vertisers oh toe network on an
exclusive basis are General Elec¬
tric, Nationwide Insurance Co.,
Tetley Tea, Delco, Chevrolet,
Texaco, Kitchens of Sara Lee.

Sales staffers at CBS Radio em¬
phasize that it is such accounts as
General Motors, Standard Brands,
Wrigley, Lever Bros., R. j. Rey¬
nolds, P. Lorillard aixd Campbell
Soup who spend substantial
amounts on re^^ month-in-ahd-
monto-out basis, they are trying
to attract and to hold. It is with
this type of account that CBS
Radio rests the future of nfetwork
radio “rather than the nits and
gnats of two and three-week orders
and special announcement cam¬
paigns.

Pubaffairs Plans

Irving Gitlin, director of the
Public Affairs Dept, of CBS News,
said his radio staff was hip-deep
in rambunctious, provocative pro¬
gramming plans for toe radio'web.
Gitlin said CBS Radio’s Unit One
sequels to Galindez-Murphy, Who
Killed Michael Farmer, et al, would
be of unending interest to listen¬
ers..

A mid-January date will be
found to transmit a frank and
factual report slugged “The Busi¬
ness of Sex,” a documentary on
the role and use of the call girl
in our expense-account society.
George Vicas will produce the
documentary and working with' him
will be Madeline Karr and Bill
Geib using actual tape-recorded
interview techniques which gave
previous CBS Unit One shows such
impact.

Additionally, the web will -offer
deep-probe treatment of the
manifold problems of alcohlism;
a looksee at what CBS Radio
describes as the “scandal of civil
defense”; a special In February
entitled “Hiroshima Revisited,”- a
documenta^ study of a city risen
from atomic ashes and “The World
of the Doctor,” which Will xeport
in a crossrthe-board series on such
new dev^pments as space medi¬
cine, crisis in medical schools, ad¬
vance in medical education, public
health, individual health insurance,
geriatrics, psychiatry, virology and,
yes, cures for-baldness. Gitlin’s
crew is also pursuing .two secret in¬
vestigations Which he . said was
loaded with dynamite and will
have the editorial zing of the Gal¬
indez-Murphy and Michael Farmer
documentaries.

CBS Radio is as cocky as a ban¬
tamweight about to deliver a' haj-
maker on its Opponent? and pro¬
claims that its retooling will-initose
mUtown sparkle and sbiniag shek¬
els in its AM broadcasting coffers.

Wallace

; Continued ftom page 25

up were members of the CP, but
they’re the top ones,

Wallace added thaf tv news lii
Leningrad was'so emasculated that
it only broadcasts On an'alternate
day basis. It plans hpwev^*tb:,o|^
fer daily tv newscasts starting next
month. The emphasis, obviously, is-
on radio news and all Russian
broadcasters freely admit that-xa-
dio is regarded as-toe-favorite news
medium with tv as supplementary,
as of today. There are 350^000 -tv
receivers iu Leningrad, fae’ pmd..

- 130 Rubles Per'Mtnvie
Advertising:'" Oh . Leningi^’s’ .tr|
outlet appears to be successfuL
Wallace said. The charge is 130
rubles per minute for stpifeil and
other producing orgariizatidns; Six¬
ty-five rubles a minute for educar
tional institutions, theatres, ete.
Moscow TV charges .200 tUbles; a
minute for siimlar tj^e anhoimpe-
ments.

. When Wallace asked hovr itoey

Inside Stitf-Ra£o-TV

Easterners now going through biting cold weather will evidently
appreciate CBS newsman Sam Zelman’s memo to Mac Johnson, assist¬
ant director of CBS News. ItHioncerns Zelman’s assignment to cover
the recent Alaska general elefctlon, Zelman, a Californian, left Los
Angeles in 84-degree weather with a cold-weather wardrobe rented
from toe Western Qostaime Co. of Hollywood. Next morning oh arrival
in Anchorage toe temperature was 12 below,

Zelman got off the plane wearing everything but the suitcase.
His cameraman. Merle Severn, shot a rally at below witjL biis parka
removed. Zelman learned later in the intimacy of a heatetf .Rplcl room
that Severn’s secret was thermal undeifSvear, a latter-day development
not listed', in Western Costume’s catalog. Severn also would like to
challenge any CBS Newsfilm cameraman to an Aiuricon threading con¬
test wearing fur-lined mittens.- . . i

Zelman also delivered himself of a piece of intelligence for expense¬
conscious correspondents. He said if you’re ever marooned by weather
for an extended period in Alaska and you tun out of dough, don’t wor¬
ry about writing bad checks. The cheeks, Zelman said, can’t get out
any faster than you can, _

Chicago Daily News first-stringer Terry Turner didn’t get to review
last Thursday’s (11) ‘^Playhouse 90,” “Seven Against the Wall.” The
assignment went instead to a staffer better qualified, to audit toe doc¬
umentary, reporter Horton Trautman, who had covered the actual St.
Valentine’s Day Massacre as a news story 29 years ago, when he was
legging it for Chi City News Bureau.

In his review, Trautman appraised toe CBS-'TV version as well-doc¬
umented, and he found the event as melodramatic the second time as
it was the first. But, he said, .‘^e first was more exciting.”

WLIB, N.Y., win cancel Its “Jewish Family Hour” program on
Christmas Day and extend the “Voice of Free Poland” program by
45 minutes that day. The PolisH program wiH.be augmented by special
Yuletide programming.

Similarly, on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holl^y, the Polish program
will be canceUed and the Jewish program expanded to include the
preceding hour. '

Illness prevented Abba Eban, Israeli ambassador to U.5., from ap¬
pearing on David Susskinti’s “Open End” last night (Tues.) over
WNTA-TV. Instead, Mike Wallace, Ralph Cohn and Jerry Danzig, re¬
cent State Dept, delegates to Russia for a looksee at radio-tv, appeared
on Susskind’s .powwower.

Henry Ushijima, y.p. of Jolm Colburn Associates film studio, was
elected prez of Chicago Unlimited,' an organization whose purpose
is to promote video production in Chi. ABC’s Don McNeill was elected
vice prez, Rusti Francisco secretary, and Jack Russell treasurer.
Eighteen of last year’s 32 board members are new.

National Guard Bureau is reactivating its radio-tv operation, and as
its first project has set “Hollywood Salutes toe National^aird” as a
one-hour radio musical to air on stations across the country Feb. 22.
Artie Wayne, Coast singer-composer, has been, set to ^produce the
show. Col. James R. Conner, National Guard Bureau’s chief inf orm^,
tion officer, spent laH week in Hollywood conferring on additional
radio and tv projects.

made. They presented for example
a six-minute commercial for a fab¬
ric sale and the ad was repeated,
so it must have been successful,
the USSR broadcasters figured.
But the Russians, it appeared, did
not wish this type of advertising
described as commerciaL They pre¬
ferred to label it information, the
object being “not only to help the
store, hut to help ‘ people find
where to buy.”

Wallace was' impressed with the
Moscow TV Dramatic ]^pt. which
presents some 48 plays a year
each running anywhere from one-
and-a-half to two-hours in length:
Four plays a' month are offers,
80% studio originated, tiie re¬
mainder from theatres. Moscow TV
buys out every seat in the house
where it does a theatre r^ote.
Themes of tv dramatic produc¬
tions usually concern themselves
with fictional accounts of modern
heroes, the fight for peace and last¬
ly pure entertainment. The modem
hero series is evidently most pop¬
ular, Wallace .was told.

. Liferary programs on Moscow
TV are also popular with viewers,
notably those programs offering
rwitatibhs by poets or interviews
with authors.- Another cultural tv
feature commanding respect among
USSR^ broadcasters is “Art,” a
magarine-typg roundup appraisal
of all the arts except tv. This is
a once-a-month, hour-long looksee
at literature, music, painting, ra¬
dio and cinema^.

There are no tv critics, per s^,
on Russian newspapers, but most
dailies-and filagatines do criticize
plays. Bylines are few, if any, on
such reviews. Criticism of tv pro¬
ductions it must he said is on the
severe side, Wallace gathered.

In addition to preparing a for¬
mal report to-the State Dept, on
[the. journey Wallace and his co-
delegates made to the USSR, the
ABC broadcaster and pfoducer is
ireadyjpg'’Several newspaper and
magazine. j>ieces on his total reac¬
tions-to USSR broadcasting.

He’s working on a piece about
Dimtry Chesnokpv, the USSR head
of radio-tv,: comparable to thts-Sar^
noff-Stanton status. In this country,
for the Sunday mag section of the
N.Y, Times. . Chesnokov, according
to Wallace, could be described as
the most powerful broadcasting
exec in the world, . .

Wallace was accbmpanled on, Ma
pscQw^ trip and ptherEurMieam

NBC Folds Trayd DepL

NBC is dropping Its travel dept.
This is the unit, that arranged for
transporation facilities for network
personnel.

Henceforth all such arrange¬
ments. will be made via an outside
^gency. ^

Mgt, WiHiom Ammcf

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46

RABIO-TBEEVISION

WcflHea^jy Dtoen^r 17, 1958

kn T¥ Kxmm

i CdBtInTMd tcoiil 3S -i

terview with Miss Soederbaum
and Holt, then one with a moppet,
and finally a brief shooting scene
of tearjerking^ kind round np the
first chapter of this show. (Director
Harlan is never seen at this occa¬
sion.) Next chapter dedicates itself
to “Majesty On Sideways,” H. A.
Stemmle‘s filmization of Sinclair
Lewis’ “Let Us Play King” at
UFA'S Tempelhof studios. A nar¬
rator takes much pains to stimu¬
late interest in this feature. This
chapter is much too long.

Also at UFA, we see Alfred
Weidenmann directing “As Long
as the Heart Beats.” Here at last
a scene (with O. E. Hasse and
Heidemarie Hatheyer) which com¬
mands some attention. Good acting
on the part of both. For a change
of pace, the viewer is then taken to
Filmbuehne Wien at which the
full-length documentary “Dream
Hoad of the World” has still a
succeisful nm. Producer-director-
cameraman Hans Domnick is seen
being handed the Gold Medal of
the Italian State President by some
Italian for’this alleged extraordi¬
nary film. Then out to the CCG
studios. Reitz Lang is directing;
here “Tigiesr of Eschnapur’r witii-
Hollywood's Debra Paget in the
lead. An adventure scene with her
and Pard Hubschmid (in ]^Ily-
wood: Pani Christian) is shown.
Op same ccanpoimd, Rudy Mate is
directing the Mario Zianza pic, “For
the First Time^” for Metro release.
Zsa Zsa Gabor does her zanies,

Lea^fhe

Race

inRbrket

aiier Mark^l

German actor Hans Soehaker has
a few compliments for the great
Mario, and that's that Rounding
up this 45-minute program are
some exteriors of “The Iron Gus¬
tav” with Heinz Ruehmann in the-
title role. These scenes (of stereo¬
type nature) are also not exactly
on the interest-stimulating side. So
alt in an, only a mediocre video
contribution to the local film
scene. Hans.

MRS. DOT

With Phyllis Calvert, David Oxley,
Colin Gordon, Harvey Hall, Ellen
Pollock, Barbara Brown, *Joyce
Baxhour, Clive Doan, others.
Writers W. Somerset Maugham
Director: Robert Tronson
99 Mins., Wed., 8:30 pjn.
Asoodat^-Bediffosion, front Lon¬
don.

In a recorded prolog to this As-
sociated-Rediffusion presentation
of his comedy, “Mrs. Dot,” W.
Somerset Maugham admitted hav^
Ibg written it to a formula which
he-believed was most likely to? swc^
.cee<k . In the^ ^ years wMeh
<haver passed' i^ce the pie^ was
first ^ged at Londoti^s Comedj^
'Theatre, Maughmn^s fod'hnil^ seems
to have weatteri^ welt witit the
resxdt- that its- W sd^ptation pro^
vided 90 minutes of pleasurably
witty ent^tainment.

Much credit for this success'goes
to director Robert Tronson who
kept the play running along snap¬
pier and with the right touch. The
cast too, headed by Phyllis Calvert
in the title role, entered exceUentr
ly into the spirit of -the piece.
Especially notable performances
were providedMiss GJalvert and
Colin Gordon (Jsunes Blenkinsop,
the dry humored: weH-to-db eccen-
tric).

^ Theme of “Mrs. .Sot,” which Is
typical Edwardian farce, illustrates
-how a wealthy, light-heKfed
widow, through ^ series: Of comical
mate, fulfils her aihi to marry Ger¬
ald Halstane (David Oxley), whe
returns , her loye but is unforta-
nately already ehg^ed. fiKrit

Shits Trooper...

Hooeymooners..„

S B ant Service...

see Hunt...........

..19:5

..19.5

,..Ii5

..IL7

Harbor Command .-

Sheriff C:6chisa:..

Highway PatroT.

SateTrooper..

ARB,

Asril,

1^8

MIMEMfT PMESTPN..

WhH^nts.

sea Hunt...

Highway Patrol.

Gitent Service. .

..43Jri

..34.4:1

..29.9

-.29.11

PREST0H.....31,a

Highway PafroT.29.5

SSent Service.293:

State Trooper.27.9

See Hunt.. 19.9

FPIKSTOM..

I Honeymoonera.

I sea Hunt...

iHt^wey Patrol.

(Sient Service.

ARB.

March,

195S

SENGEAHTPItESTON.... ,44A

Harbor Command.*.43,8

Highway Patrol...J_41.9

Sheriff of Cochise....35.9

See Hunt...913

IM DE F EM D EKT

TEf^EViatait

CORFORATIOM

488 ILn22-

Haslam had to reconstruct part of!
Ihw wrecl^ subway in. tfiw atudiO
and hs did « standout job in creat¬
ing an authentic and forbidding
atoosphere. Rtclu

BEKfASBETTE SOUNtOCB
WUk fiiaiT Webster, ffilda Gamp^
beU, Fanline Keenv Bosemarie
And^Km, David PeeL John
. Welsh, SGchael Saunders, Margot
Tan der BOrgh,: George fibireell,-
Helen Misener, Leoniud Sacbs,
Austin 'Lrevor,. Katbleen Wfl-
lianur,. Sally Miles, Bee Dnffell,
Douglas Wilmer, David Langtmi,
Margaretta Scert^ Maureen
O'Beilly,. Beryl Measor> Howard
Lamb, Ered Johnson, Edna
Petrie, Derek Bircb^ Peter
Steplms, William Mervyn,
-Cbarlea Lloyd Pack, Nona Davey,
Alice Bowes, Madge Brindley,
Noel Coleman, Ivy Croucher,
Margaret Dale, Paul Gamer,
Eugene Leady, Jean Sennle,
Irene Biebniond,f Gerry Yale,
Edward Wade
Writer: Bfichael Voysey
ftnduen: Chloe Gibson
99 M&m.„ Son, 9 p.m.

BBC-TYp; from London
It would be expected that with
a widely read novel and a Hally-
wood picture (Song of Bernadette)
which dealt with the eventa learf^
leg up to mid follawihg. the vishm-:
ary appearance of the Yirghi Maty
ib^re Bernadette SoubrOus^ at
Lotirdes in .1858,;a new method of
rdathig this remarkable story
would have been devised .for its
television, presentation. Writer
IVIichaei Voysey has^ however; done I
little more Han present the- faeis
in chronologtcal brdi^. - . |

His diahig s^dbm moving
and was, in. the main, colorless, and ‘
nnin^irkigv Rroduction by Chloe I
Gibson did little to help bring the
piece ter life and was often uneven.
The large cast was littie more than
adequate, though; Mary Webster in
the title displayed: her' t^ent
and understan^g dt the part
One of the faidts with Voysey's'
.pl^ was ths^ he tried tn pack toe:
imuHc.hifp Hte-plbt Action becamf:
Mvolved fflod the natural warn^b:-
of He story was dost Bdrp.'

UNBEBGXOillND
Wtii I

CrUicksbank, Giaretk___

tzieiB- Jessel, -Warr» MBehcfl;
lau Gurry, Edward Deuttfik;
Peter Bowies, LaiUMe Maraaebal,.
others

Writer: James Forsytii: (&«m\ Har^
old Bain's novel)

Producer : Syd ney New3aiau
Director; WaUaaK KotiehelF
65 HOns. Snu^ t3f) 163 pnu
ABC-TT,. frmn Muebester

Criticism of this grim hour Is
largely disanned' by the tragic fact;
Gareth Jone^ one of the prineq^
performers, died of a heart attack.]
during the^second interval ^ the
performance. The rest o£ the: east
covered up ly adrRbbmg; and it hi
to their crexiit that viewes wert|
unaware -of this improvisatibn.
However,, it is a. measure cd the
confusion of *'UndergroHn<f'' that
this was possible. Even in. the first
two acts the dialog was confusing
and it was not clear what the
anthon was driving at. “Under¬
ground” was an obvious case of
there being insufficient time for
the tlieme to be developed logicaL
ly, and’ none of the characters had
elbow-room to develop.

The yam concerns people
trapped for 20 days in Lemdon’s
subway following a mysterious ex¬
plosion which the survivors take
to be an H-Bomb, Five of them
struggle through the debris and
the main party of 100. Three
men ^ve taken tolsdifariaa controf
of His group and are running the
sacvival paity on ecmeentrafioa:
camp hnes. The clash between the
hero, a yo«^ man cmitemplatiiig
snicks because of the futidity of
Ms and the dictator k He crux

of He affair Init it-comes too late
to save the play dramatically. The
young man,, j^yedi With stmibre
gloom by Donald Houston, comes
to realize that survival is not Im¬
portant but hovx a man sxnvives is.

Taken as a straight thriller there
was little, to commend in “Under¬
ground.” But regarded as an alie-
gracy, with the tradbed people rep-
rraenting He wcarld strug^tog for
st^Fvival jgMnst the horrors of He
HBcMnl^ Here was some food for
but the message wae not
pot over wiH sufficient ponch or
cliin(y..;jHdEr«r C^mtdisfaank gave
a stroitg p^onnknee as the dictate'
for and I^iricia Jessei was oftoi
touching as the nurse. But the act¬
ing lagged a long way behind WR-
Ram K ot rheff 's hna^lna^ye ]^uduc«
... \ ■

; Bea$ mm M the evenmg^ how-
;;ever, was'^ifes^gn^ George HasbHi,
^Eienied^any cooperation by the

IS mm., Tmaai, 16:45 p
luiotfated[^BOdiguriou> frou

Daniel Parson has had conSideE-
Tdile success with, his past seri^
which have included^ “Keephig In
Step;”' ‘^OOt Of Step,” and “People
lit Trouble,”’ and Here's every
reason:'to believe that this: new
show should do just as weU, though;
the first entry wis below the Par-;
SOS norm. He displays a fortheii^
and candkE ^pcoadT in bis Mto--.
views and has a dry, but appealm^
humar. Gvmr the period in which
he ud director Bc^ Gamble hive
cfdbdiorated. on these I5-niHnte
j^ogBams,_H^ have formulate aj
style oT* editing which mainfens
a qa£ek-Are pace of unflag^g hc-
teri^ and wMch, in fact, has he^'
c^e a brands mark.

This new ske^ “Success Stosy,”
sefs out to discover why some
people get to the top; whether
success means happiness; and He
ingredients of success. The idea
is a sound one and should prove
both interesting and pnligbtpnfTig •

Where Parson went wrong in the
show under review, was by coBar-
ing Ids farther, Negley Parson, the
wJl American: journalist mid
auHoc, to give his views on the
subject. Interviewed in and around
his home, which overlooks the sea
hx North Devon; Farson senior ex-
l^ained at great length his fe^ings
about success. The program was,
.to faet^ abnost entirely a father-
ison chat with pop in charge. Far-
ison ^mior, like most go^ sems,
Ifiatened attentively without asking,
foa mamy qaestiona while dad toM
of an “exceptionally dirty” phflo-
atephmr-tramp named Alexander
Wicksteed, with whom he made a
crossing of the Caucasus in 1929.
It was i^Scult to find the mor^
ax Wicksteed died alone to n
“filthy”^ Russian tenement. The
senior Parson did; however, • dub
John Potter Dulles as a great sui^
cess^ "In 10 years time,” he said,
“hcTi Be looked upon as one of
the mott. far-a^hteit intelligent;
poRticians of hia time.”^

; Satifftf^ SpcctaeiHar

:' This Associated TeleYlsion Sstur-r
;day night vaude entry has been
shaped as a Vehicle on which to
mount topliners with their own
shdw:s. The program caught (5): was
-sabtitled *"Xhe Frankie; Vaughan'
;Sbow.”: It was one of the aibst.
ekhBarafing 60 mmutes of^toter-
tahunent seen In quite - a wMto.

the hottest properties in British
sBp^ bustoesn st Hu present time.

^u singer was on screen for
most of He program, and got
through 14 numbers plus a couple
of selections. His personally was-
constantly attractive and it was
obvious that much thought* and
work had gone into the songster’s
routines resulting in an overall
slickness and polish. Despite the
welter of tunes, Vaughan main¬
tained unffagging appeal and could
easily have carried the entire of¬
fering. on his own. Standout ren¬
derings were “One More For The
Road,” “Am I Wasting My Time,”
‘iSonny Boy,” and “Kisses Sweeter
Than Wine.”

. American comic Henny Young-
man, who guested on the show,
raised a lot of yocks with some
punchy material and a non-stop
stream of good throwaway lines.
Youthful instrumental-vocal trio,
the Kin g Bros., made a good Im¬
pression. The outfit comprised
piano, bass and guitar, and made
sweet music on “Ain’t Misbehav¬
ing,” and a nostalgic medley' of
oldies in which Hey were joined
by Vau^am British comedienne
Beryl Reid made heavy going of a
nuld sketch about weather fore¬
casts. Thu FameUfr Devis Dunctts,
who provided several., routines
Hnnu^nt the siboWf.r9fi^'‘ggqd
■aj^ cloral badci^Honrt the
aiott;;Singeix was o 1 e 2 Q [1 Jai^ Pac-^
arch gave the I^iit aMt
airport Dhr».

San^y Nlg to. rt H e

^ wtf Staarsrand^^irb^ nig^ to
ValPknleH's Soiui^jahDvv (7> wiH:
aH fivk kete hading fcoid He
States. AU were' making Heir
British, tv debut and Hue. ihfiux of
.ftesh faces gave He show a much-
n^ed bdost an(^ the result was
one of He best iH-imind bilDivigif
Hu yam:: Toeing BiHie
9 ^try sc^ vo^lUrt v^is:
very muclL af hoipe'lteH
to tMemedhhnandto fleer
shQW& ■ Stnmitogly ibm

gm imi a trto ef ditties,
“BVfigrthtor Bto' Got. BirtsifS To
mid; ^How Tii«jg sto 'Eldr
'Btitoi&btog Oir,” Toimifing <df bek
expert act With::/“It’s

Bridgeport, Dec. 16.

The .sale of WICC, along with its
UHF affiliate WICC-TV, for a re¬
ported $1,700,000-plus tops every¬
thing in the amials of Connecticut
radio economics. The figure is the
highest ever paid for an AM prop¬
erty in this state and a demon¬
stration of the zoom of local radio.
Just seven years ago next month
Philip Merryman and his Bridge¬
port Broadcasting Co. associates
paid $190,000 for the station.

Wih the anticipated FCC okay
the new owners, Kenneth M. Coop¬
er and a' group nf investors, will
early next year take over a 24-
hour operation which has for many
years been dominant in the rich
Fairfield County market and even
has important listening in Long
Island and New York City. At 33
Cooper already has rung up a seflid .
success record as an AM. operator
and" consultant. . For merl y at
■ WORC, Worcester, and. WTRY in
:'nmy-Schenectady, sold last year; to
Daniel W. Kops and Vittor
Knauth, Cooler has been consult¬
ant to WBBF, Rochester, and
WPpP, Hartford

The $1,700,000 deal means a pay¬
ment- of five times the original
iprice for the stock of Bridgeport
Broadrasting. According to reports
Merryman, president, g. m and
majorily stockholder, wiU be paid
$8'^,OOiO fcMT his. shares plus a
$200,000 bonus over 10 years.
Manning Slater, V. p. and comnser-
dal head, gets about $400,000.
Both Hese exees agree not to com¬
pete in He area.

Harrison and Fuh«,,W!iH^«!irft
and ijndtiaEed here,. wbefe- H^
are- ^pcaetog to “Tato of Hu;
Tbwn,.”' scored wRb. one Heir
neat dance satiriu; and Georgie
Kaye, last bere at the PaHaHum in
1982j raitod plenty of micH with
ezany string of gags as a p^chto-
ttito. needing: attention, btojai^
Adding to the vomd strength, of the
bin. Wae *111011108 Hayward, who
sang: Tiny Bmid Is Frouen”

and “K I Loved You” from
“Gacousul” exteemely' wdL The
bmp act which seemed toN-havc nu
piaee to a tv vaude btil was Ann
Jitottba. tbe champien^ archer.
Whflst admitting h^ skill with a
bow and arrow, her patter was coy,
and He ai^t of an expert gotog
Hrangh a rontine which cansisted
of such trieks as mcplodtog bal-
toonu and pierchig an apple had
novels >but little excitement,

The biU was laced togeHer by
emcee Bruce Finrsyth with some
fair patter and he alsu conducted
the “Beat the Clock”^ spot Has
guttling s^le is apparently much
to He liking of He Palladium
-audience, but his (totermination
Hat every contestant should wm a
prize-(even ta He mttent of help^
tog Hem) robs this desultory affair
of any semblance oi amusement
and interest.

The George Garden dancers,
the John Tiller Girls, and
OrdaneTs oreh provided Heir
usual lively support and produm
Albert Locke dreamed up some
new camera angles which helped
to gtoe He program a new look.

Rich.

sss CoBDUBwa frem pace 25 sass

Buy by Grey* is termed k combtoa-
tion 1^ and calls for He partial
spoDsorttiip of .‘'‘DTaitoot” and
“Cimarroit ehy.’*^. ♦

■ the Kenned ott “Citoarron
Citr” Iftmrts Ott Jan. 91 and is a
39^week porduttcr caHtog for alter^
ha|e. haH^outs: Ti^ “Dragnet*^
purchtoe k&lts tof Jato wiH
Kem^ biektog bp i^emate balf^

;h6Ba;.tottRitoimicr.^

: , MbniiOB: not be'gotog'toto

^(^arroff Ctty''^^jtod
albne. Crest, a p^uct of Procter
.& Gamble has ^ced a steable]
; order: with NB(X Siarttog on Jan.
13,' Crest'wm take alteniate week
spmisorshib ovto* k period.

;iqi .“Dragnet.” .The-ifiGiimwriwa”’ buy
by Crest is for alL week half hours

Next WBC Coftfereitce

Set for !Rttshiirfh

Pittsburgh,: Dec. 1&
Pittsburgh has been selected as
He site of Westto^ou^ Broad-
.casting Co.*s next industry-wide
^tclevisien and radio conference.
ItH be held here next October.
Previous two WBC discussibii
meets, Boston Conference and Bal¬
timore Conference, have been in
the spring but execs decided a fall
date would be better..

Decision came at a big meeting
here last wttfc of all WBC key per¬
sonnel lasting ftoe days.

alF your ochpg aiixF pains
due,fo Tension and Fafigve

PATHS

Hot Spriiiffl Hafioiiol Tirk

A t K A H S A S

Hoi S p c wBi t odioartto Hitewtt wahn r«iuv*>
WArilk

dii H iiig > at twv liteh

tof* BMrti btoh bM; M the

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COCKTAILS—OIMNUU-SOPKIt
;tK Sresad A ttaae it 45(5 Strtet
Mtubcr all eb af g t cfiite
MU 4-72SO-Otea 7 dan i

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

RABI0-TEL£\lD$t03r

IBEW Threatens
Coast KCOP Strike

Brit. TV’er Designed
To Make People Read

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

With negotiation deadline set for
Thursday (18) after a 'month of
talks over a new contract, threat
of a strike is brewing at KCOP,.
with management deadlocked in
vital areas with IBEW reps. As a
precaution against the impending
walkout, station reportedly is
training supervisory personnel to
take over technical controls.

According to employee-union
sources, unless major areas of dis¬
agreement are cleared up, “there
will be trouble,” with discussions
continuing to show a wide gap in
the regions of wages, working con¬
ditions, and employee-management
relations.

Main bone of contention has de¬
veloped over the tactics of station’s
chief engineer A1 Browdy, who
doubles as negotiator for KCOP,
the labor sources declared, point¬
ing to'it as “the real serious hump”
in the discussions. Union em¬
ployees feel, according to spokes¬
man, that any a^ement reached
under Browdy’s aegis “won’t be
worth very much” because of past
experiences in which h6 “didn’t live
up to agreements.” With Browdy
fepping the stations in the talks,
employees don’t feel decent man¬
agement-employees relations will
be maintained, the spokesman con¬
cluded.

Negotiations over the new pact,
covering technical and production
employees, began Nov. 18. Term
of the agreement Is not yet deter¬
mined, with station seeking a one-
year duration period.

Mutual’s New Biz;

Colgate’s Renewal

Mutual picked up a renewal from
Colgate and new biz from two ac¬
counts,

George W. Luft Co.J manufac¬
turers of Tangee Lipstick, inked
for half-sponsorship of the Walter -
Winchell Show Sunday evenings,
starting Jan. 4. Dropping out is
Symphonic Electric Corp., a subsid
of Scranton Corp., which owns
Mutual.

Sterling Drug, foj Fletcher’s
Castoria, bought a *‘niidday five-
minute newscast five days a week,
marking that sponsors return to
MBS after 18-month absence. Col¬
gate-Palmolive for Instant Shave
renewed BiB Stern’s Sports Show,
broadcast two ' mornings weekly, ,
starting-Jan. 5.

WBBM-TV

Continued from page 31 j

the nine-day period, “Going My
Way,” “Two Years Before the
Mast,” “Bahama Passage,” “Geron-
Imo,” “Night Has a Thousand
Eyes,” “Wake Island,” “Five Graves
to Cairo,” “Road to Morocco” and
“A Foreign Affair,” Afternoon
shows will carry such titles as “In¬
cendiary ,B 1 0 n d e,” “Farmer’s
Daughter,” “Comm* Round the
Mountain,” and several in the Hen¬
ry Aldrich series. Post-midnight
fare will.be made up of “Woman
Accused,” “Typhoon,” “Crime
Without Passion,” and films of like
stature.

Although Its features start half
an hour later than the two compet¬
ing films on week nights, WBBM-
TV hopes to overcome that disad¬
vantage with the strength of Its
par and MGM packages, along with
a relative handful of Warner Bros,
pix which are firstrun off the old
NTA film network, WBBM-TV novz.
has' 1,800 features in its bulging
backlog. About 400 of them will
never be shown, Atlass said, be¬
cause they fall to meet the station’s
Standards of film quality.

If the Chi CBS o&o Invests in
any more film over the coming year
it will doubtless be only for defen¬
sive reasons, to prevent top prod¬
uct from getting to the competi¬
tion.. With so much, tied up in
cinematics already, WBBM-TV Is
willing to settle for nothing less
than .supremacy in this market.

Incidentally, the reported pur¬
chase price of $5,200,000 for the
Paramount films is only $800,000
less than CBS paid for the station
back in 1953. Which maybe empha¬
sizes the value pf feature films to-

London, Dec. 16.

After 29 weeks on the air “The
Book Man” got its first network
airing on the commercial outlet
last Sunday (14) and it will hence¬
forth be transmitted fortnightly,
alternating with “Free Speech.”
Latter program will also go out
over the network as part of a
Television and ABC-TV.

“The Book Man” was first aired
on the ABC channels in the Mid¬
lands and the North last January
for a trial run of four programs.
It stayed for 22 shows ip its first
series and since Sept. 21 has
been aired fortnightly.

The . program, says Howard
Thomas, ABC-TV’s managing di¬
rector, is aimed to make viewers
read. If It’s a hit he anticipates
that libraries and booksellers will
be inundated for demands for
books featured in the program.
Show is produced by Guy Verney.

One-at-a-Time I Are Tint TV Teclinicians Exposed To

: Continued from page 31 |« • O IkT Jl Hn' 117 fl O

lom Big Story hos now [(aQijiKavs / Mde 1W sfits jurvey

d to Flaminno for distribu- » •

Continued from page 31
Freedom.” “Big Story” has now
passed to Flamingo for distribu¬
tion. “Sword,” the Edmund Pur-
dom starrer, fell flat;

The one-at-a-time approach, ac¬
cording to vet syndicators, doesn’t
cloud the issues, confusing the
would-be buyer, whether he be a
station owner or an advertiser, with
other properties. Key is to treat
each series as a separate “gem,”
and pitching another first-runner
from the same telefilmery house
tends to lessen the "gem” status of
the individual shows.

With reruns the situation is quite
different. Then, the catalog ai)-
proach, with a wide array of prod¬
uct, can be effective. But some
savvy syndicators with the better
off - network properties “Suzie,”
(Private -Secretary) and “Jeff’s
Collie” (Lassie) have treated these
skeins as fresh first-runners for
some maximum results.

Tint tv has brought to a head
the question of whether video
technicians are unduly exposed to
dangerous radiation rays. The Na¬
tional Assn, of Broadcast Employ¬
ees & Technicians is demanding of
NBC-TV that a responsible med'cal
survey be made to determine the
cumulative effect of exposure to
radiation during working hours,

NABET and NBC are presently
engaged in special negotiation of
the issue. If a survey is agreed to
by the network, and the outcome
indicates that NABET technicians
and engineers are suffering malef-
fects from working on tint tv tubes
and such, the natural consequence
will be a demand for a reduction
in the amount of working time for
the NBC technical men under
NABET jurisdiction.

NABET has long been worried

! about the effects of radiation from
: TV technical work, a spokei^man
I for the union stated. “We have
j reached the end of the line and
j want action,” he said-,
i Reason it has come to a head,
I according to NABET, is that the
j operating voltages for color video
1 are twice those fur black & white,
! and if there is a cumulative radia-
: tion effect the union “wants to find
out now.”

NABET said that so far the net¬
works have only indicated a “ca¬
sual interest” in undertaking a
medical survey. “NABET would
make it, but a union survey would
require permission to get access to
NBC equipment,” the NABET
spokesman said. But this means
getting into the machinery during
non-working hours for the pur¬
poses of detailed inspection, which,
(Continued on page 49)

Which gets
your vote?

48

BABIO-nSUEVlSIOBr

Wednesday, December 17^ 1958

UArmx^

Television Reviews

Continued from pace 35

Osterwald was a Idsty wigmakerl
while Sally Grade and Tammy
Grimes wejre seen briefly as a
coupla saloon floozies. Pre-empted
by the taped presentation were
‘‘^e Arthiur Godfrey Show” and
“The Red Skelton Show.”

Sheaffer Pen, which picked up
the tab on this ‘‘Christmas show¬
case” in behalf of its “snorkel”
writing instnunents, no doubt
wound up with the desired con¬
sumer exposure. Also sharing the
benefits is United Artists Records.
That label is peddling an “original
cast” album of the Adler tunes.
MacRae, however, is missing since
he’s an exclusive Capitol Records
pactee. Alan Case subs on the
UAR waxing. Gilb.

DR. I. Q.

With Tom Kennedy, others
liwdncer-Writerr Barfield Weedin
Director: Hap Weyman
30 Mins.; Men., 9:30 pan.

ABC-TV, from Hollywood

Everybody of voting age or over
in this country should remember
“Dr. I.Q.” of radio fame. But if
ABC is trying to prove quiz shows
aren’t dead, reviving a skeleton
isn’t the way it’s done. What was
satisfactory 10 or 15 years ago
isn’t necessarily so in this day of
accelerated sophistication. Best
that can be said for the opening
video night US) of “I.Q.” is that
this near carbon copy was pleas¬
antly dull.

The half-hour program held on
that “lady in the balcony, doctor”
and those odd lot “silver doUars”
which jangle merrily after every
correct answer and even after some
.that were wrong. Nowadays, how¬
ever, due to tv’s additional demand
on the senses, the man who used
to bardie the microphones in the
radio theatre audience have given
way, justly, to some femm*Sj, whose
phydcal' attributes, needless to say,
are satisfactory to the vision.

Because the coin giveaway is so
small (it’s almost as if- ABC, feel¬
ing its oats for-the first time, wants
to prove it wiU make it even with
far, far less tiwui $fi4,P00)v it’s not
likely anybody’s so puritanical as
to complain of rigging. Just the
same, “rigging” there was. Tom
Kennedy, the. effusive doctor of
the title,, gave a pert little lady
from. England her five, silver dol¬
lars even though she couldn't
identify her salad dressing. Hesi¬
tantly, she said: “Island Dressing?”
and he zoomect in .with J'What
you’re trying to say ’is Thousand
Island Dressing! Give that lady..
lady. . .”

If he’s going to .cheat a little.
It’d be fairer if Kennedy were
consistent. There were some other
contestants in the balcony and- on
the orchestra flooir who cpmc at
^least as dose and didn’t gel .’ a
fraction of a silver dollar.

For having to move' around the
theatre so much, the camerawork
was competent. But as for the
belief that old programs never die
, . . humbug! , Art.

BENNY IN BRUSSELS
With Benny Goodmaii, Jimmy
Rushing, Ethel fianis, others;
Allyn Edward^ Barrator
Producer; Richard Pack
Director: Dob T^knuB
Writer: Lewis W. GiUcBson
55 attw.

WES'nNGHOUSE STATIONS
Some exciting- pounds have been
emanating from aR the Westing-
house tv stations around the coun¬

try this past week—thanks to the
“Benny Li Brussels” 55-minute tv
special reproducing the highlights
of a week of performances by
Benny Goodman and his orchestra
last May at the Brussels Fair. The
(joodraan engagement at the Fair,
the first “in person” presentation
in the American Performing Arts
Program under State Dept, aegis,
was produced by WBC as a public
service. The stations have been
playing this filmed documentation
sustaining in prime time. It’s so
good it deserves coast-to-coast net¬
work showcasing.

“Benny in Brussels” is topflight
showmanship on a variety of*
counts. As a visual exploration of
the Fair with its manifold attrac¬
tions, this is the definitive picture.
Thanks to Don Volkman (of the
WBZ-TV Boston staff), who di¬
rected, photographed and edited
the presentation and who rates the
major accolades, it’s far and away
the most interesting visual “re¬
membrance” of what went on in
Brussels. It explores the gaiety and
the spectacle of the Fair, its arts,
crafts and amusements, the people
and the pigeoBs, the fascination of
the nighttune reVelry, and the
pageantry of the midtown Grand
Place, with its 17th Century at¬
mosphere, where Benny wound up
hia engagement with an al fresco
performance.

And backgrounding it all was
the Benny clarineting and orch
accomp as the unseen Pied Piper.
If ai^hing, this perfect synchro¬
nization of music and the visual
^ demonstrated forcefully how to use
music in tv for maximum effect

Much of the footle, of course,
was devoted at Benny’s perform¬
ances -in the American Theatre at
the Fair and the reaction of the
peoples of Europe as. either in
solo, with his quartet (clarinet
piano, bass, drums) or full orch,
with an assist by rotund vocalist
Jimmy Rushing and sepia thrush
Ethel Ennis, he wrapped up a
whole catalog of the BG classics
with style and finesse.

A standout attraction. Rose.

Miiln-

Continued from pace 31 —^

term of casting and editing with
only a little additional payment.

Under present xnrcumstances,
the director is hired on the basis :
of the shooting schedule “plus one
day,” that day being in advance of
filming, where the director sits in
on casting.’ Ordinarily, though,:
to do a competent casting job, a
director must- come in one or two
additional days for readings and
auditions after the initial eonfer-
'ehce, and he generally isn’t able to
do so under current conditions.

More important. Miller feels, is
the fact that the.“first cut” gen¬
erally comes some five to seven
days jtfter shooting is* completed,

: and the director is usual^ busy
on something else at that ti^ and
can’t come in! “More often than
not, the producer doesn’t even
bother ta notify the director of the
first cut Yet I don^ know a di¬
rector wha doem’t want to be in on
^ the editing,*' he states.

,.“HoW' can the editor know by
hfmself why a producer shot one
scene at a slow pace, another at

a fast pace, or why Be concen¬
trated oh three minutes of closeups
in a particular scene. If a director
shoots 28 nimufes for a 24-minute
show, he knows how he wants the
show tightened and why he shot
what he did in those additional four
minutes. Yet, he’s never called in or
never has a chance to come in to
follow through on it. In live tv,
tlie director is actually the editor
as well as directing the actors; he
does the cutting. Yet in film, he
doesn’t have a chance to exer¬
cise tills function.”

Miller thinks that scheduling,
could be so rearranged as to bring
in the first cut after two or three
days, give the director three days
on casting and hire him bn the
basis of some 10 full days per show
for only about 50% more than he’s
now being paid. Considering that
the average half-hour directorial
stint brings only $800 to $900, that
extra $400 won’t materially affect
the budget, yet could insure a lot
more quality.

The directors themselves can’t
be expected to refuse work just
to hang around without pay for
the editing process. Miller em¬
phasizes. As it is, many of them
can’t get enough work to make a
decent Hviag, and if an assign¬
ment pops up, they’ve got to take
it But provision for a longer as¬
signment would keep them where
they are for editing and casting,
he states.

One other element that could
insure. better quality is longer re¬
hearsal schedules on vidpix, MiUer
states. On his “Alcoa-Goodyear!
Playhouse” stints, he . does two
solid days. Including run-throughs
as the climiax. “On a regular se¬
ries with continuing characters,
it’s true that so much . rehearsal
isn’t necessary. The actors know
their characterizations and they
know how to play to each other.
But on an anthology series too
often, they*come in cold, having
studied their parts alone and not
having gotten the benefit of play¬
ing against each other, The result
is usually a lot more rehearsal on
the set than Is justified. X bet two
days of rehearsal, apart' from Its
other benefits, could saye an hour
of shooting time on the Set itself

CUP !

= Continned from paxci in

though It’s going ahead with full-
scale production. If no national
deals jeU, CNF will, go the syn¬
dication route with the sl^ws.

“Huditsky,” to be filmed- at
Metro, was an NBC-TV entry ^or
r Friday nights this season, but the
. web .was unable to sell the series
and finally agreed to Chertok’s
! producing it for CNP. James Gre-
Igory stars. “Marlowe” series stars
I Phil .Carey/and of course is based
oh the Raymond Chandler best¬
sellers. '

GRANADA, RUSS EXCHANGE

London, Dec. 16.

Granada-TV has tentative plans
for an exchange of acts deal vdth
Russia, says executive producer
Denis Forman, who- has just re¬
turned from a Moscow visit with
Sidney Lu Bernstein, the network’s
chairman.

9

Television Followup Comment

Continued from pace 35 —

as spelled out in trade ads the day
before, name of Barbara Granlund,
turned out to be a. bewigged Lewis
himself, pantomiming to thb voice
of Laurie Carroll, whom he then
brought on for a bow. He might
have done well to have Miss Car-
roll sing an on-camera number,
though — the voice impressed
through the gag.

But those few bright spots con¬
stituted only a small part of an
hour that dragged most of the time.
Lewis’ impressions of television
formats, the dinner-time .singer,
most of the Jack Paar turn, a
flamenco' dancer, didn’t come off
too well. His breakaway opener and
opening chatter were so-so and his
“Be My Love” record panto too
familiar.

Harry James band guested in
the closing minutes, turning in one
swingin’ number and then getting
involved in a three-way melange
involving regular conductor Walter
Scharf’s orch and the San Diego
Naval Training Base Marching
Band, all three playing the show’s
theme at once’ Van’s solo stint was
an excellent song & dance of “All
Dressed Up and No Place to Go.”
Lewis himself essayed a pair of
songs, an n.s.h. “It’s Great to Be
Alive” and a nicely done theme
irom his new “Geisha Boy” pic.

Chan.

Ed SoUivaB Show

A M-minute segment from the
Rodgers-Hammerstein “Flower
Drum Song” was the keystone of
the Ed Sullivan presentation on
Sxmday (14) over CBS-TV. The
original cast, without interruptions,
|i|eifprmed excerpt oi the show
current at the St. James Theatre,
?N.Y., each episode providing good,
'representStive .. Sullivan’s

intro keyed Uie theme Of the show,
the old vsh new generation of
' Chinese In America.

? However, Miyodii Umeki made a
i charming conferencicr with Pat
^ Suzuki providing the punch of jhe
layout, with “I Enjoy Being A Gml”
and a duet with juvenile Larry
BO^on. There- was a touching
ballad by Arabella Hong, with
Juanita HaH and Ed Kenny also
chindnR^ in. Although the
ejfdsod^ were excellently staged,
the telexcerpts failed to tie the
presentation into a neat bundle.

’ The variety segs came off well.
Myron Cohen again proved to be
^an excellent stoir teller with charm
and class. Holger & Dolores did
some smrtling acro-ballroom work
and the Xavier Cngat Orch and
Abbe Lane got together on a
sprightly Latin presentation.

Not much time was left to Ric-
ciardi Jr. who did one brief trans¬
ference trick to provoke some head-
scratching; More could have been
seen from him. John Gilpin, a
British dancer, also'did a brief bit,
character of which was highly in¬
definite, but the lad is a skilled
terper. Mario Del Monaco, with
robust tonsUecring, gave a lyric
rendition of an Italian txme.
.Archie Moore, the light-heavy
champ turned songwriter, recited
the lyrics to a tune he’s authored.

Jose.

Desllu Playhouse

“The Night The Phone Rang,”
on CBS-TV Monday night (15),
was tripped up by a synthetic
script. A solid cast and slick film
production could not salvage a
way-out yam about the Mafia’s
operation on the Coast.

Eddie Albert, as a smalltown
Itallan-bom plumber, played the
central character who is put into
the dilemma of either kiUing^ a
man for the Mafia or having his
own wife killed. The Mafia, in
the guise of a front organization
headed by suave-talking Sidney
Blackmer, had. marked a Jewish
tailor,, who was resisting a shake-
down racket for the rub-out Why
the Mafia went through all the
trouble of calling hi Albert to do
the job when it had all sorts of
exp^enced Run men hanging
around, neyi^ m^Ialned.

thrashed^ around for the
greater part Of'the'hour before
deciding to do the fob. But, face
to face witH' the victiin, he was
unable to puH the trigger. In a
whol^ artificial windup, Albert
stormed the Xbffa’s heimfoarters
and, with some belated help from
the police, finaRy -got back his
wife. It was a suspense meUer in
which there never was any doubt
about the outcome.

Albert performed capably while
Margo, as his wife, carried off a
'heavy Italian 9 ^eent successfully.

Blackmer was appropriately sinis¬
ter in a cultured sort of way.
Numerous street sequences had a
good documeiatary flavor but the
realism of the backgrounds only
clashed with the hokey quality of
Aaron Spelling’s script. Herm.

Conquest

A program such as CBS-'TV's
“Conquest” (14) dealing with man’s
determined efforts to come up with
cancer-fighting chemicals and the
origins of volcanoes was a magni¬
ficent testimonial to the men of
science. To the broadcasters who
fashioned the telecast must go a
deep salute for a superbly done
job.

In the second of the full-hour
science series sponsored by Mont-
santo, viewers were introduced to
the cancer research work per¬
formed by Dr. C. P. Rhoads, direc¬
tor of the Sloan-Kettering Institute
for Cancer Research, and Dr. Paul
Burkholder, director of research of
Brooklyn Botanical Garden and
distinguished bacteriologist at
work on molds and antibiotics. In
this section of “Conquest,” and
with the' aid of time-lapse photog¬
raphy, viewers saw the growth of
molds and how they create hun¬
dreds of different compoimds and
i what antibiotics can be produced
to fight bacteria. The dramatic
story of K1501, a chemical that
j arrests certain types Of cancer, was
relayed Avith brilliant photographic
clarity.

The second portion of “Con¬
quest” took viewers to a boiling
volcano—Kilauea in the Hawaiian
Islands—and once again revealed
how our men of science grapple
with pressing problems of our
physical existence. Here Dr. Gor¬
don MacDonald of the U. of Ha¬
waii, and Dr. Jerry Eaton, director
of the Hawaiian Volcano Observa¬
tory at Kilauea, explained the be¬
havior pattern of this and other
volcanoes. CBS-TV photographers
were on the scene to capture the
most recent eruptions of Kilauea,
scenes seldom before caught by
the camera’s lens. The two volca¬
nologists, in their appearance on
this “Conquest” program, added
immeasurably to the viewer’s
knowledge of volcanoes.

“Conquest” was fasciiiating, ac¬
curate and prime viewing in this
instance. Rans.

9

NT-ITA Deal

SSSSS Continued, from past 31

about a “remarriage’! of Fox with
NT through the latter’s projected
acquisition. He said he was con¬
cerned .that this violated the sep¬
aration of production and exhibi¬
tion as required by the consent
decree and asked the Involved
parties to. submit additional in¬
formation Friday (19).

NTA presently owns rights to
about 600 features, of which some
90 are thou^t to have theatrical
reissue possibiRties. Of these, five
pre-’48 features are. In reissue
distribution by NTA.

Under its agreement with the
Justice Department, NT would not
be permitted to acquire pictures
for theatrical distribution, except
,wben such acquisition was inri-
' dental to the purchase of tv rights.
When the picti^es owned by NT
through NTA were distributed
theatrically, they would not be
played in NT theatres unless com¬
peting independent theatres were
granted an opportunity to play
the product on the same terms.

NIAPOLfTAN

cuismr

O^Oidy Woqn-MIdnlta
COCIcrAltS • Alr-oMd.

49

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

RASIO-TELEVISIOW

47 ABC Staffers
Wont Quit RTDG

The 47 associate directors and
stage managers at ABC-TV who
sought to quit the Radio & Tele¬
vision Directors Guild, have de¬
cided to stick with RTDG. Deci¬
sion keeps the guild, which is now
dickering a new network contract
for its entire membership, at its
original radio-tv strength of over
fiOO directors, associate directors,
et al.

Because the 47 ABC staffers
broke away from RTDG tempo¬
rarily, on the grounds the direc¬
tors’ union wasn’t, strong enough
to dicker top wages for them, it;
led to an NLRB election amon^
nearly 300 meij in the tv AD-
stage manager categories. Vote
was on whether they’d continue
as part of RTDG, and the out¬
come was predominantly in favor
of sticking it out.

There was some doubt, even
after the outcome of the vote,
whether the dissident 47 would
go back to "RTDG or set up their
own indie union. The indie union
was planned as an interim meas¬
ure, until some way could be ar¬
ranged to shift jurisdiction to the
National Assn, of Broadcast Em¬
ployees & Technicians. However,
NABET disclosed the other day
that it had not been approached
by the ABC men in the last
several days, and even if an ap¬
proach were made, NABET didn’t
believe that it still had any right,
under the AFL-CIO non-raiding
pact, to assume jurisdiction.

‘None of Us Can Stop
Learning’ & It’s Up
To TV, Sez Ed Stanley

New Orleans, Dec. 16.

Americans need to know more
than ever before and television
must educate those who can’t go
back to school,” Edward Stanley,
NBC director of public affairs said
here Friday (12). '

“In this atomic age, none of us
can stop learning,” Stanley said.
“The comfortable days are gone.
We will have to go on studying for
the rest of our lives. Our educa-
tianal system, is having a hard time
doing what the times are asking.”

Pointing out the lack of an ade¬
quate number of teachers and large
physical plants, Stanley said tv
must become an extension of the
classroom.

Stanley said that 247 colleges and
universities are offering credit for
the tw'o-semester course taught by
Dr. Harvey White, assistant chair¬
man of the department of physics
at the U. of California.

“Programs like these are one of
the virtues of the network, how¬
ever foolish we may seem at
times,” Stanley declared.

San Antonio^Henry B, Gon¬
zales, State Senator from here, will
begin a regular weekly program on
KONO-TV each Sunday morning
beginning on Dec. 21. Program
will be titled “Your State Senator
Reports.”

Meet Homer K.Butterout’

Stan Frcberg Livens Up jCoast Spectrum With
Novel Blurb Campaign

KNXT

Contlnned from pase 30 sSiSi

the week before the kickoff, and
will^^ also host both “Early Show”
and the late-night “Big Hit
Movies” during the first week of
Par showings. Miss Warner is be¬
ing used for publicity purposes
as well as part of the buildup.

Reportedly, MCA itself is kick¬
ing in with a hefty budget to cov¬
er part of the ad-pronaotional out¬
lay, idea presumably being that
if KNXT can rack up some kind
of enviable rating success story,
it will facilitate MCA’s sales drive
in the still unsold smaller markets.
One report has MCA putting up
nearly half of KNXT’s out-of-
pocket costs.

The KNXT campaign is being
handled by promotion chief Austin
Heyward and publicity topper Vir¬
gil Mitchell. Weeklong'preem of
the Par pix kicks off Jan. 5 with
“Road, to Morocco” on “Big Hit
Movies” and winds following Sat¬
urday (10) with “Going Hy Way”
on station’s “Fabulous 52” show¬
case.

Wichita Falls—-Four top tv cow¬
boys, James Garner, Will Hutchins,
Wayde Preston and Peter Brown
were here to participate in the
KVII-TV telethon for the benefit
of the Panhandle area’s' fund for
fighting multiple sclerosis, held on
Saturday (13).

I ^ Hollywood, Dec. 16.

1 Stan Freberg and a small Omaha
ad agency threw away the rule
book recdhtly and came up with
one of the most unusual and engag¬
ing saturation commercial cam¬
paigns ever to hit television. Fre-
berg’s -blurbery, Freberg Ltd.,
which, produces the commercials
for Butter-Nut Coffee of Omaha,
and the Buchanan-Thomas agency
of Omaha, came up with a one-
week campaign that:

(1) Involved the first running
story line for commercials.

(2) Used three media, tv, radio
and newspapers, the latter two
primarily to call attention to the
nightly tv commercial and to
“bridge” the story line.

(3) Used one commercial a night
for five nights running, period.

(4) Scheduled the commercial at
the same hour Q0:30 p.m.) on four
tv stations, KNXT, KTLA, KABC-
TV and KTTV, simultaneously, to
focus more attention on the spot
and tie it in with the story line.

(5) Came up with the wackiest

copy since the Bert & Harry com¬
mercials (and then some), involv¬
ing attempts of a hapless and
forgetful skywriter named Winfield
Ace Jenkins to skywrite on tv, at
night, “Instant Butter-Nut Coffee.”
It took Jenkins five nights to get it
done.

Campaign was designed as a
saturation job to introduce the
new Butter-Nut Instant line in
L.A. (Freberg has done the regular
Butter-Nut commercials all along,
including a hilarious six-minute,
38-second musical radio spot titled
“Omaha,” a takeoff on the “Okla¬
homa” type of showtune.) Apart
from the five tv commercials, Fre¬
berg prepared six one-minute
radio spots, written as “follow-up
interviews” to discuss Jenkins'
foul-ups of the night before and
give him instructions for the next
night. Radio blurbs ran daily
every half-hour from dawn into
early evening on four stations,
KNX, KMPC, KFWB and KHJ.

Tied in also were daily news¬
paper ads, picturing Jenkins, In
the L.A. Times and Herald-Express,
with different copy, but also
(Continued on page 50)

From Pulse's TV/Radio Hetwork

20th TV

h—^ Continued from page 30

the, blueprint stage include: “The
Peggy Lee Show,” half-hour si¬
tuation comedy With music; “The
49’ers,” Alaskan adventure series;
“The Nanette Fabray Show,” mu¬
sical comedy series; “Tales of
Broadway,” anthology series
created and written by Garson
Kanin; two series by author Leslie
Stevens, one a science-ffctioUer;
and a- projected series 1^ James
Michener, in the romantic ad¬
venture vein with a South Pacific
background.

Manulis moved over to 20th-
Fox in September following a
three-year .stint as producer of
CBS-TV’s “Playhouse 90’' show-,
case. Twentieth-Fox tv' subsid
now has four, shows on the air:
“How to Marry A Millionaire,”
“Man Without a Gun,” “My Friend
Flicka,” and “Brave Eagle.”

Amoco

^ Continued from page 27

guests generally overshadowed the
sponsors. With syndication—the
sponsor can be the strong person¬
ality, can attain sponsor identifica¬
tion, if properly promoted.

“And it’s promotable—my final
reason for syndication is the local
promotional value. I know from
experience that local tv stations
will cooperate to the fullest degree
to help build an audience for a
good syndicated property. I also
know that if they don’t—^their sta¬
tion won’t carry our show.

“With network tv, like with a
wife, you do as they say, when
they say, where they say and there
Is rib argument. Syndication, like
a mistress, is available when you
are, where you are and you make
the decisions.”

Radiation Rays

Continued from page 47.

he said, has never before been
done.

The negotiation on the possibility
of reducing “tube time” was stipu¬
lated, according to NABET, when
the network and the. union met last
winter in their regular bi-annual
contract dickers.

A decision by a medical body
that technicians suffer from dan¬
gerous radiation rays would give
the tv tecftinlcal unions a relatively
substantial block to layoffs due to
automation. NABET, for one, has
long harped on automated layoffs
and has laid many NBC layoffs to
that very cause.

WHOLE SAMPLE

ualitative data for all
network programs!

Pulse Subscribers
Get These Dynamic
Audience Characteristics

Newly added —since July! How
does each and every program rate
by cigarette smokers in the fam¬
ily—one smoker, two and more?

What’s the exact audience com¬
position for men. women, teen¬
agers, children?

How do programs rank by house¬
holds with and without children
—as in the October issues?

Food spendings for the past
week?

How about automobiles—owner¬
ship and usage frequency?

What’s the outlook for buying
^refrigerators, stoves, TV sets,
radios, washing machines, etc.—
all major household goods?

Soaps, detergents, clemaers-how
much are families spending?

There is virtually no limit to the
audience characteristics and buy¬
ing habits embodied month after
month!

Each hew factor is being added
from exclusive sampling from
door-to-door, face-to-face inter¬
viewing.

You get the network data from
a minimum of 100,000 different
families each month! Personal
interviews only—no diaries, no
phone calls, no meters. The in¬
dustry's most reliable, scientific
sampling technique since 1941!

In addition tonetwork TV/Radio
reports, each month—Pulse de¬
livers ^e most individual mar-
^kets—222 last year, more now and
for 1959.

Please phone or write for the
whole stoiy—Judson 6-33i6.

Pulse rings doorbells
interviefcs families
in their homes

Largest Scientific Sampling

^ *Qnly Cemus talks with more families**

730 FIFTH AVENUt
HEW YORK 19, N.Y,

ULSE, Inc.

LOS ANGELES * CHICAGO « LONDON

5»

BAMO-TBUBVlSaWN

TTednndajv Decend>er 17, 195S

PTuKEEff

into th« heart of the newt pro¬
gram.

The 10 to 11 ajn. segment of
the ^‘Sunday Newspaper of the
Air’* was carried over WReA-TV
with Mueller continuing as anchor
man. This portion of the news
show had David Brinkley from
Washington. On the New York
end Leon Pearson discussed the
art^ Don Fenny read the comics
and Gahe Pressman and Bill Eyan
handled local news while Wilson
Hall concerned himself with for¬
eign news.

The N.Y. Times also made far
more use of its radio arm,
WQXR, than heretofore. Some 20
members of the newspaper staff
prepared and edited the news
radio, aH departments of the daily
reporting over the station begin¬
ning as earl^ as 11 pun. on Tues¬
day fg) when the strike began.
Banter has- been heading up the
new* operation at the Broadcast
Desk where normally the news
bulletins of the Times arc pre¬
pared., Harrison Salisbury, former
Times- Moscow correspondent and
now a city staff reporter, worked
front the WQXK stndios in han¬
dling; arranging and conducting
on-air' telephone conversations with
Time* r^wirters at home and
abroad. Theodore M. Bernstein,
an as^stant m.e., and Durso* as¬
sistant head of the Night City
Copy Desk, were heard nightly
with headlines and news from
W'hat would have been the first
edition of the newspaper. Bern¬
stein also went on the air with an
explanation of the makeup of the
paper’s page one, telling listeners
how to create their own page one
at home by listening to the news.
James Reston, chief of the Wash¬
ington Bureau, spoke from Wash¬
ington and Jack Forrest, biz neka
editor, was heard each aftemdon
with biz and financial news of the i
day. Sunday (14) a round table
discussion of the day’s news issues
was conducted by Daniel. Speak¬
ers were Salisbu^, John Okaes
from the editorial department.

THIS BEER REALLY
TASTES LIKE BEER

WGN-TY commercfals get
results WGH-W

programming kaopt- felkx
wafchmgv For proiocfip lai
our specialtlsfs 'flu yow us on
some WGN-TV cas* hr*-
tones and discus* your
sales problems.

la your Chkogo soles with

W©N-TV

Cbaaset f

€Uc*fe

reau.

During previous newspaper
strikes, WQXR expanded its new
coverage with Times’ news bulle-
linsL. Thfa time the station literat-
ly had The Times reporters work¬
ing for the radio outlet. .Station
rise carried reviews of plays, tv
^ progrmits', obits, etc. and first hand
storte* of critics Atkinson, Goidd,
Crowther and others,

WINS broadcast its news pro¬
grams from the city desk of the
N.Y. Mirror. Copy was prepared
1^ a special staff and supple¬
mented the stepped-up station’s
news coverage.

WMCA converted its slx-nights-
a-week public service session into
a “Shopping Guide” seUing some
40 announcements at aroimd |2h
per. Here’s the odd angle: WMCA
;will use the approximately $1,000
■of strike-created revenue to buy
'paid space in N.Y. dailies to ad¬
vertise the public service pro¬
grams which were cancelled for
the duration of the newspaper
strike. Plan will go into opera-
Itioo upon resumption of publica-
tiem.

WCBS Radio, in addition to in¬
creasing Its news coverage by 30%r,
evoked interest with a five-minute
stock report by Harris-UphaiH,
brokerage firm. Listeners were
informed that if there was a stock
they were interested in and not
broadcast, to please call the bro¬
kerage' house. After the first
broadcast, nearly 400 calls came in
for quotations. The second night
the brokerage house received 1,200
calls.

"Gazeboes’ TV Sell

Just-opened Broadway shows. In¬
cluding the Jane Meadows-Waltcr
Slezak “Gazebo” production,
rushed to the cathode tubes, to
herald their theatrical wares.

Because of the strike and be-
^ cause reviews were not published,
the producers of “ Gaze bo” bought
a half-hour from WRCA-TV im¬
mediately after the Jack Paar
Show. Mis* Meadows, Slezak,
Steve Allen and others discussed
the,play and frolicked at the same
time. On Monday (15) the pro¬
ducers of “The Disenchanted,” the
Budd Schulberg and Harvey Breit
iday whit* opened twe weeks ago
took oyer a two-hour “Open End”
on WNTA-TV for a discussion of
the show, with Jason Robards Jr.,
George Giszard, Rosemary Harris
and others gui^ting with the co-
authoka. Reappraise of the play
: by drazna crix also were presented
■ on the program. On the first day
I (rf the strike, WABCi-TV got a hur¬
ried caR from the producers of
Graham Greene’s “The Power
and the Gloty” at the Phoenfic
Theatre. Frantic Over lack of ad¬
vertising and editorial coverage in
the struck newspapers, they asked
for an assist. Statioix gave the
show a number of plugs and Beir
Hecht attended the opening, fol¬
lowing it Up with a good review on
Ms J^e-evening program that
night WABC-'nr also began
series 30-secand idugs for. Yule-
tide needy ease drives by N. Y.
Time^ Trib and other daflies.

All stations, ia£o and tv, step-
:ped up their news carerage dmi^

^ the newspaper blackout and virtu-
a[Qy every fihn exhibitdr of any
eonaegpeocc in the metropolifan.
area sboght time to sell product.
AUHtea who had pnrdiased
nrheiliiTu as siatiraa .hefore the
: sCrikr veiicfrt .- to. Inerease. their
hwdiets ^ momcat e£ the walk-
ewt hut; ha aaiiar ^lihtenees found
siatieR safe* .nnaageta'iiitidile to
taka c«e ef ftkOr ptesshiig. needs.
A nwBdier tr onrieta refused ta
regnlar adsertieers to ac-
rewmeiyate “bad weitber’* ac-
qiMiintanres. Loew’i*.' lUBG Nabes,
Badfe aty Music Halt, Translux,
SMiewayy Roha^ kfiKyX A&S,
Begeci Feet aodt yov name it,
hastened to get ab^d any and
aH AM-TV channels. Special
“Shopper’s Guides” were hurried¬
ly prepared at various stations as
a public service to perptezed
Christmas shoppers; Astfaejrtiike
continued and neither side seemed
to budge, the broadcasters added to-
their already accelerated news
' schedule.

Several radio and tv stations,
in an effort to fill the huge gap
ileft void by the nine dailies absent
'from the newstands, came up with
mimeographed or pjginted “news-
paperV’ and distributed them at

TV-AH Scores on a St rike

■ Contlnned front pxgm 23: ■ ■

Dkk *Witkid, aviation newsy and
Anthony Lewis, Washington Bu-

key point* thr ong o u t thw city.
WRCA Radio and WRCA-TV
passed out printed editions in the
early hours of the day and early
evening to commuters at Grand
Central and Fennsylvanla stations?
WOVv a* a service to the Negro
community, launched the “publi¬
cation” of a niimeagraphed news
sheet on a twice-daily basis.

WLIBi also oriented to the Negro
listener, upped its newcasts, placed
portables in restaurants} supermar-
; ket* amd diops in the area and dis¬
tributed two-page mimeo" contain¬
ing news of both natimial and lo¬
cal interest to Negroes. National
Negro news came from daily news-
. papers south of the Mason-Dixon
.line to which the station subscribes
wMie local Negro news came from
such organizations as the YMCA
«id NAACF which assigned mem-
bea’S to be legmen and phone in the
news. Station alsa pasted sheets
from the AP news ticker outside
the Hotel Theresa which, to Har-
.lem. Is like the Hotel Astor. These
were changed each half-hour.
WMGM also stepped up its news¬
casts and its beeper phone inter¬
views as well as its community
bulletin board service. A flock of
'new advertisers also, hopped on
the WMGM channels.

WCBS-TV expanded Its news
coverage and was telecasting three
hours weekdays and two hours on
weekends WCBS Radio did simT-
larly, adding to its expanded cov¬
erage the reading of excerpts, from
column features and editorials
from the struck newspapers.

WOR-TV and WOR Radio pro¬
vided the paperless community
with increased hews as well as 20-
second headline reports during
commercial breaks in the "Million
Dollar Movie” segments. Numer¬
ous performers undertook to pro¬
vide their listeners -with running
accounts of the! happenings to
various comic strip characters.
.Jack Paar was one of the many
who performed this “public serv-
;icc” witli a nightly reading of the
; funnies.

Alberis Sandwicb Men

Show biz individuals with press
agents on their payroll were mut-
;teiing about the absence of their
aphorisms and other gems of wis¬
dom from the pages of strike¬
bound gazettes. To feed the in¬
stinctual drives , of their clients,
dfumbeaters came up with sundry
'gimmicks. The David O. Alber
shop exercised ingenuity'when its
“account executives" appeared--on
Madison Avenue and other opinion¬
making centers wearing sandwich
signs bearing headlines about its
clients. They were sufficiently ar¬
resting to catch the interest of tv
newsfilm outlets, wire service or¬
ganizations and national news mag¬
azines. Alberis staffers, like the
bill posters of the old Al. G. Barnes
Circus, traipsed te Broadway on. a
make-believe newspaper front
page^ They made headlines for
each client and plastered the
sheets around town Including the
new Chock Full O’ Nuts building
(Alber client, of course) Alberis
clients whose super egos were ap->
parently satisfied by this maneuver
. included Guy Lennhardo, Arthur
Murray, Jackie Robinson, veep of
Chock Full O’ Nuts, and the manu¬
facturers of “Monopoly,” a parlor
game;.

Similarly, the Rogers Sc Cowan
scriveners came to the rescue of
; their space-starved accounts by is¬
suing a four-page newsletter. It
was distributed by its more pulr
chrltu^ous' wage earners at many
subway kiosks^

written hr Frriterg; bridging the
'evehta of the night before.

: The tv commercials ran this way;
the flrst had Jenkins; flyi^ at an
altitude of It feet imd smothering
the remote announcer, crew and
sponsor “Homer K. Butteriint;” and
his family in smoke* Radio comi-
mercials next day explained he
was a crop duster specializing in
boysenberry dusting. Next nl^t;
he. spelled out “Instant Bo3n5en-
; berry.” FoRowing night, it was
h“Ristmtt (I Forget),” and the nlgSit
riter, following a radio peptsHt to
do a Job his mother would ht proud
.of, Jenkins spdied out a lacyj
; “Mother,” The Friday night com-,
mercial finally got the Instant
Butter-Nut Coffee tab felled out
correctly, though with the “R”
spelted backwards.

: A Saturday radio commercial
closed down the week’s novel cam¬
paign I iiiiiiiiiiii'

Who’s on Soeond? ,

Cantlnued from pare 23
else again, knd one that frnds both
Goldenson and tv prexy OUie
Tr^ having gained new industry
stature. This -was pretty evident
even before the latest Nielsens
; when, a few weeks ago at the ABC-
TV affiliate conclave in New York,
Tr^ was given a rising vote of
confidence by the station operators
for converting a $20,000,000 gamble
into the present major advances.

That was the sum invested in
such entries as “Rifleman” (which
already shows up in the Tqp 10);
**Naked City,” “77 Sunset ’ Strip”
and “Lawman.” These, along
^with. such holdovers as ‘Maverick,”
‘Heal McCoys,” “Cheyenne,” “Wy-
>tt Earp,” the Disney show and
:"Zorro”.arfr the principal reasons
why the network is now enjoying
its “finest hour.” True, some of
the new ones have failed to make
it, such as the ‘Donna Reed Show”
and “Man "With, a Camera;” but the
network’s batting average on new
'properties has been just as spec¬
tacular as CBS’, if not more so
* when one considers the more
r skeletonized framework in which
ABC operates.

Even in the area of specials,
'where ABC until this season had
been loath to move, the network
has met -vrith: some unusual payoffs
^—as with Bing (Trosby and the re¬
cent Art Carney “Peter and the
wolf” entry. (Network is now hell
'bent for stepping them up).

The strategy of shifting “Disney¬
land” into the Friday competition
(where it is now top dog); the slot¬
ting of “Lawman” back-to-back
with “Maverick”; the strengthen¬
ing of Tuesday (where ABC has un-
^questtoned supremacy) with “Rifle-
iBian” as complementary attraction
to “Cheyenne” and “Wyatt Earp”—
alf played key roles in the net¬
work’s program ascendancy.

And the network’s profits are up.

That, the Ihtensa ABC rival^ is
creating some uneasiness 'within
the NBC precincts can only be sur¬
mised. Even now the latter net¬
work’s program chieftains, both
east and- west coast, are assembled
in Florida (away from the phones)
to map strategy and future pro¬
gramming in a major bid to recap¬
ture lost ground. Similarly at
CBS the “alert” has gone out, with
an off-the-record communique to
program execs posting notice that
“we must, redirect our program de¬
fenses against ABC’s position as
the new second network.”

It is argued in some circles—
chiefly by the competition—^that
the ABC advances, with the major
reliance on westerns and action
shows, were accomplished at the
expense of balanced programming,
whereas the other networks made
the sacrificial gesture in order to
embrace a wider scope of program¬
ming. ABC concedes the point,
contending that it has had no al¬
ternative but to move in the direc¬
tion where the mass audience lies
since, as the longtime runnerup
network, it had to “make It or
else.” “The rest can come later,
when we’re firmly established,”
says ABC.

Sterz

Coatianed from pace 23 sssss

^ develo ping in Oklahoma City where
'"WKY, which had only xecettly
[ NBC, apparenj^ is pick¬

ing up Rie Stoiz formula of top
Tecorda and fariel newk Wts' writh
macho sfattion baQs^on of its own'
wafer and methods. •

; Just how Store- will smooth out
the hlead la yet to-he revealcri; but
,a itc^ stepr-haa bee n , a new han-
dhng of new* KOMA opening its
own newscast a mlhiite before the
NBC news on the- htntr, and nm-
nlng into the network dews with
the switch tn “our newscaster.”

KOMA is figured to he earrying
about. 90% of NBC’s sponsored
schednle, but Storz admittedly is
woridng.on some new formulas.

Revue Ups Winters

Hollywood, Dec. 18.
Ralph 'Winters has been named
casting director for Revue Produc¬
tions. I

Winters, who has been in Revue’s
casting department, replaces Bob
Walker, ankling to join 20thrFox
Television as casting director.

8% ofRrit’57
Adfo^eltoTV

London, Dee. 16^

About 0% of the $935,000,000
spent on advertising in Britain
during 1957 went to tv, states a
report published by the Advertis¬
ing Association. The report says:
“In view *f the fact that much
larger figures of television adver¬
tising expenditure have generally
been accepted up to now, it may
be explained that the difference is
due to the fact that the television
program contractors, particularly
in the early days of their opera¬
tion*, gave very substantial dis¬
counts to their clients, other than
those set out In the published rate
cards.”

The report adds that newspapers
were not adversely affected by tv
advertising in 1956, though thi
slowing up of expansion during
1957 may have been due to th#
growth of the new medium.
Cinema screen advertising ‘Some¬
what increased between 1952 and
1958,” the report says.

Hflntmy

Continued from i>ace 24

■ Publications Inc., wholly owned by
Whitney.

Understood that both stations
wUl be affiliated with the N.Y.
Herald Tribune much in the man¬
ner that the NY. Times operates
WQXR, N.Y. However, Trib will
give mexe emphasis on area news
and feature*. Both stations will be
known as the 'VIP Network with
Stone as pre ^ o f the new cor¬
porate setup, 'TIP Radio Inc.

Nick Andrews stays as general
manager of both outlets with Dick
Doan, stepping into news director’s
post on both stations.

Deal with "WMiney and Stone,
Is subject to FCC approval.

Sen Franeisee — Westinghouse
ha* named George Mathieson, as¬
sistant general manager of KPIX,
Frisco, to the general manager-
sMp of KYW-TV, Cleveland.

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51

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

P^StdStf

RADIO'

■TOuerhoaoiv

Tap Bob Fmkel For
‘Manie’s Friends’
PntBacktoBIarcbS

Figuring that Jan. 16 is too soon
to do the “right joh” and 'witii
Frank Sinatra on a picture com-'
mitaicnt for exterior shooting in'
Burma, the NBC-TV fiO-minute
*%pccial’* saluting the late Manle'
Sacks has been firmed up for ^
March 3 telecast. It is still on a;
Tuesday and will preempt the Ed¬
die Fti^er-George Gobel hour, and
may also permit Greorge Burns to
give up the additional 30 minutes
(Colgate), rather than in Janu-'
ary, especially as Bums is re¬
vamping his own show into a live
variety comedy format.

Robert Finkel, who has taken
oyer, as producer of the Fisher
show, will handle the “Manie's
Friends^’ package.

Goodman Ace is being consult¬
ed this week by . McCann-Erick-
son’s Terry Clyne with an eye to
supervising the entire concept and
the writing stable. Sammy Caftm
and Herb Baker (latter also new
on the Fisher show) will help in
the scripting.

Clyne also had a talk with Ed¬
die -Cantor when on the Coast last
week and the latter may just come
on to introduce Dinah Shore and
Fisher, both of whom are his pro¬
tegees. They, Sinatra, Peny Co¬
mo et aL will participate in this
annual i^ctacular, to be telecast
over the three networks in suc¬
cession, with an eye to realizing
around $250,0(K) for the Sacks
Foundation.

Winter ef ConlMt

CoBtinued from pace 27

has started up his “DA,’s Man,”
:also as . a LAM January replace¬
ment. Revue is about to start ub
“Crisis,” the new Ray Milland se¬
ries, for replacement duty for
Schlitz. Sam Gallu’s “Border Pa¬
trol,” for CBS Films, begins fii
January with much of it already
presold; Screen Gems has begun
rolling its syndicated “Stakeout”
aeries; Gross-Krasne-Sillerman will
start “Pate” for syndication in
January. ABC Films and Joseph
Schenk Enterprises are rolling
their “One Step Beyond” for Al¬
coa and ABOTV.

That rounds out the picture, ex¬
cept that the list may be expanded
to as many as 20 aeries within a
couple of weeks, as additional
aponsdrs make their final devisions
dh wheflier to continue existing
stanzas on the air after 13 wecGcs.
Said to he hot potential sales are
the Howard Duff-Ida Lupino
“Green Peacock” series and Desi-
lu’s ■'“Grand Jury,” both of which
have gone into additional produc¬
tion beyond the pilot in anticipa¬
tion of a sale.

Aassies

Conttniied from pace 30

the country for telefilm product.
It opened the for ad agencies
there to buy their own tv product,
which they then could place with
stations. But the stations went on
the record as trying to defend their
initial foreign and domestic film
investments, and emphatically re¬
fused to pxhf hit film which they
did not themselves buy for air use.
So far, it’s understood In the U. S.,
the agencies have not been able to
crack the -commercial outlets’ “buy
me, ohuy my film” restriction, al¬
though when they first set their
caps for American product, one of
them declared to Variety that the
ad agencies were confident they
could bust the ban.

About the pnly product sold by
Americans on Aussie soil has been
a modicum of animation celluloid
for moppet consumption, plus one
or two limited feature fUra deals,
or so it’s stated-

William Fineshriber, foreign
chief for Screen Gems, which has
a. subsidiary in Australia for tv
sales, countered ,this overall im-
i)ression by noting that on his re¬
cent visit there several sales were
closed with the Down Under ops
on their home soil. He said that it
is wise for distribs to . m ai n tain
Aussie setups because it enables
them to feel the temper of domes¬
tic buying habits and soften up the
market for a given U.S. company’s
product

Collins, Kniglit Team
for Kenya Com’l TV

London, Dec. 16.

Norman Odlins, -deputy chair¬
man of Associated Television, and
Leslie Knight controller of the
overseas division of ATV, are
among the directors of a new com-:
pany formed to promote commer¬
cial tv in Kenya. Their company.
Associated Broadcasting Co. -(Af¬
rica) Ltd., has submitted proposals
to the Government in Nairobi.

The company has made four sug¬
gestions. (1) that it should act as
the Government’s concessionaires
for the sale of advertising on the
service; (2) that the service should
be controlled and operated by the
Government, but paid for by adver¬
tising revenue; (3) that the Gov-'
ernment should Install the trans¬
mitters and provide operating staff,
while the eompany would provide
the programs; and <4) that the Gov¬
ernment be given an opportunity to
buy in to the company.

The Kenya tv service is due to
begin next October.

New York—^Hariy Novik, prexy
j of WLI^ N. Y. indie, flies to
[ Puerto Rico on Friday <19) to con¬
fer with Jose Ramon Quinones,
prexy of WAPA, San Juan, about
airing WLlB’s ^‘How to Speak Eng¬
lish” program -on the San Juan
station. -J

Itt-TV

[ssssm Ceatixiiea fr«ai jutae 27
“lipubleshooters” were slated fo
be filmed at new'studios in To¬
ronto. New facilities haven’t been
completed, how'cver, , and UA'^s
desire to get production rolling
^juickly cued the shift to Holly¬
wood. Locations and second-unit
work Will be done in Ganada, how¬
ever, although main production on
these shows will probably con¬
tinue here even after completion
of the studios.

Other two UA ’TV entries are
“International Airport,” filming
in New "York under the Hi Brown
production banner, and “The Vik¬
ings,” .to he shot in Mnnich this
winter by Kirk Donbas’ Bryna
Productions. Big problem right
now on “Vikings” Is casting, with
Bryana and UA still unable to
come np with a suitable lead.

Gibbs is now headquartered
here, his first Hollywood telefilm
venture since his Meridian Pro¬
ductions turned out “Schlitz Play¬
house” Mme yeai-s ago before
Revue took the scries over. Di¬
recting •“Troubleshooters” Is Bob
Altman.

Houston—^Tom Beck, . formerly
with the news department of KILE,
Galveston, has joined the news
staff of KILT here, operated by
Gordon-^McLendon of Dallas.

FCC Gomghto 19S9StiBPIaped
WiA Chaaoel Award Controversies

!. Washington, Dec. 16.

Latest developments as the ]
Federal Communications Comma-1
sion prepares to start over again'
on some of the toughest televi-j
sion decisions it ever made: I

(1) Commission set aside* grant'
of Seattle, Wash., channel 7 to
Queen City Broadcasting Co.
(made by a 3-2 FCXJ vote July 25, ■
1957) and ord^ed new hearings
beginning Jan. 30. Commission
said Queen City could continue op-^
crating station (KIRO-TV) zmtilJ
new decision is reached. Reason
given for reconsideration Is fact |
that Commissioner T. A. M. Cra¬
ven voted in original decision with-1
out hearing oral arguments.

(2) Commission ordered new
hearings on Indianapolis channel.
13 to start Jan. 23. The Indian¬
apolis^ case was - sent back to FCC ,
for further consideration by the
UH. Court of Appeals here because
Craven voted without hearing oral
arguments (the precedent for FCC.
in rehearing Seattle case on same
issue) and because Craven was
formerly connected with an en-^
gineering firm which had been re-,
I tained by an unsuccessful appli-

' cant In the case. That applicant i

lias since withdrawn.

(3) Boston Globe petitioned
FCIC to permit it to intervene in
the Boston channel 5 case, saying
it has new evidence to present
when bearings reopen before FCC
hearing examiner Horace Stem,
who also presided over tha latest
Toimd of the Miami channel 10
case. The Boston daily newspaper
claimed a “matter of right” to par¬
ticipate and called itself “a party
of interest” because its competi¬
tor, Boston Herald-Traveler, is an
applicant and the present opera¬
tor of channel 5. Boston case was
remanded to FCC by U. S. Court
of Appeals. Dates for starting
hearings has not yet been set.

In the Seattle channel 7 case,
the competing applicants which
will participate with Queen City
in the new hearings are KXA, Inc.,
of Seattle and Puget Sound Broad¬
casting Co., operating Seattle
radio KVI.

In the original 3-2 vote on chan¬
nel 7, Craven voted with Com¬
missioners Robert T. Bartley and
Richard A. Mack. Dissenters were
Chairman John C. Doerfer and
Robert E. Lee. Commissioner Rosel
H. Hyde did not participate, and
there was no seventh commissioner
then.

52

MUinC

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

bt mxke gross

Betty Johnson (Atlantic). “I
WANT A GOOD HOME FOR MY
CAT" (Trinityt) is a cute item
neatly purred by Betty Johnson
and has a chatice to do for the
feline what Patti Page did for the
canine. "YOU CAN’T GET TO
HEAVEN ON ROLLER SKATES"
(Trinityt) updates the wellknown
handclapper for some vigorous
vocal results.

Lou Monte (RCA Victor^
“SKINNY LENA" (Romancet)

has a hip-swinging flair that’s okay
for juke terping. . -

Russ Tamblyn (Metro). "TOM
THUMB’S TUNE” (Robbins*) is
pointed at the moppet market and
may do okay there once the pic
makes the rounds. "FIFTEEN
CENTS” (MiUs*) is a contrived
shot at the teen market that won’t
pay off.

Frances Burnett (Coral). "BLUE
PRELUDE” (World*) packs a blues
wallop that the late-hour jocks

Best Bets

CYRIL STAPLETON ORCH, CHILDREN’S IVIARCHING SONG
(London).Theme From Inn of Sixth Happiness

Cyril Stapleton's '‘Children's Marching Song" (Miller *) is one
of the most ingratiating sides to march in to the disk market.
With the children from the "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" pic
chanting the catching lyric, it can’t miss. "Theme from Inn of
Sixth Happiness" (Miller*) sets up a nice instrumental mood for
background music play.

* m *

AL KASHA.ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS

(Warner Bros.).Pll String Along With Pearl

Al Kasha's "One More River to Cross" (Coleman-Seconf) is a
variation on a Civil War theme that turns out to he a stirring side
through the vocalling and a forceful drum-roll backing. "I’ll
String Along With Pearl" (Trinityty.strings out a zippy beat for
a good juke potential.

* * *

FOUR LADS....GIRL ON PAGE 44

(Columbia) .. ..... . Sunday

The Four Lads' "Girl on Page 44" (Korwin*) will turn up at
the top of the spinning heap because of the oldfashioned lilt and
the attractive way the lyric is handled. "Sunday" (Williamson*)
is a brightly-flavored entry out of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
"Flower Drum Song" that will perk programming.

KALIN TWINS...OHI MY GOODNESS

(Decca) ...It’s Only The Beginning

The Kalin Twins’ "Oh! My Goodness" iJason"^) svnngs in a way
that the boys have already popularized and should continue to
hold on to the teen fans. "It's Only the Beginning" {Charles N.
Daniels*) is in a slower mood but they know how to handle that,
too, for spinning impact.

« ♦ *

TONY SCOTT.AFRICAN PENNY WHISTLE SONG

(Dot)..>The Zulu Walk

Tony Scott’s "African Penny Whistle 'Song" (T. Scott*) is a
swinging instrumental with a nifty melodic penny whisle leading
the way to top spins. "The Zulu Walk" (Vernon*) has a solid
jazz flair that icill appeal to the hip set.

* * tl:

GINO & GINA.... .KOOKA-DONG

(Mercury)....You’re Mine Alone

Gino & Gina’s "Kooka-Dong" (Figure'f^) gives, some Chinese
proverbs a rock ’n’ roll w'^rkover that will be on every teenager’s
spinning plan. "You’re Mine Alone" (Figuref) is an attractive
showcasing for their beat harmonizing.

could be a fat side for Lou Monte
on the spaghetti belt but the spins
will be thin in most other areas.
"WHERE DO YOU WORK,
MARIE” (Shapiro-Bemstein*) gets
an energetic Italo-English work-
over that will attract the juke
players.

Mamie Van Doreh (Dot). "NO¬
BODY BUT YOU" (Gladstone*)
gets a lot of vocal s.a. but it may
turn out to be a bit too much for
the teen trade. “A LIFETIME OF
LOVE” (Randy-Smith*) puts the
thrush in the rocking groove but
she’s apparently not the type.

Felicia Sanders (Decca). "TO¬
NIGHT” (G. Schirmer*) is a fine
rendition of a "West Side Story”
tune that should be picked up as
smart programming material.
"SHALL I TAKE MY HEART
AND GO” (Ankeford*) will be
taken up by deejays who want to
add some class to their program¬
ming pattern. Tune’s from current
Broadway musical, “Goldilocks.”

Doris Day (Columbia). "I EN¬
JOY BEING A GIRL” (WilUam-
son*) is a breezj' slicing of a tune
from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
"Flower Drum Song” that makes
for strong programming material
"KISSIN’ MY HONEY” (Artists*)
has a perky flair that may be ap¬
preciated by some spinners.

The Del Knights (Unart).
"EVERYTHING” (G&H-MoultrieT)
has everything that a rock ’n’ roll
song should have but it just
doesn’t seem to be put together
properly. "COMPENSATION”
(G&H-Moultrie'!') features enough
vocal activity to strike some sort
of note with the juke crowd.

Gene Vincent (Capitol). “BE
BOP BOOGIE BOY" (Centralt)
will plunk its way through the
spinning competish in the rocka¬
billy areas. “SAY M.AMA” (Big
Dv) tells an o^'dinary story in a
swinging rc'k::hilly manner.

Bobby Colt 'Hope). “GUILTY”
(Whiting-Feist* s .eets an updated
vocal treatment that freshens it
up for a new sp'nning spurt. “BE¬
FORE IT’S TOO LATE” ^Kiell^*).

may go for. "I’LL BE WITH YOU”
(Drake-Cambella-Le Billt) rates
attention becaus<? of the way
Frances Burnett peps up a familiar
foreign-based" melodic theme.

Eeed Harper & The Notes (RCA
Victor). "SHAKY LITTLE BABY”
(Famous*) is bound to get a steady
juke play from the teen set be-

LAWRENCE WEEK

Proudly Presents
"DICK KESNER AND HIS
STRADIVARIUS"
(Brunswick Album No. 54044)

cause of the zippy way it gets, its
message across. “WALKING TO¬
GETHER” (Raleigh!) puts a gosj)eL
feel into a teenage mood for so-so
results. '

The Rock-A-Bonts (Chancellor).
"BEATNIK I” (Rambed-Dimas-
Ludlowt) has the driving instru¬
mental flavor that will stir up a
lot of kids around the jukes and
radios. “SHE’S A FAT GIRL”
(Rambed-Dimas-Ludlowt) features
a wild rhythm and a ridiculous
lyric, so it may have some chance'
in the teen market.

The Montereys (East/West).
“THE AMERICAN TEENS” (Pro¬
gressive!) is an r’n’r-waver that
will make some kids pay attention,
“I’LL-LOVE YOU AGAIN” (Pro¬
gressive!) has a lulling*, rocking
effect that's good for the slow-
swaying terp mob.

The Avalons (Unart). “HEARTS
DESIRE” (G&H!) rocks in a way
that some jeaners may find desir¬
able but it- doesn’t have enough
pull to win enough of ’em for any
impact. "EBBTIDE” (Robbins*) is
an example of an attractive ballad
item that’s destroyed when the
rock ’n’ rollers move in.

The Chateus (Warner Bros.).
“BROWN EYES” (Lark!) is the
same old shade of rocking ballad
but it has a vocal lead that may
attract the young femmes. “SATIS¬
FIED” (Lark!) will .satisfy only
those fans who don’t demand too
much from r’n’r.

Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats
(Mercury). "COCKTAILS FOR
TWO CHA-CHA” (Paramount*)
dishes out the cha-cha mixture but
it doesn’t help the oldie any.
“HONEYMOON IN PUERTO
RICO” (Peer!) comes off as just
another side that tries to paint a
south-of-the-border mood.

Bobby Boyle (Tiara). "SPIN THE
BOTTLE" (Essex*) whirls a teen¬
age game with an uptempo beat
and a driving vocal that will find
its spinning place. “THE FELLOW
OVER THERE” (Melody Trails!)
is limited by the ordinary melody
and Isrric lines.

*ASCAP. !BMI.

Album Reviews

“Flower Drum Song’^ (Colum¬
bia): The original cast package of
the Richard Rodgers-Oscar Ham-
merstein 2d Broadway tuner can’t
miss being a top seller. Although
it’s not the most exciting set in
the R&H repertoire, it’s musically
way ahead of current competition
and there are enough melodic de¬
lights in it to make it a fine addi¬
tion to the showtune shelf, Miyoshi
Umeki, Pat Suzuki, Larry Blyden,.
Juanita Hall and Ed Kenny carry
off such offerings as “You Are
Beautiful,” “A Hundred Million
Miracles,” "I Enjoy Being A Girl”
and “Sunday" in top form. Set was
produced with a keen ear to the
groove by Columiba prexy God¬
dard Lieberson,

Jack Saunders Orch: “Mike
Todd’s Broadway” (Everest). Like
many of the late Mike Todd’s
shows, the dressing on this package
is lavish. In color and black &
white photos and an affectionate
liner piece by Bill Doll, Todd’s
Broadway story comes across with
impact. The stuff in the groove,
however, is less memorable. Most
potent is Victor Young’s “Around
The World” (only pic tune in the
package). Other tunes in the LP,
which are cuUed from such Todd
productions as “Something For
The Boys,” “Up In Central Park,”
“As The Girls Go,’.’ “Peep Show,”
"Mexican Hayride,” "A Night In
Venice,” “Star and Garter,”
"Streets of Paris,” "The Hot Mi¬
kado” and "Gay New Orleans,”
make for just fair background lis¬
tening under the baton of Jack
Saunders.

Ray Heindorf Orch: “Auntie
Mame” (Warner Bros.). Bronislau
Kaper’s film score for WB’s
"Auntie Mame” should pick up lots
of consumer interest as the Rosa¬
lind Russell starrer moves into
general release. The score is de¬
veloped neatly and the music holds
up sans’ the pic crutch. The
“Auntie Mame” score takes up
only side of the LP so the othdT
is devoted to Kaper’s themes from
such other pix as “Green Dolphin
Street,” "Invitation,” "The Glass
Slipper” and “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo.” Ray
Heindorf’s orch gives ’em all an
appropriate instrumental flavor.

Dana Andrews: “And God Said”
(Epic). Stories frorn the Old and
New Testament are told in words
(by Dana Andrews) and songs (by
the Frank Raye Singers) with
charm and taste. It’s a socko item
for the holiday season and should
turn into a good bread-and-butter
disk for the label.

Eddie Condon: “Dixieland Dance

Party” (Dot). Dixieland, the cur¬
rent rage of the campus cats. rates4-._^^i^^"f '

an even wider spread and this previously.)

Eddie Condon package ought to
help it move out. Pegged for terp¬
ing, Condon, \vdth top assists from
Herb Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Bud
Freeman, Billy Butterfield, Rex
Stewart, Cutty Cutshall, Dick Cary,

Leonard Gaskin, George Wettling
and Gene Schroeder, takes off on
a string of familiars that’s sure to
keep the terpers in happy move¬
ment.

David Alien-Bill Hollman Orch:

P'Srjettc

JO Best Sellers on Coin Machines^

2. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (5)...

3. THE CHIPMUNK SONGt (2) .....

4. PROBLEMS (4) .......;.. Everly Bros.

5. BEEP BEEP (5) ..... Playmates

6. LONESOME TOWN (3).....’ Ricky Nelson

7. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES (1) .... Platters

8. IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE (10)__________ Conway Twitty

9. I GOT STUNG (4) ....... Elvis

10. WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN’ (1) . .

Kingston Trio ...

Teddy Bears ....

Chipmunks .

Everly Bros .

Playmates .

. Roulette

Ricky Nelson ....

Platters ...

Conway Twitty .,

.MGM

Elvis Presley ..

Fats Domino ....

Second Group

ONE NIGHT Elvis Presley . . Victor

ONE ROSE .......... Teresa Brewer . .Coral

OLD BLACK MAGIC ...... -. Prima-Smith . Capitol

MY HAPPINESS Connie Francis . MGM

A LOVER’S QUESTION ..... Clyde McPhatter . Atlantic

BIMBOMBEY Jimmie Rodgers . Roulette

TOPSY ........ Cozy Cole Love

GOTTA TRA’VEL ON ........ Billy Grammer . Monument

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME ..’..... Tommy Edwards ... MGM

PHILDELPHIA U.S.A. Nu Tornadoes . Carlton

IFigurei in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 101

“Let’s Face The Music and Dance’*
(World Pacific). In addition to vo¬
cal savvy, David AUen has taste in
repertoire. He plays around here
with several wellknown items as
well as some relatively obscure
material, from Rodgers & Hart or
McHugh & Adamson, in a dance-
band setting by the Bill Holman
orch.

Pier Angeli: “Italia Con Pier
Angeli” (Roulette). There’s a pleas¬
ant quality in Pier Angeli’s piping
style that will get her debut album
off to a good start. Although it’s in
the Italian lyric groove, she makes
it easy listening, even for those
who don’t dig the lingo. Such fa¬
miliar melodies as "Volare,” “To¬
rero,” “Arrivederci Roma” and
“Anema E Core” help her cause.

P h i n e a s Newborn Jr. Trio:
“Faulous Phlneas” (RCA Victor).
Here’s an interesting sampling of
Phineas Newborn Jr.’s work and
development. Set showcases the
pianist in some cool jazz pieces
that the buffs will take to in a big
way. It’s still not for the uniniti¬
ated, though, which will limit its
sales potential. Newborn works
here with his brother Calvin (gui¬
tar), George Joyner (bass) and
Denzfl Best (drums). Some of the
highlights are “Back ^ome,” “No
Moon At All” and "What’s New."

Bill Snyder: “A Handful of
Stars* (Decca). Peg for this pack¬
age is songs with “Star” in the title
and there are enough of them in
the repertoire to build a neat LP.
Most important, however, is the
way Bill Snyder puts ’em on his
keyboard for a slick background
music dish.

Teresa Brewer: “When Your
Lover Has Gone” (Coral). With
Dick Jacobs delivering an attrac¬
tive orch setting, Teresa Brew^er
works easily through a dozen bal¬
lads pegged on variations of the
‘ love” theme. They’re all pop con¬
fections but she gives them lots of
vocal depth.

Metropolitan Jazz Quartet:
“Themes From Foreign Movies”—
“Themes From TV Shows” —
“Themes From Great Broadway
Shows” — “Themes From Great
American Movies” (MGM). The
Metropolitan Jazz Quartet (Lou
Garisto, piano: Phil Bodner, sax:
P^at Merola, bass, and Frank Gar¬
isto, drums) has come up with a
slick jazz series. Titles of the vari¬
ous sets tip off the source of the
repertoire and givds the group
plenty of leeway. Boys have a good
jazz feel and build up the familiar
melodies, in a hip but likable
ni^ner. (Fifth set in the series.
Theme From The Classics,” was

Antobal’s Cuban All-Stars: “Ay
Caramba” (London). This set is for
the terpsters and listeners who
like their tempo in the tropical
manner. Obdulio Morales, conduct¬
ing this Cuban All-Star group,
dishes up a lively beat that covers
the mambo, the guaracho, .the
bolero and, of course, the cha cha.

Billy Faier; “I^avelih’ Man”
(Riverside), Self - accomping on
banjo or guitar, Billy Faier devel¬
ops a pleasing folk repertoire in
this package. The round of 14
songs , are worked out with an ap¬
preciation of the folk song styling
that will please lots of folk fans.

Walter Skees: “A Little Tender--
ness” (Offbeat). Newcomer Walter
Skees has an appealing way with
a ballad. There’s a charm and a
warmth to his manner that makes
the evergreens in the songalog all
worth hearing again. He gets a fine
combo backing from Charlie Byrd
(guitar), Ed Dinwnd (piano), Eddie
Phyfe (drums), Keter Betts (bass)
and Buck Hill (tenor sax).

“Spiritual Moods” (Apollo)'. Gos¬
pel music gets an ail-star setting
in this package. Featured are the
Southern Harmonaires, Robert
Anderson, Robert Ross and Dixie
Hummingbirds. They all get across
the mood in a stimulating fashion.

“Songs From The Flower Drum
Song” (Bell). This packaging of the
score from Rodgers & Hammer¬
stein’s current ‘Broadway tuner
should mop up in the chain and
supermarket areas. It’s a $1.98
item but handled in a high-priced
way by the Jimmy Carroll orch
with vocals by Cely Carrillo, Edna
McGriff, Jean Arnold, Wayne
Sherwood, Artie Malvin and June
Ericson.

Paul Clayton: “Merry Muses of
Caledonia” (Elektra). As a breather
from writing poetry, "John An¬
derson, My Jo,” “Cornin’ Through
The Rye” and “Auld Lang Syne,”
Robert Burns segued to penning
some racy stuff. "Merry Muses of
Caledonia” includes a flock of
Blums’ ribaldry and makes for an,
esoteric package for a limited mar¬
ket. Definitely no air play here.

♦is-?

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

P^RlEff

MUS1€

53

1958: LOOK BACK IN HUNGER

1-Hit’ Diskeriesr-Wkre From There?

Despite the large number of casualties among the smaller re¬
cording companies—formed with the sudden hit of one disk and
then folding when they fail to, foUow through with another click
—the yen to gdt into the biscuit business is still strong.

For instance^ though Hal Roach’s deal to buy out Carl Doshay’s
Tops Records fell through. Roach is still interested and shopping
around for a diskery.

Another name that will soon be entering the recording field is
Jack Wrather, who also is eyeing the various waxeries as a pos¬
sible annex to his other ventures in radio and tv. Both Roach and
Wrather are just two of the big ops who can see the future (and
coin) in the disk biz, bigger now than it ever has been in its his¬
tory*

Grean in Return to RCA, Heading
Pop Singles; Csida-Burton’s Plans

Charles Grean is returning to-f
RCA Victor’s artists & repertoire'
division to head the *pop singles
department. Grean, who had been
Viptor’s pop a&r chief in 1950-51,
will work with label’s a&r topper
Steve Sholes as weU as assist
Herman Diaz in some album pro¬
duction.

Up until the Grean return;
Sholes had been assigning record¬
ing sessions to his musical direc¬
tors Joe Reisman and Hugo Win¬
terhalter. They’ll continue as mu¬
sical directors under Grean who
moves into the Victor plant Jan. 2.

In moving over to Victor, Grean i
Is breaking up his nearly five-year
alliance with Joe Csida and-Ed
Burton in Trinity Music and the
management firm of Csida-Grean-
Burton. On the managerial end,
Grean* will, only retain interest in
Betty Johnson, his wife. Miss
Johnson, incidentally, records for
Atlantic Records.

The managerial firm will now
be known as Csida-Burton Associ¬
ates. In addition to Miss Johnson,,
firm reps Eddy Arnold, Bobby
Darin, Jim Lowe and Norman
Leyden. Csida and Burton will
bring in Marvin Moore and Bob
Davie to a§sist them in their pub¬
lishing, management and record¬
ing activities. Moore and Davie
had been contract writers to the
firm, but will now' drop most of
their cleffing activities to work on
the new assigments. The tune-
smiths had the click “Green Door”
last season.

Csida and Burton also are plan¬
ning to step up their r«ording ac¬
tivities. Firm grooves singles and
albums for sale to the diskeries. It
now has seven LPs in production.
Incidentally, while Grean was with
the firm, he produced five LP.’s
which RCA Victdr is planning to
release early next year.

The Csida-Burton music publish¬
ing firms win continue under
Irwin Schuster as professional
manager.

PAR TALKS PIC DEAL
FOR BOONE AS INDIE

Pat Boone, Dot disker, huddled
with Barney Balaban, Paramount
Pictures prexy, early this week on
the possibility of a Par release of
a pic independently produced by
Boone. Also in the confab were
Randy Wood, Dot Records prexy;
Jack Spina, Boone’s personal man¬
ager, and Larry Kanaga, prez of
General . Artists Corp.

Boone has a one-a-year pic deal
with 2Qth-Fok which allows him
freedom to make an indie. He’s al¬
so been talking to 20th prez Spy-
ros Skouras on an indie produc¬
tion deal. It’s understood, however,
that Boone’s leanings are toward
Par because of its ownership of
Dof Records;

Wood, who was in Gotham last
week to cut 20 new sides with
Boone, planed back to his Coast
base Monday (15).

FulIerV RCA Club Po»t

Jack Fuller has been added to
the Book-of-the-Mbnth Club’s exec
staff for the record clubs division.
He’ll assist Bill Simon, manager
of RCA Victor’s pop album club.

Puller formerly had been with
V Columbia Records in the ad and
sales ptijmotioh departments.

Harbach in Hospital

Otto A. Harbach, 84-year-old
dean of American librettists, is in
New York Hospital, N. Y., recuper¬
ating from a recent operation. Har¬
bach has undergone several sim¬
ilar operations in the last couple
of years.

Currently, “Smoke Gets In Your
Eyes,” for which Harbach wrote
the words to Jerome Kern’s music
in the “Roberta” score, is riding
high in the hit lists via the Plat¬
ters’ version for Mercury Records.

Record Pluggers
Hit an Iceberg
At Chi Stations

Chicago, Dec. 16.

The disk pluggers in Chicago
are being hobbled by a stiffening
of station reception. The AM’ers
here have set up more stringent
clearances on what goes out over
their kilocycles.

A recent example is the action
of WGN, an important indie, which
bans the Kingston Trio’s “Tom
(Continued on page 60)

By HERM SCHOENFELD

For the first time in several
years, the disk industry during
19!58 failed to turn up with an
uncontestably socko personality.
There were many hits and many
solid performers, but there was no
name with the b.o. magic of an
Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Pat
Boone, Harry Belafonte, Jimmie
Rodgers, The Platters, or the
Everly Bros., aU of whom emerged
as consistently powerful disk per¬
formers in recent years.

Among the distaffers this year,
Connie Francis, on MGM Records,
and Jane Morgan, on the Kapp
label, have come up strong. But,
continuing the situation of the
past half decade, the femmes gen¬
erally have found it tough to
break through a market dominated
by the male singers and combos.
The pattern is somewhat irregular,
however, and there’s enough un-
predictabiLity about the disk biz
for established thrushes like Peggy
Lee (“Fever”) and Dinah Shore
(“Scene of the Crime”) to make
the bestselling charts after a few
lean years on wax.

In the male bracket, the biggest
new name of the year was the
Italian singer-cleffer Domenico
Modugno, whose “Nel Blu Dipinto
Di Blu” was a smash for Decca
and opened the sluice gates for a
floodtide of Italo songs. But Mo¬
dugno, in effect, proved to be a
one-shot artist who could not re¬
peat in the same way that a Presley
or a Mathis could.

Bobby Darin, a youngster who
also writes and sings his own ma¬
terial, shaped up as a promising
talent via his “SpLish Splash” click
for Atlantic Records. Whether he
can repeat the consistent success
of that other youngster, Paul
Anka, is stDl to be proved. Frankie
Avalon is another 1958 name with
strong potential yet to be realized.
David Seville, with “Witch Doctor”
on Liberty early this year, is fin-
'(Continued on page 60)

In Precedental Move, Radio Committee
Asking Federal Court to Fix Rate

MGM’s IOO,000-a-Day

MGM Records piled up more
than 100,000 sales a day for
a four-day period last week
(8-11). Spearheading the sales
in the singles division were
Connie Francis’ “My Hap¬
piness,-’ Augie Rfos’ “Donde
Esta Santa Claus?”, Tommy
Edwards’ “Love Is All We
Need,” Conway Twitty’s “It’s
Only Make Believe” and Joni
James’ “There Goes My
Heart,” among-others.

Leaders in the album field
were Joni James’ “JeT’Aime,”
Tommy Edwards’ “It’s All In
The Game,” David Rose’s “Se¬
cret Songs For Young Lovers”
and Sallie Blair’s “Hello,
Tiger.”

In Philly Draws
V^rbitVenom

For the first time, the New York
Federal Court will be asked to in¬
tervene in a major rate-fixing case
involving the American Society of
Composers, Authors & Publishers.
The All-Industry Radio Music Li¬
cense Committee, which recently
broke off negotiations with ASCAP
over a new licensing deal, moved
last week to institute proceedings
for the fixing of a reasonable
ASCAP fee.

Under terms of ASCAP’s con¬
sent decree of 1950, any user of
music has the right to apply to the
N. Y. Federal Court to fix the
ASCAP licensing rate if it is not
satisfied with the Society’s terms.
In the interim, the customer has
the right to use all of the composi¬
tions in the ASCAP repertory.

Impasse between reps of the
radio industry, whose license runs
out at the end of this year, and
ASCAP was reached over the So¬
ciety’s refusal to drop its fee from
2.25% of the gross to 2.059c, latter
being ASCAP’s fee for its televi¬
sion customers. ASCAP countered
with a proposal to extend the pres¬
ent pact for another year.

When the radio committee; chair-
manned by Robert T. Mason,
brings its case into court, ASCAP
is expected to make a pitch to the
courts for a substantially higher
fer than the one now in effect.
ASCAP general counsel Herman
Finkelstein has already stated that

Philadelphia, Dec. 16.

Sam Goody, disk discounter, w _____

the target of a blast from Nelson i music now plays a bigger role in
Verbit, head of Marnel Distribut- I radio than it did in 1940 when the
ing in this city and Baltimore.; current licensing pact was drawn
Goody recently moved in on the ■ up. At that time, radio was an all-
Philly retail scene. (Discounter | around entertainment medium,
also operates a retail shop and a • Finkelstein has pointed out, while
mail order division out of New ' today radio is strictly a music-and-
York.) ! news outlet.

Verbit said that Goody, who j The radio committee, for which
buys all his records in Newr York J Emanuel Dannett and William W.

City, has openly stated that he will
not be undersold. “Ther^are ap¬
proximately 300 retail record deal¬
ers in Pennsylvania,” added Ver¬
bit, “and none of them can come
near the inventory of 350,000 .disks
from 345 labels that Goody is
Stocking. In the last 18 months
more than 40 record stores in the
(Continued on page 60)

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK S« HOLLYWOOD 21 CHICAGO 11 LONDON, W. C. 2

NEW YORK S«
154 W* 4ilft SK

HOLLYWOOD 21
4404 SnuH Ilvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N* MIcUfm Ave.

LONDON, W. C. 2
S Sr. MdrtiH's Place
Thrfalfor Square

PARIS, 24 r«e Hacliatte

ROMf, Sfompa Eifero

Golub are counsel, has asked for
a reduction psi the grounds that
radio’s revenue has decreased with
the advent of television. The radio
committee also wants ASCAP to
reduce not only its blanket license
but its per-program license under
which stations pay the Society only
for music actually used. The broad-
casteiis state that the current per-
: program fees are so high that they
fail to present a real economic
choice between the two licensing
alternatives.

COL CAPITUUTES;
MASTERW0RKSH98

A price rise is in the offing for
Columbia Records’ Masterworks
line. The hike, which will go into
effect in January, will bring the
tab on the longhair LPs up to
$4.98.

RCA Victor and Capitol broke
away from the general $3.98 LP
price early this year when they
raised their longhair LPs by $1.
Col, however, held the $3.98 mark
on aU its catalog except for the
original Broadway cast sets.

Industiyites claim that the Col
hike is due to the costs of running
a disk club operation. They say
that at the $3.98 mark the margin
of profit in a club operation is
too slim. Both Capitpf and Victor,
incidentally, are in disk club oper¬
ations, too.

Col plans to keep most of its
pop albums at the $3.98 mark and
its stereo packages at $5.98. Label
also wall include a stereo division
in its record club push after the
first of the year. RCA Victor’s
club has no special stereo divi¬
sion now. It just informs its mem¬
bership what stereo disks are
available for a write-in order.

Eddie Joy on Coast

Eddie Joy, prexy of Joy Records
and PrefeiTed Representatives, a
personal management firm, is on
the Coast for confabs with KTLA-
TV where Guy Mitchell will
launch a new tv series.

During the trek, Joy wilh huddle
with his label’s distributors in Los
Angeles and Oakland. Current Joy
label ^ugs are disks, by the Gor¬
man'Sisters and the Upbeats. '

MUSIC

Atty. Diamond Backs 'Must’ License
In Copyright Act; 2c in 1909 & Now

P^mirr

TAi D«an of Chicago CofumnistM

Nate Gross

tho famod Town Tatthr of tho
Chieago-Amtncan
glvci baek-oMho-hand to

A vigorous defense of the com->f----— tvt T7 I A

pulsory licensing provision of the DTrVrP' Volga, OT Any

Copyright Act, under which music DLCILIi « Other, SongS For Me

J3 At^pIiip Rlpv&r C'sdGUPG Rpcofds fliioth#r Edltoflfll Fcohirft Ih ths
2c statutorj’ royalty tate, was made Arcme uieyer, uaaence itecoras Mocomina

by lawyer Sidney A. Diamond in Prexy, is planning a European , / „ •

his talk before the Copyright swing with several of his diskers to 5Jd Anniversary Number
Luncheon Circle at Toots Shoe’s^ Promote them platters there The c(

N.Y., last Friday (12). Diamond, a Cadence pactees being set for the

member of the firm of Kaye. Jour are the Everly Bros., the P^IETY

Seholer. Fierman. Hays & Hand- Chordettes and Andy Williams. I I

ler, is legal rep for London Re- The disk* tie-in will be made

cords. through tv and in-person appear- rRlLllYf|rQ|| Tolrpc yypif

Replying to eomplaints by pub- ances Deutsche Grammaphon di^i- t^njirOD IdWS UYW

lishers that the 2 c rate has been ^ibutes the Cad^ce line on the PjiAnAC FrOlll Col RfiCOrds

t _inno riiomnn/i cotH Continent. Blever figures they’ll 1 IIUUUO iiviu Wi iici/Uiuo

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

Inside Stuff-Music

Van Cliburn walked .off with top honors in the concerto class in
Saturday Review’s critic’s poll for his RCA Victor recording of Tchai¬
kovsky’s First Piano Concerto. The album, which has been a bestsell¬
ing package since its release a few months ago, received more votes
than any other album chosen by the critics. Victor also copped top
position in the operatic category for its “Madam Butterfly” production
featuring Anno Moffo, Cesare Valetti, Rosalind Elias and Erich Leins-
’dorf, conductor. *

Other winners In the poll were “The Play of Daniel,” with Noah
Greenberg conducting the New York Pro Musica group for Decca,
in the chamber Works category; Rudolph Serkin’s recording of Bee¬
thoven’s “iHabelli’^ variations for Columbia, for the piano classifica¬
tion; Boris Christoff on Angel won in the solo vocal category; Bruno
Walter’s Col platter of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, won in the sym¬
phonic category. Angel Records Was also palmed for its “Great Re¬
cordings of the Century” series.

in force since 1909. Diamond said Continent Bleyer figures they’U
that an actual deflation had oc- take off about mid-January,
curred in the music biz as far as
the 2c value was concerned. In

1909. nine minutes of music cost GKDL fepOtS banderSOn
$4 to $5, while today a 45 -minute lowa, Benda in Buff.

disk can be bought for about $3. ic

In short. 2c buys much more music ^ hppn

on disks in 1958 than it did in nf^fhp

IQOQ Diamond ar^ed appomted sales manager of the

lyuy, uiamona arguea. Mninps hranph nf nanitoi t?pp-

Chordettes and Andy Williams. I _J Stan Freberg’s spoof of ad agencies* commercialization of the Yule

The disk* tie-in will be made _ _ ^ season with his Capitol slicing, "Green Chri$tma$,” was met with

through tv and in-person appear- fD^llyfiriiii ToirpQ fiyAf disapproval by Cap prexy Glenn E. Wallichs. Idea for the disk had
ances. Deutsche Grammaphon dis- viAJ^iiJu uu Aaii,v*> been submitted to Cap by Freberg and cut by Ken Nelson. When

tributes the Cad^ce line on the PlmnftC FrAm f ftl PACArilQ Wallichs auditioned the disk, he voiced some Qoncem about the “taste”
Continent. Bleyer figures they’ll 1 DUUOo riUlU Vul ACI/UlUo in the parodying of some of the Yule hymns; however he was willing
take off about mid-January. Columbia Records is pulling out to go along with Freberg on the release because of latter’s socko track

—^-- of the phonograph manufacturing record in the parody field. Disk was Capitol’s second best-seller last

field. The phono division is being week. The Kingston Trio’s “Tom Dooley” continued to lead Cap’s
CRDC bpots Sanderson shifted to CBS-Hytron, division of singles parade.

Tn Tnwa 'Rpnda in 'RiifF Columbia Broadcasting System -

111 luvr^ " • which manufactures tubes, tran- A flock of ASCAP songsmiths are furnishing the entertainment at

- Imllywood, Dec. 16. sistors and other electronic cbm- the annual Christmas luncheon of the N.Y.’Chapter of the Public Re-
Marvin D. Sanderson has been ponents. lations Society at Toots Shor’s today (Wed.). Ed Sullivan is emceeing

• sales manager of the gbift, according to CBS- cor- with the performers to include ASCAP prexy Paul Cunningham, and

ttp alcn T>nintpd out that the Momes branch of Capitol Rec- porate prexy Frank Stanton, is writers Burton Lane, Louis Alter, A1 Hoffman and Dick Manning.
rnTnnul««jrv Hcensine nrovision was according pj^j.^. gf ^ planned expansion of -the James Melton and soprano Jean Gibbons (Mrs. Alter), will also sing

nr"a.l“AL“fn?S“s:v! s^ies'^Se/ofcIlDC^ phonograph and marketing opera- some numbers.

prai fnrpian PmintrfPR also have I manager ot ^«DU. tjong Headquarters of the phono -

Prior to his promotion, Sander- division will now be at 485 Madison

shnilar statutes that have worked J® promotion, Sander- division will now be at 485 Madison MGM Records in conjunction with MGM Pictures is running screen-

well for many years. The only dif- operations will be cen- ings throughout the country of “Tom Thumb” for the children of disk

ference between the law in Eng- iieapolis br^ch of CRDC, spot tered at CBS-Hytron, Danvers, jockeys, record dealers and reviewers. “Tom Thumb” balloons, comic

land and America is that in the W"®r® he started with the company Mass. Arthur L. Chapman is CBS- books and sample records of the Russ Tamblyn disking,. “Torn Thumb’s

former country, a percentage of hi 1954. Hytron prez.' Tune,” will be given to the moppets. The Lion (MGM’s low-price label)

the retail disk price is used as Simultaneously, Donald R. La H. C. Bonfig, veepee of market- original - soundtrack set is already on the market,
the royalty base instead of the Benda, assistant operations mana- ing semces for CBS, will act as -

2c flat base. S®r of the L. A. branch of CRDC, marketing consultant to the phono Former actress Blanche Shoemaker Wagstaff, who has turned author

■Rptrardinfr piirrpnt attemots to moving to Buffalo where he will department and assist in its ex- since leaving the stage, is getting a disk version of one of her poems

flip PVPmntinn assume the new post of operations pansion plans. Columbia Records for children, “Beloved Son,” the story of Christ, on. the Caribbean

thp lippncinff Tvpnvi manager of the company’s CRDC introduced its phono line in 1952 .Cook label. She’s the mother of A1 Wagstaff, Variety’s Bermuda cor-

lions o? the CopS Actf dS: _ I with the "360-model. _ rospondent. _ ’ __

mond was skeptical about the con-

stitutionality of the bill intro- — ___ _ -

duced by Sen. Josenh O’Mahoney 1111l|l||ff If W HTfMg 11V>fll|* PflT f IVllfli

during last session. That bill would " H K I H I ■■ fllilitllH Iflad £ MEjlMlllalto " ""

have imposed a 4c royalty rate on m^rnmWm •

disks sold to jukeboxes. Diamond —————■

said it “would be impossible to I o’ --

keep the 2 c reeprds out of the O

jukeboxes.” Any attempt to restrict | ® w S-'’S «)q^U

the sale of regular commercial ^ li o c

records, moreover, would be an .■ i ■ •o g u o- S S

oi retail album best B o I | S ^ « II 1 S § | S g »

man Antitrust Act. sellers based on reports, from lead- « Sc'J 1 -'^•c 2(S I

Diamond also touched upon an- ing stores and showing comparative ^ ^ 'S c 2 S S ^ S ® S 3 . 2 .c 'S .m t

other facet of the Copyright Act ratings for this week and last. W

which makes it imnossible to copy- L_ZZ_ I ® i

right a record. The Act -limits ej -g c T 1 ^ ^ o I 1 w EC 7. T T .5 i ^ 'g— •

copyrights to something “intelli- I «§ H A " t ® 7 ^ 7 i i A ^ J I £ P

gible to the eye,” or, as the Uni- ■il YT f’§.'S755t? g«l-io2 g lS'g^O

versal Cop^Tight Convention puts National ® i b «. ^ ® f I S' 3 2 S « 5*0 S I I I

it, to works that “can be read ^Ratinr ^ g i k ^ ^ ^ I S sSta t i S

or otherwise visually perceived.” xhis Last - 55* T

Tlie lack of copyright protection wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title & B 5 £ fc g g S 5 j g C g .« )d £ « g ,2 S

has forced diskers to protect them- ■■ ■ ■ ■ ..- ■■ -:■-■■■ ■■ -- ■■■. ■ -■ - ==.

selves against piracy on the* basis FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

of unfair competition laws in ef- i i Only the Lonely (W 1053). .. 4 a.. 1 4 10 1 1 1.. 12.. ., 6 . 1 698

feet in various states. -MITCH MILLER (Columbia') “

At the present time, however, 2 2 Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1160). 1 .... 3 1 2 2 4. 2.. 5 1 6 .. 9 5 91

Diamond reported that the New SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)

York City Bar con^ttee on trade- 3 3 soundtrack (LOG 1932)... 2 6 .. 2.. .. 6 5.. 10 2.. 5 .. 1.. 1 5.. 2 85

marks and copyrights is prepar- - ,sr- s . —^--^---

ing a proposed new Federal statute tut oocay o o a ^ a o o n a at

aimed at unfair competition in in- 4 4 Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250)...... 3 9 .. 4 3 4 3 3 . 7 7 . 4 63

terstate commerce. Such a law MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

would eliminate the need of de- 5 10 More Sing With Mitch (CL 1243)...... 6 .. .. 5 .. 8 8 . .. 3 1 4 .. ..- 3 4 .. 57

termining what state court had GIGI (MGM) ^ ^ ^ ^

jurisdiction in a specific case and 6 6 Soundtrack (E 3641). 10 .. .. . 6 10 .. .. 2 .. 3 6 .. 1 .. 3 47

would speed up the process of get- KINGSTON TRIO (C^apitol) ^ '

ting injunctive relief against 7 5 Kingston Trio (T 996). 7 .. .. 9 . 7 . 4 2 10 3 1 45

pirates and bootleggers. ^- AHMADJAMAETaSH)-^^--

assume the new post of operations pansion plans. Columbia Records for children, “Beloved Son,” the story of Christ, on. the Caribbean
manager of the company’s CRDC introduced its phono line in 1952 .Cook label. She’s the mother of A1 Wagstaff, Variety’s Bermuda cor-
branch. ■ - with the “360” model. I respondent. f

i-RETAIL ALBUM BEST SELLERS 1 -- 1

-PSriety-

Survey of retail album best
sellers based on reports jrom lead¬
ing stores and showing comparative
ratingm for this week and last.

National
Rating
This Last
wk. wk.

ii if i

IS 4 i

Alcoholic Cae

New York.

Editor, Variety;

In your “Remembrance of Re¬
peal”—how come you made one
glaring omission in the list of song
hits? The one big hit immediately
stemming from, and inspired by
Repeal was “Cocktails For Two”
by- Coslow & Johnston—the song
was deliberately written so we
could be the first ones out with a
song about imbibing, when we
heard that the networks had lifted ,
their ban on mentioning drinking
in song lyrics. Sam Coslow

(Story harked back to the quar-
ter-of-a-century milestone when
Repeal became official ovf Dec.

5, 1933. .‘'Cocktails For Two" is
a 1934 copyright, — Ed.)

Robt. Camp’s Cap Post 20

Hollywood, Dec. 16. -

Robert Camp has been appointed ni 20

exec staff assistant to J. K. Mait- --n

land, newly elected veepee of sales
and merchandising of Capitol Rec-
ords. «

Camp previously was assistant 22B ..
to the director of sales in Holly-[

. wood. In his new post he will con¬
tinue quartering at the Towtei?;’ ’

Artist. Label, Title I ^ I B I ^ I g I flk I B I CJ I

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

Only the Lonely (W 1053) ... 4 8 .. 1 4 10 1

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1160). 1 .. .. 3 1 2 2

SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)

Soundtrack (LOG 1932).. ... 2 6 .. 2 .. .. 6

VAN CLIBURN (Victor)

Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250)...... 3 ,. 9 .. 4

MITCH MILLER (Columbia) ^ ^ ^

More Sing With Mitch (CL 1243)...... 6 .. .. 5 .. 8 8

GIGI (MGM)

Soundtrack (E 3641). ....10 .. .. 6 10 .. ..

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

Kingston Trio (T 996). 7 .. .. 9 .

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)

But Not For Me (LP 628). 9 7 8 5 ..

MUSIC MAN (Capitol)

Original Cast (WAO 990).... .... 5 7 .. 10 .. .. 3

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

Merry Christmas (CL 1195).. 1.• .. 6 ..

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

Johnny’s Greatest Hits (CL 1135)--- 8 9 .-

HARRY BELAFONTE (Victor)

Sings the Bines (LC 10(j6)... 9

BING CROSBY (Decca)

Merry Christmas (DL 8128)... .. 10 1 ... ..

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

Swing Softly (CL 1165).. .. .. 4 5 .. ..

PERRY COMO (Victor)

End of Day (LPM 1885)... . 5

MY FAIR LADY (ColunSbia)

Original Cast (CL 5090).... .. 8 .. 2 .. 7

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

Christmas Sing With Mitch (CL 1205). .

PAT BOONE (Dot)

Stardust (DLP 3118)..3 .. .

NAT KING COLE (Capitol) •

Very Thought of You (W1084).. .

MANTOVANI (London)

Christmas Carols (LL 913).. 3.

SOUTH PACIFIC (Columbia)

Original Cast (B 2579-80).. .. 5 9 .

MANTOVANI (London)

Fil m Encores (LL 1700)... 2 . ..

~ERROL GARNER (Columbia)

Paris Impressions (C 2L9). 7.

MANTOVANI (London)

Gems Forever (LL 3032).. .. .. .. 9 . .

musk;

Wednefl^ay, December 17, 1958

Tony Conn Getdag Deoca Biddup;
Jeffries to Ml; Other %iings

Tony .Conn, a recent participant
in an amateur night contest at the
Apollo Theatre in Harlem, is nov?
getting a major buildup by Decca
Becords. Gonn, from Revere,
Mass., was discovered at the Apollo
by talent manager A1 Wiseman,
who signed him up.

Life mag’s special entertainment
Issue due this week is spotlighting
Conn cutting his first sides for
Decca, “Dangerous Doll” and
“Like Wow,”

MGM: Herb Jeffries

Hollywood, Dec. 16.
Herb Jeffries has joined the
MGM Records fold and cut several
sessions here under Morty Craft’s
supervision.

The label’s a&r topper planed
here from N. Y. for the special
diskings which also included ses¬
sions with the Edmond Sisters trio.

Design’s Diskers
Cy Leslie, prexy of Pickwick
Sales, has tapped Marion Mar¬
lowe and Stan Fisher to his low-
price Deagn siibsid. Miss Marlowe
is ah ex-Arthur Godfrey thrush
who’s played top cafes. Fisher, a
^harmonica pQayer, has appeared in
niteries and tv with Milton Berle.

Elektra’s Signings
. New additions to the Elektra
label are Sandy Paton and Mort
Freeman. Records of each are
being set for early 1959 release.

Riverside: Jehnny Pace
Vocalist Johnny Pace has been
added to the Riverside roster.
Pace, a jazz-oriented pop singer,

has travded with bands and jazz
groups. An .album is now being
lined up for release sometime in
February on which Pace will ap¬
pear with Chet Baker.

Chain Retailer Sees
.Stereo Strong Hypo
For Disks h Canada

Ottawa, Dec. 16-
Stereo is expected to hypo disk
retail sales in Canada to make the
ne.xt five years the biggest in that
business’ Canadian history, ac¬
cording to Alex Sherman. Record
sales are now 40% stereo here,
Sherman estimates, and sees rapid
increases coming
Sherman handles retail disk sales
in 12 outlets: seven in Ottawa,
three in Monfeeal, one in each of
Toronto and Hamilton, plus more
than Bp stores of the IGA food
chain in the Ottawa area. So far,
his stands have been concessions
hut the opening of his own shop
in Hamilton last week put him
in business foi* himself. He plans
posh preem for his new three
story musm building Dec. 15 on
one of Ottawa’s most valuable busi¬
ness locations to sell disks, . sheet
music, instruments phis television
and a camera department. Second
floor of the new Sherman store
will he a stereo studio for custo¬
mers. believed to be the first in
Canada. i

P^SrISFy

Brituh DUk BesUellen

London, Dec. 16.

Hoots Mon.. .Rockingham XI
GDecca) _ .

It’s Only Make Believe. Twitty -
(MGM) . ■

Tom Dooley.Donegan

(Pye-Nixa)

It’s All Hi Game . .Edwards
(MGM)

Tom Dooley_Kingston Trio

(Capitol) '

A Certain Smile.Mathis

(Fontana)

Tea For Two Cha Cha Dorsey
(Brunswick)

High Class Baby ....Richard
(Columbia)

World Go Bound .Como

(RCA)

More Than .Ever . M. Vaughan
(HMV) • _

ASGJff ULLINGMl
NOW OK MM, GABS

Expanding its relatively recent
policy of disseminating info about
the Society as freely as possible,
the American Society of Compos-,
ers, Authors & Publishers Is now;
publishing verbatim records of its
annual membership meetings for
general distribution to members.
Formerly, digests of the officers’
report were given.

A couple -.of years ago, ASCAP
threw away its longtime policy of
closed membership meetings and
invited the press to attend. limova-.
tions towards a more liberal press
and information policy have ibeen
made under the aegis of prexy Paul
Cunningham, who has been serv¬
ing the top spot for the past three
years.

By Sept Music Should

Collecl Much Mor^ From Couirnl TV

Dick Ruing I^uned New
Merchandising Director
Of Caintol, Cueing Slufts

j Hollywood, Dec, 16,

Dick Rising has been upped from
national sales promotion manager
to director of the merchandising
department of Capitol Records.
Additionally, Rising will also be
exec staff assistant to Bill TaUant,
national merchandising administra¬
tor.

Other appointments within the
merchandising division are Steve
Auld, former head of the advertis¬
ing production dept., as director of
advertising; Fred Rice, former
manager of the display department,
as director of the display depart¬
ment- and Vic Rowland, manager
of press relations, to director of
press relations.

Under Rising’s supervision, five
new assignments' are: Bill'Muster,
pop album merchandising; John
Coveney, classical ‘merchandising
manager; George Sherlock, singles
merchandising manager; Perry Ma¬
yer, merchandising coordination
manager, and Bob Bates, who suc¬
ceeds Auld as promotional produc¬
tion manager.

Lloyd Dunn, veepee of Cap’s a&r
division, has appointed Leo H.
Kepler as director of the Angel
repertoire department.

RETAU DISK BEST SELLERS

~~~P^RIEfY -

• Suro^ of retail disk best
■ sellers based on reports ob¬
tained from leading stores in
21 'hities and showing com-
parative sales rating for this
and^last week.

S s I

g I ?

Nittbnal

TUuLaBt
•wici wk.

c. Artlrt, Labd, Title . | g ]

■ CHIPMUNKS (liberty)

, Cbipmimk Song. 1

TEDDY BEARS (Dore)

To Know Him Is to Love Him. 4

PLATTERS (Mercury)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.. 3

KINGSTON TRH) (Capitol)

Tom Dooley. 2

PLAYMATES (Roulette)

Beep Beep.... 5

ELVIS PEESUEY (Victor)

(One .Night. S .

CONWAY TWITTY (MGM)

IfB Only Make Believe. 3

CLYDE McPHATTER (Atlantic)

A Lover’s Question ..

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

I Got Stung. ..

RICKY NELSON -(Imperial)

Lonesome Town.10

BOBBY DARIN (Atco)

Qneen of the Hop .. fi

-CONNIE FRANCIS . (MGM)

. My Happiness ... ..

JACKO: WILSON (Brunswick)

Xonifly Teardrops .. ..

STAN F^HERG (Capitol)

Green Christmas ... . ^

COZY COLE (Love)

Topsy No. Z .. ...

JHLLY GRAMMER (Monument)

Gotta Travel On....

.-EVERLY BROS. (Cadence)

Problems .

.JIMMIE RtHIGERS (Roulette)

Bimbombey .. ...

NAT KING COLE (Capitol)

Non Dimenticar...

FATS DOMINO (Imperial)

Whole Lotta Lovin’... ..

’ JUNE VAIA.I (Mercury)

The Wedding...

ROYALTONES (Jubilee)

Poor Boy......

RITCHIE VALENS (Delphi)

Donna .....

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)

I Got a Feeling.. ..

TONY DALARDO (Mercury)

Come Prima... . 7

1 1 1 3 .. 2 1 6 .. 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 I 1183.

7 3.. 123

... 1 2 2 2 3 .. .. 3.7 7..

2 4 ...... .1 4 1 3 .. 10 .. 2 3 4 .. 6 10

4 ,. ,. 2 1

3 .. 9 ,. 4 8 3 8

5 6 .. 7 10 .. 2

8 5 4 6 8

2 5 -. 5

3 6 8 9 4 6 >.

8 5 4 . .. 7 3

7 5 9 2 36:

4 . 7 10 ..

9 8 5 .. .. .. 4

4 3 .. 9

2 2 5 22 .

9 9.. 5

. 4

6 .. .. 13’

9 10 .. .. 4

.. .. 12
4 .. 11*

5 .. .. .. .. .. ,9 10

London, Dec. 16.

American music publishers can
feel reasonably assured that the
present deal between the British
Performing Rights Society and com¬
mercial tv will be wiped out. But
i it won’t happen before September,
1960, when the current pact ex¬
pires.

I H. L. "Walter, general manager of
PRS, intimated to Variety that it
was highly possible that a new
arrangement of royalty payments
would be established on a percent¬
age of income basis. The present
fee system is worked out on the
number of cities and towns which
each individual web serves.

Walter said he felt that the pres¬
ent setup constituted a fair con¬
tract. It was the only fair way in
which payments could be assessed
from indie tv during its formative
years. When the arrangement was
decided there were only s couple
uf webs in operation and nobody
' could forecast commercial tv’s fu¬
ture, he explained.

' The PRS tapper denied that there
’ had been stiff opposition to the
^ pattern of the contract, from sev-
» feral Council members during a se-
’ Ties ef meetings at which the ar-
' rangement was formulated. One or
^ two persons had registered their
■ disapproval on certain points, how^-
• ever, and, he said, these had been
noted.

It is understood that at these
: meetings a large number of Coun-
^ cil members were of the opinion
that commercial tv would not last
for more than a year, and it was
because of this that the eurrent fee
arrangfement, which it is felt in a
iramher of circles lets the webs off
too lightly, was accepted. Walter
would not divulge the amount of
money that his organization col¬
lects annually from the commercial
outlets, but qlainjed that a reported
figure of $280,000 was not correct.
He did not dei^ that the BBC’s an¬
nual payments were around J$2,520,-
OOOi but said the Corporation was
operating a complete national web,
and anyhow, its payments included
radio as well as tv.

As .a closing shot, Walters said
that if in 1960 the Coimcil cannot
f unanimously decide the terms of
a new contract, a tribunal would
take over and decide for the PRS.

Ertegun Niuned Prez Of
AHautic as Aibrainson
Sells Stake for Owfi Co.

In a reshuffling at Atlantic Rec¬
ords, prexy Herb Alwamson has
sold his-interest in the diskery and
ite publishii^. company suhsids to
start -a new label. The. Abramson
diskery, which will kick off after
the first of fhe year, will he known
ns Triumph Records.

With the Abramson exit, Atlan¬
tic had an election of new officers.
Ahmet Ertegim wns named prez
of the diskery setup, which in¬
cludes the Atco . and East/West
subsids, and Miriam Bienstock was
set as prety of the publishing di¬
vision, which takes in Progressive
and Walden Music. She’ll also be
a veepee in the record companies.

Jerry Wexler will he exec vee-
pee of the recording and -^blish-
Ing firms as well as general man¬
ager of the disk operation. Nesuhi
Ertegim was set as exec veepee
of the LP division.

Abramson founded the Atlantic
firm in 1948.

l^rwin’s O’seas lies
For I^ottiiig in U.S1.

Michael Stewart, Korwin Music
prez, in association with Sid Pames
will set up -a European combine to
represent American music and reo-
ord companies abroad.

They’ll leave for London Jan. 18
to ;organize con^anies in the ma¬
jor European, countries. Parnes
will'be based iiiXcndon and travdl
through the areas in which tho
firms will operate. Stewart will re¬
turn loN.Y, to coordinate the U.S.
operatton of the firras.

Tlie new org already has arranged
to handle several publishers' cata¬
logs and d^k company lines. Qfhor
pacts are currenUy being nego¬
tiate#!, “

Top Record Talent and Tunes

S 6

MUSIC

U^iEffr

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67

THE HOTTEST D

v/ i'4 ;

/<• '' 5.?

DIARY

A

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CASH IN ON NEIL SEDAKA S APPEARANCE ON THE DICK CLARK
SHOW. SATURDAY. DEC 20th! ORDER “THE DIARY" TODAY.

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MUSIC

UTSiffFf

Wednesda^y December 17, 1958

Postscf^ts on BMI Awards

Boudleaux Bryant, a S 8 -year’-
old bearded songwriter from
Georgia, emerged with top clef-
fing honors at the annual Broadcast
Music Inc., awards dinner last week
at the Hotel Pierre, N.Y. Bryant,
who has had several hits over past
years, hit the jackpot in 1958 with
four straight clicks, all published
by Acuff-Bose Music in Nashville.

Bryant's hits this year included
*^A11 I Have To Do Is Dream,”
“Bird Dbg,” “Devoted To You” and
“Problems,” The songwriter’s hit
stride was helped by the Ever^y
Bros, who recorded the numbers on
Cadence Kecords. Although now
writing Juve-slanted numbers, Bry¬
ant started his musical career as a
longhair violinist in the south and
played one season with the Atlanta
Philharmonic Orchestra. Bryant,
working alone and in collaboration
with his wife, Felice, have written
such previous hits as “Bye, Bye
Love,” “Wake Up, Little Susie”
and “Hey, Joe.”

» ♦ +

Sidney Kaye, BMI board chair¬
man, keynoted the BMI awards
dinner with a brief rundown of the
recent Senate hearings in which
a group of ASCAP songwriters to
testified against BMI and the
broadcast industry. Kaye said:
“We’re not out of the woods yet,”
but indicated that the ASCAP ele¬
ments did not make a strong show¬
ing before the Senate subcommit¬
tee headed by Sen. John O. Pas-
tore (D., R.I.). Kaye said the
ASCAPers were “now shopping"
aroimd” for another committee to
make their case.

Robert J. Burton, BMI viceprexy
who presented the awards, also
repeatedly made sharp digs at
ASCAP complainants. He pointed
out that a BMI hit, “Yakety Yak,”
which was ridiculed by the ASCAP¬
ers at the Senate hearings, was de¬

fended by Sen. Pastore who stated
that his own daughter bought the
record and liked it.

♦ * ♦

Jean & Julian Aberbach’s Hill St
Range combine, while, eclipsed In
the number of awards to publishers
this year by Acuff-Rose, which
got five, were cited for four hits.
One of the tunes, “Great Ball of
Fire,” was split between H&R and
the B.R.S. publishing ' company,
while another, “One Night,” was
split with Travis Music. Other
two songs, “Don’t” and “I Beg of
You,” were published by the Aber-
bachs* Elvis Presley Music firm
which they own jointly with Pres¬
ley.

FROM RAGTIME TO BOP
VIAUA’SLPDUALLER

United Artists Records is com¬
ing out with a fast survey of the
development of jazz in a double
LP set recorded at the ApoUo
j Theatre in Harlem last week.
Titled “The Living History of
'Jazz,” the historical rimdown was
performed by the Herb Pomeroy
band of Boston, Willie (The Lion)
Smith, Zoot Sims, Candido and
John McLeUan.

It’s due for UA release early
in February in a de luxe package
getup.

WaOy Schuster on Own

Wally Schuster is resigning his
post as professional manager of
the Patricia and Kahl music firms
to go into the publishing business
on his own. He’s forming two
firms, Wally Schuster Music
(BMI) and Ciras Music (ASCAP).

Schuster has been in the music
business 19 years. He was with
[the Warner Bros, music firms,^ the
Big Three and George Paxton be¬
fore the Patricia-Kahl tie.

MAKES RECORDINGS

MAKES MASTERS

MAKES PRESSINGS

MAKES STEREOS

MAKES SHIPMENTS

lAND WAREHOUSES^

'with the efficiency, the quaiity, the
technical mastery that has always
been associated with the name of
MGM!

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

■

New York—(MDS)

Boston—(Mosher Music)

1

P

ut

o

T

m

1

•S

1

1

o

§

1

1

I

I

9

09

ChlcagG—(Lyon-Healy Music Co.)

1 Detroit—(Pied Piper Music)

Cleveland—(Grossman Music)

Minneapolis—(Schmitt Music Co.)

d

U

o

To

s

■g

0)

*-»

1

U

1

San Franolsco—(Pac. Coast Music)

d

ct

i

5

1

s

Seattie—(Capitol Music Co.)

T

O

T

A

L

P

0

I

N

T

S

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
12 cities and shovnng com¬
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

* ASCAP t BMI

National

Rating

This Last

wk. wk. Title and Pahlisher

1

tTom Dooley (Beechwood)

7

2

1

5

8

1

2

1

1

1

81

2

1

tKnow Him (Warman)....

2

6

2

9

7

..

~T~

6

2

3

..

60

3

5

♦World Outside (Chappell).

4

1

6

• -1

9

6

4

6

..

6

46

4

♦White Christmas (Berlin)

1

1

4

2

4

43

5

4

♦Day Rains Came (Garland).

10

5

10

7

5

5

3

2

41

6

3

♦It’s All in Game (Remick).

..

2

5

6

3

3

9

10

37

7

8

tLonesome Town (Epic)-.

5

8

7

8

7

7

34

1 8A ..

. ♦Chipmunk Song (Monarch).

1

3

3

5

32

1 8B ..

♦Red Nosed Reindeer (St. Nick.).

4

2

T"

4

32

10

15

♦Silver Bells (Famous)...

4

5

5

7

7

27

11

11

♦The End (Criterion).

1

8

4

6

..

25

12

10

tOnly Make Believe (Marielle)..

6

8

2

17

13

♦Santa Coming Town (Feist).

..

..

3

3

.,

16

14

7

tNon Dimenticar (Hollis)

»8

9

8

8

11

15

4

To

8

Jim Crow Local in Frisco
Refuses OK on Jazz Bash
For ES. in Clinton, Tenn.

San Francisco, Dec. 16.

Jim Crow AFM Local 669 has
nixed a benefit jazz concert for
bombed-out Clinton, Tenn., High-
school, but there ■ are indications
the local may relent.

Benefit is sponsored by West
Contra Costa College Jazz Club,
at Richmond, across the bay from
Frisco, and is scheduled for Sun¬
day ( 21 ).

Richmond AFM local okayed It
and Jim Seymour, Negro college
student running the benefit, then
sought an okay from Frisco Jim
Crow local and White Frisco Local
6 in order to avail himself of
Frisco jazz talent. Local 6 prompt¬
ly approved but directors of Lo¬
cal 669 meeting refused, with sec¬
ret^ Curtis Lowe noting local’s
policy was to disapprove benefits
outside its jurisdiction and “be¬
cause we wanted to make sure this
was bona fide.”

Pressure on Jim Crow local has
been building up for a week, and
Lowe now says directors seem sat¬
isfied . musicians won’t be “ex¬
ploited” and that he’s repoUi^
group and expects to “give it our
okay.” Seymour, however, says
he’s heard nothing from the lo¬
cal as yet and confesses disap¬
pointment over the situation.

NLRB-MGA Jan. Hearings

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

The National Labor Relations
Board has set Jan. 15, 19 and 21
for hearings here on petitions sub¬
mitted by the Musicians Guild of
America for a certification elec¬
tion to determine whether it can
bargain for footers with* record
firms.

The American Federation of
Musicians is the current bargain¬
ing agent for musicians In the
diskery field, but its pact winds
Dec. 31.-

French Disk Bestsellers

Paris, Dec. 16.

When ...Kalin Twins

(Brunswick)

Du Moment S’Aime.

(Versailles)

....Reno

Diana ......

(Vega)

,...Anka

L’Ean Vive...

... .Beart

(Philips)

Les Gitans,.,......,

(Fontana)

Catalano

Tu Vas A Rio....,,,

(Philips)

. .Moreno

Come Prima..

(Barclay)

...DaUda

Mon Manege A Mol.

(My Own Home)
(Pathe)

.Piaf

Tequila ....

(Fontana)

. .Blazers

Crazy Love .

(Vega)

,.. .Anka

Mexico in Stereo Bow

Via RCA Victor Gear

Mexico City, Dec. 16.

RCA Victor is -first recording
firm to bring stereophonic sound to
Mexico. Firm has installed equip¬
ment and is launching the first
longplay disk.

The first Mexican stereo platter
>has a series of 12 dance tunes spe¬
cially arranged by*Luls Gonzalez
and interpreted by Miguelito Val¬
dez and the Fantasia Quintet. >

“Originally, first stereo disk was
to have been a set of jazz tunes
arranged by Cuban “Chico” O’Far-
rill, with interpretations by his
orch. However, O’FarriU and
RGA did not see eye to eye on con¬
tract details and bandleader ac¬
cepted an offer by Orfeon Records.

R&HasDi$kCo.

Continued trom pare 1

New York studios. Label had
been pitching the album on the
retail store level via advance order
blanks, hoping to get business
from early Christmas choppers.
The Music City shop In L.A. re¬
ported that the album went on its
Top 40 list before the first LP
was in the store.

- I’LL *
REMEMBER
«TONIGHT '

formed a disk company for their
original cast package. Alan Jay
Lerner, co-writer on “My Fair
Lady,” is understood to be muUIng
a similar operation with his next
musical project.

The R&H disk company is plan¬
ning further releases after “Drum
Song” gets off the groimd. It’s not
yet been determined whether the
company will stick to R&H ma¬
terial or produce packages from
outside sources.

Meantime, Columbia started
shipping the “Drum Song” package
last Thursday ( 11 ), only four days
after the grooving session at its

New Renditions
of Great Standards—

MA,

H#'s Making Ey«« At M#
SHIRLEY FORWOOD on
Fratornity Rtcordi #F-t24

CARAVAN—Parts I & li

COZY COLl on

Grand Award Rocords #II2S

CORRINE, CORRINA

BILL HALEY and tho COMETS on
Dacca Racerdt

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

A & R RECORDING, Inc

Ot ‘pleaud ia cuutOMMce iit»
app/UHimutt 0^

BILL SCHWARTAU

A & R RECORDING INC

112 West 48th street '

New YorCN. Y. Circle 6-1545

ARTHUR D* WARD PHIL RAMONS

PrtsldMit Vie* PrtildMit

Vedncaday, Dccemfeer 17* 1958

Thanks

to a great staff for supplying MSM
with the following great hits during 1958:

Thanks

to JESSE KAYE

for "Purple People Eater"

Thanks

to MORTY CRAFT and LEROY HOLMES
for "lt*s All In The Game"

Thanks

to MORTY CRAFT
for "Stupid Cupid"

Thanks

to JIM VIENNEATJ

for "It*3 Only Make Believe"

Thanks

to MORTY. CRAFT

for "There Goes My Heart"

Thanks

to MORTY CRAFT

for '!My Happlnes3"/"Never Before"
Thanks

to LEROY HOLMES

for "Donde Esta Santa Claus"

and Thanks to everyone else in the MGM Organization
who helped create, promote, sell and distribute
the MGM product*

Sincerely,

Arnold Maxin
President, MGM Records

MUSIC

WiB^es^ay, f)^iiiBcr 17» 195S

AM‘Regulars’
Win Over MGA

Hollywood, Dec. 18'.

The administration slate won
over nominees indorsed by the
Musicians Guild of America in bi¬
annual election of Local 47, AFM,
held yesterday (Mon.).

In a nearly 2-to-l victody, John
Tranchitella outpointed Kay To-
land, 2,604 to 1,359, with John
teGroen, indie who withdrew from
the race, copping 114 write-in
votes. Max Herman was elected
v.p.; Lou Maury, recording secre¬
tary; Leroy Collins, financial sec¬
retary.

Tranchitella panel also won a
clean sweep by electing all trust¬
ees, members of board of directors,
trial board, and delegates to con¬
vention!

MASS. SUPREME COURT
UPHOLDS JUKEBOX TAP

Boston, Dec. 16.

Jukebox ops got a setback here
with a ruling by the full bench of
this state’s Supreme Judicial Court ^
that a statute and a City of Boston
ordinance requiring cafe owners to
obtain a yearly $50 entertainment
license for jukes and tv sets are
not unconstitutional.

The court rejected a contention
of Mosey Cafe Inc., owner of the
Ball & Bat Cafe, Boston, that the
license fee on jukeboxes and tv
sets contravened the constitutional
guaranties of freedom of speech
and the press.

It was a test case brought by the
Music Operators Assn, of Mass.
Inc. in protest against what it
terms “excessive fees” set by the
city and state on automatic phono
machines.

Boston jukebox ops must pay a
total of $160 a year in license fees
for each machine. The state
charges $50 for a Sunday license,
the city $50 for weekday license
and = $50 Sunday, and there is a
Federal tax of $10.

The issue started last Jan.
when the ops found they were
tabbed the $160 fees under new
licensing fees. The juke attorneys
challenged the license fees on the
aspect of free speech as guaran¬
teed by the state and Federal con¬
stitutions.

Following the court decision, the
association called a meeting at the
Boston Club last week at which
Dave Baker, prexy, and Arthur
Sherman, legal counsel, said other
actions would be filed.

Pj^lRI&Y Scoreboard

OP

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder to
orriued at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu¬
merated above. These findings are correlated' xoith daia from wider sources, which are exclusive ^
with Variety. The portions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de¬
veloped from the ratio of points scored^ two ways in the case of talent (coin machines, retail
dislcs) and three ways in the case of tunes (coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music),

POSITIONS talent

This Last

Week Week ARTIST AND LABEL ^ TUNE

1 8 CfflPMUNKS (Liberty) ... Chipmunk Song*

2 3 TEDDYBEARS (Dore) ..... To Know Him, Love Him|

3 1 KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)... Tom Dooleyf

1 2 ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor) .

5 7 PLATTERS (Mercury) . Smoke Gets In Your Eyes*

3 4 PLAYMATES (Roulette) .. Beep Beepf

7 5 RICKY NELSON (Imperial) ...jLoL^om^'iSwnt^

3 6 CONWAY TWITTY (MGM).... It’s Only Make-Believef

} CLYDE McPHATTER (Atlantic). A Lover’s Questionf

) 9 EVERLY BROS. (Cadence) . t ■. j.

[Love Of My Lifef

osmoNs TUNES .

his Last

^eek Week TUNE PUBLISHER

L 7 '^CHIPMUNK SONG........ Monarch

2 1 fTO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM. Warman

3 2 .fTOM DOOLEY .. Beechwood

1 5 *SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES .. Harms

5 4 fLONESOME TOWN ..... i. .,. Eric

3 6 *BEEP, BEEP. H&L

7 3 frr’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE .. Marielle

3 .. fONE NIGHT.......Travis Presley ^

J 9 *I GOT STUNG ... Gladys

) 8 fPROBLEMS . A-Rose

Ghi PInggers

Continued from page 53 —
Dooley” (Capitol) click as too
morbid and therefore “not In good,
taste.” But cases of such specific
tabus are small gripes for. the rec¬
ord distribs as against the almost
wholesale veto of rock ’n’ roll. The
r’n’r beat is idiom non grata at
many Chi stations, including WGN,
WCFL, WAIT, WBBM and WMAQ.
Last two are the respective GBS
and NBC o&o’s here.

Where formerly the record pro¬
motor only had to contend with a
jockey, he now has the station to
persuade. Only a handful of jocks
can ignore the station fiat, among
those with carte blanche being
Howard Miller, Marty Faye, Bob
Porter and the Magnificent Mon¬
tagu. Because the competition is
up—more labels, more releases,
more pluggers—this select circle
obviously rates handsome treat¬
ment from the distributors.

Time was when Windy City plug¬
gers virtually ignored the smaller
stations around town and sub¬
urbia. Tha’s changed now, how¬
ever, since generally it's easier to
get a record on the small indies,
thus giving it some exposure for
a starter and, perhaps, a retail
push, with which to confront the
bigger outlets and their dee jay
elite. Pluggers are finding that at
outlying stations they’re less apt
to trip over one another in their
quest for spins and, after all, a
slice of bread is better than no
loaf at all.

Goody

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence) .

TUNE

'^CHIPMUNK SONG

[Love Of My Lifef

* ASCAP t BMI

^ Continued .Jrom page 53
state have folded and it’s no secret
that that many more are hanging
on desperatelv in the hope that
Christmas business wiE save them.
Now, with a Philadelphia discount¬
er to add to their problems already
aggravated by record cbibs and
chain stores, many more^are surt
to close in January.”

Verbit claims that the little rec¬
ord store, seUing disks at Est price,
is the backbone of the business and
that distributors have already seen
the way profits are cut when these
..outlets fold or shEt to other items.
He predicts that the manufacturers
wiE be the next to feel it because
In addition to loss of monaural
volume, there is going to be a
tremendous loss in stereo turnover
where clerks haven’t the time or
the understanding to explain and
sell the binaural sound.

iGok Back In Hunger

—j Coctliiued from page 53 =====

repeat hit becomes as elusive as
ever and most of the names and
combos have to start all oyer
again finding that lucky combina¬
tion.

■MSP; ★SLEIGH RIDE “The Chipmunk song.” I xwiuy, WHO nas a Dig one in xi si '"pl L-f A JJ J

■k 100 % recorded The ye^’s market, however. Is Only Make Believe,” also is yet Others Added

★ SCARLET RIBBONS strewn with n^es that flared up to prove that he s more than a David B. Jones, ex-owner and

mOt* • from PERRY COMO'S with one ^ash only to fade away. A of Empirical Recording,

W I.Vm'iJS' Eci Hektr. label aa

r . THE tCINeSTON TRIO ^wheS^itb his fonowup disk. * westion-mark at this point. S'Se dfr

Capitol F-3970 Jack Scott had a soEd hit for Among the vocal combos, the sions under the direction of firm’s

★ MILLS MUSIC INC Carltou -^ith “My True Love” but situation is ever more in flux. The prexy Jac Holzman, and supervise

_ - _ feE off the pace with his subse- combos come and go in such quan- engineering personnel, mainte-

——————— 1 — ————- tity and such a quaintness of mon- nance and quality control.

*■★★*★★★★★★★*★*★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ ickers that it’s tough to keep up In anothef assignment, Bruce AI-
-k . with them. The Silhouettes, the len, who was export sales rep with

'^lAAI/ir jee^, p^ny & The Jun- JoyManufactuting,wasnamedspe-

-k|Jli*i[iL D|||J||||i| | V^ lors, the Chantels, the Diamonds, cial assistant to Holzman, takhig

^ J ft If II I L D ft II H L I I O ^ ® Elegants the Coasters, the over after the first of the

-k ■■ W imifc Olympics, the Danleers, the And Mel Posner, head of diskWs

•k _ ^ m Champs, the Playmates, the Pets, shipping department, was upped to

PAMCDC nc lOOfi’ i _

IlLlT vvlfltlio WI AVmO ♦ Over 50 hits in 1958 were pro- IP"

•k ^ duced by more or less ephemeral _ _

*■ Currently DESERTINN, La. Vegas MONEY A'

* and then from Jan. 23—Horida Season could do.it again, in fact, excg)t

* M 1 . » for a few cases, the odds went the Foraiw r«.rd *«p,r«rt„ pr..id«.

* DEAUVILLE HOTEL, Miami Beach » ^ ■«,. v.i,m. .r ,K.,d«

-k Such inconsistency has made it

f— AS$OCIftTED BGGKING CGRPGRATIGN— i ^ wiMimib.,- p,.d..,..

JO* cLAcr* for the next release of a given T®"

-re. a arse ei tar v u a dAT 11 t edie Ml.,,* artlst. The {Esk-huying pubEc— $250,000. All repllts will bt held Ii

745 Fifth Ave. 303 N. Wabash Ava 407 Lincoln Rd. ti19 Sunset Blvd. most cases, the kids—^buy

New York 22 . N.Y Chicago, III. Miami Beach, Fla. H'wood 44, Calif. names in some cases, as witness BOXY-'

Phono; Phono; Phono; Phono: the steady sales of a Presley, VABICTV' 1KAW AAaL

PLaza9-44M CEiitral 4-94n JEfforson t-SMS OLympIa 1-9949 «OOrie, Mathis, etc., but In others, w. ^oni

it’s strlctly the tune and sound. The-

ishing strong with another novelty, | quent sides. A talent like Conway JoiieS Chief Engineer At
"The Chipmunk Song." iTwitty. who has a big one in “It’s .-m., .

The year’s market, however, is Only Make Believe," also is yet
strewn with names that flared up to prove that he’s more than a

JACKIE BARNETT’S
‘NEW COMERS OF 1928’

Currently DESERT INN, Las Vegas

and then from Jan. 23—Horida Season

DEAUVILLE HOTEL, Miami Beach

—AS$OCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION—

JOB GLASER, Prtt.

745 Fifth Ave. 203 N. Wabash Av* 407 Lincoln Rd. 1419 Sunsot Blvd.
Now York 22. N Y Chicago, III. Miami Boach, Fla. H'wood 44, Calif.
Phono; Phono; Phono; Phono:

PLaza 9-44M CEiitral 4-94n JEfforson t-OStS OLympIa S-9949

For 11m HolMoy-SING

“GOO’S CHRISTMAS”
“THE SOLVAY DREAMER”

Exctilont Seng, Just Publlshtd,
New on tale

MONEY AVAILABLE

Fermtr r^erd corporotfoR praaidaat (iRdopaadaRt) iRtaratfgd RaaBclNf
lorg* voImibb or pottRtloI rocerd cempany with or wIthoMt sorvicof.

Matt bo woll dJitrlbafod prodaef, ottobliihod at looit two ytors.

Ropfy oaly If yoa eoa stoad strict lavostigotloa, ovollobla faads ap to
$250,000. All ropllos will bo hold la strictast ceafidoaea.

BOX Y-1212-58

VARIETY, T54 W. 46tli St.. New York 38. N. Y.

II CHICAGO’S NEWEST THEATRICAL HOTEL--640 N.Wabash Ave.,SU 7-4030
ll||Tr| I^JICO SPECIAL RATES ~ JUST OFF RUSH STREET

n U I C L V H u V Write, Wire or Phone Collect Todd W. Johnson, Manager

Todd W. Johnson, Manager

Vcdiicflday, Dccemher 17, 1958

MUSIC

61

On Hk Upbeat

New York

Secco Records picked up
“Hungry, I’m Hungry” by The
Annuals for national distribution
from Marconn Records . . . Jack
Kane, who recently signed with
Dot, set to arrange and conduct an
album for Don Cornell. He’ll also
groove his own orch on two LPs
and several singles . . . Mitzi
Stefanidis as$isting Lou Del Gurc-
cio at the 20th-Fox label . . . Teddi
King into Mr. Kelly’s, Chicago,
Dec. 29 for three weeks . . . The
Four Voices, Columbia diskers, set
to do 20 weeks of theatre and
nitery dates with Pearl Bailey
beginning in January.

. Sidney Frey, Audio fidelity
prexy, in Mexico to tape an album
of bullfight music right in the
arena . . . Tommy Edwards set for
the Orchard Room, Kansas City,
for one week beginning Jan. 7 . . .
Augie Rios sings his Metro disking
of “Donde., Esta Santa Claus” on
Patti Page’s ABC-TV show Dec. 22.
. . . Frankie Avalon and Jimmy
Clanton added to the bill of the
rock ’n’ roll show due at Loew’s
State Dec. 24 . . . Pvt. Steve Law¬
rence guests on Perry Como’s NBC-
TV stanza Dec, 27.

London

Music Corp. of America will act
as sole agents for singer Danny
Purchos. as of Jan. 1 . . . Tony
Mansell has joined the exploitation
staff of the David Toff music pub-
bery . . . Bandleader-alto saxist-
arranger Johnny Dankworth and
his wife, songstress Cleo Laine,
skedded for a double act tv date
Jan. 1.

Holljrwood

Skitch Henderson elected to
ASCAP membership . . . Singer
Tony Travis will pen and record
the title song for Bob Cummings’
indie production, “The Damned,”
which Aaron Spelling is screenplay¬
ing . Singer A1 Anthony in De¬
troit making d.j. rounds plugging
his Liberty album, “Swingin’ Hi-
Fi” . . . RCA singer Jesse Belvin
on a diet to drop 20 pounds for that
trimmer look while making p.a.’s.
. . . Capitol Records planning to
cut a new Harry James album
while the trumpeter is playing the
Las Vegas Flamingo lounge . . .
Frank Sinatra cutting a new jazz
album for Capitol with Billy May’s
brass backing . . . Johnny Prophet
waxed a new RCA disk with Axel

GREAT

GO CHASE A MOONBEAM ]

JtrryVatt Columbia 4-1230 J

GREAT SOMEBODY !

GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE

Tba Soiithwbat High School Choir I
0.1. Dahl«» Diroctar Columbia 4-12t8 I

EACH TIME YOU KISS ME I
THE BOX i

Tjw rtm Vofeoa Columbia 4-12tt \

MUSIC PUBLISHERS
HOLOIN(^ CORPORATrON

MUSIC BY

JESSE GREER

FLAPPERETTE

Vocal ^ Instrumental

FoblliM by

MILLS MUSIC

MITCH MILLER

SING ALONG CHORUS

cr. COLUMBIA RECORDS

LOVE SONG
FROM

THE BUCCANEER

FAMOU'^ MLIS:C C'^RPORATION

Stordahl... Carl Bums, of Crysta-
lette Records, talking to Ruth
Robin (Mrs. Gus Bivnna) regarding
a disk pact , . , Elaine Dunn, who
opens at the Cocoanut Grove Dec.
22, cut her first RCA disk under
Dick Peirce’s supervision.

Chicago

Jo Ann Miller to the 3525 Club,
Dallas, Jan. 13 for two frames . . .
Dinah Washington into Roberts
Show Club Dec. 24, and pacted for
a May 16 reprise, both two-week-
ers . . . A1 Hibbler plays the El
Dorado, Houston, Dec. 24 w.. Billie
Holiday signed for five days at the
Rose Room, Tulsa, Dec. 24 . , ,
Jackie Bums set for the Off Shore,
New Orleans, Dec. 26 . . . Dakota
Station current at Roberts Show
Club . . , Sutherland Hotel booked
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers for
Jan. 7 and the Miles Davis combo
for Jan. 21 . , . Rusty Draper goes
to the Roosevelt, New Orleans,
Jan. 8 for two, with a fortnight
slated at Eddys’ K.C., March 20
. . . Sam Cooke to the Safari. New
Orleans, Jan. 22 for two stanzas
. . . Tommy Edwards booked for a
Jan. 31 bow at Rancho Don Carlos,
Winnipeg ... Pec Wee Hunt to the
Embers, St. Louis, Jan. 2 for 10
days, and set for a week at the
Rooster Tail, Detroit, March 9 . , .
The Signatures launch a Club Lau¬
rel, Chi, stand March 11, then do
three frames at the Berghof Gar¬
dens, Ft. Wayne, March 30 . . .
Della Reese signed by the Flame,
Detroit, for Jan. 9 . . . Poni Tails
one-nighting through the midwest
this month . . . Duke Ellington
opens tonight (Wed.) at the Chi
Blue Note.

Philadelphia

Bookings for the Red Hill Inn
include Kai Winding Septet, Dec.
19-21; Maynard Ferguson band,
Jan. 1 ; Duke Ellington, Jan. 10-11;
Ahmad Jamal, Jan. 20-25 ... Dicky
Doo & The Dont’s into the Cele¬
brity Room Dec. 26, followed by
the Kirby Stone Quartet, Jan. 8 . . .
Bill Haley & The Comets set for
second film in Berlin in May . . .
Bob ^Hanning current at Carlo’s . . .
Lester Young opening at the Sub¬
urban Rendezvous Dec. 17 . , .
Billy Duke & 'The Dukes at La
Maina’s Christmas Eve . . . Mike
Pedicin into Andy’s Log Cabin Dec.
16 . . . Loii Chafidn’ii orch back at
the Bellevue-Stratford Gardpn
Room for the Weekends, replacing
Howard Lanin group . . . Sammy
Paul, former bandleader at Sciol-
la’s, now musical director of The
Four Aces . . • Guitarist Charlie
Grade has inked a two-year pact
with Coral Records. Cuts first
sides for new label in next month

San Francisco

Clarinetist Bob Helm returned
to Turk Murphy’s band at Easy
Street . . . Peggy Tolk-Wafkins
opening at new Tin Angel . . . Da¬
kota Station set for a Frisco Civic
Auditorium show Dec. 28 . . . Mod¬
em Jaa Quartet booked for a Feb¬
ruary concert at the U. of Califor¬
nia Extension Center in Frisco , . .
Peres Prado’s gig at the Sands,
Oakland, was cancelled . . . Car¬
men McRae at the 53 Club, Oak-
Jand ... George Shearing goes into
Pack’s II in January . .. Estelita &
Paul Gilbert into Bimbo’s 365 Club
tomorrow (Thurs.) . . . Mills Bros,
open, at the Fairmont same night
i . . Sonny Stitt and Hampton
Hawes at the Jazz Workshop . , ,

Pittsburgh

Dick Means, pianist, Is new lead¬
er of Copa band, with Allen Shine,
trumpet man, joining Howdy Baum
outfit at the New Arena ...
Frank George^ trumpet player, has
rejoined Fred Waring*8 Pennsyl¬
vanians after touring with pit orch
for Jerome ' Robbins’ “Ballets
U.S.A.” . . . Reid Jaynes goes into
Colony Restaurant’s new cocktail
lounge as piano soloist, . . Charles
Pallos, former Pittsburgh musician
who has been living on the Coast
! for several years, arranged and
conducted the music for George
Jessel’s Design album, “The Last
of the Minstrel Men” . . . Frank
Yankovic and his polka crew play¬
ing Lincoln Manor this week . . .
Milt Buckner organ trio into the
Midway Lounge ... William Stein¬
berg going to London to conduct
the Philharmonic there next month
and guest conductors with Pitts-
buDgh Symphony during January
will be Alfred Wallenstein, Pierre
Monteux, Paul Hindemith, Eugene
Ormandy and Karl Kritx . . . Jon
Walton, saxman who guested for
few weeks with Tommy Turk’s
Deuces Wild at Point View Hotel,
is now a permanent member of
that combo.

A Ptodyd •t MOM iUcf df A Ohithm of Uowf, fnc. 1540 fmcfiroir N.Y.U.M.Y.

JU 2-2000

AUGIE
RIOS

The Singing Sensotion of the
Broadway Musical "Jontoica"

DONDE ESn
SAIflA

CUUIS?

•Plugged on Ihe Peter lind Kayes Show..ABC-IV Xefworic, Bee. f

•Plugged on the Alan Freed Show...WNEW-IY, Dec.2

• Plugged on ihe Dick Clark Show. .ABC-TV Kefwoik, Sat, Dec. 13

62

VA1M¥IULB

I^SSSlBft

Wednesdays December 17^ 1958

AGVA Country Club Being Run By
M-Perpetuating Bureaucracy/ Sez
Penny Singkton; Br^hts Denial

The running battle between-^]
Penny Singleton, president of the
American Guild of Variety Artists,
and-Jackie Bright over the affairs
of the AGVA Country Club & Eec-
reatlon Center, South Fallshurgh,
N- Y., continues in high gear. Miss
Singleton, in a second letter to
national board members, charged
that the home is being run by a
*‘self - perpetuating bureaucracy”
and that Bright is stifling free ex-^
pression from the board.

Bright replied to Miss Single¬
ton’s letter made to the board by
reiterating assurances that the full
control is vested in that body. As
to Miss Singleton’s charges that
he has failed to release a copy of
the coimtry home’s bylaws. Bright
stated that the staff is too busy to
devote any time to making a copy
for outside use. Besides, he said,
it Is not his policy to sendv any
union materials through the mails
even for stuciy by union oSicials.

At that time. Bright said of the
AGVA Welfare T'nist Fund, which
administers the accident insurance,
that its charter is so rigid that its
activities are confined to that pur¬
pose only. It would have to go to
court to seek to expend its monies
in other directions, he said.

Charter ‘Loosely Written*

Miss Singleton declared that the
charter for the foundation running
the home, w’hkh was bought as a
haven for aged and indigent vari¬
ety performers, doesn't guarantee
that the home will be used for the
purpose for vrhich it was created.
The charter, she charged, is so
loosely written that it can be used
for virtually any purpose. Miss
Singleton also said that the officers
of the foimdation do not contain a
single dues paying member of the
union, and that the attorney who
drew up the charter, Morris
Oppenhelm, by representing a
group of Catskill Moimtain hotels,
has interests diametrically opposed,
to those of AGVA at various times.

Bright indicated that he would
favor an impartial study of the
foundation, with the exception of
a proposal made by Miss Single-
ton that outside paid counsel be
employed to further that aim.

Miss Singleton said in her letter:
“Mr. Bright says in his letter that
it Is in order to have an indepen¬
dent committee to make a study
and recommendations. But in the
next breath he would hamstring
the committee and insure a white-
(Continued on page 66)

Chi’s Ray Colomb Woos
Names far Sonthsider

Chicago, Dec. 16.

Nabe cafe operator Kay Colomb
has Oi«ned a second southside nit-
ery^like his original stand, also
known simply as Bay Colomb’s—
and is dickering name attractions.
Already pacted are comic Frank
Fontaine, opening next Monday
(^), and the Hilltoppers Quartet,
due Jan. 5.

Spot is situated on the southwest
edge of town and seats about 250
Johnny (Scat) Davis’ five-piecer is
the house band, and four .shows a
night are planned.

"Wild Tigers and Tame Fleas”
by Bill Ballantine (Einehart; $5)
is something new in circus books:
a collection of 13 chapters on vari¬
ous animal trainers and their
charges. Author is wJ^ artist and
freelance writer who trouped with
the Big Show as clown, designer
and publicist. In 1948, he married
one of Eingling’s “centre-ring-
girls.”

Tome deals with trainers who
put the big animals through their
paces (Clyde Beatty and company)
but also given space are the men
who educate trick pigs, snakes and
camels. Fleas are featured in a
complete report on Prof. Eoy
Heckler’s West 42d St. Flea Circus
In New York. Ballantine Writes
with authority and humor, and has
decorated his work with several
amusing drawing;?.' •. .

From tho 49th Staf*

Bob Kederick

reprises how and why

Alaska Winter Nights
Favor Films Sc Cafes
* * *

ancriier Ediforlal Featare In the
upcoming

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^HIETY

Cafes in Monti
Sleeping It Out
As Usual (Xmas)

Montreal, Dec.* 16.

Once again the nitery business
takes a beating over the upcoming
holiday season. An edict issued
from the solicitor-general’s . office
in Quebec City says the sale of
liquor will not be permitted after
9 p.m. in aU licensed establish¬
ments* on Christmas Eve, after 10
p.m. on New Year’s Eve and after
11 pjn. on the eve of the Feast of
the Epiphany (Jan. 6).

With a warning that severe meas¬
ures will be t^en against viola-^
tions, most clubs will be shuttered
for the three holidays. These re¬
strictions, which started several
years ago, have cut down to some
extent on the quality of shows dur¬
ing this period. Without the heavy
returns usually garnered at this
time of year in the past, most boni-
faces bring m minor attractions as
fillers until the early part of
January.

Marathon Progressire
Saloonantics Kick Off
Dan Walker’s New Book

No book, not even “A Tale of
Two Cities,” ever got as much
actual mileage into a plug as hap¬
pened last week (10) in the oase
of the / coming-out of “Danton
Walker's Guide to New York Nite-
life” (Putnam’s).

A pressagent whose name is al¬
most as long as the Walker title—
Michael Sean O’Shea — master¬
minded' a N.Y. “have hook, will
travel” which started at Burton
Browne’s Gaslight (key club) on E.
56th St. and hit half-a-dozen other
saloons en route, by chartered
Gray ;Lines, before coming to rest
at Jack Silverman’s International
Casirro on Broadway. The cocktail-
dinnear-supper parly was hostessed
by Carol Channing.

From the top-floor “speakeasy”
Gaslight the itinerary read: the
Two Guitars, Port Said, Sammy’s
Bowery Follies, then the Inter¬
national. Feedbag and floorshow
were starred at the Guitars; Tur¬
kish coffee and goat’s cheese at
Port Said, plus, of course, assorted
beUydancers and Greek AFM’ers;
then It was Sammy’s where the
stellar attraction was fish *n chips.
The windup occurred at 2:30 a.m.
Translated as (“almost morning”
by one Insomniac of the saloon
circuit).

Connie (Daily News) Soloyanis
and Nat (Police Gazette) Perlow
are Walker’s partners in his new
tome setup labeled Danton Walk¬
er’s Guide Books.

The only serious casualty was
O’Shea, who picked up a virus
that bedded him for 72 hours.

“Nitelife” is Walker’s third hook
in four years. (His nextj “The
Divan Comedy.”) If it doesn’t
catch fire as a bestseller, a least it
had the longest run as a one-
nightcr stretched over two legal

Amerlean Puppet Thea.

(EITZ THEATRE, L.A.)

Los Angeles, Dec. 9.

An entertaining, well-conceived
show with artistic strings attached,
the American Puppet Theatre is
mostly for children, though it
^ould by no means prove weari¬
some for therr parents. With
matinee and evening performances
(at top) covering long span of
weeks as Harry Zevin’s second
presentation at the Eitz Theatre,
the little wooden people should
lure the little real ones.'

In all but one of the three acts,
the puppets are of a size that
would make comfortable viewing
impossible in all sections of the
large Eitz. APT is not the spec¬
tacular puppetry that includes
bicycle riding and cigarette smok¬
ing, but it is poetically fashioned
and, above all, fascinating. Show
Is composed of the Stan Kramer
Family, Bene and Jack and Jackie
Shafton. Two world premieres—
“Jungle Book” and “Nutcracker
Suite”—are enhanced by the
music of Miklos Eozsa and Peter
Tchaikovsky, respectively, and the
third offering-^“American Vaude¬
ville Varieties”—has the pup¬
peteers appearing in full view of
audience.

Outstanding selection is “Jungle
Book,” created by Shafton and
backgrounded by the film music
and Sabu’s narration. The px^p-
pets are giant-size all the way from
Hathi the Elephant to Kaa the
Python and the hero, Mowgli, the
jungle boy. The movements are
lifelike, and the special effects,
including fluorescent lighting, are
admirable.

“Nutcracker Suite,” created by
Eene, is a nature, study told to
the romantic ballet. From the
Lightning Bug Orchestra directed
by Prof. Leopold I^htoutski to
the Sunshine , Girls—Blossom,
Seedy and Bloomer—the act pro¬
vides beauty and humor. “Amer¬
ican Vaudeville Varieties” ranges
from classic opera to Liberace,
Jimmy Durante and Bo jangles,
with the offering a pleasing assort¬
ment of clever antics. Ron.

Lncille & Eddie Roberts
figiire ‘Vibrations’ Wi
Loose Ibem by 2158

Washington, Dec. 16.

It may come as a blow to the
local egghead population hut,
frankly, Washington’s brainpower
is no different from any other.

Or so it seems to the mentalism
act of Eddie & Lucille Eoberts who
just finished a two-week stay at the
Shoreham Hotel Blue Koom where
they got a 30-minute glimpse each
night into national thinking. They
found it no better and no worse
than hundreds of other cities and
13 other countries where their com¬
edy act has taken them.

This doesn’t mean that each night,
doesn’t offer its surprises—partic¬
ularly to the audience, which is
likely to have a parking ticket, a
gasoline service card, a diplomatic
calling card, or a serial number on
a $50 bill revealed on the spot in
the revelry of exchange between
Eddie, who “picks the pockets,”
while Lucille, blindfolded, tells
what he’s picked.

There was. the night, for instance.
In New York’s Pierre Hotel ei^t
years ago when their revelations
disclosed that a . solo male guest
and a ditto lady guest, seated in
loneliness two tables apart, were
near neighbor? back in Etenver.
The team brought them together
and they have only recently re^
ceived the fourth birth announce-^’
ment from the happy couple, Mr.
and Mrs. William Finneran, 2890
Pontiac St.

Then, on another occasion, Lu¬
cille, who admits lapsing into men¬
tal limpness after each show for a
period of about two hours, was
highly indignant when husband
Eddie suggested that she might car¬
ry on her performance at a private
table.

“I wouldn’t answer another Ques¬
tion tonight for the King of Eng¬
land,” snapped Lucille.

“Would you for his cousin,
ma’am?” she was asked, imd her
inquirer turned out to he Arch¬
duke Otto.

Once the act was so good, a
member of the audience walked
outi In Shanghai, playful Sir Vic¬
tor Sasson swiped a peach pit from
the kitchen to hold tightly in his
palm. Eefusing to let Eddie see

For Paris’ Ever-Buikling Talent

V*f Vavcltf

Benny Meroff

has a ravoailiig pioct on tht
grewlag dapandMca by
lig Buslntst M Show Hz titlad

Cliih Dates* Big
Bonanza

* * * 'v

(CoRvtiitlon & Indastrlal Shows)
on* of rhd'bright Editorial F«otiir«s
In tha seen-dM

53d Anniversary Number

U&klETY

Chi Black Orchid’s
Red Letter Tsdent
As New Year Bows

Chicago, Dec. 16.

The Black Orchid, more in the
market for strong names than ever,
is planning, a sustained one-two
punch when it reopens Jan. 2 after
renovation. Leadoff attraction and
an unusual one for this intimate
spot will be ErroU Gamer, in for
two weeks, to be followed suc¬
cessively by Lili St. Cyr (even more
atypical), Kobert Clary, Jack E.
Leonard and Koberta Sherwood.
But the policy significance lies in
the switch to stronger names in the
club’s Junior Eoom, a settee-dotted
lounge where hitherto the enter¬
tainment, mostly via pianist-sing¬
ers, has been a secondary consid¬
eration.

Baptism for the room’s new pol¬
icy will come New Year's Eve when
the Buddy Greco Trio takes over
on an indefinite stand. Thus doesn’t
mean the Junior Eoom is to be¬
come identified with the small jazz
unit, but rather indicates the sta¬
ture of talent that’s likely to be-
com'e resident in future.

Extensive remodeling of the Or¬
chid starts with departure of cur¬
rent show fronting Johnny Mathis.
He was due to'exit..altfer tomorrow
(Wed.), but agreed to linger three
extra days because of his hoxoffice
potency.

The Garner booking for the main
room is something of a startler also
for the reason that the 88er nor¬
mally plays the Blue Note or Lon¬
don House. His Eush St. engage¬
ment appears to be jointly brain-
trusted by Martha Glaser, Gamer’s
experiment-minded manager, and
the William Morris Agency, which
earlier this year added the artist
to its roster.

HoDser Quits Ifiltpn Ini’!
And May Jom Webb-Koapp;
Ebn^er, Caverly M Gap

. Long brewing resignation of
John W. Houser, exec veepee and
director of Hilton Hotels Interna¬
tional, was finally accepted by the
Hilton hoard of directors after hav¬
ing first rejected it. Houser may
jom Webb & Knapp’s international
realty -operations in. charge* of
Canadian properties.

Alfred Elmlger and Ed Caverly
are splitting Houser’s duties on
planning and administrative, with
Elmiger to continue negotiations
of Hilton’s extended- global hotel
holdings which soon will include
Athens, Greece, and Pdrt-of-Spain,
Trinidad, BWI. Future interna¬
tional Hilton hotels plotted are
Amsterdam and Botterdam, Borne,
Tokyo, London, Baghdad and Paris.
The Berlin Hilton debuted last
week and the Nile Hilton, Cairo, Is
slated for February premiere.

Under Houser’s direction, the
Hilton hotels in San Juan, P.E.,
Madrid, Istanbul* Mexico City, Pan¬
ama City, Havana and Montreal
were opened.

Understood he prefers setting
deals but does not want to be bur¬
dened with actual management,
hence his desire for wider realty

By GENE MOSKOWITZ

Paris, Dec. 19.

With vaudeville now unquestion¬
ably a very much alive facet of
show biz here, the need for top
song and patter comedian num¬
bers has grown. The fear of over¬
exposure has cut into the limited
yearly star ranks, and the building
of new stars is now important here.
Besides talent, of course, tryout
spots are needed. This gap is now
being filled by a group of offbeat
night spots.

Changing nitery picture, with
strip slipping, as are the more con¬
ventional flesheries, has night-
timers now again coming back to
the postwar type of offbeat Left
Bank spots. Here they look for at¬
mosphere, reasonable tabs, and
new, good talents. A few clubs ara
offering just this and gaining pa¬
tronage and renown in return.

Eristentialist R.LP.

The Existentialist tag is dead, as
are the vestpocket theatrics of such
now-gone spots of this era as the
Kose Kouge and the Fontaine Des
Quatres Saisons. But these clubs
do offer unique cadres and loca¬
tions, candlelight and cheek-by¬
jowl seating. Their ushering in of
new talents is also living up tq ex¬
pectations, They are usuaUyin the
anarchic or folksong genre and as
a rule do their own cleffing and
have a point of view besides some¬
thing to say.

If this is not just a passing fancy
it may reorient the nitery seen®
here which, except for a strip or
spec, has been fairly directionless
during the last few years. If they
click big, as looks likely, they will .
give a shot in the arm to the still
prolific nitery. picture here, plus a
needed new off-the-beaten-path as¬
pect.

A good quota of clubs can be
included in this new growing fad
for hep nightowls. Not all are new,
but all are just gaining some no-
teriety. If it catches on, the tour¬
ists should soon be seeking them
out, and it may lead to the needed
new wrinkle in the fluctuating
nitery picture. It might be summed
up as a neo-Existentialist boite
movement.

What ’Left' Banks On

On the Left Bank, such boites
as L’Ecluse, Cheval D’Or.'Moineau,
Scandia, Galerie 55, L’EcheUe De
Jacob, Bar Vert, Le Guitar and the
Abbaye n^ht be considered in this
orbit, with Milord L’Arsoufile,
Amiral, Blue Note, Trinidad and
Mars Club likely Eight Bank can¬
didates. -

L’Ecluse, run by oldtime street-
singer, troubador-type Leo Noel,
features a fugitive from the old
days in Yves Joly whose group of
hands, white-gloved on a black
background, act out ballets and
little dramas. Barbara is a dra¬
matic thrush who needs plenty of
roadwork to develop voice and
stance, but has definite individual¬
ity to label her a potential star
contender. Folk Latino groups and
young guitarist-singers make up
the roster pf this club which has
already served as a cradle for Some
current top’talent,

Moineau is an old bistro-tumed-
nitery with postcards lacing the
walls. Here, Jean-Claude Darnal
gives out his warm, generous tales
of love and the striving fpr it,
Pierre Brunet looms a budding
talent with witty, pungent, Eabel-
(Continued on page 64)

Priffla-Smitk’s PretYnle
B.O. Gift to (M Paree

Chicago, Dec. 16.
Louis Prima & Keely Smith
came close to the charmed circle of
top three grossers in their first
Chez Paree stand which «nded
Sunday (14), cueing the couple’s re¬
turn April 16. The Prlma-Smlth
magnet was^ the more remarkable
against the usuAl pre-Christinas
dip, plus the strong competition of¬
fered by/several other niteries.
All-time Clhez record-holder is
Jerry Lewis for his last solo stint
here. Close behind are Danny
Thomas and Sammy Davis Jr. In
for a week at the Chez are Frankie
Laine a^d Shecky Greene, after
which comes the traditional pre¬
holiday darkening until Eed But¬
tons ard the Barry Sistwrs move in

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

VAUDEVILLE

63

FLORIDA - IT’S A PRODUCTION

Goffslein New Prexy of Riviera,

LV.; Expansion Program Continues 11|

Las Vegas/Dec. 16.

Ben Goffstein, who was vice-
president and general manager of
the Riviera Hotel, was elevated to
the presidency at a special meeting
last week of the board of directors.
Meeting was called to fill the va¬
cancy created by the death of Gus
Greenbaum.

Elias Atol, secretary-treasurer of
the hotel corporation under Green¬
baum, was elected chairman of the
board and will also retain his other
position. William I. Alderman, a
new addition to the board, became
v.p. Sid Wyman and W. W. “Tiny”
Naylor remain as members of the
board.

All the new officers and direc¬
tors were associated with Green¬
baum for many years and were
active in the management of the
various hotels in which he held an
interest.

In a joint statement, after the
board election, Atol and Goffstein
said the board contemplates no
changes, either in personnel or in
the operation of the multi-million-
dollar establishment, and that the
$2,500,000 expansion program,
presently underway, will continue
as scheduled,

Greenbaum and his wife Bess
were murdered Dec. 3 in their
fashionable Phoenix, Ariz., ranch
home, and police have since been
conducting a search to apprehend
the killers.

l-A-MONTH'OPRY’AT
SPOKANE COUSEUM

Spokane, Dec. 16.

Spokane Coliseum, which has
had a couple of click dates with
“Grand Ole Opry/* plans to book
the presentation on a regular
monthly basis.

On Dec. 7, “Opry,” despite. a
*evere snowstorm, drew a Sunday
crowd of 5,000. Previously, on Oct.
19, show drew 7,600 paid admis-
jsions. “Opry” is considered one of
tl^e Coliseum’s best revenue pro¬
ducers.

Tex Ritter Troupe In
Europe for GIs' Xmas

Nuernberg, Dec. 16,
Tex Ritter, the country & west¬
ern singer and his American Cow¬
boy Caravan have been brought
over to entertain the American
military in Europe diming Christ¬
mas and New Year’s.

Ritter begins his 16-day tour of
U.S. installations in Germany and
France tomorrow (Wed.) with his
western song and dance revue that
originated in Hollywood. Show has
a 21-member cast, featuring square
dance called Homer Garrett, the
Y-Knot Twirlers, the Frontiersmen,
trick roper Rose Bascome and
■harpshooter Keene Duncan.

Last year’s Christmas GI show
was headlined by Hollywood emcee
Johnny Grant. There were some
difficulties along the route since it
had originally been announced to
Include actress Rhonda Fleming,
who cancelled out, causing much
disappointment.

GAC Super’s Deeper

GAC Super, a subsidiary of Gen¬
eral Artists Corp., will send out a
rock ’n’ roll unit for 17 days on an
arena tour to start Jan. 23 in Co¬
lumbus and work the midwest.

Included in the package are
Jimmy Clanton, Clyde MePhatter,
t<ittle Anthony, Imperials, Kalin
Twins, Crests, and Buddy Johnson
orch. Layout was packaged by
Tim Gale.

MAIZE'S GUNG-HO RETURN

Honolulu, Dec. 16.

Waikiki Lau Yee Chai has
launched a new bid to regain its
onetime position of nitery leader¬
ship. Room brought back Joe Maize
& His Chordsmen to its Gung-Ho
Lounge.

Mai^ opened Friday (12) for an
engagement that will .keep him
here at*lfeAst -through the KolIds^S.

Shine Circuit (Free)

San Antonio, Dec. 16.

The “Shine of Stars,” a
vaude troupe, is appearing in
various Texas cities under the
auspices of Shine, new liquid
spray for shoes. Label of the
product admits one person to
the show.

Included in the group are
Bob Crosby, Conway Twitty,
Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clan¬
ton, the Four Esquires, Dion
& The Belmonts,,Sylvia Saynt
and the Tony Pa’stor orch..

The show was at the C(fii-
seum here Saturday (13) for
two performances.

Castro Must Be
SEppiim; Havana

Hotels in Upbeat

Havana, Dec. 16.

For the first time since , the po¬
litical difficulties began, Havana’s
hotels are preparing to put out the
SRO signs. Reservations are prac¬
tically 100% for . Christmas and
New Year’s Eve, and present oc¬
cupancy is reaching its year’s peak.

Normally, the season starts in
Havana and Veradero Beach short¬
ly after Jan. i. This year, how¬
ever, crowds started coming in
earlier and most of the hotels as
well as casinos are doing excel¬
lent business. Weekend business
is especially strong. The operators
in Havana believe that business
would be much heavier if the Mi¬
ami papers would leave them
alone. There are daily stories in
the Florida journals about revolu¬
tionary activity, which the Haba-
neros say are wildly exaggerated.

During the past week, there has
been a strong pickup in reserva-
(Continued on page .66)

By LARY gOLLOWAY

Miami Beach, Dec. 16.

In the course of the next week
or so this resort will see a^new
complex of cafe attractions open¬
ing to compete for the tourist dol¬
lar. This year, the accent by most
hotels and Independent night clubs
will be on production-revues with
only two or three of the posh
hostels holding to a star-roster
policy such as has. obtained for
most in recent seasons.

This turn to production ideas,
with their many-peopled stagings,
can be credited to two major fac¬
tors: (1) the high ^demands of th'e
top names to point of dwindling
availability and (2) the inception
by the Deauville and five asso¬
ciated hotels of the borscht-belt-
born “free-to-^ests” one-nighters,
featuring biggies from all facets of
show, biz, and booked at sky-high
fees for their one-shot turns.

Oddly enough, this project, in
recent weeks, has served to open
the ears of the hotter attractions
to bids for a continued stay for a
standard one or two-week run in
a cafe. In some cases, these acts
will play a regular booking, then
return later on for the one-shot
(Continued on page 661

New York Cafes Would Like It Much
Better With This: 'Read All About It’

Mathis’ Marathon

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Johnny Mathis has been
booked for 10 months of con¬
tinuous nitery, tv and motion
picture appearances during
1959, according to his agents.
General Artists Corp.

He tees off his 1959 slate
with a Jan. 7 opening at the
Cocoanut Grove, L.A. moving
from a three-week stand there
to the Copacabana, N.Y.

‘Ice Follies’$95,000,

Offish in New Haven

New Haven, Dec. 16.

For the first time in years, the
“Ice Follies” annual stand at local
Arena fell below SRO. Also, the
New Haven stopover was first of
the ice tour to date where biz was
below a year ago.

In for 11 performances (Dec. 7-
14) at $4.80 top, show played to an
approximate 26,000 for an esti¬
mated $95,000 gross.

P. K. von Egidy, longtime “Follies’'
executive director, is no longer
with the outfit, being producer of
Industrial films in Hollywood. Ray
Heim, company manager, has as¬
sumed von Egidy’s public relations
duties.

K.C. %€r Pickets
AGVA, Charging
'Bias’ on Bonds

Kansas City, Dec. 16.

Disagreements within the ranks
of the American Guild of Variety
Artists broke into public print last
week when booking agent, (Miss)
Warren Foster, put in a day (11)
picketing the entrance to the
.building housing the union offices
here. It was, incidentally, one of
the coldest days of an already cold
season.

Claiming skulduggery in the
AGVA operation here. Miss Foster
said she could get no one in au¬
thority in the union to pay any
attention to her and took the
picket route to get the national
office to look into matters. Issue
which she is raising charges the
union is discriminating against her
and one or two other bookers in
the matter of operating bonds, and
the renewal of her franchise for
1959.

The question, she said, is why
she and a couple of other bookers
are required to post $500 bonds,
while all the other agencies here
are overlooked.

An m.c.-act who has worked a
(Continued on page 69)

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 36
154 W. 4Ath St.

HOLLYWOOD 2t
6404 SwMt Ilvd.

CHICAGO 11
612 N. MleiifoaK Ay*.

LONDON. W. C. 2
I St. Mertin’f Place
Trafalgar Square

PARIS. 21 rae Huckette

ROME, Stampq Esttra

• Nitery business in New York
would be pretty good say the op¬
erators, except for the newspaper
strike, which stymies publicity and
advertising. Although the money
saved on paid space is consider¬
able, it’s not the kind of savings
that’s wanted.

For example, the Copacabana
and the Latin Quarter opened with
new headliners last w’eek. Both
shows indicate considerable boxof-
fice but it’s felt that column plays,
notices and paid ads in the dail¬
ies would have strength:ened the
take.

Another setback caused by the
newspaper shutout is the inability
to plug New Year’s Eve shows. But
as alw'ays, the bulk of the selling of
that evening is done during the
last week or so, and in some cases,
there are some admissions avail¬
able at the door.

The New' Year’s Eve scale is
around the same level as last year.
The major rooms in the hotels are
getting $30 for the evening, while
the cafe top is $25 and $20.

One spot, at least, will try to get
two shows out of New Year’s Eve
instead of the single layout usu¬
ally done. Julius Monk’s Down¬
stairs Room will have two seatings.
The first at the dinner show will
carry a $5 minimum, and the sec¬
ond, at midnight, a $10 bottom.

The operators, per usual, ‘expect
sellouts for all available space,
weather permitting. The operators
feel they can only win on that
evening, since all advance reserva¬
tions must be confirmed by a de¬
posit that’s usually around 50%
of the minimum. Thus, they’re
guaranteed against no-show's
whether because of the elements
or any other reason.

EARL BARTON NAMED
TROPICANA PRODUCER

Las Vegas, Dec. 16.

Garwood Van has resigned as
entertainment director of the
Tropic-ana Hotel and Earl Barton
was last week named produced of
the shows, replacing Monte Pro-
ser. Barton’s first show opens Jan.
7, starring Robert Sherwood and
Shecky Greene. Under Proser, he
staged and choreographed the Trop
revues.

Van has been associated with
the hotel since Sept. 12 as an ad¬
visor on the booking of talent, and
was named entertainment director
Oct. 15. It W’as Van who booked
Perez Prado into the lounge.

A veterans of the local show biz
scene. Van conducted orebs for El
Rancho Vegas, Flamingo. New
Frontier, and the Dune.s. He was
also a stockholder and entertain¬
ment director at the New Frontier.

Stooges’ Long Green In
Cafe from Oldie Shorts

Pittsburgh, Dec. 16.

Couple of neighbors told John
Bertera, owner of Holiday House,
they’d like it if their kiddies could
see the Three Stooges when they
come to his big room on Route 22
Christmas Week, so it gave him tfn
idea. Bertera decided to schedule
a children’s matinee on Sunday,
last'day of the Stooges* engage¬
ment. One small mention in a local
column produced a sellout at 600-
seat nitery within 24 hours.

As a result, Bertera has persuad¬
ed the Stooges to do another mati¬
nee on Dec. 26. Their draw with
sm^fry btems from popularity of
their old Columbia shorts, which
%ave been a daily 6 p.m. feature on
Ch. 4 here since that station went
on the air in September.

“Puppet ZeVzG, L.A. 2

Los Angeles, Dec, 16.

“American Puppet Theatre” bet¬
tered its first week’s record at
the Ritz Theatre with a very good
$14,500 for second and closing
stanza.

Initialer was $12,000, starting
'TFubsday'instead of Monday/

64

VAUBEVILIJB

tTednefldaj, December 17, 1958

New York

Ames Bros, switched to the
William Morris Agency . . . Lily
Cavcll, wife of GAC agent Eddie
Elkort, makes her N.Y. cafe bow
at the Chardas Dec. 23 . . . Larry
Storeh signed for the Penthouse
Club, Houston, Jan. 16.

Bob Melvin booked for the In¬
tel ational Jan. 1 . . . Pearl Bailey
going into the Chase, St. Louis,
April 17 . . . Photographer Gary
Wagner entering the personal man¬
agement business . . . Larry Wilde
inked a personal management pact
with Bill Foster. Goes into the
Town Casino, Buffalo, Jan. 12 . . .
Marie McDonald starts New Year’s
Day at the Chez Paree, Chicago.
. . . Shirley Jones & Jack Cassidy
tapped for the Ambassador, Los
Angeles, Feb. 11 . .. Carmen D’Oro
started at the Boulevard, Kego
Park, L.I., last night (Tues.).

Bernie ThaU has returned from
Europe where he was pianist-con¬
ductor for the Gypsy Markoff unit
which travelled through France
and Germany. He has resumed his
vocal coaching practice in Gotham
. . . Blues singer Marilyn Ross
opens Dec. 15 for two weeks at Le
Cabaret in Toronto. Upon her re¬
turn to Manhattan she begins re¬
hearsing for the Roxy revue which
opens Jan. 9. Singer has latterly
turned poetess on the side, selling
two to the Wall Street Journal and
now a third to the American
Legion magazine.

. Hollywood

Dick Contino opens in the Fla¬
mingo Hotel lounge in Las Vegas
Christmas night... Mickey Rooney
opens a week’s stand at Vegas’
Hotel Riviera beginning Jan. 5.
Comic Joey Forman teams up with
Rooney . . . Patti Moore & Ben
Lessy will headline at the Chez
Paree. Chicago, beginning Dec. 26
. . . Mickey Finn is emceeing the
.Sunday entertainment at the Palm
Spring Ranch Club . . . Ben Blue
has started a weekly “Showcase
Night” at his Santa Monica nitery
. . . David Rosen is the new op of
the Highland House and plans
name entertainment in the lounge.

Chicago

Fran Warren and Bob Melvin
launch a two-weeker at the Sham¬
rock, Houston, Jan. 22 .. . Jonathan
Winters to the Tidelands. Houston,
Dec. 31 . . . George Carl & Arlene
set for the Milwaukee Auto Show,
Feb. 7-14 . . , Sophie Tucker re¬
turns to the Roosevelt Hotel, New
Orleans, Jan. 22 for two frames
. , . Gogi Grant to the Monteleone
Hotel, New Orleans, Jan. 27 for a
pair . . . Deep River Boys signed

for the Lake Club. Springfield,
Dec. 31. Bill of Lori Stevens nnd
comic Mickey Sharp opens at the
Copa, Dayton, Dec. 22 .., Nat King
Cole to the Riviera Theatre, De¬
troit, Jan. 19 for a single'stanza .,.
Ford & Reynolds to the Rooster
Tail, Detroit, Dec. .15 for 10 days
. . . Allen Sc De Wood play that
spot starting Feb. 16 . . , Four
Esquires, plus Tina & Coco into
the Muehlebach Hotel, K-C., Dec.
12.. .Barry Sisters join Red But¬
tons for six days at the Chez Paree
Dec. 26.

Houston

Ricky Layne and Mindy Carson
were among entertainers at the
American Medical Center Charity
Ball at the Shamrock Hilton last
week. Bobby Tinterow orch played
for dancing. Fred Nahas, local
radio personality, was m.c. . . .
Don Adams opened a two-week
stand at the Continental Room.
Also on the bill is songstress Cathy
Carr. Billy Williams orch plays
for show and dancing-

Songstress Charlene Morris cur¬
rently at the Jai-Alai Palace, Dania,
Fla. . . . Diane Charles 'Trio at Club
LaBistro for three weeks beginning
Dec. 17 . . - Jaclde Austin, former
Shep Fields vocalist, and her trio
into Houston’s Park Towers Jan. 1
for eight weeks. And Shep Fields’
orch is now bn three-week tour of
south and Florida ... General Mgr.
JFred L. Bunde Jr. has booked
triple barreled New Year’s Eve at¬
tractions for his three clubs, the
Tidelands, Montagu and Trans-
World. The HUltoppers, holdovers,
will pair with Jonathan Winters at
the Tidelands to bring in the new
year, then thrush Ann Hathaway
will team with Winters to round
out the two frames. She wUl sing
for New Year’s Eve audiences at
the Montagu and Trans-World
Clubs before beginning her Tide-
lands stint.

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for all Theatricals
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IILLY GLASON

200 W. 54th St., N.Y.C., If CIrel* 7-1130
(WE TEACH EMCEEING and COMEDY)
(Let a Real Professional Train You)

Dallas

Dean Allen cames Into King’s
Club Jan. 12 for a fortnight i . .
Dink Freeman and Pat Windsor
make a dual bill Dec. 18 at the
Adolphus Hotel, with Betty Reilly
succeeding Jan. 1. Hostel’s Century
Room has Eddie Baldazo as new
maitre d’, replacing Maurice, re¬
signed, who also booked the acts
. . . Freddie Martin orch one-night-
ing in north Texas for three weeks
. . . Sir Walter Hickey, cjomic
emcee, headlining this month at
Abe’s Colony Club . .. Jules Lande,
violinist, back at Turtle Room after
a sojurn.

Pittsburgh

Marion Marlowe booked for two-
week return engagement at New
Arena March 20 . . . Four Lads
inked for holiday season at Copa
Dec, 26-Jan. 3 . . . Johnny Nash
ske(ided for Town House in Febru¬
ary and Domenico Modugno in
May ... Guy Lombardo band comes
back to Twin Coaches April 17 for
nine days and Pearl Bailey booked
in for week of May 1 . . . 'Tim
Kirby now at Sheraton-Hilton in
Dallas, opens Dec. 31 at Sheraton-
Jefferson in St. Louis for’ two
weeks, moves to Cork Club in
Houston and then to the Coast for
two months of bookings . , . Bad
throat forced Eileen Barton to

AUDITORIUMS, BALLROOMS, ARENAS,
THEATRES, SUPPER CLUBS

The Famous

THREE STOOGES

Cofumbia Pictures Comedy 5tars
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SPOT DATES AVAILABLE

Write — Wire — Phone

JOLLY JOYCE AGENCY

New Yoik City PhiMalpkia

234 West 48th St. 1001 Orastaiit St.

rima 7-1784 — Circle 4-8800 WAInut 2-4477

cancel final two days of her New
Arena engagement last week. Bon
Bons filled in for her one night and
Mello Larks the next.. Bon Bons
get a fortnight at Ankara Jan. 19.
Same spot has Moss-Harding Revue
for two weeks Feb, 16,

Detroit

Jimmy Nelson and dummies will
be pitehing in at the Knife &
Fork Club for the next couple of
weeks . . , Charlie Applewhite
heads the Metropole Supper Club
show over in Windsor, Ont. . . .
Fran Murray singing at Gay Haven
... Gene Krupa band into Baker’s
Keyboard Lounge . . . Meg Myles
at Club Cliche . i . Comics Frank
Ford and Gary Reynolds at the
Roostertail . . . Baritone Randi .Sa-
batini headlines the Thomas Inn
show in 'Windsor.

Atlanta

Night spots are holding tight to
their bookings as holiday trade
pickup is making itself felt . . .
Southianders foursome have been
joined at Club Peachtree by
exotics Lee Wong and Sylvia Kent
. . . Four Mints continue to pace
bill at Domino Lounge, on same
bill with singer Yvone Moray,
exotic Marta Dane and emcee-
comedian Jack Lester in a special
Xmas show . . . Comedian Nick
Sett headlining at Clermont
Hotel’s Anchorage Room , . .
Rayena, exotic who works in a
huge fishbowl, topping bill for
third week at Harem Club.

Steele’s Hokey Buildup
Spotlighted in Book

London, Dec. 9.

As a book, ’‘Tommy Steele” <Od-
ham; $2,10) is not worth considera¬
tion as literaturfe. But, as a racy
glimpse of what can happen in the
present show biz world or indif¬
ferent values, it is fascinating. The
subject is a young man who in a
couple of years has rocketed, to
the top as, first, a rock ’n’ roU
singer and, later, as a star per¬
former. The author Is his erst¬
while manager, John Kennedy.

Kennedy reveals himself as a
sharp operator in the business of
entertainment public relations.
With disarnung frankness he spot¬
lights the gullibility of certain
sections of the British press by
revealing how he discovered ship-
steward Steele singing in a coffee-
bar and set out cynically to make
him a star. By admitted - phoney
stunts and flagrant twisting of the
truth he achieved his objective,
with the help of his partner, Larry
Parnes.

Quickly, young Steele was
steered to film * stardom, a big
vaude deal and an appearance at
the exclusive Cafe de Paris, show¬
case of such toppers as Coward,
Bankhead, Dietrich and others. Now
Steele is in the big money and the
big headlines. He has been starred
m the BBC’s “This Is Your Life”
and this year is the top draw in
the Rodgers & Hammerstein “Cin¬
derella” pantomihe at the Coli¬
seum.

This book shows up Steele as
one of the kids who help to make
show biz like no other biz. It is
fascinatingly readable as a chap¬
ter of theatrical history which
must make veteran showmen won¬
der ^ow can it have happened
and where does the business go
from here?” Rich.

Roberfs

Continued from pa^e 62

what he hdd, he was certain that
he had stumped the performers.

“Peach pit!” announced Lucille
triumphantly.

Whereupon Sir Sasson pitched
the pit down and walked out indig¬
nantly. How did she know? Was it
vibrations?

“Not at aU,” ejplains Eddie gaily,
“on that occasion, it was sheer
luck. We just overheard the cook
at the hotel grumbling about the
‘crazy’ Britisher who came in the
kitchen demanding, of all things, a
peach pit.”

' Eddie and Lucille predict that
the day is coming—perhaps 200
years from now—^wheh inan will do
all his communication by vibra¬
tions.

“There’ll he no arguments be¬
cause everyone will know what
everyone is thinking and why.
What a peaceful place it will be/’
they contend.

Even though, of course, this will
put them out of a job because the
WhDit world will be in on their act!,

Ice Show Review

Wiener Eisrevue

(Viennese Ice Revue)
(SPORTPALAST, BERLIN)
Berlin, Dec. 9-

“Mdpic of Love,” ice show in
two parts (15 scenes). Direction,
* book and idea by Will Fetter.
Music and musical arrangements.
Prof. Robert Stolz; musical direc¬
tion, Walter Heidrich; choreogra¬
phy, Edith Fetter; assistant direc¬
tor and technical supervisor, Josef
Wurm; costumes, Gerdago; decors.
Ferry Windberger. With Avdre
Calame-Longjean, Liliane de Beck¬
er, Hanna Eigel, Liesl Ellend,
Fernand Leevuins, Konrad Lienert,
Helmut Loefke, Charlotte Mich-
iels, Eva Pavlik, Emmy Puzinger,
Inge & Willi Schilling, Rudolf See-
liger, Ingrid Wendl, Herbert Bo-
bek, Ulli Ertl, Lloyd Loeweeke,
Wolfgang Schmidt, Peter van.Gils,
Bobby & Blackie, Viennese Ice
Ballet (26), At Sportpalast, Ber¬
lin, Nov. 26-Dec. 16, ’58; $2.50 top.

‘iWiener Eisrevue” has done it
again. Troupe scored an enormous
success here 12 months ago, and it
has an even greater program than
la^ year.

Troupe’s extraordinary populari¬
ty ig" evidenced by tlie fact that it
is going to stay at the 7,000-seat
Sportpalast until Dec. 16, or 21
days with a minimum of 28 pyer-
formances.

This ice revue from the Blue

No More One-Man Stints
Sez Cheyalier—Just Fix

Paris, Dec. 16.

Maurice Chevalier, back from his
U.S. film stint in “The Blessing”
(M-G), says he will not do any
more one-man singing chores, but
wni devote his time solely to his
second big American film career.
He will sing only on a personal
appearance tour in Europe with the
opening of “Gigi,” but not profes¬
sionally.

Chevklier has two more Yank
film chores, Josh Logan’s “Fanny”
(20th) and a film with Jean Negii-
elesco, “The Midwife of Pont- j
chery” to be made in Europe. Che¬
valier may play a priest in this one.

Paris Offbeat Cafes

Continned from page 62

aisian ditties, and others also show
possibilities.

At the Scandia, Jimmy “Lover
Man” Davis, a Yank cleffer-tumed-
singer, holds forth surrounded by
competent newcomers.

Le Port De Salut has a hilarious,
macabre comic in Pierre Doris and
a smooth duo in the well coordi-:
nated singing by Serge & Sonia.

Cheval D’Or, Etc.

Cheval D’Or features a tart duo
in Sue & Serre, and the GaUerie
55 has a sprightly puppet act and
good singers. Abbaye has Yank
folk duo Lew Payant & Gordon
Heathe, longtime, residents and
faves of this small boite, and Bar
Verte and Le Guitar feature gui-
tars-

L’Amiral, on the Right Bank, Is
a haven for young comedians and
singers in its revues manned by
pros Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc
Thibault who used this cellar club
as a big time springboard.

Milord L’Arouille has a known
quantity in silky, sophisticated
chantoosie Michele Arnaud, and a
climbing newcomer. Serge Gains-
bourg, whose cadaverous looks and
poetic ballads have already gotten
him disk waxing and house book¬
ings.

Mars Club stays In the Jazz
idiom, as does the Blue Note, both
Yank fave haunts, and newcomer,
Trinidad, has Inez Cavanaugh
doing her dusky singing interlude.

Now it remains to be seen if
these clubs will be a bust or a
bonanza and change or rev up the
sagging face of the night club
scene, here. All have about a $1.25
to $1.50 minimum.

Receiver for ‘47’ Club

Hollywood, Dec. 16. .

R. E. Allen, professional receiv¬
er, was appointed by Superior
Judge Rex Hardy to replace Eliot
Daniel and Leonard Krupnick as
controllers of the affairs of the
Musicians Club, Local 47, AFM.

He will run the club under the
court’s supervision until . current
litigations are resolved.

Danube city has several advan¬
tages. Both parts (“Dutch Girl”
and “Viennese Children”) have a
story line. And this guarantees an
additional amount of entertain¬
ment. Director Will Better (who
has staged 20 ice shows so far)
introduced these story Unes 11
years ago and has never abandoned
them. He feels that: majority of
Europeans are more keen on
themes than a succession of dif¬
ferent numbers on ice.

Another plus, and a very sub¬
stantial-one at this, is the ballet.
Of all ice troupes seen here, this
one presents the most attractive
ice ballet. The girls all have good
figures and beautiful faces. It’s
probably the youngest ice ballet
that is touring the old world these
days. Another plus is the music
(mostly Viennese) by Prof. Robert
Stolz, last survivor of the great
Viennese operetta school. It’s the
seventh time he has done the score
for this troupe’s shows. Better
said that the 75-year-old composer
has become such an expert on ice
music that he just has to say, “I
need this (or that) for this (or that)
number” and genius Stolz comes
along with new brilliant musical
creation pronto. At least 120 min¬
utes of this nearly three-hour pro¬
gram are filled with new Stolz
melodies. The rest consist of Stolz
oldies plus a couple of popular
tunes such as Berlin’s “Alexander’s
Ragtime Band” for a special
rhythm number, Victor Yoimg’s
“Around the World” and the in¬
evitable “River Kwai March.”

Program presents 21 soloists,
most of them former or present
champs of European and other
countxies. Some are tops in their
class, such as in comedy, acro¬
batics, etc.

First part plays in a Dutch vil¬
lage and centers around a love
story between Marijee (Hanna
Eigel) and Jan (Helmut Loefke).
Second part (“Viennese Children")
is another romance, involving Pepi
(Charlotte Michiels) and Franzl
(Lloyd, Loeweeke). Humor plays
an essential role in “Viennese Chil-
’dren” and there are gales of laugh¬
ter, mostly on account of the
American Loeweeke. He really
knows to joke..;

All in all, “Magic of Love” is a
fine mixture of first-class artistry
(Eva Pavlik), humor, slapstick,
.catchy melodies and, in particular,
Viennese charm. Along with the
beautiful costumes, the whole is a
treat for eye and ear and heart.

Better has done an outstanding
directorial job. His wife Edith
took care of the choreography.
Both, incidentally, have a substan¬
tial ice background. He’s a former
Austrian amateur champ, she’s a
former ice acrobat. Next June, an¬
other film (the fifth one) is on
troupe’s agenda. It’ll be akin to
their previous, ones such as “Sym¬
phony in Gold” and “Spring On
Ice” and include a 30-minute big-
scale production number. Hans.

HARBERS

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VeAiegday, Deceml>er 17, 1958

Tvier

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Currently (4 WEEKS)

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Opening JANUARY 6th

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'f^

■■' P ersonal Managemen f

TELEVISION ARTISTS CORP.

Jack Bertell John Greenhut
S27 Modlsoii Av«., Ntw York 22. N. Y.. PL<n» 3-2153

66

VAUIIEVILLB

Florida-lfs a Production

; Continued from page 63 ;

deal. And again, oddly enough,
this remains a limited group of
acts. Scanning the “Cavalcade of
Stars” list of the Deauville, the
bookers have found few “new”
names that might prove strong
draws for their locations and have
gone back to the basic regulars
of each season.

They have set such familiar acts
to the area as Tony Martin (open¬
ing at the new Diplomat on the
i7th) and who may also play the
Eden Roc later in ,winter. The Roc
has Anna Maria Alberghetti for
the Christmas holidays, she comes
back in March for the “Cavalcade.”
Others on the list who will also
play hotels for one or two-weekers
are Alan King-Jane Morgan, Geor¬
gia Gibbs, Frankie Laine, at the
Diplomat; Xavier Cugat & Abbe
Lane will double into the Deau¬
ville’s Casanova Room for a holi¬
days run; Sophie Tucker plays the
Latin Quarter during that period,
then her one-nighter; later, there’s
Jimmy Durante. Maurice Chevalier
goes immediately into the Roc’s
Cafe Pompeii after a March one-
shot; currently, Eartha Kitt at the
Americana and Jimmy Rodgers at
the Roe will return for later-in¬
season one-nighters.

Post-Cnffo Doubling

The cream of the Deauville crop
now look to be bocAed—^if terms
are worked out — by the rival
hostels. Jerry Lewis is in midst of
negotations with the Eden Roc’s
Harry Mufson. Among his demands.
Is a 26-piece orch, •which would
require extensive rebuilding of the
Cafe Pompeii stage, at a loss of
40 or 50 seats. Mufson will prob¬
ably go along with the deal, if
Lewis puts his sig to a contract.
Harry Belafonte is also dickering
with the Fontainebleau’s Ben No-
vack, who already has set Red
Skelton from the “Cavalcade” line¬
up. In Skelton’s case, it’s under¬
stood that pressure has been
brought for him to give up the
one-nighter and he is mulling the
nix. Others of the series have not
been contacted, as of this writ¬
ing, for standard deals. Most of
them have either played here, with
indifferent results, or are not con¬
sidered prime acts,. able to pull
their price-weight, albeit they

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looM 5M UaM April 1959
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should do all right with the
Deauville’s guaranteed audience
that will see them on a “for free”,
basis.

Fontainebleau ‘Ship-Shape

The Fontainebleau, as -of now,
is in best star shape, with its line¬
up including Polly, Bergen for
week beginning the 21st or 22d in
the enlarged (to 800 capacity) La
Ronde. She’ll be followed by Jack'
Carter and Della Reese; Shirley
Jones & Jack Cassidy. Others are
Skelton, as noted; Jack B'enny,
Frank Sinatra and, if the deal is
made, Belafonte in February.
There’s a strong pitch being made
to Milton Berle to follow the
Sinatra run in March.

The Roc, as noted, tees off with
Anna Maria Alberghetti and the
dance company from the Moulin
Rouge in Paris, which will stay for
a month, through the Billy Eck-
stine date. Joe E. Lewis and Eydie
Gorme are due in February for a
17-day stand. The many holes in
the weeks to come will be filled
by a Jerry Lewis and others of
that calibre, if they heed the high-
bid offers. For a while, there was
talk of Judy Garland, but it has
been reliably reported, that she
will be another of the Fontaine¬
bleau’s blockbusters. According
to the usually reliable source, her
husband - manager, Sid Luft,
planed in to pick up a $25,000 ad¬
vance check that is supposed to
seal the deal Anyway, there has
been no announcement of a defi¬
nite signing.

Competition on the Alert

To combat this name-studding
by the Fontainebleau and Eden
Roc, the rival hotels with big cafes
are eschewing the competition for
the toppers and going in for pro¬
duction shows, and rebuilding their
stage facilities in. the process.
Most of these took a beating last
season when top-pay acts brought
lo^es in most cases. The Deau¬
ville will bring in aforementioned
Cugat & Lane and their revue to
initial the Club Casanova season.
In mid-January, Jackie Barnett’s
nostaliga “Newcomers of 1928”
package that has Harry Richman,
Paul 'W'hiteman, Rudy "Vallee, Bus¬
ter Keaton, Fifi D’Otsay, among
other oldtimers, arrives for a long
stay.

The Americana is getting ready
for the 20th with its own crigi^
revue, penned by Sid KuUer, •withal
music by Jerry Fielding. O-wner
Larry Tisch has the package set
for a minimum four-week deal
Geared to a modern day “Little
Show-Garrick Gaieties” format, it
will boast some talented upcom-
ers, such as Barbara Heller, who
clickoed In her Jack Paar expo¬
sures from LA.. Blackburn Twins
& Jerry Collins are in the cast, as
is Jack DeLeon, the comic who
made it b^ in the Bal Masque last
spring. Tisch has left the door
open to^pact^ a top name, if
such a bolstering is needed. There
will be a dance group, male and
femme, to round out the Selma
Marlowe Harris staging.

Walters, King of Siam

The Carillon is" rebuilding Its
Club Siam- to accommodate Lou
Walters’ new edition of the Zieg-
feld Follies, current in Las Vegas,
This hotel, neighbor, to the Deau¬
ville. is setting designated nights,
when its guests wiU be admitted
free to the Walters production,-»as
its answer to the Deauville’s
cuffo “Ca'valcade.” Such a move
may well indicate a like policy
for their dientele hy the biggeries
with standard-run cafes.

The Lucerne’s longrunning
(100th week) “Havana Mardi Gras”;
may have been inspiration for the
trend to revues in hotels. Oscar
Marko-wicb originally brought in
the package in an attempt to make
the .smallish <300 seats) Club Cha¬
let a paying proposition, after sus¬
taining losses with moderate-
priced comics. Also a Selma Mar¬
lowe Harris unit, it began to pick

up after a month of light patron¬
age and suddenly bloomed as one
of the most consistent attractions
in the area. Addition of Diosa Cos¬
tello seemed to hypo the appeal
to cafegoers. Now, Markowich is
expanding—^he’s taken over Copa
City (ne Cafe de Paris) and is
bringing in another Kuller-Field-
ing collaboration, the revised
“Jump For Joy,” with Duke El¬
lington heading up a big roster of
acts. The musical idea was tried
out on the Coast some time ago
and the Markowich idea now is to
break it in at Copa City with an
eye to a Broadway showcasing if' it
clicks. It will open in late January.

LQ’s Lineup

The Latin Quarter, still the land¬
mark on Palm Island, is of a name-:
mind in its bookings for this win¬
ter. The Dnnn Arden staging here
will have Sophie Tucker to start
matters on the 19th; she’ll be fol¬
lowed by Betty Grable, then Jim¬
my Durante, with one or two other
marquee names possibilities, such
as the Ritz Bros., who have also
been mentioned for a return to
Lthe Fontainebleau.

Ciro’s, dark last year after an
unfortunate experiment at club
operation by Olsen & Johnson,
w^ reopen for Christmas with
Alan Gble booked for an eight-day
deal and a return contract in Feb¬
ruary. Louis Prima' & Keely Smith
are also being mentioned for the
place. They were originally
brought to this re.sort by Harry
Mufson for engagements at' the
Roc, and he is still pitching for
their return to the Cafe Pompeii.

The Beachcomber, which had
the Cotton Club label and thow
for a big initial season two years
ago, then flopped last winter, may
reopen with a colored revue again.
Its status, as of now, is nebulous,
rumors per always, having it tak¬
en over by various operators.

TThia Year’s Hotel’

The Hollywood sector, 15 miles
north of Miami Beach, boasts
“this year’s hotel’’ in the Diplo¬
mat. Its Cafe Crista! will have a
one-week-stand policy, •with a long
lineup to follow Tony Martin,
among them Tony Bennett, Geor¬
gia Gibbs, Alan King, Henny
Youngman, Genevieve. It’s fig¬
ured certain to pull business away
from the Beach bistros, for a curi-
osity-'view jaunt as well as by its
acts.

The Diplomat 'bookings have
been hanefied on a seasonal fluc¬
tuation basis' Managing director
George B. Fox, noting his experi¬
ence at the Saxony and the Eden
Roc, has gauged his budget to top-
pay attraction for x>eak weeks. It
is an interesting experiment and
may point to a like policy by his
southerly rivals although they, too,
have at times tried to gauge book¬
ings on such a basis, only to find
a competitor coming up with a
topper who drew most of the pa¬
tronage around.

The new Montmartre, just north
of the Roc, a 350-room hotel-motel
with luxury tariffs, -wiU have the
French theme in' its intimate ni-
tery. Eddie Shaffer, the vet comic,
is host-entertainment director-em¬
cee. He has booked Denise Dared
for the opening weeks, the date
of preem stiU to be set. He’s go¬
ing after the type of act that plays
the smarter, smaller hotel locations
around the coimtry.

Castro

Contmaed from pa^e C3 —^

tions, particularly for the holidays,
from New York. Solne believe that
the absence of N.Y. dailieSx be¬
cause of the deliverers’ strike, has
cued the upbeat. True or not,
there’s ho news about Castro &
Co.

There was a heavy pickup in
Havana early November which was
brought about by the golf tourna¬
ment promoted by the hotels. How¬
ever, business went back to deso¬
late when the Fidel Castro forces
appropriated A Cubana Airlines
plane. The tourist business was off
for a spell, and then inexplicably
picked up again. Cruise ships ac¬
count for some of the upbeat, but
bulk of the travelers are coming
in by plane.

Auto Show Pftcts Dagmar

'Mmneapolis, Dee. 16.

Dagmar has been booked to
femcee the stage end of the an¬
nual 10-day Auto Show at the Audi¬
torium here’ starting Jan. 9.

Nat King Cole will be head¬
liner for the first four days. Max
Winter, the show’s promoter, says
he’s in quest of a name of similar
dalibre for the remaining six day^.

WedaeBday, J>eccinber 17, 195S

AGVA Prez Charges 'Bureaucracy’

Continued from pa^e 62

wash by restricting the committee
to use of counsel who are already
committed to the charter In its
present form, and who are subject
to the decisions of the present offi-

the office is too busy. If that be
so, cannot our organization afford
a few dollars for outside photo¬
statting or copying? I cannot be¬
lieve that there is only one copy
of the foundation bylaws.

cers of the AGVA foundation.

Questions Opposition

“This type of maneuver and in¬
direction is distressing to me as
president. Why should our own
professional personnel seek to
: head off an independent Study by
our elected officers? The result of
such a study can only be in the
interest of our membership. If the
committee approves of what has
already been done, that will be
fine, if the committee can- im¬
prove it.'then that'too will be fine.
Why, then, the opposition? I don’t
know. But the very fact that oppo¬
sition persists and for no apparent
reason forces the thought that
tiiere may be more here than meets
the eye.

“The study must be made and
made independently. Firstly, who
are the officers of the foundation?
Corporate trustee, Harold F. Berg
(AGVA counsel); foundation coun¬
sel, Morris H. 0>penheim <coun-
sel for a group of Catskill Mt
hotels); president, Jadrie Bright;
secretary-treasurer, Rex Weber
(AGVA comptroller); auditor, Law¬
rence Smith, auditor for Sullivan
County, N. Y. It is significant that
not one officer of the foundation
is a dues paying member of AGVA.
They are aU outsiders. There’s the
plain fact and it belies the assur¬
ances we have been given that
AGVA win forever control the
foundation.

*Look at the Record’

“Mr. Bright in his letter repeats
again that ‘broad’ powers to/use
the foundation funds should be re¬
tained. Hease do not believe me.
Dp. not believe Mr. Bright or Mr.
Berg or Mr. Oppenheim. Simply
read the foimdation’s charter' and
get the answer for yourself. Do
you think that this foundation,
using AGVA’s name, AGVA’s pres¬
tige and AGVA’s money, should
have the power to use its funds for
‘correctional institutions’, ‘sani¬
tary reforms’, ‘habits of thrift’ and
‘self-dependence’ among the poor’?

“It sounds incredible, but these
are the actual quotations from the
charter of the AGVA foundation.
All the above are indeed worthy
purposes, but what of our own
aged and indigent members? Gan
we say to them, TDon’t worry be¬
cause we have Mr. Bright’s and
Mr. Berg’s assurance that these
incredible powers have been writ¬
ten into the charter as just law¬
yer’s talk and they promise never,
never to give our money away for
such purposes’? Then what is it
; doing in the charter? I say that
the whole thing' is indefensible.

: For our counsel and executive sec¬
retary to continue to defend it as
they do simply emphasizes the
need for an independent study
with independent professional ad¬
vice.

“I wanted to give the national
board for once the option of free
expression. Mr. Bright and Mr.
Berg had already given their opin¬
ions in letters dated Oct. 29 and
30. Yet our paid administrative
secretary could not resist his long
established practice of superimpos¬
ing his opinions and. distractions
before our elected body was given
a chance to speak. Can I be more
blunt?

Denied Copy of Bylaws

“The choice is between a demo¬
cratic type of organization and a
self-perpetuating bureaucracy. This
is an issue which is even graver
than the foundation question. For
example. • the refusal to provide
me, as president, with a copy of
the foundation bylaws is a small
incident, but nevertheless, it in¬
volves a major principle. Mr.
Bright still refuses to provide me
with a copy. The excuse is that

^‘The information I requested is
needed for careful study on the
questions affecting the foundation.
Can there be any valid excuse for
refusal to supply it? Should I, as
president, serving as you do with¬
out remuneration, come to Ne'W
York from California at my. own
expense to sit in our expensively
furnished offices among our well-
paid employees in order to study
these bylaws? That is what Mr.
Bright insists-upon. If that would
serve our membership, I would do
it humbly. But for the dignity of
the office and for the sake of
other, future presidents and offi¬
cers of AGVA, I refuse. To do^
otherwise would be to degrade the*
office to which I was elected and
to admit that that office is subser¬
vient to and subject to the whim
and caprice of our paid admistra-
tor. I think it important that each
officer and board member take a
firm, independent .position in all
matters affecting our membership
and our treasury,”

Sai'anac Lake

By Happy Benway

Saranac Lake, Dec. 16.

Santa Claus No. 1 of tbe Xmas
Fund Committee of the Theatrical
Protective Union No. 1 consisting
of John C. McDowell, 'William J.
Gorey, John Goodman, George
McCormick, John Horohan, Louis
Yeager, Joseph Sinclair, Hory
Fisher, Joseph McCarthy gifted
each and every patient, also the
staff of the Will Rogers Hospital.

Dr. Homer W. McCreary, our
house medico, back from Philadel¬
phia where he attended the Inter¬
national Symposium On Tuberculo*
sis at the Bellvue-Stratford Hotel.

Charles Frank, comedy magi¬
cian, in from the Bronx and is tak¬
ing the usual observation routine
and rest. He Is already showing
results as he is up for one meal
a day.

Write to those who are ill.

Lamour in Hawaii

I Honolulu, Dec. 16.

[ Dorothy Lamour, who turned the
Polynesian sarong into a national
[ style item, is in Honolulu to head¬
line in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s
oversize Monarch Room.

Singer’s booked in for seven
[ nights over a two-week span. Ray
I Kinney continues as emcee, with
the' Pierson Thai orch for dancing.

BOSTON
SMASH HIT

THE GLAMOROUS NEW

Hom

Show folks art raving about the j
all new Hotel Avery. All new, large, ||
beaHtifttlly furnished deluxe rooms
with private bath and television. ||
Many Ak Conditioned.

AVERY S WASHINGTOH. STS.

YVONNE MORAY

42” Tell - S!ngin 9 Comedjenne
DOMINO LOUNGE

Atlanta, Geargla
(tiunk you Boss Bussell)

ASSOCIATED ROOKING CORP.

JOE GLASER, Ptm.

The DEEP RIVER BOYS

Starring HARRY DODOjASS

" IM.rMttoHl Tonr

lirnijnm.i,i)ijji,m u iii ii unnmiuini m mi inrnfiTn

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

New Acts

MARION KEANE
Songs
20 Mins.

StflSety Restaurant, London

Marion Keane is a personable
young vocalist with a pleasant
style, and adequate set of pipes
and an easy-on-the-eye appearance.
Her cafe act is up to average
standards, but she could do much
better with more sophisticated
material.

Too much of her 20-minute
routine is taken up by standard
pops but she shows what she can
do with her version of “Let’s Do
It.” the omnibus number made
internationally famous by Noel
Coward and Hutch. She has some
new lyrics to go with the tune and
it makes for a diverting and enter¬
taining entry.

Not so diverting is her inter¬
pretation of “I’ll Be Loving You,”
for which a reluctant ringsider is j
lured to the mike to interpolate
“always” on cue. Her songalog,
which opens* with “From This
Moment On,” also includes a
bright arrangement of “I Didn’t
Know What Time It Was” and ends
with a vivacious interpretation of
“My Heart Belongs to Daddy.”

Myro.

RAYMOND DEVOS
Comedy, Impressions
30 Mins.

Trois Baudets, Faris

A puffy face, alternating with
fey puzzlement and goodnatured
maliciousness, atop a barrel-like
body, and topped by a shock of
unruly hair, are the physical as¬
pects of probabty the best new
comedian here since the war. He
primarily talks and acts out sad
tales given a hilarious twist by a
feel for foibles and human mis¬
takes.

Thus, a man fuming about his
friend using all his personal ef¬
fects, hanging around his house,
etc., suddenly' shifts from the ris-
ibly ridiculous to a shaft of pain
as he realizes he is clubby with his
wife tpo.. Timing, miming, sensi¬
tivity and brilliant material make
this topflight.

Devos is now making himself
felt in films and legit and he
shapes fine for specialized boites
in the U. S. with more chances if
he can add an English spiel.

Mosfc.

JOEL HOLMES
Songs
20 Mins.

Disco Theatre, Paris

Joel Holmes is^^oung, with a mu¬
sically hip voice and good aplomb.
His self-cleffed rep has some
catchy ditties but it is still foggy
in true musical depth and individ¬
ual attitudes.

He has the attributes to join the
personalized singer - writers here
with some more roadwork and
coming maturity. He now looks
ready for filler booking at the big
houses and should develop into a
regular. His freshness, feeling and
exuberance could later also make
him of international interest.

Mask.

SIMONE LANGLOIS

Songs

20 Mins.

Trois Baudets, Paris

Tiny, large-headed chantoosy is i
not a looker, but has more than !
that. She has a big, musically con¬
cise and true voice and an innate
feeling fqr the mood and tone of
her wen chosen songalog of youth¬
ful yearning and, naturally, love.
She has all the attributes to turn
into a topliner here; and with the
coming veneer of knowhow she
augurs as a future pro who may
soon be a good export bet for in¬
time Yank rooms.

Her mike presence and* song un¬
derlining are already fine. She re¬
cently won the top prize for young
singers here. She deserved it.

Mosfc.

SERGE GAmSBOURG

Songs

15 Mins.

Trois Baudets, Paris

Arch singer has a homely,
craggy but taking physiognomy
and a bevy of self-written songs
delving into, the lowlier aspects of
ordinary trades and lacerated de¬
sires. Voice is practically a whisper
but he has a presence and a depth,
and musical note in songs and de¬
livery that make him an arresting
offbeater.

However, his physical ' resem¬
blance to star Philippe Clay, and
his one-mbod pieces, make him
only a likely standard here. He is
limited for the U. S., too, but songs
are catchy dirges and could spread.

Moski

ALAN CLIVE
Comedy
15 Mins.

Silver Slipper, Las Vegas
Alan Clive, a slender, handsome
young man from England, is mak¬
ing his U.S. debut in Las Vegas.
With an accent that is unmistak¬
ably British and delightfully dis¬
arming, his act was a pleasant sur¬
prise to firstnighters, many of
whom were skeptical about how
an Anglo would fit gracefully into
a burlesque-type show.

An excellent songseller. Re offers
“Dixieland” and “Just One of
Those Things” to warm mitting.
His. impressions of Cary Grant,
George Sanders, Gary Cooper,
Jimmy Stewart, Noel Coward, Billy
Daniels and Frank Sinatra are out¬
standing, and he gets yocks with
the jokes that go along with the
characterizations. Big plus is the
fact that he has the knack of com¬
bining British and American humor
into a highly acceptable format.
Act is well-paced and very funny.

Duke.

RICET BARRIER
Songs
15 Mins.

Trois Baudets, Paris
Personable young singer, looking
like Eddie Albert, accomps his own
songs on various stringed instru-i
ments, guitar, banjo, ukulele. His j
songs are. mainly in provincial ver¬
nacular and have a knowing gen¬
tleness and comic perception about
them.

However this makes him primar¬
ily a local entry, and he looks to
become a standard here with less
chances for international appeal.

Mask.

DONNIE MEYERS
Acres
7 Mins.

Sheraton-Fontenelle, Omaha
Although she could pass for five
years older, Donnie Meyers is a
13-year-old aero dancer who can
hold her own in the pro ranks
right now. She doesn’t need to—
and she doesn’t— take advantage
of her teenage.

Blessed with a natural smile,
she opens with a fair song, then
goes into a passable Charleston.
shimmy. She then strips her gown
and beads' for a “1953 version of
the Charleston,” which brings her
into her forte, acrobatics.

Kid’s act is zippy and opens a
show on the right note. She |
should be heard from in a couple
of semesters. Trump.

MIKE CALDWELL
Comedy
14 Mins.

Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel, Omaha
If it’s true there’s a demand for
fresh new comedy talent, then
Mike Caldwell’s future is indeed
rosy. A roly-poly, nearly-bald
funster, Caldwell possesses some
unusual gimmicks as well as fresh
quips.

For example, at show caught he
did three quick forward somer¬
saults winding., up with pratfalls—
this from a 200 -plus-pounder who
is short and rotund. Then some
dlever hoke magic, working aud
for a hanky gag that nearly
stopped the show. And finally some
juggling, concluding by subbing an
apple for one of his rubber balls
and eating it down to core.

Trump.

Sfripper’s Life

Continued from pace 1
per’s Right to Depletion.” But he
was talking about nien who own
strip mines. Nevertheless, the ar¬
ticle revived talk about the right
of human body depletion (for tax
purposes).

It was an organization of Wash¬
ington fashion models who
marched on Internal Revenue a
few years ago asking fdr a' formal
ruling on the fact that they had to
pay full taxes on each year’s earn¬
ings, although their ability to earn
through their trade dropped with
each passing year. They should be
allowed, they argued, to space out
taxes on their earnings (spread
their income) oyer future years
when their faces bagged and their
figures sagged

Perhaps with a chuckle, IRC
wrote a ruling saying the agency
“could not agree that the charms
(of the models) . . . will diminish
with the passage of time.”

More seriously, IRS added there
was no law permitting depreciation
of face and body.

« The 4aw. provides onlyfor de¬

preciation of cash outlays (like

company cars, additions to factor- ■■ m hui h mh bh

ies, office furniture, etc.) aud min- | L* " 1 "

erals taken out of the ground. The V A* JCV X A
oil man, for example, deducts

271/^% of the income from petro- WEEK OF

leum production under the law.

This is an allowance Congress .
write into law on the theory that NEW YORK CITY

oil resources “deplete.” That is, music hall is Hines Bros,
once oil is taken out of the ground, victor Julian Henry Michel

it is gone forever because no more Dorothy KeUer

will form in its place. u. Paipe Orc. Troupers .

. . . ROXY BaUadeers

Many in show business are using Evelyn Brooks Roht. Bouchet Ore

other devices of spreading out their AIKTPAIIA

income on the instalment plan, re- AUilKALlA

ducing each year’s tax load. There Melbourne Martin ciarke

are a number of ways of doing it, tivoII

like longterm tv network contracts, Sabrina Winifred Atwell

taking a cut of a motion picture's M

grosses in lieu of a straight salary, Horrie Dargie 5 2 Earls

't?- .IRS is now preparing a com-

pllation of rulings on the numerous Mistin Juniors 3 Sylverkings
devices used in deferring income Lorraine Bransgroyi

into future years. Never before as-

sembled into a single package, it BRITAIN

is expected to be ready within a . aston i finsbury park
few months. Some of the rulings L. . ‘J?

VARIETY BILLS

WEEK OF DECEMBER 17

MELBOURNE

Tivoli

Richard Cannon
Ivan Lane Orc
Cocoanut Grove
Patricia Wymore
Freddy Martin Ore
Crescendo
Mort Sahl
The Treniers
.Interlude
Ear) Grant
T. C. Jones

Moulin Rouge
Peggy Lee
“Wonderful World”
Regency Room
Matt Dennis

Martin Clarke

SYDNEY Wonderful Woi

Tivoli Regency Root

Winifred Atwell Matt Dennis

Morecamhe & Wise
Gaston Palmer ■ i

2 Earls ^

Ross Howitt

J & D Rees Desert Inn

3 Sylyerk^s "Newcomers of

Lorraine Bransgrove _ ,

Beverly Urquhart- j P^ul Wluteman

Dave Ketchum .
Jeanne Taylor
Dick Hazard
Slate Bros.
Arthur Walsh
Georgia Uarr
Johnny Ferguson 3
Statler Hotel
Wiere Bros.
Skinnay Ennis Ore
Ye LIHle Club
Diane Lefti
Joe Felix
Roger Nichols

LAS VEGAS-

Desert inn Helen Wood
“Newcomers of '28” Andrea Dancers
Paul Whiteman Ving Merlin

ASTON
Hippodrome'
Terry Cantor

involved have never before been iied Preston,
made public. Dale Warren

Gal. AFM Local

; Continued from page 2 ;

Dale Warren
CoUeen Laine
Toiya Kee
Lake & Rose
Kenny Cantor
John Walters
8 Girls

BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome
Mudlarks
Anton & Janetta

Empire

Johnson & Carr
Jean & Verne
King Bros.

J & P Sharratt
Jimmy James Co.

Harry Richman BiU Shirley

Rudy VaUee Sue Ann Langdon

Buster Keaton Ray Sinatra Ore

Billy GUbert De Castro Sis

Fifi D’Orsay Sahara

Carlton Hayes Orc i Fred Waring Ore

Dunes

"Minsky's Folies
Iniernational”

I Wilson, Keppel & B Novelites

but these youngsters were not Tony^sfem
hired to play there. It was a project t & p Derrick
of their own . . . to foster the 1 c?tt''^
Christmas spirit.” Alien Bros. & .

Shan

LEEDS
Empir*
Wee Harris
Hi-Steppers
Gaimt Bros.
Rexanos

Jimmy Cavanaugh

Mary Kaye Tri‘«>
Sands

Sammy Davis Jr.
Augie & Margo
EUa Fitzgerald

j Tommy (Moei Raft Steve Rossi

Barbara Esko
Murray Brisco
Vickie Denas
Cee Davidson Ore
El Corler

Tony Cromhie & Co. . Rossi & Boyer

Allen Bros. & June

o..;..! Tr........... '^<1® Henderson empire i,n.a ixivc wit

Said YargaSi Brighton Earl & Vaughan Flamingo

"I may sound like Scrooge, but

I had my gripes from the member- Magyar Ballet Eva May Wong Atkins & Cole

ship. This place is a shopping cen- gSTwIa.ufK.n §°2uSeue,

tre, a commercial deal. And wmen Gold & Cordcll Donovan & Hayes Jack Cathcart

Irid^ wpnt tn thp iriflnflPPT* foT O'NeiU & Haig SHEFFIELD Fremont Ho

me Kias went to tne ^anager jor Edinburgh Empir* Honeyccnes

nermission to play, he was de- Empire Toni DalU Deedy & BiU

l’*^hted The kids should have come Jimmy Shand & Bd Marie De Vere 3 Gayle Walton

J iiie Kiab .nouiu nave come ciarkson & Leslie Smoothey & Layton Make BeUeves

to us because it S a commercial Gladys Morgan Co. B & J Young Golden Nugs

thin*^ ” ” Edward Victor- Miki 8? Griff ! Harry Ranch

Victor Soverall 3 Sparkes j Lee & Faye B

El Cerrito Mayor Doris Hormel Harold Taylor Devine & Barbara > nard

disputed the “commercial thing” -^-i

statement, saying, “Nobody is be- 5ons of Goid'r

ing put out of work ... . if the stu- j faliarpf RJIIc : "ZiegfeirFoiu

dents were not playing, there! vauaivl UUIA j.-^ne Morgan

would be no music,” | Dickie Henden

Following the AFM threat, how- aicwt i-i-rv MIAMI

ever, the 12 youngsters left their NEW YORK CITY -

instruments at home—showed up Angei Hotel St. Moritz I Admiral Vi

at the shopping centre.wlth a pho-

nograph, which they accomoanied Sanders judy Magee I Pete Brady 4

irnnallir Mn K„f Rcynsaux Herman Chittison ! Americani

\ ocally. No pickets appeared, but Frank Buxton Greta Rae j Fernanda Moni

500 spectators did, C Jimmy Lyon 3 Latin Quarter | Gene Bayios

Jeff Lemer
Murray CampbeU
Bachelors

LIVERPOOL

Empire

Earl & Vaughan
D & S Stephens
Billie Antbony
Eva May Wong
Desmond Lane

Eddie Bush
Versa tiles
El Rancho Vegas
Lisa Kirk
Dick Rice Orch
Flamingo
Pearl Bailey
Louis Bellson
Atkins & Cole
Don Kirk
Flamingoettes
Jack Cathcart Ore
Fremont Hotel
Honeyccnes
Deedy & BiU

Golden Nugget
Harry Ranch
Lee & Faye May¬
nard

Texas Copa Girls
Antonio Morelll Ore
Showboat
Shirley Scott
Garr Nelson
Showboat Girla
•Vic Artese Orc
Silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Beverly Hill*

June Wirth
Alan Clive
Sparky Kaye
Red Marshall
Danny Jacobs
Annie Maloney
Geo. Redman Ore
Stardust
Lido De Paris
"Ces’t Magnlfique”
Billy Daniels
Happy Jesters
Wingy- Manone
Tropicana
Dick Shawn
Dante D'Paulo
Barbara Luna

NEW YORK CITY

Blue Angel i Hotel St

gler Jack Ackerman

Sons of Gold'n Wst Ray Malone

Riviera Ray Anthony Orc

“Ziegfeld Follies” D Williams Singers
J.-’ne Morgan Nat Brandwynne

Dickie Henderson Ore

MIAMI • MIAMI BEACH

500 spectators did, C Jimmy Lyon 3

- Bart Howard

—i——— Bob Soir

Alice Ghosieiy

Paslerntk »ii.,

_ ■ ^ Three Flames

Cont.nued irotn page 2 Murray Grand

Casanova

money, money, money.” The Amer-! Zozo
ican public isn’t envious or jealous , ^chSe°u^Snd
of its stars, he says, but the fact b. Kraft Dners.
that a star cost a great deal of ^a'lpirFoSJ^oi^c
money doesn’t of itself sell a ticket Panchito orc
in Pasternak’s opinion. ^^“copacabana

Another feature about such pub-; Myron ^Cohen
licity, he says, is the .effect it has • Vagabonds
rn others in the cast and produc- i Harry Bell
tion. Bob 'Warren

“It used to be that you saw th? pagan^^o^
daily rushes and then went out of Downstairs Room
your way to compliment the direc- Arnold
tor, to encourage him,” he says. Jane Conneu
“Now you don’t dare open your ja^L Letcher
mouth or the next thing you know George HaU
his agent is around asking for more Gerry Mathews
ti Stan Keen

money. No. 1 Ave.

Pasternak has the rather startling Suzanne Lake
suggestion that one cure for the Robe?t Dnroey*^^®^
perennial cry of no new names is Harold FonvUie
a return to blDCk-booking. He says
the exhibitors themselves should irving Fields

get together and take this over, ac- i
cepting some films of the kind for-

ingei Hotel St. Moritz

. Marshall Grant 3

^ In Boboii

ler* Judy Magee

Herman Chittison
:on Greta Rae

n 3 Latin Quarter

•d Sue Carson

oir Johnny Puleo

ely Francis Bruim

! Dick Curry

lie Pony Siierrell

dels Jo Lombarui Orc

les B Harlowe Ore

ind Le Cuptdon

)va Sandu Scott

Howard Beder
ardin Ish Ugardi Ore

Maarjd Catun Ore

icrs. International

faro Jackie Miles

Ore Four Aces

rc Pat Patemo

iz McKenna Line

isna Mike Durso Orc

m Palmieri Ore

New Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Carolyn Carpenter
n Larry WUde

Di'C - Steadman

Granado Orc
Room R S V P

i Mabel Mercer

1 Savoy Hilton

U Emile Petti Ore

Town ft Country
er Chase & MitcheU

Bobby Freeman
ews Mambo Aces

Ned Harvey Orc
Ave. Sicari Orc

ce Two Guitars

AUtcbell Olga Valdi
ney Ivan Nepa

vijie Xenia Brante

3 JL Poliansky Orc

stor Misha Usdanoff

s Viennese Leniern

tsevelt Margarita Sierra

I Admiral Vee

I Don Rickies
j Ro.sette Shaw
I'ete Brady 4
! Americana
Fernanda Montel
Gene Baytos
Lee .M.-rtin Ore
.\'ina Ramon
Ba'moral
! ''larion Murray
I Rodrisuez Revue
I Clover Club-
I Rip Taylor
I Barbara -Velasco
■ Ms*Tietones

Dream Lounge
! Rue’fly Rich Ore
i ’VilHe Rcstum
: Marty Harris 3
Diplomat
■’ony Mr-rtin
J rra-«:cia & Tybee
j ,'l SeTidr.v
Mai Malkin Ore
j Eden Roc

; Rodgers

! Davis & Reese
Gn.vs £■ Geisha
Walter N.ve Ore
Jackie HeUer

Capri
Don CorneU
; BaUet Et
i Somavilla Ore
i Calvet Ore
! Hilton

Sonny Kendia Oro
Luis Varona Orc
Harbour Lounge
Sammy Walsb
Gilbert & 'Tracy
Rasha Rodell
Tony Matas

Latin Quarter
Sophie Tucker
Donn Arden Revue
Jose Cortez Ore
Lucerne

Havana Mardl Gras
Uiosa Costello
Milos Velarde
Don Casino
Tonia Flores
Tony & FranceUa
-luan Romero
David Tyler Ore
Murray Franklin's
Paul Gray
Murray Franklin
Dick Havilland •

ICay CarroU
Sue Shepard
Eddie Bernard
The Grate
George Auld 5
Flip Phillips &

BiU Karris Quint

Gina Martin
Raul de Mesa
Nilo Rodriguez
Conrad Wilson
Felix Guerrero Ore.
sans Souci

Fernando Albueme Martha Claude

Guy Lombardo Ore Ernest Schoen

ccpnng some iiims ot me Kina tor- Hotel piaia village b

nierly used as proving ground for JacRuei’^ J^a^coise BeUe Canoii
new telent, on the theory they ^e'S.er

would be building potential boxof- Ho*®! Plerre Flash Mason

would be building potential boxof-
fice for themselves.

Milholland

; Contmued from page 2 ;

Mimi Benzell
BUI Tabbert
WUbur Evans
Joseph Ricardel Ore
Alan Logan Ore
Hotel Taft

Tex Fletcher
Flash Mason
Karen Thorsell
Vic Spaddy
Lou Harold Orc
Village Vanguard
Chris Connor
Stan Free 3

Metamoros Trio Miriam Barrera*

Gladys & Freddy Dandy Crawford

J. Moreno Ore Susy Leiva

Fajardo Orc Roberto Arieta

Nacional Maria Nieves

Sandor Rev Canaro Orc

Mitzi Mason Victor Alvere*

Martinez Casado Ortega Orc

Gina Romano Tropicana

Ana & Julia Leonella Gonzaleg

Manteca Xiomara Alfaro

Di’ncing Waters Marta CastUlo

W Reves Ore Berta Depny

Gina Romand Guaracheros

Manolo Torrente Rolo Martinez

Ana y Julio Henry Boyer

Riviera Tropicana Ballet

Olea GuUlot 5 Suarez Orq

Mitsouki & Roberto Romeu Orq

I Vincent Lopez Ore Randy Weston 3

Hotel St. Regis
Robert Clary
Ray Bari Ore.
Milt Sbaw Oro

were enough to keep Milholland in
Europe for two years. He has not Cl

set foot in the U.S. for seven years, Black orchis
spending six in Europe, six months joi^r?eu?*< 3 )
in India and remainder in Japan Blue Angei
where he plans to stay until spring. Tld®shovon^ 3 °“
Reflecting on his astonishingly Mighty Panther
steady windfall, the Indiana-born- ^®rd cariton
playwright said, “It could only hap- °BiueNote
pen in America.” Duke HUngton

He told Variety he has au- Frankie lSh^*
thored seven full-length plays over shecky Greene
the seven year period and recently chei AdS-aWes
had a new one crystallize in his . cloister inn
mind which will be called “Mr.

Waldorf-Astoria
JIartha Kltt
EmU Coleman Orc
Bela Babai Orc

SAN FRANCISCO

the seven year period and recently chei AdS-aWes O)
had a new one crystallize in his . cloister inn
mind which will be called “Mr.

Faust.” Last July, a new Mil- Ramsey LewS.s Trio
with the revised title

of ‘A Thousand-Retailed Locus,” .Noberti
debuted in India.

with the revised title

of ‘A Thousand-Retailed Locus,” .Noberti
debuted in India. Hfiga Neff

A man of varied talents, Milhol- 18^2 &od
l^d has studied classical dancing, " un¬
sung in nightclubs of Rome, acted
in two tele films there, and recent- giny^cray
ly held an exhibition of his sketches BobW Breen
at the Tokyo American Cultural

'r . P|UO ,

CHICAGO,

iia CharUe Fisk Ork 10

^ Drake

jl Patricia WUson

a Jimmy Blade Orc

Gate of Horn
ir Bob Gibson

Anita Sheer
London House
• Gene Krupa

1 Mister Kelly's

e Shelley Berman

-Ernestine Anderson
! Marty Rubinstein 3

c. Marx & Frigo

IS (9) Palmer House

tn Los Chavales i

. Isabela & Miguel
Ben Arden Orc
Trio Preview Lounge

fon Harry Epps’ Mus-

ssi kat Ramblers

Tony BeUus 3
Sutherland
Sonny SUtt &

Three Sounds

Backstage
Stan Arnold
Rene Joubert
Blackhawk
Cal Tjader 5
Canterbury
Geo. Alexander
Benny Strong Ore
Easy Street

Bee & Bay Gomaa
Sylvie St. Clair
Dick Keegan Oye
Hungry 1
Kaye Ballard
Tom O’Horgan
Stan Wilson
Jazz Workshop

[ Turk Murphy Ore Sonny Stitt

Fade's
Mark Murphy
Bonnie Graham
Herb Barman Orc
Fairmont Hotel
MiUs Bros.

EL Heckscher Ore
440 Club
Larry Winters
Carol Davis

Gay -90'*

LOS ANGELES

Helen Boice
Smith Twins
Sally Blythe
Charles Vespia
Sammy Wolf
Dick BErnie

Harolds Club
Carmen CavaUaro
Magnetics

Harrah's Club
Red Nichols
Kings IV
Ish Kabibble
Don Baker
.■'ohn Atnmono
Bennie Jo

Holiday
W.-.de Ray
Esquire Trio
- Commodoyes

On the Levee '
Kid Ory Ore
Purple Onion
Coachmen 3
Maya Angeloa
Ronnie ScheU
365 Club
Paul Gubert
EsteUU
Half Bros.

BUI Clifford Ore.

Mapes
Glen Rolfson
WUder Bros.
Gallions 8c Ginnp
Miami Beach¬
combers
Dubonnet 3

Riverside
Gdofers
Kay Brown
Riverside S^arleii
Ed Fitzpatrick Ore
.Norman Brown
Addrisi Bros.
jDelU Quadii

69

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS

Hotel St. Regis, N. V.

Robert Cla^, Milt Shaw and Ray
Bari Orchs; $2 cover.

Franco-American singer Kobert
Clary, a somewhat diminutive per^
sonality whom Eddie Cantor show¬
cased originally, and who came to
prime attention in the same “New
Faces’^ revue wherein Eartha Eitt
was prominent, establishes a first
in a long time at the St, Regis’
Maisonette—a male singer instead
oi the usual glamor femmes. These
are usually of the Franco vintage,
a la Fernanda Montel or Gene¬
vieve, or Yank babes like Julie
Wilson or Constance Moore. Rus¬
sel Nype is. the last recallabale
male to play this class boite.

Somehow Clary is in too posh
a saloon for the energetic person¬
ality that he is. He has graduated,
of course, beyond the Blue Angel
and kindred intimeries (although
there's nothing wrong with that
league, eltherl and he has made an
effort to develop his stuff commen-
surately with the class room of the
Maisonette’s stripe. By coinci¬
dence, also, he’ll be bucking Eartha
Kitt, the Xmas-New Year’s attrac¬
tion at the Waldorf-Astoria, in that
Clary is slotted here. into post-
1953.

Claiy wisely is almost 99 4/100%
pure BriH Bldg, catalog, and- when-
he essays any tiling in French it’s
an item such as “I Love Paris” or
“Might As Well Be Spring,” done
in Gallic chorus.

Clary seems to feel "New Faces”
is enough, cushion for his prowess
or color. In actuality this Leonard
SiUman revue sturvived on its per¬
sonality talents and sketches; the
score was negligible, and the tunes
identified with Clary in the show
were lesser than Miss Kitt’s and
others’ opportunities. Thus “Miss
Logan” would impress as an almost
annoysome “cute” conceit, out of
context and framework of the
revue proper.

With yeoman musicianly assist
by Milt Shaw and his AFMers,
Clary imcorks “Lucky Pierre,”
“Fleur Bleu,” “Feel So Young,” a
Chevalier medley and “76 Trom¬
bones,” Every so often he evi¬
dences at boundless juvenile rhyth¬
mic style which, if routined and
enhanced, could stand him in good
stead and give him some additional
substance. He seemed to’ please
here and biz wasn’t bad on second
night caught although maitre
d' August and his affable staff
realized Clary sneaked in without
a line of advertising because of the
newspaper stalemate. A spot like
the Maisonette usually takes space
on the society pages of the daities.

Abel

Queen Elizabeth, Montel

Montreal, Dec. 10.
DornojiBros. (Z), Denny Vaughan
Orch (111, Louis Bannet Trio;
$2.50-$3 cover.

No facet of show biz seems to
faze the Doman Bros. From one-
nighters: to loimges to big produc¬
tion layouts or to such a plush
room as the Salle Bonaventure in
the -Queen Elizabeth Hotel, they
take tiiem in stride, not carelessly
but with a pro savvy that is re¬
freshing in the nitery circuit
Team first played Montreal sev¬
eral years ago in the now defunct
Normandie Hoof and scored heavily
with unabashed combaH offerings.
Repeat appearances boosted their
popularity and a two-year absence
makes current stand something
like old home week.

Starting casually, duo build their
presentation with care and good
taste. They bend the atmosphere
of the room to their style and
climax with audience participation
bit complete with silly hats and
amusmg dialog. Sequence seldom
fails because the brothers never
force or embarrass a patron, get¬
ting them to the floor in a good
mood and ready to play the extro¬
vert to the limit. Between com¬
edy sessions, they click with vocal
Items and this time around reprise
a couple of oldies with “Old Pair
of Shoes” picking up plaudits.

Singing chores are pretty evenly
divided with Leo Doman doing the
more effective vocals and brother
Charlie carrying the patter stints.
Showbacking is provided by Denny
Vaughan and his orch who also
split dance interludes with the
Louis Bannet trio. Doraans are in
until Dec. 20 and will be followed
by Varel & Bailly Dec. 22.

Newt.

Shamroek HUton, H’st^n

Houston, Dec.. 11.
Don Adams, Cathy Carr, BiUy
Williams Orch (10); no cover or
minimum.

Casual Comic Don Adams and
piquant Cathy CJarr combine their
personable talents for an enjoyable
55 minutes before a good opening
hoise at the International Club’s

Vcdaesdfcy, Bwmber 17, 1959

Continental Room at the Shamrock
Hilton.

It’s a return visit for Miss Carr,
the Ivory Tower girl who was here
about two years ago. She stirs a
nice blend of blues and ballads,
does “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like
My Sister Kate” with appropriate
actions, and closes with an impresh
of Eddie Jackson, cakewalk and
all, doing “BUI Bailey/’

The aud enjoys the entire 25
minutes the thrush is on, certainly
in part because she bulges, but
nicely, in the right places in her
glove-fitted evening gown.

Don Adams* material is not of
the type that produces guffaws and
seldom brings a sock yock, yet the
chuckles are sustained and hearty.
The one or two bits that fall flat
undoubtedly are due to their fa-"
miliarity, as the comic has done
them recently on tv.

The relaxed comedian, a kind of
Como of comics, scratches his tem¬
ple in what has become his trade¬
mark, and launches material that
generally is fresh, casual and very
funny. He begs off after 36 min¬
utes, and the outing of both thrush
and comic is perfect, as neither is
on too long or too briefly. The
Billy Williams orch. does its usual
excellent backing job.

Adams and Carr close here Dec.
24, when* Don Ctomell and the
Fabulous Woodsons ’come In for a
week to round out the year.

Skip.

Regency Reom, A.

Los Angeles, Dec. 12.
Matt Dennis, Jeanne Taylor,
Dave Ketchum, Dick Hazard; no
cover or minimum.

Vet bistro operator Jack Gordon
has given the local" nitery picture a
boost by taking over Johnny
Walsh’s 881 Club and opening it as
the Regency Room. The new opera¬
tion calls for a regular entertain¬
ment policy, first of which bowed
Wednesday (10).

For the break-in fill, Gordon has
tagged pianist-singer Matt Dennis,
songstress Jeanne Taylor, comic
Dave Ketchum and pianist D’ck
Hazard. It aU adds up to a fai:'
show, which should please the
average rounder.

Ketchmn, no newcomer to this
atea, since he’s played other local
spots is a good standup comic with
a fresh approach. Unlike many of
his contemporaries with “sick”
material, this birds wings home
with a refreshing upbeat routine
pegged on a “Rocket-to^the-Moon”
bit.

Miss Taylor, a former band sing¬
er. came out of retirement for this
booking, and i^e fares okay with
several tunes, best of which was
“Hard-Hearted Hannah.” The at-
ti’active blonde chirp would stand
jout more if she bypassed some of
the ballads and justified her voice
style with some novelty times.

The big-name on the bill is
Dennis who socks across several
of his own compositions both
standing up. and. backing himself
on the piano. At times, though,
he seems uncomfortable fronting
the mike.

Hazard gives some good piano
backing to the acts, in addition to
hitting the keys solo. Kafa.

Silver Slipper, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Dec. 12.

Hank Henry, Beverly Hills, Alan
Clive, June Wirth, Sparky Kaye,
Red Marshall, Danny Jacobs, Slip-
perettes (5.), Geofge Redman
Orch iA); produced by Eddie Fox;
choreography by Barry Ashton;
no cover or minimum.

Eddie Fox has concocted another
brash and breezy revue of the bur¬
lesque school, which gently Spoofs
the baggypants era with a lovable
touch. Accent is on outrageously
funny hurley skits and beautiful,
scantily-clad girls—^which adds up
to what looks like another surefire
winner for this tiny room.

In the ancient sketches. Hank
Henry, Sparky Kaye, Red Marshall.
Danny Jacobs, and an occasional
looker borrowed from the chorus,
prove once again that they are mas¬
ters at the art of making familiar
material funnier than ever—-by
the sinipie device of kidding the
pants off it (sometimes literally).
Henry, who headlines and stages
the skits, is a comedian’s com^ian
who attracts the Strip’s show peo¬
ple nightly.

A gorgeous and stunningly-
stacked stripper with the improb-'
able name of Beverly Hills is the
show’s dancing exotic. A new¬
comer to the peeling ranks, she’s
subbilled as “Miss High Society.”

British comedian Alan Clive
(see New Acts) makes his American
debut here, and bill is balanced
by the novelty “Golden Mermaid”
act in which June "Wirth swims in a
queen-sized fish bowl. George
Redman’s orch (4) capably back the
Redman’s orch (4) capably backs,
the goings-on, skedded for an in-'
[definite run. Duke.

EMtim QiiarC^9 N. Y.

(FOLLOWUP)

The periodic change of head¬
liners in the Latin Quarter revue,
“AH About Dames,” maintains in¬
terest for the Donn Arden produc¬
tion. E. M. Loew and Ed Risman
have latched onto a potent pair
with the coupling of Johnny Puleo
Sc. Harmonica Gang and Sue Car-
son, This bill gives, the customer
a lot of comedy, which paired with
the general plushness- of the sur¬
rounding layout, makes the Latin
Quarter a prime buy on the nitery
circuit.

Johnny. Puleo masterminds an
antic group of harmonica players
into a steady succession of laughs.
Little Puleo is a funny gent with a
set of cute mannerisms who com¬
bines roughhouse with musical art-
; istry for top results.

Miss Carson, an expert practi¬
tioner around the comedy circuits
for a few years, has a lively and
lei^ing turn comprising a fetching
set of specially tailored tunes. 'The
early part of the turn has been
around, but its freshness hasn’t
dimmed. Her “Seven -Lively Arts”
is stiU the apex of her turn. Her
impressions of various personal¬
ities, including a lampoon of Yma
Sumac, gives her a strong sendoff.

Other changeover on the layout
is Francis Brunn, one of the faster
jugglers around. He combines
aero work with his manipulations
of various objects and ultimately
winds up with an excellent rating.

Surrounding show with its hand¬
somely mounted production is
paced by Pony Sherrell and Dick
Curry in the major singing roles;
singer Joyce Roberts and the belly
ballerina, Boubouka. Per usual,
Jo Lombardi batons the show force¬
fully with excellent musiciaziship.
Buddy Harlowe works the relief.
Maitre d’ Gigi is expected to have
use extreme diplomacy in turning
away excess at the dinner sessions,
even during this shopping season.

Jose.

Eddjs% R. C.

Kansas City, Dec. 12.
Professor Backwards, Eddy-Ettes
(5), Tony DiPardo Orch (5); $1-
.^1.50 cover.

^e pre-hoHday biU has Eddys’
bringing back the Miriam Sage
girls for an added bit of gaiety for
the season and Jimmy Edmondson
and his Professor Backwards stinf.
as the attraction. It’s several time.';
around for Backwards in this spot,
this being perhaps his- fourth. As
always, he brings a passel of
laughs and his turnabout black¬
board tricks for an entertaining
show.

Much of the Backwards entry is
standup chatter in which he points
barbs at airliners, Texas, l^mman,
trains, psychiatrists, insurance and
other subjects. His torpedo item is
writing and pronouncing big words
backwards, and he saves till
near closing. He continues his kid¬
ding as the customers call up long
words for him to flip about, and
makes his 30 minutes wholly en¬
joyable.

Miriam Sage has entered gals in
the Eddy shows before, and the
current fivesome, billed as the
Eddy-Ettes, live up to all her
standards of steps and* costuniing.
They have opening and closing
nimbers on the show, give it added
trimmings. Bill runs up to Christ¬
mas, Toni Arden coming in Dec.
26* Quin.

Harrah^s Club, Reno

Reno, pec. 10.

Redi Nichols Sc His Five Pennies,
King IV, John Adomono; no cover
or minimum.

The current Harrah’s show of¬
fers the most diversified and
talented triple bill to play a Reno
house for many months, what with
the incomparable and nostalgic
notes from the Five Pennies, the
enthusiasm and the updated reper¬
toire of the Kings IV, and the
guitar artistry of John Adomono.

Red Nichols proves in his 45
miputes that he has lost none of
his personal attraction with the
older saloon set, and his new notes
to the younger generation are
“new sounds.” Nichols, whose life
story on film (with Danny Kaye
in the lead) is due for mid-year
release, is surrounded with long¬
time associates: Bill "Wood on
clarinet, Joe Ruston on bass sax,
Pete Beilmen on trombone, Rolla
Culver on drums and Jejm Plum-
• mer on piano. Sherree Barton, a
newcomer, capably handles the
vocal department.

The Five Pennies of course date
back to the ’20s and ’30s for a
distinctive brand of jazz* that
prompts Spontaneous mitts from
auditors. Each of the Pennies, and
Nichols, make with effective solos
on individual instruments, and
show themselves m'asters on group
work. The Five include such
titles as “Morning Glory” (a Duke

EUmgton bit that never ma€ar fop*
league but commands good reac¬
tion here), “South Rampart Streeti
Parade,” “At The Jazz Band Ball”
and “The Johnson Rag.”

More familiar titles to the
younger set include “It’s "Wonder¬
ful” and “At Sundown.” Miss
.Barton displays good stage per¬
sonality and a command of Xjrics
' with such items as “I Got It "Bad,”
“You Do Something To Me” and
“"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams.”
Nichols also includes such dansa-
pation offerings as “Mood Indigo”
and other evergreens.

The Kings IV, back for a Har¬
rah’s repeat, offer a melange of
the pop tunes and titles neatly
balancing the Pennies, albeit two
diamonds in the same ring. The
four, accompanied by Joe Rodney
on the guitar, make a real produc¬
tion of a well-staged and rehearsed
“76 Trombones.” Doubling on in¬
struments are Stan Worth (drums
and trombones), George Worth
(bass, tuba, drums, trombone). Bill
Kay (trumpet, trombone, drums)
and Frank Cicuilla (sax and
drums.) Each makes -with the
vocals. “Foggy Day,” and a novel¬
ty version of “Summertime,” plus
other pop stuff and special ar¬
rangements—allowing the quartet
to show diversity-—rate tops with
auditors.

Adomono works weU as a single
and has the rare ability to hold
the audience by sheer artistry.
He’s heavy on the Latin side, and
palming indicates he makes wise
selection for his turn upstage..He’s
also a showman—simply by his
clever and ingenious manipulation
of the six-string instrument. His
versions of “The Third Man
Theme,” “Malaguena,” and “April
in Portugal” rate strong endorse¬
ment. Show runs through Dec. 22.

Long.

Heni'j' Grad^9 Atlamta

Atlanta, Dec. 10.
Gloria Le Roy, Luxor Gali-Gali,
Don Grimes Orch (6); $3 mini¬
mum.

Plunging thermomenter held
down crowd at Henry Grady’s
Paradise Room at show caught,
but calibre of this biU, should
draw customers before fun ter¬
minates Dec. 20. ..

Gloria Le Roy, a leggy dancing
comedienne, essays some vocaliz¬
ing, too, but can’t quite pitch her
pipes tunefully. She does a credit¬
able aero turn to “Hernando’s
Hideaway” and male eyes pop as
she sheds swirly blue costume
she’s wearing to go into a semi¬
strip. Femme strives hard and
gets by.

Luxor Gali-GaH, a native of
Egypt who’s been an American
citizen for 25 years, combines
showmanship, comedies and first-
rate dexterity in a fast-moving 45
minutes of magic largely with
chickens (live). He is so fast
that he gets chicks into inner
pockets" of helpers from audience
and climaxes by getting one of the
biddies inside trouser leg of his
volunteer assistant. His hag of
tricks seems inexhaustible and he
mixes the right amount of hokum
to reap rewards in mitts.

While grownups enjoy Gali-
Gali’s p^ormance, he really
shines at Henry Grady’s daytime
session “Lunch^n in Paramise,”
patronized largely by downtown
shoppers, plus birthday parties for
kids and the younger set.

Don Grimes sings, trumpets,
leads band and acts as emcee. He
has a smart selection of Yule music
on tap. Johnny Ryder, his pianist,
is a mountain of a man, weighing
430 pounds. Luce.

Tree Club, Balias

Dallas, Dec. 12.

Dorothy Loudon (with AI Nil-
sen) private club^ no cover or mini¬
mum.

Dorothy Loudon, in her first lo¬
cal showing, makes a big dent as
a singing comedienne. Too bad
that she’s confined to this intimery
(capacity, 50), when' she deals so
much pleasure in her 25-minute
twice-nightly stints. Iii a word:
she’s entertainmentl

Special material grabs hefty
mitting, especially “Death of a
Salesman,” penned by Michael
Brown, and takeoff on the Ruth
Snyder murder ease highlights her
topnotch show. She also offers
special lyrics to other bits, scoring
heavily with the hilarious "Mo¬
bile,” backed by “A Good Man Is
Hard to Find” apd “You’ve Got to
See Mama Ev^ry Nl^t” and
“Guinevere.”

Comedienne can’t miss here, and
her future is bright She’s due in
the legiter, “New Faces ” in Febru¬
ary. Exposure, via, tv, should top-
rank this top talent Here she gets
top 88 backing from AI Nilsen,
no little aid for her Intricate act.

Act ends Dec. 20, succeeded by
Mildred Cook, due Dec. 27 for
two frames. Bark,

CopseabMv, ?F. Y.

Myron Cohen, The Vagabonds
(4), Gaby Monet, Bob Warren,
Copa Girls (8), Paul Shelley and
Frank Marti Orchs; staging, Doug¬
las Coudy; music & lyrics, Mel
Mitchell and Marvin Kahn; cos-
,fumes, Billy Livingston (Mme
Berthe); orchestrations, Deac Eb-
erhard; $5.50 minimum.

"With Myron Cohen at the top
of his 'game and the four Vaga¬
bonds working up a storm with
their kinetic- comedy, all seems
well for 'Jules Podell during the
holiday span in. his nnderground
saloon. The joint was jumping
and jampacked at the opening (11)
and it should be a breeze into the
New Year’s Eve climaxer.

Silk-smooth Cohen is always old
and always new. This night, old
and new, he was just plain cracker-
jack—one of those nights when he
just couldn’t miss. Parlaying that
suavity and chrome-plated polish
with Yiddish dialect jokes that hit
his kind of crowd (and many a
“furriner”) between the eyes, they
just don’t come any better in his
idiom. Tantahzingly slow closing of
that right eye and all, and quick
with a couple of the ad libs in nice
retort to friendly ringsiders for
fillips, it’s a safe het that the
articulate and niftily groomed
comedian will be sticking it out
on the top pedestal for another
score of years or so, at least. Leave
a cliche be entered here that he
begged off and came back.to say
merely that he ended while in his
opinion still ahead. He was.

. The Vagabonds know how to
rouse an audience. The four are
heavy on the visual antics, as per
always, plus shenanigans with the
vocals and instruments (pair of
guitars, string bass and accordion,
denbling with trumpets and a
slide). The comedy is broad, some¬
times lowdown, but no piece of
business is so over-extended as to
dull the sharp edge they establish.
The mccoy comedian of the four¬
some is nokey, sometimes with
that I’ve-seen-it-before stuff, but
interesting to watch. In their
frame of reference, taken as they
are and without pretense, they’re
a competent group who work ex¬
ceedingly well together.

Gaby Monet is in her .cafe
debut. (The moniker is French
but she’s a Yank.) Ordinaiily she
would be appraised for the New
Act files. However, what she
shows as an offbeat hoofer, while
okay, for its intensity and drive,
happens too quickly and with too
much side interest, to supply the
necessary substance for a full-
panoplied act. For instance, she
does a quickie, perhaps a minute
or so, as part of a production
number with the Copa <]^ls. When
the eight Podellies make for the
wings, she’s on aS a solo for a
couple of minutes, doing a Haba¬
nera tap in.rewed-up tempo and
then a kind of vibratory rhythm,
dance with spins in wild cadence,
aU in deadpan. She’s slim, trim,
and made up so around the eyes
as' to appear fierce-looking; it’s
kind of exotic, at that. She works
in black leotard, an effective getup.

The line is bn for a pair of
bright and cheerful numbers, and
as usual, smartly dressed by Billy
Livingston, There are a couple
of beauts in the current lineup of
coryphees (^he Copa cuties don’t
stay around too long—green pas¬
tures, y’know). They never have
to do much hoofing; not much
room for choreography to begin
with. Bob Warren lifts his sturdy
baritone for the production in¬
nings. Paul Shelley’s AFMers
showback expertly and Frank
Marti delivers the dansapation
rhy thm s, accenting the cha cha as
“this month’s dance.” Trau.

C«lony^ Clob, Oaiaha

Omaha, Dec. 12.
Paul Gilbert, Don Larsen Trio;
$1 cover.

This marks the third Om^a stop
for comic Paul Gilbert, the first
two being at the Seven Seas. At
the Colony Club he Is confronted
with the same difficulty as in the
past—playing straight ahead to
only three or four tablte,. with the
crowds at the siijes of the . room.
It isn’t a happy situation, and Gil¬
bert apparently doesn’t overextend
himself.

At show caught, Gilbert fidded
considerable heckUng from a
squiffed femme. However, he de¬
monstrated plenty of polish in dust¬
ing her off!

Much of Gilbert’s material is on
the blue—but deep blue—side.
The crowd loved it here, though,
and they're paying the freight. His
most clever innings come on. his
panto of a sculptor, “Ode to a
.Horse Player” and his^ inimitable
happy'drurk. Biz is or the poorish
side, probably due to the season.

Trump,

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

NIGHT CLtB REVIEWS

69

P’^niEfir

Moulin Itonge, H^wood

Holl:^ood, Dec. 10.
Peggy Lee, Xciting Voices (13)*
Bernard Bros. (2), Donn Arden's
*‘Wonderful World" Revue, Dick
Stabile Orch (16); $2.50-$5.50 pack¬
age.

. Peggy Lee, looking great and
sounding better, has moved into
the starring slot in the Moulin
Rouge’s “Wonderful World,” and
with her talent and style looming
larger than the gray pachyderms
behind her, she should attract
socko business right up to Christ¬
mas Day.

. There’s “Fever” and “Lover”
and a gigantic “When the Saints
Go Marching In,” backed in full
measure by the Xciting Voices of
the Evelyn Freeman choir. There’s
her own “Blow, Trumpet, Blow”
which looks like a hit. And there’s
one of the most moving moments
on the nitery circuit when* in a
single spotlight. Miss Lee sings
two verses and a chorus of ‘ the
haunting “When the World Was
Young.” Blonde vocalist’s relaxed
feeling is contagious, putting her
audience in an easy, r^eptive
mood, and the rapport pays off.

Act is staged with poUsh by Nick
Castle, and the 13-member Xciting
Voices is an impressive and talent¬
ed group which sounds fine by it¬
self, best in tandem with Miss Lee.
As an opening night encore the
Xciting Voices Xmas-carolled be¬
fore a single mike, a position that
is hardly appropriate for 13 voices.
Poor sound, however, was purely
mechanical.

The Bernard Bros, round Out
the specialties and, although some
of their miming to records is hu¬
morous, most must take second
place to their comedy without the
disks. Dick Stabile and his orch
back solidly, and Donn Arden’s
“Americana” and “Africana” con¬
tinue to fill all three Moulin Rouge
stages, putting the 95-minute show
in the “spec” class but by no
means drowning out the effective¬
ness and pure artistry of Miss Lee.

Ron.

Beverly Hills, Clney

Cincinnati, Dec. 9.

Ted Lewis Revue with Eddie
Chester, Cathy Basic, Eddie Law¬
rence & Connie, Beverly Marshall,
Lee 'Berger; Lindsay-Sapphire
Dancers *(9), Bill Raymond, Gard¬
ner Benedict Orch (10), Jimmy
Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3
minimum, $4 Sat.

Returning for the third time
within 14 months, Ted Lewis is in¬
surance for additional party book¬
ings during this pre-Noel double
frame at Greater Cincy’s ace nit¬
ery. Added biz splurge was evident
at the opening iSiiday (5). The star
showman is backed by the same
stellar entertainers who bowed
#wdth Jiim here in August, and
they’re heading for another smash
engagement. For extra trimmings
the. Lindsay-Sapphire ensemble
and location Gardner . Benedict
band are evident in the 72-minute
gay proceedings.

Lewis, who holds the Beverly
Hills belt for appearances and at¬
tendance over the years, retains his
secret for perpetual spryness. On
, hand from start to finish, directing
the orchestra when his troupers
take over, he likewise is as finished
a performer as the next

With Eddie Chester, his original
shadow, Lewis treats with his clas¬
sic “Me and My Shadow” strut and
updates to rock ’n’ roll tempo. The
versatile Lewis solos on his famed
clarinet for trademarked “Tiger
Rag” and “St. Louis Blues” treat¬
ment. He duets with Cathy Basic,
chic soprano, on romantic ditties.
Delightful tap and softshoe special¬
ties are contributed by the classy
yimg team of Eddie Lawrence &
Connie.

Featured Beverly Marshall, sure¬
fire' comedienne, scores with disk
takeoffs of Stan Freberg’s “St.
George 'and Dragonet,” and the
Spike Jones “Cocktails for Two.”
Hotcha finale has all hands and
tablers joining in “Call of the
South” strains. Rover Boys and
Ford & Reynolds top the session
opening here Dec. 19. Koll.

Villa D’Este, Paris

Paris, Dec. 2.

Leo Ferre, Renee Lamy, Raoul,
Jacques Meyran, Loyis Massis,
, Toly Bert, Bob CaJjato Orch (4);
$4 minimum.

Boniface Jacques Paoll has hit
on the good idea of making this
small plush Right Bank boite echo
with offbeat Left Bank singing
acts. The rest of the show is
standard for the usual clientele,
but this new wrinkle is getting
visits from those wanting some¬
thing real for their club fare
rather than just ihe conventional
back^ound.

Leo Ferre, a middle-aged, bald¬
ing singer-cleffer, fills this billing i
idea perfectly. Though voice is j

quavering and* at times, raspy, he
trots out a songalog extolling in¬
dividual liberty and castigating the
taboos and blindness that might
prevent it. This is saved from
rant and Cant by keen insight,
poetics and a tal^g* sincere an¬
archism.

Ferre’s zesty ballads have al¬
ready hit the U.S., like “Paris
Canaille,” and now he looks ready
for specialized Yank boites and
Francophflic clubs. - He has that
individuality and blend of per¬
sonality and material that spell
a unique song headliner.

Renee Lamy is a standard belter
giving oiit with torchy items. She
is an okay filler. Raoul is a fey
waiter whose 1900s melo songs add
a good fillip to proceedings, and
lead to community sings, Louis
Massis essays limp-wrist ditties
which unfortunately remain limp
and mannered. Strictly local,
this.

Jacques Meyran blues up the
place with frank, downright dirty
stories, but his delivery and timing
get yocks. Toly Bert is a fast,
dextrous juggler ready for house
placings. Bob Calfato Orch (4) is
a fair background and dance
combo. Mosk.

Ritz Carlton, Montreal

Montreal, Dec. 10.
Rosita Serrano (with Fred Stam-
er), Johnny Gallant; Paul Notar
Trio; $2-$2,50 cover.

Hailing from Chile and an estab¬
lished fave in South America and
Spain, Rosita Serrano makes her
first appearance in Montreal to a
mixed^ reception. Similar types of
singers seldom come this way un¬
less it is someone who ’s capitaliz¬
ing (and faking) on the vocal cal¬
isthenics that are attributed to
Chilian songbirds. But there is
also enthusiasm because Miss Ser¬
rano has authority and finesse with
every song offered.

Clothing a lush figure in a tight-
fitting gown, she covers most of the
offbeat South American and Span¬
ish numbers with style. Intros in
English are broken and brief .-ind
she includes Only one English item
in her multilingual session. Most
impressive are her more restrained
songs done with her own guitar
accomp. Vet pianist Fred Stamer
plays and directs her shows, wi^h
the assistance of Paul Notar. and
his group, in fine fashion. House
88 er Johnny Gallant, who gets a
respite during productions this
time aroimd, splits dance inter¬
ludes with the Notar combo. Miss
Serrano is in until Dec. 23.

Newt.

Ye Little Clnb, L. A.

Los Angeles, Dec. 12.
Diane Lefti; two-drink niinimum.

It’s been, some time since
Marshall Edson and Mike Garth
tapped a seasoned entertainer for
the Ye Little Club. So their tim¬
ing in bringing songstress Diane
Lefti to this tiny room for the
Yuletide season should hit the
regulars of this spot like a Christ¬
mas gift.

At last week’s opener, the
blonde chirp, attired in a sack-type
satin strapless gown, belted out a
number of tunes in the Sarah
Vaughan manner to the satisfac¬
tion of patrons. Miss Lefti, no
novice to the nitery circuit, is
making her second visit to this
area. Some time back she played
Ciro’s.

Although there was a small turn¬
out at show caught, it’s a good bet
the place will jump once word-of-
mouth gets around that this chirp
warbles with a pro punch through
such selections as “Spring Is
Here,” “I Get A Kick Out Of
You,” “Gone With the Wind,”
“This Can’t Be Love” and “Happi¬
ness Is Just A‘Thing Galled Joe.”

For this booking, Preston Epps
on bongo joins Joe Felix on piano,
and Roger Nichols on bass for
musical chores. Miss Lefti is in
for minimum two weeks. Kafa.

Fontcnelle, Onialia

Omaha, Dec. 12.
Marjone; no cover or minimum.

The record speaks for itself, and
this marks the lOth month for
Marjorie (Slightham) at the class
Bombay Room of the Sheraton-
Fontenelle Hotel in . downtown
Omaha. The sharp-appearing bru¬
net, now sporting a French haircut,
charms the customers visually and
pounds out nifty music on both
orgail and piano—often simultane¬
ously.

^ At show caught, she was attired
m a black fringe, low-cut dress of
the Charleston days and had the
crowd in her palm, per usual.
Switching styles, such as from
“Birdland” to a melody of Xmas,
tunes, she keeps drinkers of all;
ages and tastes * happy. Manage-’
ment must be happy, too for she'
remains on air “indefiiiite basis.”^

Band Box, H’wood

* Hollywood* Dec. 10.
Jimmy Ames, Bobby Breen, Sally
Janes, Skeet Minton, Billy Gray,
Bob Bailey Orch (SJ; $3 minimum.

These are the dog days for
what’s left of the saloon circuit,
but Billy Gray boldly gives the
rounders a spread of talent in his
Fairfax playroom that should keep
high the spirits of those who table
up in the refurbished room. Most
of the talent has been around save
for a blonde miss from the Frisco
bistros, SaUy Janes, whose naivete
with blueish edging lends a gay-
ish touch. Otherwise it’s fairly
raucous, with Jimmy Ames storm¬
ing up a bedlam of mad revelry.

Ames, who played the room
over 20 years ago, is the headliner,
unless Bobby Breen wants to make
an issue of it. He’s on the most
and act's as emcee.' Both burly
and burlesque, he’s a comic of the
old school, which means he avoids
the niceties and smacks his lines
like a Ram tackier. His old musical
saw bit is stUl a howler. He and
the others make topical fun of the
Sun VaUey bank rustlers.

Breen, recently caught at the
Largo, tries toO hard for vocal tricks
to impress his auditors. Only in
“Shadrack” does be play it straight
without running the scale with
abrupt changes. Gray called up
Bert Gordon for a reunion of the
Eddie Cantor alumni. It was Gray
who played, the bawling baby,
Gordon the “Mad Russian” and
Breen the boyish songbird on the
Cantor radio show.

Skeet Minton is back with his
dummies that light up and his
voice diffusion is of skilled tech¬
nique. His impressions of singers
and show biz figures are diverting
caricatures. Miss Janes gets good

Diseo llieatre, Paris

Paris, Dec. 9.

Francis Claude & Louis Lions,
Joel Holmes, Henri Garcin,' Mo¬
nique Albin, Machucambos (3),
.Daniel Laloux, Jean-Yves Gran,
Preston, Ddniele Rouille, Afmoir
& Pari, Arkin, Francine Dartois;
Jef tc Jef; $2 top.

• Originally called the "Petit M~ar-
igny Theatre, this 200-sea ter
served as .a showcase for experi-
mentail and offbeat plays. Now it
has been converted Into a vest-
pocket house ' for young talent.
IdeaK good but stiff at $2 top plus
absence of names may make this
a chancey item in tliese times when
expenditures' are being watched
here. Low nut, however, could
have this in for a fair run, and if
it uncovers some new talent, as it
bids to, may be around for a while.

Only oldtimers are Francis
Claude & Louis Lions who do a ris¬
ible routine on two provincials
pattering on video quiz programs.
It is fast and funny. Then come
the fledglings in the song field
aided by some good visual pro filL
ers to make this an okay show de¬
spite the amateur aspects of many
of the entries. They make up in
fervor and dash what they still
lack in polish.

Monique Albin is a belter With
a voice that should be able to han¬
dle ballads adequately when she
stops forcing it. As is, she shows
promise. Ditto Danielle Rouille, a
sultry, long-haired type in the Left
Bank tradition, with anarchic,
knowing songs. She also needs
roadw'ork. Daniel Laloux is a
stringbean f.ey type with clever,
zariy song material, but illusions
and delivery keep him strictly lo¬
cal and only filler in appeal.

Jean-Yves Gran is a personable,
good-looking type who sports a red
silk shirt open to the navel , a la
Harry Belafonte. He, too, pushes
an only fair singing voice. Mate¬
rial and savvy could build him to
a regular entry here, but there is
no sign of the individuality, as yet,
for international interest. Preston
is a deft magico who is good
enough to kid about muffing some
tricks.

Armoir & Pari are only a pass¬
able. Italo singing duo. Ai'kin is
a mime who does justice, by know¬
ing attitudes and movements, to an
eagle hunting and a man taking
fare\yell of his family^ He would
be'better off in a ^ood pantomime
troupe, for he has not yet devel¬
oped a character Suitable for solo
stints.

Francine Dartois is a pert fem¬
cee and does a commendable
Charleston song; she is aided by
clever stage management diver¬
sions by Jef & Jef. Quentin Fos-
t^, an American, has given this
house »Sh0w good movement and

laughs from her malaprops and
spicy lyrics. In a more intimate
room she would catch a better
response. Bob Bailey’s instru¬
mental group of three provides
adequate accompaniment. This
stand is for four weeks as the
holiday show. Helm,

Blue Note, Paras

Paris, Dec. 10.

Nancy Holloway, Jimmy Gour-
ley Quartet; $1.50 minimum.

Beaming, burly boniface Ben
Benjamin has taken over the old,
defunct U.S. jazz boite, the Ring¬
side, off the Champs Elysees, and
transformed it into a well-deco¬
rated, well-lit, long, low room, hav¬
ing doubled the size, by knocking
down a back wall and covering it.
He has also discovered a back room.
Jazz, informality and Yank snack
dishes, and T-bone steaks, are the
basis of this new all-night addition
to the nitery scene here. Yank-run
club gets a young Gallic set and
American stayer-uppers.

Jimmy Gourley Quartet main¬
tains a good listening and dancing
barrage of jazzy and ballad items.
Nancy Holloway is a bouncy sepia
songstress who gives out with some
bright but slight special-material
numbers and does okay in the
thrushing for this type room. Some
more individuality and direction
in songalog would help. She has
a pert voice and presence but
wastes them on too many arcli
numbers. She shapes an okay
entry for intimeries.

Benjamin intends to. get visiting
U.S. jazz toppers for special stints.
Boite seems to be catching on here
with biz fine w'hen caught.

Mosk.

color. Joel Holmes is a singer-
cleffer who emerges most likely to.
succeed from this beginner’s class
and is duly noted under New Acts.

Henri Garcin is a pro who gives
yeoman filler support. He does
some sketches to a tape, giving his
thoughts while trying to sing or
get married to a rich girl. It is
witty and maliciously satirical for
.a good offbeat addition to this
sympathetic program and idea. If
it catches on it could be a good
cradle for needed new material for
the big houses like L’Olympia, Al¬
hambra and Bobhio. First night
had scouts from these houses in
attendance.

Most colorful note is struck by
an authentic Argentianian trio, the
Machucambos, with two men on
guitars and a barefoot woman giv¬
ing but catchy rhythms and fine
choralling on Latino folk ballads.
They look ready for boite booking
in any clime, . Mosk.

Tf ois Battdets, Paris

Paris, Dec. 9.

Raymond Devos, Guy Heart,
Simone Langlois, Ricet Barrier,
Serge Gainsbourg, La Fleur, Cinq
Peres, Milsons (2), Rene Cous-
inier; $2.50 top.

Vestpocket house, run by Pliillips
Records’ Jacques Canetti, has been
the springboard for many singers
and comics. Current show is in
keeping with this past. It is in for
the season arid probably for fine
biz.

Raymond Devos’ timing, panto¬
mime and limning of a hilarious
mixture of fun and shafts of pathos
have him in for solid, applause.
Guy Beart displays better songs
than voice attributes, but has a
unique approach and is a definite
rising singer. Both are cataloged
under New Acts.

Ditto for rising trio of singers
Ricet Barrier, Serge Gainsbourg
and Simone Langlois. Barrier has
a distinctive, disarming presence.,
and Gainsbourg a disturbing but
interest-garnering one, while Miss
Langlois shapes a belter with fine i
possibilities for the big time. j

La Fleur is a fey type who ac- ;
comps his slightly zany but mali-
, ciously pointed songs with a cello,
i His mugging and timing make this
an okay interlude but he shapes
mainly local fare. Cinq Peres do
deft vocal takeoffs on classics and
jazz, aided by good production
dress. It is an okay visual act for
international chances. Milsons «2)
do uncanny sound imitations of
programs and sounds involved in
twirling a radio dial, for a good
offbeat entry.

Rene Cousinier Is a sad-looking
character who gives o’lt with tales
on ‘stereotype ra"! '"d national
types. Since most c' tales are
borrowed, he is on l-o lone, and
there is no individual attitude dis¬
cernible. Mosk.

House Reviews

Savoy, London

London, Dec. 10.
Tonia Bern, Peter Pit, Leslie
Roberts’ Silhouettes (8), Francisco
Cavez and Savoy Sorrentinos
Orchs; $2.90 minimum.

Tonia Bern, elegantly gowned
and coiffed, is a sophisticated
thrush with a neat sense of humor
and the kind of accent that makes
the most innocuous song sound
naughty. In her 1^-minute act she
trades saucily oh sex and aims her
ditties primarily at the men in the
audience. She started her routine
at show caught with a breezy
opener, “Just Smile.” It set the
mood of her offerings, but it was
overlong. Follows with a trade-
mai-ker of hers, “Experience Un¬
necessary,” then a medley in
French and Italian, “Pigalle,”
“Anema E Cori,” “How Much Is
That Doggie in the Window” and
“Sur Le Pont D’Avignon.” Rounds
off with “The Apple Trees.”

Though 16 minutes is hardly long
enough for a singer to break
through the inevitable clatter of
glasses, cutlery and chatter which
appears to be inseparable from
cabaret, Miss Bern captured her
audience from the outset.

She’s preceded by Peter Pit, a?
young magician with a pleasant
manner who does a number of
less-than-sensational tricks with
smoothness. The large' Savoy floor
is not the ideal showcase for an act
of this intimacy, but Pit has good
use of lighting to put over his
effects.

The 30-minute show is opened
and closed by a couple of slick
routines from Leslie Roberts’ Sil¬
houettes, eight shapely young hoof¬
ers dressed in abbreviated air-
hostess costumes in their first entry
and as female matadors for closer.
Show is backed slickly by Francisco
Cavez’s outfit and they and the
Savoy Sorrentinos, with Ernesto
D’Angelo, take care of the dancing.

Rich.

Statlcr-llilton., Balias

Dallas, Dec. 12.

Tim Kirby, Bob Cross Orch (12);
$2-$2.50 couer.

Tim Kirby’s making his initial
{ date locally, but he can come back,
and probably will, after his open¬
ing score (11). Diminutive singer
leans heavily on evergreens, but
clicks w’ith a fine . voice and his
animated 35-minute show. Tees
off with “So Nice To Come Home
; To” and follows w'ith a great bit,
; “Till There Was You,” for Tu$ty
j palming.

I With portable mike, Kirby moves
' about the raised stage with a med¬
ley, “Margie.” “Mary Lou,”
I “Louise,” “Cecelia” and “Sweet
Georgia Brown,” to good response.
Offbeat nitery items are his fine
vocals of “Roses of Picardy” end
“Carolina in the Morning.” fol¬
lowed by a haunting “Wanting
You” under a pinpoint spot. Fol¬
lows with “Old Black Magic” and
the Texas decor on “Can’t Take
Texas Out of Me.” abetted by boots
and a 10-gallon hat.

Kirby, who could use more be-
tween-tunes chatter, keeps the
tablers with h's closer. “Life Is
Just a Bowl of Cherries.” He gets
top assist from the Bob Cross band.
Kirby finishes Dec.- 24, with Lew
i Parker & Betty Kean opening Dec.
25 for two frames, with Johnny
Long’s band debuting also.

Bark.

I Pickets AGVA

Continued from iiage €3 . - - -

couple of dates for the Foster of-
; fice said she was scrupulous about
i paying acts, and that the squabble
is one more evidence of the efforts
of two board members to exert
■strong-arm control of the union.

; The whole affair should be inve.s-
I tigated by the national board with
, the Intent of preserving the union
! office and its benefits to members
here, he said.

Squabbles in the AGVA fold
here are nothing new, although
the situation has been relatively
quiet for the past couple of years.
Joe Page is secretary of the local
and Harry Otto a member of the
national board.

Miss Foster ceased her picket¬
ing after the first day, under
threat of legal actioii from the
building management. A number
of acts claimed they have more to
gain than to lose if the matter is
brought into the open, and that
they intend to do so at the next
meeting. But no date has been set
as yet for the meeting.

70

JLEGIXllllATB

'W’edneflday, December 17, 1958

Shows on Broadway

J. B.

la£r« Jr. presentation: of
by Archib^a MacLeish.
t Kazan; scenery, Boris

Alfred de Llasre Jr. presentation of
two-act drama

Dbreetiona 'kh* -, __—-

Aronson; eostnmes. Laclnda BaTlard; lUlit-
Inf. Tbaron fiusser; music, Dasld Amram;
associate producer. Joseph I. Velne. Fea¬
tures Pat Hingle, Cbiisioplier Plummer.
Baymond Massey. Nan Martin. Opened
Dec. 11, *58; $6.95 top ($9.20 opening).
Kon^abouta. .Clifton James. James Olson

Nickles. Cliristopher Plummer

air Zuss .Ba^ond Massey

Prompter.. Ford Bainey

j.B. .. Pat Hingle

SartJi ..... Nan Martin

David . Arnold Merritt

Mary . Ciri Jacobson

Jonathan . Jeffrey Rowland

Buth . Candy Moore

Rebecca . Merry Martin

Girl . .... Janet Ward

Mrs. BotticeUi .

Mrs I.esure .. Fay Sapplngton

MrsT Adams.. Jndlth Lowry

Mrs. Murphy ..Laura Pierpont

Jolly ... Lane Bradbury

Bfldad . Bert Conway

Zophar .- • • Ivor Francis

EUphai . Andreas Voubrinas

The Biblical story of Job has
been paraphrased In contemporary
terms by Archibald Maclreish in a
poetic drama, “J. B.,” which
opened last Thursday nl^t (11) at
the ANTA Theatre. It Is a hymn
of praise for man’s Inconquerable
spirit and, under normal condi¬
tions, -Is the sort of inspirational
play that gets critical raves,
passionate support from a limited
public, and occasionally moderate
boxoffice success.

Local tv-radio news coverage has
idven the Alfred de Liagre Jr. pro¬
duction unusually intensive exploi¬
tation on its enthusiastic reviews
that has overcome the negligible
advance sale and will extend over
the normally-lean pre-Christmas
period. If the current newspaper
strike settles down into a siege,
however, it may be difficult for
the show’s management to con¬
tinue the publicity. In any case,
“J. B.” seems a somewhat special
play, with questionable appeal for
mass popul^ity. There’s scarcely
anything in it for films.

- The drama, produced originally
at Yale last spring, presents Job
as a successful, only slightly smug
business man of today. J. B., as
he’s called, is comfortable and con¬
fident with a dutiful, devoted wife,
four happy, affectionate children,
a luxurious home and a thriving
career.

Without apparent reason he is
utterly ruined. He loses his busi¬
ness, his children are killed one
by one. his health is shattered and
his wife finally walks out on him.
Like Job, he cries aloud to God
for spme explanation of his pun¬
ishment, but no voice answers.
Still he clin^ to faith, however,,
and rises again by his own strength
and, with his repentant wife back
at his side, begins life anew.

This exalted drama is presented
is a traveling circus show, with
actors pla.ving God and the Devil,
and standing by to comment on
the action and occasionally €3diort
the principals. There is also, at
Intervals, the voice of an unseen
supreme being, in the guise of a
prompter, sonorously heard over
the house amplifying system.
Whether the show is eloquent and
inspiring, or’just fairly impressive
and remote obviously depends on
the individual.

Under Elia Kazan’s vitalizing di¬
rection there is a stunning i>er-
fonnance by Pat Hingle in the title
role. For the first copple of scenes,
the actor appears to be merely re¬
peating the engaging, realistic
characterization, be has. offered In
several previous Broadway shows.
In the scenes of J. B.’s de^da-;
tion, however, Hingle’s playing la
a revelation, with stirring depth,
power and variety.

Christopher Plummer gives a.
sultaibly biting portrayal, as the
circus performer enacting Satan,
and Baymond MasSey plays the
rather callous part God as. a
benignly august being:

Nan Martin givea^a convincingly
agonized performance as J. B/s]
wifi^ imd there are capable ,sap-
Mrting-bits by Clifton, James and
James Olson as circus roustabouts
and Various harbingers of calamliy,
Ford Haiii^ as the pertentloas
voice of the divine spirit, Janet
Ward, Helen Waters, Fay Sapping-
ton, Judith Lowry and Laura Pier¬
pont as human derelicts, and Bert
Conway, Ivor Franvis and Andreas
Voutsinas as earthly temptors of
the desi>erate J. B.

BchtIs Aronson^s imaginative set¬
ting includes a raked stage with an
oval area to represent the earth,
plus a winding stairway and hal^
cony as heaven, and a canvas draite
with guy ropes to suggest the cir¬
cus tent. There are graphically
dramatic costumes by Lucinda Bal¬
lard, with atmospheric lighting by
Tbaron Musser and incidents
music by David Amram. Hobc.

Alvin: Alley, dancer in the Broadr
way iMToduction of “Jamaica,” will
present his company of dancers
and singers in a concert next Sun¬
day (21) at the "STM-YWHA Kauf¬
man Auditorium, N.Y.

Tlie GmzelKi

Playwright* Co. * Frederick BrI*son
presentation of farce comedy in two
acts (one set) by Alec CoppeL Stars
Walter Slezak and Jayne Meadows. Fea¬
tures Fdward AndrewA Leon Janney,
Jane Rose. Ruth Gillette, Michael Clarke-
Laurence. Directed by Jerome Chodorov.
Sets,, lighting by Jo Mielziner. Costumes,
Virginia Volland. Opened Dec. 12, *58,
at the Lyceum, N.Y.; $7.50 tep.

inUott Nash . Walter Slezak

Harlow Edison.- Edward Andrews

Mathilda ... Jane Rose

NeU Nash.Jayne Meadows

Mrs. Chandler ..Ruth Gillette

Mr. Thorpe .Ralph C^iambers

The Book.Michael Clarke-Laurence

Louie . Don Grusso

Jenkins. Leon Janney

Dr. Wyner . Richard Poston

Druker .... John Ford

Potts...Pat Patterson

A farce-comedy which is never
very farcical and only Intermit¬
tently comical, “The Gazebo” Is
another digging of the garden
grave, another hide-and-seek with
the corpse, this time, to compli¬
cate things, not the corpse it is
supposed to be. The resultant
shenanigans constitute too insub¬
stantial and forced a frolic for
survival on Broadway.

Walter Slezak in the sto^ Is
writer of murder mysteries for
television. One of his employers is
Alfred Hitchco(dc, from Whom at
one point he receives a long dis¬
tance call. The author’s wife is a
television actress impersonated,
plausibly, by Jayne Meadows who
is just that (and Mrs. Steve Allen)
away from the Lyceum Theatre.

Credulity is strained to the ut¬
most by author Alec Coppel since
his hero is corpulent, joliy, a man
of fantasy rather than of action,
making bim almost totally uncon¬
vincing as the planner of a cold¬
blooded murder. Walter Slezak
brings much farcical skill to the
part. Some of his pieces of busi¬
ness and telling gesticulations are
delicious. But basically such a
man in such a predicament does
not meet the minima of make-
believe. What he is fights what he
does. This is a script fault, not
the actor’s.

Then there is his wife. She is
self-cssured, brisk, competent,
smartly dressed and a pretty dish,
as modem as a jet-stream. More¬
over, she is, and he responds,
ardent in the boudoir department,
so that a healthier and less neu¬
rotic pair cannot readily be con¬
jured. Nonetheless, it is to “pro¬
tect” this professionally successful
and self-reliant wife from public
disclosure of one fact—a week she
spent in a sanitorium at 16 on a
reefer suspicion—that the food-
and-champagne-loving author goes
about his homicide preparations.

In short, Coppel’s characters as
drawn and his premises as stated
will not support the weight of the
complications. Murder can be fun,
but there are rules to observe.
Momentum is indispensable. Direc¬
tor Jerome Chodorov, who suc¬
ceeded Reg Denham in the tryout
period, tries hard to push the
tempo. There is a spurt pr two of
lively amusement But it reaBy
never gets airborne.

Miss Meadows, one of the big-
money dolls of today’s television,
has been wooing the muse of
drama since last summer’s straw-
hat bookings. “The Gazebo” hard¬
ly affords her an ideal Broadway
showcasing but she has the credit
(above-title star co-bUling) and the
exploitation values of the occasion,
though opening in the midst of
the newspaper dellver^s*^ strike.
She Is plea^t in a part which is
highly mobile rather th$& emotion-
charged. Is she a busy one,-as
written, and paced? Forever enter¬
ing and exiting, sometimes off' to
rehearsal, sometimes off to the
bathroom. Handling herself with
(Mmsiderable professional aplomb
under these circumstances.- it all
.counts as bcoadenlag cxpecieBce. .

. The script comet wiA its ewn.
builfrln asristant distiirt.attqni(Qp^
a friend in B^yn, LX, adi^rtidlo
dropping by for a drink;- |f ..thr
role is standard, iki Audztsirs ^
does with his- big dbiiU^
Entendre questioning spehe. Espe¬
cially sharp and pun^nt is me'

V*r SMflw Mu m mg wt

Domiiiig

diaaa Us
1

piece eatiHed

‘Stef*

wMch I» the lem efe of a sfege
$ 1000901 ^$ prompt boekeioaeia^ ”te
hold, hoop, rofoia”

* * *

oioHior Editorial Footaro
In tho soon-dno

53d Anniversary Number

of

(final scene) brief appearance of
Leon Janney as the mvestigating
police inspector. Boy and man,
radio and legit, this actor has
never mumbled a line. His kind of
diction should come back into
fashion. It’s a pleasure.

This is not a show to cast much
bappy-light upon the players. It
says everything to say the cast is
superior to the work. Include in
Jo. Mielziner’s set, a living room
with a view of a garden gazebo
(oriental summer house) suitable
for planting corpses. Land.

Twelftb Night

Old Vic Trust Ltd. A Arts Council of
Great Britain (under management of S.
Hurok) presentation of Old Vic Ck>. re-
vlval of two-act comedy by William
Shakespeare, Direction, Michael Benthall;
decor and costumes, Desmond Heeley;
muacal arrangements, Gordon Jacob;
mtulcal director, Arthur Lief. Opened
Dec. 9, *58, .at the Broadway Theatre,
N.Y.; $8 top ($10 opening).

Orsino ... John Humphry

Chirio .... Thomas Johnston

Valentine .. Peter Cellier

Viola.Barbara Jefford

Sea Captain... David Gardner

Sir Toby Belch.Joss Ackland

Maria . Judi Dench

Sir Andrew Agnecheek..,.. John Ne-ville

Clown .Dudley Jonea

Olivia ... Jane Downs

Malvolio ..Richard Wordsworth

Sebastian . Gerald Harper

Antonio .. Oliver Neville

Fabian .. James Chimford

Page to Olivia ..Simon 'Fraser

Officers. .Harold Innocent, James Mellor
Priest ....:. John Gay

Ladies, Musicians, Sailors: Peggy Butt,
^sula Jenkins, Michael Culver, Peter
Hodgson, Dyson Lovell, Jamea Mellor.
Crispian Woodgatc.

After engagements in Canada, on
the Coast, in Chicago and else¬
where, the Old Vic touring com¬
pany opened a five-week New York
stand at the Broadway Theatre last
iSiesday ( 9 ) with an expertly antic
revival of “Twelfth Night.” It was
followed last night (Tues.) by the
troupe’s production of “Hamlet,”
with “Henry V” due next Tuesday
(23) to round out the -three-play
repertory.

Although S. Hurok, who is pres¬
enting the tour, presumably figured
on crowding the available Shake¬
speare patronage into a shorter en¬
gagement than the Old Vic has
previously played here, the news¬
paper strike may hurt business
considerably. That, with the lack
of names familiar to U.S. audiences,
is lilr'y to he particularly tough
during the tra(iitionally slow pre-
Christmas period. Over the holi¬
day period and even for the final
post-New Year week, however, at¬
tendance should be good, especially
with vacationing,,students.

While “Twelfth Night” Is one
of Shapespeare’s lighter and lesser
works, this uninhibited revival
seems a likely popular bet. It
sacrifices some of the lyric beauty
that poetry fanciers cherish, but
has a no-nonsense approach to
the involved/incredible story, and
hokes up the comedy scenes with
virtually the catalog of slapstick.
The result may grieve purists, but
should delight buffoonery ad^cts.

Under Michael Benthall’s extra¬
ordinarily inventive (or perhaps
more accurately, comically recol¬
lective) direction, Barbara Jefford
gives a beautiful and almost believ¬
able performance in the transpa¬
rently impossible part of Viola,
while John Neville is a superbly
preposterous Aguecheek, and Joss
Ackland is plausible as weU as
funny as the usually-grotesque Sir
Toby.

There are al^ fine performances
by Richard Wordsworth as the
2 ^surd Malvolio (whose punishment
seems not quite as cru^ as in cus¬
tomary revivals of the play), And
Judi Dench as an infectiously mis¬
chievous Maria. Dudley Jones is
amusingly animat^ as the clpwn,
Jane Downs is convincing in the
uninteresting part of the sr^tt^
Olivia,, and there ar€t. acceptably
strat^t portrayals by "John, Hum¬
phrey as the tireshniely' amorous
^sl^ Gerald Hajrpei: as the ton-
fuaeit Ih^t'willing Sebastian, a^'
‘Plfw. Seville w the lattK'a de-
TpM friend. .

: rinj^-aetting

wo snort flights of steps to the
-fiM^ esti ge-, ' provides satiiZactory
piayhig .areas and non-committal
pack ffbtt hd, and bis costumes are
appreprlatriy colorfuL Gordon
Jacob has provided' mood-cieating-
musical themes..

f Yoric run^ ending:

cqinpany plays Boston,
Ijiiladelpfaia and W a sh i n g 16 m
Meanwhile, another troupe is Visit-
mg Moscow and the home team
te^ ha^g its regular season at the
Old Vic Theatre in London.

' Hobc*

Stuart W. LitUe, former city
rfaffer for the N.Y. Herald Trlbmie
from 1947-54, has succeeded Bert
McCord as the paper’s legit report-^
er; He was a reporter and later
asristant day city editor for the
Trib, and mso wrote a weekly the¬
atre and film cohimn for the pa¬
per’s European edition. He left the
to jwii the

Shows iUbroad

Wesrt Side Story

London, Dec. 13.

H. M. Tennent, Robert E. Griffith A
Harold S. Prince (by arrangement with
Roger L. Stevens) production of two-act
(15 acenes) mu^cal drama. Featorea
Marlys Watters. Don McKay. Ghlta Rivera.
Ken Le May, George Chakiria. Boow. Ar¬
thur Laurenta, based ou a conception of
Jerome Bobbins; music, Leonard Bern-'
stein; lyricsi Stephen Sondheim; staging
and choreography. Jerome Robbins; decor,
Oliver Smith: costumes, Irene Sharaff;
co-choreographer, Peter Genn'aro; orches-^
trations, Leonard Benistem, with Sid
Ramin and Irwin Kostal; miisical director,
Lawrence Leonard; lighting. Joe Davis.
Opened Dec. 12, *58. at Her Majesty’s
Theatre. London: $3.50 top.

The Jets

Riff ... George ChakWs

Tony .. Don McKay

Action.Eddie RoU

A-Rab . Tony Mordente

Baby John.Ed Verso

Snowboy.Riggs OHara

Big Deal... David Bean

Diesel. Gary Cockrell

Gee-Tar . Michael JOeinman

Mouth Piece.Joe Donovan

Their Girls

Grazlella . Leslie Franzos

Velma . Susan Watson

Minnie . Inge RoU

Clarice .... Maureen GUlick

Anybody’* . Sylvia Tyslck

The Sharks

Bernardo .. Ken Le Roy

Maria.Mariya Watters

Anita .. Chita Rivera

Chino .. Ben Gerard

Pepe... Marc Scott

Indio .. Budd Fleming

Ltds .. Don Percasn

Anxious.Leo Khariblan

Nibbles .. Keith Stewart

Juano .. BOIy Wilson

Their Girl*

Rosalia . Francesca Bell

Teresita . Yvonne Othon

Franclsca .. Gloria Higdon

EsteUe . Roberta Keith

Marguerita .. T.ina Soelano

The Adults

Doc .. ..David Bauer

Schrank .. Ted Gunther

Krupke . Hal GallU

Gladhand . David HoUiday

A great show, the most striking
visual musical ever staged. That’s
the Impact “West Side Story”
makes on its London bow, an im¬
pact heightened by the fact that its
theme of racial intolerance has a
contemporary parallel in London.
“West Side Story” does great credit
to the U.S. and all concerned with
Its production. It can probably run
for as long as the cast can stand
the physical strain of the violent
performance.

While the production cannot be
faulted on any count, the greatest
individual triumph is scored by
Jerome Robbins. His staging and
choreography have a rare dynamic
quality. Never before has dancing
played such an important part In a
musical, and it is done wiftiout the
conventional chorus. Each member
of the cast is an actor, singer and
dancer.

The ballet sequences, all strik¬
ingly original, provide a visual
treat. They give the show Its unique
character and its tremendous
power. Not surprisingly, they col¬
lar the larger share of audience
reaction.

“West Side Story” has been
brought into London with a com¬
plete American cast, including sev¬
eral members of the original
Broadway company. One of these,
ehifa Rivera, emerges as a
shining new personality. Her per¬
formance has a powerhouse quality,
perfectly etched with dramatic
overtones. Ken Le Roy, also &om
the original cast, plays the Puerto
Rican gang leader with profound
coviction. It is o vital interpreta¬
tion of exceptional depth.

Don McKay and Marlys Watters
fill the Romeo and Juliet roles with
tenderness, and their romantic
duets are among the highlights.
There is, too, a particularly vividly
menacing study by George Cha-
kiris as the leader of the native-
born gang.

Ed(Re -Roll and Tony Mordente,
also from the origlna). cast, are
among the tough young hoo^iims
who people the stage with such
authenthiity.. The whole cast, in
lact, is as near flawless as can be
humanly expected, but Ben Gerard.
David.. Bauer, Ted Gunther, Hab
GallU; and Sylvia Tysick rii^ cq'
dal mention. s

Le ig a rd Bernstein’s musle 1»
Gbyrnusly not ahHed at general
illairity, .biU^ is antiaseatiri; part of:
the plot/meeting ifae mood With
its;,tempo and dramatio em¬
phasis. In almost every sense it has
a perfect inatching quality, par¬

ticularly in the song numbers
which help in developing the story
and characterizations.

Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics play
a major role in captiuring the
atmosphere^ One of the more
divertmg song numbers is “Gee,
Officer Krupke,” in which Roll and
Riggs O’Hara are featured. Also in
lighter style is “America,” in which
Miss Rivera first registers with
the audience. With Francisca Bell,
she leads the Puerto Rican girls
in this lively lighter number. “To¬
night” and “Ope Hand, One Heart”
are the romantic bsillads which
make a moving impression.

Arthur Laurents’ book happily
makes no concession to convention.
His adaptation of the Romeo and
Juliet story to the theme of pres-
entday racial intolerance Is honest,
intelligent and movingly dramatic.
The final curtain, in which the
body of the romantic hero is being
earned offstage, conveys more
dramatic feeling than the cus¬
tomary musical finale.

One of the technical achieve¬
ments of the production is the
stark lighting by Joe Davis, which
enables Oliver Smith’s realistic
decor to be seen to best advantage.
Irene Sharaff has done an authen¬
tic job with costume design, pro¬
viding the color whCre necessary*
but using drab outfits when needed.
Lawrence Leonard has an outsize
job in wielding the baton, but he
and the pit orchestra serve their
composer with distinction. Myro.

The Brl^t One

London, Dec. 11.

Jack Minster presentation of three-act
Calx scenes) comedy, by J. M. Fulton.
Star* Gladys Cooper, Kay Kendall.
Michael Gwynn. Ho^ McDermott. Direc¬
tion, Rex Harrison; decor, Tanya Moisei-
witsch. Opened Dec. 10, *58, at Winter
Garden Theatre, London; $2.80 top.

A$atha Purvis .Kay Kendall

Curtis «.. Hufh McDermott

Tom . Michael Gwynn

Phaea (Echo) . Kay KendaU

Prof. Christie... Frederick Leister

Steward .. Edxar Wreford

Dame Blildred .. Gladys Ck>oper

Old Swain..... A. J. 6^o^vn

May .. Johanna Martin

Vsf ien^N Triffc

Haniii^Swflffer

bet fadfreg t o pe pity

Remembrances of
British Show Bunness
(and Yankee Friends)
* * *

Motfier Irigirt IdUerfel Peetere
la Hm apeapiag

53d Anniversary Number

ef

The lights on the marquee bill
The Bright One” as starring
Gladys Cooper and Kay Kendall
in Rex Harrison’s production,
emphasizing, the management’s
idea of the show’s boxoffice
strength. The venture seems a for¬
lorn prospect, however, despite a
fine performance by Miss Kendall
in her West End starring debut.

Although Miss Kendall and Miss
Cooper can work wonders with
commonplace dialog, not even
their combined talents make much
sense out of this trivial and uneven
mixture of whimsy, fantasy, com¬
edy and finally drama.

The author credit, J. M. Fulton,
is a nom de plume for Judy C^amp-
bell, an actress making her first
stab at playwriting. The basic ^
idea is not bad, but calls for a
skilled and experienced writer.
Every now and then Miss Campbell
comes up with a bright line and an
amusing situation, but there just
isn’t enough for a whole evening.

The play is located in Greece
and England, and involves a
femme botanist who is trans¬
formed into a nymph. Is seduced
by the Gods, marries an English¬
man, and when she is about to
give birth to twins, again becomes
a frumpish botany teacher.

Whatever success the production
may achieve will be almost exclu¬
sively due to Hiss Kendall’s deli¬
cious and supremely witty perform¬
ance. Miss Cooper, as the British
bridegroom’s grandmother, gives
her refreshing style the fullest
possible play. The men in the
cast generally have indifferent
roles, but Michael Gwynn, Hugh
'McDermott and Frederick Leister
do their best, and Edgar Wreford,
A. J. Brown and Johanna Martin
are ekar in miner rotep .

One tee dluppoiafini: fiea*
tui?s. iw the nniBspired direction
ht Bex Hafrison; He ffret the.
impfewioit of mdring 'ihe pla^
largeir a star v^cle and that
results in sn uneven quality. Tanya
Mbiseiwitsch’s two sets are gqr
andcolorfol. Myro:

GucstanSue Hoastoit
Stock%otfor $23,489

Houston, Dee^ Iff.

A group of actors and acb>
rnses, indudlng Gypsy BKise Lee,
Joan Blondell and HU'March, filed
suit for |23,48ff against the Avalon
Theatre here Fri&qr (12). ' The
house ia operated hr Geor^ Lee
Marks and embarked on a legit
policy last summer. '

The action claims that the plain¬
tiffs were not paid for perform¬
ances at the Avalon during the sea¬
son. Miss Lee, who appeared in
“Happy Hunting/’ asks $7,500 and
Miss Blondell, a star of "Happy
Birthday,” seeks $4,000. March,
who played in “Hole In the Head,”
wants $5,240., .

VcdncBday, Deceiiil>er 17, 1958

P^ix^rf

UGinMATE

71

'West Side Story’ Wows West End;

Top Musical Sensation Since 'Okla

Radio-TV Save B way in Press Tieup;
Aired Reviews Spark Hit Biz at 1B/

-f

London, Dec. 16.

Not since “Oklahoma” burst
upon London immediately after
World War II to set a new pat¬
tern for musicals, has a Broadway
Import received such unanimo^
acclaim from the London critics as
“West Side Story,” which opened
at Her Majesty's Theatre last Fri¬
day <12). There was, not a word
of criticism in the reviews which
appeared in the dailies the follow¬
ing morning, and at least one no¬
tice suggested that the new ar¬
rival topped “My Fair Lady.”

The production was not only
given treatment in eulogistic re¬
views, but also in the amount of
news and feature space it gar¬
nered. The Daily Sketch, for ex¬
ample, devoted rhost of its centre
spread to its notice, which was
flanked by a nine column photo
spread of one of the dance se¬
quences. Harold Conway's review
in that sheet was headed “a most
dynamic, vital, electric musical.”
Stating that London had never seen
such dramatic extraordinary danc¬
ing, he gave top honors to Jerome
Bobbins, for whom the show is
a triumph.

The Daily Express devoted half
a page to its notice and picture
coverage and John Thompson's re¬
view . began, ‘This great. musical
show begins a new age in the thea¬
tre.” “ ‘Fair Lady,’ ” he added, “is a
supreme success of the established
style in staging musicals. ‘West
Side Story’ strikes out anew.”

Anthony Carthew, the Daily
Herald's aisle-sitter, n^ed,^ that
even after all the pubncity the
show “had a first night impact
which was overwhelming in its vio¬
lence It was as if someone had
let loose a shark in an aquarium
when ‘West Side Story’ arrived.
The audience sat open-mouthed
and gasping as the ferocity of the
musical leaped at them from the
stage. At the end the mouths were
open again ~ this time to cheer.”

Writing in the Daily Mail, Cecil
Wilson began, “It struck London
last night like a flash of light¬
ning set to music, the most dy¬
namic. dramatic, qperaitic, balletic
(Continued on page 77)

AClli Scores State DepL
Veto of Sf. Actor's Trip
To Brnssek With ‘Godot’

The American Civil Liberties
Union has protested the State
Dept.’s refusal last fall to allow
stage manager James Kershaw to
accompany the San Francisco
Actor’s Workshop company to the
Brussels Fair. It has reaffirmed the
Northern California CLU action in
calling on the Government for
cither an apology or a specific ex¬
planation.

“The spirit of due process,”
ACLU executive director Patrick
Murphy Malin asserted in a letter
to Secretary of State John Foster
DuUes, “which Includes the right
of the individual to confront his
accuser and answer charges which
have been made against him, is
violated by the Department’s ac¬
tion.”

An answer by Assistant Secre¬
tary Andrew H. Berding noted
that the State Dept, ban on Ker¬
shaw had not been on grounds of
loyalty or security, or eligibility
to travel abroad, but in accord with
the indicated wish of a Congres¬
sional appropriations committee
“that the personal history of each
artistic entity and person to be
(Continued on page 76)

Plan Strawhat Musicals
In Bowdoin Col. Tlieatre

Brunswick, Me., Dec. 16.

Virginia Crandall, of New York,
has arranged with Bowdoin College
officials for the presentation of
professional stock next summer in
Packard Theatre, on the campus.’
Efforts to bring a professional
strawhat to the Brunswick-Bath
area have been made for two
years,

The spot will be bailed the j
Brimswick Summer Playhouse and i
it will open June 29 as an Equity
operation. Mentioned as offerings
in a 10-week season are “Song of
Norway,” “Show Boat,” “Damn
Yankees,” “Most Happy Fella” and
“New Girl in Town.”'"'' ‘ ;

Vintage Value

London, Dec. 16.

The ticket scalpers are ap¬
parently still doing business
for seats for “The Mousetrap,”
although the Agatha Christie
meller is now in its seventh
year at the Ambassador Thea¬
tre. An advertiser in the per¬
sonal column of the London
Times last week sought a pair
of “really good seats” for the
night of Dec. 26, a national
holiday in Britain.

The long-run record-holding
show is presented by Peter
Saunders.,

lame’ in Seatde

Seattle, Dec. 16,

In order to get the touring com¬
pany of “Auntie Marne” and there¬
by save their scheduled season of
15 attractions, local impressarios
ZolUe Volchock and Jack Enger-
man have guaranteed the show’s
Broadway producers $73,500 to
cove’* 23 performances here and;
in Vancouver, Tacoma, Spokane
and Yakima. The Sylvia Sidney
troupe opens Dec. 25 at the Moore
here, then plays the other four
cities, through Jan. 14.

Volchock and Engerman figure
that In order for them to break
{Continued on page 77)

hi’s Off-Loop "Crucible’
Shutters for Pre-Xmas

Chicago, Dec. 16.

American Cavalcade Theatre, lo¬
cal off-Loop stock operation emu¬
lating Gotham’s off-Broadway the¬
atres, shutters next Saturday (20)
for what is announced as a pre-
Christmas hiatus. The house is
scheduled to reopen Dec. 27 with
its present show, “The Crucible,”
although the operation is deep in
the red.

The Arthur Miller drama opened
Nov. 18 as the first offering of
ACT, a precariously financed com¬
pany. Although it has not yet had
a profitable week, a number of lo¬
cal angels are understood to be
considering fresh bankrolling.

Lloyd NolaaPlaniuiig
Bow as B’way Producer

Lloyd Nolan is planning to join
the Broadway managerial ranks.
The film and legit star and David
Yellin are contemplating a Main
S te m production of ‘The Passion¬
ate Men,” a drama of the Revolu¬
tionary War period by Keith Win¬
ter and Hattie May Pavlo.

Nolan will not appear in the
show, the characters of which in¬
clude George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and
Aaron Burr.

'Gunman’Nut 366,
Gets by for 9G

The play series being presented
at the Bijou Theatre, N. Y,, by
Cheryl Crawford and Joel Schen-
ker is financed to cover a minimum
of three productions. The venture
is capitalized at $150,000, with the
first production to cost not more
than $50,000 and the first two offer¬
ings not more than $100,000.

.’The initial presentation in the
series, “Shadow of a Gunman,” is
understood to have cost $36,000 to
produce. It can break even at
$9,000 weekly gross. 'The Sean
O’Casey play, presented by ar¬
rangement with The Actors Studio,.
Inc., is currently in its fifth week
at the Bijou, Business, which was
slightly above the break-even mark
during the first three frames,
dropped to $7,300 last week.

Slated as the second play in the
series is. Norman Corwin’s “The
Rivalry,based on the Lincoln*
Douglas debates of 1858. It's sched¬
uled to open Feb. 12, under Jack
Landau's direction. The third en¬
try hasn’t been set, but Grson
Welles’ blank-verse adaptation, of
Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”
has been mentioned as a possi¬
bility.

Meanwhile, there have been aev-
eral HoUjrwood nibbles for the
screen rigHts to “Gunman,”, but
Schenker has not closed a deal.
The O’Casey drama was originally
presented in New York in 1932 by i
the Abbey Theatre of Dublin, but
the work has never been filmed.

Kiddie productions of “Alice in
Wonderland” and “The Bed Drag¬
on” will be presented ■ during the
Christmas holiday at the Cricket
and Gate theatre, both located in
the same lower eastside, N. Y.,
building.

Put it in the Script

Washington, Dec, 16.

Celeste Holm, star of “The
Third Best Sport,” was in hu¬
morous form as guest of honor
last week at a small luncheon
given by local {hostess Perle
Mesta. The actress referred
to a large theatre she had
once played in Pennsylvania
as “a cross between the Vati¬
can and the Roxy.”

She also recalled that when
the emrent Theatre Guild pro¬
duction played a tryout en¬
gagement in Baltimore a
femme patron, commenting on
the imposing set representing
a Palm Beach hotel room
overlooking the ocean, re- •
marked, “I hope they have a
show to go with it.”

'Booth’and'Drink’
Have 22flG Loss

“Edwin Booth” and “Drink to
Me Only” ended brief Broadway
runs last Saturday night (13) at
a combined loss of approximately
$220,000. Of that amount, about
$120,000 v/as poured into “Booth,”
which folded after three weeks at
the 46th Street Theatre. “Drink”
is figured to have dropped its en¬
tire $100,000 bankroll on a 10-week
stand at the 54th Street Theatre.

The loss on “Booth” includes
$75,000 put up by the Playwrights
Co., which relinquished its man¬
agerial connection with the pres¬
entation when co-producer Jose
(Continued on page 77)

Premiere of "Lost Days’
Set for Milwaukee Stock

Milwaukee, Dec. 16.
The preem of James Andrews’
“The Last Days of a Young Man”
has been scheduled for a March 9
opening at the Fred^ Miller Thea¬
tre here. Vicki Cummings will
star in the presentation, which will
be directed by George Keathley.

“Visit to a Small Planet,” with
Eddie Mayehoff repeating the fea¬
tured role he originated on Broad-
[way, win reopen the stock opera-
1 tlon Jan. 12.

Radio and television came to the
rescue of Broadway legit last week.
The deliverers' strike against New
York’s major daily newspapers
starting Tuesday (9) and in most
cases halting publication Thursday
(11), hit the town during a week
when there were five openings, in¬
cluding the off-Broadw^ay Phoenix
Theatre. Only one show, “Cold
Wind and the Warm,” which led
the string of preems Monday (8),
was reviewed before the papers
went off the stands.

Most, of the first-stringers, how¬
ever, continued to turn out open¬
ing-night reviews, in some instances
in special condensed form for use
on the air. These were picked up
by the pressagents of the shows in¬
volved and turned over to the
radio and tv stations, which gave
them widespread play on specialty
programs and news stanzas. In
the case of one show, “J.B.," the
payoff from the radio-tv pickup of
generally rave notices was tremen¬
dous.

The reviews on the Archibald
MacLeish play, which opened
Thursday (XI), were read on Jack
Paar’s NBC-TV show that night
and on the Dave Garroway show
the following morning. Capsule
reviews were also spotted on radio
and tv newscasts. None of this.
Incidentally, represented bought
time.

The imusual situation of radio
and tv going all out in publicizing
the newspaper reviews resulted in
a heavy b.o. turnout for tickets to
“J. B.,” with the' show piling up ad¬
vance sales of about $27,000 Fri-
day-Saturday (12-13). Over 500
pieces of mail were reportedly re¬
ceived in the first delivery Mon¬
day morning (15). - "

Reviews on the Old Vic, which
opened Tuesday (9); “Power and
the Glory,” which opened Wednes¬
day (10) at the downtown Phoenix,
and “Gazebo,” which opened Fri¬
day (12), were also given radio-tv
chverage. Regarding the Phoenix,
capsule reivews were read on about
30 radio shows, while Brooks At¬
kinson’s favorable N.Y. Times no¬
tice was played up on Garroway’s
show and Ben Hecht’s WABC-TV
(Continued on page 72)

Offer Hadson Theatre
For Sale for $850,000;
NBCPaid595Gml949

The Hudson Theatre, N. Y., is
being offered for sale by NBC for
$850,000. Although a network
spokesman denied last week that
such a move is contemplated,
realty agents have submitted the
proposition to several prospective
buyers.

With the recent shift of the Jack
Paar tv show to the network’s
home studios in Radio City, N. Y.,
only the across-the-board day-
timer, “The Price Is Right,” origi¬
nates in the Hudson. It’s assumed
that NBC is ready to shift that to
Radio City also, or to work out
proviso In the sale to allow it to
continue in the theatre.

The Hudson was bought by ICBC
in 1949 fronts syndicate that in¬
cluded author - producers Howard
Lindsay and Russel Crouse, pro¬
ducer Leland Hayward, actor-pro¬
ducer Elliott Nugent and financier
Howard Cullman, at a reported
price of $595,000. The property is
assessed at $535,000 for both land
and hiulding, and $440,000 for the
land alone. The network would
reportedly accept a small down
payment, say $200,000, and take a
mortgage on the balance.

The theatre fronts on W, 45th
(Continued on page 76)

Maddocks Pro-Tern Sab
For Melvin on ‘CS Monitor’

Boston, Dec. 16.

Melvin Maddocks will continue
I as local legit-film critic for the
(Christian Science Monitor until «
permanent successor to the late
Edwin F. Melvin is named. Mad¬
docks, one of Melvin's assistants.^
had been subbing for him during
the illness that preceded his death
last Tuesday (9).

Melvin, vriio also functioned as
editor of the art page, joined the
Monitor in 193fi. He took over tfio
critic assignment in 1951.

OUT SOON!

The

53rd Anniversary Number

Of

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 34
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PARIS, 28 r«« HaclMtte

ROME, Stampa Estera

72

LEGITIMATE

j^Sm^r

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

Stock Reviews

Friend of the Family

St. Louis^ Dec. 9.

Theodore J. Flicker presentation of
three-act dramatization by Peter Stone,
from the Fyodor Dostoevsky novel- Direc¬
tion. Theodore J. FUcker; scenery and
lighting. Dave Moonl; costumes. Bill Har-
“'ate; assistant producer, Allan Manicoif*
Jpened Dec. 8, ^58, at the Crystal Palace,
St. Louis.

Col Yegor Rostanev ... Thomas Aldredge

Sashenka Louise Merkel

Stephen Batcheyev . Theodore J. Flicker
Madame Krahotkin .... Janice M^koff

Praskovya Ilyintchna.Jame Gilbert

Gavrila .. , Zale Kessler

Serf • • • Alexander Vie-Spi

"Sergev Alexandorvitch .... Barry Primus

Vidopl-vakov .^ F. Gainer

Tatvana Iviinovna. Annette Hunt

Ivan Mizintchikov. Alexander Viesoj

Nastenka .. ^ • Jo^ Zell

Y'egraf Ye.^hevikin .. Theodore J. Flicker

Foma Fomitch .Severn Darden

Korovkin Zale Kessler

Dostoevesky’s “Friend of the
Family” isn’t the likeliest story to
bring customers out on a wintry
night, but the Crystal Palace,
avant garde theatre-night club
here, doesn't worry about such
things. First-nighters, including- a
generous sprinkling dressy social¬
ites, crowded the place to capacity
and found Peter Stone’s stage
adaptation of the Russian novel to
their liking.

It is done in three acts, with
tippling allowed during both the
play and intermissions. Tippling
privileges or not, first-nighters
w'ere engrossed enough to forget
about ordering drinks, which was
a tribute to the cast and a rebuff
to the cash register.

The story of “Friend of the Fam¬
ily” revolves around an arrogant
servant who takes over the house¬
hold of a kindly Russian coloneL
In the role of the servant. Severn
Darden, a young off-Broadway
actor, does a superlative job of
strutting, grimacing and spouting
culture, completely overawing the
Colonel’s family and making life
generally miserable for just about
anybody withm hearing distance.

Theodore J. Flicker, the pro¬
ducer-director and also actor, has
a fine time hopping about from one
bearded role to another during the
evening’s proceedings. Thomas
Aldrege’s portrayal of the likeable
Colonel, who shaves off his beloved
beard because his servant says
“beards are unpatriotic,”' is quite
believable, even among the flam¬
boyant trappings of Czarist Russia.

As the Colonel’s rambunctious
mother. Young Janice Meshkoff
etches the aged character admir¬
ably, and Barry Primus and Alex¬
ander Viespi have high style as the
Colonel’s nephews. Joan Zell is a
fetching heroine and Louise Mer¬
kel gives a sensitive performance
as a young girl.

Costuming and sets are properly
ornate, and the “.smorgasmord” of
beards are especially notable.

Bob.

soaked doctor, and Susan Davis as
a family friend.

Although the seating capacity of
the house is small, the proscenium
staging is on a costly scale. Jack
Bear’s single set, for instance,
includes a floor-to-ceiling stone
fireplace (of stone, not papier-
mache), and other elements were
equally solid. The producing group
was founded by James Terry and
James F. Collier, currently with
Allied Artists, as a showcase for
new plays. Costs of production ap¬
parently are to come out of any
future commercial success of the
scripts. POWT.

!Vaked in £den

Hollywood, Dec. 4.

James Terry nresentation of three-act
melodrama by Richard Reich and Alden
Nash. Directicn. Jam.®! F. CoUier; scenery
and costumes. Jack Bear; lighting, Lon
Stucky. Opened Dec. 3, ’58, at the Studio
Theatre, Hollywood; S2.40 top.

Karen . June Vincent

John . Michael Connors

Barbara.Yvette Vickers

Norval . LoweU Brown

Dr. Hill . WT-Uam Newell

Janet .. Susan Davis

A new professional bandbox le-
giter, the 27-seat Studio Theatre,
has entered the local showcase
ranks. Despite its miniscule seat¬
ing capacity (the stage is about
three tiijies the size of the audience
area) the house is luxuriously fur¬
nished and the staging is elaborate.

-A.S the initial production, pro¬
ducer James Terry is presenting
“Naked In Eden,” a melodrama by
Richard Reich and Alden Nash, di¬
rected by James F. Collier. All
are pros from films and tv, and an
all-pro cast gives a taut and some¬
times tingling performance.

The production is better than the
script, which has unbelievable sit¬
uations that turn into less plausible
nielodraina. In its present shape it
is no bet for further professional
attention, although in individual
scenes and dialog it is sometimes
perceptive and sharp. It is more
valuable as a showpiece for the
actors and production hands than
for the authors.

A wife learns she is sterile, and
in order to hold her husband,
persuades a penniless young w’om-
an to have a child by him. The
inevitable happens, and the wife
is forced to murder and finally left
to loneliness.

None of the performers is starred
or featured, in line with the thea¬
tre’s policy, but June Vincent and
Yvette Vickers have the most im¬
portant roles and they play well
together. Miss Vincent repressed
and repressing. Miss Vickers easy¬
going. Other members of the cast
have conviction within ther limits
of the script, Michael Connors as
the husband, Lowell Brown as a
juvenilerWililaMi^^ewcJl

The Power and the Glory

T. Edward Hambleton & Norris Hough¬
ton production of three-act (eight scenes)
drama by Denis Cannan and Pierre Bost.
adapted from Graham Greene’s novel.
Direction, ^uart Vaughan; settings and
costumes. WiU Steven Armstrong; light¬
ing, iOaus Holm; music, David Amram.
Opened Dec. 10, ’58, at the Phoenix
Theatre. N.Y., Sl,60 top.

Tench.Eric Berry

Chief of Police . Dana Elcar

Diaz . David C. Jones

Priest. Ftitz Weaver.

Lieutenant . Robert Geiringer

Boy . Marc Sullivan

Maria . Betty Miller

Brigida .. Ina Beth Cummins

Francisco . John Astin

Mifuel . Johu Brachita

Villagers. Virginia Donaldson.

'Wjlli.'vm Hindman, Marian

Paone. Tom Bosley

Pvt. Mendoza . Maurice Kamhi

Mestizo . Jerry Stiller

Governor’s Cousin . Meredith Dallas

Corporal . . Elliott Sullivan

Spinster . ... Patricia Falkenhain

Drunken Prisoner.David C, Jones

Prisoner. • John Astin

Lopez . Leonardo Cimlno

Warder. .... Arthur' Watson

Prisoners-Tom Bpsle.v, Marian Paone,

William Hindman

Obregon . Albert Quinton

Schoolmaster .. .lack Cannon

Alvarez Elliott Sullivan

Obre.gon’s Wife . Jane White

Ramon ...:... Harrison Hart

.To':e Luis . . .W’illiam Hindman

Indian Tom Bosley

Peasant "Woman . Betty Henritze

Stranser James Patterson

Townspeople. Police. Prisoners: Daniel
-^des, Rober C. C-rmel, Roberto Domin-
guss. Rioki Franklin. Paulette Girard,
Georee Goritz, Taylor Graves, Jesse.
.Tacobs, P-.trice P-»vne, ,A.nn Raim. Hector
Torres.NHoward "Witt, David Zirlin.

“The Power and the Glory,”
which opened last Wednesday at
the Phoenix, is a remarkably taut
and provocative stage adaptation
by Denis Cannon and Pierre Bost
of Graham Greene’s 1940 novel.
But though superb in its acting,
powerful in its writing and sus¬
penseful in its staging, the play is
likely to baffle or irritate many of
the audience.

As with much of Greene, its
point of view is oddly equivocal—
taking as it does both sides at once.
And the resultant tug-of-war be¬
tween religion and socialism is so
evenly matched that it's hard to
know until the end which side the
author favors.

The book, as may be recalled, is
about the persecution of the Cath¬
olic priests in Mex'.co under the
anti-church government in the ’30s.
The persecuted is represented by a
weak priest, who for all his faults
of cowardice, drunkenness and
money-haggling, risks his life in
the end to perform his duty toward
a dying man.

On the other side are a police
lieutenant and schoolmaster, played
with deep persuasion by Robert
Geiringer and Jack Cannon, whose
bitter words against the church
make sense. '

Only in the final scene does the
priest rriake his telling point that
the rich as well as the poor are
unhappy, and that material im¬
provements of the welfare state
matter little when the soul is sick.
This is where Greene stands, but
in the course of the play he has
revealed more faults in the Church
than he appears to have justified.

The priest's role is portrayed
with rare sensitivity by Fritz Wea¬
ver. And although his martyrdom
in the end is not as glorified as in
the novel, or in the film version
of some years ago, titled “The
Fugitive,” his struggle with his own
weaknesses gives bim a kind of
heroism that can be understood
and appreciated.

Credit Stuart Vaughan with im¬
pressive skill for keeping excite¬
ment aglow in a somewhat sprawl¬
ing script, and for creating the
atmosphere of Mexico with a few.
sparse sets. Even for the smallest
roles he has used the cream of off-
Broadway talent.

Jerry Stiller, as the man who
betrays the priest for a few pesos,
is excellent in the meatiest part he
has yet had. Also standard are Eric
Berry, Betty Miller, Meredith Dal¬
las and Leonardo Cimino.

The play may give meager solace
to the devout, but it is the-most
stimulating theatre piece the Phoe¬
nix has done for some time. It
should provoke many a lively argu-

Betty Alleit

(CLARION CONCERTS, N.Y.)

Clarion Concerts represented by
its musical director and conductor
Newell Jenkins performed a most
interesting "program last week (9)
in presenting two different “Stabat
Mater” one. from the 18th century
and a contemporary one. Both had
string accompaniment and were
sung most competently by Betty
Allen, The first Stabat Mater was
by Vivaldi and the mezzo soprano
displayed a-warm voice together
with the agility needed for the
florid sections of this music.

The contemporary work was a
composition by Julia Perry, an
American composer now living in
Italy and doing gi-aduate work with
composer Luigi Dallpiccola. The
work is impressive in its intensity
and being also a student of voice,
Miss Perry knows how to writ’s
effectively for that medium. The
audience showed its full apprec a-
tion and Miss Perry bears watch¬
ing as perhaps one of our future
eminent composers.

The 8th Cantata for I'riday.-, in
Lent Sammartini of which Miss
Allen sang the recitative and aria,
an overture by Tommaso Gior-
dani and Haydn’s Symphony 46,
found in the British Museum re¬
cently, completed the concert
which afforted many pleasures—
especially for the care with which
the neglectec* music w'as searched
and prepare(i Goth.

Touring List Dwindling
To 10 Shows Next Week,
Bnt Then Ciimhs to 16

The number of touring shows is
due to shrink to only 10 the early
part of next week and then pick
up to 16 by the end of the frame.
The situation hinges principally on
pre-Christmas layoffs and delayed
tryout openings because of the
holiday.

Of the 15 entries currenitly out-
of-town, two end their tours next
Saturday (20), while four others
will lay off for several days, The
two shows due to conclude tours
are “Diary of Anne Frank,” which
will close, and “Shakespeare’s
Ages of Man,” which moves to
New York for a four-week, riin be¬
ginning Dec. 28;

The quartet slated to take pre-
Christmas layoffs, are the Sylvia
Sidney edition of “Auntie Marne,”
the bus-and-truck company of “Li’l
Abner,” the touring company of
“Tw’o for the Seesaw” and the try¬
out production of “Warm Penin¬
sula.” The “Mama,” “Abner” and
‘Seesaw” layoffs will begin next
Monday (22), wdth “Mamie” resum¬
ing Christmas night and the other
two the following eve. “Peninsula'’
will layoff tomorow (Thurs.) and
resume Dec, 26, .

Joining the nine remaining show^s
next week will be “Redhead,” the
Gwen Verdon-starrer, which be¬
gins its pre-Broadway tryout Mon¬
day at the Shubert Theatre, New
Haven. Two more entries are slated
to launch their breakin Tuns the
latter part of the week. They’re
“Starward Ark,” opening Dec. 26
at the Shubert, Washin^n, and
“Listen to the Mocking Bird,” bow¬
ing Dec. 27 at the Colonial,.Boston,

Inside Stuff-Legit

William L. McKnight, board chairman of Minnesota Mining & Mfg.
Co., is the real backer of the refurbished St. James Theatre, N.Y.,
with Samuel H. Schwartz as president of Jujameyn Araus Corp., the
operating company. The MMM outfit only figures only as one of the
many behind-the-scenes structural credits. It is responsible for the
“fabrics protected by Scotchgard” and stairways made safe by Scotch-
red.” Otherwise, Frederick Fox brought in 27 other venders for seat¬
ing, air-conditioning, painting, carpentry, construction, etc. Jujameyn
is the formal owner of the St. James since the sale of the musical
bouse by the Shuberts, under’a Government consent decree. Schwartz
is a veteran legit manager and former attorney.

When the St. James was opened in 1927 it was called “the crown¬
ing jewel of the Erlanger empire” (this was after the split of the A. L.
Erlanger and Marc Klaw partnership). George M. Cohan’s “Merry Ma¬
lones” was the debut tenant, followed by Mrs. Leslie Carter’s all-star
revival of “She Stoops To Conquer,” followed later by Mrs. Minnie
Maddem Fiske’s “Ladies of the Jury’,” Beatrice Lillie in “Walk A Lit¬
tle Faster,” Margaret Webster and Maurice Evans’ “Richard U” and
“Hamlet” and of course Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma” and
“ICing and I” as well as “Where’s Charley,” “Pajama Game” and “Li’l
Abner.” The theatre renovation, at a cost of $1,600,000, preceded the
current R&H & Joseph Fields’ “Flower Drum Song.”

An innovation for Broadway legit theatres is the closed-circuit tele¬
vision which permits the stage manager to keep tra_K of everything
backstage. Only the Jones Beach (L.I.) Marine Playhouse has a similar
feature—several in fact, including one on the pit conductor’s podium,
because of the large distance of the stage (over the water) from the
terra firma audience-

Road Legit

Continued from page 1

fewer non-name actors are em¬
ployed.

It was also decided that because
of the severity of the road situa¬
tion,. another meeting he held in
New York with aU out-of-town
theatre managers. One immediate
problem raised was the TG-ATS
subscription plight in Cleveland,
where the subscription series for
individual shows was extended
from one week to a fortnight this
season. Several productions have
played the town for two weeks, in
some cases to only so-so business,
and TG-ATS is having difficulty
arranging for others to stay for
more than a single frame.

Those attending the meeting
were Lawrence Langner, Warren
Caro and John Shubert, represent¬
ing TG-ATS; Louis Lotito, Kermit
Bloomgarden, Herman Shumlin,
■Vinton Freedley, Emmett Rogers
and Willard Keefe, representing
COLT, and Harold Goldberg, ex¬
ecutive-secretary of the Independ-

Legit Bits

Hank Garson is collaborating
with Ed Beloin on the book for the
forthcoming Broadway, musical
version of “Holiday for Henrietta.”

Fred Carmichaers “The Night Is
My Enemy” will be presented next
Friday-Saturday (19-201 by Theatre
Encore at St. John’s Hall, N.Y.

The off-Broadway production of
“The Man Who Never Died” will
layoff tomorrow night (Thurs.) and
•resume performances Christmas
night.

The cast of “La Plume de Ma
Tante” was partied last Thursday
night (11) at Le Cupidon, N. Y.
nitery.

Trustees of the A. W. Mellon
Educational and Charitable 'rrusl
have provided a $5,000,000 endow¬
ment to strengthen the faculty of
the CoUege of Fine Arts, Carnegie
Institute of Technology, Pitts¬
burgh.

The Repertory Players of the
American Academy of Dramatic
Arts end a two-week stand at the
Finch College Auditorium, N. Y..
next Sounday (21).

An out-of-town edition of the up¬
coming off-Broadway musical, “She
Shall Have Music,” is planned for
the 43d Street Theatre, Philadel¬
phia, the week of April 6. The
Philly operation gets underway Jan.
12 with “The Potting Shed.” The
next three productions skedded are
“Yolpone,” Feb, 4; “Purple Dust,”
Feb. 25, and the N. Y, Shakespeare
Festival production of “Two Gen¬
tlemen of Verona,” March 8.

Hartney Arthur, who’s co-pro-
ducing the upcoming Broadway
production of “Legend of Lizzie”
with Nat Stevens, will double as
director of the Reginald Lawrence
play.

Lester Lockwood, a New York
director of the American National
Teatre & Academy, is planning an
off-Broadway production later this
season of “Sunrise in My Pocket,”
written in 1938 by Edwin Justus
Mayer. 'The play, which Lockwood
had under option in 1953-54, has
never been produced in New York.

A Broadway production of Hollis
Alpert’s novel, “The Summer Lov¬
ers,” is planned for next season by
Morris Helprin, head of Barbizon
Productions, a film company, and
former president of London Film
Pj oductions. Harold Callen, whose
play, “The Bashful Genius,” is a
prospect for Theatre Guild pro¬
duction, is dramatizing the Alpert
book.

Mike Stewart has been signed to
write a new book for Edwa^rd
Padula’s projected Broadway pro¬
duction of “Let’s Go Steady,” a
musical comedy based on the stop^
by Warren Miller and Raphael Mil-
lian. Charles Strouse and Lee
Adams are responsible for tjie
music and lyrics, respectively.

Fred Coe is planning a Broad¬
way production next season of this
year’s Pulitzer Prize novel, James
Agee’s “A Death in the .Family.”
Television scripter Tad Mosel is
working on the adaptaiton. The
Video rights to the book are held
by CBS, which also has Coe under
contract as a tv producer.

Gerald L. Ritholz will design the
sets and costumes for “Skin Deep,”
the musical which P.R.B. Produc¬
tions plans presenting on Broad¬
way.

Franchot Productions (Maude
and Richard Frfnchot, C. Scott
Gongwer and Lisa Fillman) has |
relinquished its option on the
adaptation rights to the Clyde
North book, “Things to Remem¬
ber.”

Jerome Whyte, who returned to
the'Rodgers-Hammerstein staff as

Song,” planed last week to London,
where he was formerly the R&H
representative and now has plans
for independent producing man¬
agement.

Legit-tv actress-R 1 a y w r i g h t
Florida Friebus is currently on the
Coast.

Saul Gottlieb will be partnered
with the Playwrights Co. in the up¬
coming Broadway production of
“Listen to the Mocking Bird.”

Edgar Da Rocha Miranda’s Eng¬
lish translation of his Brazilian
play, “Aqd the. Wind Blew,” is
planned for off-Broadway produc¬
tion by Joan Horvath and Luis
Martinez, who’ll double as direc¬
tor.

Legit on Radio<TV

Continued from page 71

stanza. Business at the theatre,
however, has not paralleled the
“J. B.” response.

In addition to the radio-tv pro¬
motion, the'Old Vic has sent out a
repeat mailing to schools, while
John Neville, of the company, has
been making a curtain speech
every night requesting the audi¬
ence to spread the word that the
group is in town.

Immediately following the
“Gazebo” preem, costars Walter
Slezak and Jayne Meadows and
featured player Edward Andrews
were interviewed by Tex McCrary
on WOR’s Tex and Jinx show. The
management of the play, the Play¬
wrights Co. an(L Frederick Brisson,
also purj:hased time on WRCA-TV
for a half-hour opening-night party
from 1-1:30 a.m.

During the 30-minute “Gazebo”
spread, reviews of the play were
read, while performers from other
Broadway productions in which the
Playwrights are involved were
spotted among jthe guests to plug
their respective shows. Many
Main Stem offerings, including
some of last week's openers, have
also been purchasing radio spots,
in addition to slotting talent as
guests on various radio-tv shows.

“The Disenchanted,” which
opened Dec. 3, bought time on
WNT4-TV for a special hour-long
show, beginning midnight Monday
(11). The program, emceed by David
Susskind, spotted Budd Schul-
berg and Harvey Breit, who col¬
laborated on the adaptation of
Schulbeg’s novel, as well as co-
stars Jason Robards Jr. and Rose¬
mary Harris and top-featured play¬
er George Grizzard. The session
involved discussion and interviews
relating to the drama.

The League of N.Y. Theatres,
representing Broadway producers
and theatre owners, sent wires to
about 20 radio and television sta¬
tions asking cooperation in promo¬
ting last week’s openings. The
League has also set up a tele¬
phone answering service to handle
information calls on Broadway
shows.

It’s figured that'most of the
off-Brnadway productions were
hard hit by fhe newspaper strike,
since their ad budgets are gener¬
ally too small to cover purchase
of radio spots. However, Carmen
Capalbo and Stanley Chase, co-
producers of the,longrun “Three¬
penny Opera,” guested on Garro-
way’s show last Monday mdrning

Wcdneaday, December 17, 1958

TRIBUTES TO "EDWIN BOOTH'^ REPRINTED FOR THE RECORD, _

The advertisement scheduled for last Thursday's (Dec, 11) N. Y, Times failed to appear because of the newspaper strike.

(0

00

Here's what they
said about the
play that closed
last week

mmm-

AUTHOR-BEN HECHT: "“Edwin Booth’ is'a compelling and adventurous play. Any¬
body who ever liked an actor will get a high thrill out of both the play and Jose
Ferrer’s vivid performance as the king of American make-believers-Edwin Booth."

PLAYWRIGHT, PRODUCER, ACTOR-HOWARD LINDSAY: “In-tEtfwin Booth’

Jose Ferrer brings to life a moment in our history when the American theatre of
the greattraditibn brushed against our national destiny."

U.S. CHESS CHAMPION-LARRY EVANS: ‘Edwin Booth’ is a touching, intense

evening In the theatre.”

NE¥fSCASTER-TEX McCRARY: ”A handful of rubies."

PAINTER-DONG KINGMAN: "Seeing ‘Edwin Booth’ was like seeing a masterpiece
leap from Its canvas and come thrillingly alive."

ACTOR, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR-ELLiOTT NUGENT: *‘I loved ‘Edwin Booth'

as played by Jose Ferrer and I was captivated by Lois Smith and the rest of the
cast. Maybe u isn’t the play, but what were those tears doing in my old eye?"

PRODUCER-GILBERT MILLER: " Edwin Booth made theatre history and Jose Ferrer
recreates it vividly and excitingly at the 4Sth St. Theatre. For all who love the
theatre and its rich heritage, ‘Edwin Booth’ is a must."

DIRECTOR-ROUBEN MAMOOLIAN: <'i enjoyed ‘Edwin Booth’ very much. It has
many eloquent scenes including the superb Romeo and Juliet one, a stirring
performance by Jose Ferrer, and splendid portrayals by Lois Smith and Richard
Waring."

HOUSEWIFE-MRS. GERTRUDE M. FRIEDEMANN: -i Uved through the really greet

years of theatre in Berlin ... now after years of theatregoing here, you were the
first great actor I met. I attended your performance of Edwin Booth, deeply im¬
pressed. This is to thank you."

MUSIC & DRAMA EDITOR-EDGAR S. VANOLINDA: (Albany Times Union):

"Not in many years have I been so emotionally stirred as I was by your perform¬
ance of ‘Edwin Booth’. Your play deserves great success and is one which will
remain in my consciousness for many years to come."

EXECUTIVE-VREST ORTON: ‘‘We are-deeply in your debt for a magnificent evening
... a very high level of real drama."

MUSICAL CONDUCTOR-PERCY FAITH: “Enjoyed the show immensely'."

STUDENT-WARREN H. LYONS: “Congratulations for one of the most exciting jobs.

I have ever seen on a stage. I was enthralled. Edwin Booth would have been
proud of yo«."

MANUFACTURER-BENJAMIN FAIN: “Fine play and superb acting.’’
RESTAURANT HOSTESS-MISS THELMA REID: “A full course evening in the

theatre.”

JUDGE-MICHAEL A. MUSMANNO: (Justice of The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania):
"Ebr lyrical beauty, dramatic excitement, delicious humor and sheer entertain¬
ment, ‘Edwin Booth’ is one of the most heart-warming experiences I have had in
my whole life of theatregoing.’’

TAXI FLEET OWNER-LOUIS L NEMENS: "Great! What a star—what a showl"
JAZX COMPOSER-GERRY MULLIGAN: “Beautiful—I loved it."
FIGHTER-VINCE MARTINEZ; "It’s a great show!”

OPERA SINGER-BRENDA LEWIS; “It was simply terrific! A most exciting evening
in the theatre.”

PIAHIST-JOEBUSHKIN; "Jose Ferrer’s performance in ‘Edwin Booth’ was like stereo
plus 3D and for me that’s a lot of theatre.”

COLUMNIST-WALTER WINCHELL: "Jose Ferrer as ‘Edwin Booth’ recaptures the
highlights of the career of the finest actor who ever ignited a stage."

From. Reviews of Pre-Broadway West Coast Engagements:

DRAMA CRITIC-HORTENSE MORTON: (San Francisco Examiner): “Exciting and

enthralling theatre... a noble effort nobly done! ‘Edwin Booth' came in full flower
with Jose Ferrer in the title role. He measures up to and beyond the demands.”

DRAMA CRITIC-PHILIP K. SCHEUER: (Los Angeles Times): “Absorbing theatre."

DRAMA CRITIC-PATTERSON GREENE: (Los Angeles Examiner): "Jose Ferrer has

directed the play with a perfectionist’s regard for both the broad outline and the
detail, and he enacts the title role with unfailing skill and finesse."

DRAMA CRITIC-THERESA LOEB CONE: (Oakfand Tribune): "Jose Ferrer is tops
in ‘Edwin Booth’."

^ .. pictiard Waring,

Vincent Ponaii . _ ^^^.on for Y

74

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, December 17, 1958

Road Running From Bleak to Br^ht;

‘Anger $311,700, Hub; Tallu 25G, LA.;
‘Warffl’$2mDet,‘W$8,100, StI

The road was in a two-way
stretch last week, with business
climbing and dropping for about
the same number of shows. Re¬
ceipts were marginal or below
break-even for several entries, but
substantiaTgrosses were registered
by other productions.

There were no new additions to
the touring-lineup last week and
one show, the Eve Arden company
of “Auntie Marne,” closed Satur¬
day (13i after successful Coast
stands. , . ™ w

Estimates for Last Week

Parenthetic designations for ouU
of-toion shows are the same as for
Broadway, except that hyphenated
T vjith show classification indicates
tryout and RS indicates road show.
Also, prices pn touring shows in¬
clude 10% Federal Tax and. local
tax, if any, hut as on Broadway
grosses are net; i,c. exclusive of
taxes. Engagements are for single
week unless otherwise noted.

boston'

Look Back in An^cr, Colonial
(D-RS) (2d wk) ($4.95-$4.40; 1,590;
$34,000) (Kenneth Haigh). Nearly
$30,700 \nth Guild subscription.
Previous we^, $27,300.

- -- ^

CHICAGO

Auntie Marne, Erlanger (C-RS)
(15th wk) ($6,60-$5.50; 1,333; $45,-
187) (Constance Bennett). Over
$30,100. Previous week, $34,400.

My Fair Lady, Shubert (MC-RS>
(58th wk) ($7; 2,100; $72,979). Al¬
most $56,200. Previous week, $61,-
500- Diane Todd succeeds Anne
Rogers as femme lead this week.

CLEVELAND

Romanoff and Juliet, Hanna
(C-RS) ($5.50; 1,515; $42,500)

(Peter Ustinov). Nearly $39,600.
Previous week, $28,800 at the
Shubert, New Haven.

DETROIT

Warm Peninsula, Shubert
(CD-T) (2d wk) ($4; 2,050; $36,000)
(Julie Harris). Ower $26,700 with
Guild subscription. Previous week,
$25,200.

LOS ANGELES

Crazy October, Hartford (C-T)
(4tb wk) ($6-$4.95; 1,024; $34,600)
(Tallulah Bankhead). About $25,-
000. Previous week, $30,800.

PfllLADELFHlA

Whoop-TJp, Shubert (MC-T) (5th
. wk) ($7.50-$6; 1,894; $65,000). Over
$30,4(}0. P^e^/^ous week, $36,800.

ROCHESTER

LiT Abner, Auditoriiun (MC-RS,
N.Y. Co.). -Over $27,500. Previous
week, $29,500 at the Riviera, De¬
troit.

SAN FRANCISCO

Auntie Marne, Geary (C-RS)
(10th wk) ($5.50; 1,550; $47,000)
(Eve Arden). Another $47,000.
Closed last Saturday (13).

Music Man, Curran (MC-RS)
(8th wk) ($6.40-$5.50; 1,758; $59,-
000). Over $59,500. Previous week.

ST. LOUIS

Two for the Seesaw, American
(CD-RS) (2d wk) ($4.95; 1,600; $36,-
000) (Ruth Roman, Jeffrey Lynn).
Almost $8,100. Previous week,
$13,000.

WASHINGTON

Third Best Sport, Shubert (C-T)
(2d wk) ($4.95-$3.85; 1,541; $34,000)
(Celeste Holm). Nearly $19,700
with Guild subscrfpt.'on. Previous
week. $15,800.

SPLIT WEEKS

Auntie Mame (ORS) (Sylvia
Sidney). Totalled $26,700 ior six
performances, as follows: ^Palace,
Youngstown, Sunday (7), one, $2,-
000: Keith Albee, Huntington,
W. Va., Monday-Tuesday (8-9). two,
$14,600; Colony, Marietta, O.,
Wednesday (10), one, $2,800;
Lincoln U.. Jefferson City, Mo.,
Friday (12), one, $3,500; City Aud.,
St. Joseph, Mo., Saturday (13), one,
$3,800. Previous, $31,000 for six-
performance split.

Diary of Anne Frank (D-RS)
(Francis Lederer). Totalled $27,400
for eight perfomances, as follows;
Memorial Aud., Dallas, Sunday (7),
two, $5,500; Municipal Aud., Tulsa,
Monday-Tuesday (8-9), two, $8,900
on Broadway Theatre League sub¬
scription; Municipal Aud., New
Orleans, Thursday-Saturday (11-
13). four, $13,000 on BTL subscrip¬
tion. Previous week, $23,000 for
six-performance split.

LIT Abner (MC-RS, bus-and—

truck Co.). Totalled $38,500 for
seven performances, as follows:
Stanley. Utica, Monday-Tuesday
(8-9), two, $12,000 on BTL sub¬
scription; U. of Vt., Burlington,
Wednesday (10), one, $7,300; Proc¬
tor’s, Schenectady, Thursday (11),
one, $6,500; Lyric, Allentown,
Saturday (13), two. $7,200. Previ¬
ous week, $27,500 for eight-per¬
formance split.

Shakespeare’s Ages of Man (DR-
RS) (John Gielgud). Totalled $24,-
000 for seven performances, as
follows: High 5 chool, Santa Bar¬
bara, Sunday (7), one, $2,900;
Union Highschool, Phoenix, Mon¬
day (8), one, $3,200; Tempje of
Music & Art. Tucson, Tuesday (9),
one, $4,100; Lamar Tech And:,
Beaumont, Wednesday (10). one,
$4,300; McFarlin And., Dallas,
Thursday (11), one, $3,900; West-
cott Aud., Tallahassee, Friday (12),
one,» $2,900; Millsaps College,
Jacl^on, Miss., Saturday (13), one,
$2,700. Previous week, $19,700 for
five-performance split.

Sunrise at Campobello (D-RS)
(Leif Erickson). TotaUed $19,900
for eight performances, as follows:
Indiana, Indianagpolis, Monday-
Wednesday (8-10), four, $13,300;
Victory, Dayton, Thursday-Satur¬
day (11-13), four, $6,600. Previous
week, $12,700 in seven perform¬
ances at the Memorial Aud., Louis¬
ville and one performance at the
American^ St. Louis.

BIRYOZKA GIRLS, $39,500

Hurok Import from Moscow Clicks
At Erlanger, Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Dec. 16.

Second of. the Russian folk dance
groups imported, by arrangements
of Sol Hurok, f^om the Soviet had
a big week here at the ih-langer.
Beryozka troupe, all-female save
for five accordionists, did six per¬
formances Tuesday to Saturday,
with a matinee the final day.

In the 1.884-seat house at $6.90
top the gross for the six shows was
$39,500. . . " -

Off-B’way Shows

Boy-Friend, Cherry Lane (1-25-
58). . •

Crucible, Martinique (3-11-58).

Diversions, Downtown (11-7-58)^

Hamlet of Stepney Green,
Cricket (11-13-58).

Heloise, Gate (9-24-58).

Ivanov, Renata (10-7-58).

Look Back in Anger, 41st St.
(11-7-58).

Man Who Never Died, Jan Hus

(11-21-58).

Of Mice & Men, Provincetown
(12-4-58). . .

Playboy of the Western Worlds
Tara (5-8-58).

Quare Fellow, Circle in Square
(11-27-58).

Salad Days; Barbizon Plaza (11-
10-58). ,

Sextet, Royal (11-26-58).

Threepenny Opera, deLys (9-20-
55).

Time of the Cuckoo, Sheridan
Sq. (10-27-58); closes Feb. 8.

Tis a Pity 'She’s a Whore, Or-
pheum (12-5-58).

Closed Last Week

Triad, Theatre Marquee (11-21-
58); closed Sunday (14).

British Shows

(Figures denote opening dates)

LONDON

At Drop of Hat, Fortune fl.24-57).

Auntie Mame, Adelphi (S-IO-SS).

Bov Friend, Wyndham'a (12-1-S3).

•Breath of Sprln«, Duke York’s (3-26-58).

Bright One, Winter Garden (12-10-58).

Brouhaha, Aldwych (8-27-58).

Chrysanthemum, Wales (ll-ia-tSB).

Day in Life Of, Savoy (l(>-l-58).

D'Oyly Carte, Prince’s (12-15-58).

Expresso Bongo, SaviUe (4-23-58).

Five Finger Exercise, Comedy a-16-58).

For Adults Only, Strand (6-25-58).

Friends A Neighbors, Vic. PaL (11-11-58).

Crass is Greener, St. Mart. (12-2-58).

Hook, Line, Sinker, Piccadilly (11-19-58).

Hot Summer'Night, New (11-26-58).

Irma La Douce, Lyric (7-17-58).

Living, for Pleasure, Garrick (7-16-58).

Lony Day's Journay, Globe (9-24-58).

Repertory, Old Vic (9-17-58).

Mousetrap, Ambassadors ai-25-52).

My Fair Lady, Drury Lane (4-30-58).

No Concern, Westminster (10-6-58).

.Net In the Book, Criterion (4-2-S8).

Roar Like • Deve, Phdenix (9-25-57).

Salad Days, VaudevUle (8-9-54>.

Simple Spyman, WbitehaU (3-19-58).

•Tunnel of Love, Apollo (12-3-57).

Unexpected Guest, Duchess (8-12-58).

Where's Charley, Palace .(2-20-58).

West Side Story, Majesty’s (12-12-58).

Who's Your Father?, C*brid«e (12-16-58).

•transferred

SCHEDULED OPENINOt

King Charming, Lyric Hamm. (12-17-58).

Two tor Setsaw, Btoymarket (12-17-58);

Cindrella, Coliseum ^12-18-58).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
I Elder Statesman, Cambridge (9-25-58).

flewerint Cherry, Haynarket

‘Music Man’ Tourer Aiiris
1912 Style Xmas Party

San Francisco, Dec. 16. ,

The touring company of “The
Music Man” wiU have an oldfash-
ibned CHiristmas eve celebration
at Lefty O’JDoul’s restaurant here.
The Christmas tree, which will
be sans lights or any other modern.
decorations, will be trimmed sole¬
ly with ornaments of the sort
used in 1912, the year in which
the Meredith Willson musical is
set.

The ornaments are being made
by the company of the tunCr,
which is jiurrent at Frisco’s Cur¬
ran Theatre. One of the perfor¬
mers, Jean Bruno, and her hus¬
band are working on a winter min¬
iature of the show’s main street
setting. The party is being hosted
by Forrest Tucker, who heads the
(iast.

Hylton Rebuts Merrick
Statements About Feud
OuTbimedeMa Tante’

London.

Editor, Variety:

Regarding your recent sto^ about
the situation between David Mer¬
rick and me over the management
of .“La Plume de Ma Tante,” both
John Shubert and Shubert execu¬
tive Jack Small will confirm my
statements about the diffiiculties
over the entry permits and the de-
1 posit for transportation.

Merrick did not discuss the Nov.
11 post-premiere party with me
until Nov. 18, when he agreed to
pay $600, with Joseph Kipness and
I to pay $750 each. Kipness will
verify that. (Variety’s story men¬
tioned the $60(5 figure. — Ed.)

Merrick agreed to terms for the
Royale Theatre, N.Y., on a straight-
play basis, as SmMl will confirm.

^ (Variety’s story reported that the
theatre terms include 30% of the
first $20,000 gross and 25% of the
balance as rental, with various un¬
disclosed conditions and stipula-
tions.^Ed .)

Merrick’s suggested running or-,
der (for the show), which I have
in his handwriting, was revolution-
aiy and in my opinion bound to
fail. (The story reported the con¬
flict in views, and added that both
Merrick and Hylton still insist they
were right. — Ed .)

The $32,000 referred to was
pairtly to cover my having advanced
one week's full salary to ail art¬
ists, and for losses and transporta¬
tion on two weeks’ tryout Rt Ox¬
ford, which I had paid.

Merrick could not. be found to
finalize his verbal acceptance of
my offer to buy him out, and 1
wrote him accordingly.

Arthur Le^er (Robert Dhery’s
agent) has never written me re¬
garding delayed payment of royal¬
ties. Dhery for over two years
has always been paid on the nail.
(Lesser informed the Merrick of¬
fice of having written Hylton
about Dhery’s royalties and of hav¬
ing received an answer from Hyl¬
ton denying any delay in payment.
Variety’s, story reported it. — Ed.)

Jack Hylton,

(Co-producer, “La Plume de Ma
Tante.)

Touring Shows

(Dec. 14-28)

Auntia Mama (Constanca Bennett)—
Erlanaer, Chi (15-27).

Aunfia Mama (Sylvia Sidney)—Victoria,-
K.C. a4-16); Aud., Denver (18-20); layoff
(22-a4}j Moore, Seattle (25-27).

Crazy Octpbar (tryout) (Tallulah Bank-
hea^—Geary, S.F. a5-27) (Reviewed in
variety, Oct 15. *58).

Diary of Anna Frank (Francla Lederer)
—Tower, Atlanta (15-17); Township HaU,.
Ck>lumhia. S.C. (18); Ovens Aud., Char¬
lotte. N.C. (19-20, closes).

LPI Abnar (bus-and-truck)—^Ford’s Balto
(15-M); layoff (22-25); State Fair Music
HaU, Dallas (26-28).

LI'I Abnar (N.Y. Co.)—Her Majesty's.
Montreal (15-20); Royal Alexa^ndra, To¬
ronto (22-27).

Listen to tho Mocking Bird (tryout)
(Eva Le Gallienne, BlUle Burke)—Colonial,
Boston (27).

Look Back In Angar—National. Wash.
(15-27).

Music Man (2d Co.)—Curran. S.F. (15-27).

My Fair Lady (2d Co.)—Shubert, Chi
(15-S?D.

Redhead (tryout) (Gwen Verdon)—Shu¬
bert, New Haven (22-27).

Romanoff and Juliot (Peter Ustinov)—
Blackstone. Chi (15-27).

Shakospaart's Ages of Man (John Glel-
bud)—^Hary , Washinston CoUeue Aud.,
Fredeiickshuru, Va. (15); Carnegie Music
I HaU. Pitt. (16); King PhiUp School Aud..
Hartford, Conn. (18); Senior Highschool
And., Great Neck, N.Y. (19); Lisner Aud.,
Wash. (20, moves to N.Y.).

Starward Ark (tryout)—Shubert. Wash.
(26-27).

Sunrise at Campobello (2d Co.) (Leif
Erickson)—^Royal Alexandra, Toronto (15-
20); Shubert, Det. (22-27).

Third Best Sport (tryout) (Celest'e Holm)
—Lo cust. PhlUy (15-27) (Reviewed in
VARUTTY. Oct. 22. *58).

Two for tho Soasaw (2d Co.) (Ruth
Roman, Jeffrey Lynn)-^hubert. Cincy
(15-20); layoff (22-25); Tbdd. Chi (26-27).

Warm Peninsula (tiyout} (JuUe Harris)
—Hartman, Col. (15-17); layoH 08-25);
Ame rican . St. L. (2^27) (Reviewed In
rVARIETY, Nov, 5, '58>; -

B’way in Pre-Yuk, Strike Dive;
jJ5.’Sma$h30G(6),Old Vic $41300,
101(1 $25J0,‘Gazebo’$14J0 in 7

The odds were against Broadway
last week. Not only were shows
bucking the traditional pre-Christ¬
mas business lull, but they also
liad to struggle through the frame
Without major Metropolitan news¬
paper advertising as a result of
the publication- blackout cued by
the deliverers’ strike.

Business, which was light early
in the week, improved later in the
.session. The pickup, however, was
slight for a number of shows. In
the overall, receipts were down
substantially from the previous
fitoe. The situation is figured to
remain bleak this stanza, particu¬
larly if the strike continues, and
it’s expected that several shows
.will call it quits after the Christ¬
mas-New Year cleanup.

Despite the downbeat trend, b.o.
activity was strong for a few
shows. Sellouts and virtual capac¬
ity entries included “Flower Drum
Song,” “La Plume de Ma Tante,”
“Marriage - Go - Round,” “Music
Man.” “My Fair Lady,” “Pleasure
of His Company,” “World of Suzie
Wong” and the newcomer, “J. B.”

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue),
MC (MusicahComedy), MD (Musi¬
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op-
etta).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices (where
two prices are given, the higher is
for Friday-Saturday nights and the
lower for weeknights), number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal and
5% City tax, but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of taxes.

Bella Are Ringing, Shubert
(MC) (l(14th wk; k 28 p) ($8.05; 1,-
453; $58,101) (Judy HolUday).

Over $41,600. Previous week, $47,-
800. Moved last Monday (15) to
the Alvin. -

Cold Wind and the Warm, Mor-
oscD (D) (1st wk; 8 p) ($6.90; 946;
$37,500) (Eli Wallach, Maureen-
Stapleton). Opened Dec. 8 to two
affirmative reviews (Atkinson,
Times; McClain, Journal-Amer-
ican) and five negative (Aston,
World-Telegram; Chapman, News;
Coleman, Mirror; Kerr, Herald
Tribune; Watts, Post); over $25,-
200 for first eight performances.

Cne for Passion, Miller (D) (3d
wk; 23 p) ($6.90; 946; $32,000)
(Diana Wjmyard, John Kerr). Over
$11,200'. Previous week, $12,500.

Dark at the Top of the Stairs,
Music Box (D) (54th wk; 428 p)
($5.75-$6.90; 1,010; $33,000). Over
$16,009. Previous week, $18,100.
Exits Jan. 17 to tour.

Disenchanted, Coronet (D) (2d
wk; 13 p) ($6.90; 1,101; $35,404)
(Jason Robards, Jr., Rosemary
Harris). Nearly $29,300. Previous
week, $23,100 for first five per¬
formances and one preview.

Flower Drum Song, St. James
(MC) (?d wk; 16 p) $8,05; 1,509;
$62,617). Over $62,600. Previous
week, $62,700 for first eight per¬
formances.

Gazebo, Lyceum (C) (1st wk; 3 p)
($6.90; 995;. $31,000) (Walter

Slezak, Jayne Meadows), Opened
last Friday night (12) to four favor¬
able reviews (Atkinson, Times;
Chapman, News; Kerr, Herald
Tribune; McClain, Journal-Amer-
ican) and one unfavorable (Aston,
World-Telgram) (other reviews
unavailable); nearly $14,800 for
first three performances and four
previews.

Girls in 509, Belasco (C) (9th wk;
69 p) ($5.75-$6.90; 1,037; $33,000)
(Peggy Wood, Imogene Coca).
Nearly $14,700. Previous week,
$21,800,

Goldilocks, Lunt-Fontanne (MC)
(9th wk; 73 p) ($9.90; 1,402; $68,-
843) (Don Ameche, Elaine Stritch).
Over $45,600. Previous week, $61,-
000 with parties.

Jamaica, Imperial (MC) (53d wk;
420 p) ($8.35; 1,427; $63,000) (Lena
Horne, Ricardo Montalbah). Over
$39,600 on twofers. Previous week,
$48,000 on twofers.

J. B., ANTA (D) (1st wk; 4 p)
($6.95; 1,185; $45,892). Opened last
Thursday night (11) to six rave
reviews (Aston, World-Telegram;
Atkinson, Times; Chapman, News;
Kerr, Herald Tribune; McClain,
Journal-American; Watts, Post)
(Mirror review unavailable); over
$30,000 for first four performances
and two previews.

La Plume de Ma Tante, Royale
(R) (5th wk; 39 p) ($7.50; 1,050;

»$ 41 ^^ 000 )^

$41,100 with parties. Previous
week, $39,700 with parties.

Look Homeward, Angel, Barry¬
more (D) (55th wk; 436 p) ($6.90;
1,076; $40,716) (Miriam Hopkins,
Ed Begley). Over $22,000 on two¬
fers. Previous week, $20,400 on
twofers.

Make a Million, Playhouse (C)
(8th wk; 60 p) ($6.90; 996; $36,000)
(Sam Levene). Nearly $19,300.
Previous week, $21,000.

Marriage-Go-Round, Plymouth

(C) (7th wk; 53 p) ($6.90;. 1,062;
$42,000) (Charles Boyer,' Claudette
Colbert). Over $41,200 with parties.
Previous- week, $40,700 with
parties.

Music Man, Majestic (MC) (52d
wk; 412 p) $8.05; 1,626; $68,658)
(Robert Preston). Nearly $69,300.
Previous week, $69,100.

My Fair Lady, Hellinger (MC)
(144th wk; 1,147 p) ($8.05; 1,551;
$68,210) (Edward Mulhare, SaUy
Ann Howes). Steady at $69,400.

Old Vic, Broadway (Rep) (1st wk;
8 p) ($6; 1,900: $59,000). Opened
five-week run Dec. 9 to four favor¬
able notices (Aston, World-Tele¬
gram; Crist, Herald Tribune; Mc¬
Clain, Journal - American; Watt,
News) and one unfavorable (Atkin¬
son, Times) (other reviews unavail¬
able); almost $47,300 for first eight
performances of “Twelfth Night.”
“Hamlet” is this week’s bill.

Once More With Feeling, Na¬
tional (C) (8th wk; 63 p) ($6.90;
1,162; $43,000) (Joseph Cotten. Ar¬
lene Francis). Almost $35,500.
Previous week, $41,300 with par¬
ties.

Pleasure of His Company, Long-
acre (C) (8th wk; 61 p) ($6.90; 1,101;
$36,800) (Cyril Ritchard, Cornelia
Otis Skinner, Charlie Ruggles,
W'alter Abel). Nearly $36,100 with
parties. Previous week, $35,700
with parties.

Say, Darling, Beck (MC) (37th
wk; 292 p) ($7.50; 1,280; $46,000)
(Eddie Albert, Vivian Blaine, John¬
ny Desmond). Over $25,400. Pre¬
vious week, $31,200 at the ANTA,

Shadqw of a Gunman, Bijou (D)
(4th wk; 28 p) ($5.75-$6.90; 599;
$20,400). Over $7,300. Previous
week, $10,306.

' Sunrise at Campobello, Cort (D)
(46th wk; 364 p) ($6.90; 1.155; $37,-
500) (Ralph B^lamy). Over $35,-
600. Previous week, $35,500.

Touch of the Poet, Hayes (D)
(11th wk; 84 p) .($7.50; 1,139; $43,-
067) (Helen Hayes, Eric Portman,
Kira Stanley, Betty Field). Nearly
$40,400 with parties. Previous
week, $41,600 with parties.

Two for the Seesaw, Booth (CD)
(48th wk; 380 p) ($6.90; 780; $31,-
700) (Dana Andrews, Anne .Ban¬
croft). Over $26,100. Previous
week, $30,100.

West Side Story, Winter Garden
(MD) (64th wk; 508 p) ($87(15; 1,404;
$63,203). Over $38,900. Previous
week, $43,400.

World of Suzie Wong, Broadhurst

(D) (9th wk; 71 p) ($6.90; 1,214;
$46,500). Over $45,800 with par¬
ties. Previous week, $45,700 with
parties.

Miscellaneous

Power and the Glory, Phoenix
(D) (1st wk; 7 p) ($4.60; 1.150; $29,-
382). Opened last Wednesday (10).
to one rave (Atkinson, Times) and
one yes-nj) (Kerr, Herald-Tribune)
(other reviews unavailable). Al¬
most $10,300 for first seven per¬
formances.

v^CPicd Last Week

Drink to Me Only, 54th St. (C)
(loth wk; 77 p) ($5.75; 1,218; $36,-
000). Almost $11,()00. Previous
week, $14,400: Closed last Satur¬
day (13) at an approximate loss of
its entire $100,000 investment.

Edwin Booth, 46th St. (D) (3d wk;
24 p) $6.90; 1,297; $45,672) (Jose
Ferrer). Almost $6,000. Previous
week, $10,400. Closed last Satur¬
day (13) at an approximate loss of
$ 120 , 000 .

SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS

(Theatres Set)

BROADWAY

Wheep*Up, Shubert (12-22-58).

Cemdfn Jk Green, Golden (12-23-58).

Shakeipeere't Ages, 46th St. (12-28-58).

Third Best Sport, Ambassador (12-30-58).

Legend ef Linie, 54th St. (wk. 1-26-59).

Resheihen, Music Box (1-27-59).

Requiem for e Nun, Golden (1-28-59).

Redhead, 46th St. (2-5-59).

MaidrHy of One, Barrymore (2-11-59).

Rivalry, Bijou (2-12-59).

First ImprOMiens, Alvin (3-12-59).

OFF-BROADWAY

Many Loves, Living Theatre (12-21-58).

Mr. President, IT r4th St. (12-26-58).

Failures, 4th St. (12-29-58).

King Lear, Players (12-29-58).

Sh* Shall Have Music, Actors (1-6-59).

On the Town, Gamete 0-15-59).

Caligula, Phoenix (1-20-59). .

cr:<CleeHiHt iir>B)ee4s/-Shes>idan^e(a-464».

Wednesday, DecemBer 1?, 195S

PSkiBTf

75

L:

■ ONG a mecca to theater-
m J goers, the fabulous new ST^
JAMES Theater is the. epitome of design
and decor in the theme of tomorrow.
Breathtaking degance and functional
beauty are the keynotes—fitting welcome
to Broadway’s smash-hit arrival, Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s “THE FLOWER
DRUM SONG.”

The year’s biggest smash hit—
Theatre Air Conditioning by

CONTROLLED WEATHER

In this atmosphere of quiet luxury,
CONTROLLED WEATHER designed and
installed 123 tons of WORTHINGTON.
Air Conditioning together with all year-
round automatic Indoor weather, conhrol.
This modern system now provides
both audience comfort and performer
proficiency.

WORTHINGTON

Converting an antiquated ice-cake cool*
ing plant into a modern air conditioning
system within the original theater frame¬
work was not without unique problems.
Installation of large and varied equipment
to meet individual area requirements,
limited space facilities, special acoustical
demands, were but some of the com¬
plexities involved. The CONTROIlLED
WEATHER system not Only remained
'mthin budgetary boundaries, but provided
maximum engineered economy in both
installation and operating efficiency.

EXCLUSIVE DESIGN FEATURES:

® THEATER AREA —ControlFeJ' eomfbrf ' condl-
iiont ail yaor wend — Hof only during summer
cooling ieasoR.^

Sound TseUHon diambnfs TnsfnHed for. lOOlC
•iiminaflDn of compressor nolset.

SpocfaJIy leUcfod elr di.fTaseri fo giv# noiso<fr«e
and proper elr dlstribuiion In low ceiltng bef-

• DRESSING ROOMS— Zoned. yeer-round elr

condifiening ind ventileHon fe mainfein hoelihy
environmenf end eliminmto offensive odort wbtie
performers work and dress.

• PROJECTION BOOTH AND DIMMER
CONTROL AREAS— Belenc. of proper oxbeus^

vtiiiileti«ir end conditioned eir to permit porsoBitoi
fo function In th# fee# of otherwis# IntoUreblo
120* heef.

• SMOKING PROMENADE—Quick .xheu*t to

•liiojnefo completely imoko end odors generated
during Intermissions.

OTHER theater INSTALUTIONS:

• Colonial Theater-Boston, Mass.

•. Shubert Theater-Philadelphia, Pa.

• CBS-Major Radio & TV Facilities

New York, N.Y.

Ow ■ogfaeBrit focUMot «« ot y««r forvko ft
diseoso mi. plwi UrM yo* yoer loxt oir coedMoalef
pro|ocr.

Coll colloci or write todayl
TRaMgar 9-3580

SL JAMES THEATER .

Is Owiod ud Oporertod ¥y
JUJAMCYM AMttSadEKT
QDRPOtATfON
SAMUIL H. SCHWARTZ, fmu
FREDERICK FOX Tbootor Doslgotr

Controlled Weather

ENGMEEREO MR CORDITIORIRG ARt NEATIRG SYSTEMS

76

LEGimiATE

VedneBday, December 17, 1956

CASTING NEWS

Folloviing are avaHahle parts in upcoming Broaciway, off-Broad-
tcay, touring, industrial and television shovjs. All information, has
been obtained directly by the Variety Casting Department by tele¬
phone calls, and has been rechecked as of noon yesterday {Tues.).

The available roles will be repeated weekly until filled, and addi¬
tions to the list will he made only when information is secured from
responsible parties^ The intention is to service performers with leads
promded by the managements of the shows involved rather than to
run a lengthy list of blind items.

In addition to. the available parts listed, the tabulation includes pro¬
ductions announced for later this season, but, for which, the manage^
ments, as yet, aren't holding open casting calls. Parenthetical designa¬
tions are as follows: (C) Comedy, (D) Drama, (MC) Musical Comedy,
(MD) Musical Drama, (Rep) Repertory, {DR) Dramatic Reading.

Lloyd Richard. Available parts (all-
! Negro); Sidney Poitier’s; .son»
‘ 10; African male college stu¬
dent, 24; female, 40-60; man, 35-50.

Three Against Time (D)—produc¬
ers, Tad Danielewski & Morris
Feld. . Available parts; cul¬
tured well-built American general;
General’s wife. 45,. submissive,
quiet, dominated by husband;
young,energetic businessman and
pretty, restless, discontented wife;
retired professor, old, but still
bright and alive; efficient, relaxed
Government official, 40-45; two
servants, either authentic, Indians
or of American-Indian descent;
sandy blonde eight-year-old girl,
vigorous, bright; scholarly nine-
year-old boy. (Mail photo and
resume to production assistant
Jeanette Kamins, 234 W. 44th St.,
Suite 702).

BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

Destry (MC) — Producer, David
Merrick, 246 W. 44th St.; director,
Michael Eadd; casting director, Ed¬
uard Fuller. Available parts; dark,
handsome villain; various western
types. MaU photo and resume.

“Faster, Faster” (CD), by Wil¬
liam Marchant; producer, Carmen
Capalbo; casting director. Chuck
Smith, JU 2-1596-1597. Available
parts; second male lead, 21-22 ap¬
pearance, over 5-feet, 10-inch
height, rugged build, dark, hand¬
some; featured smaller role, hand¬
some Negro, upder 30, successful
pop entertainer, Billy Eckstine
type.

Gay Felons (C) Producers.
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey
Jones (36 CPS). Director, Shep¬
ard Traube. Available parts:
male lead, 40-50, Frenchman,
quiet, authoritative; male, 45-55,
short, stocky, loveable sot, hen¬
pecked: about 12 assorted comics,
40-60; femme, 35-40, attractive,
, quiet, warm, sensitive; male lead,
'25 handsome, romantic. (Send photo
and resume to producers). Re¬
hearsals start Jan. 5.

New Faces of '59. Producer
Leonard Sillman & Frank Produc¬
tions, 17 E. 79th St. ■ Mail photo
and resume to producers. Don’t
phone.

Raisin in the Sun (D)—^producer
Philip Rose & David J. Cogan (157
W. 57th St., Cl 5-2255); director.

OUT OF TOWN

(Parts Available)

♦‘Magic Horn,” children’s show,
to tour. Producer, Equity Library
Theatre; director, Lee Foley. Cast¬
ing: Equity members only (bring
membership cards), apply 7-9:30
p.m., Dec. 18-19, at Golford’s Re¬
hearsal Studios, 1697 Broadwav.
Rehearsals, Jan. 8-Feb. 6. Parts
available (children’s shows and
^ Shakespeare experience required^
[.leading femme, 5'-4", character,
I regal, charm (also doubles as fol-
■ lowing part); sorceress, menacing,
some dancing; male, about 6',
cliaractor, emperor, warm quality;
male, 5-6" to 5'-9", about 15,
straight juvenile, handsome, some
fencing and dancing; male, same

■ GALA OPENING Tues. Evg. at 8 P.M.
Special Sunday Perfs. Dec. 28 siti
I HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY!

THREE

WEEKS

ONLY!

1

I The Theafre Guild

presents

with

BETTY ADOLPH

COMDEN... GREEN

Performing their own^comedy and musical numbersi

'TAey’ie unique. It’s a combination of charm and
madnoss. It’s a toal troat .. . liko boing at a

wondorfvt party!” . — JOSHUA logXn

"Botty end Adolph havo always been (end ere still)
my favorlfo divorslon In lifol” LEONARD *BERNSTEIN

^BrllJiantr —GENE KEUY

froducod by tpocial arrangomont, end in association with Town Predudiontf Inc.
I Assoeleto frbdueor nAHK nnr

tva$. ITvti. Hifv Sun. •! t:45J $5.75, 4.00, $.45, i.OO, 2.30.

Men. (Set. entf Sun. «t 2:451 %d.0S^.9.», 2.tO, 2.30; r.75.

I GOU)E^ TjHIATRI of iroa^Ryj

physical requirements, but petu¬
lant, spoiled; femme, 5'-6''-5'-8",
pretty, regal, appealing (doubles,
as following part); enchantress,
same requirements, good dancer^
lyric singer; male, 5-10" to 6',
about 50, straight character, regal
manner, kindly.

BUFFALO

Melody Fair, musical tent. Office
at Wurlitrer Store, 674 Main St.,
Buffalo. Pre-season auditions there
for singers, Saturday, Jan. 3, from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applicants must
be at least 18. years old, prepared
to sing one of three musical com¬
edy selections of own choice, avail¬
able for contract throughout the
summer.

FUTURE SHOWS

Ariadne Sc the Concrete Duck

(O—producer, Howard Erskine (56
W. 45th St., OX 7-9620).

Far Away the Train-Birds Cry
(CD)—^producer, Louis d’Almeida
(480 Lexington. Ave., JU 2-8115).

Gypsy (MC)—producers, David
Merrick & Leland Hayv'ard (246 W.
44th St., LO 3-0830).

Let’s Go Steady (MC)—producer
Edward Padula (1501 Broadway,
LA 4-4860).

Madonna and Child (C)—^pro¬
ducer, Guthrie McCLintic (1270
6th Ave., Cl 7-5152).

Rivalry (DR)—^producers, Cheryl
Crawford & Joel Schenker (49 W.
45th St., JU 2-3466), in association
with Actors Studio Inc.

The Poker‘Game (C)—^Producer,
Norman Forman (106 CPS).

SHOWS IN REHEARSAL

BROADWAY

Daarlin’ Man (M). Producers,
Playwrights Co. and Oliver Smith
(745 Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500).

Listen to the Mocking Bird (C).
Producers, Playwrights. Co., 745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500.

Majority of One (D). Producers,
Theatre Guild. (27 W. 53d St.,
CO 5-6170) and DOre Schary.,
Redhead (MC>. Producers, Rob¬
ert Fryer & Lawrence Carr, 234
W. 44th St., LA 4-2844.

Rashomon (D). Producers. David
Susskind & Hardie Smith, 444
Madison Ave., PL 3-1030.

Requiem for a Nnn (D). Theatre :
Guffd (27 W. 53d St., CO 5-6170)'
and Richard Myers. ■

Starward Ark (CD). Producer,
Eddie Dowling, c/o Thomas
Sweeny, 137 W. 48th St.

Tall Story (C), Producers, Em¬
mett Rogers and Robert Weiner
(234 W. 44th St., LA 4-5037).

OFF-BROADWAY
Failures (D). Producers, David
Ross & Lore Note, 4th St. Theatre,
83 E. 4th St.

man; director, James MacAllen.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration. Nat Greenblatt (524 W.
57th St.).

Lawrence Welk show (Plymouth
Motors), ABC-TV — Seeking teen¬
age vocal and instrumental per¬
formers for guest appearances or
as permanent band members. Sub¬
mit disk or tape (home-recorded
acceptable) of wellknown pop or
standard numbers, plus recent
photo, short biographical summary.
Address Plymouth Show, ABC
Studio, Hollywood, or 2623 Santa
Monica blvd., Santa Monica.

Look Up Sc Live, religious-
dramatic, CBS. Executive pro¬
ducer, Pamela lUott; producer.
Jack Kuney; casting, Marc Merson,
524 W. 57th St. Casting from
files. Mail photo and resume.

Dela McCarthy Assoc., 515 Mad¬
ison Ave. Casting, Colin D’Arcy.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration.

National Screen Service, 1600
Broadway. Casting, Carl Carbone.
Submit photo and composite for
consideration.

Sarra, Inc., 200 E. 56th St.; cast¬
ing, Helen Heeht. Seeking new
faces, personalities; casting from
files; mail photo and resume.

Schwarte Sc Luskin, talent agents
for commercials.' 15 E. 48th St.,
N.Y. Will consider photo and
resume of narrators and modern
dancers, preferably new faces.
Mail only.

“Stakeout,” 36 half-hour films;
shooting starts about Jan. 19 in
Florida, Producer, Screen Gems,
711 Fifth Ave., 2d fl.; casting,
Nancy Littlefield. All leads, ex¬
perience required. Apply through
agents only.

The Verdict Is Yours, unre¬
hearsed courtroom dramas. CBS;
producer, Eugene Burr; director,
Byron Paul; casting contact, Liam
Bunn, CBS. 524 W. 57th St. (do not
phone). No open casting; aU' done
from files. Submit photo and res¬
ume for consideration.

WRCA-TV, (30 RockefeUer
Plaza, N.Y. 20), accepting appli¬
cations for auditions for all gen¬
eral talent, except dramatic actors,
alternate Tuesdays. Apply by mail
to “Open Auditions.”.

“Parrish,” adaptation of Mildred
Savage novel. Producer, Warner
Bros.-Joshua Logan. Available: title
ro!e, 18-22, about 6 ft., medium
build, handsome, an “unknown”
actor. Mail, photo and resume to
producer-director Logan, c/o War¬
ners,' 666 Fifth Ave., N.Y.

King Lear (D). Producer, Players j
Theatre, 115 MacDbugal St. , j > m ii i 1.2 If J

OB the To^^wc) Producer,, Daody, Deathwatco Had

Nancy Nugent Crawford (40 W. i ^

55th St., Cl 5-2815).

She Shall Have Miisic (MC). Pro¬
ducers, Stuart Bishop. Dede Meyer
and Edwin West (72 Perry St.,

CH 3-6728).

SIGNED

BROADWAY

A Piece of the Blue Sky: Rose¬
mary Murphy.*

Golden. Fleecing: Hal March.

Starward Ark; Freddi Chandler
(succeeding Elizabeth Allen).

Tall Story: Wayne Tippit, Charles
Robinson Jr.

OFF-BROADWAY

Failures: Dean Lyman Almquist,
Robert Downey-Elias, Carmine
Pontilena.

She Shall Have Music: Kaarlyn
Kitch, Honey Sanders, Edgar Dan¬
iels, Barbara Pavell, Terry Davis,
Larry Webber, Shedge Miller, Law¬
rence Chelsi, Rudy <Tronto, Ray
Morrissey, Pat Tolson, Lillian
Bozinoff, Peggy Anne Watson, Bar¬
bara Quaney, Rhoda Levine, Irene
Perri, Michael Aubrey.

Television

CBS-TV, 524 W. 57th St. Holding
a few auditions for variety and
dramatic actors. Mail photo and
resume, plus letter requesting ap¬
plication, to Nat Greenblatt.

Camera Three, educational,
drama, CBS; producer, John Mc-
Giffert. Submit photo and resume
for consideration. Nat Greenblatt
(524 W. 57th St.).

Fuller, Smith Sc Ross ad agency,
230 Park Ave. Casting director,
Ronnie Schlueter. MaU photo and
resunie.

Grey Advertising, 430 Park Ave.
Casting, Jim Kaye. Submit photo
and resume by maU only.

I, filmed on location—CBS; pro¬
ducer, Gilbert Ralston; casting
through Marc .Merson; address by
mail only, Barbara Tuck, CBS, 524
57th St, AvaUable parts; un¬
usual types, interesting faces, good
physical conditions, wUl consider
applicant having-had odd occupa¬
tions. Submit photo ahd resiunO.

Lamp Unto My Feet, religious

0rama, CBS; producer, Don KeHacii Tibfyilrjp. NiYi

$25,000 Loss Off-B’way

The recent off-Broadway closings
of Jean Genet’s “Deathwatch” and
Sean O’Casey’s “Cock-a-Dqodle
Dandy” represented a combined
loss of approximately $25,000. The
O’Casey play was financed at $20,-
000, while the Genet drama in¬
volved an investment of about $5,-
000. It’s figured both shows drop¬
ped their entire capitalization.

“Deathwatch,” produced by Leo
Garen, Stanley Greene and Neil
B. Smith, ran 10 weeks at Theatre
East. “Dandy,” produced by Lu¬
cille Lortel, Paul Shyre and How¬
ard Gottfried, ran four weeks at
the Carnegie Hall Playhouse. Both
plays closed Dec. 7.

ACLU-Staie Dept.

Continued from page 71
supported, by the U. S. . * . be care¬
fully examined.” The reply did not
offer the reason for the ban,
however.

Referring to reports that Ker¬
shaw had attended the now-defunct
California Labor School, which had
been listed by the Subversive Ac¬
tivities Control Board, the ACLU
protest declared, “If this is true,
it only compounds the original
error. We fail to see the relevancy
of such attendance—^the circum¬
stances are not known—to the job
of stage managing a theatrical
group. That such a job is ‘sensitive’
and endangers the national security
would be advancing the concept
of security to fantasy.”

The State Dept, action against
Kershaw was taken only a few days
before the Frisco group’s departure
to present its production of “Wait¬
ing for Godot” at ■ the - Brussels
World’s Fair. It offered no ex¬
planation at the time or subse¬
quently, but merely'indicated Ker¬
shaw was “unacceptable” to make,
the trip. The stage manager was
in New York at the time, ^as the
Coast group was presenting
Godot” .at the off-Broadway York

Hudson Theatre

Continued from page 71
St. and extends through to 44th
St., with large doors In the back
wall providing access directly to
the street for taking scenery, cos¬
tumes and props in and out. The
house seats 1,017, including 498
on the floor, 264 on the balcony
and 255 on the second balcony.
The building is air-conditioned
(chemical system), has an unusu¬
ally large lobby, storage facilities
in the basement, with office space
and residential apartments on the
top'two floors.

Although the capacity is limited
for regular legit use, the Hudson
has always been rated a desirable
theatre because of its location on
44th St., just off Broadway, and
the fact that it has the backstage
access on 45th St., plus the com¬
modious lobby and upstairs office
space. Even with the modest capac¬
ity, it’s figured especially suitable
for a repertory or stock setup.

NBC, which has an extended
lease from the Shifcerts on the
Century Theatre, recently sublet
the former legif house to a tape¬
recording firm. The 54th Street,
fornierly the Adelphi, recently re¬
verted to legit after several years’
occupancy by ABC as a tele studio.

CHRISTMAS

DINNER

FOR SALE

SHUBERT and COX THEATRES

III Ciaciniiari, Ohio

BLACKSTONE THEATRE

and Imm of

GREAT NORTHERft THEATRE

In Chicago, Illinois

to purchasars intandins to usa tha
property bought as Legitlmato
, Thaatras.

Reply fo Box V-8058-5f. Yarloty,
154 W. 46th Sr., Now York 36

Expert Typing and
Secretarial Services

SPECIALTY
SCRIPTS — PLAYS
TV or B*WAY

Producors*. Corrospondoneo
Mimoographlng

ALICE ZINSER
730 Fifth Avo., N.Y.C. (ot.57th St.)
JUdsoa 2-3561

LIT MI SUBMIT on ptreanfago,
original thoughts that can ba buti-
nait ttlmulantf< Poiitblo rssultt—
work, epanlng of closed thaatras,
publicity and sales. For clubs, pro-
.dueart, singari and sports.

J. Sorfoa, Box 4771, Towsom 4, Md.
■bdi-i UoT ■ S

Vcdiie§dgy, December 17 y 1958 '

UTERATI

77

Literati

‘Life’s* Tiptop Show Biz Issue

Dec. 22 issue of Life mag, annual
special which retails at 35c and
stays on the npwstands for two-
weeks, gives show biz a loving val¬
entine. Taking a generally roseate
view of the entertainment indus¬
try, Life put on its gayest colors
and some of its most artistic four-
color spreads in the 200-page issue.

This tour-de-force of show tousi-
ness, which has developed into one
of the more important domestic
industries and probably the gaudi¬
est export, takes virtually all
phases into accoimt. ^ It has also
taken in some subjects, which
aren’t exactly for. the family trade,
such as the lush painting depicting
Storyville sporting house done on
a page which folds out into another
half-page. It’s in the section which
traces jazz from its beginnings.
Perhaps some of the most decorous
artwork is in the section on Mari¬
lyn Monroe. The picture of Miss
Monro?*depicting Lillian Russell is
one of the artiest of the color
pages. Arthur Miller’s comments
are of especial interest in this
matter.

There are some gag spreads such
as the reactions to a single laugh
on the Ed SuUivan show by Ricky
Lane. Photographers were on hand
in many points to record the
chuckles generated In that one
instant. Whether it’s worth five
pages is problematical. There’s a
nitery spread on the Las Vegas
Stardust show, of which there is
no nuder in the U. S.,* a long fea¬
ture on Dean Martin; a disserta¬
tion on legit, with Walter Kerr
doing an outside piece. Ballet by
Balanchine; a discourse of the film
Industry; show biz in Texas; opera,
symphony, ice and water shows
and what have you. There are
some thoughtful observations and
a lot of froth. But overall, this Life
issue is a standout from viewpoint
of editorial excellence and typo¬
graphical splendor. Jose.

Greek Poetry at $10

M. -Lincoln Schuster {Simon &)
hosted a “21” Club soiree last night
(Tues.) in honor of Kimon Friar,
translator. of Greek poet Nikos
Kazantzakis’ 824-page “The Odys¬
sey; A Modem Sequel,” which got
the lead reviews in the N.Y. Sun¬
day Times and Trib a week ago,
ditto in Time, Saturday Review,
etc., and is a trade fooler because
of its bestseller potentials.

Mrs, Schuster first brought the
original Greek text to the publisher
from Athens and she was the co-
honor guest with translator Friar,

25 ‘Obscene* Mags In Cincy

Racks of Cincinnati magazine
dealers have b*een cleared of 25
publications branded by police as
^‘obscene and objectionable” under
a city ordinance.

Removal of the banned literature
was ordered by Vice Squad Lt. Carl
Lind. It followed conviction in
Municipal Court of Joseph L. Mar¬
shall, head of a magazine distribut¬
ing firm servicing 2,000 dealers in
the Cincy area, on an obscene lit¬
erature charge. Sentence was' de¬
layed pending a hearing of Mar¬
shall’s appeal.

Marshall, according to his at¬
torney, decided to quit handling
the questionable magazines.

‘Obscenity* Acquittal

Acquittal in Fresno of book pub¬
lisher Sanford Aday, charged w.ith
using the mails for obscene litera¬
ture, bias considerable significance
because of line of defense adopted
by Aday’s attorney, Stanley Fleish¬
man of Los Angeles. Trial ended
last week in an acquittal on one
count and a hung jury on two
others, with the jury 9-to-3 in
Aday’s favor on the latter two
counts.

Fleishman’s defense was based
on the same contention he used
successfully earlier this, year in
getting the L. A. Vagabond Thea¬
tre, an art house, off on a similar
charge. He based his attack in both
cases on the Supreme Court’s de¬
cision of last year that “contenv
porary communitj^ standards,” not
arbitrary and unyielding rules, de¬
termine. what is “obscene.”

Titles of the books on trial,
“Rambling Maids,” “The Strange
Three’’ and “Turbulent Daugh¬
ters,” are obvious indication that
they were no great shakes literar-
ily. Fleishman did not contend
they were. He..only contended that
their sex passages were acceptable
by “contemporary community
standards,” hence not law-break¬
ing. - - -

Fleishman also used technique
of “expert witnesses,’* something
he did in the Vagabond case ear¬
lier this year, including L. A.
Times hOok editor,’ Robert Kirsch,
also a psychologist,'a'^^chiatiist
ana others*^ -. • ^

presided. The case originally was
brought against 11 books, eight of
which were thrown out in prelimi¬
naries. Technically, the case could
be brought again against those two
which resulted in hirng juries, but
it’s unlikely, considering the sen¬
timent of the jury.

Updated Catch-PHrase
Re the newspaper shutout In
Gotham with the-hungry-for-news
print accent on such as the N. Y.
Enquirer (Swiftly converted to a
“for duration” daily from weekly),
the Hobo News, et al., an o-bserver
of the scene thought the old slogan
should now read:

“In Philadelphia—and New York
—nearly everybody reads The
Bulletin.”

" Macmillan’s New Plant
The $2,000,000 plant of the Mac¬
millan Co., on a 22-acre tract ad¬
joining Riverside, N. J., was for¬
mally opened last week and will
provide space for the 10-15,000,000
books published, by the firm.

It Is set up to handle an average
of 2,000 orders a day from the com¬
pany’s 7,500 "active titles in four
major groups—educational, college
& medical, religious, trade & tech¬
nical and juvenile. Last year, the
firm did a book biz of $16,500,000.

George P. Brett Jr,, president,
said the Jersey site was selected
because it was the “bibliographic
center” of the nation. Brett and
other brass showed visitors around.

*New Yorker’ Ups Diwy

New Yorket may declared a
special year-end dividend of $2 a
share on common stock and also
raised the quarterly rate to 50c.
Payments of dividends on Friday,
Dec. 19 will bring total distribu¬
tions this year to $3.70 a share.

Last year the mag paid four
quarterly dividends of 40c each
and year-end extra of $1.60, mak¬
ing a total of $3,20 a share.

CHA'TTER

Werbel Publishing Co. Inc. au¬
thorized to conduct business in
Hernpstead, L.I.

Bookfield House Inc. authorized
to conduct a printer’s and pub¬
lisher’s business in New York, c/o
International Arts & Science.

Richard Huhler’s novel, “The
Shattering of the Image,” to be
published by Duell, Sloan & Pearce
next year has for its central figure
a producer character, said to have
been present “at the birth and
death of Hollywood.”

Eugene Lewis, DaUas Times
Herald assistant amusements
editor, named music critic, fol¬
lowing the resignation of Dr. Jack
F, Kilpatrick. On the same p.m.
daily Don Safran, nitery revieweri
this week starts a. daily pillar,
“Show Biz,” in which he’ll cover
all facets of local entertainment.

‘West Side Sfory*

SSS 5 Continued from page 71

and acrobatic of all these epics
from Broadway.” In the same
paper, show columnist Edward
Goring said, “With a punch like a
knuckle duster it knocked spots
off *My Fair Lady’ as the first night
of 1958.”

Alan Dent in the News Chroni¬
cle admitted his defenses were
down. “Electrifying is not a word
that crops up more than once in
10 years, if that, in this writer’s
vocabulary,” he. wrote. “But no
other word is adequate for the
immediate effect of a show so bril¬
liantly produced, danced, sung and
acted.”

Dick Richards in the Daily
Mirror described it as an explosive
musical and one which lived up
to its reputation magnificently. “It
Is probably the starkest ever
dreamed up,” he commented. W.
A .Darlington in the .Daily Tele¬
graph described it as the most
original musical from America,
while the Times reviewer rated it
a “very exciting” show.

Maria Gallas

Continued from page 1

ment in Carnegie Hall on Jan. 27
than marked CaB^’ tension-
haunted Met debut of October,
1956 in “Norma.”

Partisans of the six-year old
American Opera Society, which
seUs out six months in advance on;
a policy of; opera without cos¬
tumes, scenery and'swordplay, are
jhiaking the most of^he .Ca^j

fub/rsAtr

Kenneth S. Giniger

flirt kit Intrci-frflck p«rtp«ctivfl on

The Day the Books
Stopped
* * *

eht of the many Editorial Foaturo
In tho upcoming

53d Anniversary Number
of

date. Oxenberg & Co. are frankly
betting on “The Star” as such,
countering the Rudolf Bing Met
policy of art-without-temperament.

Meantime the Callas engagement
tops the success curve of an opera;
society that two N.Y.U. students,
Oxenberg and conductor Arnold
Gamson, started, while still iU j
college, on $160 capital and the
shimmering audacity of youthful
energy. Out-growing Town HaU,
now regularly ensconced in Car¬
negie, the society has specialized in
reviving seldom-heard great works.
Following Bellini’s “I Capuletti Ed
I Montechhi” earlier this season,!
the Italic mezzo, Giulietta Sim-j
lonato, was signed for the Met
next year. Eileen Farrell, the ,
familiar radio soprano, has had a j
U.S. vogue in "Medea” since it and
she were presented at Carnegie;
Gloria Davy, the Negro soprano,
has also since gone to the Met as
has Inge Borkh following society
appearances.

Next season the American Opera
Society will present all-new pro¬
ductions, hot using prior season
offerings as untB now necessary.
To meet this manpower burden
conductor Arnold Gamson will al-!
temate with other conductors. . j

‘Booth’and‘Drink*

Contin.ued from page 71

Ferrer insisted on continuing the
play beyond its initial week in
New York. Ferrer, w'ho was
doubled as star and'director, took
over as sole sponsor of the MBtoh
Geiger play.

According to producer-realtor
Roger L. Stevens, a member of the
Playwrights, the. contract with
Ferrer limits the Playwrights obli¬
gation to its original $75,000 in¬
vestment. The cost of opening the
show on Broadway was around
$110,000, or $35,000 more than al¬
legedly covered in the agreement,
and there’s understood to be a
difference of opinion as to who’s
responsible for the additional
amount. Ferrer is figured to have
dropped another $10,000 after as¬
suming full responsibility for the
production.

“Drink,” written by Abram S.
Glnnes and Ira Wallach, w'as pre¬
sented by George Ross, in associa -1
tion with John Robert -Lloyd.
George Abbott, who directed the
comedy was nominal producer.

‘Mame’ in Seattle

Contintied from page 71 i .

even on the deal, “Mame” must
gross about $114,000 in the 23-
performance spread. They expect
to better that figure, but say
they’re prepared to lose $5,000 or
$6,000 on the arrangement. In any
case, they have little choice, as
they sold a 15-event stage season
at reduced prices with “Mame”
as the come-on attraction. The,
advance sale on the Seattle series
was about $60,000.

The $73,500 guarantee to New
York producers Charles Bowden,
Richard Barr & H. Ridgely Bullock
Jr. covers operating and traveling
costs of the company for the five-
city engagements. Volchock and
Engerxnan had to put up the coin
when the producers cancelled the
scheduled booking on which the
local subscription season had been
built

Originally, “Mame” was to have
come here last spring, and Vol-
chock ^d Engerman launched an
ambitious publicity buildup, but
the scheduled date was cancelled.
This time, with a whole subscrip¬
tion aeries hanging in the balance,
the local management saved the
situation by putting up the guar-'

ii SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK i

* 0 By Frank Scully ‘

Hollywood, Dec. 16.

Though “appeasement’! is still a dirty word among the cliches of
contemporary politicians (who commit more compromises every day
than the Victorians did in a lifetime), Hollywood has found that smok¬
ing the calumet is ah excellent means of survival. In conceding that
youth must be served, producers have managed some face-saving by
holding seasoned chefs and waiters to do the serving.

It is working out fine. You couldn’t get a better example of it than
a current 20th-Fox release called ‘Mardi Gras.” Eddie Goulding, its
director, was acting and writing and directing when most of the fath¬
ers of the stars of “Madi Gras” were in diapers.

If life is more ah accumulation of experiences than of calendar
years, Jerry ■Wald,„too, the producer, though actually only 48 come
next Jan. 16, is older than Barney Baruch, and possibly richer too.
He had his hand in gangster films in the long hot summers of the ’30s.
And none of his current crop of stars was even born yet when as radio
critic-gossip of the old N.Y. Graphic he was feuding with Rudy~Val-
lee, a radio star and $10,000-a-week bandleader for a two-cent cake
of yeast.

Better Than Oil or Housing?

The skill with which these old generals in the grand army of enter¬
tainment maneuvered Pat Boone, Tommy Sands, Gary Grosby, Rich¬
ard Sargent, Christine Garere, Barrie Chase, Sherry North and Jen¬
nifer West through the primrose paths leading from Lexington, Va.,
to New Orleans, La., and its “Mardi Gras” is comforting proof that
Hollywood studios do not have to go in for oil weUs or housing mod¬
ern cUff-dwellers in order to show their stockholders that entertain-r
ment is still a profitable business.

Actually, Edmund Goulding is old enough to be bucking for social
security, for he was born in 1891, and was a headliner in English vari¬
ety houses when Teddy Roosevelt w'as Prez. In fact, he was acting from
the age of 12 and before the First World War, when in his early 20s,
he was writing,and directing West End plays.

Looking over a bombed-out world, he packed all his troubles in an
old kit bag and hit out for Broadway. He wrote “Fury” and also “Danc¬
ing Mothers.” They drew enough acclaim to be heard in Hollywood and
he soon found himself gathered in their loving arms as a writer of
originals, which were used frequently in those days. He also did some
tol’able adaptations, “Peacock Alley,” “Broadway Rose” and “Tol’able
David” among them. “Tol’able David” catapulted Richard Barthel-
mess among the top stars and didn’t do badly by Goulding either.

Goulding’s Moon Picture

Irving Thalberg lured him to Metro and there he directed “Sally,
Irene and Mary,” “Sun Up,” “Paris” and one whose title made a sim¬
ple declarative but non-controversial sentence. It was called “Women
Love Diamonds.” He even directed Douglas Fairbanks in “Reaching
For the Moon.” By 1958 nobody had reached it yet, though the Army’s
efforts alone would have eaten up all the profits Hollywood ever made
out of these lunar yens.

Of course, Goulding’s biggies in that era were “Grand Hotel” and
“Riptide.” After that he had his ups and downs, but that mountain
of know-how has proved once again that there are precious few sub¬
stitutes for experience.

There are those who may say that with a cast of Pat Boone, Tommy
Sands and Gary XJroSby, who together total only a few years more
than Goulding all by his stalwart self, how could you lose?

But hep guys in the field of entertainment know that names may
make news but of themselves do not make pictures. Even if 18 mil¬
lion Pat Boone records have been sold since 1955, that wouldn’t bring
18 million picturegoers out of their homes today if he W'eren’t in a
good picture.

In fact, the only seasoned oldtimer in this cast of mature moppets
is Fred (jlark, an old pro, as a go-getting studio p.a. with the ethics
of a used-car peddler, and if he ever gives a bad performance that
will he news.

The writers, too, on this Wald production have been around a fairly
long time. Hal Kanter, of course, made his outstanding mark as a
comedy writer on tv for Danny Kaye, Bob Hope and George Gobel,
but he has scripted several good pictures, too, and even directed a
few. Winston Miller, his collaborator, has turned in some fine outdoor
epics like “Station West” and. “The Last Outpost,” and “Mardi Gras’*
isn’t exactly a bedroom wrestling match. In fact, the love scenes show
such restraint you’d think you were back In the gaslight era.

It’s a nice romantic musical with a plot somewhat familiar, but not
too familiar, nice comedy and nine' songs by Sammy Fain and Paul
Francis Webster who previously had written “Love Is A Many Splen-
dored Thing” and the score of Pat Boone's previous hit, “April Love.”
So the scripters are not kids either.

Analyzed, which is the worst thing you can do with a musical, it
moves so fast you can hardly check if the dancers have the right num¬
ber of legs.

The Buxom Burgundian

“Mardi Gras” is the story of a cadet who wins a jackpot in a school
draw involving 900 contestants who have chipped in a buck apiece.
With the money he is expected to woo a French movie star from the
New Orleans Mardi Gras to the V.M.I. graduation baU, The losers (all
899 of them) as a consolation expect a dance from her—a short one,
anyway. There was a long stagline but I didn’t see anybody except
Boone dance with Mile. Garere, the bustiest ingenue ever raised on
Burgundy wine.

Sheree North and Fred Glarke are on hand to get the most out of
the festival for their picture star and the least out of it for the West
Pointers of the South. As Variety’s Powe has pointed out, there’s a
lot of Ed Hope Goffey’s “She Loves Me Not” in this plot, but time has
not dated it

Frank McCarthy, another oldtimer from 20th-Fox, had a hand in
these non-mBitary maneuverings. A V.M.I. alumnus, the public rela¬
tions exec of 2()th fixed up everything for the picture company to shoot
around the V.M.I. campus and arranged for the Institute’s band to
march for the first time in a Mardi Gras parade.

And pulling all these strings was Ole Marse Wald who has 63 pic¬
tures to his credit. His first assignment in the production field was
“Navy Blues” for Warners. He was 28-years-old at the time, young in
years but old in experience even then. He also produced “The Varsity
Show” and “Brother Rat” for them, but his best ones were “Mildred
Pierce,” “Humoresque” and “Johnny Belinda.”

‘Best Of Everything* Coming Up

Like Eddie Goulding, he has been a moving target in his time, too,
having produced for RKO Radio (among others “The Blue VeO,” in
collab with Norman Krasna, a fine picture) and several for Columbia,
the best of these being “The Eddy Duchin Story.”

His first big one at 20th was, of course, “Peyton Place,” proving
he had brought with him to that lot the most- effective laundromat in
the biz. Hejhas 18 pix to make on a five-year deal. At his present pace
he 'Will exceed his quota in four. But I’m sure 20th will find other pix
for him to do if he finds time hanging heavily on his impatient and
conipetent hands..

He had one tossed around on the producer’s desk in the pic. That
was a copy of Rona Jaffes’ novel, “The Best of Everything,” which
wiU take more cleaning than i£ all the V.M.L cadets had fallen Into
an oil reserve,'She0ah.Grahatn’s name came up a couple of times and
her- “Beloved Infidel” is on the Wald future Ust, too. A sly one on
using the screen to plug the screen, is that buoyant butter-hall, .and
the .thing‘wTongVith thatl^ that it fsnt-done-often -enough. A*’

78

CHATTER

Broadway

Louis Nizer to Jamaica. BWJ, teff rf^commiX

rer the holidays. theatre.

Richard (Esquire) Joseph to RiviCTa Hotel will be local Va-

over the holidays.

Richard (Esquire) Joseph to I ‘'“jUviS-a Hotel will be local Va-1 jjandolph prepplng I
Miami Beach for his parent's 50th rfety club's headquarters for Las her aStSi^ ' ms^“c:ofst^ 2d-DUbi:

P^^iETf _ 'W‘eaiietJ«y

I •’prttty grirtefnl Etvli l>r(esTey ’

LODflOll In a way*'for **makiiis way for our

(COVent Garden 0135 di. 7 > ^ “ihw mSS*er” of rrtoS’riTM- i»’
petnia Clark to Copenhagen for ,eat Fox, biggest film hous* west
concert tour. ~m -d^w «««_ lupi.

Wc 3 ne§Jay» December 1 T»

Vegas convention.

Muriel Pavlow in Paris last week <iirector.

Spyros P. Skouras chairmaning I Henry Boettcher of Carnegie jjavini? a eander at new plays
e‘Wute dinner” to Joe Vogel Tech Drama School to Virgin Is- S

of Chicago, is Bob Apple, suc¬
ceeding Fay Reeder, now Fox-
West Coast’s ad-publlo relations

Hollywood

at the Hotel Astor next Feb. 11.

Indie producer Robert Lantz to
London and Paris for week’s busi¬
ness quickie, back the 21st.

Tech Drama bchooi to virgin is- ^ town after

1 TtoTvia fnv two months’ tour of South Africa.

Mike Driscoll cornmg home for T.^nisA Allhritfnn malces her

Edie (Mrs. Lew) Wasserman f
easting until MCA prez returns ^^ein^a toS &tro^^^^
from the Coast next week. Leonard Kapners due in end of

Buena Vista setting up a meet- week from combined business and
ing for Sal Mineo with 250 editors pleasure trip to San Francisco,
and writers of high school publica- weather, prompted little

tions from the New York area. International Theatre to postpone

C^istmas while Fred Waring lays Brl&h tV-b^ ii “The B^^^
off for couple of weeks. ^ * ’ i

Bon Bqns sticking aroimd until Matkova returned after

By Robert F. Hawkins

(Stampa Esterci; 675 906)
Henry Fonda another Yank

John. Huston in from Ireland.
Sam Wlesenthal adjudged bank*

Lou Bring recovered from throat
surgery.

Darryl F. Zanuck returned from
Europe,

Mary Murphy v returned from
N, Y. stay.

Sidney P. Solow returned from
Mexico City.

Janet Lake filed for dlvorc*
from Robert Dix.

Adolph Zukor arrived for his an-

guestlng on Victor Borge’s Pontiac thesp being paged for Federico stav

SnpHal. VAiUni'e “'tvia SwAof t.i^a " uu^ exiraQea Stay.

Lord Nathan guest of honor at

Fellmi’s ‘The Sweet Life.” Doris Dowling filed for dlvorct

Many showbtoers whoJtoew 1^ from Robert T. Blumofe.

(estciuoty s (Tues.) Variety Club well regret news of recent death Aiipn MinAn imnAd Wrifpr*
nnuaf Christmas lunch. , of Giovlmnl. Excelsior Hotel bar- ^erica^ wIst

tions from the New York area. International Theatre to postpone to^nlSf Pro?es^nr °^T?Ativ Pnv and -Ralnh in George Desonshen set by Bob

Martin Davis and Zac Friedman its dramatic season until spring, fn^®Mv Fair Ladv^^^ Cummings as his European rep.

repped Paramount’s homeoffice Pvt. Steve Lawrence up from My Fa^ Lady. London where j^otion Picture Mothers Ine.

promotion department at the New Washington to week-end with wife, s^e? test for ?om ^ ^ ^ ^ donated $1,000 to Motion Pictur*

Orl^ns premiere of "The Buc- Eydle Gor me, et Twin Coaches. S, ro^e fofNi?Lone“ ®‘jtquee Sernas booked for retired Mter 30

„e,i- . _DougIas Brister, house, manager anqthe.r costumer, .“Lucretia ,Bo,r. t2

annual Christmas lunch.

Orleans premiere of “The Buc- Eydie Gorme, at Twin Coaches.

caneer.” -

Having adopted their three chil-
dren over two years ago. Art and IllaQriQ

Ann Buchwald in from Paris for

month’s formalities to make them Werba

officially U.S. citizens. (General Saiywjo24: Tel.

Marian Anderson, one of his s.m Wnnatn

Relief Fund.

Fred Morgan retired after 30

By Hank Werba

(General Saviour jo 24c; Teh
34-48-65)

jjuuBias xsn&Lcr, uuuse manager anoiner costumer, Xaucreiia x>or- vAarc aa n cfinman and mnvAd in
of Warner Theatre, named manager gia’s Nights,” costarring Belinda Bullhead moved to

of the Columbia, due to open soon. Lee and Amoldo Foa. H M wSmer e<rfate will flurtlon

Sidney Cohen in from New York Singer Tony Dallara into “The ff gg 5 ?L

for confabs with Carl Foreman. Friend of the Jaguar,” which stars an. 5 at Li. a*

TTa»c nrocidonf WoUon TTcJv.a11o nnT-AV UOimty J! ^gTOUnOS. _ _ _

He’s president of Highroad Produc- Walter Chiari, Usabelle Corey,

—T^y^ACAnfod ’ +>iA Panp-zin Harrison and Sam Wooding

CDlllun^ pr6S6nt6u. tnc L/Spczio #Aoturpil flt fiTipninff of npw latfr-
$1,000 award for service to dance ^ operung ot new late-

Z. X _C.,1 TI,st.oV Troetoi-dav SpOt ChmO.

$1,000 award for service to dance
to impresario Sol Hurok yesterday *

(Tues.) at a St. Regis luncheon. Ta tSiTaa”

tions.

Ben Henry taking polar route to

and Gabriella Pallotta.

E. H. (Manny) Goldstein suc¬
ceeds S. S. Van Keuren as Hal

Hoach atudlo mauager.

srot dwuo. Hollywopd iext sSnday (21) and talns.a permanent apartment here. geymour

Tagged as pornographic, “Irma So on to New York after. 10- Peyser (UA) arrived from N.Y.

La Douce” luring heavy trade at , ,,, , ^t^av week of tv confabs.

Mother of Mony Dalmes (Mrs. Teatro Maravillas. Tonla Bern, currently headlining Lex B^ker off ta Spam soon and Robert Walker swings from cast-

Claude C. Philippe) flew in from Delta Rhythm Boyss in return at the Savoy, leaves for Montreal role m‘‘Tetuan,” directed by Tony gom c^t

Paris to spend the holidays with session at Pasapoga after smash wthin fortnight before New York Squire from script by ex-R^an 20th-Fox Television.

Comedie Francaise star and her engagement last year,
husband, Waldorf-Astoria veep. Crooning Jesuit priest Alme Du-

date at the St Regis. Guv Elmes. JuU Reding costars.

Harrison & Fisher returning to Duttch orchestra leader Van

Richard Zanuck on two-week ac¬
tive duty with Armed Forces Pub-

Broadway columnists who were val, biUed as “Christ’s Troubadpr” New York, having completed three vofS-c ^a lie Information Office here!

nn«F hvna.<;.«? wepkend auickie in from France for hefty one-night months’season m“The Talk of the TV stmt here New_Ye_ars ^e, Tn«Anii

weekend quickie in from France for hefty one-night months’pason in“The Talk of the TV stmt herc New Ye^ s Joseph Schlldkraut kudosed by

Diplomat, Holly- sfimd. Town" at Hippodrome. al«th smg.^ Jula de laraell Federation o?

going to bypass weekend quickie in from France for hefty one-nignt
junket to Hotel Diplomat, Holly- stand. ,, ,,

wood, Fla., changed their minds, Lolo Flores’ sparkling flamenco
since newspaper deliverers’ strike variety show played to capacity
made deadlines academic. during limited three-week engage-

Consumer Opinion Institute Inc. °^»Biver^Kwaf’'’^!Sl) “East of
has been formed to conduct an ad- - - 9.f

Chicago

uas ueeu luiiucu lu i;uiiuut,b azi au- r.j-_»r /wRl *'Tn ratoYt a ThiAf”

yertialng_an.d opinion poU business ‘y?4,Jess‘^fo‘?Ve

(Delaware 7-4984)

Club Bambu, newest Rush St.

Italian opera star, Mario Petri,
pulling a Pinza stint, via upcoming AiJnJ

RAI-TV show and probable 1959 -fr

stage musical for Garinei-Giovan-
nhU team.

In New York. Capital stock is 200
shares, no par value. Alton H.
Zucker was filing attorney at
Albany.

ir) and “Witness for the Prose- entry, dropping Calypso shows for and Glermany, where she wound
ion” (UA) pacing first-runs. hurley. up work on “The Tiger of Eshna-

cution” (UA) pacing first-runs. buriey. up work on The Tigci. uj. x.aiiiiA- i -atz-z-i on+AyfoinmATif nAmmiffnA

Robert Ruark readymg “Poor ^onna Reed arrives tomorrow Pur” for director Fritz Lang. Debra j
No More” for Henry Holt, then (Thurs.) for coupla days to plug her Paget starred m pic.

age musicaT f^ Garinei-Giovan- Nodella swings from liter-

ni v^armei-uiovan ^ Mishkin Agency to be-

Luciana'Paluzzi back from India «ome AB(3-TV Western Division's
id Germany, where she wound

» work nn “ThA Tio^Ar nf Fshna- Joc Parker uamcd chairman of

for California Governor-elect Pat

deserts (3osta JBrava retreat at Pa- ABC-TV stanza.

Silvia Lopez bSS to Paris after ^

Unpainted scenery, props, cans lomos for safari trails in Africa. Frank Little resigned as Para- making three pix here in rapid
of p^t, etc., among debrw r^ John Patrick’s “Teahouse of the mount publicist to take account succession: “Herod the Great,” .a
moved by Fire Dept, and Bo^d August Moon” given ace stagmg at exec post with Campbell-Sanford “Hercules and the Queen of

of Education authorities from High Teatro Mario Guerrero with di- ad agency. Lydia,” and “Son of the Red Bena Pictures to bwCme account

School of Performing Arts, on rector Claudio de la Torre enjoy- Shaw Society of Chicago doine Pirate,” exec for Commumcations Counsd-

Vahiety Street (46th), before re- jng rave reviews and . long-run Saul Bellow’s “The Wrecker” and Globe Films International dick- (McCann-Enckson subsid).
opening for classroom use. prospects. J^ P. Donleavy’s “The Interview” ering for more art pix, among

Stan Freberg, radio-tv comedian, -:- tonight (Wed.) them “Potemkin” and "Joan of Awa

whose penchant for offbeat ribbing Tom Gilljam retires as 20 th‘^Fox ^rc,” for general theatrical re- 1 OruallQ} UlC.

of Madison Ave. and general Amer- lSl3n0lll branch manager Jan. 1 with Robert lease. Distrib initiated art house « Fcvm

P -- -r assistant, step- “Sla^^i^a"back from Berlin.

l'on?e*^SSflcltTor" De^^rrthe^'aW/fwe'Sf ^

nff^m" W»t«/tte«- a“tvf?; £g^o*TL®ll”st^?Se^To^oS: ,JP 5 i;i£Guaa_TheaWe._ move.

School of Performing J^s, on rector Claudio de la Torre enjoy- Shaw Society of Chicago doing PirJ

Vahiety Street (46th), before re- i^g rave reviews and long-run Saul Bellow’s “The Wrecker” and G

opening for classroom use. prospects. J^ P. Donleavy’s “The Interview” ®rii

Stan Freberg, radio-tv comedian, -:- tonight (Wed.) thei

whose penchant for offbeat ribbing T-fA»kiil Tom Gilljam retires as 20th‘^Fox

of Madison Ave. and general Amer- iManDUl branch manager Jan. 1 with Robert l^^s

icana mores attracted Bennett 'rup hoola-hoon a craze over Gonn, formerly his assistant, step-

Cerfs attention, is priming a book , nooia npop a craze over ^

Random po’drecca’s Super Puppets due who heads the

House publication. Dec. 24 at the Saray for a week. Checker and Argo record

Rex Smith, retired American Josephine Baker inked by the labels, purchased a Flint, Mich, ra-
Airlines veep, in from his Madrid Kervansaray nitery for two-week station last week for a quarter
base en route to San Diego where million. . ^ to j

exec for Communications Counsel¬
ors (McCann-Erickson subsid).

Pordand, Ore.

By Ray Feves

Sylvia Sidney in “Auntie Marne”

base en route to San Diego where
his actress-wife’s folks live. June

jrweiiTMrarSmith) is daughto L„®|^JJ“^'®4e®AUas Ctaem^ta I name”“poTlcy‘’^th‘’‘S I ^erg starrer currently being cut

T-yptto .TowaIT tirtur QO u.'hn wn«! Ti/rrtrttQTi .sc __and readied foF earlv release.

million..

Ray Colomb's on the southside

to meet local demand.

“The Sign of Rome,” Anita Ek-

of Izetta Jewell, now 90, who was pebruMy
original “Girl of the Golden West.” suavi f edu’s productioi

Nola Luxford, on sabbatical from Love of Four Colonels,”
Hotel Pierre, in her native Auck- tjjg Dram
land, N.Z., where she does local paffi Petroussian Frei
radio, taped shows for NBC “Mom- jgt. guest of the Philhari

“Gigi,” at Guild Theatre, moves
into continuous' run policy with
pop prices after 15 weeks on hard-
ticket sale and $3 top.

Western Hotels plan taking its en-

yvxiu rpadipd fnr Parlv rpTpa«?P westem noteis plan tajung iis en-

Morgan as current attraction and readied for early release. ,. entertainment Package from

Frank Fontaine and .Tnnp Vaiii «pf Glomer production was shot in S

Suavi Tedu’s production of “The Fontaine and June Valli set

iOve of Four Colonels,” a hit at follow. _ _ . ,
he Dram. m Gomic Ron McAdam and the

Raffi Petroussian, French pian- Tonettes ^tertained at Chicago

I Glomer production was shot in
j Technicolor-Technirama, and co-
stars Georges Marchal.

Carmen Sevilla in from Spain

Hawaiian Village in Honolulu t®
west coast for series of one-niters.
Disk jockey Don* Porter boosted

tor” an^ also continues fashion several longhair concerts.

itani ir'eiroussian, rrenen pian- ~ ^ lafpcf

':^ead program director of KGW re-
iph shP placing Bob- Franklin who be-

xauve, aim Auuaiuiia, lu wmuu &iic « - --.ppiot nrnmntinn PVPTif«

shows she handled at Goth^ bos- June Aii^olSlossanoBrazzi star- atfp^SiX^^^oi7^RAI TV^shtfw

telry Plans returning to N.Y. in ^er, “Interlude” (UI), completing Hotels booker Merriel Veete Stewart takes over as

the fall. third solid week at the Ar Cinema. Abbott and agent Harry Greben ^osSs Paramount resident branch man-

the fall. ___

Oscar Hammerstein 2d to Lon- “HigiT'society”'^ (M-G) 'aT'^tvm Teted by Hines Veterans Hospital
don and back within the same firstruns, the Atlas and the Yeni ^or providing hospitalized vets with
week for the preem tomorrow Melek, biggest grosser of the sea- entertainment.

(Thurs.) pf a Christmas pantomime son, Diane Todd has taken over the

based on Rodgers & Hammer- Youth Theatre preem ing lead in “My Fair Lady” this week
stein’s “Cinderella” CBS telecast. O’Neill’s ‘‘Great God Brown,” di- ^^om Anne Rogers, who left to

third solid week at the

Dosals JTAiaiuuum.

Susan Hayward flew in for press gSwart wi

screening and subsequent benefit
, gala of “I Want to Livei” Her ^^ITjovd M^
next will be “Thunder in the Sun”
opposite Jeff Chandler. Also in, ore^n Centenr

ager. Frank Doty stays as sales¬
man. Stewart was WB branch man-

Floyd. Maxwell still looking for
13 weeks of entertainment for
Oregon Centennial Exposition next

btciui, 3..111UC1C1XA icicuadt. O'^^eiU S ureat liod Brown, dl- ^.imc XbUgeiS, wno leil to fnnnAy. TneanYx T -Mot, v^'icgun v^cuicimiai iiiAjmsiuuu next

End-Januar>' the librettist goes to rected by the legit actor-director return to England. Anton Koppola Joseph L. Man- summer. Budget is $25.0000 to

Jamaica for winter holidav. has taken over tho fiofnni'r.cr xiewici; » «4ft non ner week

Jamaica for winter holiday. Yilmaz Gruda. l^^s taken over the batoning.

Nancy Ranson, wife of Vahxett’s Singer Anne Nicholas appearing ^lohael Todd Theatre, formerly
Jo Ranson, won honorable mention nightly at the Sadirvan Room of Hams, debuts next Monday
for her graphic “Pillars of Agri- the Istanbul Hilton with Italy’s (22), with Mike Todd Jr. arriving
gento’.’ in current Brooklyn Society Pleferano Orch. ror the event. First show is “Two

of Artists’ exhibition at National During their stay here Vincent ^or the Seesaw” which opens
Arts Club. She’s also in current Price and wife visited the Casa- Hec. 26.

Miami Beach

By Lary Solloway
(1755 Calais Dr.; UNion 5-5389)
Walter Cronkite (CBS news-

$40,000 per week.

Northwest Releasing inked the
following: Anna Maria Alberghet-
ti Show for Paramoimt Theatre
mid-Jan.: Red Skelton-David Rose
unit; and the Julie Harris legiter.

exhibition of N.Y. Society of Wonf- blanca Music Hall where popular Tom Parker producing a pro caster) in for a few days,

OZTI Ay-tidfd of •KTofTonol A oo/^Amxr r.'i™ ~f««. n/r-_VAT*sinn r»f “r'>ii'icfT«o„ r’o.oo'i *» ...ziu ■r»o,,o nrw.io.. ...Hi i.ofo« /

en Artists at National Academy singer and fUm star Zeki Muren is version of “(Christinas •Carol,

Dave Tyler will baton Americana

Galleries. starring. Sid Breese in the lead, which is revue with Lee Martin and crew

Songsmith L. Wolfe Gilbert east French thesps Jean Huberty, touring suburbia currently for lo- shifting to Deauville’s Casanova

on ASCAP business, staged al Jean Marchat, Renee Faure and eel civic organizations. He has room..

fresco luncheon reception at the Jean Weber wUl star in a series of ®®e niter engagements to date, Sophie Tucker checked into the
Friars for Harrj' L. Golden editor- six plays at the Saray, first week of Ji®i Monos directing. Roney for 10-day sunfest before

publisher of Carolina Israelite and Rehruary. —- Latin Quarter, Dec.

author of current No. 1 bestseUer, Turkey’s second color pic, “Man Son Kronpienn ‘ j x u u

“Only In America.” Latter had Who Came From The Other rrailCISCO Sid Kuller and cast busy reheare-

the comedians listening to folklore World,” star^g Celal Ince and By William Steif Ta}i»^fnr®A3^'Ai5pFn nrSxm

anecdota instead of usual Fri- Mualla Kaynak preeming first week (Evergreen 6-9201) American preem

Chester Morris due soon in

aresque one-liners.

The Lambs and the National
Cartoonists Society will sponsor an
informal show, “Cartoonists for
the March of Dimes,” Jan, 14. Car¬
icatures of theatre personalities,
drawn by such cartoonists as Rube
Goldberg, Milt Caniff, Walt Kelly,

ofManuary.

revue with 1^ Mmtm and crew By Gene Moskowitz

shiftmg to Deauville’s Casanova ^28 rue Huchette, Odeon 49-44)

oZU et 'LuS "r.^^Dec.

BrTdge''-ar thi I ttan”lkSd tf perio™'‘fSf ?avilland will cost^^ Yank pic

Louis Jourdan and Olivia De

Memphis

By Matty Brescia
(61 S. Second St., Jackson 5-5180)

Curran.

Paramount planning to film
“Pleasure of His Company” in
Frisco next spring.

Jazz columnist Ralph J. Gleason

,,, tioralpSTartvmalffie^St '’y J®**”

'to ® “fifia hSp'I™!" gaining mo-

* mentum here, but hoops do not

Ex-cafe songstress Marlon Mur-

Max Goldstein, ex-vaude hoofer coiumnist rtaipn j. uieason ray is entertainment director of the big as th^ have in other

.ousting Lre Sd promoting one: worMng^ with Balmoral with Rusty Weinger, Contmental countries^

Ed?nn^°^emon ° Greene!°^^^^^ I benefits in l^ff jtyle: | He^^ in Los | S?dow_ A l_ate^^cafe op Murray

UCUCllta 111 JJUll dtYlC* I r ‘rwiUUT V - I

■TOIA’s annual Good Will Revue h ^ f^®^ McLean Wemger, her aide.

Paul Sylbert, Yank film and
stage set designer, in for two

Patterson, Al Posen, Irwin Hasen riAAdv NAtn*n childrpn Tiprp donated their downtown Embassy George Darcy, singing bartender weeks on European legit tour. He
and Bob Dumi' will be auctioned netted some l^ foT^^SlghteV for traditional Moose chUdren's at Bobby Sherwood's Band Box to goes on to Atoms where he mounts
off hv puiiv Onvtnn cborkiioT-ri nf uuc-iuguLCi. xu_T.,».r__*j«-,-‘Two fot the Sccsaw With EUlB

off by Billy Gaxton, shepherd of
the Lambs.

Harlan Hill, Chicago Bears grid^ P^y- , the Lucerne, commuting to.Gotham ‘‘Two for the ^esaw with Elbe

der, to Sunch sports show in Jan- Loughner acting as Fr^o for “Name That Tune,” he’s L^betti and Dimitn Horn.^^^d

Pittsburgh

uaiy on WHEY, nearby Milington News’ music critic while Marjory reached $20,000 plateau.
am indie. Fisher takes year’s leave of ab- Tropical Park’s Saul

also directs, his first pic

1 spS?s3Se?f°now^’bSfetbSbcSti United California closed 1,704- tional’s first officii jetUner flight tte National Populaire, m Rene
^ Arnrl ing Memphis State’s full cage sked Uptown, an old Ackerman & to Miami to bring down sports and Clair s promotion of AHred De

(ATlanttc 1-6100) Harris house built in 1911, until other columnists for weekend at Mussets One Does Not

Civic Light Opera’s tent season Inger Stevens checked in this after Christmas. the track and the Eden Roc. About Love.” He’s also preparing

this summer will run 12 weeks. week to hypo “The Buccaneer” Sam Goldwyn’s lawyer, George Florida State theatres publicity video version of Gullivers
Dave Crantz and wife, Lucy, (Par) southern preem at downtown Slaff, up from Los Angeles for man Al Glick resigned to take Travels, ’ plus three pic^^ stmts:

dated the stork for the third time. Malco Theatre. Federal court appearance in con- ditto post with new Montmartre. Labette Goes to ^ War, with

Tropical Park’s Saul' Iberman Lemon Grove” with Irene Pappas,
bought most of the tickets for Na- Gerard Philipe, now with Thea-

By Hal V. Cohen

(ATlanttc 1-6100)

Civic Light Opera’s tent season
this summer will run 12 weeks.

Playhouse has Ward Dor
lead of ”A '' •

lyn.’*. .

Ai'thuF Bli.^ce L.._w I.J.

Maico Theatre. Federal court appearance in con- ditto post with new Montmartre. "Babette Goes to War, with

Bill Grumbles, WHBQ ‘ and nection with Goidwyn’s antitrust New spot had to postpone opening Brigitte Bardot; The Fever

W -BQ-TV skipper, back in town suit vs. Fox. till January, due to cpnstruction Mounts at F Pao. wth Maria

• pnv. wow-with Generali l^le- ^lahf'b'i-Jackson,--before--doling slowup. Dpnise Darcers vhcdfi club Fg.::^ and ^ ;phame, first Yank

.3 I r,..d.o, brass in New York.

eine-idighter here', said

before--doing slowup. Dpnise- DarQers vhedd club FeV”,

aid'- She ■’erasfS'atVihiftetf fd'ihid-Jah;' ^ 'TStfiit iti i Gregory Peck 1

OBITUARIES

Sm ABTHUR JARRATT

Sir Arthur Jarratt, former man¬
aging director of British Lion and,
since early 1958, honorary presi¬
dent of the Kinematograph
Renters Society, died, in London
Sunday (14). He had long been ill
from cancer.

Jarratt, a . veteran in the British
industiby, had been a captain in
the Royal Navy. He was knighted
in 19^. He was chairman and
manapng director of George
Humphries & Co. Ltd., film labs;
also chairman of Mole-Kichardson
(Engird) Ltd. and a director of
Sapphire Films, Ltd. and Cine
Industrial Prods., Ltd.

He started in show business as
a limelight boy in a Lonapn music
bail when only 14. Later he be¬
came a projectionist, played the
piano for silent films and managed
theatres and then circuits, includ¬
ing the G-B circuit and then ABC.^
His first important job in exhibL

sion pianist at the old Novelty Club
where her brother, George Lee,
led the orchestra which included
such sidemen as Count Basie, Hot
Lips Page, Joe Jones, Chuck Berry,
Bus Moten, Ben Webster and Les¬
ter Yoimg. She went on to develop
her own piano boogie and the
hearty singing style which made
her one of the better Negro singers
of the er^L , ,

Two of her Capitol disks, “You
Gotta Gimme What You Got” and
“King-Size Papa>” sold over half
a million each. Her. best knoym
album is “Songs My Mother Taught
Me Not To Sing.”‘Born in Boon-
ville. Mo., she began her profes¬
sional career during Prohibition
days.

Survived by a son.

EDWIN F. MELVIN

Edwin F. Melvin, 64, drama-film
critic and editor of the art pages
for the Christian Science Monitor

JOHN

DECEMBER

HYDE

18. 1950

FROM FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES

tion was as director of the Pro¬
vincial Cinematograph Theatres.

Jarratt joined the Navy during
World War I and left it^ith a
100% disability pension. However,
he never lost his interest in affairs
of the fleet. It was he who organ¬
ized the Royal Naval Film Corp.
He was its deputy chairman at
his death. Jarratt was commis¬
sioned into the Royal Navy in
1938 with the rank of Lieutenant
Commander, RN.V.R, The follow¬
ing year he became a commander.
He was advanced to captain in
1950.

CHARLES P. HUGHES

Charles P. Hughes, 55, radio
pioneer and creator and host ^
the “First Nighter” program which
ran 20 years on NBC, died of a
heart attack Dec. 8 in Chicago. He
was known to the public as “Mr.
First Nighter” in the drama series

since 1951, died Dec. 9 in Newton,
Mass., after a brief illness.

A Harvard graduate, he taught
for a year at St. Stephen's School
in Colorado Springs before joining
the old Boston Evening Transcript
as a reporter. In 1924, he became
film critic and assistant to H. T.
Parker, drama and music critic of
the Transcript. Ten years later he
assumed Parker’s duties as drama
critic.

He joined the Monitor in 1936.
Two years later was appointed to
the art, theatre and music depart¬
ment. For a while his notes on
the Boston theatre scene appeared
in the Sund^ drama pages of the
New York Times.

His wife and brother survive.

HARRY R. (TIM) MOORE ^

Harry R. (Tim) Moore, 70, the
Elingfish of the Amos 'N' Andy

IN MEMORiAM

JOHN van DRUTEN

December 19, 1957

whose intervals simulated a Broad¬
way premiere at the fictionally
famous “little theatre off Times
Square.”

Program originated on WMAQ in
Chi for the Red Network, starting
in December 1930, and introduced
nationally such actors as Don
Ameche, Jane Meredith, Les Tre¬
maine and Barbara Luddy, among
its various leading men and women.

Hughes started in radio in the
midwest as one of the medium’s
first salesmen^ convincing the own¬
er of WTAS, Elgin, Ill., in 1925 that
advertising could finance programs.
He later went to Chicago to work
in sales for WENR, WBBM and
NBC in order, creating “First
Nighter” for Campana’s Italian

IN MEMORIAM

EDWARD B. MARKS

I8i5-1945

Balm, its only sponsor throughout
the time it was a commercial show.

In 1936 Hughes introduced a
program called “Behind the Cam¬
era Lines” on WGN, and in 1950
he was featured in WGN’s “The
'Chicago Train” as a’ storyteller.
He retired from radio in that year
and became the owner of a disin¬
fectant firrn in the "Windy City.

There are no survivors.

JULIA LEE

Julia Lee, 56, blues singer, died
Dec, 7 in Kansas City. A product
of K.C. jazz circles, she was an
active performer more than 30
years,., and had sung her regular
stand at the Eh-Ball Club only a
few days before h^r, death. ^

Her first jol) was as ad-intermis-’

series, died Dec. 13 in Los Angeles,
after a long illness.

He made his last tv film for the
Amos 'N' Andy, series in 1953, but
the re-runs of the 79-film series are
still being shown throughout the
U.S. Moore came out of retirement
when Freeman Gosden and Charles
Correll decided to change their
radio show into a tele series.
Moore, then 5^ years old, had been
in show biz off and on for 46 years.

When he was 12 years old, he left
his native Rock Island, Illinois, as
part of an- act known as “Cora
Miskel and her Gold Dust Twins.”
Later he was a jockey, teen-age
prizefighter and finally returned to
showbiz in 1925.

His wife survives.

EDWARD RUNKLE

Edward Runkle, 56, theatrical
maneiger who for more than 30
years managed plays and concert
stars on tour, died Dec. 13 in New
York, after a brief illness.

He began his career with the
late producer Charles Wagner. He
managed shows and individual
stars for Wagner. Runkle was also
manager for Maurice Evans for
many years before entering the
armed services in Wo^d War II.

His most recent Chicago assign¬
ment was about a year ago, when
he managed Edward G. Robinson’s
tour o£ “Middle of the Night.” At
the time of his death, he was man¬
ager of tfiTANTA Theatre in N.Y.

His father, brother and sister
survive.

MIRIAM SPIER

Miriam Spier, author and vocal
coach, died recently in Hanover,
N.J. A graduate of the Julliard
School of Music, she studied under
•falter Damrosch. Before switch-
mg to teaching, she was a singer

Peggy Lee, Lisa Kirk, Roberta
Quinlan and Frankie Masters.

Much of Miss Spier’s experiences
were Incorporated in “The Why
and How of Popular Singing,”
which she wrote some years ago.
Published by Marks Music, it . is a
guide for aspiring pop singers. She
was regarded as a top coach in her
field.

Surviving is a daughter.

JAMES S. POWERS

James S. Powers, 63, longtime
publicist and theatre manager,
died of a heart attack Dec. 3 in
North Providence, R.I. At the
time of his death he was assistant
professor- of political science at
Providence College. He joined the
faculty in 1956.

Powers was publicity director
for the Keith theatres in New
England during the 1920s and a
decade later Was named head of
RKO’s theatre holdings in central
New Jersey. For a time he man¬
aged theatres in New York and
Newark. He later joined the
Yankee Network in Boston as
director of publicity and promo¬
tion.

THOMAS BRUCE

Thomas Bruce, 74, a musician
and educator in Kansas Chty for
years, died of a heart attack Dec.
6 in Del Rey, Cal. Born in Shelby,
N.C., he studied at a conservatory
that later became affiliated with
the U. of North Carolina at. Chapel
Hill.

Bruce came to Kansas City in
1922 as an organist, playing for
several of the mainstem theatres,
including the Newman (now the
Paramount), the- Midland and the
Mainstreet. He was also a com¬
poser. Several of his songs, in¬
cluding “I’ll Tell the World” and
“Wonderful Night,” were published
by the Jenkins Music Co.

Wife and daughter survive.

BRYNA S. DEMSKY

Bryna S. Demsky, 74, mother of
film actor-producer ELirk Douglas,
died Dec. 12 at Albar^ Hospital of
a heart condition, with (:omplica-
tions. She had been moved there
Monday (9) from the Jewish Home
for Aged in Troy, where she had
resided for. seven years.

The screen star, who flew to
Albany from Hollywood earlier in
the week, ws at his mother’s bed¬
side when she passed away. Mrs.
Demsky, from whose first name
Douglas’ production company took
its title, had been in poor health
recently.

A native of Russia, she came to
the United States in 1909 and
settled in Amsterdam, N.Y.

ISABELLA DUNCAN

Isabella Duncan, 96, wardrobe
mistress, known in the theatre as
“Mother Duncan,” died Dec. 6 in
New York, after a long illness.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, she at¬
tended convent schools both there
and later in Providence, R.I. Her
first job was as wardrobe mistress
for Victor Herbert’s “Ermine,”
starring De Wolfe Hopper. Later,
she was associated with such stars
as Lillian Russell, John Barrymore,
David Belasco, Mary Martin, Ethel
Merman and Enrico Caruso. Spend¬
ing most of her years on Broadway,
she also worked for the Metro¬
politan, St. Louis and London
Opera Co's.

CAMERON MATTHEWS

Cameron Matthews, 74, form^
leading man of The Cameron
Matthews Players in Toronto in
the 1920s, died Dec. 12 at Barry’s
Bay, Ont The Scottish-born actor
once operated a repertory theatre
at the now demolished Princess,
Toronto.

Many of his original company
went on to become picture, radio
and tv stars. They were Barry
Jones, Walter Kingsford, Charles
Warburton, Deirdre Doyle and
Allison Bradshaw, among others.
He later api>eared in radio until
after the Second World War, then
retired to a farm.

Survived by wife.

LOUIS W. McCLAUGHERTY

Louis W. (Duck) McClaugherty,
44, a Music Corp. of America v.p.
and Dallas branch manager, died
of a heart attack Dec. 13 ia Dallas.
One of the southwest’s best known
talent agents, he was a native of
San Antonio.

Following-an Air Force captain¬
cy in "VVorld War H, McClau^erty
became a partner in Tony Martin
& Co., Houston, talent agency. Ho,
joined MCA’s Dallas office in
1952 and succeeded Edward
Greene,' now head of the Beverly
Hills office, as local branch man¬
ager in 1955.

Survived by his wife, father and
a sister.

OLIVER R. McMAHON
Oliver R. McMahon, 73, retired
film executive, died Dec. 12 in St.
.J?6tefs^urg, Florida. , ., -

A* graduate of New Yorjc Ujiiyer- J

sity’i school of commerce, he be¬
gan as general manager of the
Martin Beck organization. He then
joined the Keith circuit, which
later became RKO, At his retire¬
ment in 1951 he was comptroller
of RKO Theatres Corp.

His son arid two daughters sur¬
vive..

ESTELLE L. FISKE
Estelle Louise Rske, onetime
model, dramatic reader and Holly¬
wood bit player as Louise Butler,
died Dec. 8 in Chicago. She ap¬
peared in films in the late ’30s,
but the bulk of her career was as
a dramatic reader. She was a
protegee of the late Gay Zenola
MacLaren, the “girl with the cam¬
era mind.”

Surviving Mrs. Fiske are her
husband and a daughter.

NETTIE P. HELBIG
Nettie Pratt Helbig, 77, concert
soprano in the early 1900s who
gave up her career when she
married Fred W. Helbig, composer
and owner of Washington music
stores, died of a stroke Dec. 6 in
Washington. Her husband died in
1953 shortly after they celebrated
their 50tfa wedding anniversary.
She leaves a daughter.

JOHNNIE DUGAN
John D. Hall, 82, retired acrobat
and clown, known professionally as
Johnnie Dugan, .died Dec. 11 in
Philadelphia. He played the old
Keith Circuit and other vaude
houses around the coimtry for
about 20 years, from 1899 tn 1919.

Surviving are his wife, two sons
and a daughter.

FLETCHER L. BUTLER JR.

Fletcher Loren Butler Jr., 47,
vet jazz pianist until his retirement
three years ago, died Dec. 6 in
Chicago. He won fame principally
as a society dansapator in the
Windy City with his Gold Coast
Orchestra.

Survived by .a brother.

MORRIS HEYMANN
Morris Heyman, 74, member of
Metro’s wardrobe dept, since 1937
and an uncle of the late Irving
Thalberg, died of a heart attack
Dec. 10 in HoUywood.

Surviving are his wife and a son,
Ira, film editor at Metro.

GROVER L. SMITH.

Grover L. Spiith, 57, vet Glen¬
dale, CaL, film exbib, died Dec. 8
in Bishop, Cal. Until his retire¬
ment in 1954, he operated theatres
for 20 years.

Wife and son survive.

Masnns A. Salinger, 82, ex-tym¬
panist with the San Francisco Sym¬
phony and a former business rep¬
resentative of AFM Local 6, San
Francisco, died in San Anselmo,
Cal., Dec. 9. Wife and daughter
survive.

Charles Albert Nicol, 87, vet
vaude magician known as A1 Von
Arx, died Dec. 7 in Monmouth, HL
He retired in 1939 after about 40
years on the stage, appearing most¬
ly with his brother. Will (Nicola
the Great), who died in 1946.

George Bunny, 65, son of late
John Bunny, early-day screen
comedian, was burned to death Dec.
8 in a fire which destroyed his
home in Hollywood. A brother
survives.

Father, 69, of Don Slade, an-
noimcer with (TKCK and CKCK-
TV, Regina, Sask., died Nov. 29
in Vancouver, B.C. Another son,
Robert, is an ex-CKCK announcer.

Mayo Newhall, 68, hit actor In
a dozen films including “Meet Me
in St. Louis,” died Dec. 11 in
Burbank, Cal. Two sons survive.

Mother of Frank Blandl, veteran
Pittsburgh restaurant (Park Schen-
ley) man and longtime manager of
Playhouse Restaurant, died Dec. 4
in that city.

Marion Raymond, 50 years In
show biz, retired vaude and legit
actress, of a heart attack, Dec. 5
in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Widow of George Stoddard,
songwriter and author of such
musical comedies as “Listen Les¬
ter,” died Nov. 30 In Fairfield,
N. Y. Her son survives.

, ' Maurice L. SUvemtan, 59, for-
.merly with Ralph Snider Theatres
in Maine, died Dec. 5 in Sanford,
Me.

Mrs. Rath B. Mense, 55, who
operated the Riverview Ballroom
in Sebasco, Me., with her husband
Raymond, died there Dec. 9.

Father of Michael Gardner, of
Kirby Stone Quartet, died Dec. 13
in Miami Beach.

Moijlver,' 85, of agent Mauri

Grashin, died In Hollywood Dec.
6 after long Illness.

Father of Bemie Layton, of
WCAE in Pittsburgh, died Dec. 7
in Fayette City, Pa.

Donald MacAllister, 46, conduc¬
tor of Greenock Gaelic Choir, died
recently in Greenock, Scotland.

Thomas Clark, 70, onetime Al¬
bany, N.Y. theatre manager, died
recently in Hawaii.

MARRIAGES,

Judy Ricci to Chuck Johnson,
Hempstead, L.I., Nov. 29. Bride is
former WHLI, Hempstead, music
dept, assistant; he’s a newscaster
with same station.

BIRTHS

Mr. and i&s.' J. English Smith,
son. Van Nuys, Cal., Dec. 7, Father
is sales manager of General Film
Laboratories.

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Pitler,
daughter, Bellefonte. Pa., Nov. 12.
Father is a former Pittsburgh
Playhouse actor and Columbia
Records salesman in that city.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank (Bud) Thom¬
as, daughter, Pittsburgh, Nov, 27.
Father’s a Film Row booker.

Mr. and Mrs. Russ McdJorkle,
son, Pittsburgh, Dec, 8. Father’s
head auditor of KDKA-TV.

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Guthrie,
daughter, San Antonio, Nov. 25.
Father is a disk jockey on WOAI
in that city.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Muen-»
zen, son. New York, Dec. 8.
Mother is legit-tv actress Mary
Diveny.

Mr. and Mrs, Ed Cooperstein,
daughter. New York, Dec. 2. Fa¬
ther, a WNTA-TV director, is also
director of tv and radio of Fair-
leigh Dicldnson U, >

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Allen, daugh¬
ter, New York, Dec. 4. Mother Is
comedienne Joyce Mogill; father Is
a comic.

Pro-Vogel Boy?

Continned from page 4 asia

been reversed, with Guilden offer¬
ing to acquire Green’s holdings.
Green is reported to have agreed
to listen to an offer, provided
certain safeguards pertaining to
the remainder of Loew’s stock¬
holders were included. A Loew’s
source said the company, since it
is not involved in the talks, knew
of no such arrangement.

Guilden, chairman of the board
of trustees of the Title Guarantee
& Trust Co. and an official of
Baldwin Securities Co., already
owns some 200,000 shares and is
presently the largest single stock¬
holder. Green controls some 150,-
000 shares through his Wall Street
brokerage firm of Stryker & Brown.
Tomlinson has some 140,000 shares.
It’s understood that it’s likely, if
a deal is concluded, that Guilden
will obtain half of ^Green’s and
Tomlinson’s shares, giving him a
total of some 345,000 shares.

In the meanwhile, however, a
spokesman for Green maintained
that Green is continuing his prepa¬
ration for a proxy fight. Although
it was thought that last Thimsday’s
(11) regularly scheduled hoard
meeting was called off because of
the Guilden-Green negotiations, a
Loew’s spokesman said it had been
delayed because of the illness of
board chairman George Killian.

German Grew

Continned. from page 2 s==S

from the British. They seem never
to have read Hitler’s comments
on “inferior” peoples. The Egyp-
j tians do not quite meet Hitler’s
I description of the blonde Aryans
! made superior by nature.

General Fritz Bayerlin, Rom¬
mel’s adjustant in the North
African campaign, was with the
Germans as technical consultant.
Story is factual, based on a spy.
A Hungarian-bom archeologist.

Count A-in real life tried to

get this spy to Cairo to deliver
vital military intelligence to Nazi
collaborators. The spy reached
Cairo only to hear of Rommel’s
defeat to the British, and he com¬
mitted suicide. Count A- died

a natural death years later. Peter
Van Eyck stars as Uie count and
it is stated the actual name wOl
be used when the film is released,
the surviving coimtess having
granted legal permission.

PMtiSff

'Wednesday, December 17^ 1058

LEON MC AULiFF ' DON RENO-RED SMILEf THE CAPRIS

THEHILLTOPfERS ROBIN LUKI

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from everyone

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FILMS

VIDEO

TV films]

MUSIC

STAGE

Published Weekly at 194 Weit 46th Street. New York 36. N. Y., by Variety. Inc. Annual lubscrlptlon. SliS. Single soplei. 95 centa.

Second Claif Postage Paid at New York. N. Y.

COPYRIGHT, 1959. BY VAiUETY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

VOL. 213 No. 4

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24,1958

66 PAGES

WALL ST. NERVOUS ON ‘GENIUS’

N.Y. Newspaper Strike Adds Up To
A Study In Big City Frustration

The resourcefulness of stopgap
and makeshift “news”-dissemina-
tion media became & matter of
routine procedure as the daily
newspaper deliverers* stalemate
with the nine metropolitan New
York newspapers looked like. a
drawn-out fight.

The picture business, dependent
on printer’s ink messages to bally¬
hoo its pre-holiday attractions,
came, to Variety with an idea of
a “pubUc service” publication to
publicize the still-born “good
notices” of some of the newer
films. Major problem was distribu¬
tion and, as such, died aborning as
the pub-admen of the major film
companies recognized that utiliza¬
tion of local and/or regional thea¬
tre managers for point-of-sales
cuffo copies was vacuous. For one
thing, those coming to film thea¬
tres are not the ones to be wooed.
The mailbox stuffer idea found it¬
self stalemated by mailboxes al¬
ready stuffed with Christmas cards
and the like.

Meantime, as showmen took
stock of the radio-tv acceleration
of news coverage they expressed
disenchantment with the rapport,
as it. became increasingly apparent
that the broadcastiug medium had
changed little in its coverage of
the news—^i.e., capsule, terse, ^-
most one-line “stories” on major
events. (This in contrast to the
analysts and commentators w^ho, of
cour$e don’t come under the spot-
news category). “Big” stories—the
(Continued on page 55.'

Supreme CL Hears Sad
^ory of Silver Dollars
Thrown Into the Potomac

Washington, Dec. 23.
With more than .600 slot
machines gone from piers over the
Potomac River, nearby Colonial
Beach Va., once a merry place,
has become a “ghost town,” the
U.S. Supreme Court has been no¬
tified.

Casino operators there have seen
their $1,000,000 investment dimin¬
ish to nothing, the court was told.

Lawyers, headed by Washing¬
ton's F. Joseph Donohue, are ask¬
ing the High Court to throw out
Maryland’s “dry land” gambling
laws which prohibits slot machines
on Potomac River piers. In a novel
situation, the Potomac River be¬
longs to Maryland, with the Vir¬
ginia state line being the river
bank on Virginia’s side.

For years, casinos .have operated
slots iind served mixed drinks (all
illegal in Virginia) on piers run¬
ning from the middle of the river
to the Virginia shore. The casinos
can be reached with a few steps
across a ramp from Colonial Beach
or several other Virginia resort
towns. But from Maryland, it takes
(Continued on page 54)

Waldorf’s $10 Mass‘Eve’

The Hotel Waldorf Astoria will
turn its •■grand ballroom into a
gigantic mass shindig on New
Year’s Eve at a $10 minimum,
which provides supper, noisemak-
ers, perfume and other souvenirs
for the ladies. Les & Larry Elgart
band will work the affair.

It’s the first time the New York
hotel has gone in for a public shin¬
dig in the grand ballroom on the
Eve. The Hotel Astor has been
promoting Jts Eve in the grand
ballroom for many years.

K.C.sDixieManor
U Major Nitery
And Integrated’

Kansas City, Dec*. 23. .i

A third nitery . offering major |
entertainment opened downtown
last week, the Dixie Manor bring¬
ing in A1 Hibbler for a week, Dec.
17-23. Spot formerly was the South¬
ern Mansion, a noted restaurant
which for a long time had a floor-
show and dancing policy.

Backing this new venture are
Joe Hamm, former table singer
widely known on the midwest club
circuit, and Joe Jacobson. They’re
offering three shows nightly, six
nights per week, opening with a $2
cover.

Manor is catering to both whites
and. colored, the first deluxe down¬
town. spot to proceed on this po¬
licy. Spot is at 15th and Bahimore,
the other two major spots being
Eddys’ on Baltimore at 13th and
(Continued on page 55)

NEWSREa TEAHOUSE IN
TOKYO SHOWING PROFIT

Tokyo, Dec. 23.

The so-called Newsreel Tea¬
house, which is quartered in the
newly-opened Nishi Ginza Depart¬
ment Store, appears to be paying
off and similar teahouses are likely
to crop up.''Patrons pay 90 yen
(25c) for a cup of coffee and see
the newsreel show for no addition¬
al charge.

But the setup is regarded as a
serious throat to existing news¬
reel theatres, with, the Metropoli¬
tan Exhibitors Union expected to
protest. A. Tokyo Metropolitan
Sanitation Section official said the
problem will be studied from the
sanitation angle to determine if
authorization is valid.

FILM BIZ TRIHTS
El

Whether they know it or not,
film industry execs in both Holly¬
wood and New York are living un¬
der a microscope. They’re being
scrutinized by Wall Street as
bankers and brokers continue to
step up their interest in the affairs
of the picture business.

There always has been New York
financial district concern about the
trade, just as there has been about
any industry which has representa¬
tion in the important stock trading
markets. But informal conversa¬
tions among certain downtown
brokers make it clear that the
watchful eye on films is more In¬
tense than ever. The investment
experts in some quarters in recent
months have private-eyed film
companies much below the surface
financial reports. Indeed, they no
longer show the big concern that
they once did about past fiscal per¬
formance of a particular fihn outfit.

For exmple, Loew’s at one time
was “accepted” just on the basis
of its consistent earnings and divi¬
dend record. But past history is
not so much of vital Importance
any more; the money men want to
(Continued on page 53)

Radio Adv. in ’58
Hits$641,(!t0flfl;
Rise Over ’57

Washington, Dec. 23.

Radio advertising this year will
reach $641,000,000, a 3% climb
over 1957’s record $622,500,000,
the National Assn, of Broadcasters
predicts.

Calling 1958 a “record year” for
radio, despite midyear recession
and numerous other problems,
NAB said the nation is now served
with 150,000,000 receivers, a 10,-
(Continued on page 33)

Zion in Compromise

Zion, Ill., Dec. 23.

Zion Theatre, lone cinema
in this theocratic town, and
chary of the civic fathers’ blue-
nose tradition, recently mar-
queed “Darn Yankees" as the
feature film.

Owner Onnie Bridges ex¬
plains, “My wife didn’t tlunk
that other word w'ould be a
good thing to have in front of
the theatre.”

Zion, ^ founded by a reli¬
gious body and a dry com¬
munity, wouldn’t permit films
at all until a few years ago
on the sweeping ground that
any entertainment is irreli¬
gious.

U.S. Film Industry Puts It In Lap Of
State Dept. To Alibi Soviet Deal

Hope’s ‘Look’ at Future

Des Moines, Dec. 23.

Bob Hope and his gagmen pro¬
vided the following quips about
times to come for the dedication
hoopla at Look Mag’s new $2,250,-
000 publishing building here.

Comic foresaw “A six-day week¬
end with only one day to recover
on the job.

“Tv dinner will be dispensed
through the screen to a genera¬
tion of square-eyeballed children.”

“The only disease left will be tv.”

“Milton Berle’s contract with
NBC Will still be in effect.”

“The-, family of the future will
consist of three and-a-half chil¬
dren, the half going for taxes.”

Should Lay Jury
Sit on Cases of
Soi^ Plagiarism?

Proposal to change legal pro¬
cedure for the handling of song
plagiarism suits by taking it out of
the hands of lay juries has sparked
a controversy among legalltes and
“music experts.”

The controversy arose after Di¬
mitri Tiomkin’s victory last week
in the suit filed in N. Y. Supreme
Court against him and others by
Leon Navara. The action claimed
that Navara’s “Enchanted Cello”
tune was lifted by Tlomkin for
“The High and the Mighty” film.
After 15 days, the Jury came back
with a unanimous verdict in Tiom¬
kin’s favor.

Although victorious, Tlomkin
and his “music experts,” Sigmund
Spaeth and Deems Taylor, w^anted
(Continued on page 54)

In the face of considerable nega¬
tive comment on the Soviet-Ameri-
can film deal, the Motion Picture
Export Assn. Is maintaining an icy
silence. Theory apparently is to
let the Government, which pushed
for the agreement, come to its
defense.

MPEA also feels that, once Con¬
gress returns, several importanf
voices will be raised in defense of
a film swap with the Soviets, inas¬
much as (1) it brings American
films behind the Iron Curtain, and
(2) it’s part of the national policy
under the overall cultural ex¬
change agreement.

Latest attack on the deal comes
from John T. Flynn, who broadcast
it over the Mutual Broadcasting
System. He pointed out that
neither the exhibitors nor the com¬
panies particularly wanted a'film
agreement with the Soviets, but
that the incentive came from
Washington and the U. S. Infor¬
mation Agency. Sample of Flynn’s
text: “Now you are expected to
help support the Soviet film indus¬
try by paying your money to watch
Communist movies.” He also said
the U. S. couldn’t believe a Russian
promise not to change the content
of the American films they buy.

Earlier, Fulton Lewis Jr. wrote
two columns in which he warned of
the U.S. “being swamped with
Communist films” as a result of the
deal-

So far, the agreement with Mos-
iContinued on page 15)

DEAN MARTIN’S COIN
CLIMB; $200,000 A PIC

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

. Dean Martin’s climb since he
has gone single is illustrated by
fact he draws $200,000 for starring
in “Who Was That Lady?”, Colum¬
bia film based on the Norman
Krasna legiter, whereas he gets
$75,000 for toplining “Career,” lat¬
ter under old pact with Hal Wallis.

When Martin and Jerry Lewis
split almost three years ago. It was
decided they would fulfill their
contractual commitments to Wallis
by solo appearances In his pix, and
Martin owes producer one more.

Martin will also draw $200,000
for starring with Judy Holliday In
Bells Are Ringing” at Srletra. ‘

Western Ad Agency Org
Rekts ‘Green Cliri$tma$’;
Ble$$e$ $elling $laDt$

Los Angeles, Dec. 23.

Stan Freberg’s “Green ChrlSt-
ma$” Capitol disk has needled the
advertising fraternity here so tliat
the Western States Advertising
Agencies Assn, has gone to. the
trouble of writing a reibuttal and
sending it to all radio stations in
its area. The association reque.sis
that stations playing the Freberg
disk use its rebuttal on the air.

Attached note states: “We can
take a joke, but Freberg says on
the label he isn’t joking, and for
a considerable portion of his rec¬
ord, we believe he isn’t either.”
Note suggests that Freberg read
his Gospel again, and “meantime,
we think he needs an answer.”

Rebuttal states that taking the
commercialism out of Christmas
would dissipate the emotional im¬
pact of the holiday, as well as hurt
the nation economically. It con¬
cludes:

“Is it really all so bad? Would
we be better off without all these
things? Would we take the real
Christmas more seriously? Or does
all this fuss and bustle of Christ-
(Continued on page 42)

2 MISCEIXAJVY

P^SniEfr

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Show Biz in the Political Field; D.C. |
Solons, Mamie s Jazz, Rocky s Bashes

4----

Paying Alimony? Heed New Rules!

Washin^on, Dec. 23.

All you guys with ex-wives and children waiting for - their
monthly entitlement, the Internal Revenue Service has news for
you.

Just out is a “clarification” of the problem of determining the
portion of payments to be treated as alimony for Federal income
tax purposes.

It springs from two U.S. Court of Appeals decisions-and involves
eases where periodic payments are made to the ex-wife in one
amount for the support of both her and the minor children.

The old line complication is that alimony payments are deducti¬
ble by the husband and taxable to the wife, while payments for
the support of children are not deductible by the husband nor
taxable to the wife.

The two cases involving new rulings are:

(1) In the Weil case (2nd Circuit Court of Appeals), the agree¬
ment provided for periodic payments' to the wife with Which she
was to support their children and herself. The-only designation
of any specific portion of the payments allocated for the support
of the children was contingent upon the wife’s remarriage. The
court held (and Internal Revenue must follow although the tax
agents indicated in a statement that the bureau “does not agree”
with the court) that the entire amount paid is deductible as
alimony.

(2) In the Eisinger case (9th Circuit Court of Appeals) the
payments were to be reduced by one-fourth when either of the
two children reached majority or died and were to be dropped by
one-half if the wife remarried. The court held that this sort of
arrangement -allocated the payments between wif^ alimony and
support of minor children ^th "sufficient certainty.”

See Miami BeachV Xuffo Khtches

As a Test for %w Self Niteries

- : -

Washington, Dec. 23,

The White House Is passing up
show biz professionals so far this
season for the traditional musical
program following formal dinners
in the mansion.

Three dinners have been held
this month. After the first, honor¬
ing the U. S. Supreme Court Chief
Justice Earl Warren, and the Fed¬
eral judiciary, 12 Washington ama¬
teur harpists played and the U. S.
Army Chorus sang.

The program after both of the
two diplomatic dinners (there are
too many ambassadors in Washing¬
ton to seat them at a Single dinner)
was identical—songs by the Lian-
don Boys’ School choir. Landon is
a private school in a suburb.

Two more dinners are yet to be
held In January, honoring sepa¬
rately the Vice President and the
Speaker of the House.

Mrs. Mary Jane McCaffrey, sec¬
retary to Mrs. Eisenhower and in
charge of White House social ar¬
rangements, said the talent has
been arranged for both but said no,
public announcement of it Will be
made until the days of the dinners.

In past years, the Eisenhowers
have always had at least one pro¬
gram by professional entertainers;
sandwiched in among the five
dinners. Such performances are
cuffo- Last year, the stars of'sev¬
eral Broadway musical comedies
(Continued on page 55T

CALLAS TAKES PARIS
FOR LEiaON BENEFIT

By GENE MOSKOWITZ

Paris, Dec. 23. j

Maria Meneghini Callas, that |
high diva, came into Paris this
week a kitten in her public, per¬
sonal and press relations, but sang
like a Hon at the Paris Opera Gala
Fri. (19) for the French Legion of
Honor Benefit Fund. Seats sold
for $20 but tlie black market, on
the scarce places, went as high as
$200. Banquet afterwards had 500
people at $50 a head.

Newsmen were taken aback at
the sweetness and Hght dispensed
by Callas. Critics raved at her
amazing tragic acting qualities, mu¬
sicianship, and noted her voice was
exceptional, though giving signs of
fatigue, to make her, in all, the
most important figure in the^ lyric
theatre today. Some felt that
without her extraordinary presence"
this form of expression could have
died out.

French auds gave her 16 hysteri¬
cal curtain calls after she did ex¬
cerpts from "Tosca,” "Norma” and
others. She was well aided by Tito
Gobbi of Italy and Albert Lance of
France. A who’s who of the
French and international diplo¬
matic, aristocratic, economic and
show biz world were in attendance.
Among the latter were Darryl
Zanuck, Brigitte Bardot, Michele
Morgan, Yves Montand, Charles
ChapHn and others.

ATa&CUari’^s Visit

Greensboro, N.G., Dec. 23.

Film actress Ava Gardner Is In
Smithfield for a brief pre-hoUday
visit with relatives In her home
town.

Miss Gardner told reporters she
would relax and that no big fes¬
tivities are planned during the
brief stay. She wHl fly to CaU-
foma where she plans to spend
most of the hoUdays.

Several members of her family
met her at 1 ajn., Dec. 16, when
she arrived in R^eigh by train.
She is staying at the home of a
sister, Mrs. John A. Grimes, in
Smithfield.

Miss Gardner was accompanied
here by her friend, Italian actor
Walter Chiarl.

Harry Belafontes
S-YearBBC-TV
Deal Sets Record

London, Dec. 23.

BBC-TV is reported to have
shelled out the highest Individual
fee to one performer in its history.
On the receiving end Is Harry
Belafonte, pacted to an exclusive
five-year British tv conti’act. Deal
was set by'BBC booker Tim Hol-
land-Bennett during a recent trip
to the States. Reports indicate that j
the fee is around $70;000.'

For this, Belafonte is obliged to
appear in three BBC-'fV shows—
one live, the other two recorded— |
during 1959, and at least one show
a year until the pact expires. In
each offering the singer will ap¬
pear solo except for his own musi¬
cal combo. Programs wiU be at
least 30 minutes long with, a pos¬
sible 10 minutes extra on some
airings.

Holland-Bennett said Belafonte
would be making his first appear¬
ance under the arrangement next
April. He would be back later in
the year.

When Belafonte appeared in
Britedn under the Rank Organiza¬
tion’s banner a few months back
in a series of concerts, he was
banned from appearing on tv until
he had played all Ms dates as a
safeguard against possible box-
office damage. At that time he
fihned a show for BBC-TV after a
sock appearance on the web. The
former wHl be aired on Christmas
Day. His rendering of "Mary’s B.oy
CMld” will also be used by the
outlet as the epilog.

During Ms trip to the U. S.,
HoUand-Bennett also signed come¬
dian Cliff Norton to appear in sev¬
eral summer shows. Norton was
featured in the web’i recent “Sid
Caesar Show.”

J. S. Seidman

(Of Utdman A 5*idman, CPA)

wko !x also wall vtrsod la loglf
as a backar ond gaaarol show
busiatss lavastor has soma
cogoaV views oa

Taking the *Ax*

Out of Tax

* * *

MM of the mooy Editorial Footaros
tetiM

• umber

PhiDy Waves 7()0G
h Convention Bid

PhHadelpMa, Dec. 23.

. PhUadelphia poHticos and busi¬
ness interests went to Washington,
D.C., waving a blank check (re¬
ported as Mgh as $700,000) in a
major bid to bring the 1960 poli¬
tical conventions to tMs city.

CHiief objection met by the
Quaker City boosters came from
the networks. Specifically, the
webs have no objection to PMUy,
but are concerned over their hired
help. When the conventions were
held here in 1948, a large section
of the broadcasters wound up
housed in dormitories at the U.
of Pennsylvania.

Technicians with the networks
are entitled to first class accom¬
modations on out-of-town jaunts
under uMon agreements; 'and the
boys weren’t having any in PMla-
delpMa.

Complaint that PhHadelpMa had
no video tape was dismissed by
Roger W. CHpp, general manager
of the WFIL stations here, and
industry rep with local delegation,
who pointed out that his own
station had two Ampex tape re¬
corders.

Hotel interests here also sought
to assure the webs that there
would be suitable lodgings avaH-
able for the 1,100 to 1,400 visitors
sent in by the broadcasting indus¬
try. Time differential is another
factor in the broadcasters’ choice
of an inland City, it was said.'

Selection for 1960. Is still pend¬
ing, awaiting the decision of the
Democratic and GOP National
committees.

Gisele’s Florida Date With
Jack Benny Ere ‘Big Act^

Perhaps her last in-person date
before motherhood wHl be Gisele
MacKenzie’s booking with Jack
Bendy Feb. 3 at the Fontainbleau,
Miami Beach, where they are set
for two weeks.

Miss MacKenzie had to bow out
of Jule Styne’s. musicalization of
"Pride and Prejudice” for that rea¬
son, but Is doing the nitery date.

[ She guested with Benny a couple
of weeks ago on Ms tv show.

UNION WILL MATCH COIN

Pittsburgh Local Asks City To
Pony up For Concerts

Pittsburgh, Dec. 23. |

Local 60 of the Musicians Union
has promised to pour $5,000 Into
Pittsburgh’s summer band concerts
In 1959 if the city appropriates
$25,000 for them and another $50,-
000 for the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Last year the City CouncH gave
the Symphony $5O,()O0 and the
band concerts $35,000. 'The union
matched the latter figure with
money received as rebates on the
sale of phonograph records. Mayor
Lawrence, In Ms budget message,
recommended that the Symphony
(Continued on page 53)

Carolina Goes Fay

Greensboro, N.C.* Dec. 23.

Students picketed a U of
North Carolina music depart¬
ment buHding last Tuesday In
wMch Bach’s: "Christmas Ora¬
torio” was being presented.
Tuesday was Beethoven’s
birthday.

"Go home Bach, go home/'
read one picket’s sign, wMle
another’s read, "Happy Birth¬
day, Beethoven.” Another bore
a phrase, "Good Grief.”

Jerry Lewis, Cafe Pard

Phoenix, Dec. 23.

Jerry Lewis has bought into the
KoKo Theatre Restaurant, a nit¬
ery, as half-owner, and hereafter
spot wiU be tabbed Jerry Lewis’
KoKo Club.

Action greenlights a project by
comedian for setting up' niteries
elsewhere in the U.S.A. Lewis will
play several engagements a year at
the KoKo. David Branower con¬
tinues as booker.

Marek Accents
leisure Time
ImpactonBiz

When RCA Victor Records v.p.
and g.m. George R. Marek ad¬
dresses the appliances dealers’
convention in Chicago 12 next
he will accent "the iixuuenee of
Increasing leisure hours on Amer¬
ican business.”

With or without automation, the
increased amount of leisure time,
from post-World War II, has al¬
ready expanded the broad concept
I of "entertainment of home.”

NARAD (National Assn, of Re¬
tail of AppHance Dealers) knows
how everything, from phonographs
and records, to home movies,
stereo and the like already has
(Continued on page 55)

The forthcoming Florida season
looks Hie It will be swinging in \m-
usual directions and some develop¬
ments Mtherto unforseen are start¬
ing to take shape.

Several Miami Beach hotels and
clubs are emulating the N.Y. moun¬
tain resorts via attempts to keep
guests occupied throughout th®
day. Feeling is that if the custom¬
er . can be confined, chances of
getting holdover stays are better.
'The Deauville plan is seen as one
aspect of tMs ultimate goal.

The hotels that haven’t gone in
for the free entertainment, hovr-
ever, are making provisions for
same. For example, the Saxony
has made a deal with the Latin
Quarter whereby the hotel assumes
the price of an evening at the
nitery. In another instance, the
Belmar Hotel gives its clientele e
list of approved spots outside the.
hotel and will assume the’ eost of
[the evening.

j The Latin Qilarter. at the. same
I (Continued on page 53)

’CASTLES IN THE AIR’
MAY SPARK 3D BIOPIC

“Castles In the Air” by Irene
Castle (Doubleday: $4.50) is the
welcome bio of pne of show biz’s
greatest terp teams, told by the
surviving member to Bob and
Wanda Duncan. As newlyweds,
Vernon and Irene Castle went to
Paris in 1912, seeking roles In t
French revue. FaiUng to get the
Job; they Improvised dances at the
Cafe de Paris, set a new style with
their graceful art, and zoomed to
(Continued on page 53)

12/24

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Vaudeville .

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1

DAILY VARItTY

(Puhllahcd In Hollywood by Daily Variety. LtdJ
SIS A year. 320 Forelsn.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

PICTURES

3

MAGIC BEHIND HIM SHARES: TV

-^^;- 4 -

Rackmil Gives Birth to a Handout

From-the-Zenith of $208.50 a Share

Instructs Universal Staff : ‘But Don’t Tell ‘Variety’—
Denies Retirintf Pfd. Stock to Clear Decca Merger

Down $10—Spectacular Rise During 1958 Brings
Year-End Profit-Taking

Universal will pay Music Corp.
of America $1,000,000 annually
over a 10-year period as rental
under the lease-back arrangement
concluded as part of the deal
under which MCA acquired the
80-acre' Universal lot in Univesal
City, Cal. for $11,250,000. Univer¬
sal, prexy Milton R. Rackmil con-
fcmed the completion of the deal.
As owner, MCA is leasing back
studio facilities to U, but whether
this means all or part of the U
real estate was still a secret with
Rackmil. On the Coast, MCA pres¬
ident Lew Wasserman, asked
about this and other details re¬
garding the transaction, declined
to comment, per his pledge to
Rackmil.

(Daily Variety and Variety
weekly last Oct 22 exclusively re¬
ported the news of the MCA-U
deal, including the lease-back ar¬
rangement. While the U chief
never denied the story, hiding be¬
hind "‘no comment” originally, he
barred both publications from nor¬
mal news contacts at the Coast
studio and the N.Y. homeoffice).

. Rackmil’s two-months-late hand¬
out on the MCA-U deal instructed
the Universal staff to see that the
statement w'as withheld ■ from
•Variety. What the statement said
was this: the name, Universal-In¬
ternational Studios will be re¬
tained. So will present studio per-
aonneL

(Variety adds: deal will he
officially consumated in February,
the money in escrow until then).

In confirming the deal, Rackmil.
dismissed reports that Universal
plans to retire its preferred stock
or that a merger with Decca, which
owns 82% of U’s stock, is con¬
templated. He also declared that
there is no intention of selling
control of Universal.

Actual negotiations for the sale
U’s real estate were conducted by
Wasserman and Rackmil. There
was speculation that Revue, MCA’s
subsidiary, may move to Universal
now that the deal has been closed.

Rackmil stated that additional
personnel will be required as a re¬
sult of the MCA takeover, but
didn’t amplify.

MERUN LEWIS JOINS
CONGRESS OF EXHIBS

As the first step in the organiza¬
tion of a permanent staff, the new
American Congress of Exhibitors
has named Merlin Lewis adminis¬
trative secretary. Lewis resigned
as executive secretary and treas¬
urer of the Theatre Equipment &
Supply Mfrs. Assn, to accept the
new post.

Lewis’ ne\v assignment begins on
Jan’ 1. Temporary headquarters
will be in the Paramount Building,
N. Y.

Hope Springs Productions Inc.
has been authorized to conduct an
entertainment business in New
York, with capital stock of 200
shares, no par value. Reinheimer &
Cohen were filing attorneys at
Albany.

Scripfer

Milton M. Raison

recalls pioneer ovIaHon when he
and Nnnnally Johnson made
.... like Lindbergh In the

JVild Blue Blunder

one of the many Editorial Features
in the soon-due y

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^SlETT

4 —*-

BOB RYAN MAY SELL

His Interest In ‘Outlaw’ To
Producer Sid Harmon

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Discussions are on for Robert
Ryan, who stars in Security Pic¬
tures’ “Day of the Outlaw,” to
dispose of his interest in United
Artists release to producer Sidney
Harmon for $250,000,

Budgeted at $1,100,000, costar¬
ring with Ryan are Burl Ives, Tina
Louise. Andre De Toth is direct¬
ing.

Par Buy-Out Of
Lesennans4%
In Telemeter

Paramount, w'hich owns 90% of
International Telemeter Corp., is
underway with negotiations seek¬
ing to acquire Carl Lesermah’s 4%
stock ownership. Leserman also is
' a director of the home toll sub¬
sidiary.

Terms haven’t been agreed upon
but being mulled are two different
approaches to Leserman’s bowout.
He would either sell for cash or
accept certain physical assets In
the corporation.

Other non-Par stockholders, with
a combined total of 6%, include
director Paul McNamara and scat¬
tered individuals.

Although there’s no confirma¬
tion of this, there’s some suspicion
that Par eventually will undertake
to buy out all outsiders in Tele¬
meter so as to keep the pay-as-
you-see newcomer 100% in the Par
corporate fold.

* New to Directors’ Board

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Tony Leader, Josef von Stern¬
berg and Fred Zinnemann wiU take
over unexpired terms of Delbert
Mann, CJeorge Waggner and Robert
Wise, who recently resigned as
board members of the Screen Di¬
rectors’ Guild.

Trio voluntarily stepped down
when they became unable to at¬
tend board sessions.

Disclosure that 20th-Fox is pre¬
pared to spend ‘ $15,000,000 In
launching many new television
projects goes hand. in hand with
the distinct Industry trend that
sees more and more reliance on
the “rival” medium for important
revenue.

And this situation, in turn, is at
least partially responsible for the
general upbeat in film stocks. Big-
time investors in the picture busi¬
ness sustained heavy losses some
10 years ago as the competition
from tv cut sharply Into theatre
attendance.

Confidence in the film companies
hit a new low for modern times;
and now, because of that same
homescreen medium, it’s hitting a
new high.

The Old & The New
.It is to be remembered that
Columbia via its Screen Gems has
been extremely successful in the
production and sale of films made
directly for television having some
14 network programs currently.
Warners, the second-rating com¬
pany in vidpix, has six programs
at the moment. Metro and 20th-
Fox tally two each.

Television revenues to film stu¬
dios must be separated under two
heads, (a) monies derived from
sale or lease of backlogs and (b'
monies accruing from product in¬
tended for advertising sponsorship
on the home screens. Paramount
counts on $10,000,000 coming in
annually for five years from the
bacldog disposal to Music Corp.
of America, 20th has a anticipable
$6,000,000 on the books, Universal
about $3,000,000 and Columbia,
apart from Its bonanza in new
telefilms has perhaps $4,000,000
of still-receivables from its own
selloff of library celluloid.

(Over recent years Holly-
wood studios have unloaded '
hacTclogs with a potential total
payoff of perhaps $200,000,000.
Mostly this is on a spaced an¬
nual and part-down, part-to-
come reckoning. That such
syndication money has been a \
Godsend is admitted though
leading showmen, including
Spyros Skouras, have wailed
for the sad day the film indus¬
try first opened the door to
the selloff to its chief rival,
television. The posf-1948 prod¬
uct is expected—or feared —
ripe, for later harvest. Hence,
the bullish effect on the film
shares—Ed.)

An appraisal by the Arnold
(Continued on page 15)

SHORT OF CHARITY GOAL

. Hollywood Collections Misses
Quota and Last Year

Hollywood, Dec. 23:

Motion Pictures Permanent
Charities, which annually conducts
a single industry drive among
filmites for all charities, closed its
1959 campaign with $1,080,132 sub¬
scribed by 23,326 persons. Total
is $144,868 short of its $1,225,000
goal, and $79,001 below last year’s
donations.

Campaign may still hit its mark
by June 30 1959, windup of MPPC’s
fiscal year, according to chairman
Jimmy Stewart. Top bracket film¬
ites Will continue to he contacted
to make up difference.

Republic Pictures
i Seen Near a Set
Dividend Rule

Republic Pictures, which in past
years never declared a common
stock dividend, and whic*h recently
set a payoff of 15c per share in a
surprise board Vote, may shift to
a regular divvy basis.

At least, this is the policy which
president Heribert J. Yates hopes
to adopt shortly after J^. 1.

A steady income, no matter how
small, for Rep investors would
come as a surprise in view of many
rumors almost constantly afloat
concerning the position of the cor¬
poration. Uncertainties sprung
from reports varying from liquida¬
tion to relinquishing by Yates of
his virtual one-man control. These
plus the absence of common share
divvies. (Although in arrears at
one time, Rep is now up to date on
payments covering its cumulative
:preferred issue.)

r Rep has been wobbly on finan¬
cial grounds in recent years be¬
cause of its film operations. But
vdth theatrical picture production
I and distribution now abandoned,
[the company has replaced a loss
[ situation with profitable enter¬
prises in the fields of laboratory
work, plastics, television and rental
of studio facilities. ■

Ira Guilden Tripped Up Coming To Aid
Of Vogel Side In Loew's Battle

Before a snag developed in the
efforts of Loew’s director Ira Guil¬
den, a supporter of prexy Joseph
R. Vogel, to buy a portion of the
stock holdings of dissident direc-
1 tors Louis A. Green and Joseph
Tomlinson, Guilden had also been
dickering to acquire some of the
Loew’s shares held by Lehman Bros,
and Lazard Freres, the Wall Street
banking firms closely associated
with the Loew’s situation.

Guilden had been trying to ob¬
tain approximately 45% of the
holdings of Green and Tomlinson,
both of whom control some 150,000
shares each. What share of the
Lehman-Lazard stock he hoped to
acquire is not known at the mo¬
menta The banking firms can speak
for some 500,000 shares.

Hope was that if Guilden had
been successful, it w'ould result in
Green’s calling off of his threat¬
ened proxy fight against the man¬
agement and the probability that
Green, Tomlins-'^ and Green’s
associate, Jerome A. Newman,
would exit the board.

As things stand now, however,
the situation is in the touch-and-
go state, with the strong possibility

that Green may renew bis attempt
to buy. put Guilden. A Loew’s
board meeting on Friday (18) shed
no new light on the behind-the-
scenes maneuvers aimed at
straightening out Loew’s tangled
corporate affairs. The meeting was
devoted to a routine consideration
of various contracts and pending
deals for properties and per¬
formers.

Guilden’s effort to complete the
impending transactions were sty¬
mied by a suit brought in Wilming¬
ton, Del., by two minority stock¬
holders of a Baldwin Securities
Corp. subsidiary, General Indus¬
trial Enterprises, with which Guil¬
den is associated. * The suit charges
that General Industrial violated the
Investment Act of 1940 by becom¬
ing involved in the Loew’s dispute.

The shareholders, who had
earlier asked the courts to liqui¬
date and appoint a receiver for
General Industrial, have amended
their complaint and now charge
the defendants, including Guilden,
with having used General Indus¬
trial funds to buy about 80^000
shares of Loew’s at about $21.50
per share in preparation for the
proxy fight. 1

Besides Baldwin and General
Industrial, defendants in the suit
include Guilden, Edward Hopkin-
son Jr., Henry B. Ryans and Rich¬
ard T. Nalle, officers and directors
of both companies.

Complaint

Plaintiffs are Norte & Co. and
Irving A. Koerner, who have
charged in their amended com¬
plaint that some time before Sep¬
tember Baldwin bought 86,000
shares* of Loew’s, paying an aver¬
age price of hot more than $16 per
share. It adds that Guilden him¬
self purchased 2,000 shares of
Loew’s at an average price of $14:

General Industrial, the complaint
said, had sufficient funds to pur¬
chase all of this Loew’s stock, but
that the defendants did not buy
any of it for the company. Later,
however, 80,000 shares w’ere
bought for General Industrial, but
at a peak market price, the suit
charges.

Earlier the defendants denied:
the original complaint, which said 1
they depressed the value of Gen-!
eral Industrial by keeping it inac¬
tive and buying the subsidiary’s
stock at a discount.

Zenith Radio dropped $10 per
share in trading on the New York
Stock Exchange last Friday (20)
but nonetheless continued as one
of the most spectacular of all show
business issues this year. The $10
drop was attributed to profit taking
and follow'ed an almost constant
rise over the year.

Zenith has climbed from a year’s
low of $67.50 per share to a high
of $208.50,. Such an increase in
trading value is rooted in a variety
of factors. For one, earnings have
been substantially ahead of last
year. The first nine months of 1958
saw a 50% jump (to $6.64 per
share) for the corresponding period
of 1957. The net for all of 1958
could reach, or even surpass $10
per share.

Further, as pointed out by Wall
Street observers. Zenith has • less
than 1,000,000 shares up for trade
and consequently any kind of buy¬
ing activity, in view of this
limited supply, would tend to send
up the price markedly.

StiU another consideration Is
the anticipation in the New York
financial area that a new stock
split is in the offing. The common
stock was split on a two-for-one
^b'asis last spring.

State, Aliquippa,
Wins 60G Damages
Andlst-RimBid

Pittsburgh, Dec. 23.

State Theatre in nearby Aliquip-
pa won a $60,000 out-of-court set¬
tlement, plus the right to bid on
fipt-run pictures in competition
with neighboring houses, here last
week. The action had been brought
by Alpenn Theatre Co„ oper¬
ator of the State, against seven
major film companies and 28 sub¬
sidiaries.

Alpenn contended It could not
get pictures until 14 days after
they had been shown in downtown
Pittsburgh, even though theatres
in Rochester and Beaver Falls,
only a few miles apart, were not
so restricted.

The film companies, in actions
which lasted three years, contend¬
ed Aliquippa was in competition
with the Pittsburgh market while
Rochester and Beaver Falls were
not. The settlement was approved
by Federal Judge Wallace A.
Gourley.

GOLDMBIA FLIRTS WITH
CHARLES SIMONELLI

Charles SimonelU, Universal’s
eastern pub-ad chief, appears set
to exit U to join Columbia in a
studio publicity post.

Columbia officials insist that no
deal Has as yet been made with
Simonelli, but they do not deny
the possibility that he would join
the company in the near future.
It’s admitted, how'ever, that Col
v.p. Paul Lazarus Jr. has long been
interested in hiring Simonelli,

William Saroyan

with characteristic cynicism indites

ISo Ode to
^The Over-JVilUng*

* * *

onother unusual Editorial Feature
In the

53d Anniversary Number

of

PSMEfr

4

pierrauc^

:; What They Would Have Said —::

■: [UNPUBLISHED N. Y. FILM CRITIQUES]

Herewith are excerpts of the reviews, prepared by the N.Y. film
critics but not printed by their newspapers, of pictures which opened
bn Broadway during the current newspaper strike;

“A NIGHT TO REMEMBER” (Rank) j

_ (Griterion) _[

Bosley Crowther, N.Y. Times: “Even though the tragic story of the
sinking of .the Titanic is an old and oft-repeated one, it still makes for
tense, exciting and supremely awesome drama on the screen, In the
British-made film , . . it is given as fine and convincing an enactment
an anyone could wish—or expect.

Kate Cameron, N.Y. Daily News: (Four Stars) “. . . a never-to-be
forgotten reenactment of the greatest sea disaster in all history. The
picture has a powerful impact on the audience, as the ill-fated ship
sails towards its Inevitable, tragic end with an exciting, implacable
propulsion . . . Eric Ambler has made a deeply moving, dramatic
screen play of the material in lord’s book . . . 'ITiis is a picture to be
remembered in any discussion of the best dramatic films of our time.”

Justin Gilbert, N.Y. Mirror: "... a gripping movie monument to the
ill-fated luxury liner ... It is a painstaking, uncompromi^ng, recrea¬
tion of the tragic truths surrounding the sinking of the glittering ship
after she hit an iceberg in the north Atlantic on her maiden voyage.
Shattering drama, frustration and tragedy of awesome dimension are
to be found in almost every foot of this stunning motion picture.”

Paul Y. Beckley, N.Y. Herald Tribune: "... a heartbreakingly lucid
account on film of the sinking of the Titanic ... Every detail takes on
a full charge of ominousness, irony or futility.'There was no need to
barh any scenes with forced significance . . . The acting Is of a high
order, so generally high, in fact, that truth as well as space forbids
picking out a few from among the many.”

Archer Winsten, N.Y. Post: “Enough to make you get out of your
seat and help ... It causes tremendous heightening of suspense and
emotion ... As a technical reproduction of the event, the picture is
excellent; as a re-enactment to be experienced by an audience, there
is nothing to be desired . . . Eveiyone should see this picture.”

Alton Cook, N.Y. World-Telegram U Sun, who has been preparing
only capsule comments, termed the film "a realistic, overwhelming
and unforgettable account of the tragic maiden voyage of the Titanic!
An outstanding movie.”

♦ * ★

“7th VOYAGE OF SBNBAD” (Col) I

_ (Roxy) _J

A n. Weiler, N.Y. Times: "That record-holding raconteuse, Sche-
herezade, cannot take credit for the Technicolored travels labelled ‘The
7th Voyage of Sinbad’. . . But the technicians, scenarist and producer
and director of these tall tales make mighty efforts to equal the fer¬
tile imagination of that long-winded lady of legends. Unfortunately
their efforts are sometimes ludicrous and occasionally terrifying to
the sub-teen set.

But they have created a briskly-paced fantasy adventure that should
divert the youngsters and a few of the oldsters who can take make-
believe without a grain of salt. Call this ‘Voyage’ more of a tribute to
mechanics than to sheer acting artistry . . . ^e producers puUed every
technical stop they could, including one they have named Dynama-
tion, a special effects process handled by Ray Harryhausen in which
a variety of monsters are animated in the fashion of ‘King Kong.^ ”
Beckley: , a melange of Mediterranean tales, including elements

from Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ as well as Sinbad and Aladdin. It is a children’s
picture, of course, but it is doubtful if they will care much about the
origins of its story elements, but on the other hand children familiar
with the stories involved may not be as tolerant of changes as some
adults suppose. Some details'are relatively harrowing. One might men¬
tion the blinding of Cyclops and that creature’s taste for barbecuing
sailors on outdoor spits. SUch things may upset some children, though
it has been my experience that many infants are psychologically hardier
than their queasy overseers.”

Irene Thirer, N.Y. Post:. . . "big lavish, swashbuckling, fantastically
photographic, wordy — in flowery phrasing — a fairytale scientifically
splendid with storybook legendary characters to captivate the very
young and offer a little tongue-in-check appeal to their elders. It is
likely the lines outside the Roxy Theatre will be long and continuous
durmg the Yule season—^for this is smart booking indeed.”

Gilbert: "At a special preview', the pint-sized picture patrons glowed
as radiantly as the Technicolor . . . Along came the (Cyclops 30-feet
tall and short sighted because of the single orb in his forehead. But the
littlest shaver knew tvhat advice to give Sinbad—‘Hit ’em in the eye!’
he shouted . ... The ‘7’ should be included in your children’s Christ¬
mas movie list.

Rose Pelswick, N.Y. Journal American: ". . . an entertaining fairy¬
tale extravaganza for both the small fry and their elders. AU the fabled
ch^actem are here—^the handsome hero, the beautiful Princess, the
evil magician and, of course, the Genie with the light brown hair who
pops In and out of the magic lamp.”

Cook: . . lavish spectacle in color, sw’arming with huge terrifying

monsters. With a sweep of juvenile but stimulating imagination Sin¬
bad braves every horror to rescue his beloved Princess from a magic
spell cast by a wicked magician. Arabian Nights at their most excit¬
ing.”

* * ’ >

“THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA” (Metro)

__ (Tranfi-Lux 52d St.) _ _

Crowther: "As brilliant a battery of stage physicians as has prob¬
ably ever been called on to apply their skills to Shaw’s ‘The Doctor’s
Dilemma’ ^lls to with deftness and charm in the British-made film
version of it ... In this group of suave practitioners are Robert Mor-
ley, Felix .A.ylmer, Alistair Sim and John Robinson—all of them fel¬
lows who can play IVIr Shaw’s expensive quacks with just the right
shades and variations of pomposity and mockery.

"When these gentlemen are airing their theories and tossing around
the dialogues that Mr, Shaw meant to Tip the pretense off medical
morality, this beautifully dressed color picture has humor as well as
grace. It flashed the intellectual vigor and impudence of Mr. Shaw.
And beautiful it is in visual details (with) the most gorgeous Victorian
settings and colorful costumes . . . confusing, but it is made worth the
trouble by its cast.”

Beckley: "... a conscientious and often brilliant translation but with
all due respect to the taste and care with w'hich it has been filmed the
fact is this play is not without some evidence of corrosion of time.
Still having expressed these reservations one must take info account
the really fine qualities of this film . . . not only has it been given dis¬
tinctive settings in Edwardian London and filmed in Eastman color,
it has received an impeccable cast of actors."

Winsten; “The English are able to do so well by Shaw’s plays, it is
a pleasure to report that they have not fallen short . . . What makes
the whole affair a thing of delightful Shavian wit is the unregenerate
rascality of the artist , . . All in all, it* is a picture of traditional value,
handsomely produced, faithfully adapted and directed with a fine ear.”
Wanda Hale, N.Y. News: (Three and half stars) "* . • standard Shaw,

' Wedneaday^ December 24, 1958

FESTIVALS COVET 'PORGY'

Harry Rnby

hat wrlttM m aaiatlng troetfaa M

The Face That
Launched a
Thousand Quips
♦ ★ *

onethtr Editorial Footaro
ia Jko toda-doo

B3d Anniversary Number

of

P^Sriety

Europe to U. S.

Ben Henry
Robert Lantz
Joe Mankiewicz
Sam v'^oie^el

U. S. to Europe

Samuel Bronston
Gene Kelly
Duke Niles
Hank Schumer
Yvette Schumer

N. Y. to L. A.

Mel Allen
Robert Ardrey
Godfrey M. Cambridge.
Janet Cohn
Jackie Cooper
Leopold Friedman
Joe Glaser
Merle Jones
David Lewis
Audrey Meadows
Leo McCarey
Arthur O’Connell
Molly Fames
Joe Schoenfeld
Charles Schlaifer
Sol A. Schwartz
George Wood

L. A. to N. Y.

Fred Amsel

Josef Auerbach

Donald Buka

Michael Callen

John Cavendish

Marge & Gower Champion

Steve Cochran

Edinburgh Lateot To Pitch
Woo At Goldwyn

Holljrwood, Dec. 23.

Five foreign film festivals are
pitching to Samuel Ck>ldwyn to
showcase his "Porgy and Bess.”
Latest is Edinburgh fete, which
wants pic for its British preem.

Others which have already re¬
quested showings are Berlin, Can¬
nes, Venice and San Sebastian.

Should Goldwyn okay Edinburgh
screening, chairman* Norman Wil¬
son has told producer it would be
“glittering event of international
importance, not only because of the
Gershwin operetta’s importance
but also because of “Goldwyn’s
work as a film creator.”

Stewart & Lana Turner
Into Preminger’s ‘Murder’

James Stewart and Lana Turner
have been set by Otto Preminger
to star in his independent produc¬
tion of "Anatomy of Murder,”
which (Columbia will finance and
release.

’ Preminger has get March 16 as
the starting date for “Murder.”
Film, based on Robert Travers’
bestselling novel, has a screenplay
by Wendell Mayes.

"Murder” will be the first of
Preminger’s new schedule of indie
productions.

Joan Collins
Dennis Day
Laraine Day
Eddie Foy Jr.
James Gregory
Alfred Hitchcock
John Ireland
BurMves
Danny Kaye
Alan King
June Lockhart
Patricia Medina
Paul Newman
Jerome Paley
Larry Pennell
Robert Rossen
Walter Reilly
Herman Rush
Maurie Suess
Norman Tokar
Joanne Woodward.

Newbery-Manbys
Cuban Finances
For Show Corp.

Hollywood, Dec. 23,

Show Corp. of America, new fea¬
ture and telefilm production unit,
is shaping up as the outfit which
is tzLking over many of the com¬
mitments initiated by RKO and its
subsids.

Company is headed by Bruce
Newbery, distribution exec for
many years with 20th-Fox and Re¬
public,'and C. R. Manby, who came
from ^ and radio through General
Teleradio, RKO affiliate through
General ’Tire.

The pair, through their Eldorado
Productions and Morro Castle Pro¬
ductions, already have control of
seven unreleased features, start a
new one early next year, and plan
a tentative schedule of four or five
pix a year.

Financing for their features is
Cuban. They recently wound
“Catch Me If You Can” in Havana,
and plan to shoot their next, "Kiss
Her Goodbye,” there ^o. Facili¬
ties are good, they say, and they
augment them with imported Hol¬
lywood technicians.

Pair are also active in tv, al¬
though this operation is separate,
in financing and otherwise, to the
feature work.

In the video area, they own “El
Coyote,” a coproduction with Ken
Murray, which ABC-TV is starting
to film next month at Filmaster
here. They also have in the works
another coproduction deal, this
with Paul McNamara, on another
teleseries, "Mr. Big.”

For feature packaging, Manby
1 and Newbery have completed films:
Carl Dudley’s “The Big Search,”
and "A Gift For Heidi,” latter fea¬
turing Hollywood moppet Sandy
Descher, filmed in Germany. Both
are in color. They also own four
Irish productions, "Sally’s Irish
Rogue,” starring Julie Harris;
“Home Is The Hero,” starring Ar¬
thur Kennedy, and "Professor
Tim” and "Boyd’s Shop.” These
were made in association with the
Abbey Theatre.

On the future slate is the Latin-
American classic, “The Four Sea¬
sons of Manuela,” dealing with the
loves of Simon Bolivar, and other
properties, some of them from the
RKO days.

They say the eight pix they will
have completed on finish of "Kiss
Her Goodbye” will represent a
total investment of around $2,-
500,000.

COUSINS SKOURAS
FORM TRITON UNIT

HoU^ood, Dec. 23.

Triton Productions has been set
up by the sons of two vets of the
film industry. Spyros Skouras'Jr.
and his cousins, Plato Skouras and
Charles Skouras Jr., will partner
on indie production next year of
Niven Busch’s new novel, "Califor¬
nia Street,” for which they’ll seek
Yul Brynner and Jean Simmons.

Distribution deal with United
Artists currently Is being negoti¬
ated.

New Attempt to Ban
Ben Hecht Films Fails

London, Dec. 23.

A new attempt to impose a ban
on all pictures with .which Ben
Hecht is associated was made at
last week’s meeting of the general
council of the Cinematograph Ex¬
hibitors Assn. It was flatly turned
down.

■The request for the ban was
made by the Notts and Derby
branch of the CEA, who com¬
plained that a statement attributed
to Hecht In a London newspaper
last month was "anti-British.” The
statements reported were made
during the course of a telephone
conversation in America between
a newspaperman and Archbishop
Makarios, relative to a tv inter¬
view which the latter gave to
Hecht.

It wlU be recalled that some
years ago the CEA successfully
slapped a ban on all Ben Hecht’s
work following a statement he
made during the period of the
Palestine crisis. 'That one contin¬
ued for some years.

highly specialized, directed with loving care. Robustly acted.”

Cook: ". . . Shaw indulges in his hilarious sport of pitting a brash,
witty intellectual against conservative society, this time represented
by doctors. So long as Shaw masks his earnest thoughts behind gaiety,
the going is exhuberantly pleasant."

Gilbert: “All of Shaw’s wonderful wit and social satire are given
free rein. Shaw mixes slyness and sincerity with remarkable results.
Ending is pure Shaw, nothing short of delicious in its wisdom. It will
dazzle you with its brilliant virtuosity.”

4i « ♦

“SEPARATE TABLES” (UA) “

(Aator, Normandie) _

Crowther: “Terence Rattigan’s play . . . has been made into a film
which has the theatrical character of a small-time ‘Grand Hotel.’. . .
The characters here are all misfits—people who have not quite been
able to adjust their own inadequacies and terrors to the hard realities
of life. And it is in the revelation of these people to a more less bril¬
liant extent that the fascination and satisfaction of this picture lie.

"Most brlliant and true of the performers is Deborah Kerr. She
makes the shy and sad young woman who eyes the major come poign¬
antly alive. And after her is Wendy Hiller, who Is dignified, valiant and
strong as the ladj manager of the hotel who has to accept the loss
of her man.”

Beckley: . . one of the year’s finest achievements . . . This is a^

movie nobody in his right mind will want to miss.”

Gflbert: “By simply eliminating the obvious theatrical trickery that
characterized the London and Broadway stage version . . . the produ¬
cers . . . have created an exceptionally distinguished film ... a vehicle
of power ... Burt Lancaster gives a strong self-assured performance;
Miss Hayworth makes a notable comeback in a role that requires more
than her familiar beauty; Miss Kerr is so entirely disguised and con¬
vincing that it is difficult to recognize her for the first few minutes.
Niven and Miss Hiller, however, practically steal the picture with su¬
perlative performances . , . brilliantly acted and professionally pol¬
ished motion picture.”

Cameron: (Four Stars) "The film is an Improvement on the play,
thanks to Rattigan’s willingness to make the change and his skill in
inte^ating the two separate episodes into one continuous story.”

Winsten: "Ultimately this .picture mounts through deft characteriza¬
tions . . .' The performances are consistently fine.”

Cook: . a fury of dramatic forces rises lifting the picture among

the immemorable emotional movies of the year.”

Pelswick: "Good as 'Separate Tables’ was on the stage. It’s even bet¬
ter as a movie . . , one of the year’s best . . . brilliantly made and act¬
ed and rating attention on the basis of the names alone . . . under
Delbert Mann’s perceptive direction, sets and sustains an enormously
absorbing mood.”

“INN OF SIXTH HAPPINESS” (20TH)
_ (Paramoimt & Plaza) _

Crowther: "Ingrid Bergman’s capacity to convey a sense of supreme
sincerity with little more to make with in the way of a character than
a wholesome but platitudinous facade is touchingly demonstrated in
‘Inn of the Sixth Happiness.’ In It the lovely Miss Bergman, grown a
bit matronly and plump, plays an English housemaid, who goes to
China in the 1930’s with the hope of devoting herself to mission work.

“Isobel Lennart, In writing the screenplay from the biography of
one Gladys Alyward entitled ‘The SmaU Woman,’ provided no clari¬
fication or even a clue as to what makes her tick. There is none of the
expected illumination of the Interior of her heart or spirit . . . justi¬
fication of these (her) achievements is revealed by no other displays
than those of Miss Bergman’s mellow beauty. Under Mark Robson’s
direction, she uses them all, like soft lights. Her not-so-small woman
is most appealing, but she is still jiist a sturdy facade.”*

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^RIETY

PICTURES

5

MADE-IN-EUROPE-FOR-AMERICA

National Boxoffice Survey

Trade Up as Xmas Nears; ‘BuccaneerVNor 1, ‘Sinbad’
2d, ‘So. Seas’ 3d, ‘Pacific’ 4th, ‘Gejsha’ 5th

While some key cities covered
by Variety show an improvement
this round, especially where new
product takes in Christmas Day or
the last part of week, the major
upbeat at big first-runs is not ex¬
pected until the Xmas-to-New
Year’s stanza. Too many films cur¬
rently are still suffering from the
backwash of holiday shopping. Se¬
vere cold in many sectors also hurt,
while in New York City the second
week of the newspaper strike!
clipped the b.o.

“Buccaneer” (Par) is the new
b.o. champion, with good to solid
showings in a vast majority of
keys, “Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
(Col) is a close second-place win¬
ner, although returns indicate some
mild to slow showings. “South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama) is fin¬
ishing third.

“South Pacific” (Magna) wall
wind up fourth while “Geisha Boy”
(Par) is taking fifth money. “Gigi”
(M-G), long high on the list, is
* capturing sixth position.

Leon Uris

has indited some pungent views on

Book Reviewers

one of the many Editorial Features
in the

53d Anniversary Number .

P^RIETY

‘OLD MAN AND THE SEA’
TOPS TO NAT’L BOARD

GALLED HAUL

Distributors of Foreign films in
Manhattan expressed their aston¬
ishment last week over a new U.S.
exhibitor recommendation that
foreign producers turn out more
films directly aimed at the Ameri¬
can market.

' Some called the suggestion “non¬
sense.” Others saw it as an open
invitation for more of the major
companies to go into competition
with the indies by taking on im¬
ports. A few agreed.

The recommendation re imports
came in the report of the Commit¬
tee on Ways and Means to Increase
Motion Picture Production to the
American Congress of Exhibitors.
Chairman S. H. Fabian said for¬
eign producers “should only be too
willing to aim their product to-j
ward our standards, tastes and I
policies to get a fair share of the j
revenue. A picture w'hich is aimed ]
at and is successful in the Ameri-.j
can market is usually successful
in the world market and gets

Telecast and Theatre Film, Looks
As If ‘12 Angry Men May Reap
Most Dough as Legit Play

(M-G), long high on the Hst, is Because it’s one of the few' pic- market is usually successful nArO. DIID! IP HiilWVV
capturing sixth position. tures to deal with the dramatic in the w'orld market and gets DULO rUDLll/ D£Li£Vlj

“Tom Thumb” (M-G), a newie, theme of individual vs. the uni- worldwide’ distribution. Foreign CUAIUM AU AD rDITir?

is managing to limp in seventh al- producers should be impressed MUfVluArl Ul\ talllt:

though so far very disappointing! with this fact and an attempt „ „ , ^

in many key cities. “Windjammer” ; has been picked as the best film j^ake morel St. Paul, Dec. 23.

(NT) is landing in eighth spot. I of 1958 by the Committee on Ex- pictures aimed at the American Industry here is laughing at a
“At War With Army” (Indie) (re -1 ceptional Films of the National market.” situation which not only was un-

Issue) and “Houseboat” (Par) are Board of Review. A Pitfall usual, but also perhaps embarrass-

the t "0 runner-up pix Second-best honors went to The indies, whoVe handled Ira- *"8

Separate Tables (UA) shapes *‘gpnorate Tables ” third tn “The norts in CTOwinff volume since the RKO Oipheum, and which

as one of the big hoxoffice wan- L^sr Hurrah^ ‘The iT must have caused the public some

ners. predicated on its showings ^asi nurran, men come me - attsos-,-. confusion.

--By HY BOLLINGER

A unique show' biz twist where-
Y ITT* hy a legit play adapted from a film

Leonara .L. L.evins011 stands a chance of outgrossing the

, , picture involves Reginald Rose’s

likens himself to Field Marshal “]2 Angry Men." The conversion
Montgomery as he recalls a of a film into a play after the pic-

World War II dastardly ture has been played off is in it¬

self a departure from the usual

Plot to Shave Colonna ‘’^originally presented as an hour-
long teieplay on Studio One in
Sept., 1954, “12 Angry Men” w'as
another Bright Editorial subsequently made into a motion

in the soon-due picture. It was co-produced by

• Rose and Henry Fonda under the

53d Anniversary Number banner of Orion-Nova Productions
_ and w-as released by United Artists

' in the spring of 1957. The film,
completely shot in New' York, w'as
^I I brought in at a cost of $337,000,

_I with both Rose and Fonda agree-

OES PUBLIC BELIEVE J .Although well received critically,

..T *he picture did not get off the

SHOWMAN OR CRITIC?; ~ '’r®a“'rinLoh‘‘“beTr

St. Paul, Dec. 23. ' abroad and it’s expected that it

Industry here is laughing at a emerge with a profit. So far,
tuatlon which not only was un-; J™-

another Bright Editorial
in the soon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

the two runner-up pix.

“Separate Tables” (UA) shapes
as one of the big boxoffice win-

usual, but also perhaps embarrass-: their deferred payments

ing for one of the parties involved, rr

thl T?Tfn nrnhpnm and whieh Nevertheless they have a good

ners, predicated on its showings | Last Hurrah,” then come “The
in two cities. It is wow' in Wash-; Long, Hot Summer,” “Windjam-

ports in growing volume since the J; opoortunity of snaring some tall

war, maintain that it’s precisely caused the public som j;.oyaities. European

that attempt to create an Ameri- contusion. producer Lars Schmidt has

can-type product that has tripped The St. Paul Dispatch new'spaper acquired the dramatic rights of the

legit producer Lars Schmidt has
acquired the dramatic rights of the

. ; , - -,1 A.’L. _ _ _ pi _ TT 4. m- n ft, Uaa-LVPe uruuucu LIIcIL Ilcia llippcu — . at-viuiicu LUC UJLctlnaLU; ngms oi Llia

ington despite the season and IS i^r Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, producers overseas and has re- ad for “Me and the Colonel” car- film for France, Spain, Italy, Hol-

SMko in both N. Y. houses where _ihe Goddess, The Brothers ^ notable decline in the ried the RKO Orpheum’s assertion land, Denmark, Sweden. Norway

playing. Actually, Tables is Karamazov Me and the Colonel quality and appeal of the European that it “is one of the season's and Finland. The play, in an

rated as having a chance to .<y^sck and Gigi. output. most delightful and heart warm- adaptation by Andre Obev, is cur-

the record at the Norm^die if tne ^mong the imports, the Board “Only offbeat, different types of ing pictures with Danny Kaye giv- rently one of the top hits in Paris

newspaper strike is settled. chose “Pather- Panchali” as the . .. » . . , ... - _

“Some Came Running” (M-G) is year’s outstanding film, It was fol-

^mong the imports, the Board “Only offbeat, different types of ing pictures with Danny Kaye
newspaper strike is semen. chose “Pather- Panchali” as the films from abroad will be our sal- ing his finest performance,” . and a national company for France

“Some Came Running” (M-G) is year’s outstanding film, It was fol- vatiori,” said Jack Ellis of Ellis Ad went on to say to the pub- i'; b?ing organized. Tw'o companies

rated slick in L. A. “Auntie Marne,” low'ed by “Rouge et Noir,” “The Films. “To meet the competition lie: “After you have seen nhis —in Munich and Frankfurt—are

(WB), nice in L.A., is huge in third Horse's Mouth,” “My Uncle” and of television, and to keep the audi- new Danny Kaye picture, if you successfully presenting Horst Bud-

W'eek at the N. Y. Music HaU where “A Night to Remember.” ence that goes to see foreign films, honestly can say you did not en- ' juhn’s German version. In addition,

the annual Christmas stageshow, John Ford was named the year’s we can’t try and sell carbon copies joy it, see the manager and he three other companies are being

of course, is the big draw, “Night director for his. work in “The —and bad ones at that—of w'hat will give you a guest ticket for a organized for Germany.

To Remember” (Rank\ (^ay in Hurrah.” Ingrid Bergman Hollywood is doing.” future performance.” Rose -recently completed ar-

L.A., is rated good tn N. Y. copped best actress honors for her Another importer put it differ- But on the same newspaper, rangements for planned legit pro-

“Earth To Moon” (WB), dull In performance in “Inn of Sixth Hap- ently. “When you tell the French page the film critic Bill Diehl in dictions in Switzerland, Iceland,

N. Y., looks okay in Minneapolis piness” and Spencer Tracy carried and the Italians to keep the Ameri- a review of the picture made , East Germanj', Poland. Yugoslavia,

and mild in Chi. “Restless Years” off the male honors for “Old Man” can market in mind, all they think plain he didn’t “enjoy” it. In fact, Greece, Turkey and Austria. Next

and mild in Chi. “Restless Years”
(U) looms fair in Washington.

“Around World in 80 Days"
(UA), stout in L.A., shapes great
in Chi. "Home Before Dark” (WB)
looks gloomy in Chi. “Night Heav¬
en Fell” (Kings) is okay in Min¬
neapolis.

“Mark of Hawk” (U) is okay in
Chi. , “Unwed Mother” (AA) is
rated sad in P'rovidence. “Old Man
and Sea” (WB) shapes slow in
Washington.

“The Robe” (20th) (reissue)
looms" oke in Louisville, “Blood
of Vampire” (U) looks good In
Toronto.

(Complete Boxoffice Reports on
Pages 8-9),

EMPIRE, LEICESTER SQ.,
FOR H0TE& THEATRE

London, Dec, 23. .

If certain projects now In the
planning stage bear fruit, the. face
of London’s West End may under¬
go a drastic change in the next few
years.

One of the schemes submitted to
the planning authorities Is for the
demolition of Metro West End
showcase, the Empire at Leicester
Square, and its replacement by a
development project which would
include a hotel, theatre and offices.
Loew’s indicated earlier in the year
that they were ready .to dispose of
its Inter^f^t in the property* if It
could find a buyer at the right
price. Asking around $2,800,000.

Another major development,
conditioned by a road widening
scheme, will involve the demolition -
of a whole block from Regent
Street, Piccadilly Circus and
Shaftesbury Avenue, including the
famed Monico restaurant.

Outside the 6entral area there’s
also a proposal to pull down the
Davis Theatre in Croydon, the larg¬
est picture house in Euppe and
replace it by an office block.

and “Hurrah,”

(Continued on page 15)

• Diehl rapped it.

OUT SOON!

53rd Anniversary Number

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitaticn Advantages

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 3$
154 W. 46th St.

HOLLYWOOD 28
6404 SwRiat Blvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. MIchigaii Av*.

LONDON. W. C. 2
t St. MartiR'f Place
Trafolgor Sqaare

PARIS. 2B rue Hiidictta

ROME, Stampa Etttra

i week the legit version opens in
- the four Scandinavian countries
and productions in Italy and Spain
. are pending momentarily. Rose
’ has reserved the British rights for
• himself and a Broadway produc¬
tion is in the planning stage for
1960.

Both Rose and Fonda, as part¬
ners in the film production, \W11
share in the legit royalties. ^A,

; however, does not get a share of
! this source of income.

Curiously, “12 Angry Men” is
currently being offered by amateur
groups in the United States. How¬
ever, the amateur version is based
> on Rose’s original teleplay and not
on a legit adaptation of the film
'. which Rose will do for the Broad¬
way production.

What apparently has made “12
Angry Mon" so much in demand as
. a play, in addition to its dramatie
! values, is the ease with which the
; film can be adapted for a proscen-
; ium outing. Almost all the action
of the film takes place inside a
jury room,

‘CAN’T PUT FOOT-REE
ON QUALITY’-DISNEY

Comment from the Walt Disney
: office in New York anent Variety’s
story on Disney plans to release
; the feature cartoon, “Sleeping
; Beauty,” which runs only 75 min-
j utes. at advanced admission prices: '
“You can’t equate quality \v;ith
i quantity.”

Disney spokesman acknowledges,
i of course, that “Beauty” is short of
: conventional running time for a
' roadshow-priced picture. But this
point is made: All of Disney’s car-
i toon features through the years
; have been relatively short, and
“Beauty” is the most expensive
; of any in history. Negative invest-
! ment is figured at $6,000,000. This
j plus the “quality” warrants the
j upped scales, in the theory ad-
1 vanced by Disney’s man.

mswBWS

^■te Cmm^ RsMBlMg

(COLOR; CrsCOPE)

Kame-slitierinr, liich-powered.

lEfolIywood, Dec. 19.

Metro release Sol C. Siegel prodnc*
^D. Stars Frank Sinatra. Dean Martin,
foirley MacLaine; costars Martha Hyer.
Arthur Kennedy; features Nancy Gates.
Xeora Dana, Betty Dou Keim, Carmen
Phillips. Steven Pe<dL. Directed' by Vin¬
cente MinneUl. Screenplay. John Patrick
and Arthur Sheekman; based on the novel
by James- Jones; camera, William H.
Daniels; music. £3mer Bernstein; editor.
Adrienne Kazan. Previewed at the studio.
Dec. 15, *58. Running time, 137 MINS.

Dave Hirsh . Frank Sinatra

Bama Dillert...Dean Martin

Ginny Moorhead.^Shirley MacLaine

, Gwen French .. Martha Hyer

- Frank Hirsh . Arthur Kennedy

Edith Barclay .Nancy Gates

Agnes Hirsh .. Leora Dana

Dawn Hirsh.'.. Betty Lou Keim

Rosalie .. Carmen Phillips

Raymnd Lanchak.Steven Peck

Prof. French . Larry Gates

Jane Barclay .....Connie Gilchrist

Smitty . Ned Wever

Wally Dennis . John Brennan

The only marquee problem on
this one is: how are you going to
get all those good names up there?
’‘Some Came Running,” despite
some minor flaws, is certainly one
of the most exciting pictures of
the season, and with this cast to
give it impetus, should make solid
returns.

It is Sol C. Siegel’s first personal

S reduction since his takeover at
letro. It has been brilliantly
directed by Vincente Minnelli, with
fine performances by Frank Sina¬
tra and Dean Martin and a shatter¬
ing one by Shirley MacLaine that
could only have been surmised
from her previous work.

The story is pure melodrama,
despite the intention of the original
author, James Jones, to invest it
with greater- stature. But the in¬
tegrity with which the film is han¬
dled by all its contributors, lifts
it at times to tragedy. Jones novel
has been stripped to essentials in
the screenplay, by John Patrick
and Arthur Sheekman, and those
are presented in hard clean dialog
and incisive situations.

Sinatra is an ex-serviceman and
ex-novelist who returns to his
home town, unwitting and unwill¬
ing, when he gets drunk in Chicago
and is shipped back unconscious
on a bus. Accompanying him is
Miss MacLaine who is generally
unwitting but never unwilling, a
good-natured tart with no preten¬
tions. Sinatra can’t stand his
brother, Arthur Kennedy, or the
brother’s wife, Leonra Dana, but
he fails deeply in love with a i
friend of theirs, Martha Hyer. He |
meets a pal. Dean Martin, who be- j
comes an ally, and. he beconjes
Involved in the personal life of
his niece, Betty Lou Keim.

There have been mentions of
“Peyton Place” in connection with
“Some Came Ruining,” and therp
are superficial resemblances. But
the current picture is considerably
more honest in its basic premise
and therefore has more impact.
The characters seem less stereo- i
typed and the cast is—overall— I
far better. The plot has many con- j
vulutions, and some of them don’t ;
always get adequately explained. '
Some of the characters, too, are j
laid in with promises that are not I
fulfilled and remain unresolved
and unexplained at the end.

The title, incidentally, is taken
from St. Mark, and is construed to
mean that some have come run¬
ning to find the meaning of life,
but are prevented from finding it
by obsession with materialism.

Sinatra gives a top performance,
sardonic and compassionate, full of
touches both instinctive and tech¬
nical. It is not easy, either, to
play a man dying of a chronic ill¬
ness and do it with grace and
humor, and this Dean Martin does
without faltering. i

With her performance. Miss ’
MacLaine moves into the front
row of film actresses. »She isn’t i
conventionally pretty. Her hair \
looks like it was combed with an \
egebeater. But it doesn’t make any
difference, because she elicits such '
empathy and humor that when she ]
offers herself to Sinatra, she seems '
eminently worth taking.

Martha Hyer is another who'
comes into her own. Her playing of
a frustrated woman unable to
break lose until she is able to
evaluate through tragedy, is con-;
tained playing of a high order, i
Arthur Kennedy makes a fine:
character study of the hypocritical !
brother, and Nancy Gates and;
Leora Dana are strong in support, i
Others in the large cast who con- i
tribute include Lairy Gates, Betty |
Lou Keim, Carmen Phillips, Steven j
Peck, Connie Gilchrist, Ned Wever
and John Brennan.

Minnelli, whose touch in “Gigi”
was so deftly light, doesn’t dodge
an opportunity here for full-
blooded action and emotion. His
next-to-final sequence, a carnival
setting photographed by William
H. Daniels (with a new Panavision !
fast lens), aided by adroit editing
by Adrienne Fazan, creates-what
is almost a ballet of jeopardy and
terror. It may startle some—and

it do«f Mtm a thrust of Impres-
sionlsia into roallsm—but it adds
new depth to a bule plot turn as
old as motion pictures.

The .most impreuive thing about
Minnelli’s direction Is his ability to
hold a concOpt of the picture as a
whole. He does not hesitate (with
the Patrick-Sheekman script) to.
cap violence with pathos, tragedy
with humor, emphasizing and high-
; lighting by contrast. The story
never diffuses its intensity by the
extraneous or diversionary.

Elmer Bernstein’s score is one
! of his best, ranging from disson¬
ance to the lyrical, and notably
using the piano for exceptional
effect. Other credits are first-rate,
with a special mention for sound,
by Franklin Milton. Too often on
location shooting, with subsequent
studio dubbing to correct defi¬
ciencies, you get the effect of two
people talking in a windstorm in
which all natural sound has been
washed out. Milton preserves the
natural sounds without sacrificing
any dialog or dramatic effects.

Powe,

Rally ^Round the Flag 9
Boys

(COLOR; C’SeOPE)

Racy version of the best-

selling novcL

Hollywood, Dec. 19.

Twentieth-Fox release of Leo McCarey
production. Stars Paul. Newman, Joanne
Woodward, Joan Collins and Jack Carson.
Directed by McCarey. Screenplay, Claude
Blnycn and McCarey; baaed on the novel
by Max Shulman; camera (DeLuxe Color),
Leon Shamroy; music. Cyril J. Mockridse;
editor, Louis R. Loeffler. Previewed at
the Westwod Village Theatre, Dec. 1»,
*58. Running time. IM MINS,

Harry Bannerman.Paul Newman

Grace Bannerman.......Joanne Woodward

Angela HoHa .Joan Collins

Captain Hoxie . .. Jack Carson

Grady Metcalf.Dwayne HTckman

Comfort Goodpasture..Tuesday Weld

Col. Thorwald. Gale Gordon

Opie . Tom Gilson

Isaac Goodpasture.O. Z. Whitehead

Danny Bannerman. Ralph Osborn HI

Peter .. Stanley Livingston

George Melvin.Jon Lormer

Manning Thaw.Joseph Holland

Milton Evans . Burt Mustin

Waldo Pike . Perev Helton

Betty 0*811161 .Nora 0*Mahony

Zack Crummitt ... Richard Collier

Oscar Hoffa .... Murvyn Vye

Somewhat slow and labored
humor, “Rally ’Round the Flag,
Boys,” as filmed, Is a bedroom
farce of split-level thinking in
split-level housing. Leo McCarey
produced Bnd-. directed the film
version of Max Shulman’s best¬
seller. It Is unmistakably a Mc-
Carey^ picture. Some of the gags
are as elaborate and as carefully,
timed as a dance sequence. The
screenplay, by McCarey and Claude
Binyon, picks out the married cou¬
ple from the novel, elaborates some
details, eliminates others.

The resultant plot is simple. Paul
Newman and Joanne Woodward
are the couple (two children), liv¬
ing in Fairfield County, Conn. They
have, in the delicate phrase,
drifted apart. Newman Is all for
drifting right hack, but Miss Wood¬
ward is so busy organizing their
town into a community as neat,
tidy and efficient as their modern
kitchen, she can’t find the time.

Enter the Temptress, or third
angle of triangle. She is Joan Col¬
lins.

McCarey handles story so there
is never any slightest chance of
anything coming to a real conclu¬
sion. The situations ar.e real, but
what happens within them is so
far beyond reality as to preclude
genuine belief. Marital Infidelity
—or the possibility of it— occu¬
pies considerable footage in the
picture and accounts for most of
the footwork on the part of the
principals. But McCarey handles it
to make Infidelity so obviously
hectic and wearisome that., in the
end it becomes a strong case for
morality. Like most men trying to
burn the candle at both ends, New¬
man winds up with nothing but a
pair of scorched hands.

McCarey Is working here with
players, Newman, Miss Woodward
and Miss Collins, who have done
only incidental film comedy np to
this one. They are called upon to
slam into opening doors, swing
from chandeliers, do the dropped
pants bit (in Newman’s case), takes
and double-takes. Jack Carson, of
course, Is a past-master at the slow
burn and volcanic reaction, and he
more than holds his own.

Notable in the supporting cast
are Dwayne Hickman as a "Wild
One”-Brando delinquent, Tuesday
Weld as his appropriate mate, and
Tim Gilson as a Presley-Southern
soldier. Also (?hle Gordon, O. Z.
Whitehead and Murvyn Vye.

Some of the lines are lost, In¬
escapably, hut it is a good screen¬
play job on a popular bqok.

The humor is carried over In
the art direction,. by Lyle R.
Wheeler and Leland Fuller, and
the music by Cyril Mockridge. It
is also apparent in the set decora¬
tion by Walter M. Scott and Stuart
A. Reiss. Sound, by Eugene Gross-
man and Harry M. Leonard, and
pditing by Louis R. Loeffi^r, are
both good. Powe,

Semlor I*r4i]ii

(SONGS)

Disk Dame tunefest; good

b.o. prospects, in teenage

market.

Columbia release of a Harry Romm
production. Stars Jill Corey, Paul Hamp¬
ton. Jimmie Komack, Barbara Boslock;
kuest star, Ed Sullivan. Features Tom
Laughlin, Frieda Inescort, Louis Prima
and Keely Smith, with Sam Butera and
The Witnesses. Directed by David Lowell
Rich. Written by Hal Hackady; camera.
Fred Jackman; editor, A1 Clark; original
songs, Don Gohman, Hal Hackady; music
supervised and conducted by Morris

Stoloff. Previewed N.Y., Nov. 21, '58.
Running time, 82 MINS.

Gay Sherridan .Jill Corey

Tom Harper.v. ... Paul Hampton

Dog... J'mmie Komack

Flip . Barbara Bo^ock

Carter Breed HI.t.'.. Tom Laughlin

Mrs. Sherridan Frieda Inescort

Caroline .. Selene Walters

Carter Breed Sr........-Francis De Sales

Girl with Holder..Peggy Moffit

Louis Prima....'..HinSself

Keely Smith.. . Herself

Sam Butera A The Witnesses. .’Themselves

Ed Sullivan .............Himself

Mitch Miller .. Himself

Connee Boswell..Herself

Bob Crosby. ...Himself

Toni Arden .. Herself

Freddy Mmtin & His Orchestra

Themselves

Jose Mells...Himself

Les Elgart.Himself

Primed for the teenage market
Is “Senior Prom,” a disk name

tuner which should do well in that
field-Roster of principals for this
Columbia release includes a flock
of disk names. Among them are
Jin Corey, Louis Prima & Keely
Smith and Mitch Miller. But while
! presence of, these platter stars
more or less insures attention of
the younger set, it’s no guarantee
of adult audiences.

With some 20 times spotted in
this Harry Romm production, nat¬
urally there’s a wealth of exploita¬
tion values to be tapped via disk
jrockey plays and record sales. More
than half of the ditties are new
numbers.

As written by Hal Hackady,
script is no gem of originality for
it’s a conventional boy-meets-girl
yam with a campus background.
Book, obviously, is merely an ex¬
cuse on which to hang the film’s
countless tunes. Miss Corey is ro¬
mantically inclined toward wealthy
Tom Laughlin, a fellow collegian.
However, after B2 minutes of foot¬
age she switches to the less afflu¬
ent Paul Hampton. It’s no surprise
at the finale.

, Miss Corey, who isn’t particu¬
larly photogenic, handles four
tunes on her own and duets a fifth
with co-star Barbara Bostock. Some
of her songs, cleffed by Don Goh¬
man and scripter Hackady, are
catchy—especially “One Year
Older,” which she sings after a
birthday party. She does a punchy
vocal of “Big Daddy,” with music-
lyrics by Lee Pockriss and Peter
Udell.

Best of the musical melange Is
a lively sequence in which Louis
Prima & Keely Smith do a terrific
•version of “That Old Black Magic.”
It’s already making noise on the
Capitol Jabel. Paul Hampton, Miss
Corey’s vis-a-vis, is a personable
lad who shows promise. In the
past he’s cut several minor platters
for Columbia Records. Here he’s
heard to advantage on the title
number, backed by the entire com¬
pany.

Rounding out this tunefest are
Jimmie Komack. Frieda Inescort,
Ed Sullivan, Les Elgart, Jose Melis,
Freddy Martin’s band and the
“Record Hall of Fame.” Under
latter heading are grouped Mitch
Miller, Connee Boswell, Bob Crosby
and Toni Arden, Komack and Miss
Bostock do a couple zipny vocals
and provide comic relief. Miss Ines¬
cort has little to do as Miss Corey’s
mother. Tom Laughlin registers as
the rejected suitor.

Ed Sullivan, billed as appearing
through, “courtesy of CBS-TV,” is
seen briefly in his familiar emcee
role. In view of the plethora of
tunes and vocalists, director David
Lowell Rich for the most pari; has
coped nicely with the problem of
getting his performers on and off
camera. However,' some scenes are
reminiscent of oldtime musical
shorts. Fred Jackman’s lensihg is
competent as is editing of AI Clark.
Carl Anderson’s art direction and
Morris Stoloff’s musical suoer-
vision are good. Gilb.

Kvinnors Vantan

(Women Waiting)
(SWEDISH)

Paris, Dec. 16,

Svensk Film production and release.
Stars Eva Dablbeck, Maj-Britt Nilsson,
Anita Bjork; features Gunnar BJomstrand,
Birger Malmsten. Written and directed
by Ingmar Bergman; camera, Gunnar
Fischer; editor, Oscar Rosander. At
Pagode, Paris. Running time, 105 MINS.

Eva .. Eva Dahlbeck

Marta .. MaJ-Britt Nilsson

Rakel ... Anita Bjork

Fredrik . Gunnar Bjornstdand

Martin ...Birger Malmsten

This Is the seventh film done by
Swedfsh director-writer Ingmar
Bergman to get specialized first-
run booking here this season. Berg¬
man now emerges as one of the
most orginal film creators practic-
mg in Europe today. Film bears
his insight into female behavior,
and his growing mastery of the

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

visual and of narration. It is adult
fare, with a good overall entertain¬
ment aspect, to make this of in¬
terest for Yank surty and some gen¬
eral cinema spots.

Four women, married to four
brothers of a rich family, are wait¬
ing for their men at a vacation
resort. The eldest suddenly con¬
fesses that she has lost all contact
with her husband, and a young
sister of one of them is planning to
run off with a young man. The
three others each tell the high^
lights of their lives with their men.

One is about a seduction in Paris.
Another brutally exposes a hus¬
band’s lack of. prowess after the
wife is seduced by another man,
and a third is a witty, racy tale of
a husband and wife, drifting apart,
caught in an elevator and finding
each other again after a first
chance to really talk in years.

Pic is technically outstandrng
with the acting jtops. Superior
treatment makes sudsy material
appear deep and dynamic.

Mask.

Bachelor of Hearts

(BRITISH-COLOR)

Lieht comedy about a German
■ at Cambridge University, with

only limited adolescent appeal.

I^ndon, Dec. 16.

Rank CVivian A. Cox) production and
release. Stars Hardy Kruger, Sylvia Syms,

[ Ronald Lewis. Directed by Wolf Rilla.
Screenplay, Leslie Bricusse and Frederic
Rapbacl; camerr, Geoffrey tJnsworth;
editor, Eric Boyd-Perkins; music, Hubert
. Clifferd. At Rank private theatre, Lon-
^ don. Running time, 94 MINS.

WoU ... Hardy Kruger

Ann .... Sylvia Syms

; Hugo ..Ronald Lewis

Adrian..Jeremy Burnham

Jeremy ... Peter Myers

-Conrad . Philip Gilbert

Tom ... Charles Kay

Robin....John Richardson

Virginia ... Gillian Vaughan

Lois .... Smdra Francis

Fiona ... Barbara Steele

Helene. Catherine FeUer

Vanessa .. Monica Stevenson

Bijeu . Pamela Barre-nux

Adbrey Mul-dock . Erie Barker

Dr. Butaon .. Miles Malleson

Morgan . Newton Blick

Mrs. Upcott . Beatrice Varley

Shop Assistant .. Ronald Stevens

Lecturer...Hugh Morton

“Bachelor of Hearts” is a switch
on “A Yank At Oxford,” and might
have been more simply titled “A
German at Cambridge.” It is a
facetious, rather embarrassing
glimpse of life at Cambridge Uni¬
versity. Since the screenplay was
written by two ex-Cambridge stu¬
dents it must be assumed to be
authentic. In which case, some
rather adolescent malarkey appears
to go on at the university. U.S.
audiences are likely, to be com¬
pletely bewildered by the proceed¬
ings and there is little or no mar¬
quee value for this outside Europe.

The thin yarn has Hardy Kruger
as a German student at Cambridge
on an exchange scholarship system.
At first treated with suspicion, he
proves himself a good fellow,
passes his exams and falls in love.
But the stoj^ is only an excuse for
some predictable situations and
jokes. This might have been ac¬
ceptable had there been more wit,
but the wisecracks mostly depend
on the young German’s inability
to understand the English idiom
or the traditional behavior at the
university.

Kruger, who made a big impres¬
sion with his first British pic, “The
One That Got Away,” is less happy
in this comedy. But he has a
pleasant personality to - make his
slight love affair with Sylvia Syms
acceptable. Miss Syms’ talents as
his girl friend are not overstrained.
That dependable actor Ronald
Lewis loyally struggles with his
role as the leading light in the un¬
dergraduates’ brash aventures.
Miles Malleson as a tutor and Eric
Barker as a mathemathetics profes¬
sor with a bent for jazz music bring
some fun to the film. One of the
fimnier scenes involves Kruger in
simultaneous dates with several
girls, and the casting director has
found a delectable bunch of young
starlets to support him.

On the credit side of the film
are well-handled sequences of a
Jazz Club and the University rag,
fine color photography by Geoffrey
Unsworth and some brisk editing
by Eric Boyd-Perkins. The univer¬
sity and the environments of Cam¬
bridge are wonderful to look at.

Rich.

Gifbert-Enlow Partnership

Dalhart, Tex., Dec. 23.,
Don Gilbert is'the new partner
of Russ Enlow in the Dalhart Thea¬
tres which operates the Mission,
LaRita and El Rancho. Drive-In
Theatre. As their initial step in
a ‘ progressive program, the duo
have opened the LaRita Theatre,
which had be^n shuttered for re¬
modeling.

The house will operate Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays, with a 40c
admission for adults and children
under 15 ;years of age, 15c.

Good Day for a Haagiag

(COLOR)

Western meller for pregrams,
but somewhat above average,

Hollywood, Dec. 19.

Columbia release of Charles H. Schneer

S roductioh, Stars Fred MacMurray and
[aggie Hayes; costars Robert Vaughn
and Joan Blackman. Directed by Nathan
Juran. Screenplay, Daniel B. Ullman and
Maurice Zimm; based on a story by John
Reese; camera, Henry Freulicb; editor,
Jerome Thoms. Previewed at the studio,
Dec. 19, *58. Running time. 85 MINS

Ben Cutler .Fred MacMurray.

Ruth Granger . Maggie Hayes

The Kid . Robert Vaughn

Laurie Cutler . Joan Bla.ckman

P^ul Ridgely . James Drury

Tcllant Joslin .'... Wendell Holmes

William Selby. Edmon Ryan

Coley .. Stacy Harris

Molly Cain.Kathryn Card

Marshal Hiram Cain....Emile Meyer

George Fletcher . Bing Russell

Landers . Russell Thorson

Moore . Denver Pyle

Avery . Phil Chambers

Olson . Howard McNear

Midge . Rusty Swope

Mrtt Fletcher . Harry Lauter

Fr.?nk .1. Greg Barton

Pike .. Michael Garth

The title of “Good Day For
A Hanging” is satiric in intent;
there’s no such thing, the Colum¬
bia picture seems to say. With
this attitude, and attempting to ex¬
plore the pre-event effects of af
hanging on a small, frontier
town, this film is somewhat off¬
beat in character. The Charles H,
Schneer production is not alto¬
gether successful, but it is several
notches above its modest budget
class and will bera more than sat¬
isfactory entry in the double-bill
market.

Fred MacMurray is the town’s
leading cicizen who takes dn the
job as marshal, when that law of¬
ficer is killed while leading a
posse. The captured murderer is
a young man, Robert Vaughn, who
gains the town’s sympathy and
whose conviction makes MacMur¬
ray look like a blood-thirsty peace
officer.

The audience wiU spot Vaughn
as a psychopath the first time he
twitches across the screen, but it
is easy to see hew he could con¬
fuse those in the drama. There Is-
“Method” in his madness, too,
which makes him an unusually in¬
teresting young actor. MacMur¬
ray has a rather solid role, but
invests it with authority and inter¬
est, and Miss Hayes is sympathetic.
Miss Blackman, James Drury,
Kathryn Card' and the remainder
of-the cast are good.

The “Columbia color,” as it’s
billed, has a tendency to be rather
.over-rouged, reducing the Impact
of what is essential a realistic melo¬
drama. Black-and-white would
have suited this picture* better,
Henry Freulich manages some in¬
teresting camera setups that en¬
liven the action and Nathan Ju-
ran’s direction manages to individ¬
ualize the characters, but they do
not build in Importance for any
strong impact. Powe.

I-a Tefe Contre Les Mnrs

(Head Against the Walls)
(FRENCH)

, Paris, Dec. 16.

Sirius release of Atica-SSrius-Elpenor
producUon. Stars Pierre Brasseur, Anouk
;^ee; features Jean-Pierre Mocky,
Charles Aznavour, Jean GaUand,* Paul
Meurisse. Directed by Georges Franjn.
Screenpj^y, J. p. Mocky from novel by
Herve Bazm;' camera, Eugen Shuftanj
editor, Suzanne Sansberg. Preemed In
Pans. Running time, 98 MINS.

^rbeau.Pierre Brasseur

.Paul Meurisse

^ancois . Jean-Pierre Mocky

. Charles Aznavour

,•.. Jean Galland

Stephanie .... Anoiik Aimee

Jolting pic. builds its story around
an insane asylum. It clearly paints
a sort of bedlam and looks into
good and bad methods of treating
mental illness and madness. These
are the most striking segments of
this offbeat pic which could make
for good arty house chances abroad.

Premise hopes for the ameliorat¬
ing of certain'-conditions in local
sanatoriums. But director Georges
Franju, a leading documentary
filmmaker, in bis first try on a fea¬
ture film, leans heavily on painting
the everyday ring of a mad house.

A disoriented youth, with a rich
father, is sketched as he hunts fjbr
money among his friends in a
rather amoral crowd dedicated to
wild parties, rich older women; etc.
After a run-in with his father, he’s
committed to a madhouse. Here
the plight of sanity among the un¬
balanced is skilfully explored and
underlined as he tries to escape.

Director Franju has given this
some solid mounting and some
grueling scenes. Though still more
at home with documentary material
than dramatic values, he. .emerges
a new feature director with top
possibilities. Pierre Brasseur is ex¬
cellent as the old guard doctor
while Jean-Pierre Mocky and
Anouk Aimee register as the star-
crossed, doomed lovers.

Singer Charles Aznavour is re¬
markable In his first acting stint.
Technical credits are okay.

Mask. .

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^Si^Y

PICTURES

.7

Albany C^thenb: Fmger-Pointii^

Platitudes Fly—Distribs^ Ad Chiefs Make Rebuttal
On Final Day of Hearings

Motion picture advertising, and
especially the exploitation of sex,
crime and horror films, stood “in¬
dicted” as a danger to the commu¬
nity last week as N. Y. State Leg¬
islature Committee finished its
second day of hearings on film ads
in New York. (See main story here¬
with.)

In the face of a scattered attack,
which ranged far and 'beyond the
topic of ads, the industry struck
back energetically, and sometimes
forcefully, refuting the commit¬
tee’s allegations. The bulk of the.
“defense” rested with the produ¬
cer-distributors. Exhibition cor-
alled a single, and ineffective, witr-
ness. Another exhibitor spoke up
to corroborate the committee's
charges.

Somewhere In between stood the
New York censor, Louis M. Pesce,
whose division has been sharply
curtailed by the courts and who is
primarily concerned with the con¬
tent of films, though poster ads
also fall into his domain. Pesce
seemed to primarily favor a new
modus operadi, i.e., classification
of pictures for adults and children. I

Questioning of witnesses'before
the committee came mostly from
its counsel, James , A. FitzPatrick 1
of Plattsburgh, who’s a former
chairman of the group. Occasion-
allyi chairman Joseph R. Young-
love, assemblyman from Johns¬
town, N. Y,, rose to make a com¬
ment___

I Salacious & Sadistic _[

FitzPatrick, frankly not impar¬
tial, stressed during a recess in the
hearings, that his committee’s
wasn’t seeking to pass any new
censorship bills in New York. As
a matter of fact, he said, “should,
additional action by the legislature
be deemed expedient, we would
first seek to explore all other
avenues before turning to new
censorship legislation.”. The key to
the whole problem, he opined, was
a greater degree of self-censorship
by the industry itselfj and a great¬
er pulblic awareness‘of what was
Involved. He credited the work of
the N. Y. censor and of the Motion
Picture Assn, of America’s Adver¬
tising Code without which, he said,
“conditions would be chaotic.”

FitzPatrick said he didn’t be¬
lieve in exploitation of the “sala¬
cious and the sadistic” and that
regulation of this type of ad ma¬
terial “is the proper function of
the police department of New
York.” However, he added quickly,
the only question then is the prop¬
er exercise of this police power.
He wouldn’t comment on whether
another police censor—in Chicago
-—was, in his opinion, using his
powers wisely.

FitzPatrick’s line of questioning
took these main tacks:

Why is there so much open
**lust,” sex, crime and violence in
film ads?

Are the film, companies justified
in quoting film critics when thei/
describe pictures in "dirty'’ terms?

Are ads a lot stronger than the
pictures they seek to represent?

What effects are "obscene" ads
having on the public, which in¬
variably boiled dowi. to what ef¬
fects they’re having on children
and unstable adults?

What can be done to "clean up"
objectionable ads via laws now
existing or to be created?

And, finally, do the film ads vio¬
late the industry’s own Code and
what’s to be done about foreign
film ads?

Neither the committee nor most
of the witnesses managed to be
Vpry lucid. They specialized in
finger - pointing. The questions
went ’round and ’round the heart
of the subject, and the answers
bogged down in a morass of plati¬
tudes. Only once in a while did a
witness show an awareness of (1)
what really bothered the commit¬
tee and (2) the social and economic
factors that motivate todays film
advertising.

For instance, said Gordon S.

White, the Ad Code administrator:
“It is a plain and simple fact that
customs, social views and ideas
have undergone substantial
changes since our Codes were
written. Most books on the best¬
seller list today . . . deal with sex
with a new and amazing frankness
and casualness. And the public
accepts them.”

Jerry Piekmari, Paramount’s ad-
pub v.p., who obviously discom¬
fited FitzPatrick with, a series of
•hardhitting answers, made the
point that films and their adver¬
tising were simply following public
taste and public acceptance, not
leading it. And Metro’s Si Seadler
brought with him a copy of the:
current Issue of Life Magazine,
devoted wholly to the entertain¬
ment industx’y, and demonstrated
how much of its content was on a
frank girls-and-sex theme,

Col’s Paul Lazarus Jr,, said he
was concerned about the threat to
freedom of expression which was
implicit in any new regulations.
Pickman noted that "in every busi¬
ness there’s an irresponsible
fringe.”

Gn the other hand. D. John Phil¬
lips, executive director of Metro¬
politan .Motion Pictures Theatres
Assn., which takes in the houses
on 42nd St., managed to tell the
committee: “Our theatres cater to
the- patronage of family units. We
are opposed to obscenity both in
motion picture films and motion
picure advertising. As firm be-
lie\'ers in free enterprise and the
true American tradition, the mem¬
bers of the Association have al¬
ways felt that self-regulation Is a
prerequisite for the successful op¬
eration of a business.” He added
that present laws were adequatp

to protect the public. _

j_ *My 13-y ear Old Girl’ |

When FitzPatrick tried to take
up on these platitudes, Phillips
said he hadn’t been instructed; to
say more than that. He did man¬
age to tell the committee that
“there are few pictures” which
he wpuld not allow his 13 year old
daughter to see.

It was when FitzPatrick asked
Phillips wliether he thought the
current trend in ads for adult pix
posed any threat to the theatres
that chairman Younglove inter¬
posed a statement. “What is 'ob¬
scene’,” he asked: “We in Govern¬
ment always have to deal in words
that are not legally, tightly de¬
fined. We must live with that.
The legalistic pin-pointing of def¬
initions is not always possible. It’s
the legal determination that are
the cue to this controversy.”

Which fitted in with the frame-]
of-mind which, the next day, pro¬
duced from "FitzPatrick the ques¬
tion (to censor Pesce): “Do you
feel the effectiveness of your di¬
vision has been impaired by the
leniency of the courts?” To which
Pesce replied with a quick “yes,”
though the courts are neither
“lement” nor “strict” in that it’s
their function to Interpret and

apply the law of the land. _

I Would Jail Exhibs ]

Overall impression produced by
the hearings was that the Commit¬
tee (as per FitzPatrick) felt that
the current laws were adequate
but poorly enforced. That was the
theme also of the Right Rev.
Joseph McCaffrey, pastor of the
Church of the Holy Cross in N.Y.,
who advocated jail terms for ex¬
hibitors who violate the law via
“filthy” ads, displays, etc.

The effect of suggestive ads on
youth, • by. which he meant pri¬
marily the emotionally unstable,
was outlined at length by Dr!
Ralph .Stephen Banay, a psychia¬
trist, director of the Youth Insti¬
tute at Ossining, N.Y., and among
other things consultant to the N.Y.
Police Department. He started out
saying he was “very much con¬
cerned with visual images which
might affect certain deviated be¬
havior.” The acts of a good many
(Continued on page 15)''

BRIGHT SUNLIGHT

4 --:----

' HIHIjlBronston Forgot to Mention His
Resignation; 'Job Paul Jones
Funds Quarrel to Jersey Court

By FRED HIFT

Somewhat handicapped by the
New York City newspaper strike,
which kept the echoes from bounc¬
ing off the walls, the Joint N.Y.
State Legislative Committee on
“Offensive and . Obscene” Material
which was in Manhattan last week
(from Albany) went looking for
elusive truths about film advertis¬
ing. It was not an inspiring per¬
formance.

The trouble, for the most part,
was that the committee was play¬
ing Diogenes in bright sunhghL
There was the expected parade of
witnesses, including the,, scolding
priests, the pious rabbi, the en¬
raged mayor of Amsterdam,
N.Y.), the eager lady from the
N.Y. Federation of Women’s Clubs
(who admitted she wasnt’ much in¬
terested in films these days), the
learned psychiatrist, and then of
course the alternately aggressive
and breast-beating array of in¬
dustry spokesmen, determined to
make thbir point without offend¬
ing the legislators and without de¬
stroying the “public service” image
they like to create.

Two days of hearings made it
clear that the committee from Al¬
bany consisted, in practical effect,
of one man only — its counsel,
James A. FitzPatrick of Platts¬
burgh, who knows a dopble-en-
tendre when he sees one and who’s
also not unaware that, under nor¬
mal circumstances, i.e. with the
newspapers publishing, charges of
“obscenity” and “filth” in film ad¬
vertising Inevitable make good,
copy.

One amazing aspect of the hear¬
ings was the lack of ability on the
part of the committee to vocalize
what really bothered it, and the
equally astounding difficulty the
film biz representatives had in
making satisfactory replies to the
various charges. The ti’uth came
out In bits and pieces. It’s simply
this:

The film Industry is in
trouble, partly due to its
own fault, and partly because
the competitive conditions' that
surround it have undergone
such drastic changes. Like any
business fighting for survival,
it is making its pitch either to
the very specialized audience,
i.e. the teenagers, or else to
the lowest common denomina-
torambng its patrons^ That
means an exaggeration in
theme and substance, a height¬
ened sense of the “come-on,”
a quite deliberate attempt to
titillate, to shock, to astound,
an extension of that trait nor-
maUy known as “showman¬
ship.”

As Gordon White, the Ad Code
administrator put it to the com¬
mittee: “We’re not leading the
parade. We are well behind It.”
And the question he really posed
was: Should the film industry,
with all its internal woes, be ex¬
pected to become a noble "leader"
in questions of taste and public
responsibility? For that matter,
can it, or any other entertainment
medium, afford to be that?

Motion picture advertising has
never been great, and only rarely
has it been distinctive. There’ve
(Continued on page 15)

Harry Hershfield

takes, tha 'Income Tax Hues'
eders apart in

Crying In Their
Fort Knoxes

another Editoriol Featare
in the soon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^kRIETY

Dividends Lagging

Washington, Dec. 23.

Dividends paid by film com¬
panies are running close to
$4,000,000 behind last year,
Commerce Dept, reports.

Latest figures disclose $20,-
438,000 had been paid through
November, compared to $24,-
401,000 fpr same 11 months of
1957.

For the month of November,
dividends added up to $1,355,-
000, against $1,378,000 for the
same month of year previous.

Dividend payments for No¬
vember of both years, with
1958 figure first, are as follows:

Columbia Pictures, Inc.,
$63,000 and $63,000.

Loew’s Boston Theatres Co.,
nothing and $23,000.

Stanley Warner, $550,000
and $550,000.

Warner Bros. Pictures, $742,-
000 and $742,000.

‘OMMan’Policy
On WB Agenda;
Warner to Gavel

“Old Man and the Sea,” pro¬
duced by Leland Hajmvard for War¬
ners release, appears headed for a
policy switch. Film, an adaptation
of the Ernest Hemingway novel¬
ette. has been playing scattered
dates around the country on a road¬
show basis^—upped scales and two-
a-day:—and this is to be changed
to conventional marketing on grind
policy.

“Sea” is the Spencer Tracy star-
rer which was brouglxt in after ex¬
tended shooting tirpe at a cost of
about $4,300,000. WB undertook to
recoup this hefty investment via
the roadshow approach, consider¬
ing the stature which this kind of
marketing usually gives a feature.
However, public reaction to large
degree proved less than sufficient¬
ly enthusiastic to warrant a con¬
tinuation of the policy.

WB plans a sales meeting on the
Coast around the first week of
January and at this time the new
"Sea” route will be officially dis¬
closed.

At this meeting, incidentally, the
presiding officer is to be Jack L.
Warner, WB president. This repre¬
sents a^ departure from the rou¬
tine; rarely does a film company
chief exec handle the gavel at a
sales conclave. Among other things
Warner, in taking on the role, will
be dramatizing the fact he’s fully
back in action after an automobile
accident in Europe that had him
on the side lines several months.

NO NEED FOR ECCENTRICS

Archbishop on Impact of Moral
Position Sans ^Carping’

St. Paul. Dec. 23.

Archbishop William O. Brady in
a letter to his clergy said that his
j Roman Catholic archidocese menv
I bers taking their annual pledge ,
! commiting them to decent public:
! entertainment exclusively “can |
; make a strong impact on public i
* thinking and on private conduct—!
and this quietly, without the repu¬
tation of being eccentric or
carping.”

“The social gain from this pledge
to choose only good books and
magazines and to patronize only
good plaj's and good movies in
public theatres and select the best
from radio and television and ig¬
nore what may be tawdry or evil
can bring social gain,” said the
archbishop’s letter.

Charges and counter- charges
continued to fly last week in the
involved issues concerning John
Paul Jones Productions Inc., and
the film, “John Paul Jones.” Sam¬
uel Bronston had resigned as JPJ
president. His attorney, Irving
Margulies, also resigned as a direc¬
tor of the company, but continued
at itst counsel. Bronston became
board chairman.

This move was described as
“technical” although, in testimony
at a bankruptcy hearing in New
Jersey last week, it was brought
out that Bronston had resigned in
the morning of Dec. 12, 1958, a
I few hours before he explained hit
case vs. Barnett Glassman at a
press conference. He did not,
however, mention (he resignations
at the press powwOw.

Bronston returned to Europe on
Dec. 13, but was in U. S. this week
for a hearing Monday (22\ in New¬
ark and examination by Glassman’i
lawyer, Archibald Palmer. Latter
is flying to the (Toast Saturday (27)
to examine various principals in
the production, including Jack L.
Warner, Ben Kalmenson, Bette Da¬
vis. Robert Stack, etc.

The Jersey examination started
last week, with repesentatives of
Bronston’s backers on the stand.
Glassman said his next move would
be to bring an order to show
cause to stay release of “John
Paul Jones” pending a determina¬
tion of what happened to the mors
than $1,000,000 which, according to
Glassman, Bronston received for
“Jones” and which aren’t account¬
ed for. Glassman charges Bron¬
ston used the funds to prepara
production of another film, “Son
of Man.”

Both sides claim to have re¬
ceived settlement offers from one
another, which were turned down.

Bronston has ridiculed Glass-
man's claims to full ownership of
jpj. Glassman claimed last week
he had spent $117,000 out of his
own, personal accounts to keep
“Jones” alive prior to Bronston’s
raising the necessary financing
from various big corporations w'ith
pesetas frozen in Spain. He main¬
tained that his contract with Bron¬
ston provided for a 50-50 partner¬
ship, with Glassman owning half
of the stock, and Bronston pledging
50% of his holdings against ad¬
vances made by Glassman.

Glassman said he had received
power of attorney from Bronston in

1953, but had never used it. Bron¬
ston, claimed Glassman. had
worked for Glassman’s Trophy
Productions at one time and still
owed him money. As for JPJ,
Glassman insisted he was slated to
be an officer in the corporation
and that he was hired as associate
producer on the film itself.

Bronston at his press confab
said the Italian records kept by
Glassman were missing. Glassman
last week insisted that he gave a
full accounting to Margulies.

CleTeland Called City
With Mostest Condemned
(By Legion) Playoffs

Washington, Dec. 23.

National Catholic Welfare Con¬
ference revealed here that Cleve¬
land theatres during 1958 screened
the greatest number of films con¬
demned by the National Legion
of Decency. Ohio abandoned mo¬
tion picture censorship in late

1954.

Statement was made on basis of
survey conducted by Cleveland’s
diocesan newspaper. Catholic Uni¬
verse-Bulletin, which found thea¬
tres there screened 23 condemned
pictures 41 times. The newspaper
called five “so-called art theatres”
the “biggest offenders.” Eleven
neighborhood theatres also showed
condemned pictures.

8

PICTURE GROSSES

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^mir

LA. StiQ Lagging Albeit 'Running'

Fast $24,(l()0, ‘Mame Fat 26G, Uncle
Big 7G; Thumb’ Sad 6G, 'Sinbad’ 17G

Los Angeles, Dec. 23. -f

Only two openers are displaying
any strength as pre-Xmas doldrums
take their toll at local first-runs.
"Auntie Mame” is rated leader in
current round with a fine $26,000
in sight at the Chinese but ‘‘Some
Came Running” closely trails with
a slick $24,000 in prosoect at Hollv-
■wood Paramount^ both expected to
benefit from Christmas Day biz in
their opening frames.

“Buccaneer” looms moderate
$19,000 in three houses. “Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” shapes mild
$17,000 in three spots. “My
Uncle,” also playing through
Christmas Day opening week, is
heading for a big $7,000 at the Fine
Arts.

“Tom Thumb” shapes sad $6,000
or under for initial round at two
locations. “At War With Army.”
cut on reissue, looks good $14,000
or near in three spots.

Regular holdovers are showing

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross

This Week.$520,700

(Based on 21 theatres)

. Last Year .... .$572,900

(Based on 22 theatres)

only fair trade in general but hard-
ticket “South Seas Adventure” is

'Buccaneer Tall
WM, St. Louis

‘BUCCANEER’ OK lOG,
PORT.;‘THUMB’$4,500

Portland, Ore., Dec. 23.
Town is loaded with strong new
product but results so iar are not
so cheering at the wickets. “South
Pacific” heads into a 30th and final
frame at the Broadway. “Buc¬
caneer” looks to get the biggest
coin total but is just okay at
Paramount. “Tom Thumb” shapes
light in current .(first) stanza at
the Liberty. “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” is rated good at Orpheum.

Estimates for This Week
Broadway (Parker) (890; $1.50-
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(30th wk). Sturdy $5,500. Last
week, $5,300.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.50)
— “Adventures Tom Sawyer”
(NTA) (reissue) and “Snowfire”
(AA). Okay $6,000. Last week “Girl
In Bikini” (Indie) and “Scandal In
Sorrento” (Indie), $5,800.

Guild (Indie) (400; $1-$1.50)-
“Gigi” (M-G) (18th wk). Holding at
hep $3,500. Last week, $3,800.

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,865; $1-
$1.50)—“Toiii Thumb” (M-G) and
“Money, Womt i, Guns” (U). Light
$4,500. Last week, “Tunnel of
Love” (M-G) and “Decks Ran Red’
(M-G) (3d wk), $3,000.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600.
$1-$1 50) — “Seventh Voyage pf
Sinbad” (Col) and “Apache Ter¬
ritory” (Col). Good $6,500. Last
Week, “At War With Army” (In¬
die) and “Oil Lim-its” (Par) (re¬
issue), $6,400. . ..AA

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400;
$1-$1.50)—“Buccaneer” (Par) and
“Party Crashers” (Par). Okay $10,-
000. Last week, “Houseboat” (Par)
and “As Young As We Are” (Par)
(3d wk), $4,200. .

St. Louis, Dec. 23.

Full benefit of Christmas-New
[Year’s upbeat is not being felt in
the present session here. But some
ol the new product looks okay.

I “Geisha Boy” at the Fox is rated
good. “Buccaneer” at the St. Louis

- - looms nice. But “Tom Thumb” at

hangup $24,500 in ISth week and Loew’s shapes slovv. “Haunted
“Around World in 80 Days” shapes Strangler” and “Fiend Without
stout $16,000 in 105th stanza at i Face” at the Orpheum is dull.

Carthay.' j “South Seas Adventure” looms

Estimates for This Week [ fair in eighth week at Ambassador.

Downtown, WTItern, Hollywood } Estimates for This Week
<SW-FWC) (1,757; 2,344; 756; 90-1 Ambassador (Cinerama) (1,400;

$1.50)—“Buccaneer” (Par). Modest i $i.20-$2.40J-^“South Seas Adven-
$19,000 or near. Last-week, Down- j ture” (Cinerama) (8th wk). Fair
town with New Fox, Uptown. “Last $f>.000. Last week, $12,000.

Hurrah” (CoD (1st multi-theatre Apollo Art (Grace) (700; 90-$1.25}
release). Kill Her Gently (Col) | _*.The Roots” (Indie). Mild ~$1,500.

Olowmtown, New ^9^'' i Last week, “The Awakening”

Beachhear (Col) (Lptown, m.o.) j in^ -ii'k) S2 000

$8,500. Wiltern with Hillstreet, > ^ . aaa oc aax

Vogue. “Unwed Mother” (AA),} ^9*

“Joy Ride” (AA) $5,300. Hollywood | G^^^sha Boy (Par) and ^£^rth to
with Orpheum, “Anna Lucasta” i Moon [WB1. Go^ $12,000. Last
(UA) (3d wk', $7,600. ; week, . Restless Yea^rs (U) and . Providence. Dec. 23.

Hillstreet, Vogue, Uptown (RKO-! Women and Guns (L', | patronage is currently slow and

FWC‘ (2 752* 82,=5- 1.715* 90-$1.50) ’! will be unti after Christmas. Big-
— “Seventh' Voyage of Sinbad” i Loew’s (Loew) (3,200; 60-90) — i ge.st coin total by a narrow'marg^in
(Col) and “Gho.st of China Sea” [ Tom Thumb ’ (M-G; and “Apache • goss to the State’s “Tom 'Thumb
((’ol> Mild $17 000 or under ' Territory” (Col). Slow S8.000. La.st rated sad. Strand is fair with
f “Tunnel of Love” (M-G) and

Downtown Paramount (AB-PT), Muggers” (UA) (3d wk',

$7,500.

! Orpheum (Loew*) (1,000: 60-90)—

• “Haunted Strangler”^ 'M-G) and
; “Fiend Without Face” (M-G'. Dull
\ $3,000. Last week, “Tarawa Beach- ;

(head” (Col) and “She Played With ■

[Fire” (Coli,’$4,500. ;

Pageant 'Arthur) d.OOO; $1.80- j

“Thuiiib’Tiny 7(i,
Prov;‘Vampire’SG

(3,3C0; 90-$l.50—“Miracle of Mar-
cellino” (Ind'e) (rei'^suei. Fair
$6,400. Last week. “Girl W’ith an
Itch” (Indie), “Back to Nature”
(Indie), “Sin Street Confidential”
(Indie) (reissue) (2d wk', $6,300.

Fox WUshire (FWC) (2.296; 90-
$1.50'—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G«.
Perky $8,500. Last week, “Cat On

16th wk 5 $2.25) — “South Pacific” (Magna)
(36th wk). Okay $3,500. Last week.

Hot Tin Roof” 'M-G

day.s', $3,500. aaa

.El Rey (FWC) '861; 90-$1.50) 54.000.

“Night to Remember” (Rank'. Okay i Richinond (Arthur) G.0()0; 60-90)
$2,700, Last week, with Iris, — “Night Ambush’ (Rank). Slow
“Houseboat”'Pari )4th \vk'. “White Sl.OOO. L3^ week, “Snow V as

(Continued on page 16) Black” dndie), $800.

- j St. Louis (Arthur) (3,600; 60-75 •

— “The Buccaneer” (Pan. Nice
$12,000. Last week, "Robe” (20th'
and “Demetrius and Gladiators”
I P* m ,7 fin ■ (2Cth) Te'ssues), $12,000.

In tmeyj IjIICCSIICGf ) shady oak (.Arthur) (560; 60-90'
iTI I J I* I , I IP/* AAA ' ^— “Truth About Women” iCont'

ihumo Light at IpUjUUy ■A'- .'Y’-'' S' o™ ^-ast «eek,

‘Sinbad’Solid $10,000

Cincinnati, Dtc. 23.

Pre-Xmas release of select holi¬
day product has biz on the climb
this week at all first-runs. Down¬
town volume also is upped by re¬
opening of Keith's, where “7th
Voyage of Sinbad” shapes hotsy.
“Buccaneer” is about as big at the
Grand “Gei.‘*ha Boy” rates cnly
okay at the big .Albee while “Tom
Thumb” is duil stride at Palace.
“South Seas Adventure” has re-

$2 000 .

Geisha Boy,” and making a bet¬
ter showing. “Blood of Vampire”
looms modest at Majestic.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) <2,200; 65-80)—
“Unwed Mother” (AA) and “Joy¬
ride” (AA). Sad $4,000. Last week,
“Gun Runners” (UA) and “China
Doll” (UA), $3,000.

Majestic (SW) (2.200; 65-80)—
“Blood of Vampire” (U) and “Mon¬
ster (Dn Campus” (U). Slow $5,000.
Lastweek. “Houseboat” (Par) and
“Howdy Partners” (Par) (3d wk),
$3,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 65-80)—

“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and “Tarzan’s
Fight for Life” (M-G); Bad $7,000.
Last week. “The Badlanders”
(M-G) and “Law and Jack Wade”
(M-G), $7,500.

Strand (National Realty) (2.200;
65-80)—“Geisha Boy” (Par) and
“Hot Angel” (Par). Fair $6,500.
Last week, “Little Bank That
Should Be, Robbed” (20th) and
“Ghost Drivers” (Indie), $2,200.

Mpk Perks Despite Sub-Zero Cold;
‘Sinbad’ Hot ‘Buccaneer 12G

Minneapolis, Dec. 23. i “Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” Col).
For the three theatres that ex- [ Off to a surprismgly good start,
perimentally have stolen a march : with a socko $9,500 likely. Last
gained good tempo in eighth week on their competitors by inserting ; week. “Houseboat” Par) (4th wk),
for good takings at Capitol. i' their big holiday attractions the ; $3,000 at 90c-$1.25 scale.

Estimates for This Week • usually entirely written-off week; Lyric (Par) (1,000; 85-90)—

Alhpp .RfCOi inn- on _■ before Christmas it looks as if the j “Party Crashers” (Par) and “As

“Gei«;ha Bov” 'Par'' Oke $9 OCO or innovation will pay off reaijonably 1 Young As We Are” (Par). Okay
nS IlovVfor 5cor.d ueui Lst ''-^'1 I-a't "Tunnel of

” eek "Gianr Tb I 7;Ss*u^ : '"SS 25 certm (M-G) (4th wk), $3,000 at

^6 000. ’ be much better. • si.25 top.

Cauitol SW-Cineramai (1 376-' Theatres in question are the i RKO Orpheum (RKO) (2.800: 90-
$1 20^2 65-"Soum Seas Adven- gKO prpheum. Gopher and R^KO $1.25. - "The Buccaneer" iPar).

‘CintrsTT)3' *8111 wk* ExtrB with Xh 0 Bucc3Ti06r, ^ Sev* ^ot for 3 stsrtor, considering

matinee.s boo-^iting to $14,000. good.

Last week. $9,000.

Grand 'RKO' ‘1,400; 90-$1.25'—
“Buccaneer” (Pan. Solid $9,000.

Stays for stcond stanza. Last week,
“Enchanted ' Island” .'WB( and
. “When Hell Broke Loose” 'Par',
at $1.10 top. $6.0C0.

Keith’s 'Shor' '1.500; 90-$1.25)—
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col).

Hotsy $10,000. Stays on. House was
dark last week.

Palace (RKO) '2,600; 90-$1.10)—' $2*65)-

“Tom Thumb” (M-G'. Dull $6,000. -

Last w'eek, "Blood of Vampire” (U;
and “Monster' on Campus” lUi,

$5,500. ■

enth Voyage of Sinbad” and “Tom period of year, fast $12,000. Last
Thumb,” respectively. All hold a week, “Me and the Colonel” (Col),
siiecial appeal for the younger ele- $5,0.00 at 85c-90c scale.

MO "I 1m 1 • RKO Pan (RKO) (1,800; 85-90)—

Sinbad ’ looks lofty at the Gopher ..Tom Thumb” (M-G>. Fairish at

f^e.^l.^^citing S5:000. Last week. “Hell Squad”
With extra shows Windjammer : and “Tank Battalion” (AD,

shapes big in its sixth week. • 55 qqo

i “Night Heaven Fell” is chalking up j state (Par) (2.200; 85-90)—“Earth
an okay fifth stanza. Sub-zero tern- Moon” (WB) and “Brain From

peratures are hurting again. j pjanet Arbus” (Indie). . Passable,

j Estimates for This Week ! $5,000. Last week, "Restless
Academy (Mann) (947; $1.50- ; Years” (U), $7,500.

“South. Pacific” (Magna
<26th wk). Okay with $5,000. Last
week, $4,500. •

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65)—“Windjammer” (NT) (6th

Valley (Wiethe) (1.300; $1.50-Vk'* Daily matinees and morning
$2.50)—“South Pacific” (Magna) ; juve shows swelling take. Big $14,-
(34th wk). Close to last week’s : 000. Last week, $9,500.

$3,600, mild. 1 Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-90)—

Suburban World (Mann) (800; 85)
—“Viva Zapata” 20th) (reissue).
Low $1,000. Last week, “Cry Ter¬
ror” (M-G) (2d run), $1,200.

World (Mann) (400; 85-$1.25)^
"Night Heaven Fell” (Kings) (5th
wk). Winding up a highly profit¬
able run. Good $3,000. Last week,
$3,500.

D.C. Hypoed by New Fibns; ‘Tables’
Wham $19,000, ‘Buccaneer Big 16G

—^^-f

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Gros*

This Week .$1,795,000

(Based on 20 cities and 206
theatres, chiefly first runs, in¬
cluding N. y.)

Last Year .$1,977,800

(Based on 19 cities and 212
theatres.)

Hub Freezing But
‘Buccaneer’ 18G

Boston, Dec. 23.

Deep freeze weather is pushing
biz in current round to new lows
for many houses here. Some houses
are holding to the Christmas Day
opening format. Lone new pic to
break through is “Buccaneer” at
the Memorial where a great ses¬
sion looms. “Tom Thumb” at the
Orpheum is dull while “Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” is also limping
at State. “How to Make Monster”
at Paramount and Fenway is strict¬
ly lightweight. Astor kicked out
“Old Man and Sea” after eight dull
weeks and put in second-runs for
the interim.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (B&O) (1.371; $1.25-$1.50)
—“Giant” (WB) and “Mister Rob¬
erts” (WB) (reissues). Faint $2,500.
Last week, ‘‘Old Man and Sea”
(WB) (8th wk). $2,800.

Beacon Hill (Sack) (678; 90-$1.50)
—“No Sun in Venice” (Indie) and
“Model” (Indie) *(501 wk). Oke
$2,400. Last week, $3,000.

Boston (SW-Cinerama) (1.354;
$1.25-$2.65)—“Windjammer” (NY)
(18th wk). Great $15,000. Last
week. $11,000.

Capri (Sack) (1,150)—“Man in
Raincoat” and “Toraro” (Indie)
(4th wk). Oke $2,000. Last week,
same.

Exeter (Indie) (1.300; 75-$1.25)
—“Rockets Galore” (Rank) (5th
wk)., Oke $2,000. Last week, $3,000.

Fenway (NET) (1,376; 60-$1.10)—
“How to Make Monster” (AD and
“Teenage Caveman” (AD. Mild
$2,500. Last week, “Restless Years”
(U) ani “Appointment With Shad¬
ow” (U). $4,000. .

Gary (Sack) (1,240; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (17th wk). Good $8,-
000. Last week, $10,000.

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 90-$1.50)
—“My Uncle” (Cont) (6th wk).
Fine $4,000 and holds through hol¬
idays. Last week, same.

Memorial (RKO) (3.000; 60-$1.10)
—“Buccaneer” (Par) and “Hot
Angel” (Par), Wow $18,000. Last
week, “Nice Little Bank Robbed”
(20th) and "Valerie” (Indie), $8,500.

Metropolitan (NET) <4.357; 70-
$1.10)—“Enchanted Island” (WB)
and “Gunsmoke in Tucson” (AA).
Drab $8,500. “Auntie Mame’' (WB)
opens Thursday (25'. Last week,
“Houseboat” (Par) (4th wk), $6,500.

Mayflower (ATC) (683; 75-$1.25)
—“Kings Go Forth” (UA) and “La
Parisienne” (UA) (2d runs). Oke
$2,000. Last week, “Arsenic and
Old Lace” (Indie) and “Inspector
General” (Indie) (reissues), $2,500.

Paramount (NET) (2,357; 70-

$1.10)—“How to Make Monster”
(AD and “Teenage Caveman” (AI).
Thin $7,500. Last week, “Restless
Years” tU) and “Appoinnaent With
Shadow” (U), $10,000.

Pilgrim (ATC) (1,000; 60-$1.10)
—“Hot Car Girl” (AA) and “Cry
Baby Killer” (AA). Good $6,000.
Last week, “Spider” (AI) and
“Brain Eaters”^ (AI) (2d runs),
$3,500.

Saxon (Sack) (1,000; $1.50-$3.50)
—“South Pacific” (Magna) (37th
wk). Neat $9,000, Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Trans-Lux (T-L) (730; 75-$1.25)
—“Poor But Beautiful” (T-L) and
“Bed of Grass” (T-D, Oke $2,500.
Last week, “Assault” (Brenner)
and “Wild and Wicked” (Indie),
$3,500.

Orpheum (Loew) (2,900; 90-$1.50)
—“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and ‘‘Ten
Days in Tulara” (UA). Slight $8,-
500. Last week, “Torpedo Run”
(M-G) and “Fearmakers” (UA) (2d
wk), $6,000.

State (Loew) (2.600; 75-$1.25)—
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
and “Whole Truth” (Col). Slow
$8,500. Last week, “Tunnel of
Love” (M-G) (3d wk), $4,000.

Washington, Dec. 23.

Two initialers shape socko on a
mainstem otherwise stuck in holi¬
day doldrums. “Separate Tables’'
at the Columbia Is standout with a
mighty $19,000, amazing for this
904-seater. “Buccaneer” looks
great at Keiths, while “Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” is fair in two
spots. Fourth newcomer, “Tom
Thumb” looms very mild at Cap¬
itol.

“So. Seas Adventure” shapes
only fairish opening week. “Rest¬
less Years” is fair opening stanza
at Palace.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador-Metropolitan (SW)
(1,490; 1.000; 90-$1.25)—“Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” (Col). Fair
$12,000. Last week, “Home Be¬
fore Dark”. (WB) (3d wk), $7,000.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 90-$1.25)
—“Tom Thumb” (M-G). Dull $9,-
000 but holds. Last week, “Tunnel
of Love” (M-G) (3d wk), $8,500.

Columbia (Loew) (904; 90-$1.25)
—“Separate Tables” (UA). Smash
$19,000 opener; stanys on, natch.
Last week, “Sierra Baron” t20th),
$5,000:

Keith’s (RKO) (1,850; 90-$1.25)
—“Buccaneer” (Par). Great $16,-
000. Holding. Last week, “Gigi”
(M-G) (5th wk), $6,000.

MacArthur (K-B) (900; $1.10)—
“Shamus” (Indie). Poor $2,000.
Last week, “A Town Like Alice”
(Rank), $2,200.

Ontario (K-B) (1,240; 90-$1.25)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (10th wk). Slow
$2,000. Last week, $2,800. Leaves
for “My Uncle” (Cont).

Palace (Loew) (2.390; 90-$1.25)—
“Restless Years” (U). Fair $9,000.
Holds. Last week, “Little Bank
That Should Be Robbed” <20th),
$ 8 , 000 .

Plaza (T-L) (276; 90-$1.50)—

“Razzia” (Indie) (3d wk). Poor $1,-
900 in 4 days. Last week, $3,500,
“Night Hfeaven Fell” (Kings) comes
in next.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 90-31.50)
—“Tarawa Beachhead” (CoD (2d
wk). Fair $3,000 after $5,500
opener.

Uptown (SW) (1.100: $1.25-$2.50)
—“Old Man and Sea” (WB) (6th
wk). Sad $2,500 in final three day.s.
“South Pacific” (Magna) returned
Tuesday (23).

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1.300;
.$1.25-$2.40)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama). Fair $7,000 or
near. Last week. “Windjammer”
(NT) (9th wk), $15,000.

Balto Up; ‘Sinbad’ Slick
$8,000, ‘Thumb’ Sad 4iG,
‘Buccaneer’ Good IIG

Baltimore, Dec. 30.

Situation Is a happier one here
this week and brightest of lot
looks like "Seventh Voyage of Sin¬
bad” which opened big at the New.
“Tom Thumb” looms slight, at the
Hippodrome while “The Bucca¬
neer” is rated good at Stanley. On
dull side is “Restless Years,”
slow at the Century. “Geisha Boy”
is fairish in second round at the
Town.

Estimates for This Week

Century (R-F) (3,100: 50-S1.25)—
“Restless Years” (U', Drab $3,000.
Last week, "Mardi Gras” (20th) Od
wk). $3,200.

Cinema (Schwaber) ('460; 50-

$1.25) — “Love Lottery” (Cont).
Fair $2,000. Last week, “Wee
Geordie” (Indie) and “Ship Was
Loaded” (Indie) (reissues). $1,500.

Five West (Schwaber) (460; 50-
$ 1 . 25 )—“Shamus” (Indie). Slow
$1,000. Last week. “Inspector
Maigret” (Lopert) (4th wk). $2,100.

Hippodrome (R-F) (2.300; 50-

$1.50)—“Tom 'Thumb” (M-G). Dull
$4,500, Last week, “Blood of Vam¬
pire” (U) and “Monster on
Campus” (U), $11,000.

Little (R-F) (300; 50-$1.25)—

“White Wilderness” (BV) (5th wk).
Nice $2,000 after $2,500 in fourth.

Mayfair (R-F) (980; 50-$1.50)—
“Houseboat” (Par) (6th wk). Down
to $2,500 after $3,000 in fifth.

New (R-F) (1,600; 50-$1.50)—

“Voyage of Sinbad” (Col). Tall
$8,000. Last week, “South Paci¬
fic” (Magna) (37th wk), $3,500.

Playhouse (Schwaber) (460; 90-
$1.50)—“Me and Colonel” (Col)
(11th wk). Nice $1,500 after $2 500
in 10th.

Stanley (R-F) (3,200; 50-$1.50)—
“Buccaneer” (Par). Good $11 000.
Last week, “Enchanted Island”
(WB) and “Tarawa Beachhead”
(Col), $4,000.

Town * (R-F) (1,125; 50-$1.25)—
“Geisha Boy” (^ar) (2d wk). Fair
$5,000 after $7,000 opener.

Wednesday^ December 24, 1958

PICTURE GROSSES

9

New Product Boosts Chi B.O.; 'Sinbad’
Boffo $19,000, 'Buccaneer Brisk 32G,
‘Thumb’ Lofty 15G, ‘Dark’ Gloomy 9G

Chicago, Dec. 23. ■

Several new pix look to perk the
Loop somewhat this stanza, strong
moppet fare helping to soften pre-
Christmas blues. Top opener is
“The Buccaneer," hacking through
shopper apathy for a hep $32,000
at the Chicago. The World’s debut
of "Tosca” expects a smash $8,000
while the Loop’s "Tom Thumb”
Initialer is great $15,000.

Garrick’s "Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” is figured for a socko
$19,000. Monroe’s new tandem of
"Menace in Night” and "Fearma-
kers” should hit an okay $4,300.

"Mark of Hawk” sights an okay
third round at the Woods.

Oriental’s fourth session of
“Anna Lucasta” shapes so-so.
“Home Before Dark” Is a gloomy
fourth-weeker at the United Art¬
ists. “Houseboat” is rated good at
the Esquire for seventh week.

Of the hard ticket pix, "South
Seas Adventure” is holding well
for the season tide after 13 Palace
rounds. “Gigi” is a nice 24th-
weeker at the Harris. "South Pa¬
cific” is notched for a soft 39th
frame at Me Vickers. "Around
World In 80 Days” shapes boff in
00th and final session at Todd’s
Cinestage.

Estimates for This Week

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 90-$1.80)
—"Buccaneer” (Par). Strong $32,-
000. Last week, “Geisha Boy” (Par)
(3d wk), $15,000.

Esquire (H&E Balaban) (1,350;
$1.50) — "Houseboat” (Par) (7th
wk). Good at $6,500. Last week,
$7,000.

Garrick (B&K) (850; 90-$1.25) —
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col).
Smash $19,000. Last week, “Little
Bank That Should be Robbed”
(20th) and "Sierra Baron” (20th)
(2th wk), $5,000.

Harris (Todd) (984; $1.25-$3) —
“Gigi” (M-G) (24th wk). Nice $12,-
000. Last week, $12,500.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.50)—
“Tom Thumb’*’ (M-G). Sparkling
$15,000. Last week "Law and Jake
Wade” (M-G), $6,500.

McVickers (JL&S) (1,580; $1.25-
$3.30) — "South Pacific” (Magna)
(39th wk). Good $12,000. Last
week. $12,000.

Monroe (Jovan) (1,000; 65-90)—
“Fearmakers” (UA) and "Menace
( Continued on page 16)

Frisco Climbs; ‘Sinbad'

Hot $16,000, ‘Tbumb’ 9G,
‘Buccaneer’ Stont 15G

San Francisco, Dec. 23.

Film biz is picking up here this
session, being helped by some new,
strong screen fare. Outstanding is
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,” which
looks to wind up with a smash
total at the St. Francis. "Buc¬
caneer” is rated strong at Para¬
mount but “Tom Thumb” looms
slow at Warfield. "Restless Years”
at Golden Gate and "Girl in Bi¬
kini” are disappointing, apparently
still feeling the effect of pre-Xmas
influences. “South Seas Adven¬
ture” still Is sturdy in fourth
round at Orpheum.

Estimates Tor This Week

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; $1.25)
—"Restless Years” (U) and “Ap¬
pointment With Shadow” (U).
Slow $7,000. Last week, “Revolt In
Big House” (A A) and "Johnny
Rocco” (AA), $6,200.

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)—
“Girl In Bikini” (Indie) and "Scan¬
dal In Sorrento” (DCA). Mild $10,-
000 in 8 days. Last week, "Nice
Little Bank” (20th) and “Bus Stop”
(2Qth) (reissue), $7,000 in 6 days.

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 90-$1.25)
«r—“Tom Thumb” (M-G). Slow $9,-
000. Last week, "Dunkirk” (M-G)
and "Andy Hardy Comes Home”
(M-G), $7,000.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-

$1.25)—"Buccaneer” (Par). Strong
$15,000. Last week, "Man Inside”
iCol) and "Enchanted Island”
(WB), $7,500.

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1.25-
$1,50)—"Seventh Voyage Sinbad”
(Col). Smash $16,000. Last week,
"War Of Worlds” (Par) and "When
Worlds Collide” (Par), (reissues),
$6,500.

Orpheum (SW-Cinerama) (1.456;
$1.75-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (4th wk>. Fine
$16,000 or close. Last week,
$18,500.

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,207;.
. 90-$1.25)—"Screaming Skull” (AI)
and "Brain Eaters” (AI). Drab $6.-
000. Last. week. "Gun Runners”
(Continued on page^lfi)

Estimates Are Net

’ Film gross estimates as re¬
ported herewith from the vari¬
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
wdthout usual tax. Distrib¬
utors share on net take, when
playing percentage, hence, the
estimated figures are net in¬
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax.

‘Gigi’ Potent lOG,

. PliiDy;‘Geisha’7G

Philadelphia, Dec. 23.

Exhibitors’ pre-Ch*ristma» box-
office blues are not being helped
much currently by new product.
"Buccaneer” shapes good at Stan¬
ton if not big while. "Seventh Voy¬
age of Sinbad” looms extremely
dull at Stanley. "Gigi” is rated
very potent playing at popscale. at
the Viking. "Geisha Boy” is good
in second session at Randolph
whUe "Windjammer” shapes big
in eighth round at Boyd..

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (S&S) (536; 99-$1.80)—
—"Party Girl” (M-G) (4th wk).
Fair $6,400. Last week, $8,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,480; $1.20-$2.40)—
"Windjammer” (NT) (8th wk). Big
$9,500. Last week, $10,500.

Fox (National) (2,250; 94-$1.49)—
"Little Bank Should Be Robbed”
(20th) and "Gang War” (20th).
Sad $3,500 In 5 days. Last week,
“Mardi Gras” (20th) (3d wk), $6,800.

Goldman (Goldman) (1,200;
$1.40-$2.60)—"Revolt in Big House”
CAA) and “Johnny Rocco" (AA).
Fair $7,000. Last week, “Old Man
and Sea” (WB) (5th wk), $3,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200;
$1.20-$2.40) — "South Pacific”
(Magna) (39th wk). Good ^,500.
Last week, $6,200. .

Randolph (Goldman) (1,250; 94-
$1.49)—“(5elsha Boy” (Par) (2d wk).
Good $7,000. Last week, $9,000.

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 99-$1.80)—
"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col).
Drab $7,000. Last week, "Home
Before Dark” (WB) (3d wk).
$ 10 , 000 .

Stanton (SW) (1,483; 99-$1.49)—
“Buccaneer” (Par). Good $14,000.
Last week, “Mark of Hawk” (U)
and “Enchanted Island” (WB),
$5,000.

Studio (Goldberg) (400; 99-$1.49)
—^"Suicide Battalion” (AI) and
"Jet Attack” (AI). So-so $3,400.
Last week, "Frankenstein 1970”
(AA) and "Queen Outer Space”
(AA), $3,000.

xnus-jLiux louu;

—“Tunnel of Love” (M-G) (4th w]
Oke $5,500. Last w’eek, $6,500.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 75-$1.49)
"Gigi” (M-G). Potent $10,0(
Last week, “In Love and Wa
(20th) (6th wk), $5,000.

World (Pathe) (604; 95-$1.80)
"White Sheik” (Indie). Wa
$2,000. Last week, "Ordet” (I
die), $2,100.

OMAHA BIZ STILL OFF;
‘BUCCANEER’SOFT 6G

Omaha, Dec. 23.

Usual pre-Xmas slump has
racked up downtown b.o, casualties
this week. The expected one strong
entry, “Buccaneer,” at the Omaha,
is surprisingly light, perhaps partly
due to a stinging review by the
city’s lone newspaper critic. Bright
spot is the oldie, “At War With
Army,” at the Orpheum, which is
very good considering. "Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” is on weak side
at Brandeis. Hard-ticket. "South
Pacific” continues to do okay in
ninth session at the Cooper. ;

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (Cooper) (694; 90) —
"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col).
Slq^w $3,000. Last week, "Tarawa
Beachhead” (Col) and “Apache
Territory” (Col), $2,000.

Cooper (Cooper! . (708; $1.50-
$2.20) — "South Pacific” (Magna)
(9th wk).. Okay $9,000. Last week,
$9,500.

.Omaha (Tristates) (2,066; 90-
$1.25) — “Buccaneer” (Par). Soft
$6,000 or. less. Last week, “Rest-
(Continued on page 16)

BUFF B.O. BAD BUT
‘BUCCANEER’OKE lOG

Buffalo, Dec. 23.

Biz is hitting bottom in current
stanza here with few films able to
battle the pre-Christnras down-
beat. However, "Buccaneer” looks
okay at Paramount while a re¬
issue combo at the Center is rated
fair. "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
is dismal at the Century. "Tom
Thumb” looms sad at the Buffalo.
Estimates for This Week
, Buffalo (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)—r
"Tom Thumb” (M-G) and "Thun¬
dering Jets” (Indie). Slow $5,000
or near. Last week. "Bank Should
be Robbed” (20th) and "Flaming
Frontier” (20th). $6,000.

Center (AB-PT) (2,000; 70-90)—
“Place in Sun” (Par) and “Stalag
17” (Pari (reissues). Fair $7,000.
Last week, "Robe” (20th) and “Man
Called Peter” (20th) . (reissues),
$ 6 , 000 .

Century (UATC) (1,410; 70-90)—
"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
iind "Life Begins at 17” (Col).
Dismal $5,500. Last week, “Man
Inside” (Col) and "Going Steady”
(Indie), $4,500.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 70-90)—
"Terror From Beyond Space” (UA)
and "Curse of Faceless Man” (UA).
Sad $4,800. Last week, “The
Pagans” (AA) and "Wolf Larsen”
(AA), $5,000.

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-
90)—“Buccaneer” (Par) and "As
Young as We Are” (Par). Okay
$10,000. Last week, "The Spider”
(AI) and "Brain-Eaters” (AI),
$7,500.

Teck (Loew) (1,200; 70-90)—

"Defiant Ones” (UA) (4th wk).
Dreary $2,000. Last week, $3,200.

Cinema (Martina) (450; 70-90)—
"American in Paris (Indie) and
"Annie Get Your Gun” (Indie)
(reissues). Poor $1,000. Last week,
‘Matchmaker” (Par) (5 days), ditto.

‘Sinbad’Dull SG,
Pitt; ‘Geisha’ 7G

Pittsburgh, Dec. 23.

Pre-holiday biz is in the dumps
as usual. All of first-runs downtown
except one have brought in their
Xmas films a week ahead. In the
meantime, only the Penn is mak¬
ing any Idnd of a score, but even
"Buccaneer” is a little disappoint¬
ing considering the costly cam¬
paign. "Geisha Boy” at Stanley is
drab while “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” at Harris is dreary.
Squirrel Hill with “My Uncle”
looks like a winner.

Estimates for This Week

Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 80-$1.25)—
"World in His^ Arms” (U) and
"Bend of River” (U) (reissues).
Probably as good as anything else
would have done right now. May¬
be $3,500. Last week, "Restless
Years” (U). $4,000.

GuUd (Green), (500; 99-$1.25)—
"Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col).
School vacation may help but looks
dreary $5,000 in first stanza. Last
week, "Bank ’That Should Be
.Robbed” (20th), $2,500.

Penn (UA) (3,300; 99-$1.25)—
"Buccaneer” (Par). Expensive cam¬
paign will have to pay off next
week because it isn’t doing it this.
Best in town at $15,000 but that’s
not very exciting. Last week, "Tun¬
nel of Love” (M-G), $9,000.

Squirrel. Hill (SW) (900; 99-$1.25)
—^^"My Uncle” (Cont). Rapturous
notices may build this since week
before Xmas is no criterion. Shapes
neat $3,500 or over. Last week,
"Murder by Contract” (Col) (2d
wk-6 days), $1,400.

Stanley (SW) (3,800; 90-$1.25)—
"Geisha Boy” (Par). Jerry Lewis
starrer is another one that’ll have
to wait for the post-holiday pay¬
off. (jurrently doesn’t look like
much more than sad $7,000, if
that. Last week, “The Spider”
(AI). $4,000.

‘Buccaneer’ Lhely lOG,
CleYe.; ‘SinbaiF Hep 15G

Cleveland, Dec. 23.
There are two bright spots in
an otherwise gloomy b.o. picture
here this stanza. "Buccaneer” is
rated good at the Stillman while
‘‘Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” is
smooth at the ifipp. Latter is get¬
ting the greatest coin total. "Tom
Thumb” at State is described as
amazingly low. "South Seas Ad¬
venture” looms okay in third
Palace session.

Estimates for This Week
Allen (S-W) (3,800; 75-$1.25) —
"Sayonara” (WB) and "Indiscreet” |
(WB) (reruns). Fair $8,000. Last |
west, “Spider” (AI) and “Brain
Eaters” (AI), $10,000:

Continental Art (Art Theatre
Guild) (850; $1.25) — "Lucky Jim”
(Continued on page 16)

B’way Brighter But News Strike Still
Hurts; ‘Tables’ Hot 48^/^G, ‘Night’ Nice
17y2G,‘Sinbad’Solid 79G, Shaw liy 2 G

With a batch of new, stronger |
product, released in the last few
days for the year-end holidays, |
Broadway currently is taking on a
brighter hue. However, first-run
theatres still are -suffering from
the newspaper strike, some bitterly
cold weather and the tag-end of
the Christmas shopping spree. Re¬
sult is that many newcomers are
hot measuring up to their true po¬
tential. Managers expect trade to
pick up some even today, with
Christmas expected to shape as a
solid Sunday at the boxoffice.

Standout newcomer obviously is
"Separate Tables,” with smash
$33,000 looked for in initial ses¬
sion at the Astor and $15,500 at
'the arty Normandie where day-dat¬
ing. Both are regarded as mighty
big for season of year, the Astor
money being great for even a nor¬
mal week. "Night To Remember”
looks to wind its opening round at
the Criterion with a good $17,500.
This, too, is regarded as big in view
of conditions.

“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
with stageshow ended the first
round at the Roxy with a solid
$79,000, being hurt by strike and
pre-Xmas. "Geisha Boy/’ which
obviously will win considerable
juvenile patronage, looks to hit a
good $17,000 or a bit over on ini¬
tial frame at Mayfair. "Doctor’s
Dilemma,” film version of Shaw’s
play, should get a solid $11,500 at
the arty Trans-Lux 52d St. on
opener.

Going against the general down-
beat, the Music Hall is smash
$175,000 in third round wih the
annual Xmas stageshow and
“Auntie Mame.” “Gigi” finished
its seventh stanza at the -arty Sut¬
ton with a great $15,300, still draw¬
ing long lines over the past week¬
end.

: Second week of “Inn of Sixth
Happiness” looks to reach very
good $40,000 at the Paramount and
a lofty $13,300 at the Plaza. "I
Want To Live” finished its fifth
session at the Victoria with a hep
$12,500.

Palace is opening “Rally Round
Flag, Boys” today. (Wed.) while
"Buccaneer” teed off at the
Capitol yesterday (Tues.), "Bell,
Book and Candle” preems at the
Odeon -and Fine Arts tomorrow
(Thurs.). State opens Alan Freed
and his roek-’n’-roll stageshow with
“Villa” the same day.

Both hard-ticket pictures were
hard hit in recent days by pre-
Christmas influences.

Estimates for This W^k
Astor (City Inv.) . (1,094; 75-$2)
—“Separate Tables” (UA). First
round ending today (Wed.) looks to
hit smash $33,000, amazing in view
of conditions. Holds indef. In
ahead, “Big Country” (UA) (11th
wk), $9,000. .

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25-$2)
—“My Uncle” (Cont) (8th wk).
Seventh stanza finished last Sun¬
day (21) was smooth $6,600. Sixth
week, $7,500.

Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$2.50)

^—"Buccaneer” (Par). Opened yes¬
terday (Tqes.). In ahead, “House¬
boat” (Par) (6th wk-4 days), was
slow $8,500 after $17,000 for fifth
stanza.

Criterion (Moss) (1,671; $1.80-
$3)—"Night To Remember” (Rank)
t2d wk). Initial session ended yes¬
terday (Tnes.) was good $17,500,
but actually nice considering con¬
ditions. Stays on. In ahead, “Old
Man and Sea” (WB) (10th wk),
$7,600.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)
7 —“Pepote” (UMPO) (4th wk-3
days). Third round ended Sunday
(21) was mild $3,300. “Bell, Book,
Candle” (Col) opens tomorrow
(Thurs.),

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75)—
"My Uncle” (Cont) (8th wk).
Seventh round completed Sunday
(21) was trim $5,400. Sixth. $6,300.
..Mayfair (Indie) 0,736; 79-$1.80)
—“Geisha Boy” (Par). First round
ending tomorrow (Thurs.) is head¬
ing for good $17,000 or a bit over.
Holding.

. Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592;
$1.20-$1.80) —"Separate Tables”
(UA). First session ending today
(Wed.) looks to hit $15,500, mighty
fine for time of year and strike set¬
up. Second week looks to easily top
the opener.

Palace (RKO) (1,642; 90-$2)—
"Rally Round Flag, Boys” (20th).
Opens today (Wed.). Last week,
"Roots of Heaven (20th) (10th
wk), mild $6,500 after $8,000 in
ninth week.

Odeon (Rank) (813; 90-$1.80)—
"Earth To Moon” (WB) (4th-final
wk). In final five days looks like

laggard $3,800. Third was $5,600.
"BeU, Book, Candle” (Col) opens
tomorrow (Thurs.).

Paramount (AB-PT) (3,665; $1-
$2)—“Inn of Sixth Happiness”
(20th) (2d W'k). This se.ssion wind¬
ing up tomorrow (Thurs.) looks
like very good $40,000. Initial
week, $44,000. Stays on Indefi¬
nitely.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80)—“Horse’s Mouth” ^Lopert)
(7th wk). Sixth stanza completed
Monday (22) was solid $13,300.
Fif*h was $15,300.

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke¬
fellers) (6,200; 90-$2.75»—“Auntie
Mame” (WB) with annual Christ¬
mas stageshow (3d wk). Current
week ending today (Wed.) is head¬
ing for great $175,000. Second
was $173,000. Stays on through
New Year’s.

Rivoli (UAT) (1.545; $2-$3.50)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (12th wk).
The 11th session finished Monday
(22) was mild $11,500. The 10th
week. $15,000. Stays.

Plaza (Lopert) (525; $1.50-$2)—
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20th) (2d
wk). This round finishing up to¬
morrow (Thurs.) looks like lofty
$13,300. First was $16,500. Stays
on indef.

Roxy (Indie) (5.705; 90-$2.50)—
"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
with stageshow (2d wk). First
stanza ended ye.sterday iTues.) was
solid $79,000. In ahead, "Tunnel
of Love” (M-G) and stageshow (4th
wk-5 days), $36,500.

State (Lo^O (3,450; $1.80-$2.50)
—“Jewel Box Revue” onstage with
"China Doll” (UA) (3d wk) dipped
to fair $15,000 in eight days after
$21.0(W in second. Alan Freed
an(l his rock-n-roll stageshow with
“Villa” (20th) opens / tomorrow
(Thurs.).

Sutton (R&B) (561; 95-$1.80)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (8th Jwk). Seventh
round finished Saturday (20) was
socko $15,300. Sixth was $17,500.
Pic continued drawing long lines
Saturday-Sunday despite sever#
cold.

Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-D (540; $1-
$1.50)—"Doctor's Dilemna” (M-G)
(2d wk). Initial session finisheel
yesterday (Tues.) was sturdj $11,-
500, and hurt like all arty theatro
new’Cbmers by being unable t(j
cash in on fav'orable reviews.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1.003; 50-$2)
^UA) (6th wk).
Fifth stanza completed Monday
(22) was hep $12,500. Fourth
week, $18,000.

q)A.OU-^O.OU^- __

ture” (Cinerama) (23d w'k). The
22 d week completed Saturday (20)
was fair $17,200. The 21st week.
$23,600. •

ouulu oeas

L’yille Up; ‘Buccaneer’

OK $6,000,‘Thumb’4G,
‘Sinbad’Slight $4,509

Louisville, Dec. 23,
Kid trade is helping some of the
downtown houses currently. "Tom
Thumb” at the Brown is catching
some of this juve trade but not
much. “Buccaneer” at the Ken¬
tucky looks the leader with okay
session. "Seventh Voyage of Sin-
bad”, at United Artists looms very
slow. Weatherwise, temperatures
are moderately low, with no snow.
Christmas shopping at dowmtown
stores is reported as the heaviest
ever here, breaking records of pre¬
vious years.

Estimates for This Week
Brown (Fourth Ave.) (1,200; 60-
90)—“Tom Thumb” (M-G). Juve
trade accounting for bulk of
patrons. Barely okay $4,000. Last
week, "Gigi” (M-G), same in nine
days.

Kentucky (SwitowO (900; 60-90)
—"Buccaneer” (Par). Looks to be
one of leaders currently at okay
$6,000. Last w'eek. "Houseboat”
(Par) (3d wk), $4,500.

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,000;
60-90)—“Enchanted Island” (WB).
Medium $4,500. Last week. “Wind
Across Everglades” (WB) and
“Badman’s Country” (WB), same.

Rialto (Fourth Ave.) (3,000; 60-
85)—"The Robe” .(20th) and Glad¬
iators” (20th) (reissues). Shaping
up okay for oldies at about $5,000
in six days. Last week, "Bank That
Should Robbed” (20th) and "Cattle
Empire” (20th), $7,000.

United Artists (UA) (3.000; 60-
90)—"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
(Col) and “Apache Territory”
(Col). Drab $4,000. Last week
"Tarawa Beachhead” (Col) and
"Hard Man” (Col), $3,500.

10

PiSttJEff

ITcdnesday, December 24, 1958

LEO McCAREY'S

wonderful triumph
to match his
"Going My Way,”

"The Bells of St. Mary’s,’
"An Affair to
Rfemember”!

2o

C«ntury*^«>

Cl N E

COLOR by DE LUXE

ITS ON THE SCREEN AND IT^ A SCREAM!

THE BLUSHING BEST-SELLER THAT RIBS SEX...SATELLITES AND THE

STATION-WAGON SET! .WAIIDEIIIN8 WIVES Ai SIRAYING MALES, SECRET MISSILES AND

NOT-SO-SECRET LOVE-MAKING...WITH SOME OF THE MOST DELIGHTFOL LOVE SCENES EVER POT ON FILM!

MNEWMANJOANNEWOOD^^^

Produced and Directed by LEO McCAREY

Saeenplay by

CLAUDE BINYON--LEO McCAREY

wm it in 19591 6et with 20ml

'VARIlTY't' LONDON OPFICI
t It, M«rMn*» Plaw/ Trafalfir Sgwaf

II%TERNAT10NAL

11

CURB & MUTE MEX SCREEN ADS

Talk Hoyts, Greater Union Pooling J
Of Some Operations, Film Handling

Sydney, Dec. 16. •

There is talk here that Hoyts’
loop and Greater Union Theatres
may pool physical distribution of
product in a new move to beat
high operational costs and a pa¬
tronage decline. Hoys and GUT
came together for a limited term
in the depression years.

When the dropoff in cinema biz
blamed largely on tele was felt
here, Norinan B. Kydge, GU
chief, decided to lease many
suburban houses to his managers,
figuring that it was much better
to do this than to continue op¬
erating at a loss. The idea is pay¬
ing off and more houses will go
out on lease to staff members on
a lower operational basis. Then
Hoyts decided to shutter non-pay¬
ing cinemas, to reduce playing
time from six nights weekly to
thrice-weekly and to sell outmoded
houses.

Pr<klact liimiUtton

With less pix scheduled for next
year, the belief Is held here that
Hoyts and GUT might consolidate
on certain operational aspects. Any
pooling of product still Is very
doubtful.

Despite a reported product
downbeat here for 1959, WB and
Hoyts have not pacted a new
agreement for topline product.
Understood the stymie is because
of percentage terms sought by
Warners. Many years ago Warners
had a fallout with Hoyts and de¬
cided to try first-release in the
suburbs via Independent exhibs.
This was not a great success, and
W^^ners and Hoyts finally oame
together again until the present
fallout. There is a possibility that
WB may swing over to the rival
Greater Union setup.

Cinema loops here are not the
only ones repeated as lookseeing
for operational savings In next
year. There’s talk here that 20th-
Fox will handle the Metro product
In New Zealand, and that Metro
and Paramount may combine dis-
trib offices in all Aussie keyers
except Sydney.

Also reported that the Robert
Kerridge Group will take over the
distribution of Universal pix
throughout New Zealand, and that
British Empire Films, tmit under
the GU tent here, will handle U
product throughout the Aussie
zone.

TACinrSET FOR FOUR
ITAIOXMASPUYDATES

Rome,* Dec. 16.

Todd-AO release for “South
Pacific’’ (20th) has been set for
Rome, Milan and Florence during
the Christmas season, with nine or
10 other installations In this coun¬
try being talked about for later. Al¬
bert Leonard flew in to handle de¬
tails for Magna Theatre Corp.
Leonard noted that Italy was one
of the few European countries
v.’hich had a chance to see Todd-
AO on another previous release,
“Oklahoma’’ (“80 Days’’ ran here
in the ,35m version alone).

While some 20 installations are
showing “South Pacific” In Todd-
AO in Britain, Leonard said that
several more were running the big-
screen version in Europe, while
four theatres in Germany and sev¬
eral in France would open before
Christmas.

Undergrohfld Producer
■Works Yucatan Ruins

Mexico City, Dec. 23.

The Union of Film Production
Workers has notified the Dept, of
State and the Film Bureau that an¬
other (unspecified) film is being
shot clandestinely In and around
the Chichen Itza ruins in Yucatan,

No further information has been
released and it is not known
whether this is another foreign pro¬
ducer (like Gilbert Productions, re¬
ported here previously) or an un¬
authorized Mexican producer.

Dept, of State §^aid it is investi¬
gating and that a statement will be
issued

West End Pre-Holiday Dip Not Bad;
V Great $17,700,3d Wk., ‘Thumb’

Milan on ‘Maria Golovin’

Milan, Dec. 16.

The opening of Gian-Carlo
Menotti’s “Maria Golovin” at
the Scaia Theatre here has
evoked completely opposite
opinions from two top north
Italian dailies.

While the influential “Cor-
riere della Sera” almost un¬
reservedly praises “Golovin,*
as it did some time back when
the work preemed at the Brus¬
sels World's Fair, “11 Giomo”
blasts the Menotti effort, term¬
ing it, among other things,
suitable Broadway musical
fare. Not knowing it had
opened and closed after four
performances on Broadway
Other local reviews were,
closer to middle-of-the-road in
their opining on the Scaia
presentation.

Two Offers To Buy
Brit Lion Films

. London, Dec, 23.

There were two offers to buy
out British Lion Films, but neither
was considered acceptable, said
John Rodgers, parliamentary sec¬
retary of the Board of Trade, when
questioned in the House of Com¬
mons last Thursday (18) on the re¬
ports that takeover bids had been
made.

The questions,'which were start¬
ed by Laborite Douglas Jay, were
a direct sequel to the 'Vamett re¬
port on Dec. 10 that Heiibert Wil¬
cox and his wife, Anna Neagle, had
bid around $3,000,000 for the gov-
emment-nwned production and
distribution company. I

By way of supplementary ques¬
tion, the Labor MP asked for an ;
assurance that no sale would be ;
negotiated until the matter had
been debated in Parliament after
Christmas. He pointed out that a
large amount of public money had
been Invested in the company and
many of them would be critical if
it were sold with a large loss to
the taxpayers and a large profit
to private interests.

The minister, in winding up the
Commons discussion, confirmed
last week’s statement by the Na¬
tional Film Finance Corp. that the
“For Sale” boards had been taken
down for British Lion ,and there
was no likelihood of a deal being
negotiated in the near future.

Gieui Gould Bows

WiA Scarf & Glores

Tel Aviv, Dec. 16. j

Sensational success was reaped
here by 25-year-old Canadian
pianist Glenn Gould, appearing In
concerts with the Israel Philhar-
rnonic Orchestra and In solo re¬
citals. While pianist is recognized
by public and press as one of the
greatest artists in his field, re¬
porters have been after him not¬
ing his iear-to-eccentric stage ap¬
pearances.

In Jeikisalem, forced to play in
chilly uncompleted hall, he put on
winter coat for his performance of
a Beethoven Concerto with the
Orchestra. In Tel Aviv, be¬
leaguered for encores by a frantic
audience, he’ bowed in coat, stvet
and gloves to make the puollc
understand they should. go home
as well. His solo recital, presenting
an unorthodox program of music
by Sweelinck, Bach, Mozart, ^nd
Schoenberg, was sold out twice at
Tel Aviv’s huge Maim Auditorium
and heard by an estimated 6,000
persons.

Orchestral concerts were con¬
ducted by French composer-con¬
ductor Jean Martinon.

By EMIL ZUBRYN

Meklco City, Dec. 23.

The long-suffering Mexican film¬
going public, in this city at least,
at long last will have relief from
the multitude of tedious commer¬
cials and publicity short subjects
shown in local houses.

Ernesto P. Uruchurtu, Mayor of
the eity (he^^ was reappointed to
office by the incoming administra¬
tion of President Adolfo Lopez
Mateos at the beginning of this
month), has decreed that from
now on newsreels and short sub¬
jects can only have a total of four
commercials, each of a half-minute
duration.

This means, that in a regular
two-hour-20 minute film perform¬
ance there will be only two min¬
utes of filmed advertising. Further,
this advertising has to be silent.

Uruchurtu said that any diso¬
bedience of this new ruling will
be dealt with energetically by the
Federal District Government, with
stiff fines imposed on violators.

Background of this action is that
in the past year an entire new crop
of so-called “newsreels” and “short
subjects” blossomed out. in Mexico,
Actually these were but thinly
disguised filmed advertising reels.

The “newsreels.' apart from In¬
terlinked commercials (sometimes
as high as six), interspersed with
so-called legitimate newsreel shots,
also ran publicity puffs for auto¬
mobile manufacturers, cosmetics,
radio and television manufacturers,
etc., with this presented to the
public as “news.”

In “short subjects,” episodes of
so-called human interest, travel
and comedy -bits, the publicity
puffs were also skillfully added.

Things got so bad that the pub¬
lic began making loud and violent
protests In the houses about two
months ago. There were a few
cases of disorders so violent that
the constabulary had to be called
in to maintain the peace.

Uruchurtu, who expected to be
replaced as mayor by a new presi¬
dential designate, once his reap¬
pointment w^as confirmed, acted
swiftly. The interminable com¬
mercials, often in bad taste If not
downright silly, and exceptionally
noisy and repetitive, will be no
more. Or, at least, for the time
being. For the newsreels and
short subjects are a good thing
and producers will surely seekj
loopholes to get^ around the edict.
Still, Mayor Uruchurtu is a tough ;
character.

Gone up in smoke, too, are hopes
of theatre operators of a boost-in
the present four pesos (32c) box-
office admission for the first-run
houses, and a corresponding in¬
crease all along the line. Uruchurtu
has grimly stood agaiist any in¬
creases of admission in this city
for the past six years.

Cancelled too by the Uruchurtu
edict are commercial color an¬
nouncements between news takes
in newsreels, with some of these
taking up two to three minutes of
time. And the showing of strictly
documentary subjects when these
are a plug for some industry or
product.

Further, Uruchurtu has decreed
that performances must run a full
two hours and 20 minutes of en¬
tertainment. Exhibitors had taken
the shorts and newsreels as a
profitable means of abiding by this
rule. Now Inspectors of the Dept,
of Spectacles will be touring
houses to see that patrons get fuU
quota of entertainment in its “pur¬
ist” form.

Rank’s Color Weekly News

London, Dec. 23.

The Rank Organization's new
weekly color news magazine, which
Is to be launched on Feb. 2, is to
be titled “Look At Life.” It re¬
places the company’s two news¬
reels, which are to go out of cir¬
culation at the end of the year. .

G. Grafton Greene is executive
producer of the new magazine,
with Ted Candy as chief camera¬
man and E. 'V. H. Emmetts as com¬
mentator.

2d, ‘Wonders’ Sock 22G, 42d

Callas’ Italo Da:tes

Rome, Dec. 16.

Italian impresario Remigio
Paone (ERREPI Productions)
declares he’s signed Maria
Meneghini Callas for an Ital¬
ian season.

Unspeeffied number of local
dates would start towards the
middle of May, 1959, and
would include “Traviata” and
“Medea.” Franco Corelli is
to appear opposite Miss Cal¬
las, while orchestra direction
is in hands df TuUio Sarafin.

Meanwhile, Italy will see
the soprano for the first fime
in some months when her up¬
coming Paris Gala Concert is
telecast throughout Europe via
the Eurovision TV net.

Xmas Peak For
Paris Show Biz

Paris, Dec. 23.

With politics eased here, and the
economy nearer balance, the com¬
ing holiday show biz coin looks to
exceed anything seen since the
war. A greater number of legit
hits, better film fare, plus bur¬
geoning Music Hall trade all are
helping. Most hit plays are already
sold out and boites also report bet¬
ter than usual holiday reservations.

Already sold out are such legit
smashes as “La Bonne Soupe,”
“12 Angry Men,” “La Vie Pari-
sienne,” “View From Bridge,”
“Diary of Anne Frank,” “Caine
Mutiny Court Martial.” “Two For
The Seesaw,” “No Time for Ser¬
geants,” “L’Annee Du Bac.” “Mar¬
cel Marceau Mime” and “Lucy
Crown.”

Big film entries are “The Vik¬
ings” (UA), “Roots of Heaven”
(20th). “Gigi” ^M-G). “Old Man
and Sea” (WB), “Seventh Voyage
of Sinbad” (Col), “Raintree Coun¬
ty” (M-G), “South Pacific” <20th)
(via Todd-AO installations in three
theatres), Japanese “The Rickshaw
Man” and such continuing French
clicks as “Big Families,” “The
Cheats,” “The Lovers” and “In
Case df Accident.”

Lido and Crazy Horse Saloon
still have the top nitery pull fol¬
lowed by the m^iad of offbeat
spots, flesheries, jazz and special¬
ized boites. From advance reports,
it looks to be the most cheerful
holiday for show biz in months.
And disks, video and radio sets are
high on the gift lists this year.

De Gauile Cuts Number
Of Foreip Dabbed Pix

- Paris, Dec. 23.
Through decree. General De
Gaulle passed a new ruling on the
■amount of dubbed foreign pix to
be allowed on French screens from
July this year% June of 1959. The
number was llfi or 20 less than last
year’s amount. However, the Mo¬
tion Picture Export Assn, was as¬
sured by the governmental Centre
Du Cinema that this measure would
not interfere. with the 110 Yank
visas.

It was aimed mainly at the vari¬
ous . countries which have given
hardly any reciprocity to French
films. France needs about 320 pix
per year for their over 5,000 the¬
atres. French producers supply
about 110 and the Yanks better
than 110, with the remainder com¬
ing from various other countries.

The decree states the reduction
was instituted because of consid¬
erations necessary for a proper I
balance of film trade. It stipulated j
that pix shown at the Cannes Film ^
Fest got free visas, and so did |
countries who aided the French'
industry on a distrib or production j
basis. ' I

London, Dec. 16.

Although there is some evidence
of the usual pre-Christmas lull.
West End first-runs are, oh the
whole, maintaining the healthy
standard which has prevailed
throughout most of the year.

Leading the field once again is
“Inn of the Sixth Happiness” with
great $17,700 in its third session
at the Odeon. Leicester Square.
It’s now in fourth week, “Bell,
Book and Candle” shapes stout
$10,000 at the Plaza in second
round.

“Tom Thumb” looks okay at ths
Empire with over $12,000 in its sec¬
ond w’eek. “Home Before Dark”
is rated nice $9,800 or near in
initial Warner frame.

“Seven Wonders of World” heW
up in style at a great $22,000 In
its 42d Casino week. “South Pa¬
cific” looms hefty $17,000 in 34th
Dominion stanza.

Estimates for Last Week

Astoria (CMA) (1,474; $l,20-$2,.
15) — “Around World in 80 Daj’s"
j (UA) (76th wk). Dipped slightly to
around $7,000.

Carlton (20th) (1,128; 70~$2.15)
—“Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” (20th)
(6th wk). Likely fancy $7,800,
slightly better than previous frame.
“Mardi Gras” (20th) follows Dec.
18.

Casino (Indie) (1,155; 70-$2.15)—
“Seven Wonders of World” (Robin)
(42d wk). Hefty $22,000.

Dominion (CMA) (1,712; $1.05-
$2.20)—“South Pacific” (20th) (34th
wk). Fancy ,$17,000 or near.

Empire (NI-G) (3,099: 55-$1.70)—
‘Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d wk). Okay
$12,600. Last week, -$14,000. “Re
luctant Debutante” (M-G) follows
Dec. 26.

Gaumont (CM) (1.500; 50-$1.70)
— “Square Peg” (Rank) (2d wk).
Fair $5,900. Opener w-as $7,200.
“Last Hurrah” (Col) follow's Dec.
26.

Leicester Sqnare Theatre (CMA)
(1,376;-50-$1.70)—“Man*of West”
(UA) (3d wk). Average $5,800. Sec¬
ond was $7,000. “Bachelor of
Hearts (Rank) preems Dec. 17.

London Pavilion (UA) (1,217; 50-
$1.70)—“Colossus of New' York”
(Par) (2d wk). Moderate $4,000.
First was .$4,800. “G^'eat Dictator”
(UA). bow's Dec. 19.

Odeon. Leicester .*=iquare (CMA)
(2,200; 50-$1.70)—“Inn of Sixth
Haopmess” (^Oth) (4th wk). Third
round ended last night (Sun. 14) to
hit great $17,700.

Odeon, MarVe Arch (CMA) (2,-
200; 50-$1.70)—“Strlctlv For Pleas-,
ure” (Rank). MPd $4,500.

Plaza (Par) (1.902; 70-$1.70) —‘
“Bell, Book, Candle” (Col) (2d wk).
Heading for stout $10,000 or near.
First was $12.3000.

Rialto (20th) (592; 50-$1.30) —
“Torpedo Run” (M-G) and “No¬
where to Go” (M-G) (2d wk). Steady
$4,000. Onener w'as $4,400. “Re¬
markable Mr. Pennypacker” (20th)
follows Dec. 26.

Ritz (M-G) (432; 50-$Y.80)—“Gat
on Hot Tin Roof' (I'T-G) (4th W'k).
Hot $3,000 or near. Third w'as $3,-
400.

Warner (WB) (1,785; 50-$1.70)—
“Home Before Dark” (WB). Head¬
ing for fine $9,800.

'Look Homeward’ Folds
In Italy—Few Patrons

Rome, Dec. 16.

The Italian stage version of
“Look Homeward, Angel” closed
unexpectedly during the Florence
run of the play because of a heavy
deficit. Play was staged by the Lil¬
ia Brignone-Annibale Ninchi Com¬
pany.

Sudden shutdown caused con¬
siderable comment in Italian legit
circles. Producers defended the
move by saying that the public
not having gone for the play, they
had decided to shut down the pro¬
duction while still able to pay off
contracts and commitments rather
than wait until it was too late.

yssteff

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Quote

"A SOLID BOXOFFICE CONTENDER.
POWERFUL, EXCITING DRAMA WITH
SENSITIVE AWARENESS OF LIFE, LOVE
AND TORMENT. ABLY WRITTEN AND
SUPERBLY ACTED. STRONG MARQUEE
CAST. Direction — EXCELLENT. Photography
— EXCELLENT. The masterful story by
Nathanael West has been brought to the
screen by Dore Schary with all the purity,
warmth and insight of the original. It is a
film that immediately stands out, for the
story is one of unique and absorbing power
and the cast is a strong marquee one that
performs with expertness. Vincent J.
Donehue has directed for producer Schary
with remarkable control of his material.
‘LONELYHEARTS' is indeed a picture to
attract the paying customers away from their
TV sets and other diversions. COUNT ON
IT BRINGING IN REWARDING RETURNS.

'‘Montgon}ery Clift brings skill and credi¬
bility to his focal role as the newspaperman
who bcconies 'dentified with the torments
of his correspondents and tries to offer
constructive advice. Robert Ryan fuses
robust life into his role as a cynical, bard,
self-centered man.
‘•Schary provided the superbly written
screenplay and it echoes with wit, irony
and insight. Myrna Loy plays the psycho¬
logically bludgeoned wife of Ryan with the
generally high standard of acting one has
1^ come to expect of her. Others who turn in
fine performances arc Dolores Hart, Jackie

t Coogan. Maureen Stapleton. Frank Maxwell.

• LONELYHEARTS' IS EXCELLENT.
UNUSUAL ENTERTAINMENT. "

-FILM DAILY

•‘IMPRESSIVE. A STRONG CAST. INTRI¬
GUING STORY. Dore Schary has character¬
istically tackled unusual and provocative
subject matter. Theatregoers have been
most reccptivt‘ to several pictures of this
nature lately, and LONELY HE ARTS' should
he a welcome and profitable addition to the
list. Montgomery Clift has his best part
since ‘A Place In The Sun.' This fine actor
responds to the challenge with .i perform¬
ance that WILL CAUSE TALK. SELL
TICKETS. AND THEN DEMAND CONSID¬
ERATION AT ACADEMY AWARD TIME.
Robert Ryan portrays with venomous skill.
His wife is portrayed exceedingly well by
Myrna Loy. A sex-starved housewife is
BRILLIANTLY played by Maureen
Stapleton. Penetrating direction
by Vincent J. Donehue."

MOTION PICTURE DAILY

••Dore Schary has selected a STRIKING AND
ADULT theme for his first independent picture
a fascinating drama of soul-searching and
infidelity. Montgomery Clift, Robert Ryan
and Myrna Loy will insure its boxoffice draw.
ENGROSSING I Schary is to be commended
for producing fine, out-of-the-ordinary fare."

-BOXOFFICE

Schary ProdveVona prasenis

MONTGOMERY CUFT / ROBERT RYAN / MYRNA LOY / DOLORES HART “LONELYHEARTS'

With Jeckh Coogan / Onshw Sievens / Mike Kellln / Frank Overton and Introducing Mdiun%n SfttphUjn

Written for the Screen and Produced by Dora Schary / Directed by Vincent J, Donahue

ill C

S f V

PICTURES

13

14

KARiEtr

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

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Congratulations

WAITER SLEZnK

BROOKS ATKINSON
New York Times

"Mr. Slezak's Innocent skylarking
amid alarms is thoroughly delightful.
A cheerful trencherman and the happy
head of a suburban family, Mr. Slezak
has become a man of round, massive
proportfons. Add to this honey-
colored voice, merry eyes and a mel¬
low disposition, and you have about
the most winning comedian in the
business . . . There is something amus¬
ingly childlike about the way he
approaches the solemn problems of
crime and punishment in Alec Cop¬
pers droll tale. He manages to
sweeten things that in other hands
might look gruesome.

WALTER KERR

New York Herald Tribune

"The spectacle of Mr. Slezak, look¬
ing like a crooked Father Christmas,
tiptoeing around the scene of the
crime clad in a shower - curtain,
crowne^ with a miner's lamp, qnd wal¬
lowing with hip-boots is o connoisseur's
item in itself . . . Mr. Slezak stealing
slices of baloney he keeps locked
in a wall-safe, answering a telephone
call frorn Alfred Hitchcock while he
is himself up to his ears in crime,
trying—and failing—to slap his knee
gaily while he is being accused of
the wrong murder, is rich, nourishing
tomfoolery. And Mr. Slezak, pawing
the carpet as he glides 4nto a minuet
to celebrate a murder is a dandy."

/or his personal TRIUMPH

in ^^THE GAZEBO”

at the LYCEUM THEATRE

New York

ASHLEY-STEINER, Inc.

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JOHN CHAPMAN
New York Daily News

" 'The Gazebo' depends partly on a
fairly tricky but not baffling plot and
mostly on the performance ot Walter
Slezak, who suffers pangs of fear and
hunger in equal amounts. Slezak can
do a great deal with a helpless ges¬
ture, a faint grin or a slight moan."

JACK GAYER
United Press

. . Humorous entertainment in
the murder mystery field is dished out
in 'The Gazebo,' largely due to the
fact that Walter Slezak is in charge of
guns and bodies ... The play provides
a workmanlike puzzle and Slezak . • .
You should have your money's worth
from Slezok alone. There are those
who contend that no matter what type
of play or role he has and whatever
the auality of the script may be, the
privilege of watching Slezak work is
compensation enough ... in this case,
he is playing comedy, and be is a
master in that field. There is no vocal
or physical trick for iaugh-gettinq that
he cannot use and in such a perfectly
natural way that you are not aware at
the time they are tricks."

FRANK ASTON

New York World-Telegram

"Slezak is at his amusing best, being
especially ridiculous at moments of
theatric irony when he must prepare
for what seems to be his own do-.^i."

USriety

"Walter Slezak brings much farcical
skill to the part. Some of his pieces
of business and telling gesticulations
are delicious." Land.

JOHN McCLAIN

New York Journal American

"The abundant talents of Walter
Slezak and Jayne Meadows are happily
combined . . . Mr. Slezak has a style
and a ridiculous eminence of his own
which has been too long^missing from
us lately and here he is given every
opportunity to make the squeaky reply
and the ponderous passage across
stage."

WILLIAM GLOVER
Associated Press

". . . Slezak pops with panicky gig¬
gles and all the rest of nis Viennese
Bag of tricks."

ROBERT COLEMAN
New York Dally Mirror

". . . the doughty Slezak skillfully
keeps 'The Gazebo' on the stage for
about two hours. It took a lot of doing,
and his accomplishment won the ad¬
miration of the first nighters."

LEON PEARSON
NBC

"Walter Slezak is a master of panto^
mime, to be compared with Charlie
Chaplin."

WARD MOREHOUSE

"Walter Slezak gives a swell show."

TOM DASH
Women's Wear

"Walter Slezak is wonderfully droll.
This rotund farceur puts a great deal
of zest into the comedy. His smirks,
his titters, and his facetious grimaces
are beguiling."

RICHARD P. COOKE

The Wall Street Journal '

"Walter Slezak is an engaging
actor with the figure and self-assur¬
ance of the late Alexander Wooll-
cott. . .

"Mr. Slezak gives one of those per¬
formances which makes it hard to
conceive of another actor doing as
well. ... He is altogether charming.

"Mr. Slezak wins on his mannerisms,
and his enactment of a carefully-
planned murder, garbed in a bath cur¬
tain and wearing a sort of sand hog's
helmet, must be seen to be believed."

LEONARD HOFFMAN

Hollywood Reporter

"Slezak gives dn excellent per¬
formance."

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

USRiEfr

PlCTUllES

15

[ New York Sound Track

Charles Einfeld, 20th-Fox ad-pub v.p., off on a combination business-
vacation swing through the south. He'll swing as far as Dallas ... It
was John Gilbert, champion of the minority stockholder, who spoke up
at the United Artists Theatres stockholders meeting last week in Bal¬
timore. Wanted to know why it couldn’t be held in Gotham. Gilbert
now carries a portable taperecorder to these sessions . . . Vinod In¬
ternational Films has acquired the Finnish “The Doll Merchant” for
U.S. distribution. Picture was withdrawn from Cannes due to Soviet
objections . . . Commercial Pictures set to release Jules Verne’s “Mi-
chaer Strogoff,” tinter starring Curt Jurgens. That’s the same film
Kirk Douglas wanted to coproduce with the Russians ... In releasing
the news of his production (with Howard Fast) of “The Man that Cor¬
rupted Hadleyburg,” Mike Beck had to give the author’s name as Sam¬
uel L. Clemens. Story is in the public domain, but Mark Twain is a
“trademark” and can’t be used without the family’s permission.

Christmas gift surprise of the w'eek: A book!

Rosina Pagam, Brazilian film actress currently in Manhattan, in ne¬
gotiations to return to her native land for “The Golden Duck,” to be
produced by Ramundo Magahlhaos Jr. . . .

As with any veteran foreign sales manager, globe-girdling is no nov¬
elty but what will be unusual for A1 Daff is the three w'eeks aboard
the SS Orsoda when he and his wife sail Feb. 9 for his native Aus¬
tralia where he has realty and other business interests. From there
they plan taking the boat route to England, which is a five-w'eek jaunt.
However, it will require two months Down Under to set certain affairs
In order before the Aussie-to-Britain sailing.

Bernie Kahn, staff writer for NBC Radio’s “Monitor.” recovering
from bout with hepatitis at Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital . . . Sam
Levenson signed for Dec. 30 panel shot on CBS-TV’s “To Tell the
Truth.” . . . Charles Steinberg, CBS-TV director of information serv¬
ices, vacationing for a week . . . Ten-year-old Pattty Duke into running
lead on CBS-TV “Brighter Day” serial . . . June Lockhart in from
Coast for hostess-narrator assignment on “Playhouse 90” presentation
of “The Nutcracker” Christmas night . . . Anne Burr of CBS-TV “As
World Turns.” convalescing at home after fall from ladder.

What the film business needs right now', says actor Tom Ewell, is
"some of the impertinence of W. C. Fields and the irreverence that
Chaplin used to show'. It’s the climate of fear and worry that makes it
the way it is. You have to be relaxed for comedy . . . Hollywood is
Insular. As far as it’s concerned, the world ends at the Santa Clara
Mountains. And the taboos it has created for itself in being afraid to
make fun of anybody have resulted in a deadly sort of conformity.”
So he .told the press in Toronto, where he guested last week on CBS-
TV’s “One of a Kind.”

George C. Stoney Associates Inc. has been authorized to conduct a
business as film producers in New York. Capital stock is 100 shares,
no par value. Isidor and Herman Englander are directors and filing at¬
torneys.

C. Y. D. Sales Development Corn, has been formed to conduct a film
business in. New' York, with capital stock of $200,000, SIO par value.
Directors are: Robert L. Dudley, Vincent Piano and Jack M. Mizrahi.
Abra.ham Lebenkoff was filing attorney at Albany.

Between theatrical chores Andy Griffith occupies a home on Roanoke
Island, on the North Carolina coast. Recently he arranged a benefit
showing of “No Time for Sergeants” at Manteo, on the island, with
the proceeds going to buy chairs for Manteo’s new' high school audi¬
torium,

Henry Fonda replaces Anthony Franciosa with Leslie Caron in 20th-
Fox’ “The Man Who Understood Women,” Nunnally Johnson produc¬
tion-.. . Yul Brynner’s Alciona Productions is dickering with Clark
Gable for one of seven leads in “The Magnificent ’Seven,” westernized
version of a-former Japanese film slated to roll next year for UA re¬
lease . . . Allan Scott scripting “Stage Door” for producer Jack Cum¬
mings, remake of RKO’s 1936 film which now goes 20th-Fox . . . George
Pal claims prior right to title, “The Golem.” recently announced by
J. Jay Frankel and Richard Davis for new' project with Czech filmmak¬
ers, and w’ill put his own screenplay into production next vear under
his Galaxy banner. . ‘

Jane Terrell, 16-year-old daughter of Metro’s publicity manager Dan
Terrel, appeared with her Manhassett (L.I.) High schoolmates on
WPIX on Friday (18) in a television of Cinderella . . . John Thompson,
of John Thompson Theatre Enterprises, Gainesville, Georgia, is the
newest member of Theatre Owners of America . . . Columbia called
in execs, promotion men and house managers representing five metro¬
politan N.Y. chains for a special two-day seminar on “The 7th Voy¬
age of Sinbad.” ... As the second picture on his three-picture Metro
contract, Frank Sinatra has been set for the lead in “Never So Few.”
based on Tom Chamales novel. Edmund Grainger will produce, with
John Sturges directing.

Cecil B. DeMiile says 3.500,000,000 persons have seen his pictures
There have been 71 of them, most recent being “The Buccaneer ”
Allied Artists exec Roy Brewer is spending the holidavs with his family !
on the Coast . . . Also w est, for six weeks, is Joseph Hazen, Hal Wallis’ i
business partner.

« signed for a featured role in the film version of ^

Paddy Chayefsky’s “Middle of the Night,” w’hich George Justin is pro- I
ducing m New York for Columbia release. Kim Novak and Fredric
March head the cast . . Director Robert Rbssen. who has just com¬
pleted directing William Goetz’s “They Came to Cordura.” is in New
York to spend the holidaj^s with his family . . . Adolph Schimel vp
counsel of Universal, elected a trustee of the Jewish
Child Assn. . . Leopold Fnedman, Loew’s Theatres prexv, off to the
Coast to view films nearing completion.

J, Bryan 3d, having just completed a Holiday mag piece on Gaby'
Mannii patootie who was chummy with ex-King

Manuel of Portugal, off to Pans ... Si Fabian’s 60th birthday Jan. 14
of Jew'ish. Philanthropies $15-a-plate
T " hich realtor-attorney Lawrence A.
Wien will preside. William J. German chairmans the amusement in-
committee; Barney Balaban is dinner chairman;

associate chairman are Arthur B.
Krim, Samuel Rosen and Abe Schneider.

Helen (and) David Lews, houseguesting at the Joe (Rose) Seidel- .
apartment and heading for the Coast with Ruth and Lep Fried-!
Metro^^^^^^ Loew Theatres. Lewis is Continental sales boss for* •

Cisa and Ben Henry, latter director of Hillcrest Productions and ^
former Great Britam and Ireland sales chieftain for Universal took the i
don Ja”“l0. “■ Springs hoIidajvTack “Ion. .!

FIELD'S AIDE-DE-CAMP

Booker Don Smith Made Circuit
Gen’l Mgr.

Minneapolis, Dec. 23.
Harold Field, president of the
Pioneer circuit of 17 Iowa theatres
with headquarters here, has pro¬
moted Don J. Smith from buyer-
booker to the chain’s general
manager, a newly created post.

Smith, the circuit’s oldest em¬
ploye in point of service, will re¬
lieve Field of some of the latter’s
duties. He’ll move his .headquar¬
ters from Carroll, . lowO; ^to .Min¬
neapolis. '* \ ■* •'

Smith in his nevr post-»wifIc.-ebn-
tinue to do the chain’s buying ^and
booking, says Fiold.

Soviet' Deal

— Continued from pa^e 1
cow hasn’t been implemented. 'The
Russians are buying ten Hollywood
pictures and the MPEA is taking
seven Soviet films. Moscow, as. of
Nov. 10, was to have picked its full
complement. However, .it asked for
and got an additional 18 pictures
shipped to Russia to widen the
selection.

The Kremlin h?v selected six
films to date. MPEA has been ad¬
vised that the full selection will be
made “very soon.” The Americans
won’t choose their remaining tw'O
Soviet features until Moscow has
picked its list.

There has been no noticeable
enthusiasm among American thea-'
tremen for showing the Russian
pictures, though the U- S. State
Dept, called a group of exhibitors
to Washin.gton to impress on them
the need for giving screentime to
the Soviet imports. The Govern¬
ment’s reasoning is that, unless
some sort of reciprocity exists, the
chances of U. S. pix getting wide
circulation in Russia are slim.

. Neither at MPEA nor at the
State Dept. Le. the U. S. Informa¬
tion Agency,, appears there to be
the slightest concern regarding
possible Russian “editorial”
changes once the Hollywood pic¬
tures go into release in the Soviet
Union. Point is made that a degree
of supervision exists via the U. S.
diplomatic representatives.

Diogenes In Bright Sunlight

; Continued from page 7 ;

been a couple of attempts to Im¬
prove it, . but these campaigns,
using the “modem” approach,
haven’t been notably successful.
During the past year or so, with
the horror cycle going full swing,
the ads have admittedly been get¬
ting worse. The Motion Picture
Assn, of America, in receipt of a
goodly number of spontaneous
complaints, even caUed a meetinf
Of ad-pub people to discuss the
problem with them and to urge
greater moderation. Yet, the reply
inevitably is: We make an expen¬
sive picture. Under today’s condi¬
tions you’ve got to “sell” that pic¬
ture if you want people to come
and see it.

It’s ^Taste,—^Whose?

What it boils down to is a ques¬
tion of taste. Also one of satura¬
tion

F’lm ads have long been criti-

Made-for>U.S.

Continued from page 5

of is to put more sex into their
pictures. So then you get the flood
of Brigitte Bardot films, and a lot
of headaches along wi^ them.
The trouble is that very'iew for¬
eign producers have a cl^r idea
of just what the U.S. Avants and
needs. When they do ‘aim’ at the
States, they usually come up with
those in-between films which are
neither here nor there and get
panned by the critics.”

Most of the independents, while
readily acknowledging that sex
often can spell money in the till,
stick to the theory that quality in
terms of purely native appeal still
constitutes the best bet. That goes,
hand in hand with the feeling that
the future of the foreign film lies
largely with an expanded circuit
of art houses and that exhibitors,
even when short of product, still
are hesitant to book in imports as
a replacement.

A couple of the indies, men like
Richard Davis, do think that over¬
seas producers must pay more
attention to the need for faster
pacing, dubbing, etc. to hike their
U.S. potential. However, they, too,
have their reservations when it
comes to the deliberate choosing
of theme and treatment for Ameri¬
can consumption, which robs such
films of distinction and tend to
reduce them to little more than
fillers.

ance.” he said almost desperately.
“We can’t work in a vacuum. Wa
must work with the element that
exists.”

What the committee w'as
really condemning was Ameri¬
can society itself, with its great
and growing emphasis on sex
and violence, its tendency to-
w'ards sadism, and its taste for
the c’leap and the vulgar.
Since the screen has become
more frank, and to a degree
more honestly reflective both
of the people and their desires,
the approach appears raw and
—lo some—offensive.

The voices before the committee,
both pro and con, were battling
with a question that goes far and
beyond l:asic morality, 6r decency,
and individual responsibility. It
was very clear from the tedious
’round-and-’round line of questions
answ'ers that it will take
cized for their lack of taste, though i than legislation, police cen-

the criticism usually comes from \ high-s^ndmg denouncia-

sophisticates who rarely are moved | make the taste-sell equa-

to go to see a picture anyway j"“'k out.
unless it’s highly touted by one
of the “respectable” critics. Since j
the equation between taste and
“sell” doesn’t work out, the in¬
dustry generally leans in the di-

"A^Tart from Vat^he fflm com-offeuders. he found,
panies for so many years have could have been prevented had
deluged the public with the “great- the s'muli (including ads) not
est, most magnificent ever” type been so vivid. Banay analyzed a
of advertising that, under today's ^

conditions, a new and sharper ap- , ^ . .. ^

proach is indicated. Inevitably, that. ^“ces. prominently displayed on
approach is pitched to those who the wall behind the committee
still go to the theatres. There is table.

sharp disagreement, even among; referring to .brutalitv’, se.x,

the experts, on whether or not • sadism, etc., the psychiatrist c.x-
films and their advertising consti- tended his remarks also to tele-
tute a primary motivational force
when it comes to influencing
youngsters one way or another. In
fact, some say that experiencing
violence, sadism and sex on the

Albany’s Probe

; Continued from page 7 ;

vision. “Continous immoral im¬
ages undermine the standards and
conceptions which we must ac¬
cept.” he said, warning that the
I cumulative effect of subliminal

screen works the exact opposite fa^^ors in ads could cause “explo-
way, i.e. constitutes a valuable out- gioi,.,’' - ■ - -

let of emotions which, normally, | ppopj^

might be translated into action.

Again and again, during the two-
day hearings last week, the ques¬
tion of “adult”, ratings ^or films
was brought up.* It’s never been a
popular one for the industry, and
particularly not among exhibitors.
What no one asked was: How would
such rating help alleviate the prob¬
lem which the committee is- trying
to solve?

Adult Ratings

If “adult” ratings are instituted,
the gds for these pictures still
would appear, presumably w'ith the
exact same content. It mlglit pre¬
vent children under 16 from see¬
ing the pictures so advertised, but
the whole point of the session was
to find a way to tone down the

Behind Film Shares

SSSa Continued from page 3

Bernhard investment company has
it that money anticipated from tv
programming should bolster the
economics of various picture out¬
fits. Warners, Loew’s, Paramount,

Columbia and 20th all should be
helped in the profits picture.

Indeed, that the Loew’s-Metro
corporation doesn’t already have a ^ $ 40 , 6 oo,oVo '*mark.

leading role in tv has been the
subject of some stockholder com-^
plaints. Doing the beefing was the
Louis A. Green board faction
which further feels that the com¬
pany should be in a position to
move in on home toll tv when the
opportunity presents itself.

Of all companies, Columbia has
showed the most spectacular gains
in tv subsidiary operations. CoTs
^oss revenues from Screen Gems
reported now reaching the

J. Jay Frankel

who nogoHated the first
non-reciprocity for the sale of
American films in Iron Curtain
Countries, has written on'
interesting piece on

Red Tape and the Reds

another Editorial Feature
in the

53d Anniversary ISumber
of

P^fHETY

I sion.s” in certain unstable young
people. He stressed that young
per.sons generally didn’t have the
necessary emotional balance to
keep fact and fiction apart.

In his statement before the com-
miltee, the MPAA’s White said
film ad‘j were “neither misleading
nor misrepresentative” because
they didn’t give a verbatim report
of everything the picture con-
tain.^. “That Is impossible.” he
said. “There is no sp.aco; there’s
not time. When a picture deals
with crime, or pseuflo-science. or
horror, I feel just as strongly that
advertising would be equally un¬
fair. equally improper, if it did
not make this clear.”

Einfeld Testifies

Later on, Charles Einfeld, 20th-
. Fox , ad-pub v.p,, told the commit¬
advertising. not the films. Fitz-; tee that he, too, felt that existing
Patrick repeatedly made it clear j precautions were “more than suf-
that he wasn’t primarily concerned j fleient” to protect the public. He
with the film content, but with the j outlined the various checks being
effect of “offensive” ads on the : j^eot on advertising, both from in
young.. He admitted that many ads ; and outside the industry,
are objectionable in terma ofdej veiy much in a different vein,
gree, in that \vhat th^ say or show j james E. Benton, an exhibitor in
isn t directly actionable under the 1 York, said that, in

; riiost cases, film ads exaggerated
What was not clear from the; and misrepresented the films
hearings, and FitzPatrick never 1 they’re supposed to advertise,
ennunciated it, was that type of; There was ho “absolute adher-
ads the committee would actually . ence” to the Code, he maintained,

like to see, presuming, of course,'- —li?- t_

it wants the industry to survive.

It quarrelled with Felix Bilgrey of
Times Filri^ over the vvord ^‘Naugh¬
ty” in the firm’s ads for “Nana.”

It was pointed out to him that
“naughty” here unquestionably
meant a term other than that ap-!
plied to children. He agreed, I

^airman Joseph. R. Younglove' foreign film importers and

then diseased the copy .wdiich said ; distributors, stressed films were
it was the naughtle^ film ever ; speech guarantee.s.

made. Couldnt it be there are ..xi4 ad.i are simply the busineis
some naughtier ones? he asked : ^f f,|m people, and of no one
"there cou d ■ else." he said. He quarrelled with
be. Younglove seemed only FitzPatrick over the definition of
pleased to have scored such an im- ^ the term “.salacious.” “We are not
portant point, i here to protect the weak-minded.

Whenever the committee did ; but the average person,” Bilgrey
come upon an extreme ad, i.e. an ! held. Later on. White implied
ad using extremely bad taste' in ' that that the industry per .se was
plugging an exploitation picture, | given a black eye (“unbalanced
the industry people quickly testi-iemphasis”) since non-Code pic-
fied that this ad wasn’t passed by | ture-?, around which a good deal
the Code. But then FitzPatrick put ! of the controversy revolves, “con-
White on the griddle re some of j stitute only a small percentage of
the big pictures, like “Desire Un- either the ads or the playing
der the Elms.” Did he pass copy time.’’ He acknow’ledged that,
like “Hot Passion,” and “Teeming } from time to time, exhibitors add-
Desire,”? White explained that the ] ed their own copy to Code-ap-

nor did he think that self-regula-
tidn would work. Benton said sexy,
sensationalist ads over a period
of time had hurt the film biz, were
keejiing people away, and shown
“a tendency to become more ob¬
scene” as producers became des¬
perate to make a quick dollar.

Felix Bilgrey, attorney for Times

ads he approved reflected what was
in the films. “I pass this material
in the light of present-day accept-

proved ads which, had they been
submitted in that final form, might
not have obtained his approval.

16

PICTUBES

KASHETY

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Picture Grosses

K.C. Better,/Bnccaucer' ’
Bright 7G, Thmob’ Drab
6i(;,/Smbad'Hep$7,000

Kansas City, Dec. 23.

Three situations are throwing in
strong, new product against the
end of the shopping season, and
are coming away with some suc¬
cess. In hopes of gaining huild-
up for the Christmas-New Year’s
play. Paramount brought in “Buc-
cancer,** for nice returns* How¬
ever, "Tom Thumb” shapes very
slow at Midland. Fox Midwest in¬
itiated a first-run policy in the
mldtowu Plaza Theatre with "Sev¬
enth Voyage of Sinbad,” and it
looks fine. All are''holding. “Cine¬
rama South Seas Adventure”
which opened earlier this month is
not going far in the second round
at the Missouri. Weather mod¬
erated after its early December
cold spell.

Estimates for Ihis Week

Glen, Dickinson, Shawnee Drive-
In, Leawood Drive-in tDickinson)
t700; 750; 1,100 cars; 900 cars; 75-
90) — Currently on second-run.
Last week, "Fright” (Indie) and
"Man Without Body” (Indie), slim
$4,000.

Kimo fDickinson) (504; 90-$1.25)
—"God Created Woman” (Kings)
(46th wk). Light $1,000, and small¬
est of run, but oke for season.
Last 'week, same.

Midland (Loew) (3,500; 75-90)—
*‘Tom Thumb” (M-G) and "Ghost
of China Sea’* (Col). Drab $6,500.
Holds. Last week, "Tarawa Beach¬
head” (Col) and "Whole Truth”
(Col), $5,000.

Missouri (SW-Cinerama) (1,194;
$l,25-$2> — "South Seas Adven'>
ture” (Cinerama) (2d wk). Mild
$6,000. Last week, $9,000.

' Paramount (UP) (1,900; 90-$l,25)
-f“Buccaneer” (Par). Nice $7,000;
holds. Last week, "Hot Angel”
(Par) and "When Hell Broke Loose”
(Par), only 5 days, $3,000.

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 90-$I.25)—
"Big Country” (UA) (6th wk).
Light $2,800. Last week, $3,300.

Uptown, Fairway, Granada (Fox
Midwest) (2,043; 700; 1,217; 75-90)
—“At War With Army” (Indie)
(reissue) and "Fiend Who Walked
the West” (U). Light $6,000. Last
week, “Bend of River” (U) and
"World in His Arms” (U) (reis¬
sues), $8,000.

Plaza (Fox Midwest) (1,900; 75-
90'.—“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
(Col). Changes this house from its
long established dual, subsequent-
run policy to first-run. Looks for
fine $7,5()0, and holds. Last w'eek,
subsequent-run.

CHICAGO

• Continued from page 9)

In Night” (UA). Oke $4,300. La
week, reissues.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 90-$1.5
—“Anna Lucasta’* (UA) (4th wl
Fair $11,000. Last week, $13,00

Palace (SW-Cinerama) (1,43
$1.25-$3.4Q)—“South Seas Adve
ture” (Cinerama) (13th wk). Go(
$23,000. Last week, $24,000.

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 90-$1.8
—“Earth to Moon” (WB) and "E
chanted Island” (WB) (2d wk). Mi
$7,500. Last week, $12,500.

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 9
$1.80) — “I Want to LlveJ” (U*
‘6th wk). Fair $14,000 In final
days. Last week, $12,000.

Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; $1.2
--"Inspector Maigret” (Lopei
Soft $2,000. Last wee

$2,500.

<Todd) (1.03
$l-75-$3.50) — "Around Worl<
•UA) (90th wk). Giant $21,000 f
final week. Last week, $17,000.

United Artiste (fi&K) (1,700; 9
$].80)—“Home Before Dark” (W
wk). Slow $9,000* Last wee
$ 9 , 500 .

Woods lEssaness} (1,200; 90-$l 5
— "Mark of Hawk” (U) (3d wl
Okay $11,000 or near. Last wee
$13,500.

World (Teitel) (606; 90)—"Tosc;
(Indie). Sock $8,000. Last wee
"The Awakening” (Kings) (2d wl
$3,000.

New York Theatre

r-RASiO CUT MUSIC lUl—>

• CI S4<00

“AUNTIE MAME” sarin,
ROSALIND RUSSELL

FOetEST TUetta • mu MMHI • no tUM
k new«Mi» M, noMctui*

AWA«Nl* MOS. ftCTUtf

TW WttC MU'S CUT 8MBTIUS SlUf me

I LOS ANGELES

I (Continued from page 8)
Wilderness” (BV) (El Rey) (2d wk),
"Torpedo Run” (M-G) (Iris) (2d
wk), $5,800.

State, HawaU (UATC-G&S)
(2,404; 1,106; »0-$1.50) — "Tom

Thumb” (M-G) and *Tt’s Great To
Be Young” (M-G). Sad $6,000 or
less. Last week, "Monster from
Green Hell’* (DCA), "Half Human”
(DfiA), $6,500.

i Chinese (FWC) (1,408; $2-$2.40)
—‘‘Auntie Marne” (WB). Fine $26,-
000. Last week, ‘^Windjammer”

; (NT) (36th wk), $18,500.
j Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,468; $1.50-$2) — "Some Came
Running” (M-G). Slick $24,000.
iLast week, "Gigi” (M-G) (23d wk-
6 days), $12,200.

Fine Arte (FWC) (631; 90-$1.50)
—"My Uncle” (Cont). Big $7,000.
Last week, “Old Man and Sea”
(WB) (6th wk). $2,400.

[ Los Angeles, Dis, Loyola (FWC)
(2,017; 825; 1,298; 90-$1.50)--‘*At
War With Army" (Indie) and "Off
Limits” (Par) (reissues). Good $14,-
000 or near. Last week, Los
Angeles, Loyola with Pantages,
Four Star, "BanJ^ Should Be
Robbed” (20th), "M^k of Zorro”
(:20th) (reissue), $13,000.

I Pantages (IlKO) (2,SIS; 90-$1.5d)
—"Peyton Place” (20th) and
"Long, Hot Summer’* (2Qth) (re¬
issues). Dreary $1,900.

New Fox (FWC) (765; 90- $1.50)
—"Last Hurrah** (Col) and "KIR
Her Gently” (Col) (2d wk). Tepid
$2,000 for 4 days.

Fox Beverly (FWC) (1,170; 90-$2)
—"I Want To Live” (UA) (4th wk).
Good $5,500. Last week, $7,700.

Orpheum (MetropoUtan) (2,213;
90-$1.50)—"Anna Lucasta” (UA)
(4th wk). Soft $2,700.

Warner Beverly (SW) (1,612; 90-
$1.50)—"Bell, Book, Candle” (Col)
(6th wk). Fair $4,800. Last week,
$ 6 , 100 .

Warner Hollywood (SW-Cine-
rama) (1,389; $1.20-$2.65)—"South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama).
Started 13th wk Sunday (21) after
big $13,700 last week.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,392; $1.65-
$3.30)—"South Pacific” (Magna)
(29th wk). Pale $7,600. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Carthay (FWC) (1,135; $1.75-
$3.50)—"Around World In 80
Days’* (UA) (105th wk). Stout $16,-
000. Last week, $10,000,

CLEVELAND

(Continued from page 9)
(Indie). Droopy $1,700. Last week,
"There’s Always a Price Tag”
(Indie), $1,200.

Heights Art (Art Theatre Guild)
•925; $1.25)—"Last Holiday’* (Indie)
and "The Detective’* (Indie) (re¬
issues). Okay $2,200. Last week,
“Pantaloons” (Indie), $2,000.

Hippodrome (Telem’t) (3,700; 85-
$1.25) — "Seventh Voyage of Sin¬
bad” (Col). Good $15,000. Last
week, "Restless Years” (U), $8,000.

Lower Mall (Community) (500;
70-90) — "Summer Wind Blows”
‘Indie) and "Age of InfideRty’*
tlcdiel (reissues). Mild $1,800. Last
week, "Milk Maid” (Indie) and
"Gri-Gri” (Indie) (2d wk), same.

Ohio (Loew) (1,244; $1.25-$2.5C
— "South Pacific” (Magna) (37t
wkL Thin $4,500. Last weel
$5,000.

Palace (SW-Cinerama) (l,52i
$1.25-$2.40)—"South Seas Advei
ture” (Cinerama). (3d wk). Oka
$10,000 after $11,000.

State (Loew) (3,800; 70-90) —
"Tom Thumb’* (M-G). Incredibly
low $0,000. Last week, "Dunkirk’*
(M-G), $4,500.

StUlmaa (Loew) (2,700: «5-$l.a
—"Buccaneer’* (Par). Good |li
000. Last week, ‘Tunnel of Lov
<M-G) (m.o.), $4,500.

SAN FRANCISCO

(Continued from page 9)

(UA) and "Cop Hater” (UA),
$4,500.

Stagedoor (A-R) (440: $1.25-

$3,00)^"Glgi” (M-G) (24th wk).
Hep $7,000 or over. Last week.
$ 8 , 000 .

Presidio (Hardy-Parsons) (774;
$1.25-$1.50) — "Up The Creek*'
(Rank) (4th wk). Oke $2,000 or
close. Last week, $2,500.

Vogue (SJ. Theatres) (364;
$1.25)—"Seventh Seal” (Indie) (5th
wk). Okay $2,200. Last week,
$2,900.

Alexandria (United CaRfomla)
(1,170; $1.50-$3.50)—"South Pa¬

cific** ^20th) (25th wk). Off to good
$8,000. Last week, $9,000.

'Bhccaneer’ Boffo IIG,
Indpk;'Sinbad* Oke lOG

Indianapolis, Dec. 23.

First-runs here switched a week
early to Christmas product to in¬
terest youngsters home on school
vacation, with varying results.
"Buccaneer” opened big at Keith’s,
and leads the town. "Seventh Voy¬
age of Sinbad” looks okay at the
Indiana, playing a pic 'for first
time since September. "Geisha
Boy’* looms good at Circle. How¬
ever, "Tom Th\mib” Is only pale at

Loew.'s- V *' •

Estimates for This Week

Circle (CockrRl-Dolle) (2,800;
75-90)—"Geisha Bey'** (Par). Good
$9,000. Last week, “Blood* of Vam¬
pire” (U) and "Mqnster on Cam¬
pus” (U), $7,000.

Indiana (C-D) (3,200; 75-901—
"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
and "Let’s Rock” (Col), Okay
$ 10 , 000 .

Keith’s (C-D) (1,300; 90-$1.25)—
"Buccaneer” (Par). Wow $11,000.
Last week, "Houseboat” (Par) (4th
wk), $5,500.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427; 75-90)—
"Tom Thumb” (M-G) and "Andy
Hardy Goes Home" (M-G). Pale
$5,000. Last week, "Whole Truth”
(Col) and "Tarawa Beachhead”
(Col)< $4,000.

Lyric (C-D) (850; $1.25-$2.20)—
"South Pacific” (Magna) (36th wk).
Okay $5,000. Last week, ditto.

Hiis Is Cinerama
Hits Madrid With
Edited Scenes

By HANK WERBA

Madrid, Dec. 23.

Cinerama made its first-time ap¬
pearance in Spain recently
at a gala Teatro Albeniz opening
here marked by the presence of
Senora Franco, a half-dozen state
ministers, a staid representation
from the diplomatic colony (sans
stars and stripes) and a host of lo¬
cal show biz personaRties.

Premiere was foRowed with re¬
views in the MadrReno press to
constitute a triumph in public and
press relations for Nick Reisini,
Robins International prexy holding
Cinerama franchise for most of the
world.

Associated with Reisini In Spain
Is Cinesa, headed by Barcelona im¬
presario Jose Arquer; Banco de
Madrid exec Jaime Cabell and Al¬
fredo Matas—aR on hand. (10) for
the Barcelona premiere at the re¬
cently-completed Teatro Nuevo.

Opening show, "This Is Cine¬
rama,” was sRghtly censored to
eRminate the adjective "glorious”
from the 69tb Infantry shown in
the prologue on its way to free
Cuba: a close baUet movement
from "Aida” at La Scala and sev¬
eral frames of a Florida beach
beauty fighting a losing battle with
a. bathing halter.

Cinerama operation, from
ground-breaking to premiere, was
InsteUed with unusual speed (in¬
cluding early medium defects of
distracting screen movement, un¬
even color and visible dividing
lines) as a result of agreement with
film officials to enter all special
equipment on a temporary import
Rcense vaRd for length of present
and future Cinerama exploitation
In Spain.

Reisini told Variety, Robins’ net
wRl be blocked In pesetas, avail¬
able to the ^Stanley Warner Corp,
for possible production in Spam.
He also said the next 18 months
woiRd develop a single Cinerama
projection machine and a seamless
screen of the same dimensions with
story features replacing travel¬
ogues.

OMAHA

(Continued from page 9)
less Years” (U) and “Party Crash¬
ers” (Par), $4,000 at 75-90v scale.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,980; 75-
90)—"At War With Army” (Indie)
(reissue). Good $6,000. Last week,
"From Earth to Moon” (RKO) and
"As Yoimg As We Are” (Par),
$5,500.

State (Cooper) (850; 90)—^"Union
Pacific” (Par) and "Northwest
Mounted Police” (Par) (reissues).
Modest $2,000. Last week, "Bank
That Should Be Robbed” (20th),
$2,500.

CATHGART TO DIRECT

With Metro Art 25 Tears—
Deal With HaUett

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Dan Cathcart, who is setting up
his own Indie unit after 25 years as
an art director at Metro, has con¬
cluded a deal with Richard Hallett
whereby writer will turn over for
possible production 59 mag yarns
which have been printed in the*
SatEvePost during the past 30
years.

Cathcart wiU function as a direc¬
tor and also collab on screenplays,
limiting his program to two films
annually. Properties, all the out¬
door melodramatic type, wlU be
lensed extensively on location.

In turning director, Cathcart fol¬
lows in footsteps of such other for¬
mer art directors as ARred Hitch¬
cock, Mitchell Leisen, Harry Hor¬
ner, the late William Cameron
Menzies and others who graduated
into top directors.

First of Possible
Series Puts News
InTint&Todd-AO

The first of what may become
a series of Todd-AO-and-color
newsfeatures has been completed
by producer Louis de Rochemont
Sr. and George Skouras of Magna
Theatres. C^alled "The March of
Todd-AO,” the 15-minute short
will how Dec. 23 as a companion to
"South Pacific.”

Directed by de Rochemont Jr.,
photographed by Gayne Rescher
and narrated by Westbrook Van
Voorhis, "The March of Time”
narrator. The film includes foot¬
age on Pope John XXllII’s corona¬
tion, the U.S. Navy’s patrol off
Lebanon and the Brussels World’s
Fair. It has a score by Daniele
Amfltheatrof, directed by Jack
ShaindRn for 55-piece orchestra.
There’s also a recording of the
Sistine Chapel Choir.

Thinking among the producers
Is that the coverage of outstanding
news events via the large-screen
process may prove sufficiently
popular to justify more of the same
to fiU out Todd-AO programs.

MODIFIED niM ROW
CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS

Albany, Dec, 23.

A general Film Row party—sev¬
eral exchanges, with reduced staffs,
eliminated Individual hoRday af¬
fairs—at Otto’s Restaurant-Night
Club In Latham, Thursday night
(18), Was attended by approximate¬
ly 30 men and women.

Several exhibitor representa¬
tives were present, along with
front and backroom workers. Ed
Susse, Metro manager, also was on
hand. Clark Service Inc. had rep¬
resentation, too.

The arrangements committee
consisted of: Douglas Hermans,
20th Century-Fox; Mrs. Nancy De
Sorrento, Warners; Patricia Tas-
sinari, Fox.

Brister Helms Columbia’s
New Cinema in London

London, Dec. 23.

Douglas Brister has been named
manager of Columbia Pictures’
newly-acquired theatre here, the
Columbia. On Shaftesbury Avenue,
it opens on Feb. 4.

In the theatre business since
1946, Brister joined the industry
as assistant manager of the War¬
ner Theatre in London. In 1949, he
was promoted to house manager. In
which capacity he was employed
at the time of his new appointment.

Goldinif to Preminger

David Golding, pub-ad execu¬
tive, has joined Otto Preminger’s.
Cariyle Productions as director of
publicity and advertising. He
exited the same post at Seven Arts
Productions to join the Preminger
outfit.

Golding wiM maintain his head¬
quarters on the Coast. Nat Rudich
coiitinues as Preminger’s eastern
representative in the company’s
N.Y. homeoffice.

Rome & New York
Concur: No Cut In
Yankee Features

There wiR be no reduction In
American film Imports Into Italy
uqder any new Italo-American film
agreement. This was made clear
in both Rome and New York last
week In the wake of a published
report which said the new pact cut
Yank imports into Italy by 10%.

"That’s nonsense,” said Griffith
Johnson, v.p. of the Motion Pic¬
ture Export Assn., who recently
returned from Europe. In Rome,
Frank Gervasi, MPEA’s Mediter¬
ranean chief and the man who’s
been carrying on the negotiations
with Eitel Monaco, head of
ANICA, which speaks for the Ital¬
ian producers and distributors,
also Issued an official denial.

The new agreement, which is
basically set, would run for three
years, expiring in June, of 1962.
However, its financial provisions
would go Into effect as of Jan.
1, 1959, reported Variety’s Rome
representative last week. .

In the talks between Monaco
and Gervasi, the question of sRc-
ing American Imports In the Rght
of the Republic and RKO dropouts
did come up. However, MPEA
wasn’t willing to make concessions
on that score.

New deal provides for the re¬
demption of . American dubbing
certificates at a minjmum 25%
of face value. These certif¬
icates are Issued by the Ital¬
ians against payments made by
the American companies each time
a Hollywood film is dubbed. The
bonds are covered by a si>ecial
account in the Italian film bank.
This account currently has a good
deal of money in It.

The last two times the certificates
were redeemed at a little under
17% of face value. In acquiring
the certificates, Monaco can use
them as collateral in obtaining
production financing from Italian
hanks.

Under the new deal, the Italians
will allow $7,000,000 in remit¬
tances, with the current 60-40 re-
mittable ratio to be maintained.
Also, ItaRan earnings of pictures
entered In the Venice film fest
will be fully remlttable, with a
$50,000 bonus added. The entire
deal has yet to win approval from
the MPEA board in New York.

Current official remittances run
to $3,000,000 plus. Additional coin
comes out via compensation deals
on which the Yanks lose 10%. Since
the Italians refuse to grant the
film bid a special (remittable) lira
status, they’ve upped the total re-
mittables at the official rate.

Memphis Distaffers’

Plea to Justice Dept
To Relax on Consent

Memphis, Dec. 23.

Memphis’ Better Films Council
Is preparing to petition the U.S.
Justice Dept, to reopen and modify
the Consent Decrees.

The Memphis petition Is being
pressured by several women
groups labeling themselves as reps
of the Council. The Council states
that the CouncU beReves the sur-
.vival^of the film Industry depends
on modification of the decrees.

In the . petition making the
rounds here, the women groups
and the Council have taken ths
view that the decrees are largely
responsible for the decrease In
feature production. The CouncU
declares "we deplore this decRno
in the production of worthwhile
motion petures, the closing of at
least four neighborhood theatres
in Memphis and the withdrawal
from producing of "such fine com¬
panies as RKO and RepubRc.”*

Mrs. Dixie Wallace, prexy of the
CouncU here, told Variety that
the prospective petition has tho
"blessing and support” of Theatre
Owners of America.

Richard D. Morros Inc. has been
authorized to conduct an entertain¬
ment business In New York, with
capital stock of 200 shares, no par
value. Daniel Glass was filing at¬
torney at Albany.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

PSriety

RADIO-TELE^ILSIOIV

19

AFTRA’S WI N -S AG ON SPOT

Many Within Industry Rap TV-Radio
For Poor Job in Presenting News;
Cite Lack of Format, Diversity

AFTRA & Webs-Dramatis Personae

Some interesting sidebars hinge on the dramatis personae for
the negotiating sessions these past months between the networks
and American Federation of Television & Hadio Artists.

Until his death, George Heller was always the No. 1 man for
AFTRA in industry negotiations, backstopped by counsel Henry
Jaffe. After the powerful executive secretary’s death, Jaffe stood
well out in the forefront as the 1956-’58 contract spokesman for
the union. But In this latest dicker, two men have for the first
time shared the spotlight equally for AFTRA. One is Don Cona-
w'ay,' currently the national exec secretary of the union, and Morty
Becker, the present legal counsel.

In the front on the management side of the table, and in the
frequent “informal” bargaining sessions, were a trio of network
negotiators known as the “Three F’s”—^Bill Fitts, a veteran in
labor matters for CBS; George Fuchs, for NBC, and Dick Freund
for ABC.

In the regular contract talks, and some of the less formal ones,
AFTRA’s frontrunning duo was supported principally by CtAude
McCue of AFTRA’S Coast sector and Ray Jones and Bud Wolf of
the central area. Lewis Titterton of Compton, Ed Marshall of
BBDO and Harry Saz of Ted Bates were in there for the employ¬
ers, they as “interested observers,” since the agencies hgve not
formally signed the AFTRA contract.

But the best story seems to concern the strictly behind-the-
scenes “negotiators” for industry. It became the source of irrita¬
tion to AFTRA, and in less anxious moments the source of joking
when the employer negotiators referred issues to the various key
, execs outside the meeting room. Mac Clifford, of NBC, Larry
Lowman of CBS and Mort Weinboch of ABC generally sat upstairs
from the negotiation table on CBS’ eighth floor to “caucus” with
their bargainers when the need arose. All three are high-ranking
officers at their respective networks, with labor dealings being
only a small part of .their overall functions. Apparently since each
of the w'ebs had trained negotiators on the job, they were upstairs
only for the purpose of offering policy guidance.

The last man, “upstairs at CBS” was Jack Devine, a lawyer for
J. Walter Thompson and considered a leader of the agency group’s
policy. Since he has never yet attended negotiations with AFTRA,
keeping his direct negotiation for the SAG Contract, he chose not
to offer on-the-spot support , to Titterton, et al.

This Is Only tbe Beginning of TVs
Golden Age, Saudek Tells Students

Boston, Dec. 23.

Robert Saudek, ^producer of
“Omnibus,” told sfudes at B.U.
School of Public Relations and
Communications, “anyone w'ho
thinks he Is. going to live and
W'ork In the age of the radio an¬
nouncer and disk jockey is wast¬
ing his time. This is the beginning
of the golden age of television.
Listen for the voice of the turtle,
not the voice of the statistician.
If you want to know about your
future prospects in television’s fu¬
ture.”

Saudek, In to receive a citation
for his work In tv from Harold
C. Case, B.tf". prexy, said: “The
competition is W'orse than trying
out for a first chair In a symphony
orchestra. You are expected to
come to television today wdth
knowledge, not just a personality
and a liquid voice.

“The W’orld of television Is be¬
ing taken over as radio never was
and never will be by a growing
generation of very sophisticated
men and women—^people who are
frantic for excellent plays, for ex¬
cellence in performance, for bold¬
ness and imagination in design,
for thoroughly experienced direc¬
tion and producing,” he said..

"Now I would like to be asked
how I know all this in spite of
what r read In my Nielsen rating
book and my daily television col-
(Continued on page 33)

CaS-TY Ptpduetr

Burldn Benjamin

givts tom* interesting Insight on
■20th Century* in ^

Don^t Look Note—
But There Goes
Project X-15

another Editorial Feature
in the soon-due

53d Anniversary ISumber

of

f^SstlETY

De Gray Hopeful
In ABC AM Spurt

Since Robert Eastman and his
entire broadcasting-sales concept
departed ABC Radio seven months
ago, the nework has been' mak¬
ing a slow, steady climb back into
the running. It’s not piaking a
profit (which Is the case through¬
out network audio) but the $550,-
000 In net income it picked up last
week from A. E. Staley and the
Peter Lind Hayes program that
goes with It has helped jack up
the program struts and, given a
new lease on life to ABC Radio’s
longrange daytime program • plans.

American Home Products, out of
Young & Rubicam, just bought 39
-weeks firm (at $6,000 net a week)
(Continued oh page 30)

Chi Web Stations
Yield to AFTRA
InNewZ-Yr.Pact

Chicago, Dec. 23.

Local network-owned stations
and WGN Inc. settled their new
two-year contracts with American
Federation of Radio and Televisioh
Artists last week after three
months of negotiations, the stations
yielding finally to AFTRA’s prin¬
cipal demand for Increases of $20
to the b£(^e pay of staff announcers.
Chi annoruncers on the net stations
now get a base pay of $190 per
week, retroactive to Nov. 15.

Sole holdout at this date is WLS,
which is a special case, being part¬
ly owned by ABC radio and oper¬
ated by Its indie co-owher Prairie
Farmer. AFTRA expects that con¬
tract to be settled in a matter of
days.

Another hard-won point in the
new pact concerns the use and re¬
use of video tape, a stumbling
block in the negotiations since last
March. New contract contains a
formula which follows the same
percentage pattern as the national
agreements established for video
tape. The union cUd not, however,
win its bid for raises for local tv
performances, and it did not ask
for raises for radio or local tran¬
scription performances. An agree-
(Continued on page 32)

By ART WOODSTONE

Employers ' and the American
Federation of Televisioh & Radio
Artists have cleared away every
remaining major obstacle to a new
two-year contract. Only minor
language differences and the actual
signing remain for mutual consid¬
eration. Union hopes to have the
national membership meet to okay
the'pact, the most remuneratively
handsome one ever negotiated in
video, on or shortly after Jan. 5.

Though AFTRA, in three months
of negotiation,. did not get every¬
thing it asked for by a long shot,
the union dickered a pact consid¬
erably over the money sponsors
demanded the networks stick to.
Contract, which is not expected to
be reversed at this late stage, could
result in sharp and troublesome
reverberations throughout major
quarters in the industry.

High residual rates (for taped
programming and commercials) has
put the ad agencies, their clients
and the Screen Actors Guild on a
serious spot. And the outcome is
said to have unfavorably affected
the networks’ position (vis-a-vis
sponsors) as well.

■Weeks ago, the networks were
ordered directly by various major
sponsors to give “not a cent more”
than SAG is currently getting for
comparable work, but the outcome
has been that the web negotiators,
under constant pressure of threat¬
ened strike by AFTRA, have won
tape commercial fees ranging from
10%to 70% higher than SAG’s and
have asserted residual fees for the
overseas sale of programming plus
a number of other items which can
result in great expense to manage¬
ment.

Must Set SAG Pattern

First and most important prob¬
lem to face the agencies (and
SAG), it is felt, will be the SAG-
producer snarl next year when the
two bodies meet to negotiate their
own contract. AFTRA has begun
flaunting openly the fget that its
new rates are markedly higher
than SAG’s, putting the screen
guild in the position of having to
get equivalent rates all the way
down the line. Almost needless to
say, the agencies—and this is ap-

(Contintied on page 30)

Milt Josefsb^rg

who for many years scripted for
Jack Benny and Bob Hop*
[currently on the Milton Berle show)
humorously recaps the
always-surefir*

Cliche Hall of Fame

one of the many Editorial Features
in the soon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

PAAR WONT MOVE;

6B IS TOO BUSY

Jack Paar w'on’t move from the
Hudson Theatre Into Studio 6B at
NBC-TV as indicated last w'eek.
Production staff discovered that
6B , was being used daytime for
taping of “Treasure Hunt” and “Tic
Tac Dough” and would not be
evacuated in time for Paar to
videotape his Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday shows from 8:15 to
10 p.m. for airing at 11:15 p.m.
NBC also said it has no intention
of disposing of the Hudson Thea¬
tre, reiterating that former legit
house is not for sale.

Revised setup means Paar w'ill
tape his show thrice weekly at
Hudson Theatre with audience look¬
ing on. Thursday and Friday shows
will be telecast live, also with audi¬
ence as iookers-on. New taping
schedule begins Morday, Jan: 5.

“Price Is Right” also will con¬
tinue to originate from Hudson
Theatre, as in past.

Because of the deliverers’ strike
which shuttered seven Manhattan
and two Long Island daily new’s-
papers, the metropolitan area's
citizenry has been living in an in¬
formational vacuum for the past
14 days, most efforts by radio-tv
notwithstanding. This is the other
side of the coin, as reflected by a
number of olbservers within the
broadcast industry’s own ranks.

The information from network
and indie New York stations has
been that they Increased their
news coverage because of the
strike, but it has been stressed on
a growing number of occasions, by
those who’ve had the opportunity
to study the cumulative effort of
radio and tv, that the stations have
failed miserably in quality of re¬
portage or in evolving any suitable
“format” for presentation of the
news. Principal contribution of -
the broadcast media during the
crisis has been to increase the

Interim Jobs

A number of reporters, some
of them specialty (radio-tv, etc.)
byliners, have been hired to
function “for the duration” in
the publicity departments of
broadcasting networks in New
York as the newspaper strike
continues.

Not known how manj' scribes
have been drafted, but among
papers whose staffers have
been recruited pre-Xmas are
the N. Y. World-Telegram &
Sun and the Herald Tribune.
No doubt other sheets are in¬
volved. Idea is to keep them
in gainful employment until
the strike is settled.

All newspapermen were
“hand picked,” presumably on
the basis of their year-round
contact with the broadcasters.

David Sponsors Susskind

David Susskind sponsored
David Susskind last night
(Tues.) on his WNTA-TV
“Open End.” *

The tv-legit producer-host
paid the Newark outlet a spe¬
cial rate in order to buy plug
time—with his own personel
delivery — for “Rashomon,”
the legiter he’s kicking off in
N.Y. on Jan. 23-

'Nothing Better
Around,’ So Few
Year-End Axings

Hollywood^ Dec. 23.

Dearth of good shows, despite
the avalanche of pilots, has stayed
the axe of the executioner in what
was expected to be a record year-
end of tv casualties. Show:s that
have escaped the sharp blade so
far are considered fairly safe Into
the next cycle. The reasons for
this sudden change in attitude by
sponsors, according to tradesmen,
is “there’s nothing around any
better than what’s on the air now.”

Action and adventure shows that
have lagged in the ratings are be¬
ing retained in the hope that
they’ll “catch fire” as has been
the case with many programs of
this type. The high cost factor
has created openings on many
shows as alternate bankroller. All
three nets have open time on
shows that have stayed out of the
danger zone in the ratings. Al¬
ternate weeks, major and minor
participations and short term deals
are available on shows that rank
high on the rating table. NBC
lists seven shows, among them
Perry Como and Steve Allen, w-ith
open time on alternate or partici¬
pating basis. Among the others
are “Dragnet,” “Jefferson Drum,”

“Buckskin,” “Ellery Queen,”

“Steve Canyon” and “Cimarron

XI.,. ux! An ironic situation cropped up
There s still time to be bought ^ weekend in the course of

strike when a video network

“The Texan,” “Invisible Man,” j oot

-Pursuit,” “Yancy Derringer.” (Continued on page 32)

“Playhouse 90,” “Your Hit Pa-1
rade,” “Wanted, Dead or Alive,” | ^

ABC lists openings on “Dr. I. Q.,’

“Leave It To Beaver,” “Rough i \

Riders,” “Rin Tin Tin,” Walt Dis-j
ney Presents, “Man With a Cam-j
era.” “Jubilee USA,” “Stars of j
Jazz, “Colt 45,” and repeats of |

“Meet McCraw” and “Broken:

Arrow.” ] CBS Inc. and Associated Redif-

The agency stance would appear fu.sion, the English commercial
to be that a going show, despite; video setup, have reportedly
the'rating, has a better chance of teamed as potential partners in
cutting it than a new, untried overseas tele station acquisition. It
show against estabUshed competi-; ^-as known that CBS was interested
in a buy in Australia, but it was
not disclosed, when this informa¬
tion became available two weeks
ago. the extent of the CBS (and
now' AR) acquisition aspirations.

NAT PERRIN TAKES 0VER:Brmr‘^‘^

_ • i which incidentally become the first

TV RFINS FOR H-H-I to team in such an international
IT, ULiUlU IVU Ai.station partnership hunt, are bid-

Hollywood, Dec. 23. j ding for 10 to 20% ownership in
Nat Perrin has checked into five upcoming Aussie commercial
Hecht-Hill-Lancaster to head tele- keys. Among the markets in which
vision operations. Pact also calls ' CBS-AR are interested are Ade-
for him to produce theatrical fea- laide, Brisbane and Perth. It is un-
tures., derstood tiiat no attempts are be-

Previousiy a w’riter-producer at ing made by any of the American
Metro, 20th-Fox and Columbia telenets , to buy an intere.st in the
Pictures, Perrin has produced sev- various stations destined for Syd-
eral network tv shows. i ney and Melbourne.

number of newscasts, but it is
pointed out that all. the audience
can find during the broadcast day
is a repeat of the same eight or 10
major new’s breaks and that, but
for an occa.'^ional exception, the
handling of each yarn has been
brief and incoiisequential.

No Diverse Coverage
Chief objection to the claim that
broadcasting in N. Y. “has risen
grandly to alleviate the crisis” is
that radio and tv new's depart¬
ments failed to give the same de¬
tailed and diverse coverage sup¬
plied by the major dailies.

j CBS, British A-R
Joint Aussie Bid

tion. Changing show's in mid sea¬
son is considered too hazardous
consi(3eifing the investment in sev¬
en figures.

20

TV-nLMS

. -.Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Court Gets Concessions Before
It Will Give Okay to NT-NTA Beal

Court approval of National^]
Theatres’ planned acquisition of'
National Telefilm Associates was
virtifally assured yesterday (TuesJ,
with promised pullout of 20th-Fox
from the NTA Film Network.

The bowout of 20th-Fox would
occur as soon as National Theatre
acquires any stock in NTA. Such
a stock deal, invoJvihg about 15Co
of NTA’s outstanding stock, was
the issue before the N.Y. Federal
District Court,

Judge Edward Palmieri, before
signin.g the approving order,
spelled out additional amendments,
aimed at insuring the separation
of 20th-Fox from National Thea¬
tres and NTA. Another amendment
requested by the judge stated that
insofar as the approving order per¬
mits National Theatres and NTA
to engage in theatrical distribu¬
tion, such distribution will not un¬
reasonably restrain competition.

Signing of the order was held
up yesterday, but the order is ex¬
pected to be signed today (Wed.).

The court requested the amend¬
ments during yesterday’s hearings,
which were suddenly scheduled
after NTA announced the planned
20th-Fox withdrawal from the NTA
Film Network subsid.

Judge Palmieri, in a session last
week, said he was reluctant to give
the greenlight for National Thea¬
tres’ stock acquisition of NTA. He
stressed 20th-Fox’s relationship
with NTA, both being partnered
In the NTA Film Network. He said
that 20th-Fox and National Thea¬
tres, via the latter’s stock acquisi¬
tion, might experience a remar¬
riage, in violation of the consent
decree. The decree, as he saw it,
barred a remarriage, directly or
indirectly, of the exhibition and
production-distribution arm of the
motion picture company.

The Justice Department then
suggested the end of the partner¬
ship in the NTA Film Network.
The Justice’s suggestion was picked
up by NTA in a petition which
stated that JJTA has entered an
agreement with 20th-Fox whereby
the motion picture company trans¬
fers to NTA ■ aU rights and inter¬
ests in the NTA Film Network.

The 15% stock interest, to be
bought by National Theatres is
owned by NTA's principal holders,
Ely A. Landau, board - chairman;
Oliver A. Unger, prez; and Harold
Goldman, exec v.p. Under the
plan, which will be expanded to
all holders, NTA stockholders
would be offered an exchange on
the basis of an $11 debenture and
a warrant for the purchase of one-
fourth of one share of National
. Theatres common stock for each
Vshare of NTA stock.

Qumn, Balance s

NBC-ry Sahi v\f.

Walter D. Scott

details why

TV Has Got to Go
Back to Smokestack
Selling

* * *

oneThtr Editorial Foatiiro
In the soon-duo

53d Anniversary dumber

of

PSxtiE’rr

Free-For-All On
Studio Rentals In
H wood Grab Bag

Hollywood, Dec. 26.

Acquisition last week by MCA
of the 480-acre Universal-Interna¬
tional lot for $11,250,000 will
doubtless hypo the competition
among Hollywood studios for the
television dollar. Already competi¬
tive situation for tv rentals has
reached the “fantastic deals’’ point
among existing facilities.

Currently, it’s merely a question
of "when” MCA’s Revue Produc¬
tions will move over to the Uni¬
versal lot from its present Republic
quarters. U-I can accommodate
Revue and then some, yet when
Revue moves. Republic would be
left with only Jack Webb and his
Mark VII Ltd. as its only major
tenant. Republic would have to
start huslling for new tenants, thus
aggravating the current situation.

As is, existing facilities are wag¬
ing aggressive campaigns to woo
new tv tenants. Metro, for example,
now has four outside units on its
lot in rental deads, plus several
pilot films shooting there. Desilu
has only about half Its facilities in
use over its three studios, and is
reportedly operating below break¬
even in terms of studio overhead.
U-I itself has a pair of tv shows
filming and, depending on when
Revue moves and the upcoming
trend in feature production, will
probably attempt to acquire more
tenants.

Warners is currently occupied
with its own telefilm production
but reportedly would welcome out¬
side rentals. 20th-Fox’s Western
Ave. lot is full-up, with one show
(“Perry Mason’) moving over to
the main Westwood plant, and the
latter will be busy with telefilm
once Martin Manulis starts up his
slate. But Paramount-Sunset .is an
active bidder for rentals; so is Gen¬
eral Service and Hal Roach stu¬
dios.

Sum total of which is that a pro¬
ducer looking for space can virtu¬
ally name his own deal, and it
won’t be long before he can better
tha: deal.

Mexico City, Dec. 23.

Actors Anthony Quinn and Jack I
Palance have been eyeing Mexico '
for some time as a site for pro¬
duction of television series des¬
tined for distribution in the U, S. ^

.A bid to initiate production in
1957 fell through when both the
National Association of Actors and
the Union of Film Industry W’ork-
ers pre.sented fee scales for talent,
and percentage cuts for use of
STIC (the union) studio facilities
that made project unfea.'Jible.

An attempt to use television fa¬
cilities of Henry T. Ehrlich, Yan- j
kee producer active in tv produc¬
tion here, also fell through. | Guild Films has three tape shows

have"a ‘backing ‘of sf.mooo* fo? j f

the installation of television stu- Company broke about four months
dios in this city In 1959. Studio ! ago with "Divorce Court” and In
facilities will be solely for produc- [ the past fortnight with two other
tion of tv shorts for the w’orld packages of 52 tapes each, "Peo-
market, according to Joseph Smith ! pie’s Court” and pro wrestling
Moore, who has been inspecting ^ from Boston,
sites for proposed production cen -1 KCOP-TV, L’.A., is producing
ter. Moore said that one of best, “people’s Court” for Guild and it’s

; Guild’s Threesome

In Video Syndication

locations is in San Bartolo Naucal-
pan (State of Mexico), on the out¬
skirts of this city.

Phil Silvers’ TV Special

now sold to WNTA-TV, Newark;
KMSP-TV, Minneapolis, and KLOR,
Salt Lake City. Wrestling, lensed
by WBZ-TV, Boston, and co-pro¬
duced by Guild and Atlantic Ath-
, letic Corp. of Boston, is a 60-
Phil Silvers is set for a dne-hour i minuter and is sold in five loca-
Pcntiac spec on CBS-TV Friday, • iions: WOR-TV, N. Y.; WJAR-TV,
Jan. 23 at 9 p.m, i Providence; KLOR, and in two

Billy Friedberg, Coleman Jaco- ' northern New England locations,
by and Amie Rosen will script. No “Divorce Court” is sold' in 11 tv
other talent signed as yet! ‘ markets.

DiaI999’toWNEW-TV

Ziv’s “Dial 899” finally has
found itself a New York berth,
with WNEW-TV picking up the
show for telecasting after the first
of the year. Slot is Monday nights
at 10:30 p.m., starting Jan. 5.

Skein made in England, starring
Robert Beatty, was first introed
into syndication in the spring-
smnmer period.

NTA’s Far East
Feature Sales

National Telefilm Associates is
in the midst of cashing in on tv
foreign rights to its features, top-
lined by "High Noon,” "C.vrano de
Bergerac” and "The Men.”

The pix were sold to markets
in the Far East, from which Sam
Gang, recently appointed foreign
manager, returned. Gang also
made deals for a roster of half-
hour telefilm series.

In Australia, the Australian
Corp. bought "How to Marry a
Millionaire,” and "This Is Alice.”
TCN, Sydney, bought 78 episodes
of "Sheriff of Cochise,” “U.S. Mar¬
shall,” "George Jessel’s Showbusi-
ness,” "Man Without a Gun,”
"Walter WinchfeU File,” and “China
Smith.” TCN also bought a group
of 18 features. ATN in that mar¬
ket inked for "Official Detective.”
All .deals were for 39 episodes
other than the 78 for "Cochise.”

In Japan, deals were made for
10 features by Nippon Television
Network. Nippon Educational TV
Co, bought 192 cartoons. NTN also
bought “Cochise” and “U.S. Mar¬
shall.” In Hong Kong, 120 car-^
toons were sold. Six shows were
bought in the Philippines, includ-
I ing “Millionaire,” "Alice,” “Gun,”
"Walter Winchell,” "Smith,” and
"Marshall.”

Gang found tv booming in
Australia, which, he said, would
be one of the biggest foreign mar¬
kets for American telefilms. He
said the set count is due to in¬
crease, as well as the number of
[ stations.

OF, PAR SUNSET
BULLISH ON FUTURE

A long lasting liaison may grow
out of the recent deal closed by
Official Films and Paramount Sun¬
set, a subsid of Paramount Pictures.

Deal was set by Harold Hackett,
prexy of Official, and Jim Schulke,
Paramount Sunset topper, and
calls for the co-production and co¬
financing of three pilot projects.
If the three skeins prove success¬
ful (finding network berths), deal
probably will be a curtain raiser
for further co-production, co¬
financing ventures between the
two parties.

Hackett, immediately after the
first of the year, is due to return
to Hollywood to select properties,
producers, etc. Hackett also is on
the prowl for a new syndication
entry.

Janis Paige Pacted

For‘Maisie’Series

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Metro TV has signed Janis Paige
to star in its new series, ’Maisie,”
based on the studio’s theatrical
film series of years ago in which
Ann Sothern .starred.

Company is now in negotiations
for a comedy producer for the
series, and . plans are to shoot the
pilot next month.

Art Spirt Ankles ITC

Chicago, Dec. 23.

Art Spirt, veepee in charge of
the central division of Independent
Telefilms Corp., left the company
last week. His departure was
termed a resignation, one in a wave
of "resignations” at iTC’s high
echelon of execs who were ab¬
sorbed in Jack Wrather’s organiza¬
tion when it merged with Televi¬
sion Programs of Anaerica.

Spirt has been replaced in Chi
by Lee Cannon, a former field man,
who takes the title of manager of
syndicated sales for central divi¬
sion. Other aspect of the opera¬
tion, such as network, sales, will be
separately departmentalized.

ars$lli(ll)0,0ll0(3eam

’59 Domestic Gross Heads for Alltime High; Bullish
0 .On Year-End Wrapup

'Omnitos' Producer

Robert Saudek

shop-talks a trad* vignetta

Much Ado About
Nothing
* * *

another Editorial Feature
in the soon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

PSkiety

Suess Bullish On
Producing O’Seas;
'Can Really Save

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

• Most producers shooting abroad
do so because they believe they can
get a bargain but generally end up
spending more because of lack of
knowledge or preparation of con¬
ditions there, in the opinion of
Maurie Suess, vet production exec
who’s spent the past two years on
features and telefilm ventures in
Europe.

Suess, who’s been in foreign pro¬
duction on and off for the past 11
years, is emphatic in his belief that
real savings can be effected in
Europe, but only when the pro¬
ducers i;^olved take sensible .pre¬
cautions and use extensive pre¬
planning. Otherwise, the opportu¬
nities of going over budget are
enormous, he states, apart from
what can happen to program qual¬
ity without constant supervision
and know-how.

Suess estimates that the average
series filming abroad, without
proper preparation. Squanders up
to $3,000 per episode on additional
costs which might have been
averted. Ordinarily, he states,
trouble lies In the selection by the
packagers of a production man un¬
familiar with the area. Producers
often pick a good American pro¬
duction manager or producer, but
fail to recognize that he’s com¬
pletely lost in foreign surround¬
ings. Even an expert production
man in England may not know the
score in Spain or Germany, Suess
observes.

Consequently, unfamiliarity with
working conditions, transportation,
equipment and its availability in
various spots, locations, housing
and other details can cost money,
and the real savings to be effected
are dissipated. These savings gen¬
erally are achieved in lo\ver labor
costs, with editors, cameramen,
grips, propertymasters and other
crafts pulling down wages as little
as one-eighth their American coun¬
terparts.

Apart from the financial aspect,
Suess points out that the foreign
actors and directors need constant
supervision, since the European in¬
terpretation of a script, whether
comedy or drama, generally differs
widely from the American. Result
is that the production expert also
(Continued on page 30)

Wm. B. White Joins
Arwin on Sci-Fi Series

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

William B. White, who recently
exited as production chief of Guild
Films, Is teaming with Arwin Pro¬
ductions to turn out two pilots.

White’s Palm Spring Produc¬
tions and Arwin, owned by Martin
Melcher and Doris Day, will pro¬
duce two sci-fi pilots, “Man from
Outer Space,” and “The Brain.”
j Both are being scripted by Curt
Siodmak.

Casting on each vehicle will be¬
gin as soon as the scripts are fin¬
ished. Palm Springs and Arwin
are currently in negotiations with
networks on a partnership arrange¬
ment regarding the properties.

j Backed by a stellar money year
in 1958, California National 'Pro¬
ductions estimates a 1959 domestic
gross of $16,000,000.

All existing sales records for
the syndication company, the NBC
subsidiary said this week, have
been shattered this past year. To¬
tal sales were over 80% ^higher
than for 1957 and 125% above
1956. Previous peak year of ’55 was
bettered by over 60%, according
to Earl Rettig, the outfit’s prexy.

In a year^nd dollar wrapup/<by
veepee-general manager Jake
Keever, CNP started rolling the
week of Jam 17, with a gross of
slightly over $650,000, a new five-
day mark. The entire Jan.-March
quarter established another com¬
pany record by out-tallying 1957’s
high second quarter by 11.4%.
Third quarter ©f ’58 saw another
three-month record, this time $3,-
500,000.

Four new syndicated series,
"Union Pacific,” second 39 of "Si¬
lent Service,” "Flight” and "Dan¬
ger Is My Business” all broke this
year, plus that CNP has brought
on various re^^ls such as those
from the "NBCf Matinee Theatre”
called "Cameo Theatre,” "Hiram
Holliday,” "Medic,” "Life of Riley,”
“Panic,” "Gumby” and "Badge
714s.”

Rettig said the product reps a
total investment of $9,000,000.

Stretch Adler To
Coast For Gu3d

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Stretch Adler, national sales
manager for Guild Films, Is under¬
stood coming to Hollywood to bead
up program acquisition for the dis-
tribbery. 'This is said to be a move
to replace William White, who for
a brief time was head of Guild’s
Coast production setup and who
lately returned to an indie pro¬
ducer status.

There appears to be a significant
difference between Adler’s position
and the one held by White. It was
understood that White was to be
charged with overseeing film pilots
for network consumption, but so
jfar Guild, only has one film of rec¬
ord up for sale. That one is "Light
of the World,” which has been
under option for sometime to ABC-
TV. Whether the network picks up
the option is questionable.

On the other hand Adler, who
was the network sales contact for
Guild, will largely handle the de¬
velopment of tape skeins. Guild
has pegged its tape product for
syndication, foreswearing any film
show's for the same area. The film
was to be strictly for network. So
what it apparently amounts to Is
that Guild has temporarily
switched the top production em¬
phasis here to acquisition of tape
for market-by-market use and sus¬
pended or at least slowed down Its
network aspirations.

Jeff Daris to Atlanta
As Telestar Film Rep

Vef film distributor Jeff Davis
has been appointed account exee
of Telestar Film’s sales office In
Atlanta.

Opening up of the Atlanta re¬
gional office is another key to
Telestar’s expansion plans, both in
terms of sales personnel and prod¬
uct. Outfit, plans to have at least
two properties in syndication next
year, kicking off with “Counter-
spy.” Additionally, prexy Bernard
Schubert plans to pitch "The Newf
Adventmres of ’Mr. and Mrs.
North,” with fresh production, to
the networks.

In addition to Atlanta, Telestar
plans to open offices in San Fran-
cico, Detroit, Cleveland and Seat¬
tle. It already has offices in 10
other major cities.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^R^f

TV-FILMS

21

‘ONE OF OUR ARMS IS MISSING’

Features Fetch Higher Prices

Feature market at this stage brings heftier prices than previous
years due to relative scarcity of new packages, but prices are not
that inflated that the figures look like astronomical pool.

Case in point Is the sale of National Telefilm Associate's “Dream
Package” to WRCA-TV., While price per pic is understood to be
nearer the $8,000 mark than the $10,000 .reported previously,
that’s still high. Deal was for three runs over an 18-month period.
WCBS-TV paid $12,000 per pic for the Paramount library of 700
pix, highest for a library deal in the market. Deal, though, was
for extended runs over a seven-yeat* period. Top dollar in the
New York market is about $15,000 for a cinematic.

Despite the current relative scarcity. It looks like the price
continues to be pegged on the relative merit of the package,
general competitive marketing conditions, and the rate cards of
stations.

Herman Rush Disputes Producers
Coin Beef on Syndicated Shows

Hollywood, Dec. 23. -f

Attitude of many of the top tele- *
film producers against going into a
sj'ndicated series drew a puzzled
reaction last week from Herman
Rush, prexy of Flamingo Telefilm
Sales. Rush, here to look at new
. properties, disputes the contention
of many telefilm producers that
they "can't come out on a series”
and that only the distributor makes
money on a syndicated show.

Under his own financing formula
for syndicated series. Rush as¬
serted. "the distributor takes all
the risks, and the producer is
guaranteed a profit." When Fla¬
mingo finds a property it wants.
Rush asserted, it put up a guar¬
antee which is bankable and which
provides for 100% financing of a
series. The guarantee includes
payment of a producer’s fee^ (usu¬
ally $1,000 per episode) which con¬
stitutes clear profit; for the pro¬
ducer, and includes Interest pay¬
ment's on the producer’s bank loan.

Under such' a formula, there’s
no question of the producer making
money on a syndicated show, so
long as he stays within the agreed
upon budget. Naturally, Rush
prefers doing business with a pro¬
ducer who has the reputation of
being able to stay within budget.
As to the budgetar 3 ^ limits for syn¬
dicated entries. Flamingo won’t
handle anything beyond $30,000
for straight syndication, though
presold regional deals could lift
the ante-on a series.

Considering that the distributor
takes the risks inherent in financ¬
ing, there’s no reason why he
(Continued on page 32)

Fraud ADeged
In Sterling Suit

sterling Television has brought
suit in N. Y. Supreme Court against
William D’Arcy Cayton and his
production companj^ Radio &
Television Packagers Inc., charging
fraud.

Sterling’s suit seeks an account¬
ing from Radio & Television Pack¬
agers, which produced Cartoon
Classics Serial, which Sterling dis¬
tributed and which Sterling has a
substantial minority interest in
ownership.

Responding to a "Variety stbry
which appeared in the Dec. 17
issue. Sterling denied the pullback
of five series controlled by CaytOn.
Sterling stated that it was in active
distribution only on two series,
“Cartoon Classics" and “Jungle."
“Jungle" pix since its been han¬
dled by Sterling reportedly has
racked up a gross of $130,000,
representing the ’57 and '58 tally.
Since October, '57, Sterling stated
it has grossed about $400,000 on
"Cartoon Classics.".

Sterling stated that It has never
handled distribution of “The
Greatest Fights of the Century."
Two years ago, Stirling stopped
feeling out the market for “World’s
Greatest Fighters — In Action,”
and “Big Fight.” Sterling main¬
tained it sounded out the market
on behest of Cayton, but never en¬
gaged in actual selling on the two.
Prcvinu.s Variety stbrj^ had stated,
that Clayton pulled back the three
above mentioned series.

TV Seriptar

Eugene Burr

wendcri out loud

Does It Really Matter
What the
Revietvers Say?

* * *

ORothor Ediforial Featuro
in the leen-due

53d Anniversary ISnmber

of

P'Sriety

’58 Banner Year
For Ziv TV With
9 Series Introed

Ziv had a banner year In 1958,
with sales up 32% over the pre¬
vious year. The telefilmery for the
same year Introduced nine serie.s,
seven of which were for the syn¬
dication mart.

Looking ahead for ’59, M. J.
Rifkin, v.p. in charge of sales, fore¬
saw further expansion, in terms of
sales personnel and production.
Upbeat in sales force Was attri¬
buted to the growing specializa¬
tion In the industry'.

Network sales for the year were
chalked up on two new properties,
“Bat Mastersbn" and "Rough
Riders."

In syndication, the following se¬
ries were launched, attracting some
hefty regionals: “Sea Hunt" (first
j^ear), Bristol-Myers, Schiltz, R. J.
Reynolds, Budweiser, and Standard
Oil of California; “Target,” "Di*?
999,” Pillsbury Mills; “Macken¬
zie’s Raiders," Brown & William¬
son, Schlitz and Stroh Brewing;
“Sea Hunt,” (second year). Stand¬
ard Oil of California; “Highway
Patrol,’.' (fourth year,) Ballantine;
“Bold Venture,” Ballantine.

TIGER OF SONORA’AS
ABC FILMS ENTRY

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

ABC Films, which handles distri¬
bution on Russell Hayden’s “26
Men” series, now in its second-pear
production in Phoenix, will bank¬
roll pilot of a second Hayden set
Ties, “Tiger of Sonora." Hayden
will film the pilot at Cudia City
Studms in Phoenix Jan. 15.

“Tiger” Is also Arizona-localled,
an adventure series about the turn-
of-the-century border exploits of
Col.-Emilio Kosterlitsky, Mexican
secret service chief at the time.
Dominick Frontiere has been inked
to compose and conduct a special
score for the series. Casting hasn’t
been set yet,

Haj’den is also mulling a third
.series, this with a West Indies
background. He returned here last
week from meetings in Puerto Rico
on production facilities there and
financing.

REAL NEEO FOR
PRORUCTSRPPLy

Syndicators, both large and
small, are faced with the problem
of how to secure a steady flow of
product.

Often, in the past, It's been sort
of hit and miss proposition, too
dependent on the vagaries of lin¬
ing up indies W'ith projects for
series. This exact problem doesn'i
apply to a Ziv, which has its own
studios on the Coast and produCr
tional personnel. But it does apply
to the large bulk of syndicators,
some of whom feel that the Ziv
approach is too'fraught with head¬
aches of maintaining a studio and
wrestling with studio. o\ erhead. .

For example. Independent Tele¬
vision Coip. with the resignation
of Leon Fromkess, former produc¬
tion topper, is faced with a re¬
placement. The ITC move probably
will be in the direction of finding
a top production exec who can act
as a liaison on the various projects
inaugurated by the company. Feed¬
ing the ITC organization will be
the Jack Wrather Organization,
which is going ahead on full pro¬
duction of "Tom Swift,” and ITC’s
British partners, now engaged in
turning out “Four Just Men.” The
ITC liaison production exec will
be spanning the ocean.

The amorphous nature of the
poduction base also is highlighted
at CBS Films. Les Harris, recently
moved over to head up production,
is headquartering in N. Y. at this
stage, because some of the projects
will be done overseas as co-pro¬
duction deals, others in the east
and others in Hollywood. CBS
Films, in order to insure a con¬
tinuity of product; has set up a
“producers stable,” calling on the
same producers for a series when¬
ever possible.

ABC Films has made a produc¬
tion liaison with Joseph M. Schenck
Enterprises via World Television
Programming. ABC Films is ex¬
clusive agent for World Television.

Official Films Is engaged in the
first-year experiment with Para¬
mount Sunset on a co-production.
Co-financing deal (see separate
story), which may turn out as a
product supplier.

Flamingo Films, which now is
handling “Big Story,” a Pyramid
Production, has the same N.Y.-
based outfit doing another series,
titled, “Deadline.”

What it all adds up to is a
scramble to batten down- the pro¬
duction arm of telefilmeries.

Negotiations Collapse on NTA’s
Buyout of Gross-Krasne-Sillerman

UA-TV Prexy

Herb Golden

It Just Takes Fortitude
and $9,000,000
in Credit

another Editorial Featyre
in the toon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^-RIETY

Don Sherwood Show
Pacesetter on Pretaped
Regional Sponsorship

Hollyvt'ood, Dec. 23.

Forerunner of the regional spon¬
sorship pattern Involving use of
videotaped shows is the new status
of "The Sherwood Affair," the one-
hour pretaped Don Sherwood stan^
za current on KHJ-TV here which
began airing Saturday (20) on
KPIX in San Francisco as well. .

Burgermeister Beer, via BBD&O,
is pioneering the. pattern, and if
the economics of the Frisco repeat
work out, will extend the Sherwood
stanza to its Coast markets, mark¬
ing the first time a taped personal¬
ity show replaces the customary
spot buy or regional syndication
deal. Instead of buying several
markets with a syndicated film
show, it’s conceivable regional ad¬
vertisers will begin tying up per¬
sonalities and setting their taped
stanzas into their markets.

Sherwood stanza started on KHJ-
TV in September, with Burgie, a
Sherwood sponsor In Frisco in the
past, buying in for half of it. Cou¬
ple of weeks ago, how'ever, the
brewery picked up the entire one-
hour tab and then bought the show
for Frisco as welL Sherwood tapes
his show six daj's in advance, on
a Friday, flying dowm from S.F. to
do the chore. Programs airs on
KHJ-TV following Thursday, 4hen
the tape is shipped up to Frisco
for airing on Saturday, Following
the KPIX broadcast, the tape is
(Continued on page 32) ‘

Regional Clients
Now Buying Spots
In Syndicated Pix

Syndication, like the networks, is
experiencing other than “straight”
sponsorship of first-run product.

Some regional advertisers, in
order to get a wider market spread
for their dollars, are buying spots
in first-run syndicated shows. Ink¬
ing for short-term deals, and rid¬
ing the alternate route.

The method w'eakens program
identification locally, but gets • the
regional advertiser in many more
markets for the same amount of
coin. Most syndicators prefer the
“straight” full or alternate spon¬
sor, long-term deals, but go along
with the devolopment in order to
hook 'the regional tieup.

An example is D-X Sunray’s buy
of Independent Television Corp.’s
“New- York Confidential.” Deal was
set prior to ITC’s takeover of Tele¬
vision Programs of America. D-X
Sunray, in placing the show^ in
many markets, has offered the
show' free to tv stations, in return
for tw’o D-X Sunray spots. The
station, under the deal, would de¬
rive its revenues from the sale of
the third spot in the show. De¬
pending on the station’s willing¬
ness to go along with the proposal,
D-X Sunray has other wrinkles to
offer.

JULES GOLDSTONE’S
THE THIRTY-THIRD’

Hollywood, Dec. 23.
Jules Goldstone’s Walden Pro¬
ductions, W'hich turned out 26 j
"Court ef Last Resort" segs for P. !
Lorillard and NBC last j’ear, has;
signed Charles Bickford to star in i
“The Thirty-Third." Title has ref- j
erence to a police precinct, with
Bickford playing a detective. . . j
Pilot is rolling this week at ■
Desilu, with Jim Goldstone direct- ‘
ing from a teleplay by Jack Pa¬
trick. Jules Goldstone will be
exec producer. Cast includes Ruth
Storey, Ken Lynch, A1 Ruscio and
Tammy Windsor,

Gross-Krasne-Sillerman have
broken off negotiations with Na¬
tional Telefilm Associates looking
toward a buyout of G-K-S by NT A.
Collapse occurred when negotia¬
tions came down to contractual
agreement, with Jack Gross and
Phil Krasne balking at proposed
NTA terms.

Under the proposal, NTA would
have switched its production from
Desilu to the G-K-S Coast studio
and Michael Sillerman would have
become topper of NTA’s syndica¬
tion arm. Sillerman jiust last Octo¬
ber had bought a 25% interest in
Gross-Krasne and the agreement
would have been another capital
gains deal for him. Partners at this
point state they’re not interested
in any sellout.

NTA now' is in the midst of
another proposed merger. The ac¬
quisition of NTA by National Thea¬
trics, a proposal which is now' be¬
fore the Federal Courts (see sep¬
arate story). NTA recently bought
; out Telestudios, the video tape
j equipped commercial tv operation
! In N.Y.

! Meanwhile, under the command
• of Sillerman these past few’ weeks,
the differences between the old
Gross-Krasne and the new’ Gross-
Krasne-SUlerman are becoming?
noticeable. And fundamentally, it
appears as if new' prexy Sillerman,
with the full assent of his partners,
has dropped the old G-K theory
of one syndicated show' at a time
(every eight months to a year)
for the idea of pushin;g as many
shows as his newly muscled sales
organization can handle at one
time,

G-K-S w'ill have three new’ series
on the road before long. Com¬
pany is about three half-hours sh\'
of finishing the new’ Thomas Mit-
chell-starrer, “Glencannon,” in its
permanent English-based produc¬
tion operation, and substantially
into production on “Flying Doc¬
tor." shot outdoors in Australia
and being finished up indoors at
its Hollyw'ood plant. Third series
is being rather uniquel.v handled.
It’s to be an anthologj' called
“Fate," W’ith 19 of the half-hours
being lensed in Hollj’wood w’hile
(Continued on page 33»

Bud Barry Exits
AsMGM-TVBoss

HolIyw'Ood, Dec. 23.

Charles (Bud) Barrj' has turned
in his resignation as MGM-TV top¬
per to Loew’’s prez Joseph Vogel.

Barry is now' on a short trip to
Europe. “Policj' differences” W'ere
said to have cued Barry’s bowout.

The M-G-M v.p. had a three-and-
a-half year contract, which didn’t
expire at this point. However, talks
on a new' contract are understood to
have been started. Barry, during
his tenure, launched the Metro fea¬
ture backlog in tv distribution and
tooled up the studio for telefilm
production. MGM-TV currently
has two netw'ork series being aired,
"Thin Man” and “Northwest Pas¬
sage.”

SG’s ‘Cry Fraud’

Hollyw'ood, Dec. 23.

Screen Gems has signed pro¬
ducer-writer Herb Meadow to pro¬
duce the pilot of “Cry Fraud,”
series he sold the Columbia vid
subsid.

Series is about an insurance in¬
vestigator, and period of the show
Is about 1876, If- the pilot sells.
Meadow' will be producer of the
series. Meadow' will gun the pilot
as soon as it’s cast.

Producer-w'riter also sold “The
Magnificent Orlando," a series
about a magico of the niteries and
stage, to Benagoss Productions.
He is scripting that pilot.

TANKEEDOODLEDANDY’
FOR WOR-TY RELEASE

■WOR-TV, N.Y., has bought War¬
ner’s “Yankee Doodle Dandj',” for
its "Million Dollar Movie” show’-
case.

Deal W’ith United Artists Tele¬
vision for the James Cagney star-
rer toplined a group of nine "War¬
ner pix, including “Uncertain
Glory” starring Errol Flynn, and
“Go Into Your Dance," starring A1
Jolson.

Station, w’hich had a rating suc¬
cess w ith the horror pic “Godzilla,"
has also bought “The Monster from
the Green Hell." and “Half Hu-
niari." They will be telecast upon
the completion of their theatrical
run.

22

RADIO-TEL£ VISION'

Wednesday,' December 24, 1958

On The Ad Agency Front

By JACK BERNSTEIN

Plans for merger of Gardner Ad¬
vertising Co., with home offices
in St. Louis, and Paris & Peart,
based in New York, have been
completed. The merger is slated
to take effect Jan. 1, with the com¬
bined bDlings of the two agencies
estimated at $35,000,000.

The new organization will mate
using the Gardner Advertising Co.
as its name. Charles E. Claggett,
prexy of Gardner, will take over
as president of the merged agency
and John H. Rehm, president of
Paris & Peart, will become vice
chairman of the board and chief
executive officer of the New York
office. Elmer G. Marshutz will re¬
main as chairman of the board.

According to executives of the
new agency, the staffs of both ex¬
isting companies will be kept in¬
tact. Gardner presently has 250
people in its St. Louis, New York,
and HoDywood offices, and Paris
& Peart has 115 employees.

Ira Rubel & Co., management
counselors, was instrumental in
working out the details of the
merger which will be consummated
principally through stock transfers.

C & W’s Detroit Setup
- Cunningham & Walsh has picked
up a tailor-made Detroit office by
absorbing Powell Advertising of
that city. Robert H. Powell and
his agency staff will join Cunning¬
ham & Walsh effective Jan. 1.

Lee J. Marshall, senior v.p., for¬
merly vice president.

Chi Agencies

By LES BROWN

Chicago, Dec. 23.

North Advertising and Silber-
stein-Goldsmith of Gotham have
completed a merger, which in¬
creases billings to $15,000,000 and
gives the new agency offices in
both Chicago and New York. Agen¬
cy will operate under the North
banner with a staff of 150. Bert
Goldsmith of S-G becomes chair¬
man of the board, and Don Nathan-
son of North remains prez of the
new firm. North had previously
maintained a small production
office in N. Y., mainly for the Toni
account, and now will operate full-
scale in that city.

James A. Teckenbrock, ex-Mac-
Farland, Aveyard & Co., joined
BBDO as account exec.

Wilbur N, Davidson, former ac¬
count supervisor of Aubrey, Fin¬
lay, Marley & Hodgson, named a
veep of Gordon & Hempstead.

Kenyon & Eckhardt named Wal¬
ter LeCat aft supervisor and de¬
partment headvand Luther John-
.son, ex-Y&R, senior art director.
Richard Ermoyan and Jo.seph Cress
joined K&E as art directors.

London Agencies

Ben Hecht Show Gets
A Renewal But Only
After Soul-Searchmg

After some hard rating days ano
differences of opinion between the
station management and the pro¬
ducers of the latenight gab session,
WABC-TV has renewed the Ben
Hecht Show, effective Dec. 29.

Program began on Sept. 15, in
N.Y., and although its ratings were;
a point of great concern under the
management of Robert Stone, who
recently left for a post at NBC, it
seems the new manager Joseph
Stamler is satisfied with, “audience
gains.”

Actually, before Stone’s depart¬
ure a few weeks ago, attempts
were being made to “broaden”
the audience base of the show. It
was then the WABC-TV manage¬
ment’s concern that the show was
appealing to what it described as
a "narrow” segment of the N.Y.
populace. It was over this inter¬
pretation of the show’s purview
that Stone and producer Ted Yates
didn’t quite see eye to eye. Stone
initially cancelled an entire stanza
which was going to forefront some
Bowery-types and a week later he
cancelled the appearance on
Hecht’s show of novelist Norman
Mailler. It was claimed the former
were in no condition to appear on
the air and that the author offered
that narrow appeal at a time when
management thought something im¬
perative ought to be done about
j boosting the ratings.

Powell has been named vice
president in charge of the agency’s
Detroit office.

Switches: Lee Davis, formerly
with Agency Representatives, has
joined Dancer - Fitzgerald ^ Sample
as a television producer.

By BARRY BARNETT

London, Dec. 23.
The Erwin Wasey, Ruthrauff &
Ryan agency, one of Britain’s ma-
' jor leaguers, has quit its West End
; headquarters and moved out of the
TT ..x,- -XT- i city centre because of traffic prob-

Walter Graebner, agency
N. W. Ayer in 19ol, has rejoined . originates from the

the agency and v.ill handle broad-, ■ explained that shortage of

cast activities of Sealtest. For the

space and heavy traffic had made

past three years he has been a tv the West End impossible. The

production supervisor at Kenyon huilding-ln Paddin<.ton-is a
‘ new six-story block, which says

& Eckhardt.

Brad Irvyin, formerly with Wayne
Steffner Productions and Conti¬
nental Films, has joined Clayton,
Inc. tv department as a copywriter.

Only a Suit at the End
Of Edwards’ llainbow’

Los Angeles, Dec. 26.

A $200,000 breach ot contract
suit over the shortlived “End of
the Rainbow” was filed here
against Ralph Edwards, ‘NBC and
j Pharmaceuticals Inc. last Friday
(19) in Superior Court. Plaintiff,
William J. Glick, claims format
idea for the show, was his.

Glick stated that on Sept. 28,
1949, he submitted to Edwards the
idea for the show, under the al¬
ternate'titles of “Cornucopia Cara-

Graebner, will be more convenient
for clients. Features of the new

headquarters are a viewing thea-. „ . rv , »

tre and an ultra-modern kitchen ; Ameri^ Salutes and

Elsworth L. Timberman and An-. where copvwriters can try out the ; People Are Good, He heard
drew J. Shepard, account execs at products they advertise. «!, • ■ t- u

Kenyon & Eckhardt, have earned Allardyce Palmer agency has 1 ^hat Rainbow, which air^
veepee stripes. celebrated its 25th anniversary 1 based on format he had

H. Preston Peters, prexv of • with a dinner for clients and ex- | submitted nine years earlier.
Peters, Griffin, Woodward elected ecutives at the Dorchester. Reply- |

president of the Station Repre- ; to a toast to “The Guests ’ : ‘Operation Daybreak’

^entatives Assn. proposed b.\ C. J. Bailejr, joint; ^ ox nr* •

Valerie Griffin of the tv promo-

tioD staff of Lennen & Newell to Arthur S. Abeles, Warner Bros.

Trans World Airlines.

Lost & Found: MacManus. John
& Adams has edged out BBDO in
the race to handle the Magnetic
Tape division of Minn. Mining &
Mfg. Billings are estimated to be
in the neighborhood of S500.000.
Both MaeJ&A and BBDO currently
split the Minnesota account.

W’ith the sale of Wildroot to Col¬
gate-Palmolive for an estimated
$IG,500.000, agency in.siders feel
that BBDO will be forced to give
up $3,000,000 Wildroot account be¬
cause of the C-P and Lever Bros,
product conflict. BBDO has a hunk
of the Lever bu.'^iness.

Anderson & Cairns has landed
the William Skinner & Sons weav¬
ers account.

Kelly & Lamb Advertising, Co¬
lumbus, named to handle the ac¬
count of WTVN-TV of that City.

topper, said that the 20 -odd years
of work for his company by Al-
lardyce and Palmer must he a
worid record for an association
betw'een a film company and an
agency.

Ernest Pearl, recently retired
from pre.sidency of International
Screen Advertising Services has
been a.sked by the ISAS executive
council to assume the title "Foun¬
der Pre.sident?’ Pearl was prexy
for a continuous five years.

Ed Friendly to Helm
Dean Show as Wood
Shifts to ‘Song’ Seg

Grocery Stores Tie-in

ABC-TV has. made a promotional
\ tieup with some 8,000 grocery
stores across the east and midwest
(Trendex areas) to plug its “Oper¬
ation Daybreak” programming.
Deal, arranged - via Supermarket
Affiliates Corp. of N.Y., provides
for a reported 90^o of all the paper
sacks used by the supermarkets to
carry the imprint of some plu-
geroo or other about the network’s
daytimers.

Using a takeoff on tv rating sta¬
tistics to explain paper sack "cov¬
erage,” SAC estimates that ABC-
TV’s promotional circulation will
cover over 12 , 000,000 “family trips”
(one family per shopping trip).

Edwin S. Friendly Jr., currently
director of dajd;ime programs at
V „ r- TT • i TTv . ICBS-TV, is giving up his executive

Honig-Cooper. Harrington West I portfolio to return to active produc-
Coast agency has snared the Los (2i.i when he

Angeles Metropolitan Transit Au- ,5 » over production of the web's
thorlty account effective Jan. 1. Dean Show."

„ George Parton Agency named to , 53 ^/

handle the Air-\ ent Aluminum !

Awning Co. account.

ties as producer of the Dean pro-
r, t. t:.- it ' i ! gram to work on the pilot of a new

Shorts: Peter Finnp-, tomerly . 30-minute variety pro-

exec veepee and dmector of South-i 3 m tagged "A Song a Minute”
ern Advertrsing, Miami, wiU open | eted to be unveiled early ne.Kt

his own agency Jan. 1. under the ■ ^ 3^5 the Dean show

name of Peter Finney & Co. and pridav (26)
will concentrate on bu.<iness, indu.s- — '
try and tourism in South Florida
and Latin-America.

Jay Victor & Associates, New'ark
based agency, has opened up a New
York office.

Keyes, Madden Jones, a divi¬
sion of the Russel Ml Seeds Co.,
has appointed three new’ members
to the agency's board of directors
and has named a new slate to guide
the agency effective Jan. 1.

New members of the board are
Harry B. Goldsmith Jr., Lee J.

Marshall, and Fred B. Willson.

Newly elected officers are How¬
ard A. Jones, president, formerly
exec v.p.; Harry B. Goldsmith, Jr.,
exec v.p., formerly senior veepee;

B&W Likes ‘Texan’

Hollyw’ood, Dec. 23.

Brown* & Williamson has re¬
newed its sponsorship on "The
Texan” past the original 26-week
mark, giving Desilu and Roryic
Productions the go-ahead on a full
slate of 39 episodes.

The Monday-at -8 entry has been
pulling down some fat Nielsen’s for
B&W, ranking 13th in the latest
survey.

W'ood came to CBS-TV after a
stretch at NBC-TV where he was
exec producer of the erstwhile
"Wide Wide World.” His first as¬
signment at CBS-TV was the Dean
show'.

Tommy Leonetti^ Anita Bryant,
Gretchen Wyler, Rbbert Clary, The
Note worthies and Hank Sylvern’s
orch will makeup the cast of “A
Song a Minute.”

Cincinnati—Colin Male, versatile
WCPO-TV staffer since 1952, has
resigned, effective Jan. 3. His next
stop will be in* Hollywood, seeking
a star role In a tv series based on
"Hondo.”

California National Productions Prexy

Earl Rettig

details why

Quality Ousts
Mathemaddicts
On Vidpix Fronts

* e *

eie of the many Editorial Eootaroi
iitho

S3d Anniversary Number

of

f'SgtiEfr

i TV-Radio Production Centres

m ISEW YORK CITY ...

' Tom Hopkinson, CBS-TV press info staffer, into New York Hospital
for surgery . . . WCBS Radio sales manager Tom Swafford back at his
desk after attending Food Brokers’ Convention in Chicago . . . Lowell
Thomas Jr. back in Gotham from Zanzibar and Arabia where he filmed
upcoming “High Adventure” episode . . . Richard Heffner, moderator
of WRCA-TV’s "Open Mind,” will interview Father John LaFarge,
editor of "America,” Catholic mag, for the "Wisdom” series which re¬
sumes over NBC-TV next month . . . Lanny Ross, WCBS Radio assist¬
ant to the general manager, heads for midwest after holidays for meet¬
ings with CBS Radio salesmen and agencies . . . Lisa Kirk guests on
Dinah Shore show NBC-TV Sunday (28) ... Dorothy Collins set for
two appearances on Mantovani tv show in England. She flies to Lon¬
don after her Jan. 9 "Hit Parade.” ‘She’ll film her Mantovani guest
shots in London and return here Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Canadian comics Johnny Wayne and Frank Shiister get a writfeup in
the current issus of Coronet ... MBS kicks off its 25th anni celebra¬
tion Jan. 1 with a heads of government feature, broadcasting predic¬
tions for the new year . . . John J. KcUy, former ABC-TV account ex¬
ec, has joined Mutual in a similar capacity.

Larry Blyden, of "Flower Drum Song,” visits Joe Franklin’s WABC-
TV "Memory Lane” Friday (26) . . .. Art Van Horn incorporating his
interview with Mayor Willy Brandt in his documentary on the Berlin
crisis filmed by the commentator in both sectors of the German city
. . n Lee Fields, actress-thrush last week on "County'Tair,” has become
Linda Fields . . . Bill Tabhert on "Voice of Firestone” Monday (29)

. . . Harry C. Wilder, former broadcaster now retired in Scottsdale,
Ariz., on maiden voyage of SS Argentina, 32 days to Buenos Aires and
hack.

Ed Sullivan received Italy’s highest civilian honor Saturday (20). It
was given to the CBS-TV emcee for his recognition of Italian perform¬
ers . . .' William Prince got the title role in NBC-TV’s cross-the-board
serial, "Young Dr. Malone,” which preems Monday (29) . , . Amie
Raskin has returned to the NBC Press Dept, after two-year tour of duty
with Marine Corps . . . Eartha Kitt guests on ABC-TV’s "Voice of Fire¬
stone” Monday (29).

IN HOLLYWOOD . . .

Austin Peterson, who recently resigned as topper of the Ted Bates
Hollywood office, moved into ABC-TV as program consultant to"Sandy
Cummings in Hollywood and Toni Moore, program veep, in N.Y. . . .
Gordon Hughes and Sam Pierce off the production staff at CBS Radio
in the general network cutback. No other pink slips at this time, says
management . . . Elena Verdugo will have her own tv series after years
of spot assignments following shutdown of "Meet Millie.” Fred Amsel
of Directional Enterprises, came out from N.Y. to talk to Revue find
Screen Gems about piloting the situation comedy . . . NBC’s press
boss, Casey Shawhan, gifted two of his helpers with promotions. Earl
Ziegler becomes manager of press and publicity, and Don Allen heads
up exploitation for the western division ... Ed Cashman moves his
Foote, Cone & Belding crew up Hollywood boul a few blocks into a
new office building . . . Raymond R. Morgan agency bonused its 35
employees vith $25,000 while other ad agencies skipped theirs.

W CHICAGO . . .

WGN Jnc.’s news chief Tom Foy In Passavant Hospital with a back
ailment . . . NBC veep Lloyd Yoder vacationing on the Coast till the
year’s end . . . Bob Anderson Is new assistant to Trib tv critic Larry
Welters, now that John Fink has taken over 'TV Week . . . Don Young,
ex-sales promo manager of WBBM, starts With A. C. Nielsen Co. on
Jan. I as director of press information. Currently, he’s recuperating
from a knee operation . . . Loren R. Hollembaek has taken over Young’s
former WBBM post . , . Dave Garroway due in Jan. 5 and 6 for re¬
motes fi'om the annual home furnishings market for NBC-TV’s "To¬
day” . . . WGN doing 44 special shows for Christmas, 36 on radio and
eight on tv . . . Val Bettin's "Storyteller” continuing on WGN-TV de¬
spite fact that Marshal Field & Co. has dropped it . . . Jim Strong,
formerly of the Chi Tribune, signed on with WBBM-TV’s press staff
. . . WBBM airing Goodman Theatre production of "Alladin” Saturday
(27) . , . WGN’s pubaffairs series, "Signal 10,” being fed now to 17
Indiana stations.

/iV WASHINGTON ...

Pvt. Steve Lawrence made his tv debut as new vocalist for U.S. Army
Band in color on "WRC-TV’s "Montage” . . . WTOP-TV prexy John S.
Hayes honored with election to board of trustees of Federal City Coun¬
cil, top civic-minded group . . . WWDC tossed gala Christmas party
and variety show for residents of local Home for Aged and Infirm
Tuesday (23) . . . WMAL’s "Country Store” campaign to collect food
for the needy is rousing success, with gifts coming from as far as Chi¬
cago . . . Ted Ayers again producing CBS’ annual telecast of Christmas
Eve services In the National Cathedral . . . Most unusual Christmas tree
in the city is eye-catcher of 1,000 colored lights all over WTOP-TV’s
300-foot tv tower . . . WMAL-AM (operating on 630 kc) is offering
$63,000 In prizes to those dialed on telephone who can identify the
top 63 disk sellers in Washington . . . National Assn, of Broadcasters
reports contracts are out for 18.570 square feet of exhibition space at
the March 15-18 NAB convention in Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel.

IN LONDON . . .

Associated-Rediffusion had to scrap the most recent program In its
"Succ^s Story” series after it had been on the air several minutes be¬
cause it was out of sync . . . Earl Attlee will reveal what It’s like to be
the British Prime Minister In a BBC-TV program on Jan. 3. He will
be the first Premier to discuss the job on tv. Entry will be aired from
his home . . , Jimmy Hanley has taken over the emceeship of Associ¬
ated Television’s "Dotto.” . . . Granada-TV’s version of "Twenty One”
made Its final appearance last night (Tues.) . . . BBC-TV’s new teen¬
age entry, "Dig This,” which replaces "6-5 Special,” makes its bow
on Jan. 3.

IN SAN FRANCISCO ...

A scheduled KPIX public-service show on California’s water prob¬
lem had to be cancelled because the League of Women Voters, work¬
ing with KPIX’b Dave Parker, couldn’t get more than one prominent
public figure to discuss the problem on the half-hour panel. Over 75
politicians, lawyers, engineers and businessmen were canvassed for
the Sunday show, "What's Your Opinion?” and only Caspar W. Wein¬
berger would stick his neck out far enough to appear. All the rest are
waiting to take their cue from California Gov.-elect EdcQund G. Brown
, ♦ , KTVU Is throwing its newly-purchased "Yankee Doodle Dandy”
In against KPIX’s Paramount package kickoff, "For Whom the Bell
Tolls,” Jan. 5 . . , Dave Dorris, ex-KYA, went to KOFY, San Mateo
(Continued on page 32)

24

TV-FIOfS

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^IETf

^^^ff-TELEPULSE CITY-BY-CITY PROGRAM CHART.

over the course of a year. Cities toill be rotated weekly. The Variety chart is a compilation of data on syndicated films, as well as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top XO multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands, for local programming and the (•> for network shows.

PHILADELPHIA

Stations: WCAU, WFIL, WRCV.

TV Homes:

1,198,900.

Survey Dates: November 5-12,

1958.

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED SHOWS

AV.

AV.

1 TOP COMPETITION

AV.

PROGRAxM^DAY^TIME

STA. DISTRIB.

RTG.

SH.

PROGRAM

STA.

RTG.

San Francisco Beat (Sat. 10:30)_

.-WCAU....

CBS

28.0

57

Brains and Brawn.

. WRCV

11 . 2 .

Popeye (Mon.-Sat 6:00).—

. .WFIL.

AAP

25.5

66

Sky King .

.WCAU

11.2

Farmer Al Falfa'iSat 6:30).

..WFIL.

CBS

18.5

52

Sheriff of Cochise.

• WCAU

11.9

African Patrol (Mon. 10:30)____

. .WRCV....

Gross-Krasne

17.5

35

All Star Jazz.

.WCAU

27.5

Highway Patrol (Tues. 10:30)......

.. WRCV....

Ziv

16.5

32

Garry Moore .

• WCAU

26.5

Twenty Six Men iWed. 7:00).......

.-WRCV....

ABC

16.2

41

f TV. Newsreel .

• WFIL

13.7

) News-Don Goddard ...

• WFIL

13.3

Death Valley Days (Mon. 7:00)....

.. WRCV....

U. S. Borax

15.5

40

( TV Newsreel .......

• WFIL

11.7

) News-Don Goddard ...

-WFIL

12.0

If You Had A Million (Tues. 7:00).

..WRCV....

MCA

15.5

40

f TV Newsreel ....-

.WFIL

12.3

) News-Don Goddard ...

-WFIL

12.3

Jim Bowie iFri. 7:00)...

. .WRCV....

ABC

15.2

41

1 TV Newsreel .

.WFIL

11.7

) News-Doh Goddard ...

.WFIL

11.3

Mike Hammer iTues. 8:00)........

..WCAU....

MCA

15.2

25

Sugarfoot ..

• WFIL

25.2

State Trooper 'Thurs. 7:00).

.-WRCV....

MCA

14.9

38

) TV Newsreel .

.WFIL

14.0

) Frank Leahy.

.WFIL

12.3

Bums and Allen (Sat 7:00)..

THo-Tif in*nDi

. . WCAU....
Wp'tt f

Screen Gems
CNP

14.5
12 9

39

23

Jeff’s Collie ..

-WFIL

WCAU

12.5
24 2

JefTs Collie *«Sat. 7:00) .... ......

..WFIL.

ITC .

12.5

34

Bums and Allen.

• WCAU

14.5

Silent Service (Sun. 6:30).

..WEIL.

CNP

12.5

42

Chet Huntley Reporting.

;WRCV

8.9

Frank Leahy Thurs. 7:15).

. .V.'FIL.

12.3

32

State Trooper .

.WRCV

15.0

Tugboat Annie (Sun. 7:00) .......

. - WFIL.

ITC

12.2

28

Lassie ...

.WCAU

24.9

Sheriff of Cochise (Sat. 6:30) ....

. .WCAU.,..

NTA

11.9

34

Farmer Al Falfa.

.WFIL

18.5

MacKenzie’s Raiders 'Wed. 10:30)..

.. WRCV.. ..

Ziv

11.5

23

U. S. Steel Hour...

.WCAU

20.9

Sea Hunt (Tues. 7:30).

.WCAU....

Ziv

11.5

22

Sugarfoot ...

.WFIL

28.5

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS
PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA.

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA.

AV.

RTG.

1. Perry Como (Sat 8:00-9:00).WRCV 39.5

2. Gunsmoke (Sat 10:00-10:30) .WCAU 36.9

3. Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).WCAU 38.9

4. Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 9:30-11:00).... WCAU 30.7

5. Rwl McCoys (Thurs. 8:30-9:00).WFIL 29.9

6 . Father Knows Best (Mon. 8:30-9:00). .WCAU 29.5

7. Roy Rogers (Sun. 9:00-10:00).WRCV 29.3

8 . IVyatt Earp (Tues. 8:30-9:00) .WFIL 29.2

9. Loretta Younff (Sun. 10:00-10:30)....W'RCV 28.5

10. Steve Allen (Sun. 8:00-9:00>.WRCV 28.4

AV.

RTG.

1 . -rPopeye iM-F 6:00-7:00) . .WIL

2. *American Bandstand (M-F 3:30-5:30) WFIL

3. *Mickey Mouse Club (M.W.F 5:30-6) WFIL

4. tNews-Facenda, Wea., Sports

(M-F 11:00-11:15)..WCAU

5. ♦.Adventure Time (T,Th 5:30-6:00)., .WFIL

6 . *Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.). .WRCV

7. tNews-Leonard, Wea. (M-F 11-11:15) WRCV

8 . -JTV Newsreel, Wea. (M-F 7:00-7:15) WFIL

9. tNws-D. Goddard (M-W.F 7:15-7:30) WFIL
10. *Search Tomorrow (M-F 12:30-12:45) WCAU
10. *As The World Turns (M-F 1:30-2) WCAU

26.3
18.0
17.0

15.3
14:6

13.4

13.2
12.7

12.2

n.8ji6.

11 . 8 '

PROVIDENCE

Sfafions: WJAR, WPRD. TV Homes: 198,500. Survey Dales: November 5-12, 1958,

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Gunsmoke (Sat 10:00-10:30).WPRO ' 39.3

2. LoretU Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30)....WJ.AR 37.8

3. Danny Thomas <Mon. 9:00-9:30).WPRO 36.3

4. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 9:30-10) WPRO 34.3

4. Zane Grey Theatre (Thurs. 9-9:30).. WPRO 34.3

5. Alfred Hitchcook (Sun. 9:30-10:00). .WPRO 32.8

5. Ed Sullivan (Sun, 8:00-9:00) .WPRO 32.8

6 . Jackie Gleason (Fri. 8:30-9:00).WPRO 32.3

6 . Kraft Music HaU (Wed. 9:00-9:30)_WJAR 32.3

7. Yancy Derringer (Thurs. 8:30-9:00) . 31.8

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1 . tSalty Brines Shack (M-F 6:00-6:30) WPRO~

2. tEsso Reporter, Wea. (M-F 11-11:15) WJAR

3. tNews, Wea. (M-F 11:00-11:15).WPRO

4. *CBS News (M-F 6:45-7:00).WPRO

5. TNews, Sports, Wea. (M-F 6:30-6:45).WPRO

6 . ♦Mickey Mouse Club (M.W.F 5:30-6) WPRO

7. *Adventure Time (T.Th 5:30-6:00).. .WPRO

8 . tBig Show (M-F ll:15-Signoff) .WJAR

9. *Guiding Light (M-F 12:45-1:00) ... WTRO

10. *Search For Tomorrow (M-F 12:30-1) WPRO

: 10 .
11 .
11 .

22.3 :
19.7 i
17.1! 12

illil

11.3 J«-
11.2
10.9

Death Valley Days (Mon. 7:00).WJAR.... U. S. Borax

Sea Hunt 'Sat 10:30):.WPRO_Ziv

Tiventy Six Men (Sun. 7:00).WJAR.ABC

Union Pacific iTues. 7:00) ... WJAR.... CNP

Harbor Command (Sat 7:00)..wpRO.... Ziv

Silent Service (Wed. 7:00) ......... WJAR.... CNP

Highway Patrol (Tues. 10:30).V/JAR_Ziv

Honeymooners (Thurs. 7:00).WPRO-CBS

IVhirlybirds (Tues. 7:00).WPRO .... CBS

Sky King (Thurs. 6:30)..WJAR..,. Nabisco

Annie Oakley (Fri. 6:30).... WJAR.,.. CBS

Sword of Freedom (Wed. 7:00) .WPRO-Official

If You Had A Million (Sun. 6:30).... WJAR.... MCA

Popeye (Sat 8:00 a.m.)--WPRO-AAP

Kingdom of the Sea (Sat 5:00).WPRO-Guild

Jon Gnagy (Sat 9:15 a.m.).... .WPRO_

My Hero (Sat 4:30) ...WPRO_Official

Superman (Mon. 5:00).'..... .AYPRO.... Flamingo

Patti Page 'Fri. 7:15)....,.. WPRO.... Screen Gems

Mama (Mon. 7:00)..... r .... WPRO.... CBS

Woody IVoodpecker (Tues. 5:00).WPRO.... Kellogg

28.8

75

Mama ...

.WPRO

9.8

24.3

60

Big Show ...

.WJAR

16.5

19.8

43

Lassie ...

.WPRO

25.8

19.3

53

Whirlybirds ..

.WPRO

16.8

18.8

45

Rifleman -----------

.WJAR

22.8

18.8

56

Sword of Freedom ....

• WPRO

14.8

17.3

41

Garry Moore .

.WPRO

24.8

16.8

45

Walt Disney Presents..

-WJAR

20.3

16.8

47

Union Pacific .

.WJAR

. 19.3

16.3

52

1 News, Sports, Wea. ..

• WPRO

15.0

) CBS News '.

• WPRO

15.5

15.8

52

j News, Sports, Wea. ..

• WPRO

14.0

) CBS News.

.WPRO*

14.5

14.8

44

Silent Service .

.WJAR

18.8

13.8

55

Twentieth Century.

. WPRO

11.3

13.8

80

f Sat. Cowboy Thea.

.WJAR

2.8

) Hinpity Hop .

.WJAR

6.0

12.3

72

Bold Journey..

• WJAR

4.8

12.0

65

Hippity Hop.

.WJAR ■

6.5

11.8

63

All Star Golf.

.WJAR

7.0

10.8

54

Early ghow.

.WJAR

9.4

10.5

32

Rin Tin Tin.

.WJAR

22.5

9.8

25

Death Valley Days..

.W.IAR

28.8

9.8

51

1 Early Show.;.

.WJAR

9.4

TUCSON

Stations: KGUN, KOLD, KVOA. TV Homes: 57,600. Survey Dates: Ootober 10-30, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS f | 1.

1 .

Dinah Shore (Sun. 7:00-8:00).

, .KVOA^

: 2 .
43.4 o

2 .

Maverick (Sun. 8:30-9:30) .

..KVOA

40.0 ;

3.

Perry Como 'Sat. 6:00-7:00).

. .KVOA

33.7 4.

4.

Tales of Wells Fargo 'Mon. 6:30-7)

-KVOA

32.2 i 5.

5-

Perry Mason (Sat. 9:30-10:30)..

..KOLD

31-8:

6 . Bob Hope (Tue.s. 7:00-8:00) .KVOA 31.5 6 ,

6 . Loretta Young (Sun. 8:00-8:30).KVOA 31.5

7. Ed Sullivan (Sun. 6:00-7:00) .KOLD 31.3 i

8 . Hall of Fame (Mon. 7:30-9:00).KVOA 30.6 ^ ^

9. Pat Boone '-Thurs. 7:00-7:30).KGUN 29.2 '•

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

L tXews, Misc. (M-F 9:30-9:45) .KVOA

2. *Art Linkletter 'M-F 12:30-1:00) ...KOLD

3. TMy Little Margie (M-F 5:30-6:00) .KVOA

4. *Verdict Is Yours (M-F l:30-2:00i....KOLD

5. *Edge of Night (M-F 2:30-3:00).KOLD

5. TMayor CarPs Town, Misc.

•M-F 4:30-5:30).KGUN

5. *Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6).. KGUN

6 . ♦Big Payoff <M-F 1:00-1:30) .KOLD

7- vBig Movie (M-F 9:45-Signoff).KVOA

8 . *Secret Storm (M-F 2:15-2:30).KOLD

14.
13.6 15

13.6

13.5 15.
13.3 16.

12.7 17.

Sheriff of Cochise (Mon. 9:00)....

.‘.KOLD..

.NTA

36-5

62 ' Tic Tac Dough.

..KVOA

13.9

State Trooper 'Sat. 8:30).

. .KOLD..

. MCA

32.5

50 • Cimarron City.

..KVOA

22.2

Death Valley Days (Sat. 8:00)......

.KOLD..

. U. S. Borax

31.2

47 • Cimarron City.

. .KVOA

21.2

Walter Winchell (Tues. 9:00).._

..KOLD..

. NTA

24.9

45 Badge 714.

..KVOA

17.9

Harbor Command (Mon. 9:30)__

. .KOLD..

. Ziv

23.9

49 f News ...

] 1 Big Movie .

. .KVOA
. .KVOA

16.3

15.7

Woody Woodpecker (Mon. 6:00)...

..KVOA..

. Kellogg

23.2

65 Headlines, Wea., Spts. .

. KOLD

10.5

Official Detective (Tues. 9:30).

. .KOLD..

. NTA

22.9

49 1 News ...

j ) Big Movie .

..KVOA
.. KVOA

14.7

15.0

Sea Hunt 'Tues. 8:30) ..:.

. .KVOA..

. Ziv

22.9

35 . Garry Moore ...

..KOLD

27.5

Union Pacific (Thurs. 9:00) ........

. .KOLD..

. CNP

21.5

39 ’ Medic .

..KVOA

18.9

Bums and Allen »Sat. 9:00)..

..KOLD-.

. Screen Gems

20.5

49 Political .

. .KVOA

21.5

Highway Patrol iFri. 9:00)........

..KOLD..

.. Ziv

20.2

32'People Are Funny.

..KVO-A

21.9

Silent Service (Wed. 9:00)...

. .KGUN..

.. CNP

19.9

33 . Wagon Train ...

. -KVOA

24.2

Medic (Thurs. 9:00).. ..

..KVOA..

.. CNP

18.9

34 j Union Pacific.

. .KOLD

21.5

City Detective <Fri. 8:00).

..KGUN..

.. MCA

18.5

29 ! Fred Astaire .

..KVOA

22.9

Dr. Hudson (Sun. 7:30).....

. .KOLD..

.. MCA

18.5

28; Dinah Shore.

.. KVO-A

41.9

Wild Bill Hickok 'Fri. 6:00).:

..KVOA..

.. Screen Gems

18.2

51: Headlines, Wea., Spts. ,

. -KOLD

10.7

Badge 714 (Tues. 9:00) — ... ..:J..

. .KVOA..

.. CNP

17.9

32; Walter Winchell ......

. .KOLD

24.9

Susie 'Fri. e:30).

..KVOA..

ITC

17.9

36 * Jackie Gleason .

. .KOLD

22.9

Honeymooners (Thurs, 10:00).

..KOLD..

.. .CBS

17.5

40 ! Big Movie...

..KVOA

14.7

Target ' Wed. 9:00) ..

. .KOLD..

., Ziv

16.2

27 [ Wagon Train ..

. .KVOA

24.2

SALINAS - MONTEREY

Stations: KNTV, KSBV/. TV Homes: 45,300. Survey Dates: October 10-30, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Ed Sullivan (Sun. 8:00-9:00) .KSBW

2. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9).. KSBW

3. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30).KSBW

4. Gunsmoke (Sat 9:00-9:30) ..KSBW

5. Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).KSBW

5. Jack Benny (Sun. 7:30-8:00) .KSBW

6 . Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9).. KSBW

7. Red Skelton (Tues. 8:30-9:00) .KSBW

8 . Father Knows Best (Mon. 7:30-8:00). . KSBW

9. Walt Disney Presents (Tues. 7-8)-KSBW

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. vBig Playback (W,F 7:15-7:30) .KSBW

2. i-TV News Digest (M-F 6:30-7:00) KSBW

3. ^Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6:00) KSBW

4. iShell News (M-F 6:00-6:15). .KSBW

5. *CBS News (M.T.Th 6:15-6:30).KSBW

6 . tFun Club (M-F 4:00-5:00).KSBW

7. vMGM Thea. (M-W,F 10:30-Signoff) KSBW

8 . *Queen For A Day (M-F 2:00-2:30) KSBW

9. ♦Truth or Cons 3 . (M-F 12 Nn.-12:30) KSBW
10. *Haggis Baggis iM-F 12:30-1:00)... .KSBW

_l

.... KSBW

. MCA

51.3

87^

Cameo Theatre .

. . KNTV

7,8

56.0

2. Twenty Six Men tSun. 9:30).

_KSBW.,

. ABC

47.8

90

Sunday Cinema..

. - KNTV

5.3

54-8

3. Silent Service 'Sun. 7:00)-..

... .KSBW. .

.CNP

42.8

88

Saber of London .

. .KNTV

5.8

54.3

4. Sea Hunt 'Thurs. 8:00).

....KSBW..

. Ziv

40.3

75

Early Movie.

.. KNTV

13.3

52.8

5. Bums and Allen (Mon. 7:00) . -.

....KSBW..

. Screen Gems-

37.8

83

Superman ..

..KNTV

7.8

52.5

6 . Sheriff of Cochise (Wed. 8:00)..

....KSBW..

. NTA

36.3

59

Lawrence Welk .......

. .KNTV

23.8

52.5

7. Big Story 'Thurs. 7:30).

....KSBW..

. Flamingo

30.3

69

Early Movie.

. - KNTV

13.8

51.3

8 . Bg Playback (Wed., Fri. 7:15)..

....KSBW..

. Screen Gems

28.5

64

Laurel & Hardy.

. .KNTV

19.5

49.8

9. Boston Blackie (Sat. 6:00) .

... .KSBW..

. Ziv

22.8

76

Modern Movie .

. .KNTV

7.3

49,3

10. Laurel & Hardy (Fri. 7:00)..

....KNTV...

. .Governor '

20.3

41

f Shell News .

. KSBW

31.0

47.3

-{ Big Playback.

..KSBW

30.5

L TV News Digest.

. .KSBW

28.8

11. Whirlybirds 'Fri. 8:00).,.

.... KNTV...

..CBS

19.3

37

Phil Silvers .

..KSBW

33.3

—

12. Navy Log (Fri. 9:00).-

....KSBW..

, CBS

17.8

31

Misc.

.. KSBW

38.8

28.5

13. Badge 714 'Fri. 8:30)...

....KSBW,.

. CNP

16.3

29

Lux Playhouse.

..KSBW

41.0

26.4

14. Waterfront (Thurs. 6:30).

_KNTV..

. MCA

15.3

41

TV News Digest.

. .KSBW

21.8

25.8

15. Boots & Saddles (Tiies. 7:00)...

_KNTV..

. CNP

13.3

21

Walt Disney Presents .

..KSBW

48-8

25.1

16. Jungle Jim (Tues, 6:30).

_KNTV..

. .Screen Gems

12.8

33

TV News Digest.

. .KSBW

26.3

24.2

17. Death Valley Days (Mon. 7:30).

....KNTV..

, U. S. Borax

11.8

19

Father Know Best.

..KSBW

49.3

22.2

17. Racket Squad (Thurs. 10:00)...

....KNTV..

. Hal Roach

11.8

27

Groucho Marx ....-

..KSBW

31.8

14.9

18. Medic (Mon. 9:30) . ....

....KNTV..

. CNP

11.3

21

Hall of Fame.

. .KSBW

42.7

13.5

. 19. Cameo Theatre (Wed. 9:00)....

... .KNTV.,

..VPS

10.3

20

) Jackie Gleason .

. .KSBW

40.8

11.2

1 n A

( Ernie Ford .

. .KSBW

39.8

TV-FIOIS

23

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

>a»®fr.TELEPlJLSE aXY-BY-CITY PROGRAM CHART.

Variety’s weekly chart is based on the 22 major markets regularly reported by Tele¬
pulse each month, in addition to 133 other Telepulse tabulated U.S markets, covered
over the course of a year. Cities trill b« rotated weekly. The Variety chart fj a compilation of data on syndicated films, as well as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-weekly heading, the (t) stands for local programming and the (*) for network shows.

LOS ANGELES Sfations: KABC, KCOP, KHJ, KNXT, KRCA,. KTLA, KTTV. TV Homes: I.980J00. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS AV.

EK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).KNXT 36.9

2. Waffon Train (Wed. 7:30-9:00).KRCA 31.3

3. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9).. KNXT 30.7

4. Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30)... .KNXT 28.2

5. Tales of Wells Fargro (Mon, 8:30-9). .KRCA 27.2

6. Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 9:30-10:00).. .KNXT 26.9

7. Maverick (Sun. 7:30-8:30)..KABC 25.2

8. G. E. Theatre (Sun. 9:00-9:30).KNXT 24.2

9. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).KRCA 23.8

10. Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 8:30-10:00).KNXT 23.2

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS AV.
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. RTG.

1. -i-lO O’clock Report (M-F 10-10:30). .KNXT 14,5

2. tPopeye (M-F 6:00-6:30)...._....KTLA 11.2

3. *CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30)....KNXT 11.0

4. . t-S O’clock Report (M-F 6:00-6:15).. .KNXT 10.9

5. tLittle Rascals (M-F 7:00-7:30)......KHJ 10.6

6. tNews-G. Putnam (M-F 10:00-10:15).KTTV 10.4

7. *Art Linkletter (M-F 1:30-2:00).KHJ 9.2

8. +Paul Coates (M-F 10:15-10:45).... .KTTV 8.9

9. *Queen For A Day (M-F 2:00-2:30)...KRCA 8.6

10. tCartoon Carousel (M-F 4:00-5:30).. .KTLA 8.5

10. vT. Hatton Cartoon (M.W.F 5:30-6). .KTLA 8.5

TOP TWENTY SYNDICATED ^HOWS

RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA. DISTRIB.

AV.

RTG.

AV.

SH.

TOP COMPETITION
PROGRAM STA.

AV.

RTG.

1. Mr. Adams & Eve (Sat. 9:30)..,.

...KNXT

... CBS

16.4

26

Cimarron City.

KRCA

16.4

Z. Honeymooners (Sat. 6:00'

...KNXT

... CBS

15.2

32

Lawrence Welk .

.KABC'

19.7

3. San Francisco Beat (Sat. 9:3Q)...

.. .KTTV.

....CBS

T3.9

22

1 Mr. Adams & Eve....

KNXT

16.4

/ Cimarron City .

.KRCA

16.4

4. Sheriff of Cochise (Wed. 8:30»..

.. .KTTV.

... NT A

13.4

19

I’ve Got A Secret.

.KNXT

21.2

5. Mike Hammer (Fri. 10:30).

...KRCA

... MCA

13.2

30

First Show ..

.KTTV

8.9

6. Death Valley Days (Thurs. 7:00)

... KRCA

... U. S. Borax 12.9

23

December Bride .

■ KNXT

13.2

7. U. S. Marshal (Sat. 7:00)...

...KTTV.

... NTA-

12.7

23

Perry Mason .

.KNXT

20.7

8 . Sea Hunt (Fri. 10:00).

... KRCA

... Ziv

12.4

21

10 O'clock Report.

• KNXT

13.7

9. Highway Patrol (Mon; 9:00).

.. .KTTV.

. ...Ziv

12:2

18

Peter Gunn .

KRCA

19.7

10. Highway Patrol (Sat 7:30).

,. .KTTV.

....Ziv

11.9

21

Wanted—Dead or Alive

KNXT

17.9

11. Flight (Wed. 10:30).

... KRCA

... CNP

11.7

29

First Show .

• KTTV

7.5

11. Reader’.s Digest (Sat, 9:00) ......

...KTTV.

... .Tele.star

11.7

17

Gunsmoke.

.KNXT

36 9

12. Divorce Court (Wed. 9:30).

...KTTV.

... .Guild

11.4

17

U. S. Steel Hour .

.KNXT

21.8

13. Popeye (Mon.-Fri, 6:00).

.. .KTLA.

.; . .AAP

11.2

2.5

( 6 O’clock Report.

.KNXT

10 9

/ CBS News .

.KNXT

11.0

13. Silent Service (Sat. 7:00)____

...KRCA.

... CNP

11.2

20

Perry Mason .

• KNXT

20.7

14. MacKenzie’s Raiders (Fri. 8:00)..

. . .KTTV.

...;ziv

10.9

16 i

' Phil Silvers .

■ KNXT

18 2

14. Twenty Six.Men (Mon. 7:00)

...KRCA.

... .ABC

10.9

23 (Little Rascals.

.KHJ

11 7

15. Huckleberry Hound ‘Tues. 6:30).

,. .KNXT.

25 i Robin Hood ..

.KCOP

7.7

15. People's Choice (Tues. 7:00).'..

. ..KNXT.

,.. ABC

10.7

22

Little Rascals .

-KHJ

9.9

15. Union Pacific (Wed. 7:00)___

.. KRCA.

-.. CNP

10.7

•20; Boxing ..

1

KABC

13.4

SAN DIEGO

Stations: KFMB, KFSD, XETV. TV Homes: 279,900. Survey Dates: October 10-17, J958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).KFMB

2. Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30).KFSD

3. Red Skelton (Tues. 8:30-9:00).KFMB

4. Tales of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9). .KFSD

5. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9). .KFMB

6. Perry Mason (Sat, 6:30-7:30) .KFMB

7. Playhouse 90 (Thurs. 8:30-10:00).KFMB

8. Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30 <....... KFSD ,

9. Ed Sullivan (Sun, 8:00-9:00)..KFMB

10. Texan (Mon. 7:00-7:30).KFMB

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. -s-This Day '58 (M-F 7:30-8:00)..KFMB

2. ♦CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30).KFMB

3. -tSan Diego Dateline (M-F 6:00-6:15) KFMB

4. tPopeye, Misc. (M-F 5:15-6:00).KFSD

5. ^J. Downs Express (M-F 5:00-5:15).. .KFSD

6. *Art Linkletter (M-F .1:30-2:00).KFMB

7. *NBC News (M-F 7:l’5-7:30).KFSD

7. +Up To The Minute (M-F 7:00-7:15).. KFSD

8. ♦Verdict Is Yours (M-F 2:30-3:00).:.. KFMB

•9. tEarly Show (M-F 4:00^6:00) . ..KFMB

SACRAMENTO

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Bob Hope (Tues. 9:00-10:00).KCRA

2. Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).KCRA

3. Wagon Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).KCRA

4. Price Is Right (Wed. 8:30-9:00).KCRA

5. Behind Closed Doors (Thurs. 9-9:30) KCR.A.

6. Ed Wynn (Thurs. 8:00-8:30) . .KCR.\

7. Kraft 3Iusic Hall (Wed. 9:00-9:30).. .KCRA

7. Perry Mason (Sat. 6:30-7:30).KBET

8. Restless Gun (Mon.'8:00-8:30).KCRA

9. Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).. .. .KBET
9. Have Gun WiU Travel (Sat. 8:30-9).. KBET

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. vChannel 3 Reports (M-F 6:30-6:45):. KCRA

1. *NBC News (M-F 6:45-7:00)..KCRA

2. *CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30)...KBET

3. tShell News (M-F. 6:00-6:15)........ KBET

4. tCaptain Sacto (M-F 5:30-6:00).KCRA

5. f News. Sports (M-F 10:30-10:45):.... KCRA

6. v3 Star Theatre (M-F ll:15-Signoff). .KCRA

7. tGreat Movie (M-F 10:00-11:45).... .KBET

8. tPopeye iM-F 5:00-5:30).. KCRA

8. -tValley Playhouse (M-F 3:00-5:00).. .KCRA

36.2

33.5

32.5
31.9

31.5

31.4

31.5

30.3
29.8
27.2

20.9

17.4

17.1

11.5

10.4

10.0

9.9

9.9

8.5

8.4

38.9

37.7

34.4

33.5

32.7
32.2
32.0
32.0

31.9

31.4

31.4

23.3

23.3

21.6

21.3

18.6

17.6

14.9
14.2

13.9
13.9

1.

Sheriff of Cochise (Sat. 9:30) .

_KFMB...

.NTA

24.9

45

Cimarron City.

.KFSD

16.9

2.

Death Valley Days (Tues. 6:30)

.KFMB.,.

U. S. Borax

24.2

54

Boots and Saddles.

.KFSD

11.5

3.

Twenty Six Men (Mon. 6:30)..

..... KFMB...

. ABC

23.5

53

Gray Gho.st.

.KFSD

13.5

4.

Bums and Allen (Wed. 7:00)...

.KFMB...

. .Screen Gems

18.9

44

Football Highlights ....

.XETV

12.5

5.

Jeff’s Collie (Fri. 6:30).

.KFMB.. .

ITC

18.2

46

Bo.xing .

.KFSD

12.8

fr.

Star Performance (Thurs. 10:00

.KFMB.;. .

. Official

17.9

43

Groucho Marx.

• KFSD

14.2

7.

Highway Patrol (Fri. 9:00) ...

-Ziv

16.5

30

Lineup .

.KFMB

24,2

8.

State Trooper (Thurs. 7:30)...

.KFSD....

.MCA

16.2

30

Little Women ..

.KFMB

23.9

9.

Danger Is My Business (Thurs.

6:30) KFSD. ..

.CNP

15.9

34

I Love Lucy.

• KFMB

224

10.

Superman (Mon. 6:00).

.KFSD....

.Flamingo

14.2

39

( S. D. Dateline.....

/ CBS News.

• KFMB
.KFMB

17.3

17.5

11.

Famous Playhouse (Fri. 7:30).

.KFSD....

MCA

13.5

29

This Day ’58.

.KFMB

20.2

11.

Gray Ghost ‘Mon. 6:30' ..

.....KFSD_

CBS

13.5

30

Twenty Six Men.

.KFMB

23.5

11.

Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 6:00

)..,.. KFSD. ...

.Kellogg

13.5

36

IS. D. Dateline.

1 CBS News ...

.KFMB

.KFMB

10.0

163

12.

I Spy (Tues. 10:00) .

.KFMB... .

. Guild

13.2

321

Californians .

.KFSD

17.2

13.

Conrad Nagel Theatre ‘Sun. 4:30)_KFMB...

. Guild

12.5

61 !

Bowling Stars ..

.XETV

45

13.

Football Highlights (Wed. 7:00)

.XETV...

.Sports-TV

12.5

291

I Bums and Allen.

.KFMB

18 9

14.

Annie Oakley (Sun. 5:30'.

..... KFMB...

. CBS

11.5

42

(Sunday Spectacular......

.KFSD

10 5

14.

Boots and Saddles (Tues. 6:30)

.KFSD;...

.CNP

11.5

26:

; Death Valley Days.

.KFMB

24 2

14.

Popeye (Mon.-Frl 5:20'.

.KFSD: ..

AAP

11.5

43

■ Early Sho^\- ...^

.KFMB

8.6

15.

Cisco Kid (Wed. 6:30v.

.KFSD. ...

.Ziv

10.9

27:

1 Boxing .

.XETV

15 0

15.

Famous Playhouse. (Sat. 5:30).

.KFSD...

.MCA

10.9

46;

:‘76’ Sports Club.

i

.KFMB

6.9

Stations: KBET,

KCRA, KOVR.

TV Homes:

1 15,600.

Survey Dates: October

10-30,

1958.

1. Sheriff of Cochise (Thurs. 7:00).

KCRA..

.. NTA

34.5

57 i December Bride .

..KBET

19.2

2. State Trooper (Thurs. 7:30)

.KCRA..

.. :mca

33.2

53 j Little Women .

..KBET

20.2

3. Huckleberry Hound (Fri. 7:30).

KCRA..

.. Screen Gems

32.4

47 : Jackie Gleason .

..KBET

20.5

4. Twenty Six Men (Wed^ 7:00».

.KCRA..

.. ABC

30.9

50 ( Public Defender .

..KBET

17.2

5. Sky King (Tues. 6:30)..

.KBET. -

, Nabisco

26.7

451 \ Channel 3 Reports..

. .KCRA

22.0

! / NBC News.

. .KCRA

22 3

6. Highway Patrol (Sat. 9:00*.

KBET..

. Ziv

25.^

SBiJerrj' Lewis .

..KCRA

23.5

7. Wild BiU Hickok (Wed. 6:00'.

KCRA..

.. Screen Gems

24.5

52 ( Shell News .

..KBET

1.5.7

: / CBS New.s.

. .KBET

15.3

8. Sea Hunt (Mon. 7:30' . .

KCRA..

.. Ziv

23.2

40 Father Know.s Best...

..KBET

23.2

,9, Annie Oakley (Tues. 6:00'...

KCRA. .

.. CBS

22.2

43 ( 1 Shell News .

.. KBET

25.0

i / CBS News .

..KBET

25 3

10. 49*er Pro Highlights (tues. 7:00)..,

KBET..

. .Tel-Ra

21.7

38 . Union Pacific .

..KOVR

19.5

11. Stories of the Century 'Sat. 10 a.m.)

KCRA..

.. HTS

21.2

66 ( Mighty D.Iouse .

..KBET

11.2

12. Woody Woodpecker. (Mon. 6:00'.

.KCRA..

.. Kellogg

21.0

41 1 Shell News ..

..KBET

24.3

i ■/ CBS News .

. .KBET

25.0

13. Union Pacific (Tues. 7:00'.

.KOVR .

.. CNP

19.5

33 1 49*er Highlights .

..KBET

'21:7

14. People’s Choice 'Sun. 6:30)...._

.KBET...

..ABC

18.4

45 (Movie of the Week-

..KCRV

17.8

15. Our Miss Brooks (Sat. 6:00).

. KCRA..

.. CBS

18.2

51 I Your Hit Parade.

. .KBET

14.9

16. Big Story (Sun. 7:00'....

.KBET...

. .Flamingo

17.9

39 1 Lassie ..

..KCRA

23.9

17. Mike Hammer (Sun. 10:30)....._

.KCRA..

.. .MCA

17.5

43'What’s My Line.

, .KBET

18.0

17. Target (Sat. 7:00'. ...

.KCRA..

.. Ziv

17.5

31 : Perry Mason ...

. .KBET

34 5

17. Whirlybirds (Mon. 7:00' .

.KCRA..

.. .CBS

17.5

31 ■ Texan .

..KBET

30.2

18. Public Defender (Wed.. 7:00*.......

. KBET...

. Interstate

17.2

28, Twenty Six Men.

. .KCRA

30.9

SPRINGFIELD, DI.

Stations; WClA. WICS, WTVP. TV Homes: 40,100. Survey Dates: October 10-30, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

1. Perry Como (Sat. 7:00-8:00).WICS 48.5

2. Groucho Marx (Thurs. 9:00-9:30)_WICS 36.8

3. Dinah Shore (Sun. 8:00-9:00).WICS 36.5

4. Behind Closed Doors (Thurs. 8-8:30) WICS 36.3

5. Jerrj’Lewis (Sat. 8:00-9:00).WICS 34.5

5. People Are Funny (Sat. 6:30-7:00).. .WICS 34.5

6. Peter Gunn (Mon. 8:00-8:30)...WICS 33.8

7. Twenty One (Thurs. 7:30-8:00)..-WICS 33.0

8. Fred Astaire (Fri. 8:00-9:00) .WICS 32.0

9. Bat Masterson (Wed. 8:30-9:00)-.WICS 31.3

9. Boxing iFri. 9:00-9:50) .WICS 31.3

9. Zorro (Thurs. 7:00-7:30) .:..WICS 31.3

9. Steve Allen (Sun. 7:00-8:00).WICS 31.3

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

1. tNews Final (M-F 10:00-10;15).WICS 29.0

2. tWea., Sports Roundup

(M-F 10:15-10:30)....WICS 25.9

3. tSports, Headlines, Wea.

tM-F 6:15-6:30).WICS '22.6

4. -te O’clock News (M-F 6:00-6:15)_WICS 22.2

5. *Jack Paar (M-F 10:30-Signoff ).WICS 15.3

6. *NBC News (M-F 5:45-6:00).:...WICS 14.8

7. ♦Today (M-F 7:00-9:00 a.m.)...WICS,

WCIA, 14.3

8. tPegwill Circus (M-F 5:00-5:45).WICS 14.2

9. *Tic Tac Dough (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.). .WICS 13.5

10. fLittle Rascals (M-F 4:30-5:00).WICS 13.3

1 .

2 .

3.

4.

5.

6 .

7.

7.

8 .
8 .
8 .
9.

10 .

10 .

11 .

11 .

12 .

13.

14.

Gray Ghost (Thurs. 8:30' .......

..WICS..

-.CBS

34.8

53 Ernie Ford .

.WCIA

19 3

N. Y. Confidential (Thurs. 9:30'...

..WICS..

.:ITC

33.8

58 0. Henrv Plavhouse....

.W’dA

14.3

All Star Theatre (Mon. 7:00'.

. WCIA..

. .Screen Gems

24.8

37 Restless Gun .

-■WICS

27.8

MacKenzie’s Raiders (Wed. 9:30'..

. .WIGS...

•. .Ziv

23.3

39 Ginger Rogers .

.WCIA

27.8

Command Performance (Sun. 3:30’

..WICS..

.. MCA

19.3

51 •Roller Derby...

.WTVP

10.0

"Death Valley Days (Thurs. 6:30'..

..WTVP.:

., U. S. Borax

17.5

33 Jefferson Drum ..

.•VI’ICS

28.3

Boots & Saddles (Thurs. 7:00).

. .WCIA..

..CNP

15.3

25 Zorro .

.WICS

31 3

State Trooper (Wed, 7:30).

..WCIA..

. -MCA

15.3

24 Price Is Right.

-WICS

29.3

Highway Patrol (Fri. 8:00).

..WTVP..

.. Ziv

14.3

22 Fred' Astairo .

.WICS

33.3

N. Y. Confidential (Tues. 8:30)....

..WTVP..

.. ITC

14.3

21 Bob Hope .

.WICS

31.3

O. Henry Playhouse (Thurs. 9:30).

, .WCIA..

. .Gross-Krasne

14.3

24 N. Y. Confidential.

.WICS

33.8

Sheriff of Cochise (Thurs. 9:00) ...

.WTVP. .

.. NTA

14.0

22 Groucho Marx ..

-WICS

36.8

Hopalong Cassidy (Fri. 6:30)..

. .WT'^^P..

.; CNP

13.8

26 Buckskin .

.WICS

'23.8

Sky King (Sat 6:00)..

..WCIA..,

.. .Nabisco

13.8

35 1 AH Star Golf .

' 1 News, Wea., Misc.

.WICS

WICS

15.5

17.5

WUd BUI Hickok (Tues. 6:00).... i.

..WCIA-.

.. -Screen Gems

13.8

27 1 6 O’clock News

i 1 Sp’ts, Headlines, Wea..

WICS

-WICS

22.0

22.5

Little Rascals (Mon.^Fri. 4:30)-

. - WICS...

.. Interstate

13.3

45 American Bandstand ...

. WTVP

9.3

Martin Kane (Thurs. 9:00) .......

..WCIA...

. .Ziv

13.3

21 Groucho Marx.

WICS

33.8

Twenty Six Men (Wed. 6:00).

..WCIA...

..ABC

12.8

29 1 6 O’CPck News

/ Sp’ts, Headlines, Wea.

WICS

WICS

20 5
21.0

Martin Kane (Wed.- l(j:00)

WCIA ..

..Ziv

12.5

23 ; 1 News Final

; i V/ea., Sports, Roundup

V/ICS

WICS

27.0
2.5 0

Highway Patrol (Tues, 9:00).

..WTVP,.

.. Ziv

12.3

19, Californians

1

• WICS

29.3

26

TV-FIUIIS

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

FEATURE CHART

Variety's vjeekly chart, based on ratings jurnished by Pulse's latest reports on
feafure films and their competition covers 155 markets. Each week, two d-fierent
markets will he listed, with the 10 top rated features tabulated. The tabulation excludes
features, and their ratings, telecast up to 6 p.m. during the midweek. Theii exclusion
is dictated by Pulse's method of reflecting daytime midweek rating data.

Factors which would assist distributors, agencies, stations and advertisers in
determining the effectiveness of a feature show in a specific market have been
included in this Variety chart Listed below is such pertinent information regarding
features as their stars, release year, original production company and the present
distributor included wherever possible along, tcith the title. Attention should be paid

to such factors as the time and day, the high and low ratings for the measured
feature period and share of audience, since these factors reflect the effectiveness
of the feature and audience composition, i.e., a late show at 11:15 p.m. would hardly
have any children viewers, but its share of audience may reflect dominance in that
time period. In the cities where stations sell their feature programming on a multi
stripped basis utilizing the sdme theatrical throughout the week a total rating for the
total number of showings for the week is given, the total rating not taking into account
■ the^duplicated homes factor. Barring unscheduled switches in titles the listed features
for the particularly rated theatrical filmed show are as accurate as could be ascer¬
tained. Under Time Slot, S. O. stands for Sign-Off.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Inside Shilf-Radio-TV

CBS Inc. stockholders voted on Monday (22) to change all shares
of CBS Class A and Class B stock into a single-class of stock known
as Common Stock. ,

More than 77.8% of outstanding shares were voted for the change
and less than 0.50% against. Change became effective yesterday (Tues.)
when a Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed with Secretary
of State of N.Y.

Par value of stock, $2.50 per share, remains unchanged. j

Dean Faulkner, promotion manager of KOA-TV, Denver,' w'on the
$5,000 first prize for the basic station conducting the outstanding lo¬
cal promotion campaign in support of NBC-TV’s daytime program i
lineup. Miss Peggy Cooper, promotion manager of station WITN, Wash¬
ington, won the $5,000 first prize for the best campaign by an optional
station. The $25,500 Daytime Program Promotion Contest was the big¬
gest audience promotion contest in the net’s history. Eighty NBC-TV
affiliates ivere entered. Reports showed that more than 30,000 on-the-
air promotion spots for the net’s daytime programs were broadcast
during the contest. In addition, stations placed more than 100,000
lines of advertising in local newspapers.

Establishment of a new school of communications at the U. of
Pennsylvania was announced by Walter H. Annenberg, president of the
Annenberg Fund, Inc. and head of the Triangle Publications and chain
of broadcasting stations.

Dr. Gaylord P. Harnwell. president of U. of P. in accepting the gift
stated the school will be known as.the Annenberg School of Commu¬
nications and will provide instruction and research in radio, television
and other fields of communication. While primarily intended as a grad¬
uate school, it will also be open to undergrads, with classes set to be¬
gin next Fall in classrooms already operating at Penn.

A new school’building is to be erected on the campus, and skedded
to open in February, 1960. It will be a memorial to Annenberg’s father,
the late M, L. Annenberg. Housing, equipment and operation of the
new school will cost $3 million.

Hy Gardner’s Wednesday night show on Jan. 7 at 8:30 will be ex¬
tended to a full hour for a “A Night at the Roundtable” (studio-orig¬
inated) discussion on the embarrassments, harassments atid general
travail in the experiences of such veteran radio-tv interviewers as
Mike Wallace, Tex McCrary and Barry Gray.

The N.Y. Herald Tribune columnist’s regular show, “Hy Gardner
CalUng” is, of course, also an interview format and the general idea
Is a self-examination “from the brass-kunckle days of interviews on the
microphone to now.”

An idea of originating from The Roundtable nitery or recreating the
Hotel Algonquin’s famed mythical "Roundtable” was discarded because
of the distractions, hence the origination from a WNEW-TV, N.Y.,
studio.

NBC-TV figures It will have David Susskind's video-taped produce
tlon of Sir Laurence Olivier in “Moon and Sixpense” completed by
Dec. 29, in time for the English actor to fly back to England.

Determined to finish the $300,000 production on sch'edule, Olivier Is
emphatically li mi ti n g his press interviews. He did consent however
to showing up for a cocktail party NBC-TV gave in his honor at Twen¬
ty-One recently.

Moment 'tape Is ready, web’s sales staffers wiU start hustling for a
sponsor.

f^&RiEfr

WCBS'EXTRA KICK VIA
laANT-BALTOGRIDCAST

As result of intensified national
as well as local interest following
last week’s hectic playoff for . the
eastern championship, WCBS Ra¬
dio, N.Y., has extra-slotted the
N.Y. Giants-Baltlmore Colts game
Sunday (28) for the Professional
Football League title.

The CBS o&o carried the Giants
sked, including playoff with Cleve¬
land Browns, aU season, but Sun¬
day’s joust had not been slated un¬
til there was indication of hypoed
interest in the griddery climax.

Piel’s, White Owl and Bristol-
Myers will pick up the bill. Les
Keiter is to handle the stripe-by¬
stripe.

Billy Daniels Show

4s Hour KTLA Entry

Hollywood. Dec. 23.

“The Billy Daniels Show,” using
a guestar format, is being prepped
as an hour-long teleseries to start
Jan. 13 on KTLA in the “Club
Checkerboard” time slot. Bill Gra¬
ham and Hank Levy will produce.

Featured with singer will be
Benny Payne and trio. Plans call
for setting up a syndication ar¬
rangement early in February.

IBEW Strikes KCOP

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

IBEW personnel,- after a bog-
down in negotiations for a new
contract four days after termina¬
tion of the union’s pact with sta¬
tion, called a strike on KCOP and
threw up picket lines last night
(Mon.).

“While the company maintains
its present policies regarding its
junior management personnel, we
haven’t any recourse but to strike,”
IBEW biz agent Andrew J. Draghl
stated. Draghi said the station re¬
neged on its offer of a $2.50 raise
across the board plus clarification
of Jurisdiction.

AllTStar Grid Sale

Carling Brewing and Liggett &
Myers bought the 1959 college All-
Star ^id game via ABC-TV.

Stanza w^ill be aired Aug. 14 of
next year.

RADIO-TELEVISION

Charlotte Station (WWOK) Gets Into
A Jam Over a Submarine Story

Charlotte, N.C., Dec. 23.

Charlotte police are questioning
authorities of a radio station which
devoted considerable air time last
week to an apparent news hoax.

The investigation stems from
WWOK’s news bulletins concern¬
ing the reported sighting of a sub¬
marine in Catawba River.

“We are taking up this matter
with the chief of the Federal Com¬
munications Commission,” said
Mecklenburg Police Chief Joe D.
Whitley, “It isnT funny.”

The WWOK news reports began
Friday morning announcing that
the station had received calls re¬
porting a submarine sighted near
Buster Boyd bridge in the Cataw¬
ba.

At 15-minute intervals came fur¬
ther reports purportedly of phone
calls from people who had sighted
w'hat they believed to be a sub.

Then came a rapid build-up of
the "submarine story” with river¬
side and man-on-the-street inter¬
views, all rather blandly received.

WWOK’s enthusiasm w'as damp¬
ened not a whit as it reported
the city agog with the story, a
“deluge” of calls giving various
descriptions of w'hat might have
been a submarine and Implored
listeners to stay tuned to WWOK
news, “first, fast and factual” on
further developments on the sub¬
marine in the Catawba.

While WWOK endured the “del¬
uge” hot one of the city’s six other
stations nor WCGC in -Belmont had
a single call.

The only reports received by
police came from WWOK, unable
to furnish complete names and
addresses of any of their sub-,
m arine story sources.

WWOK authorities Insisted they
w^ere doing a news job.

“We figured It was a rumor,”
said WWOK’s Dick Brown, “and
we said so. We kept qualifying
the thing as a possible product of
mass Imagination running wild.
We figured we were being duped.

but we’re happy. We got a Jillion
phone calls!”

The State Highway Patrol re-
i layed to Mecklenburg County Po-
j lice a phone call from WWOK to
I the effect that a submarine report
■ had been received and that crowds
I of people were gathering on the
scene at the Buster Boyd Bridge
I on York Road.

j Chief Whitley said; “Suppose a
' real police emergency had come
' up w'hile we are chasing down a
j thing like that?”

Sonny Fox to WNEW-TV
For Sabbath ‘Wonderama’

Sonny (“Let’s Take a Trip”) Fox
is joining WNEW-TV, N. Y.. as the
new emcee of the station’s Sabbath
• morning moppet block. The pres-
j ent title “Wonderama” is being
j altered and the accompanying em¬
cees, Bill Britten and Doris Fay,
are being dropped. Show will be
called, from Jan. 4 onward, “The
World of. Wonderama with Sonny
Fox” and the format will be
changed somewhat.

Fox will do more live educa¬
tional material, principally at the
outset a running series on rocketry^
for kids. Show will retain many of
its film segs. Current stanza runs
from 9 to 12:30. will start at
9:30 and end at 12:30.

Hope’s Soviet Repeat

Repeat of Bob Hope’s hour-long
visit to Moscow and his encounter
with Russian talent will be seen
over NBC-TV Sunday, Jan. 25 from
4 to 5 p.m.

Original Hope show was aired
Sunday, April 5. Repeat will be
sustaining.

Memphis—^Boone Nevin, W;.fc.
Memphis and Midsouth radio and
tv exec, has been elevated to post
of general manager of WHBQ radio
from sales manager of WHBQ-TV.

THANKS, MR. ED "SOLOMON"

FOR HAVING US ON YOUR SHOW DECEMBER 28th

(OUR 20fh APPEARANCE FOR YOU)

RICKIE

LAYNE

and VELVEL

RECORDS" Brota—"Everybody Loves a Lover" b/w "Rockin' at the Matzoball"

■Ihwnvva (THANKS JIM CONKLING—PRES. W.B. RECORDS)

TFrFVISION" Sullivan Show (Our Own Series in Production)

ABNER J. CRESHLER, PRODUCER

PBBUCITY: Wowl 5 Pages in Life Entertainment Issue, Dec. 22nd

SBPPER CLBBS: Ciirrantly, EDEN ROC HOTEL, Ml.i.1 End,

PKTBRES: Plenty I We own a Kodakl

P*rson«l Manaa.m.nti AINER J. GRESHLER, SlMSM Tewtn WMt. 1400 Sunat Rivit., Hollywood 4i, Calif.

28

P^KS^ff

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

f

Due to circumstances beyond our control, ice present our regularly scheduled

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

29

;

newspaper column ...

I F NEW York’s regular newspapers
had been published last week you
could have read some remarkable trib¬
utes to the creative abilities of the CBS
Television Network’s programming de¬
partment. They followed last Thurs¬
day night’s broadcast of “The Hasty
Heart,” starring Don Murray and
Barbara Bel Geddes, and presented as
the Du Pont Show of the Month.

W riting-for The New York Times
syndicate of newspapers outside
New York, Jack Gould started his re¬
view by calling the program “Superb
.. .The comedy and poignancy of the
John Eatrick play was magnificently
realized in a production of enormous
sensitivity and understanding. It was
one of the television season’s events.”

H arriet Van Horne, normally visi¬
ble in the New. York World-
Telegram and Sun, expressed her
opinions only in out-of-town Scripps-
Howard newspapers: “It was a sjWen-
did 90 minutes beside the home screen.
It’s too bad the ‘Show of the Month’
cannot become the ‘Show of the Week’.”

O utside New York, the newspapers
let out their full stop of praise,
e.g.. The Evening Bulletin in Philadel¬
phia : “There has been no more lumi¬
nous, powerful and magnificently
enacted play on television in recent
seasons than last night’s ‘The Hasty
Heart.’ The drama was a preciously
rare offering in which all the elements
of superlative theatre yrere fused into
an unforgettable experience ... Al¬
though producer Gordon Duff and
Director Tom Donovan applied the
body, it was Don Murray who gave it
life. It rates him ian Emmy nomination
summa cum laude.”

A cross the river ihe Newark Evening
jl\.. News called the program “a rare
event... just about perfect TV enter¬
tainment .. . blessed with a faultless
cast...Everything meshed beautifully
into a great piece of entertainment...
We were ready to suggest spot awards
immediately to everybody, not forget¬
ting the excellent work of producer
Gordon Duff and director Tom Dono¬
van. It was sheer delight.”

Meanwhile, Charles Mercer sent out
across the country over the wires of
the Associated Press his belief that
“Broadway supplied television with a
work of superb entertainment when
‘The Hasty Heart* was presented on
CBS-TV... Fine direction helped to
make this Gordon Duff production the
best *Du Pont Show of the Month’ of
the season thus far.”

I f you happened to have been one of
the 34 million people who saw the
program, this clamor of excitement
probably only confirmed your own. It
is the kind of excitement that frequent¬
ly surrounds the work of the most im¬
pressive array of creative producers,
writers and directors of any television
network.

CBS®

so

bahio-iclevision

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

AFTRA’s Settlement

Continued from paee 19

parently the reason they and their
clients have fought so hard to keep
AFTEA contract winnings down to
the present SAG. level—will have
to give SAG pretty much what it
asks in rates which means only that
sponsors will have translated to
them untold additional e^^penses
in blurbs and even programming.
The big SAG problem in the -dick¬
ers is considered to be its “need"
to also get an additional 5% for
pension & welfare, extra benefits
AFTRA has had for some time.

The networks now face the ire of
some of the larger bankroUers,
■who are said to recognize the fact
that their orders to hold the line
have been broken. One observa¬
tion is that the networks couldn’t
realistically hold that line and
have, as a consequence, worked
consciously to keep AFTRA’s re¬
wards within that tenuous area
“where the sponsors can’t get too
mad, although mad they’ll get.’’

As a case in point, the networks,
caught all the time in a vice by
adamant union negotiators and ad¬
amant behind-the-scenes sponsors,
managed to kill much of the pay-
for-pay principal, a blueprint
whereby commercial performers
are paid fees for each and every
time a blurb is aired. But AFTRA
executives have already stated that
they’ll try for pay-for-play again
In 1960 and “we’ll get it, particu^
larly if w'e can affect a merger of
some kind with SAG.’’

Many hoped-for gains in radio
rates were foregone in the course
of negotiations, it is reported, so
that AFTRA could concentrate on
building video charges and working
conditions. It is the first time that
AFTRA was in a position to dicker
categories comparable to those

THIS IS

SOME SMOKE

WGN-TV commercials get
results because WGN-TV
programming keeps folks
watching. For proof, let
our specialists fill you In on
some WGN-TV case his¬
tories and discuss your
sales problems.

In your Chicago sales with

W@N-TV

Channel 9
Chicago

within SAG’S purview. This in¬
cludes tv commercial and program
.residuals, which SAG has always
had because of the permanency of
film and which are now possible for
AFTRAns due to the advent of
video tape.

An outspoken reason for trying
for higher rates than SAG is the
attempt to prove to the actor mem¬
berships of both unions that
AFTRA is allegedly the stronger
of the two. If enough actors can
be convinced of this, and that’s the
way AFTRA’s been addressing the
situation, AFTRA figures it can win
control of video tape commercials.

‘ (SAG and AFTRA are currently
engaged in NLRB hearings on this
very jurisdictional issue, which
eventually is expected to go to a
I rank-and-file vote for final deter-
! mination.)

! Overseas Reruns

I Last summer, before the contract
talks began, AFTRA forced the is¬
sue and got NBC-TV to guarantee
residual payments for live network
programs which are recorded on
video tape and then sold to over¬
seas outlets. What NBC gave was
WTitten into the contract for all
the networks: Unionites, who are
receiving less than double scale for
a first performance, can earn a
potential of 45% of scale for over¬
seas reruns, the biggest single part
of that residual being the 20% of
scale paid after sale ’ to English
' outlets.

AFTRA made a big thing out of
having gained the principal of pay¬
ment for the sixth, seventh and
eighth runs of a taped program in
tv. Union, -ft'hich opened negotia¬
tions with the networks armed
with the express intent of winning
infinite residual payments, won
only an additional three runs, with
10% for the sixth run and 5% for
each of the seventh and eighth
nms of a taped stanza. . But
AFTRAns insist that even if the
rates won weren’t 50 very high,
their union has “broken the pat¬
tern once and for all of cutting off
residuals after only five runs of a
show.’’ With this so-called prece¬
dent as the kickoff point, AFTRA j
is definitely going to shoot for (1) |
higher pro.gram residuals and (2) |
unending program residuals when
it again begins . dickers in ’60.
AFTRA gets 75% of scale for first
rerun, ditto second rerun and 50%
for each of the third, fourth and
fifth reruns, which is the rate
established in one of the past con¬
tracts, and with the addition of the
three new runs it has raised the
total residual potential from 300%
of scale to 320%. This compares
to SAG’S first 35%, second 30%
and third, fourth and fifth runs
of 25% each, which amounts to
140% of scale. _

Announcer Threats

Last Wednesday (17), before gen¬
eral agreement ■was reached with
the webs, the networks were faced
with a strike threat from AFTRA
staff announcers, who demanded
that they receive written guaran¬
tee against staff reductions as the
result of tape. However, the
AFTRA bargaining group informed
them that-a contract covering 12,-
000 to 14,000 AFTRAns could not
be jeopardized because of 70 men.
The announcers, who since 1956
average $28,000 apiece at NBC and
$25,000 at CBS, “went away re¬
assured,” it was reported.

Incidentally, when a strike vote
was taken on the staff reduction
issue, 70% of the ABC network
gabbers voted to forego the de¬
mand if it meant strike. Before the
session with the bargaining com¬
mittee, NBC and CBS were almost
solidly for a strike. Reason ABC’s
men were against the reduction
clause, even though they are clear¬
ly the lowest paid among netv-ork
announcing staffers, was because
they felt ABC was on the rise and
they “didn’t want to disturb what
may be a good thing,” it was ex¬
plained.

Space doesn’t permit a complete
breakdown of AFTRA’s new rates,
but below is a representative com¬
parison between AFTRA and SAG
in the commercial field:

On-camera, first use—^AFTRA,

$93 and SAG, $80; builllng to $983
for AFTRA and $865.17 for SAG-
on 26 weeks use of the same pro¬
gram blurb. For second use of on-
camera blurb actors, first use in
AFTRA is $93 and SAG’s is $55,
building to 13-use rate of $818 and
$715, respectively.

Roughly similar ground was
gained by AFTRA (vs. SAG) in off-
camera network commercials.

In the important “wild spot”
area, the rates ai’e these: AFTRA,
$200 and SAG, $170.13 weeks use.
Both of these are based on use in
six to 20 television markets, for on-
camera work. Similar rate dif¬
ferences will prevail for spots used
in one to five markets on up to
those used nationally (in 125 cities
or over}.

Other details in the AFTRA con¬
tract on spot commercials include
the fact AFTRA was able to nego¬
tiate similar rates for “foreground”
and “background” performances,
whereas in SA(5, due to the defi¬
nition of backgrounders as “ex¬
tras.” separate rates are in force.

AFTRA's “session fee” pay for
commercialeers is $93 on camera,
SAG’s “daily base pay” is $80.
AFTRA has a five-hour on-camera
“day.” SAG one of eight hours;
SAG. has a “day” of two, three and
four hours off-camera for players,
soloists and groups, while AFTRA
has three-hour session for all.

‘Maverick’

—j Continued from page 17 ,

adaptation puts the “Maverick”
version in a mythical resort town
of the “Maverick” era. Principal
character is a girl who’s a little
guilty about being rich, and her
characterization is retained intact.
There’s also a non-existent char¬
acter in the play, and here Har¬
grove takes liberties and makes
this character, into Bret Maverick.

Says Huggins; “ ‘The Rivals’ was
still extremely timely in ‘Maver¬
ick’s era—in fact, it was a great
stage favorite then—and it’s stiU
funny though no longer topical to¬
day,” Huggins feels that the clas¬
sics provide a great fund of po¬
tential material, but observes that
“the way to approach the classics
is not with awe and reverence, but
with a feeling of affectionate lar¬
ceny.” For that matter, he’s even
toyin.g with the idea of cleaning
up “Lysistrata” enough to make it
the basis of a “Maverick” plot.

ABC Radio

- Continued from nage 19

in the “Breakfast Club.” This
This brings Y&R back into major
status on “Breakfast.)

Web got the Hayes show (from
CBS) for the 10-10:10 spot and
now hopes to fill the entire 10-
11 a.m. block with programs be¬
fore the next few months are out.
ABC, under veepee Edward De-
Gray, is followiUg the strict policy
of not programming anything that
is not literally pre-sold to bank-
rollers. DeGray says he has some
on tap for the other 50 minutes
in the ayem block, now that Hayes
has provided an opening wedge.

Web has increased its news line¬
up, added a sponsored (Plymouth)
Lawrence Welk show, and added
“The Noble Challenge,” under¬
written by the Red Cross, to its
pubaffairs sked. In short, DeGray
says the “operation has become
stabilzed.”

Rube Goldberg

Continued from page 18

ceased operations in September
pending disposition of its facilities.
With the permit up for grabs,
prospects are it will be dark next
September and perhaps the follow¬
ing year too.

Boston Case

Judge Horace Stern on Monday
(22), scheduled a pre-hearing con¬
ference on the Boston channel 5
case for Jan. 5.

At that time. Stern, special Fed¬
eral Communications Commission
hearing examiner, w'iU decide on
the date for the formal rehearing
of the influence case.

Siess

Contlautd from pafo M
usually has to be present at all
filming sessions, to make sure the
interpretation is played American-
style. Otherwise, pacing, even the
dialog inflections, can be way off.

Suess believes that Europe has
hardly been scratched for its po¬
tential backgrounds for telefilm, or
for that matter for features. He
did an “Exclusive,” telefilm series
dealing with the Overseas Press
Club, in Greece, with the story in¬
volved that of the murder of
George Polk, with Ralph Bellamy
starring. With locations, natural
backgrounds and all, film was
brought in for $25,000, “And we
couldn’t have duplicated it in the
U. S. for $40,000.” He doesn’t be¬
lieve a series should shoot abroad
unless the setting of the show calls
for the foreign background, but if
it does, there’s a "tt’ealth of loca¬
tions available at great savings.

Suess is currently Involved in a
change of pace for him. He’s
serving as production manager on
the new Hal Roach feature film.
"The Swingin’ Story of Johnny
Melody,” the Alan Freed-Frankie
Avalon rock ‘n’ roller which will
film at Fox Movietone Studios in
New York. Suess was here for
huddles at Roach last week before
leaving for Gotham to set up pro¬
duction.

Following the feature stint, he'll
probably return to Europe. Among
other projects, he has two series of
his own he’d like to start, “Con¬
fessions of a Scoundrel,” based on
the memoirs of international press-
agent Guido Orlando, and “Shark
Malone,” adventure series set off
the Spanlsh-Portuguese coast.

Color n

Continued from pass IT
mains as NBC’s sole 90-minute
tint dispenser.

NEC’s boast that the network
is presently engaging in more
hours of color programming than
any previous semester is tmques-
tionably true. But the very nature
of the NBC fare mitigates against
creating the necessary excitement
(and. it’s long been accepted that
color tv, to be successful, must
go hand in hand with excitement).

It’s all very well, goes the com¬
plaint, to showcase a “Price Is
Right,” or a “Northwest Passage,”
or an “Ellery Queen” on the reg¬
ular color schedules, but how are
these going to get people talking
about the -virtues of tint? True,
the Dinah Shore and the Perry
Como displays come close to ap¬
proximating the desired goal to¬
ward stimulating visual excitement
and interest (as with an occasional 1
Jerry Lewis or Dean Martin spe¬
cial or one of the more eye-filling
Hallmark shows), but w'hat is lost
.is the impact of those -R’cek-after-
'week 90-minufe tint specs, so alien
to today’s program thinking.

Interestkigly enough, perhaps
the two most talked-about shows
this season were the Fred Astaire
NBC entry and the “Wonderful
Town” two-hour big-big show on
CBS. Neither was in color. (CBS’
shunning of tint for “Wonderful
Town” is understandable since the
Columbia boys have been down¬
beating and downgrading the tint
contribution).

Also interesting to note (and
again indicative of the type of
programming currently In favor
around the networks) Is the fact
that not a single one of the Top
15 shows on the new Nielsens is i
a color entry. Back In the pris¬
matic days of the Oldsmobile specs,
the Sunday “Color Spreads” and
“Producers Showcase” they w'ere a
shoo-in.

It’s recognized that good, excit¬
ing shows in themselves won’t turn
the trick. The set cost factor-is
ever paramount. But since the Ini¬
tial excitement of the new color
dimension a few years back, it’s
aa though NBC, hi the last lap
of the race, has lost heart and in¬
stead of re-marshalling its forces
to Justify the $100,000,000 venture,
appears to be waiting for the mir¬
acle to happen with everyone
rushing out to buy a tint set.

High Court Rfijects
Indpis. TV Review

Washington, Dec. 23.

U.S. Supreme Court has refused
to review Indianapolis Channel 13
case, which Federal Communica¬
tions Commission has already set
for rehearing Jan. 23.

Court of Appeals had vacated
FCC’s award of outlet to Crosley
Broadcasting Corp. on grounds
that Commissioner T. A. M. Cra¬
ven had improperly participated
because he had not heard oral ar¬
guments. In remanding case back
to FCC ,the lower court also con¬
tended that tv awards must be
made by majority, rather than
plurality of participating commis¬
sioners.

FCC took two votes in the case
Feb. 27, 1957. The first. In which
six Commissioners participated,
gave Crosley a plurality of three,
two . other applicants one vote
apiece with Commissioner Robert
T. Bartley voting to reopen hearing.
Second ballot gave Crosley four-
vote majority after Craven was
persuaded to withdraw his ab¬
stention and break the deadlock.

In its appeal to the Supreme
Court, Crosley contended that
WIBC, Inc., which iidtiated chal¬
lenge of the aw'ard, had waived its
right to protest Craven’s partici¬
pation. But even If Craven’s vote
were ruled out, Crosley said, the
first vote giving it a three-vote
plurality made the grant valid.

FCC told the Supreme Court in
opposing the Crosley appeal that
the Commission has always taken
the view that a majority of parti¬
cipating members is necessary for
a tv award.

NTA’S DREAM PACKAGE

of 85 feature films from the
studios of 20th Century-Fox
and other important producers

Each and every one of theB5
feature films in this distin¬
guished group offers a sales
and rating dreamt top-flight
stars, first-rate pictui'es.

THIS ABOVE ALL

I Tyrone Power, Joan Fontaine
Thomtis Mitchell

; CALLNORTHSIDE 777

James Stewart. Lee J. Cobb. Richard Coata

MOTHER WORE TIGHTS

Betty Gntble, Dan Dailey

THE RAINS CAME

Tyrone Power, Myrna Lojr

HEAVEN CAN WAIT

Gene Tierney, Don Araecht

CALL OF THE WILD

Clark Gable. Loretta YounC

ROAD TO GLORY

Fredric March. Lionel Barrymor*

LILLIAN RUSSELL

Alice Faye, Don Ameche. Henry Fonda

NIGHTMARE AtUY

Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell

DANTE’S INFERNO

Spencer Tracy. Claire Trevor

REMEMBER THE DAY

Claudette Colbert. John Paynt

SON OF FURY

Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, George Sandert

; I WONDER WHO’S KISSING HER NOW

June Haver, Mark Stevens

THE tOVES OF EDGAR AlUN POE

Linda Darnell. John Sheppard

FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER

Loretta Young. George Sanders, David Niven

STREET WITH NO NAME

Mark Stevens, Richard Widmark,

Lloyd Nolan

For the full story,

get in touch today with ,..

NATIONAL TELEFILM
ASSOCIATES, INC.,

10 Columbus Circle. New York 19

Slopcux i^ocl —

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

81

1958

another year of tremendous progress for

Britain's ABC
Television Network

Audiences growing, revenue increasing and new studios
under construction... yes, 1958 has been another great year
for.Britain’s ABC Network.

To cap it all, many of our new programme ideas
have clicked—among them:

I Hanover Square, London, Wi
A MEMBER OF THE

ASSOCIATED BRITISH PICTURE CORPORATION

. ■.-.V.Pl,:

Oh Boy!

a smash hit. Oh Boy I a national success, is the fastest-moving show
on television. Crisp production, brilliant lighting and Britain^a top
performers of today** beat music have given Oh Boyl an appeal
much wider than the teenage market it primarily aims at.

The Time of Your Life

a new high in television drama. From time to time a really excep¬
tional production sets new standards in tv. This was the case with
ABC’s national presentation of Saroyan’s ‘The Time of Your Life*
with a star-studded cast from the New York City Center Theatre.

Coventry Cathedral Festival of the Arts

enhancing television’s stature. ABC presented Coventry Cathedral
Festival of the Arts in aid of the rebuilding of the war-destroyed
Cathedral. Verse, music and ballet—^with British top liners like
Alicia Markova, Anton Dolin and Sybil Thorndike taking part-^
were combined in a memorable—and much applauded—^production.

The Sunday Break

getting through to teenagers, ABc’s ‘The Svmday Break’ is the first
television programme to hold teenagers on a level above pure enter¬
tainment. ABC’s teenage club—^wjth frank discussion in an informal
atmosphere—^is a great example of television’s acceptance of the
challenge of 6ur times.

and, our most recent success

The Book Man

A* we close for press, reviews arc coming through on the national
laimching of ‘The Book Man’, television’s only regtilar programme
devoted to books and authors, reviews like

*A genuine enlargement of teleinsion^s scope*

LONDON DAILY MAIL

‘ J7i< Book Man has a big future
LONDON DAILY EXPRESS

These are five highspots in a great year
for Britain's abc Network,

Look for news of successes in jpyp

32

RADIO-TELE VISION

Wednesday, December 24, 1953

U!SRiEfr

Poor Job In Presenting News

Continued from pafi;e 19

key. (WRCA-TV, in this instance)
prideful of the fact, gave over the
0 to 10 a.m. Sunday spot to de¬
tailed news reports from the N, Y.
Times. The reports, it was said by
critics, were sound, journalese, but
they should have been read on
radio, if only because the tv ex¬
posure lacked any interesting vis¬
ual elements. Plus that many peo¬
ple reportedly objected to the tv
show being too early.

Radio by and large stuck to its
teaser format.

Detractors admitted that a minor
number of Gotham outlets tried to
overcome their tradition - bound
handling of news, and with some
measure of success. Only one up¬
beat station was specified in this
survey of execs, however, and that
was the N. Y. Times-owned & oper¬
ated WQXR, which had the benefit
of some of its best repertorial
names reading their own unpub¬
lished material.

Drumbeaters, it was claime#.
have been limiting their promo¬
tional sorties to announcement of
additional newscasts and the fact
that they assumed the responsibil¬
ity of issuing a few features, e.g.,
theatre and motion picture re¬
views, Broadway columns and
comic strips w'hich newspaper
readers missed in the last fort¬
night. But, it is averred, radio and
television failed in paralleling the
more significant new points of the
dailies, that being the editorials'
themselves.

To keep CBS-TV personnel up
on happenings, its press section
began servicing “Today's News,” a
one-sheet mimeo job. The press
info division prepared it in co¬
operation with CBS News and in
addition to furnished international
news and sports it carried the
web’s tv highlight listings for the
da.v. WRCA-TV and WRCA-AM
continued to publish a. daily news
handout which it distributed at
railroad centers, etc. WABC-TV
maintained its policy of expanded
news coverage by presenting an
average of 11 extra daily news¬
casts from sign-on to sign-ofif. Since
the beginning of the strike the
video outlet also got' considerable
new biz including several motion
picture accounts, among them
“Separate Tables” and “I Want
to Live.”

Trlb Staffers on CBS ,

Taking a leaf from the RCA-TV
tieup with the New York Times
for special Sunday morning broad¬
casts, WCBS-TV did a simUar 90-
minute job with other newspapers
last Sunday (21). WCBS-TV ex-

ON EVirr CKANNIL V!

BROOKS

COSTUMES

3 W*«< Mil SI., N.Y.C*T*). PL7-M

panded its “Eye on New York”
with Bill Leonard to 90 minutes
and had top newspaper writers
available. The roster included a
flock N.Y. Herald Tribuners, among
them John Crosby, tv critic, Milton
Lewis, local news; Paul V. Berkley,
film critic; Connie Woodward, so¬
ciety news; Maurice Dolbier, books,
etc. Frank Adams, The Times, city
editor, also appeared on the WCBS-
TV roundup, as did Sylvia Porter
of the N.Y. Post. Show was rounded
out with several CBS newsmen.
The “Eye on N.Y.” deal, purely
public service, was worked out, in¬
sofar as the Trib was concerned,
with Otis Guernsey, entertainment
editor, and John Day, director of
CBS News. It w’as also decided that
the Trib would have two or three
staffers from its entertainment sec¬
tion on WCBS-TV from 1 to 1:30 p.m
daily in specials starting Monday
i22). It’s estimated Sunday’s show
would have cost about $22,000 on
a straight commercial basis. Web’s
Gotham outlet also engaged “Cap¬
tain Kangaroo” to read the comics
on Sunday morning. Meanwhile,
station was filling its few remain¬
ing commercial spots with pitches
for such showbiz accounts as “Ral¬
ly Round the Flag, Boys” and
“Cold Wind and the Warm.” Ad¬
ditionally, it had revamped its
running news sign atop the Bond
Store in Times Square. Ordinarily,
the sign runs from dusk to 1 a.m.
but with the advent of the news¬
paper strike it upped news from
noon to 1 a.m., changing the new's
tape ever>" 30 minutes for news-
starved crowds.

"WNEW, in addition to on-the-
hour and half-hour news around
the clock, used quarter-hour pe¬
riods for headlines plus special
features. Martin Weldon also hy¬
poed the news operations of the
station with the town’s top col¬
umnists reading their columns. He
presented such figures as Earl
Wilson. Igor Cassini, Bob Consi-
dine, Nick Kenny, Marie Torre,
Jimmy Cannon. On Monday (22)
Richard Watts, N.Y. Post’s drama
crix, read his review of the open¬
ing of “Whoop Up.” Station also
worked up taped half-hour panel
on effects of the shutdown on biz
In general, education, politics, .etc.
It recorded a flock of cartoonists
reading their own comic strips,
this as a special Sunday morning
gimmick for kids. Cartoonists In¬
cluded Milton Canlff, Irvdn Hasen,
Alfred Andriola, John Prentice,
Leonard Starr and Md Lazarus.
Furthermore all the comics from
Kings Features were read by staff
men. WNEW also used beeper In¬
terviews with key flgures In the
strike as well as a “People’s Panel”

! In w'hlch personalities over the
I phone gave their reactions to the
: strike and how It was affecting
I them. Reportedly big with femme
} listeners was a daily summary of
! best food buys In the city com-
; piled by the Department of Mar-
! kets.

I Again, WQXR, the N.Y. Times’

; radio outlet commanded respect
> for its stepped-up coverage.

Drumbeaters from virtually all
AM-T'V outlets heralded the fact
that their bosses -were busily up¬
ping the news coverage. This In¬
cluded WINS, WMGM, WMCA,
WOV, WLIB, WOR and the others
stations.

Perhaps the only bold voice on
the airlanes to hurl a rock at the
fifth estate was the aforemen¬
tioned Crosby. Speaking on the
WCBS-TV show he saild radio-tv,
w'as not doing an adequate job,
.especially on the coverage of the
strike. Immediately, Walter Crpn-

kite, CBS newsman, came on and
remarked: “Mr.- Crosby, may I
take this opportunity to tell you
the most recent news about the
strike from our oujn correspond¬
ents.” Cronkite stressed the “own"
and continued with the news of
the moment.

Don Sherwood

Continned from page 21

shipped back to KHJ-TV, w'hich
erases it (storing a backlog is out
because of the topical nature of
the show), reusing the tape for sub¬
sequent shows.

Business of erasing the tape is
important because Burgie, instead
of being tapped for a $350 per
week charge for a one-hour reel of
taoe, is charged only $25 a week.
That’s KHJ-TV’s amortization
charge, since it figures a reel will
last 13 shows under normal erasure
procedure, and over the 13-week
period, the $25 a week charge
covers the cost of the tape.

More important in the economic
scheme of things is that even
though Burgie is doubling the
budget on the Sherwood show, to¬
tal cost for the two markets for a
one-hour stanza is still only the
same as a half-hour fii'strun syndi¬
cated stanza for one market. In
other words, average syndicated
show runs about $2,000 in L.A., and
that’s about the cost of the one-
hour Sherwood show after the
budget’s upped to cover both cities.

As for the stations economics,
KHJ-TV will share in any further j
expansion of the show to other
markets with Aixher Productions,
Sherv’ood’s company. Archer is
getting paid, via KHJ-TV, a good
price for San Francisco, but the
money Is being poured back into
the show for more live music, bet¬
ter gifests, etc., so that KHJ’s share
in the additional fee is nominaL
But once the series moves into
even mo^e markets, both Archer
and KHJ-TV w'ill be. cashing in.

On a comparable basis with a
live feed to San lYancisco, KHJ-TV
figures cable costs at about $600,
whereas the costs for shipping the
tape are almost nominal, and as
afore-mentioned, cost of the tape.
Itself Is amortized at $25 a week.
Burgie gets several other pluss.es
out of the show, as compared with;
syndicated film, such as fact that
the product indentificatlon is con¬
stant, what w'ith pictures of the
Burgle six-pack all over the set
and Sherwood handling much of i
the commercial copy himself. Also
a factor is flexibility in copy, with
BBD&O able to insert last-minute
changes, imposisible in use of
filmed commercials. ;

Chi AFTRA

Continued from page 19

ment was reached In the new pact
for a 159o increase on transcrip¬
tions that wiU be drculated ^ out¬
side the local area.

Among the other key points In
the new contract is that which lim¬
its station breaks to four per hour
and to a length of 70 seconds each,
thereby forcing a number of blurbs
to the body of the program. The
practice of slotting all commercials
in unlimited station breaks' had
been depriving some announcers of
premium pay.

Pact also provides that stations
must guarantee employment on a
13-week basis before they can qual¬
ify for multiple program discounts
on talent.

AFTRA negotiations with indie
stations will begin in January on
contracts that will expire March
31. Base rates for announcers at
the indies vary from $120-$157 per
week._’

SEASON'S CREETINCS

from

SCREEN^GEMS, INC.

TELEVISION SUSSIDIARY OF COLUMBIA FICTURES CORF.

711 Fifth AvtnM*. New York 22 PL 1-4432

Niw York oetxoit Chicago Hollywood miami Houston Toronto

From the Production Centres

——— Continued from pafO U i;—j g
. . . KT'VU’s general manager, Bill Pabst, has given Alpha Productions,
a project of Junior Achievement, a 13-week Sunday slot to.create th»
teenagers’ own live show . . . KQED off the air the entire week of Dee,
29 for technical adjustments.

IN PITTSBURGH . . .

Daily sports strip of Bob Prince and Jay Michael on WCAE has
been renewed for another year . . . Dave Tyson, WAMP deejay, slipped
in his tub while taking a shower and gash in his head required 10
stitches . . . Clark Race, all-night platter-spinner at KDKA; and hlf
wife celebrated their sixth wedding anni . . . Jim Westover, KDKA an¬
nouncer, and his wife took their year-old son to Indianapolis to spend
Christmas w'eek with Jim’s parents . . . Dave Lewis, promotion director
at Ch. 2, and his wife back from a Caribbean vacation . . . Jimmy
Gismondi has resigned as station manager and sportscaster at 'VVMBS
in Connellsville and will be replaced. Jan. 1 by Amy Canton, from
WCVI in Connellsville ... Jim Stark, of KDKA-TV, off to Mexico for
two weeks, his prize in a photographic contest by Skin Diving maga-*’
zine.

f/V BOSTOIS ...

WNAC-TV continuing its triple show of big films on Sundays to
good ratings . . . WEEI and Hub Kiwanis clubs to jion in CBS “Christ¬
mas Sing "With Bing” . . . Boston Symphony Orch in special concert on
WGBH-TV Xmas night . . . “Sign On Seminar,” new series on con¬
temporary literature, debuted on "WBE-TV Monday <22) at 6:30 a.m.
for 15 mins, with Dr. Floyd Zulli Jr. flying in. and continues cross-
the-board ... Ed Pearle, pub. dir., "WBE, nabbed photo layout in Bos¬
ton Globe on ‘'bachelor gives a party” theme . . . Louise Morgan,
"WNAC-TV personality, Xmas carding with photo of herself interview¬
ing S. Claus . . . New lineup at V/ILD has Stan Richards, formerly of
WORL, as program chief; Bill Marlowe, former WBZ disk jock, han¬
dling morning stint; Joe Smith, former disk jock of WMEX, handling
afternoon shows;, and Harold Segal, longtime "WORL salesman, in as
gen. mgr.

IN MINNEAPOLIS . . .

Apparentlj' as the result of an error in tape recordings cataloging
WISK had newscaster speculating as to the choice of the new Pope a
week after he already had been selected . . . U. of Minnesota Theatre
presented a 60-minute condensed version of Shaw’s “Saint Joan” over
educational station KTCA-TV ... A local “first” by KSTP-TV was the
stereophonic sound effects for setowners who timed in on the local
Apollo club male choir with both tv and radio sets at least eight feet
apart . . . National Television Associates’ KMSP-TV has expanded its
studios and offices . . . "iVCCO Radio claiming over air and in newspa¬
per ads that more people listen to it than the next five Twin Cities’
audio stations combined

IN ST. LOUIS . . .

William L. Jones Jr., former general sales manager of KWK, upped
to general manager. Before coming to St. Louis in October, he was
sales manager for WISN, Milwaukee . , . Bmce Hayward has switched
over to ICMOX from KXOK with an afternoon deejay program. He
retains his affiliation as newscaster at KTVI-'TV . . . Jim Bradley, who
hails from 'WRBI, Columbus, Ga.. has joined KXOK’s deejay staff and
is billed as “Gentleman Jim Bradley.”

IN PHILADELPHIA . . .

WIBG deejay Dong Arthur, conductor of “Danceland” for the past
20 years, exited station fl9). Staffer Tom Donahue takes over the
daily sessions . . . Harold Mathews, former WFIL-TV producer- di¬
rector, now with N. "W. Ayer, in New York ... In lieu of annual Christ¬
mas gifts to agency execs and press, WRCV, WRCV-TV is donating
$1,000 to charity . . . Rev. Stanley Gambel will read Dickens’ “A
Christmas Carol” on WFIL-TV. for the sixth consecutive year . . .
WIBG has signed Roy Campanella for seven nightly sport shows a week
. • . WFIL-TV, skedding re-runs of “Meet McGraw.” aired on NBC
last year, for Sunday nights at 10 . . . WCAU-TV presents a special
live program (25) by a newly-formed local group, “Ballet Northw'est.**
Jim Hirschfeld is director and producer

Herman Rush

Continued from pace 3L

shouldn’t get a fair profit. That
35% distribution fee. Rush re¬
minded, indues sales expenses,
overhead, booking, shipping, ad¬
ministrative costs and other items,
and there’s not much left in the
way of profit. If a series proves
successful, there’s no reason why
the distrib shouldn’t benefit, since
when it’s a flop, it’s the distrib
who takes the beating.

Rush was here last week to firm
up one property he’s been nursing
along,” and tb get another for
syndication. He found no “sub¬
stantial properties available” while
here, stating that of what he had
seen, there was usually some ele¬
ment of the property that hadn’t
been tied up. ‘’I’m sure that there
are good properties around,” he
said, “but I haven’t seen any yet.”
Meanwhile, he’s completed plans
for production of a firstrun-syndi¬
cated series to be filmed in New
[ York, with Paul Stewart starring,
and plans to go into second-year
production on “Citizen Soldier.”

While here, he also picked up a
post-’48 feature from Herbert Vaus,
“Wire-Tapper.” Rush is actively
searching for leature properties,
but reports they are “ai^ully hard
to find.”

St. Paul—Twin Cities education¬
al television station, KTCA-TV,
will receive from the Minnesota
Centennial celebration commission
$100,000 of its unexpended funds
to go toward building a studio if
the state legislature, convening
next year, approves and additional
funds can be guaranteed.

I RECESSION!

I INFLATION!
i DEPRESSION!!

■cot Them AH At

Boft

I Wh*r* counHatt calabritits and sodtly I
I woman soya thouionds on their ward- |
I rebas of tha nawast and finest clothat |
I iii America. Tb# Bon Prix carries Sam-1
I pies and "Closeouts” from the most |
I calabratad Datignars and Couturiers at |
I d fraction of tha prices advertised in |
I the ■ foremost fashion magaxmas.

I THE BON PRIX |

I "Bargain Star* for MilUonairns" |
11006 - First Ava, (cor. 55th St.) N.Y.C. ^

joHMHTjamsimi

Memphis—Keith Nighbert, who
aided in spearheading WKNO-TV,
Memphis’ educational tv opera¬
tion (Channel 10), will exit his
post here as station chief to move
in as g.m. of WENH, Durham, N.H.,
educational tv station. He will
take over his new post in January.

Luncheon serred Noon to 3 P.M.
Mondoy thru Friday
COCKTAILS—DINNER—SUPPER
848 Second Avenue ot 45th Street
Member oil charge clubs
MU 4-725&-OpcR 7 days

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

BADIO-TELEVISIOIW

33

^niETY

Television Followup Comment

; Continued from page 23 i

with one of the best acting stints
of his career, a solid-as-a-rock stint
that spelled thesping maturity
throughout. Dennis Hopper, as the
brother, turned in a versatile per¬
formance as the heartless bum who
can turn on the emotions like a
faucet.

Supporting cast was uniformly
good, with Lyle Bettger scoring as
a tough but understanding police
captain, Leo Fuchs in a small comic
bit, Whitney Blake as a sympa¬
thetic girl, Dick Wessel as a tough
diner operator and Gordon Gebert
Jr. and Jimmy Baird as the
brothers as children.

Paul Stanley’s direction was taut
and probing, and Peter Kortner’s
bow as producer on the series was
an auspicious one, Chan.

The George Gobel Show

Things must be pretty rough
over at the George Gobel shop
when the comic has to resort to
an old burlesque routine like the
little German professor and the
tall, well-stacked and dignified
bab?, even if the turn this time
ostensibly dealt with child psy¬
chology. Not that the turn didn’t
have its fuhny moments, but it
just wasn’t Gobel.

Lonesome George isn’t lonesome
anymore; he’s all but abandoned
his onetime stock-in-trade, a
unique style, and he’s now indis-
-tinguishable from a dozen other
comics knocking themselves out
for laughs. Someone seeing

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State Trooper..12.8

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Sea Hunt. 17.9

State Trooper.17.5

Honeymooners.15.2

SERGEANT PRESTON.29.4

Honeymooners.23.6

Whirlybirds:. .22.5

Sea Hunt.:.18.8

Highway Patrol....12.3

SERGEANT PRESTON.27.3

Sea Hunt. 22.5

Adventure Scott Island.17.3

Gray Ghost.12.4

Silent Service... 4.8

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S/25/58 State Trooper. 14.5

Highway Patrol.‘ 9.6

Silent Seo/ice.. 6.4

Sheriff of Cochise. 3.6

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Silent Service..21.8 I

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Gobel for the first time Tuesday
night would find few indications
of the once fresh Gobel style of
amiable nonsense that shot him
to the top of the tv heap.

Most of. the show was pedestrian
in its approach and its results.
Guestar Ernie Ford and Gobel
teamed for a tiresome takeoff on
commercials in a country music
show setting, with such obvious
business as the tonic advertised
eating through a table. Gobel’s
turn with Phyllis Avery was okay,
but gone is the tartne.ss that dis¬
tinguished GobeTs “Alice” bits
and in its place is a somewhat
strained attempt at humor mixed
wath occasionally sticky sentimen¬
tality.

Show had its bright spots, name¬
ly, an opening wherein Gobel
showed some of his old flair, with
an audience stooge coming up for
an electronic gismo of a door prize
but turning it down when neither
he nor Gobel could figure out
what it was; Ford’s snappy vocal¬
ization of “Muskrat Ramble”; Joe
Stafford’s fine piping of- “The
Christmas Song”; The Kids Next
Door doing a Snike Jones-styled
“Temptation” and Gobel and Miss
Avery duetting on “When a Fella
Needs a Girl.” But these were the
variety elements, not the comedy,
and comedy is basic stuff for the
Gobel format. Bea Arthur was
fine as Gobel’s foil in the pro¬
fessor bit. Norman Lear and Grey
Lockwood have taken over direc¬
tion-chores, with Lear-continuing
as head wTiter. Perhaps Lear
should have concentrated more on
the writing this time out. Chan.

Saudek

Continued from pa^e 19

umn. I know it because I know
that in just my own limited area
of activity, my associates and 1 are
engaged in commercial television
with real, live sponsors, and we
are empowered to pay many times
as much money to the truly great
creative people of our time today
as radio ever paid to its most
popular, and least distinguished
stars in the very prime of its com¬
mercial life. More than that, we
are today bidding competitively
for the services of Peter Ustinow
—perhaps the .greatest figure in
western dramatic literature and
performance of our time; we are
bidding competitively from against
other commercial “television pro¬
grams for Leonard Bernstein, for
Helen Hayes, for verse plays by
Christopher Fry and for adapta¬
tions. of the classics. We are en¬
gaged in a race for the newspapers
to see who gets into print first
with the announcement of a par¬
ticular opera performance . , .
These are the signs of the future
of television.”

He predicted that “political cov¬
erage is certain to expand, and in
expanding it will demand. Science
programs will be next on the list,
and knowledge will constitute the
bare minimum of what will be ex¬
pected of you. Television drama
is alread.v on its wav toward be¬
ing the Elizabethan Theatre of our
century. Music—the greatest music
is already in greater demand than
there are good enough producers
to supply it in television terms.”

In conclusion, he said, “the fatal
error lies in taking false comfort
in what you see, on the average
today. The buds will burst, the
rivers and streams will thaw, the
forces of spring will inevitably be
pressing on us, and the future of
television Is rising as surely and
steadily as the spring tides.”

Radio Advertising

Continued from page 1 ,

000,000 boost over last year, with
100,000,000 of them in homes, B8,-
000,000 in automobiles and 12,000,-
OOO in public places. . And, NAB
added, more than 97^ of U.S.
homes have at least one radio.

Also, nab continued,, the num¬
ber of commercial broadcasting
stations swelled by 400 in 1958,
winding up with 3,307 AM stations
and 562 FM stations.

Cited by NAB was the height¬
ened interest in broadcast editor¬
ials. An industry survey showed
that almost one-third of broadcast-
100,000,000 of tin homesm 59eh
ers now editorialize, 14% on a
regular basis.

Said NAB: “As the number, of

radio stations increased, a growing
number carved new niches for
themselves by aiming at special
audiences. There was an increase
for instance, in stations concen¬
trating on music-and-news, and in
the number of ‘good music’ sta¬
tions airing only the classics or
progressive music. In Metropoli¬
tan areas particularly, the dh^er-
sification of radio offered , listeners
a new range of program choices.”

NAB found a resurgence of FM
listening, nothing that FM stations
operating jumped from 531 to 571
in 1958, with about 14,000,000 FM
sets in use.

And this final note: “Stereo-,
phonic broadcasting caught the
public fancy during 1958 with even
greater interest for 1959. Spurred
by in'.en.sified interest in better
musical reproduction, a number of
.stations began beaming ‘stereo’
lAIM-FM combinations or through
“multiplexing’ systems.”

Foreign TV Reviews

NTA-C-K-S

~ Continued from page 21
the other 20 are simultaneously
being shot in England, this con¬
junctive shooting schedule .(under
the one Atlantic-hopping'exec pro¬
ducer, Don Hyde) for the stated
purpose of reducing overall pro¬
duction time in order to have the
entire 39-cycle finished by fall and
also so that G-K-S “can broaden
the production scope and back¬
ground’’ for the series, with spe¬
cial reference to international loca¬
tion shooting and widened story
material.

And unlike the operation as it
was under Phil Krasne and Jack
Gro.ss, the revised setup is not
aiming entirely at syndication. It’s
Sillerman’s theory that it’s not
especially wise to shoot pilots for
; network sale, but that a complete
t 39 can be first Offered for network
i sale and, if unsuccessful, can b*e
I utilized without any damage to the
i series’ prestige, via the regional-
I syndicated route, particularly when
j there is a reinforced sales force
j in the field. In the first weeks
! under his heimsmanship. Siller-
man has augmented the “road
crew” several times over.

Krasne. who once did a great
deal of the sales fronting for the
smaller G-K organization, said
that from here on in his busi¬
ness, like that of partner Gross,
“is production.”

Benny Specials

— Continued from page 17
the Benny specials. (This is another
instance of the NBC advertising
agency (Grey) finding itself in the
somewhat embarrassing position of
having its client pull out of an NBC
show to put its money into CBS.)

It poses a serious situation for
NBC and its $100,000-a-week-budg-
eted Allen show at the springtime
mark since the alternate-week
Greyhound was the only sponsor in
on the show’ with a fulltime regular
budget (as distinct from the Du-.
Pont and Polaroid spot buys).

Benrus Watches may join Grey¬
hound In bankrolling the Benny
specials.

NEW LOOK

With Bruce Forsyth, Roy Castle,
Joe Baker, Jack Douglas, Ronnie
Stevens, Gillian Moran, Joyce
Blair, Stephanie Voss, The Ver¬
nons Girls, Jack Parnell’s Orch
Writers: Jimmy Grafton, Alan
Fell, Jeremy. Lloyd
Producer; Brian Tesler
60 mins., Thurs,, 9 p.m.

! Associated Television, from Lon-
j don

.j The first of the three .shows
; which will alternately fill a 9 p:m.
i Thursday slot in the New’ Year
■;Was provided by A.ssociated Tele-
'! Vision with “New* Look.’’ a revue
I type program designed as a show’-
' case for new talent. The other
. two shows will be provided by
I Granada-TV and Associated-Re-
- diffusion. If the ATV offering is
• an example of what the other out-
: lets will provide, then Thursday
evening is going to be a bright one.

‘ “New’ Look” had a fresh quality
which was generated proportion-
j ately by ‘he young performers
. and Brian Testers light handed
f production. The bill, which in-
i ciuded Bruce Fors^’th, who emcees
: ATV’s “Sunday Night At The
; Palladium,” and Roy Castie, both
I of whom appeared in this year’s
j Royal Variety Show’, displayed a
^ lot of talent. Material, w’hich de-
i pended on a series of sketchejs for
^ comedy, was not ahvays original,
j but the exuberance of the artists
more than* compensated.

A notable entry was provided by
Castle and Joyce Blair, who did a
swell dance routine. Another w’as
] a sketch by Ronnie Stevens, who
; has already starred in West End
j revue. He earned some good
, laughs with an interpretation of
i how the news w’ould be read and
; presented by a tv drama depart-
j ment. ‘

j Musical support was provided
I full bloodedly oy the Jack Parnell
! orch. Overall impression created
[ by the program was praiseworthy,

I and if the standard of entertain-
. ment displayed in the first offer-
j ing is maintained, then ‘'*New’

1 Look” should become a show with
a high rating. Bary.

\ -■-

I THE BOOK MAN
With Simon Kester, Alex Atkinson,
Paul Gallico, W. Somerset Maug¬
ham, Ronald Searle, Elizabeth
Taylor, Angus Wilson
Director: Guy Verney
30 Mins., Sunday (14), 2:25 p.m.
ABC-TV, from Birmingham

After being confined to the Mid¬
lands and Northern outlets for the
past six months, “The Book Man”
now gets full network treatment
on the commercial web and is the
[only current program dtaling witl;
books and their authors. Inasmuch
as it encourages viewers to take
an interest in another time-absorb¬
ing pastime, it is a challenging
idea, but the format could do with
a shakeup if the show is to build
and hold a worthwhile audience.

The makeup of the first program
networked (14) was just too'simple
to satisfy.: It consisted of nothing
more tham straightforward inter¬
view’s of a number of distinguished
WTiters, among them Somerset
Maugham, Paul Gallico and Angus
Wilson. Some were done by Simon
Kester, emcee of the program, but

I Maugham was interview ed by his
j publisher and Wilson by a literary
‘ critic. In the main, the questions
• posed lacked depth: there aTjpeared
^ to be little or no attempt to pene-
; trate and the questioners seemed
content with .superficial line.

Although the .^how' corne.s in for
criticism, it must, neverthele.s.s. be
welcomed as the only one at the
present time which makc.s any
attempt to deal seriously with cur¬
rent literature. From that point of
v €w it makes an important addi-
. tion to the growing lineup of pro¬
grams On the commei’cial outlet
dealing with cultural subjects.

."‘.’aro.

IIILDE KRAHL
With Juergen Moeller
Producer; NWRV (Hamburg)
Writer-Director: Juergen Moeller
40 .Mins.; W’ed., 8:20 p.m.
YV-German TV, from Hamburg

Such so-called “Kuenstlcrpor-
traets” (portraits of r,rti.sts) are
often brought over the W-German
tele. Reason lies with the fact
that these programs, which concern
late as well as living German ‘part¬
ly foreign) artists, have found here
a receptive audience. There’s no
doubt that they belong to the
category of favorite items w’ith
domestic televiewers. As they are
both artistically interesting and
entertaining, they are of univer¬
sal appeal.

“Hilde Krahl” may be called the
prototype of such a quality pro¬
gram. The popular Viennese-born
(jerman actress, whose wide range
of histrionic art makes her one
of the most versatile actresses
here, is seen in excerpts from her
numerous films and on stage (also
exce^rptsi and finally in person,
being interviewed by Juergen
Moeller. And when an adored act¬
ress, in this case Miss Krahl, has
this to say “1 have final’y decided
to say good-bye to the films and to
become a fulltime stage actress
in.ctead,” then such a program be¬
comes even more interesting.

Miss Krahl’s intention to give
up her film career for the sake of
the theatre is based on her theory
that the film producers haven’t
got the type of (essential* roles
any longer that could interest her.
W’ith regard to the. stage, latter
gives her more artistic satisfac¬
tion too. Having already been a
successful “Nora,” “Maria Stuart.”
“Electra” and “Iphigcnie.” this
intelligent actress revealed that
her next stage experience will be
(in Vienna) “The Summer of the
17th Doll.” After that comes “Mac¬
beth.” possibly under Gruendgens*
direction.

Mfts Krahl began her acting
career in the middle of the
Thirties. After two minor .Austrian
pix, W’illy For.st gave her the star¬
ring role in “Serenade” which was
made in Berlin. She has made
countless pix ever since, two of
her best known postwar pix were
“Love 47” and “Children. Mothers
and a General.” An excerpt from
the latter, directed by Laslo
Benedek, incidentally, could not
be shown as the lo-cal distrib didn’t
give permission. Pic drew’ excel-:
lent reviews here, but flopped com¬
mercially. Miss Krahl is married
(since 1944) to (^Jerman pic director
W’olfgang Liebeneiner under whom
she also filmed a couple of times.

Hans.

NOW !N PRODUCTION 2nd GREAT YEAR'

iSeaHunf

LOOK AT THESE SENSATIONAL RATINGS!

QUAD CITY WOC-TV

.7

lALTIMORE WSAL-TV

25.6

ARB JULY 1958
NEW YORK WCBS-TV

37.5

ARB JULY 1958
MIAMI WTJV-TV

25.7

ARB JULY 1958

34

MUSIC

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

. B7 H£BM SCHOENFELD.

Nino Tempo (RCA Victor);
“LOONIE ’BOUT JUNIE” (North-
ridge*» is a swinging tune with a
clever lyric and a cute beat that
sounds like a parody of rock ’n’
roll, especially as delivered by this
singer. “15 GIRL FRIENDS”
(Northridge*) is another fast-
temp.oed entry with an offbeat ap¬
proach.

“Talking” Tom Edwards (CoraL:
“GIRLS AND MUSIC” (Vernon*)
is a lightly humorous recitation in
the style of the “What Is A Girl”
side of ^ few' years ago. “DEAR

FROM ‘THE PERFEf^ FUR¬
LOUGH’” (Northern*), title song
of the Universal film , is a neat
swinging tune with a fine lyric.

Morris Stoloff Orch (Colpix):
“BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE”
(Columbia Pictures Music*), theme
music from the Columbia film, is
a melodic ballad In a rich instru¬
mental setting. “The WILD ONE”
(Columbia Pictures Music*) brings
back a previous picture song in a
swinging version.

The Keymen (ABC-Paramount):
"MISS YOU” (Tobey*), the oldie.

' Best Bets.

TONY CONN.LIKE WOW

(Decca)... .Dangeroug Doll

Tony Conn’s “Like Wow’* (Daniels*) is a frantically rocking
entry xchich this newcomer socks over with plenty of excitement.
^‘Dangerous Doll" (Treble*) is another good rhythm tune which
the kids will go for.

♦

JIMMY DARREN.THERE’S ON SUCH THING

(Colpix).Mighty Pretty Territory

Jimmy Darren's "There’s No Such Thing" (Columbia Pictures
Music*), from the Col pic, "Gidget." is a swinging ballad which
gives this young crooner a standout getaway on wax. "Mighty
Pretty Territory" (SG*) is a clever and melodic ballad, with a light
western flavor, which is also due for hefty spins,

♦ ♦ ♦ '

PATTI PAGE.UNDER THE SUN VALLEY MOON

(Mercury)....Trust in Me

Patti Page’s "Under The Sun Valley Moon" (Lear*) is another
waltz which should do for Sun Valley what this songstress has
recently done for Cape Cod and the Allegheny areas. "Trust In
Me" (Advanced*) is a smooth workover of the oldie.

* * +

ELLA FITZGERALD.OH, WHAT A NIGHT FOR LOVE

Verve.Dreams Are Made for Children

Ella Fitzgerald’s "Oh, What O Night For Love" (Hefti*) is a
nifty swinging ballad right down this stylist’s alley. Could be her
■biggest pop entry in some time. "Dreams Are Made For Children’’
(Fullerton*) is an appealing lullaby.

♦ ♦ ♦

THE CHAMPS.BEATNIK

(Challenge)...Gone Train

The Champs’ "Beatnik" (Jatt) is a firmly rocking instrumental
which could repeat this combo’s click on "Tequila." "Gone Train"
(Jat-f) is in the same groove, with some added choral effects.

LAWRENCE WEEK

Presents His New'est Album
"THE LENNON SISTERS”
(Brunswick Album No. 54039)

him out of his range. "THE MORE
I SEE YOU” (Bregman, Vocco &
Conn*), the standard, is not for
Lewis’ pipes.

Johnny Hartman (Bethlehem);
"I’LL FOLLOW YOU” (Robbins*),
the oldie, gets a neat slice by this
savvy performer. “THE BIRTH
OF THE BLUES” (Harms*) is an¬
other solid workover of a catalog
standard.

Little WiUie John (King): "NO
REGRETS” (Obiet), a fine tune,
is projected strongly by this high-
pitched stylist who has an authen¬
tic blues quality. "I’LL CARRY
YOUR LOVE WHEREVER I GO”
(Jay Sc Geet) is conventional ballad
material.

Dolly Dawn (Opal): "STILL IN
LOVE” (Breen & DeRose*), an
okay ballad, is effectively projected
by this songstress. “GIVE
THANKS” (Breen & DeRose*) is a
plecising inspirational tune, done
with some good offbeat rhythmic
ideas in the background.

+ASCAP. tBMI.

MOM AND DAD” (Varnon*) is a
straight defense of rock ’n’ roll
with some incidental music that's
okay

The Guys and The Gals (Kapp):
“OH. YOU CAN'T GET TO
HEAVEN” (Garland*) is a bright
religioso entry which this group de¬
livers in appealing style. "CLEM¬
ENTINE” (Garland*) dresses up
the old folktune with a snappy
modern beat.

Guy Mitchell (Columbia):
“HALF AS MUCH” (Acuff-Roset),
which was a big hit during the
hillbilly cycle about a half-dozeiT
years ago, comes back in a neat
s-ice by Guy Mitchell who handles
this type of material very well.
“GUILTY HEART” (Oxford*) is
another simple ballad in a country-
flavored rendition.

Phil Brito (Brunswick): "O SOLE
MIA CHA CHA” (Roger*), with the
“There’s No Tomorrow” lyrics, is
the latest to get the cha cha treat¬
ment in a solid workover by this
crooner. “COME BACK TO SOR¬
RENTO” (Adam Vee & Abottt).
tiie Italo standard, is delivered
without gimmicks.

Robert Q. Lewis (MGM):
“SANTA CLAUS JR.” CWemart)
is a late seasonal starter with dim
chances to make the grade. “LIT¬
TLE GREEN GIRL” (Diana*), a
one joke novelty item in the "The
Purple People Eater” groove, is de¬
livered competently.

Leroy Holmes (MGM): “SONG
FROM ‘SOME CAME RUNNING' ”
(Maraville*) is an example • of a
class song which may be hurt by
the title—a plug for the film.
Under its subtitle. "To Love and
Be Loved,” it registers in this slice
as a lushly me'odic instrumental
version. “CHIEF ROCKY BOY”
(Saunders*), another song from
the “Whoop-up” score, is an attrac¬
tive jump tune.

Alan Dale (MGM): “LOVE
EYES” (Saunders*), from the
“Whoop-Up” legit score, is a solid
ballad with a teenage appeal which .
could stir .some noise in the cur¬
rent market. Alan Dale delivers it
in polished style. “AS YOUNG AS
W’E ARE” (Famous*)* title song of
the Paramount pic, is-another juve-
angled ballad with chances.

Warren Berry (Decca); “TO¬
NIGHT. TOMORROW AND FOR¬
EVER” (Noi thern*), a big romantic
ballad, is effectively belted by this
tenor with a restrained rocking-U'
beat. It could step out. “THEME

turns up as a rocking instrumental
which should give it new commer¬
cial impetus. “GAZACKSTA-
HAGEN” (Sea-Larkt) is a sharp,
uptempo rhythm number with a
good dance beat.

Pat & The Satellites (Atco);
“JUPITER C” (Progressive-Dimas-
LowelU), is a driving instrumental,
will get the kids listening and
hoofing. “Oh, Oh, Darlin’ ” (Dimas-
Lowellt) is a routine rocking
ballad.

Jerry Lewis (Decca): “SONG
FROM ‘THE GEISHA BOY’ ”
(Paramount*), title theme of the
Paramount pic. showtiases Jerry
Lewis’ trademarked voice on a
pretty ballad which doesn’t take

Clear Leader, Drunmier
Of ‘Nutty" Mail Fraud

Philadelphia, Dec. 23.

Bandleader Ross M. Raphael, 38,
and his drummer; Meyer Orner, 41,
were cleared of charges of con¬
spiracy and using the mails to de¬
fraud in U.S. District Court here
in connection with the sale of nut¬
vending machines.

They waived a jury trial and
pleaded their case before Judge
Allan K. Grim. The musicians ex¬
plained they were “at liberty”
.when they took the job with the
Eastern Distribution Ca. and had
no knowledge of any improper
scheme. Tooters were to sell the
vending machines at $40 with the
provision the machines were in¬
sured and regular service calls
would be made by company reps.
This was never done they learned
too late.

Head of firm was fined and
placed on probation.

Tommy Dorsey Orch. Starring
Warren Covington: “Tea For Two
Cha Cha” (Decca). The band,
which teed off the current cha cha
cycle with its “Tea For Two” cUck,
follows through with a full pro¬
gram of similarly styled material.
Warren Covington, who fronts the
late Tommy Dorsey’s band, dishes
up a crisp, swinging cha cha sound
on such standards as “Dardanella,”
“Dinah,” “I Want To Be Happy,”
"Por Favor” and others. It’s gonna
keep the kids dancing.

“Nautilus” (Colpix). This is an
offbeat offering, presenting the
sounds and voices recorded during
the voyage of the atomic submarine
Nautilus under the North Pole.
Commander William R. Anderson,
commanding officer of the sub,
other officers and his crew are
spotlighted in the actual launching
of the historic trip. Herb Shriner
narrates in effective, straightfor¬
ward style. Brief musical extracts
from the soundtrack of the French
film, “The Silent World,” add a
good atmospheric touch. Album
is attractively packaged with photos
of the sub and extensive historical
notes about underwater craft.

Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy:
“Favorites In Hi-Fi” (RCA Victor).
In a nostalgic throwback to the
musical films of the 193()s, Jeanette
MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, who
were as much a show biz unit at
one time as Moran Sc Mack, rejoin
in this set for another rundown of
the great show and film tunes as¬
sociated with their names. Still in
fine vocal form and enhanced by
modern recording technique. Miss
MacDonald and Eddy fashion some
rich-sounding duets on standards
like "Will You Remember,” "Indian
Love Call,” “Ah, Sweet Mystery of
Life,” and “Wanting You.” They
also work solo on several numbers.

Ann Richards: “I’m Shooting
High” (Capitol). Ann Richards, ex-
Stan Kenton band vocalist, bows
as a solo in the package field with
a tricky, swinging projection. Miss
Richards delivers with as assort¬
ment of vocal effects and.colors,
giving this songalog continuous in¬
terest. She ranges from uptempo
tunes like "I’m Shooting Hi.gh” to
torch numbers like “Blues In My
Heart” and “Moanin’ Low.” Brian
Fernon’s orch supplies fine back¬
grounds.

Lee Schaefer-Jim Hall: “A Girl
and A Guitar” (United Artists). Lee
Schaefer, a songstress who worked
with the folksinging combo, the
Wayfarers, and Jim Hall, a sen¬
sitive guitarist, combine for an at¬
tractive collection of traditional
songs. Miss Schaefer, in her bow
as a soloist, w'orks with a blend of
folk and jazz qualities w'hich gives
a sharp edge to numbers like
“Jacob’s Ladder,” “Mother I Would
Marry,” "The Streets of Laredo,”
“I Gave My Love A Cherry” and
others of that genre.

'South Sea Adventure” (Audio
Fiderty): Alex North’s music for
the Cinerama production. "South

PS-RIETY

JO Best Sellers on Coin Machines^

1. TOM DOOLEY (10) ..... Kingston Trio . Capitol

2. THE CHIPMUNK SONG (3) . ...; . Chipmunks . Liberty

3. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES (2) ...;...!... Platters . Mercury

4. PROBLEMS (5) . ......... Everly Bros . Cadence

5. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (6) .. ’. Teddy Bears ..Dorc

G. I GOT STUNG (5) ... Elvis Presley .. Victor

7. BEEP BEEP (6)..... Playmates . Roulette

8. LONESOME TOWN (4)....... Ricky Nelson . Imperial

S. ONE NIGHT (1) ..... Elvis Presley ......Victor

10. WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN’ (2) .. Fats Domino . Imperial

Second Group

GOTTA TRAVEL ON.. Billy Grammar . Monument

MY HAPPINESS.... Connie Francis . MGM

ONE ROSE . Tetesa Brewer . Coral

PHILADELPHIA U.S.A...... Nu Tornadoes . Carlton

, A LOVER’S QUESTION ...... Clyde MePhatter . Atlantic

IT’S ONLY MABE BELIEVE...- • • . Conway Twitty . MCjffA

TOPSY ... Cozy Cole . Love

-OLD Black magic ..... Prima-Smith . Capitol

CHANTILLY LACE ... Big Bopper . Mercury

16 CANDLES ....... Crests . Coed

(Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 101

Seas Adventure,” is the basis for
this exotic soundtrack set. Inter¬
spersed among the atmospheric
music are native songs of the South
Pacific area. These interludes give
this album a strong extra kick,
lifting it out of the conventional
background musical offering.

Barclay Allen: “If You’re Lone¬
ly” (Warner Bros.). Barclay Allen,
w’ho’s on the comeback trail al¬
though still a paraplegic as a result
of an auto accident 10 years ago,
is spotlighted in a pleasing instru¬
mental setting. Working with an
orch, Allen displays a solid key¬
board talent on a fine group of
oldies, including “Honeysuckle
Rose,” "My Ideal,” “What Is. This
Thing Called Love,” “Ain’t M’sbe-
having” and others.

Hal Hidey & His Honky-Tonkers:
“Barroom Music With a Broad
Appeal” (Specialty). Another sam¬
pling of that oldfashioned ragtime
piano' style is presented by this
combo with some modern additions.
This combo has the ricky-tick key¬
board backed by a flute, piccolo,
vibes and tuba for some unusual
effects. Hidey and company give
the honkytonk flavor to tunes like
"Tennessee Waltz,” “Stars and
Stripes Forever,” “The Yellow
Rose of Texas,” “The Kerry Dan¬
cers” and others.

Harry' Zimmerman Orch; “Biff
Dixie” (HiFiRecord). This is big
band dixieland and the precision
work by this crackerjack organiza¬
tion gives a strong kick to the fa¬
miliar repertory. The sound of five
brasses, four reeds and four rhythrn
men smoothly jumping in unison
is heard on a dozen classics, includ¬
ing "South Rampart Street Pa¬
rade,” “Wabash Blues,” "Tiger
Rag,” “Darktown Strutters Ball”
and “12th Street Rag.”

“The Perennial George Lewis”
(Verve). George Lewds, veteran
New Orleans cljirinetist, and his .
combo play some superb traditional
jazz his set. Joseph Watkins, vocal¬
ist who also doubles on drums,
prov’des a group of fine blues
vocals on numbers like “Ace In The
Hole” and “Hake My Hand, Preci¬
ous Lord.” Thomas Jefferson, who
also plays drums, does an accurate
takeoff on Louis Armstrong doing
“Mack The Knife.” Herm.

Boston’s Marshard Orck
Off on Another Bounce,
The Champape Circuit

Boston, Dec. 23.

Harry Marshard and his society
orch took off here Friday (19)
on start of annual millionaire ball
and champagne circuit. The Hub-
based orch will toot for debs at
holiday cotillions in New York,
Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia
and wind up New Year’s Eve at
Rolling Rock, Ligonier, Pa.

Marshard, who’s been providing
dance music with a “blood blue”
beat for more than 25 years, has
just cut two albums on Cadence,
“Harry Marshard and his Orches¬
tra Play Your Favorites” and "Mu¬
sic From ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Okla¬
homa.’ ‘King And I,’ ‘My Fair
Lady.’ ”

There are no mustaches, side¬
burns or be-bop beards for Mar¬
shard tooters and strictly Brooks
Bros, style is official. His “busi¬
ness man’s bounce” grinds away at
social parties in 30 cities as far
west as St. Louis and Chicago, at
colleges and hotels, and yacht
clubs, grossing $1,000,000 a year.

Design Label’s $1 EP Of
Helen Hayes’ ^Magnolia’

Helen Hayes’ reading of "The
White Magnolia Tree” will reach
the disk market via Design Rec¬
ords. Miss Hayes recited the
Helen Deutsch recitation on Gen¬
eral Motors 50th anni tv spec last
year.

Cy Leslie, prexy of Pickwick
Corp., Design’s parent company,
purchased the master from Un¬
ion Records. Latter firmris a sub-
sid of Frank Music.

The- disk, an EP. will be priced
at $1 and will be peddled through
supermarkets, bookstores, variety
and drug chains and department
s ores as well as the usual record
outlets.

Background music for Miss '
Rayes’ reading was written by
Bcrnie Green who is also featured
on t^e flip side in a symphonic
version by D’Artega’s orch.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

MIJSIC

35

AFM IN TWO-FRONT SORTIE

Columbia ’58 Sales Hit Alltime Peak;

Bobby Shad to Head Rank Diskery

Club, Stereo Hypoed Biz: Lieberson [||gKg. ||||[g ‘g[||[’ In America; 3 Divisional Labels

Columbia Records hit its high¬
est peak in 1958. According to
prexy Goddard Lieberson, diskery
pulled 12% ahead of the 1957
mark, making ’58 the biggest sales
year in Col’s history.

'Billy Graham’ Claphander

A sharp fight between the disk
companies and the American Fed-

jjuiicu -w,,. r' V, -KT r> n no eration of Musicians is shaping up

mark, making ’58 the biggest sales Greensboro, ISI.G., Dec. ^ ^ result of the stiff demands be-

year in Col’s history. Texan who caUs himself Red presented in behalf of the

In addition, Lieberson asserted JgJld a^Tour-^tan?r^composUi?n recording musicians. With the
that Col “assumed commanding entitled “The BaM present AFM pact with the diskers

leadership in total LP record sales expiring at the end of this month,

for the industry.’’ He declared that j, ^ widely Federation prexy Herman D. Kenin.

the “significance of this leading in- ^nown preacher his birth in North presented the union’s proposed
dustry position is underscored by ^rn^anfhTs work ^ changes to the industry negotiators

the fact that longplaying records Gospel. week.

J BUlv P«sent AFM pact with the diskers
The Ballad ȣ Billy

now account for 68% of total rec¬
ord sales, including both popular
and classical releases.’’ During ’58, ■
Col increased its LP output over I
'57 by 25%. I

Lieberson also credited the Col
disk club and stereo, as important
stimulants. On th6 stereo end, j
Lieberson noted that both disk and
phono sales reflected growing con¬
sumer interest in stereo and that
the pace-setting units in Col’s
phonograph line were stereo
equipped instruments, providing a
base for growing stereo disk sales.

In a bullish attitude on stereo, ^

___ It’s understood that Kenin’s de¬
mands would amount to a 50%
f •! m I> If hike in scale for recording musi-

I inPirfV KPI^niTflQ dans. The current rate for a three-

lavvUl Uv hour session is slightly over $40

per man. The AFM chief asked
</1| • 1C for a welfare fund operation’ as

I nimHlllllr XHHCf m weu as a minimum guarantee of
\/Ul|llllUim UUllg lU recording sessions per man.

M _ On the other hand, Kenin agreed

fo elimination of some con-

DlU6€niDD6r troversial payments to the Music

'^'^***l*Jr^* Performance Trust Fund. These
T payments total 21% of the money

Liberty Records The Chip- gained by the working musicians.

bullish attitude on stereo, niunk Song’’ has emerged as the the time this clause was in-
m also stated: “Despite cer- top-selling disk of the Christmas (Continued on page 42)

Lieberson also stated: “Despite cer- top-selling disk of the Christmas
tain confusion that inevitably ac- season and thus ranks as one of
companies introduction of any new the boat biscuits of the year,
product idea such as stereo, the Phenoh sales during the past
public apparently, understands that weeks is expected* to push the
all records will sound better on disk’s sales over the 3,000,000
stereo equipment and that no past mark.

or present purchases are obsolete. -chipmunk’’ was recorded by
The music-lovmg public exhibits ^he Chipmunks (sub-billed Alvin,
an even more encouraging trend to Theodore and Simon) to the music
quality to recordings that will gf ^gvid Seville. The three Chip-
make lasting impressions and re- and Seville are all the nom-

permanently on bestseller de-disque of tune’s composer, Ross
lists. This development of setter Bagdasariani Cleffer grooved the
taste and understanding, coupl^ three Chipmunk voices via studio

Decca s Destry’

To Ride Without
Griffith Who’s Cap

---—-f The J. Arthur Rank org will

f , « • w . spread Its disk wings in the U.S.

UUKC S Liine on LilZ via a tieup with Bob Shad, who’ll

Chicago, Dec. 23. prexy the n^w Rank Record Corp.

Duke Ellington, who met the of America. Shad will be respon-

Queen of England briefly on sible for the establishment of disk

his recent trek of Britain and labels in the U.S. for the parent ,

the Continent, found Her Ma- Rank and for global distribution

Jesty “completedly enchant- In conjunction with Rank Records

ing.’’ They yakked for about Ltd. of England.

10 minutes. Deal was set Thursday (18) be-

At one point, “her neck tween Shad and John Davis, man-

itched and she scratched it, aging director of the Rank org.

which I thought extremely Shad has already worked out a

democratic.’’ reciprocal mastering agreement

— ■■ II ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ between the U.S. and English firms

-y - and has set Richard Rowe as

lift I artists & repertoire chief on the

\j£\ vlU'bw'"! lllgu London end. Rowe comes to Rank

, f Y TT n Shad plans to launch separate

I iir/a If' I In MAV and classical labels with-

LllVK 11 UD Fur parent Rank Record Corp.

r of America. He’ll kick off the ac-

•1^, ^ tion with masters that he cut for

II his recently formed Time and

1 1 luLLCl OaWa Junior disk labels. At the start,

\ ^ - the classical disks will be recorded

' United Artists has launched its overseas for U.S. release. Shad is
most extensive pic-disk cross-plug- ® 100-LP relea^ie for

ging campaign In behalf of the 1959. The singles schedule has

Susan Hayward starrer, “I Want ^ s

To Live.’’ The UA diskery is now bring in an a&r man to

rolling %'ith two Jazz albums taken ^^^ist him In the new a.ssignment

from th^ score and is tying in with

i The a&r work will be coordinated

the filni’s exhibition in a city-by-i o” Atlantic.

city promotion

the pic hits;

The Rank disks will ‘be distrib-

national release dates starting this

uted here via

chain of indie

week. The pic division, meantime,; already set up by Shad,

is giving unusually heavy spot-! Before going into an indie op¬
lighting to the jazz music sets, ■ Time and Jun-

based on Johnny Mandel's score. ; ^ months

The disk company has arranged

ago. Shad had been eastern a&r

for screening of the pic for disk \ Mercury Records.

.ith the apparenily bo.and.ess pub- HThyused the

nm eaF busTnlJs' tf afa.Sl IS* t”hT”te“'‘"‘&‘'’Tides S&ns"STre bfg ifd for upT”Rank°l™r-

’ • ’ •• Again.’’ Rights on the album were dealer displays to plug both pic . up m ^

Bagdasarian came through with turned over to Decca by producer and soundtrack sets. In the cities; , of ^ ^

e “Witch Doctor’’ click earlier David Merrick, but the hitch in where the pic has already opened, :

is year under the Seville tag. the deal is that the show’s star a sharp spurt in the sales of the i

Guitar looking to Pluck
Piano Off Its High Perch;

this year under the Seville tag. the deal is that the show’s star !

Liberty Records chalked up over Andy Griffith, is a Capitol pactee. | UA albums has been noted in .

1 »;nn nnn coio*. n -n _i____; nounceo

will also work in reverse, as an-

1,500,000 sales on It.

The three Chipmunks

Decca has been negotiating with stores nearby the theatres.

were I Capitol to get an okay for Griffith I Spot announcements for the Pic I nounceJ onlv^ one siShie^tLt^^^

VbA<t«-fTT in onmn nvpr fn ffc cfnVilA fnr hn rafiin nt*A ncina fhp icniiTiHfrarlr : r 11131 Of

AAA AAA f i * 1 Ar^ named by Bagdasarian for Liberty to come over to Its stable for the on radio are using the soundtrack j Johnnv DanLvorth oVoh hnt

$22,000,000 Lnte in 193? Records’execs. Alvin is for veepee original cast album grooving, but themes as backrgound. In J several more^ names will be re^

liuic m I Bennett: Theodor^ is for enei- so far Capitol has been nixing all tion, UA has been touring Mandel

Chicago, Dec. 23. neer Ted Keep, and Sima

Impact of sundry pro entertain- Waronker, Liberty’s prez.
ments on home music-making is , . -

an oft-told statistic by now. Yet --—-—

it’s worth added documentation at
tills juncture anent the guitar,
which in recent years has been
galloping up the parlor popularity
pole and now is only back of
' pianos.

To illustrate, in 1952 Americans
spent 311,500,000 for guitars (ac¬
cording to the National Assn, of
Music Merchants). Last year the
outlay came to a w'hopping $22,-
COO.OOO, a figure that industry

sources say could be matched in mm fm

1958 and surely would have been !■ iT*/

surpassed had not the recession wwX \

finally caught up with the ti*ade.

Credit for the surge splinters
among such'as George Gobel and
hip-tos.sing rock ’n’ rbllers (notably
Elvis Presley), as well as the crest¬
ing folksong renaissance in such
boites as, Frisco's hungry i and
Chi’s Gate of Horn. Also to be
reckoned are such national maga¬
zine treatments as Life’s recent
cover piece on Ricky Nelson, whose
w'axings via the Imperial label have
been high on the charts. Arthur
Godfrey and his ukulele, says one
manufacturer, has also been a large

help to guitars—albeit boosting .

ukes at the same time. Forms Closmg Shortly

Sidney M. Katz, prez of the Kay
Musical Instrument Co. here, ar-
tiqulates an Industry-wide belief

that television and the young Big ■ ^

Beat exponents are the prime in-
fluences. Jay Kraus, who heads the
Harmony Co., foremost in volume
of guitar output, also links the

mounting favor to the wide ac- Copy OnO SI

ceptahce of country & western mu¬
sic. largely per “Grand Ole Opry,’’ NEW YORK 14

A1 Bennett; Theodor^ is for engi- so far Capitol has been nixing all j tion, UA has been touring Mandel i
neer Ted Keep, and Simon for Cy overtures. Capitol is planning to I and Gerry Mulligan, w^ho plays the |
Waronker, Liberty’s prez. (Continued on page 42) I (Continued on page 42)

vealed shortly.

OUT SOON!

53rd Anniversary Number

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages .

Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office

“National Barn Dance’’ and similar
amusements.

Current statistics show some
4,450,000 amateur guitarists In the
U.S. Two years ago, the instrument
took a 20% sales spurt to 300,000
a year, and now sells at an annual
clip of some 350,000.

NEW YORK 14
JS4 W. 44th SK

HOLLYWOOD 21
4404 Sanstt llvdf.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. Mtchlgoa Ave.

LONDON, W. C.-2
I St. Martla's Place
Titrfalger Sqeare

PARIS, 2t rue Huebette

ROME, StMipe Istero

Claudio Villa, Italy’s
Top Disker, in G.S. Tour
Plus a Date V/ith Como

Rome, Dec. 23.

Claudio Villa, long Italy’s top¬
selling recording star (on (TETRAD
i leaves soon for a stateside .‘^wing.
j He will appear on NBC-TV'.<i Perry
J Como Show (Jan. 10), fill a Car-
i negie Hall date (Jan. 18), and
: play stands in Canada, Chicago,

; Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Bos-
I ton and V)ther cities. It's a return
j for Villa, who was over some
I three years ago.

I Villa, Avho won San Remo song-
I fests of 1955 and 1957, has .so far
; etched some 5.000 songs and .sold

■ a record number of 12.500,000 plat-
j ters in this country alone. He
I holds a single: song sales record
j here of 600,000 with “Luna Ros-
\ sa,’’ which is followed by his “Per-
j donami" (500,000) and other more
1 recent hits such as “Come Prima,’’

I “Buongiorno TristeZza,” “Grarsa-

■ da,’’ and a dozen-odd all in the
i top sales brackets.

I Villa akso lures the top local
j coin per date, some $650 and rates
! some $30,000 per film made—he's
i made 16 to date, 14 in a starring
capacity.

Singer is timing his overseas

Roulette’s O’seas Ties

Roulette Records expanded its
overseas ties last week ir- deals
with Compagnia Generale Del
Disco for exclusive representa¬
tion in Italy, and with Dueri Cia
for distribution in Bolivia.

Joe Kolsky, label’s exec vee¬
pee, is now winding up negotia¬
tions in remaining areas where
Roulette is not yet represented,
swing so that he can be back ■
here end of January for a pro¬
bable appearance at the San Remo
Song Festival, which starts Jan.

1129 in the Riviera resort town.

S6

MUSIC

'Wednesday, December 24, 1958

LA. Local 47 Set to Perch on Chair
Of Gov.-Hect Brown in Pressure Vs.
Intra-Union Race Bias; Young’s Role

Bj BILL STEIF

San Francisco, Dec. 23.

The director oi* Los Angeles
AFM Local 47 will lead a delega¬
tion to put pressure on California
Gov.-Elect Edmund G. Brov^m for
legislation outlawing racial dis¬
crimination within unions.

He’s the same man who precip¬
itated a bitter floor battle in Frisco
a few days ago at the love feast
merging California’s AFL and
CIO.

Marl Young, who represented
the 15,000-member Local 47 at the
Frisco meetings which created the
new California Labor Federation,
expresses his feelings about the
federation this way:

“I don’t see how they (leaders
of the federation) expect us to take
them seriously when they say
they’re against discrimination in
housing and for an FEPC. The one
area they can do something in—
the unions, themselves — they
Ignore."

Young was particularly critical
of the Frisco AFM situation. In
Frisco there are two AFM locals,
the 6,000-member white Local 6
and the 400-member Jim Crow Lo¬
cal 669. But he was also incensed
at the railway brotherhoods; whose
constitutions provide for

ex-president James C. Petrillo had
promised mergers of Frisco, Chi¬
cago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Day-
ton, Buffalo and Bridgeport locals
in 1957.

"Nothing has been done,’’, he
added.

(Charles “Pop" Kennedy, presi¬
dent of Frisco Local 6, commented,
"So far we haven't been asked by
Local 669 about a merg^ry. . there
\vas one attempt two ye^ ago, but
our local voted it down." Curtis
Lowe, secretary of Local 669, said,
“I have nothing to be quoted.’’)

Young felt the state federation’s
six-man standing committee on
civil rights would do little on the
problem and agreed that the situa¬
tion was reminiscent of an old line
from the late Bert Williams:

"Somebody else, not me."

Van Cliburn Goes Clean

San Antonio, Dec. 23.
“Sold out" sign W'ent up at the
j Symphony boxoffice at the Muni¬
cipal Auditorium less than an hour
! and a half after the non-sub tick-
I ets for the Jan. 10 concert of Van
j Cliburn went on sale.

.. With an extensive advance sale

^_ _ _ ‘‘Cauca-! of season tickets, there were only

sians only.” and the carpenters and I little more than 206 tickets left for
the teamsters which, though not; one-shot concert goers,
members of the new' federation, re-)
main a potent force in organized |
labor. I

Young was irked by the alleged i
parliamentary sleight - of - hand :
which washed aw'ay any chance for ’
the state federation to take specific
action against intra-union discrim¬
ination.

It started when Young presented
a resolution calling for establish-
men of "a permanent civil rights .
department” in the federation. 'This •
fulltime department, as he con-1
ceived it, w'ould "fight discrimina- i
tion not only in industry but the i
discrimination that still exists in
labor unions.” j

AFL-CIO’s resolutions committee .
recommended Young’s resolution;
be filed, ponting out it W'as recom- [
mending "a standing committee ...!
to promote, at the earliest possible ‘
date, the effective removal of all
discriminatory practices consistent
with the principles and policies
formulated by the federation.” i
Wants ‘SomethlniT Specific’ |

What stuck in Young’s craw were j
these facts: •

1) State federation adopted a lot j

of language against discriminatic n j
In housing, education, interstate.
travel; [

2) But closest it came to deal-1
Ing with its own problem was an *

Innocuous paragraph calling "on all •
union men and women, in their
own conduct and in the conduct;
of their unions, to set the right j
example ..." |

Said Young: "All that high-
sounding stuff is okay, but I w'ant-.
ed to give the federation something •
specific to do.”

Young got some floor support. •
but William E. Pollard, W’ho runs
the Jim Crow Dining Car Employ-'
ees Union in Los Angeles, w'ouldn’t
go along, and neither w'ould feder- i
ation president Thomas Pitts, vice- f
president Manuel Dias or secre¬
tary-treasurer C. J. Haggerty, sin¬
gle most pow'erful union politician
In California. Young’s resolution—;
one of the first instances in w-hich
organized labor has been given
chance to work on a statewide bJsis
toward cleaning its. own house—
was ruled out of order "because it
attempts ... to amend the con¬
stitution." ’

‘I Shall Pveturn^

Young saM this won’t stop him,
that he’ll be "back at the next
convention and a technicality won’t
ston us."

He noted that in putting the
squeeze on , incoming Governor
Brown he enjoys a sort of double
wedge—over the w'eekend he was
elected to the hapless Pollard's
position as chairman of the labor
and industry section of Los An¬
geles NA.\CP chapter, in addition
to holding down his Local 47 di¬
rectorship and his chairmanship of
Local 47’s grievance committee.

Young pointed out the white and
Jim Crow musicians locals in Los
Angeles merged in 1953 and said

Dot Rtcerds Proxy ■

Randy Wood

lagely dIseusMS film-diskery
rapport ospecially on ro^rds*
•xpleitdtieii valiei
in a ploco titlod'*

Don^t Kill the Goose
That Lays the ^Gold*
Records
* ★’ *

I another Editorial Featvro
in tho foon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

USriety

Inside Stuff-Music

Tho No. 1 bestselling Christmas LP in the Pittsburgh district agala
is “Choral Christmas,” a collection of numbers by the Univ. of Red¬
lands Choir. That’s due largely to the enthusiasm for it by Art Pallan,
i veteran KDKA disk jocky. Pallan began plugging the album when
; it W'as first released on the Harmony label, a Columbia subsidiary,
; several years ago and continued to play it on KDKA each holiday
i season even though the LP was no longer available. The demand
j created by Pallan led Col to reissue the record, and Mitch Miller
j made a tape for Pallan to use, crediting him w'ith the restoration of
! “Choral Christmas" to thg company’s catalog.

Recommend 25 Classes
In Awards by NARAS

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

The aw’ards . and nominations
committee of the Los Angeles
chapter of the National Academy
of Recording Arts & Sciences has
recommended that aw'ards be made
in 25 categories of the recording
industry on the first annual tele¬
cast next April. No station has
been set as yet-to beam the event.

Paul Weston, prexy of the L.A.
chapter, said that the recommen¬
dations will be referred to the
national trustees in N.Y. and L.A,
for consideration. George Avakian
of Warner Bros. Records will aid
in the decisions by coordinating
those reached here with those in
NARAS in L.A. and N.Y. in sev¬
eral weeks.

Preliminary nomination ballots
will be mailed to all members of
Gotham branch.

Mitch Miller, Columbia Records’ pop artists & repertoire chief,
has been on the receiving end of aw'ards during the past couple of
w'eeks. The Better Music Broadcasters named him "Man of the Year"
at a luncheon at New York’s Hotel St. Regis Monday (22). Col’t
Philips affiliate in Germany plaqued him for hitting the 1,000,000 sales
mark in Germany with his “March on the River Kw'ai” disking, and,
Col’s sales division came up w'ith another, plaque for Miller’s three,
"Sing Along" albums which piled up a total of 750,000 sales.

In the final tally, the Hill & Range publishing combine w'alked aW'ay
with seven BMI prizes, giving it top spot among the publishers in
the aw'ards competition. H&R and its afiliated companies copped prizes
for “Great Balls of Fire,” “Breathless," "Don’t," “I Beg of You," “One
Night,” "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” and “Yakity Yak.”

ARC-PAR GEARS FOR
15 SETS TO BOW'59

ABC-Paramount has lined up 15
albums to kick off the 1959 season.
The packages w'ill be in the mon¬
aural and stereo processing.-

Among the artists scheduled for
the January album program are
Eydie Gorme and Johnny Nash.
Also included will be a number of
new approaches to package sales
and merchandising which Harry
Levine, diskery veep, plans to
break at firm’s u'inter meeting for
distributors at the Concord Ho¬
tel. Kiamesha Lake, N.Y., Jan.
20 - 21 .

BBC’S TV SNEAK WITH
LERNER&LOEW'SW

London, Dec. 23.

They haven’t been caught nap¬
ping this time! BBC-TV will air
the Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick
Loewe numbers from "GIgl,’’ a
few' hours before the music is pub¬
lished in Britain at midnight on
Jan, 1.

The last Lerner & Loew'e entry
here was “My Fair Lady," and As¬
sociated-Rediffusion, the commer¬
cial tv outlet, stayed on the air
for 30 minutes after midnight in
order to be the first with the
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Only the Lonely (W 1053)_

4

7

3

4

2

3

1

1

1

6

9

1

9

92

2A 3

SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)
Soundtrack (LOG 1932).

7

4

6

10

8

4

2

5

1

4

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2B 2

MITCH MILLER (Columbia ^

Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1160)..

1

4

6

1

1

6

1

2

6

71

4

' 10

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Merry Christmas (CL 1195).

7

8

1

3

2

6

5

4

4

2

69

5

13

BING CROSBY (Decca)
Merry Christmas (DL‘8128)..

9

5

2

6

1

7

1

1

1

66

6

4

VAN CLIBURN, (Victor)
Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250)..

3

10

4

5

2

2

3

7

7

4

63

7

7 .

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)
Kingston Trio (T 996).

9

7

7

1

6

3

10

4

1

61

8

6

GIGI (MGM)
Soundtrack (E

3641).

8

2

6

9

3

1

5

43

9A 17

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)
Christmas Sing with Mitch (CL 1205)

5

3

10

9

1

7

8

34

9B ..

PERRY COMO (Victor)
Christmas Music (LPM 1243)

1

4

3

2

34

9C 5

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

More Sing with Mitch (CL 1243)...

2

9

4

3

3

34

12

20

MANTOVANI (London)
Christmas Carols (LL 913)..

9

1

10

3

2

9

32

13

9

MUSIC MAN (Capitol)
Original Cast (WAO 990)...

6

8

7

5

9

8

8

7

30

14A 21

SOUTH PACIFIC (Columbia)
Original Cast (B2579-80).

2

6

6

10

10

2

26

14B 15

PERRY COMO (Victor)

End of Day (LPM 1885)....

2

9

7

10

10

2

26

16

TENNESSEE ERNIE (Capitol)

Star Carols (T 1071).

2

8

8

2

24

17

RAY CONIFF (Columbia)

Concert in Rhythm (CL 1163).

7

4

10

2

21

18

12

HARRY BELAFONTE (Victor)
Sings the BlUes (LC 1006)........

6

7

5

9

17

19

EYDIE GORME (ABC-Par)
Show Stoppers (ABC 254) - •

3

4

--

15

20A 8

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)

But Not For Me (LP 628).. .

9

4

7

13

’ 20B ..

NAT KING COLE (Capitol)
Cole Espanol (W 1031).

i....

5

4

13

! 22A 18

PAT BOONE (Dot)

Stardust (DLP 3118).

9

8

4

12

! 22B ..

JONAH JONES (Capitol)

Sw'inging at the Cinema (T 1085).

& .

5

5

12

' oor* 11

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

10

8

3

12

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

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Wednesday, December 24, 1958

MUSIC

87

Mathematics on Mathis

Another Youngster Making the Grade at ^Show
Biz Millionaire*

The tremendous payoff for a hot
disk name is spotlighted again in
Instance of Johnny Mathis. Mathis,
who broke into the bijgtime a little
over two years ago with his Colum¬
bia Records version of “It’s Not
For Me. To Say.” has now becrm^’
one of the “show biz millionaires,”
that is, a personality who makes
$1,000,000 a year.

At this point, Mathis is already
booked solid for next year with
dates in the nation’s top spots.
Including the Copacabana, N.Y.,
where he opens Feb. 5, and the
Sands, in Las Vegas, where he’s
set for eight weeks. It’s figured
that working steadily, Mathis will
do way over $500,000 in personal
appearances alone.

In addition. Mathis’ price for
such incidental jobs as recording
a film song over the credits, such
as he did in “Wild Is The Wind,’’
is now $25,000. His take, moreover,
from his Columbia disks mount up
to over $500,000 yearly. To date,
Mathis has made nine 'albums
which, in total, have hit over 2,000,-
000 in sales. At the present time,
for instance he has three albums
going simultaneously on the best¬
selling charts. In the single field,
Mathis has had two 1,000,000 sel¬
lers in “It's Not For Me to Say”
and “Chances Are.”

On top of this, Mathis has his
own music publishing setup via a
Hill & Range tieup. This company,
while still relatively small, will

continue to provide a continuing
annuity in disk royalties, per¬
formance money and sheet music
sales.

CROC Ups Bill Mikels

Bill Mikels, district sales man¬
ager for the southwest district of
Capitol Records Distributing Corp.,
based in Dallas, has been upped
.to assistant national sales manager
of CRDC in Hollywood reporting to
Max K. Callison, national sales
manager.

Mikels supplants Bill Tallant-
who was recently named merchan¬
dising administrator for the disk-
ery. Succeeding Mikels is Bob
Keels, former Dallas sales man¬
ager. Frank Anderson moves into
latter’s slot in the Dallas branch.

‘Angeliqne’ Book Pubs
Like Music Ballyhoo

Unlike the hassle over the pop
song use of “Lolita” as a title,
J, B; Lippincott is cooperating to
the fullest with Robert Lissauer’s
ballyhooing of "Angelique” on the
20th Century disk label/

Lissauer’s Michele Music is pub¬
lishing the title “inspired” by the
book authored by Jergeanne
Colon. Song was written by Jock
Hein, Norman Beatty and Gene
Bianco.

British Disk Bestsellers

London, Dec. 23/

It’s Only Make Believe . Twltty
(MGM) , ■

Hoots Mon... Rockingham XI
(Decca)

Tom Dooley .Donegan

(Pye-Nixa)

Tom Dooley ... .Kingston Trio
(Capitol)

It’s All In Game .... Edwards
(MGM)

World Go Round Como

(RCA)

Tea For Two Cha Cha Dorsey
(Brunswick)

^ High Class Baby Richard

(Columbia)

A Certain Smile.Mathis

(Fontana)

Day Rains Came.. .. .Morgan
(London)

Stereotaped Score For
New Palm Beach Ballet

■ Palm Beach, Dec, 23.

A new ballet, “The Princess,” is
set to bow at the New Palm Beach
Theatre here Friday (26) with a
10-year old local ballerina, Claudia
Cravey, in a major role. Music is
composed by Mario Braggiotto,
with libretto and choreography by
Jo Anna, ballerina-teacher from
South Africa. Frank Hale and Paul
Crabtree are doing the production.

In the cast will be Michael
Maule, of the N. Y. Metropolitan
Opera ballet, and Ivan DeschefE,
of La Scala, Milan.

The score, recorded in London
by the Pro Arte Symph with the
composer conducting, will be pre¬
sented via stereophonic tape.

Stereo Latching On to Music $ Past
h Victor s Updating of Red Seals

^Happy Birthday, Jesus*
According to Mark-Col

Columbia Records has come up
with a late entry for Christmas
called “Happy. Birthday, Jesu.s.”
Disk was picked up early last week
by Col from the indie Mark label
after Mitch Miller, diskery’s pop
: artists repertoire chief, audi¬
tioned it at the label’s district man¬
agers’ meet at New York’s Savoy-
Hilton Hotel.

Disk, is a recitation by Little
Cindy to a church choir back-
.vround of “Silent Night.” Shapiro-
Bemstein has the publishing rights
to “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”

The Mark label is run by George
McGraw, a Salem, Va., record
dealer. The “Jesus” side is backed
with “Blue Christmas.”

Disk Jockey Wives Assn.
Rmming Cancer Benefit

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

Disk Jockey Wives Assn, of L.A.
will stage a benefit show Feb. 20
at Shrine Auditorium to establish
a Memorial Cancer Fund in the
name of the late Alex Cooper.

Topflight entertainers will be
lined up for event, proceeds to go
toward cancer research. Sammy
Davis Jr. and Les Baxter and his
orch are already signed.

BETAIL DISK BEST SELLEBS

v^TPFy ——

Survey of retail disk best
tellers based on reports ob¬
tained from leading stores in
21 cities and showing com¬
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

National
Rating
This Last
^k. wk.

1

1

2

3

3

2

4

5

5

4

6A

8

6B

12

8

9

6

lOA

13

lOB

7

12

10

13

9

14

20

15

14

16

24

17A

17B

15

19

11

20

17

21

22

16

23

24A

24B

Artist. Label, Title | ^ |

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty)

Chipmunk Song ... 1

PLA'TTERS (Mercury)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. 2

TEDDY BEAR^D^)

To Know Him Is To Love Him .... 5

PLAYMATES“(Roulette)

Beep, Beep . 7

“KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

Tom Dooley . 4

CLYDE McPHATTER (Atlantic)

A Lover’s Question..- ..

“CONNIE FRANCIS”(MGM)

My Happiness.

HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE (20th)

Little Drummer Boy. .

ELVIS PRESLEY'Wictor),

One Night. .,

JACKIE WILSON (Brunswick)

Lonely Teardrops . ..

CONWAY TWIT'TY (MGM)

It’s Only Make Believe..

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)

Lonesome Town. B

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

I Got Stung.....

FATS DOMINO (Imperial)

Whole Lotta Lovin’.

STAN FREBERG (Capitol)

Greien Christmas.

RICKY NELSON (ImperiaD
I Got a Feeling..

“crests (Coed)

16 Candles...

COZY COLE (Love)

Topsy No, 2.'...

BOBBY DARIN (Atco)

Queen of the Hop.. 3

EVERLY BROS. (Cadence)

Problems .

TOMMY EDWARDS (MGM)

It’s All in Game.. ..

BILLY GRAMMER (Monument)

Gotta Travel On.

ANDY WILLIAMS (Cadence)

Hawaiian Wedding Song.

AUGIE RIOS (Metro)

Donde Esta Santa Claus - ..... ..

- COZY- COLE (Love)

Turvy No. 2.. .

111111114 111111

2 4 8 6

2 3 2 3.. 6 2 2 5

7 .. 8 .. 38

- With the advent of stereo step¬
ping up the release of new versions
of standard longhair works, RCA
Victor has already mapped an ex¬
tensive series of recording sessions
for 1959. Alan Kayo*;, chief of
Victor’s Red Seal artists & Reper¬
toire operation, finalized the Eu¬
ropean end of the recording sched¬
ule on his recent two-week circuit
of London, Paris, Zurich, Vienna
and Rome.

Pointing out that the extra di¬
mension of sound in stereo is spur¬
ring a reexamination of the whole
catalog, Kayes stated that the
solid selling monaural works would
now have to be redone in an up-
to-date form. He pointed out, more¬
over, that some classical works,
which have been neglected in the
pa.st, would reemerge with new
values with stereo sound.

While abroad, Kayes added the
Canadian tenor, John Vickers, to
the Victor longhair roster. Vickers
and another recent pactee, met-
opera soprano Rosalind Elias, will
be involved in the company’s Eu¬
ropean recording plans.

Lined up for Victor next year
will be three packages being pro¬
duced by Dario Soria, formt r head
of Angel Records, who moved over
to Victor for special packaging
I projects. Among the three pack¬
ages, a new version of Handel’s
I “Messiah” with Sir Thomas
Beecham conducting. Beecham is
working for Victor with the con¬
sent of the EMI combine of Eng¬
land. Also coming up for Victor
; next year are several operas, in¬
cluding Gounod’s “Romeo and Ju-
I liet,” Verdi's “H Trovatore," Mo¬
zart’s “Don Giovanni,” Puccini’s
“Turandot,” and Richard Strauss'
"Ariadne Auf Naxos,” latter to bi
done with the Vienna Philhannonii
under Erich Leinsdorf.

Mario Lanza is slated for thre<
albums next year and put the first
into the can last week in Rome.
Also coming up are new versions
of Verdi’s “Requiem”; and cl
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, lat¬
ter to be done by the Bostoo
Symphony imder Charles Munch.
Polish-born, pianist Henrik Szeryng
now a Mexican citizen. Has also
been pencilled in for sonata re¬
cordings next year.

Kayes noted that Interest in
stereo is at its highest level abroad
In the English market. The big
stumbling block on the Continent
Is the lack of playback equipment
but that is due to be solved shortly
In England, Victor’s stereo versiot
of the pic soundtrack of “Soutl
Pacific” is getting wide spotlight¬
ing as a demonstration platter and
has shot total sales of the album
to over 100,000.

10 5 .. 10 4

.. .. 4

. 9 8

. 1 MetroJazz: Melba Liston

i Trombonist Melba Liston has
■ been tagged by MetroJazz, MGM
36 1 Records subsid label. Miss Liston

— ; was formerly with the Dizzy Gil-

le.spie orcH. ^

— Her first album was cut last week
with a group headed by Bennie
Green, Benny Powell, A1 Grey,
Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland

28 arid Slide Hampton. Arrangements

— were written by Miss Liston and
Hampton.

Musart: Katyna Ranieri

Mexico City, Dec. 23.
Katyna Ranieri, Italian singer
_20 , whose contract with RCA Victor
i lapsed last August, has signed with
19 ! the local office of Musart. accord-

— j ing to Juan Campo, vice president
; of Panamericana de Discos. Mu.s-
j art is cutting the first new Ranieri
I disk this month, Campo said, with
{ arrangements by Riz Ortolani, the

I I singer’s husband.

—

Imperial; Teddy Bears

Hollyw’ood, Dec. 23.

~ j The Teddy Bears, teenage vocal
15 ^ group, has been pacted by Lew
— j Chudd, prexy of Imperial Records.

‘ 2^ I Four singles will be pressed for
— I January release. Phil Spector,
! member of the group, is penning
I the tunes. Session will also in-
I elude the cutting of an album
11 I titled “The Teddy Bears Sing.”

i Group consi.sts cf Annette Bard,
10 i 16; Spector, 18, and Marshall Leib,
, 19. Their initial disk will be aired
10 on NBC-TV’s “Perry Como Show”
i Jan. 3.

MUSIC

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

M. M

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MUSIC

P^SiSfr

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

J*- Jf

: ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION *

i BOOKS !

CHICAGO
SOLIDLY

3*-

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)f

51-

3*-

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)f

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5f

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54-
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54-
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★

AT CHRISTMAS TIME

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

• Emj>ir« Room, Polmor Hoaso •

BEN ARDEN and his ORCHESTRA

• Empiro Room - Ralmor Hoom •

NELSON ALEXANDER

HADDA BROOKS

• Block Onyx •

COZY COLE and his ORCHESTRA

• ProYlow •

BUDDY CHARLES

• Cordlol Lonn^o •

PROFESSOR IRWIN COREY

• Tko Cloister Inn •

DUKE ELLINGTON and his ORCHESTRA

• Tko lino Note •

BUDDY GRECO QUARTET

• Block Orekid •

KEN HARRIS and his ORCHESTRA

* Boolovord Room, Conrod Hilton Hotel •

EDDIE HIGGINS TRIO

OR-nlgktf London Honso; Cloister Inn; Tko Sokoro •

. LURLEAN HUNTER

• Tko Sokoro •

BEVERLY KELLY

• Tko Cloister Inn «

GENE KRUPA QUARTET

• London Honse •

RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO

• Cloister Inn •

ABBEY LINCOLN

• Clnb Continental *

RICHARD MALTBY

* Melody Mill Boll Room *

MARY ANN McCALL

• Continental Cctfe •

PAT MORAN TRIO

• Continental Cafe ^

ANITA O'DAY

• Cloister Inn •

HAL OTIS TRIO

• The Rendezvous •

JOHNNY PATE TRIO

• Lake Meadows Restaurant •

CHARLOTTE POLITTE TRIO

• The Sahara •

CARL SANDS and his ORCHESTRA

Vogue Ballroom •

SMOKEY STOVER end THE FIREMEN

• Brass Rail •

DINAH WASHINGTON

• Robert's Theatre Cafe •

JERRI WINTERS

• The Sahara •

(Alphabetically Listed)

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

FRED WILLIAMSON, Vice Pres., Manager Chicago Office
JOE GLASER, Pres.

745 Fifth Ave. 203 N. Wabash Ave. 407 Lincoln Rd. 6019 Sunset Blvd.
New York 22, N.Y. Chicago, 111. Miami Beach, Fla. H'wood 46, Calif.
PLaza 9-4600 CEntrai 6-9451 JEfferson 8-0363 QLympia 2-994Q

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

-P^SHETY-

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based ^ on reports
obtained from leading stores in
13 cities and showing com¬
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

* ASCAP t BMI

National
Ratinf
This Last

wk. wk. Title and Publisher

1

a

a

1 CO

w

O

s

a

X

1 CO

1

1 cn

1 s

1

1

tTom Dooley (Beechwood)...

3

3

3

2

2

1

1

3

5

76

2

2

tKhoir Him (Warjnan).

2

4

8

10

6

3

2

4

2

1

68

3

4

♦White Christmas (Berlin)...

1

1

1

4

2

1

2

65

4

8

♦Chipmunk Song (Monarch).

1

1

1

1

8

1

53

5

3

♦World Outside (Chappell)..

4

1

4

9

5

4

3

8

9

52

6

IQ

♦Silver Bells (Famous).

2

4

4

5

3

3

45

7

9

♦RedNosed Reindeer (St. Nich.)

6

5

2

7

4

7

35

8

7

tLonesome Town (Epic).

~7~

9

7

10

5

6

9

4

31

9

♦Winter Wonderland (BVC)..

3

3

2

6

30

10

5

♦Day Rains Came (Garland).

10

9

3

4

6

5

29

11

14

tNon Dimenticar (Hollis)....

~9~

~T~

7

6

7

23

12

8

♦It’s All in Game (Remick)..

6

6

4

7

10

22

13

11

♦The End (Criterion)....--

~

6

9

9

2

18

14

♦I’ll Remember Tonight (Feist)

..

..

5_

~8~

~8“

12

10

10 11

New York

Boh Klone has joined the deejay
staff at WFIL.-Phniy . . . DeUa
Reese makes her ninth appearance
on the Ed Sullivan Show (CBS-TV)
Sunday (2lB) . . . Four Esquires
booked Into the Domino Club, At¬
lanta, Jan. ^17 . . . Clara Ward
Singers set for a three-week tour
of Europe beginning March 8.

Elektra Records’ release sched¬
ule for January will include a folk
sampler, the third volume of
“When Dalliance Was In Flower,”
featuring Ed McCurdy, and The
Cuadro Flamenco . . Lee Smith,
promotional fieldman for Roulette
Records, in the Baltimore area,
carrying on his plugging activities
from the George Washington Hos¬
pital in Washington . . . Singer,
Clare Nelson, accordionist Ralph
Hark, dancer Paula Lamopt and
jiylophonist Joe Rankin left fpr
Frankfurt and Beirut Sunday (21)
to provide Christmas week enter¬
tainment for United Nations troops
on the Gaza Strip .. . Pianist Marty
Gmen held over at Craig’s cocktail
lounge, Great Neck . . . Enrico set
to cut an LP for Warner Bros, in
January . . . Photographer David
E. Kahn penning jazz pieces for the
New Jersey Music & Arts monthly
mag . , . Deejay Johnny Fairchild,
formerly with KELP, El Paso, as¬
signed to KBUZ, Phoenix, as pro¬
gram director.

London

Blues singer Jimmy Rushing
with the Humphrey Lyttelton band
appeared in a filmed jazz session
on BBC-TV. Film w’as lensed sev¬
eral weeks ago when Rushing was
on tour here . . . Christopher
Whelen, ex-miisical director of the
Old Vic, has written the music
for an Old Vic production of “Mac¬
beth.” At the same time, Chappell's
is contemplating publishing his
score for “Much Ado About
Nothing.” . . . Stanley Black orch
starts a new tv series next Tuesday
(30).

Chicago

Louis Armstrong to Palmer
House’s Empire Room Saturday
(27) for a week . . . Sister Rosetta
Tharpe opens today (Wed.) at the
Dixie Manor, K.C. . . . Danny Fer¬
guson’s band spends a month at
Brown’s Suburban Hotel, Louis¬
ville, starting Jan. 12 . . . Thrush
Bev Kelly signed for the Irwin
Corey show at the Chi Cloister be¬
ginning Jan, 6 for three weeks . . .
Jo Ann Miller to the Club 3525,
Dallas, Jan. 13 for two frames . . .
Harmonicats are at Playboy
Lounge, Chi nabe spot . . . Billy
Ford & Thunderhirds open Feb. 17
at the Brass Rail for three weeks
. . . Lionel Hampton moves his
band into Chi’s Regal Theatre
March 27 for a single round . . .
Abbey Lincoln starts today (Wed.)
at Cafe Continental for a month
. . . Playmates booked for the De¬
troit Cliche Jan. 27 for a fortnight
. . . Four Lads signed by Eddi-^s’
K.C., starting March 6 . . . Four

Esquires and Tina U Coco current
at Hotel Muehlebach, Kansas City
. . . Maureen Cannon set for the
Drake Hotel’s Camellia House Feb.
13 for two . . . Della Reese opens
at the Orchid, K.C., Jan. 20 . . .
Johnny McCormick quintet current
at Preview Lounge . . . 88er Cha-
maco at El Toro in suburban Mor¬
ton Grove.

Hollywood

Jimmy Durante set to Cut a new
piano album for Decca minus his'
usual chit chat. Sonny King, who
now “partners” w'ith the Schnoz,
will record one for Colpix Records,
subsid of-Columbia Pictures . . .
Connie Freed, 14-year-old Bev-
HilFs H.S. student who cut “Things
They Don’t Teach You in School” on
Challenge, is the sprig of composer
Ralph Freed and ex-singing star
Grace Saxon, Uncle is Metra pro¬
ducer Arthur Freed . . . Dave Axel¬
rod is producing a jazz album for
Specialty Records featuring trom¬
bonist Frank Rosolino Sc Quintet
. .. The Champs resume their road
tours Dec. 31 following recovery
from their auto w'.reck injuries . . .
John Camacho, RCA Int’l aicr man,
in from Gotham for a week or
Latin sessions ... “I Want to Be
Loved.” tune cut by Steve Gibson
Sc Redcaps for the HiLo label, ac¬
quired for distribution by ABC-
Paramount.

San Francisco

Dick Swig’s Venetian Room, at
the Fairmont, follows the current
Mills Bros, with John Raitt, Carol
Channing, Nat King Cole, Jimmie
Rodgers, Edith Piaf and Josephine
Premicc . . . And George Andros’
Fack’s II follows Lenny Bruce and
The Axidentals with Randy Sparks
and Meg Myles (Jan. 2), George
Shearing Quintet (Jan. 29), Mary
Kaye Trio (Feb. 26), and Four
Freshmen, June Christy, Hi-Lo’s
and Frances Faye thereafter . . .
Joaquin Garay bailing out of sign¬
ing, eyes real estate business . . .
With Sonny Stitt at Jazz Workshop
are Hampton Hawes, piano; Chuck
Thompson, drums, and Eddie Kahn,
bass . . . Singer Pat Yankee’s
joined Turk Murphy’s band at Easy
Street . . . Kid Ory celebrates his
72d birthday at his On-the-Levee
Christmas Night . . . Ronnie Kem¬
per signed to do a Warner Bros,
disk . . . Harry Mills missed his
Los Angeles plane to Frisco for
the Mills Bros. Fairmont opening,
but switched to another line, made
it just in time.

Philadelphia

Seven local cleffers have been
given awards for achievement in
pop music by BMI. They are Earl
T. Beal. Raymond W. Edwards,
William Horton and Richard A.
Lewis, for “Get a Job,” and John
Medora, David White and Artie
Singer, for “At the Hop” . . .
Charley Spivak in one-nighter at
Suniiylbrook Ballroom Dec. 27 . . .
Tommy Dorsey’s band led by War¬

ren Covington at Pearl Buck’s Wel¬
come House benefit at Warrington
Country Club today (Tues.) . . . Bob
Manning has signed with the new
Everest label, and inked a personal
management contract with Harry
Steinman and Kal Ross . . . Savan¬
nah Churchill current at Sciolla’s
. . . Elliot Naide upped to opera¬
tions manager of Capitol Records’
local branch.

Pittsburgh

Frances Gill, organist. Into the
Tavern in East Liberty, for indefi¬
nite run . . . Joe Negri Trio inked
by the Chateau for a stay . . . Dick
Green, after European trip, has re¬
joined Jimmy Spaniel’s hand on
piano at Jackto^m Hotel He alter-
notes with the Lou LaVelle combo
. . . Hal Davis has been reelected
president of AFM Local 60. Jimmy
Comoroda, v.p., and Nick Hagerty,
secretary-treasurer, were also re¬
turned to office . . . Angelo Gur-
glolo, bass player and leader of
The Smoothies at Pat McBride's
supper club, owns and operates a
harbership in Whitehall district in
daytime .. , Three Sounds replaced
Eddie Russ foursome at Midway
Lounge,

MUSIC 6Y

JESSE GREEIt

FLAPPEREHE

Vocal - Instrumental

Psblliliod by

MILLS MUSIC

SONG FROM THE

“GEISHA

BOY”

Recorded by

DON RONDO

JUBILEE RECORDS

^SLEIGH RIDE

100% recorded

r SCARLET RIBBONS

• from PERRY COMO'S
lafesf RCA ’/rctor
LPM 1885

• THE KINGSTON TRIO
Capitol F-3970

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

42

MUSIC

P^BSWft

^ediUMday, December 24, 1958

'58 Newport rest
2IIG to the Good;
Veep Hammond

Scoreboard

OF

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing tlfe Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE:. The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu¬
merated above. These findings are correlated with data from wider sources, which are exclusive
with Variety. The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de¬
veloped from the ratio of points schred, two. ways in the case of talent (cdin machines, retau
disics) and three ways in the case of tunes (coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music),

TALENT

ARTIST AND LABEL TTJNB

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty) . Chipmunk Song*

PLATTERS (Mercury) .... Smoke Gets In Your Eyes*

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol).. Tom Dooleyf

TEDDYBEARS (Dore) ____ To Kmow Him, Love Himf

ELVIS PfiESLEY (Victor) .• - •

PLAYMATES (Roulette) .. Beep Beepf

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week
1

5

3
2

4

6
7

10

9

10 9

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week
1

1
2

3

4

5

6

7

8
9

10

* ASCAP t BMI

3
2

4
6

5

10

7

8

BICKY NELSON (Imperial).

EVEELY BROS. (Cadence) .Llfef

CONNIE FRANCIS (MGM) ...My Happiness*

CLTOE McPHATTER (Atlantic) .......... A Lover’s Question!

TUNES

TUNE PUBLISHER

^CHIPMUNK SONG ........ Monarch

fTOM DOOLEY ....... t.... Beechwood

fTO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM...... Warman

*SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES ...... ..Harms

*BEEP, BEEP . ...... H&L

fLONESOME TOWN....Eric

fPROBLEMS ...... A-Rose

flT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE.... Marielle

fONE NIGHT ......... Travis Presley

*MY HAPPINESS ....... .n.. Happiness

Boston, Dec. 23. '

The 1958 Newport Jazz Festival,
was in the black for around:
$20,000 “sufficient^ to organize and '
establish the, 1959 program.” ac-;
cordng to proxy, Louis L. Lorillard.;
He reported this at the festival i
board’s annual meeting, held at ;
Lorillard’s Newport home, at i
W'hich two Bostonians, Charles ‘
Bourgeois and Miss Terri Turner.;
both of Storyville, Hub’s jazz
nitery, were elected to the board
of directors, another, George
Weiri, Storyville op and festival j
producer, w'as reelected first veep. {

The balance from 1957 and some
of the 1958 take was heavily!
tapped for the $60,000 which was i
the final cost of the International
Youth Band project. Importation ■
of some 18 European tooters and;
sponsoring of the band last sum- j
mer in appearances here and in;
Europe proved to be a financial'
burden, but “it w'as a penny well
spent,” Lorillard said.

The Fourth of July weekend was ;
again pick 2 d by the board for the ;
sixth annual festival in 1959. “At;
least four nights will be used, July ■'
2-5,” Lorillard said.

A new positon of second veep;
was filled with the election of.
John Hammond, New York jazz.
patron, recording exec and author.:
Mrs. Elaine Guthrie Lorillard, who
Is estranged from her husband; ‘
was not reelected to the board and
the vacancy was not filled.

Reporting on the clinic in New.
York, which was established by a;
grant of the Jazz Festival in 1957
to study and gfve some relief in!
personal problems of the profes-.
sion, including narcotics addiction,;
Hammond said that the clinic has ’
made progress. Lorillard said j
funds have also been received '
from other sources.

Bohanan’s Liberty Post

Holljnvood, Dec. 23.

Don Bohanan has been named to !
the newly-created post of field
sales manager for Liberty Records.

Bohanan, to be based in Detroit,
will also act as a distributor con¬
tact man for Freedom Records,
suhsid of Liberty. He also will rep
Demon Records w^hich is distrib¬
uted by Liberty.

EACH TIME YOU KISS ME
THE BOX

Th< Four Voicis Cofumbia 4-1291

MUSIC PUBLISHERS
HOLDING CORPORATION

Western Ad Agency

Continued from page 1

serted in the pact five years ago,
dissident musicians accused former
AFM prexy James C. Petrillo of
diverting a hike in recording scales
to the-fund. This pipe was one of
the prime factors in leading to the
formation of the rival Musicians
Guild of America on. the Coast. It’s

understood that Kenin agreed to
spreading the new wage hike to
musicians over several years.

Meantime, for the upcoming ne¬
gotiations with the broadcast net¬
works, the AFM prepared a series
of concessions in exchange for dis-
cphtinuance of recording abroad.
These will be presented to the
webs in advance of new contract
negotiations after first of the year.
Present pact with the networks ex¬
pires Feb. 1.

Nature of the “trade” Is being
kept secret but the AFM is said to
be determined to shut off the “run¬
away” music. Understood that
recorded tracks are being made in
England, Germany, Fr^ce and
England at 75% less of what they
would cost in Hollywood for tv
shows.

Another deal in the making is
that. of using live music in the
prime night hours on tv in ex¬
change for suspension of “house”
bands. Understood that In Holly¬
wood NBC’s 45-man crew costs
around $10,000 weekly while CBS
pays around $4,000 a -week for 20
men. The proposal is said to have
been initiated by the networks.

Piero Bellugi to Conduct
Next With Port. Syitiph

Oakland, Cal., Dec. 23.

Piero Bellugi, conductor of the
Oakland Symphony since last
March, will move In May to the
conductorship of the Portland,
Ore., Symphony, replacing Theo¬
dore Bloomfield, who has accepted
a post with the Rochester Sym¬
phony.

Bellugi, who received $2,500 for
his first year at Oakland and was.
scheduled for a raise to $8,000, will
get $16,000 from the Portland
orchestra. The 34-year-old native of
Italy has also been teaching at the
U. of California, Berkeley,

‘DMfry’

J Continued from page 35
put out Iti own “Destry” album
with Griffith, leaving Decca with
an original cast album without the
star.

A similar situation arose several
years ago when RCA Victor latched
on to the rights to Irving Berlin’s
“Call Me Madam” and had every¬
one in the original cast but the
star, Ethel Merman, who was a
Decca pactea at the time. Decca
put out Its own “Madam” album
with Miss Merman, and Victor had
Dinah Shore doing Miss Merman’s
songs in Its “original” cast album
set.

Original.cast rights to the musi¬
cal w'ere given to Decca In return
for the nod to us# the “Destry
Rides Again” plot In a rBoadway
production. The story is owned by
Universal Pictures which is con¬
trolled by Decca.

First “Destry Rides Again” re¬
lease by Unlversad was in 1932
with Tom Mix and ZaSu Pitts fea¬
tured, Universal came back with
remake In a new accent in 1939
with James Stewart and Marlene
Dietrich starred. Frank Loesser
contributed some special song ma¬
terial for the Stewart-Dletrich ver¬
sion. Another remake was by Uni¬
versal in 1954 with Audi# Mu^hy
and Marie' Blanchard starring.
Joseph Gershenson did the songs
for the '54 pio.

The “Destiy” story originated
in a novel by Max Brand. Script
for the Merrick musical production
has been written by Leonard
Gershe. Production is planned for
a mid-March opening on Broadway.
Merrick is still looking for a femme
star vte appear opposite Griffith.

CONNIE

FRANCIS

Sings

MY

HAPPINESS

K-12738

GREAT

GO CHASE A MOONBEAM

JenyVaItt Columbia 4-1238

GREAT SOMEBODY
GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE

The Southwest High School Choir
0. B. Dahle, Director Columbia 4-1299

mas, all these cards and presents
and parties, all this red imd green
Christmas madness, if you will, so
change our lives, so force us for
one season of the year into a dif¬
ferent pattern of existence, that
suddenly the Christmas story
breaks through to our hearts with
a warmth and meaning and awe¬
some wonder it could not other¬
wise possess? Does the Easter Day
of Resurrection, with all its huge
implications for humanity, strike
as deep a religious impression in
the minds of as many people as the
day of the birth of the Baby, as
Christmas?

“Does the green Christmas hold
back that message, or does it'actu¬
ally serve to bring it forward. Kill
off the green Christmas, and prac¬
tically speaking, what's left is
red one, red with the red. ink of
lost business, lost money and lost
jobs for people. In monetary
terms, the elimination of Christ¬
mas business would constitute
major national depression. In emo¬
tional terms, take all the color out
of Christmas, and what’s left is a
black one. There is a Santa Claus,
Virginia. There is a Tiny Tim, Mr.
Scrooge. There is a Christmas, Mr.
Freberg. Merry Christmas to you.”

AFM

i Continued from page 35 i

!

Another Skirmish
ToAFMVs.MGA
Via Pork’ Score

Hollywood, Dec. 23.

The American Federation of
Musicians has won another victory
over the rival Musicians Guild of
America. The AFM has signed an
agreement with Melville Produc¬
tions calling for the scoring of
“Pork Chop Hill,” UA release star¬
ring Gregory Peck.

Previously, MGA had copped the
scoring assi^ment from the indie
film company, but had to give up
its attempt to tune the pic when
musicians refused to cross a picket
line set up by the AFM at (xoldwyn
Studios.

MGA tooters showing up at Gold-
wyn to begin scoring “Hill” were
met by Local 47 picketers. The
MGA members, who are also mem¬
bers of the AFM, decided not to
attempt to cross the human chain,
thus giving the AFM an oppor¬
tunity to close a deal with the Mel¬
ville outfit.

Phil Fischer, International stu¬
dio rep for the AFM, claims that
MGA’s contract with Melville was
a “sweetheart sellout pact,” and
that the union would fight any
attempt by MGA to encroach on
any field belonging to the AFM.
MGA has the collective bargaining
rights for tooters in the major
studios.

UA GrosS’Plugs

__ Continued from page 35 ^

Mandel music on one of the sets,
for guest shots on radio and tv to
plug the film. The jazz quality of
the music, moreover, has given the
pic. heavy plugs in the jazzophile
mags where analysis have been
made of the score.

Use of the cross-plugging cam¬
paign has been facilitated by UA’s
controls of both the pic and disk
phases. From the Inception of the
pic, the UA disk execs suggested
to producer Walter Wanger that
Johnny Mandel be commissioned
to WTite the score to provide a
solid handle for the disk sound¬
tracks. Timing 6t the album’s re¬
lease with the pic’s bow has been
calculated to maximize the mutual
impact of both media. In the few
weeks since release the sets, titled
“Johnny MandeTs Great Score
from 'l Want To Live’ ” and ’‘The
Jazz Combo from ‘I Want To
Live’” with Gerry Mulligan’s
group, have become the UA
label’s topselling packages.

New Renditions
of Great Standards—

• MA,

H«'f Making Eyei At M*
SHIItLBY FORWOOO on
Fratornify Rtcerdt #F-t24

• CARAVAN— Parts I i II

COZY COLI on

Grand Award Racorda #101S

• CORRINE, CORRINA

■ILL HALIY and tha COMiTt on
Dacca Racordt #9-30711

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

A Solid Hit'

MY

HEART

MCm CHRISTMAS and
HARPY NEW YEAR

THE FOUR
CHECKERS

Composert of
"SHIELA"

"BROKEN HEART"

Wedneidaj, December 24, 1958

P^iEff

VAUDEVILLE

43

44

VAUBEVILUB

Vednesday, December 24, 1958

Owners Free on Bail in Raid Of
Illinois Lake Club; Eve ‘Assured’

Springfield, lU.. Dec. 23.

The Lake Club, central Illinois'
•wankiest supper club, was threat¬
ened with closure following the
arrest of bonifaces Hugo Giova-
gnoll and Harold Henderson on
gambling charges,

A hearing before the Sangamon
County Board of Supervisors and
the Sangamon Liquor Commission
was slated this week to determine
whether the nitery’s liquor license
should be suspended.

Any ruling, however, w’as not ex¬
pected to shut the supper spot be¬
fore the New Year’s Eve opening
of the Deep River Boys.

Giovagnoli and Henderson, free
on $2,500 bond each, were booked
at the Sangamon County jail after
a raid by state police in the wee
hours of Simday, Dec. 14. -

Confiscated during the raid was
a billiard table weighing over 750
poimds which police charged was
used for a dice table. This and
several pairs of dice and a box of
lOU’s and records were hauled to
the state’s attorney’s office. A
moving van was required to remove
the billiard table from a “secret
room’’ accessible only via a steel
door behind the club’s w'alk-In safe.

State police carried out the raid
following a month dr more of “case
work” during which time it was
alleged that a plainclothes patrol¬
man posed as a wealthy East St.
Louis customer.

According to charges against the
nttery, the investigator Was invited
to join a “game” on an unspecified
date. At the time of the raid state
police said no gambling was in
process.

Carried out with quiet dispatch,
the raid went unnoticed by some
450 patrons who were attending a
private party climaxing an Illinois
General Contractors Assn, conven¬
tion.

Even the talent were'unaware of
the police raid. Six chorines and

(pnitaotly

THE

INK

SPOTS

DlrtcHont

CiRCLf ARTISTS CORP.

48 West 48th Street
New York PL 7-7100

Penonaf Managemantt

SID HOWARD

songstress headliner Barbara Lantz
supposed their dressing room visi¬
tors (accompanied by the co-own¬
ers). were potential real estate
customers.

The raid was staged at a time
when Springfield (Sangamon Coun¬
ty) was in the throes of a tavern
hour closing war with the Board
of Supervisors, which sets county
regulations.

Sangamon area ministers have
been campaigning for a midnight
curfew for taverns. Vociferous
opposition has been made by San¬
gamon beverage dealers. A county-
vade meeting, in fact, was held
by the beverage men at the Lake
Club the afternoon following the
Sunday raid.

Any decision on tavern hours by
the Sangamon board .has been
delayed imtil after New Year’s Eve
through the efforts of various
mediators. Including the Spring-
field Assn, of Commerce and In¬
dustry.

The Lake Club, described by
Springfield’s Mayor Nelson. O.
Ilowarth as “the city’s only real
night club,’’ would not be affected
by tavern closing hours, unless the
board of supervisors also alters
night club closing hours. Presently
taverns inside Springfield city
Bmits must close by 1 a.m. with
county beer joints allowed to serve
until 3 a.m. The Lake Club and
other nitery holders may operate
until 4 a.m.

While Springfield has several
niteries, only the Lake Club is con¬
sidered a “family spot." Also, it
is the only supper club between
St. Louis and Chicago which offers
occasional name acts. On many
occasions the Springfield Assn, of
Commerce and Industry has in¬
cluded the spot on its list of attrac¬
tions for convention visitors. (Not,
however, in top billing over the
Lincoln shrines.)

Providing county authorities
delay any decision on the club’s
liquor license, as expected, the
nitery’s New Year’s Eve “package
deal" will include dinner, a cock¬
tail, pa^ favors and the Deep
River Boys fbr $10 per.

I-Armei Bandits

Continued from paie 43 s

land that cannot be reached on
foot within the state.

It forced seven casino operators
te remove slot machines from piers
in the Po.tomac River extending to
the Virginia shoreline. Virginians
could walk onto the piers from Vir¬
ginia resorts like Colonial Beach,
but they could not be reached from
the Maryland shore except by boat.

The casinos are legally on Mary¬
land “soil" because all of the Po¬
tomac River : is the property of
Maryland, with the Virginia shore¬
line of the river being that state’s
boundary. Virginia outlaws gam¬
bling, but Maryland permits it on
a county option system, with four
counties licensing slots.

Maryland’s top court, the Court
of Appeals, upheld the Potomac
River gambling ban law last Octo¬
ber, forcing casino operators to
move more than 600 slot machines
out by fishing boats to the Mary¬
land shore, where they were
hauled to a Waldorf, Md., ware¬
house. They are still there.

Offbealeries

Continned from page 43 ^,^5

claim, the new type of spenders
aren’t of the calibre of the existing
customers. Moreover, they feel
the new entertainers would prob¬
ably scare party business away,
and few of the . older crowd would
dig the new faces that are spring¬
ing up In the small bierstubes and
espresso houses.

Final argument against latching
onto the “fad" Is the belief that
any name that comes out of the
“dungeons" will veer to the large-
seaters because of ability to pay
higher salaries. Harry Belafonte
Is cited as an example. Brought up
as a balladeer in the smallies, he
soon outgrew the Intimeries. Now,
even the regulation night clubs
can 111 afford him, even if he
would consent to play them.

The operators say it’s axiomatic
that the comics and singers devel¬
oped in the small spots ultimately
have to go to the largeseaters and
then, in time, even the caf^s with
ability to pay large sums lose them
for most of the year. That seems
to be the pattern, they say, and
there's little they can do to change
it. Most of the acts brought up
In the Intimeries fail to do well
in the large rooms for the first
few dates until they get the hang
of the outsized surroundings.

. Nonetheless, cafemen agree that
the “art house" movement In cafes
must be watched closely and many
indicate they would gladly go along
with the new style, but cannot
change their cafe economics suffi¬
ciently to go along with the trend.

The DEEP RIVER BOYS

Starring HARRY DOUGLASS

HAPPY HOLIDAY
TO ALL

O/rMtiGii: WtlUAM MOttlS AGCNCY

Mpr.: EO ntKBY _

f ir m »ju n HI u jim lu iim mnmn mn mn hi um\

B.S.Ax€s20%Tax
At Jukebox Cafes

Washington, Dec. 23.

Internal Revenue Service an¬
nounced the 20% cabaret tax will
be removed, effective Jan. 1, on
establishments serving soft drinks
and providing dancing space,
usually to jukebox music.

The change, approved by Con¬
gress last Sept. 2, allows freedom
from tax if all four of these condi¬
tions are met.

(1) No alcoholic beverages are
served or permitted to be con¬
sumed in establishment.

(2) Only snacks and soft drinks
are sold or served.

(3) Where there is no charge for
dancing (IRS does not consider
jukeboxes as a “charge" for danc¬
ing, even though coins are re¬
quired.) Instrumental music niust
be on the house to qualify.

New York

Betty Madigan inked for the
Copacabana Jan. 8 on layout
topped by Jinuny Durante . . .
Lyda Fairbanks opens at the Living
Room Feb. 23 . . . Ames Bros,
inked for the New Arena, Pitt¬
sburgh, March 16 . . . Fred Witmer
presiding at the Luau 400 keybom-d.
. . . Tana Leigh opens Friday (26)
at the Fox, Indianapolis . . . Rita
Grable in for a week at the (Casino
Theatre, Boston, Monday (29) . . .
Atona, Graham & Chadel due at
Radio City Music Hall Jan. 15 . . .
Fabulous Ingspots working the Ca¬
sino Roj'al, Washington, Dec. 29.

Jaye P. Morgan lined up for the
Latin Quarter Jan. 8 on bill with
Harry Mimmo . . . Lilo signed for
the Caribe Hilton, San Juan, ?.R.,
April Hi. . Don Cherry goes into
the Elegante, Brooklyn, Jan. 28 . . .
Robert Clary set for the Queen
EUzabethV Montreal, March 30 . . .
Charlie IV^gns Quintet added to
the Sonny RMlins Trio at the Five
Spot . . . Gloria De Haven opens
Jan. 2 at the I^^ton Havana . . .
Barbara McNairj added to the
“Jump for Joy” show' opening Jan.
20 at Copa City/Mi€(mi Beach . . .
Dancer Johnny^’^ack has been
added to Jimmy Durante’s entou¬
rage, opening at the Desert Inn,
Las Vegas, tomorrow (Thurs.). He’s
replacement for Eddie Jackson.

Chicago

Duke Ellington returns to the
Blue Note for a three-W'eeker be¬
fore joining “Jump .for Joy" at
Copa City, Miami Beach . . .
Maurice Chevalier booked for the
Palmer House in April.

Frank Fontaine currdht at Ray
Colomb’s in suburban Evergreen
Park . . . Robert Clary comes back
to the Black Orchid Feb. 3, with
Jack E. Leonard reprising there
Feb. 17 . . . Gary Morton on a two-
weeker at the Cloister, with Prof.
Irwin Corey due for. six frames
Jan. 6 . . . Larry Stbrch to the
Penthouse, Houston, Jan. 6 , . .
Sophie Tucker back Into the Roose¬
velt Hotel. New Orleans. Jan. 22,
thence to the Sahara in Vegas Feb.
8 for a month . . . Jaye Bros, slated
for the Rooster TaU, Detroit, Feb
20 . . . Jisimy Durante has a two-
weeker at ‘ the Roosevelt, N.O.,

Inside Stuff-Vaude

Management of Mona Lisa, Pittsburgh nitery, decided couple of
weeks ago that maybe Its customers would'like a change In music
after seven years. That’s how long the Joe Pape band had been there.
Only trouble was that room decided on its own without consulting any
of the patrons. So when Mona Lisa booked in another orch, its first
replacement since 1951, there was such a roar from the steady trade
(it's a neighborhood spot) that Pape was immediately rehired. The
other band went on notice night after its opening and merely played
out the two weeks.

Michael Sean O’Shea, the legit pressagent who annually tours a
show for entertainment of GIs in remote bases, has postponed his
Christmas annual in favor of making the trek in mid-February. Diffi¬
culty of getting needed transportation was given as the reason. The
February layout will still comprise Joey Adams & Cindy Heller, Mo¬
nique Van Vooren, Siri, and six Hartford Agency models. Previous
O’Shea units have played Labrador, Greenland and Newfoundland,
North Africa and Puerto Rico.

Daoton Walker: Cafe Pointer-Outer

^Guide to New York Nitelife’ From Soup to
Speakeasies Plus an Index

By ABEL GREEN

The “400” long ago gave, way to
the 4,000 and eventually the 40,-
000 which might be considered the
hard-core gadabouts of any key
metropolis who generate the night
life patronage, either as congeni¬
tal stayouts or professional or
semipro hosts and checkgrabbers.
When it comes to the metropolitan
New York nitery scene the chain-
reaction count is an intangible,
but whether to the initiated or the
casuals, the new “Danton Walker’s
Guide to New York Nitelife”
(Putnam; $2.95) is not only utili¬
tarian but entertaining reading.

You learn more In night-school
than In day-school and Walker has
been a pro jouralistic getter-
arounder for some two decades
and has picked up, perforce, many
stray bits of Information, inside
stuff, anecdota and all that goes
with actual experience—not the
mere “auditioning” of this or that
spot, computing the tariffs, getting
the names of the owners, and de¬
ciding you’re a real night loafer.
Only the old pros know tain’t so
because there’s too much inside
stuff attendant to any hotel, res¬
taurant, nitei*y, cafe or club op¬
eration, and the longer their his¬
tory-meaning their economic dur¬
ability—^the more lore there is at¬
tendant thereto.

Danton Walker’s Guide Books
Inc. is the corporate copyright
owner, although published via the
trade book department of G. P..
Putnam’s Sons, meaning that this
is a capital gains setup, not mere
royalty authorship, wherein the
N.Y. columnist is partnered with
Constantine Soldyanis, of the N.Y.
Daily News, and Nat Perlow of the
Police Gazette. They along with
publicists Max Ernest Heeht and
Michael Sean O’Shea, are credited
in the* acknowledgements, the p.a.’s
for their “walking* encyclopedic"
knowledge of speakeasy lore.

Speakeasy Era

In essence, as Walker developed
his N. Y. Guidebook, it’s a fascin¬
ating flashback Into the speakeasy
era as he recounts the saga of the
back^oundings of many of today's
eateries-nlteries and/or their
owners.

While the Index spotlights each
joint by page identification, this is
the kind of book which derives
most appeal from the author’s
treatment of the various spots.

The arrangement is according to
broad, generic groupings, and per¬
haps not as orderly otherwise, but
the index takes care of the latter
since Walker, wisely, decided this
should be as much an interesting
readable book as an informative
one. The Info comes vicariously,
as to capacity, prices, etc. Prime
appeal still is the legend and
the lore attendant to this or that
personality host, staffer, back¬
ground, locale, development, anec¬
dotal, and the like.

The very namedropping Identi¬
fications of clientele with establish¬
ment has prime appeal. The
groupings develop Cafe Society’
(or Up,from the Speakeasies) Into
Continent cusine, cabarets, honky-
tonks, Broadway beat, jazz joints,
steak row, intimeries and class
hotel rooms, Greenwich Village,
Yorkville, Harlem (what’s left of
It), and the nationalistic culslner-
ies (Spanish, Mexican, American
Hawaiian, Italian, Israeli, Poly-
-nesian, Chinese, Turkish, Fren^
(bourgeois), Paklstanian. Indl^
Russian, Polish, kosher, Japanese,

Dutch, Danish, Irish, Greek, Ger¬
man, Viennese, etc.).

Book Is also unique in the ac¬
ceptance of ads from dining
establishments, liquor distributors,
buslines, etc.

Also a page ad by the . N.Y.
Daily News itself, plugging its by¬
liners Walker, Ed Sullivan, John
Chapman, Kate Cameron and Bob
Sylvester. It’s a new kind of book
publishing with “commerciM"
hook, but Danton Walker’s “Guide
lo New York Nitelife" is also a
much different form of guide. It’s
good ‘reading too—nothing aca¬
demic, but frothy and attuned to
the average reader’s concept of
after-work hours of leisure and re¬
pose.

Philly’s Latin Casino
Throws in Towel to Feb.

Philadelphia, Dec. 23.

The Latin Casino, largest of the
town’s cafes, shutters tonight
(Tues.) for the holiday week and
will remain closed until Feb. 6.
House inaugurated policy of mid¬
winter closings several years ago,
perferring to remain dark on New
Year’s Eve rather than face the
post-holiday doldrums and the bad
weather of January.

Jimmy Durante, making his first
Philly appearance in nearly a dec¬
ade, relights the 600-seat club Feb.
6, followed by Eartha Kitt, Feb.
13; Sammy Davis Jr., Feb. *20;
Abbe Lane & Xavier (^Jugat orch,
March 2. and the Pearl Bailey
Show, March 12.

OLASON'S

PROFESSIONAL
COMEDY MATERIAL
for all Thootrleolf
"W* Strvrc* th« Stars"

Rig Toaporory Spoclal or All
35 Gag Fllas for $15, Plus II.M Postal#
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• SParedy Books, Par Bk. fit •
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• Mlnstral Budfat ... $25 •

Haw fa Mastar ttia Caramaniaa

$3 par Copy

No C.O.D's "Always Opon"

IIUY GUSON

IM W. 54th Stw M.Y.C., If Cirela 7-1134
(WK TEACH EMCEEING and COMEDY)
(Lot a .Roal Prefasslonal Train You)

RAYROMAWE
and CLAIRE

"DelighHully

Pifferent"

HAPPY

HOLDAYS

Op«Dlns J»IL 1
STEUBEN'S
VIENNA ROOM.

BMtM

Beturalni Tulr 1st
(4 Mwitlit)
MOULIN ROUGE.

Paris

Singers and Musicians

desiring to appear on
radio program
oppi/ in person at

HhFi HQ.

234 East^th St, New York

lot. 2-5 fAI. r*-B..53t.

Wedneeda3r9 24, 1958

USRltff

VAIJDEVIIXE

45

Hot News: Louisville Burlesque

[It’s Back After 25 Years]

Louisville, Dec. 23.

Burlesque policy will return to Louisville Friday (26) at the
Bavoy, formerly called the Buckingham. Spot has been running
for sevefal years with films.

It’s been 25 years since the town has had live hurley. Harry
Wald, of St. Louis, who operates the World and Grand, has pur¬
chased the Savoy, and will follow the same policy that he has
been sponsoring in St! Louis and other spots. Wald starts his
operation of the Savoy with a musical revue called "Hello 1959.”

House will be completely refurbished. Wald plans to change
his bill every Friday, and is afliliated with a circuit of some
25 houses.

Headlining the first bill will be Val Valentine, "the American
Beauty”; with comic Buddy O’Day, dancer Ann Christie and
singing m.c. Ralph Ellsmore. Qene Vaughn will produce. Milton
Harris Is handling publicity.

And Mayfair-on-A-G-String

London, Dec. 23.

A new London strippery, styled on Paris’ Crazy Horse S^oon,
will open in Mayfair on New Year’s Eve. Behind the venture are
agents Frank Pope and Michael Sullivan. Sullivan, commenting
on the new venue, said it would present strip shows as they should
be done. There were a lot'of strip shows running in London but
most were "crude and vulgar,” he asserted.

The club, dubbed the Keyhole Western Saloon, will present four
shows a day. Subscription will be $2.80 a year and theatre tickets
will cost $2.10.

Looks Like Singles Only for Cruises
As AGVABoosts Scale to $100&$75

Cruise ship bookers have virtu-4
ally decreed the end of teams when '
new rates for talent go in effect.
The talent setters say that hence¬
forth all talent aboard the cruise
trips will have to be singles.

The bookers expect notification
by the American Guild of Variety
Artists that a new scale of $100
for "A” ships and $75 for "B”
ihlps goes into effect. Previous
rate has been $50 per performer,
with stateroom and board and tips
Included.

Ultimate effect of the new r^tes
will not be known until the vari¬
ous ship lines make a decision as
to whether they will go along with
the new setup. Some modifications
In present operating procedure are
expected.

Several proposals have been
mentioned on getting around the
new scale. One is having enter¬
tainers sign on as crew members,
which would put them beyond the
urview of AGVA. Another is the
ooking of foreign entertainers,
which is being seriously consid¬
ered. Bookers admit that by doing
so there would be a shortage of
talking comics, but they hope to be
able to get comedy through novelty
with foreign acts. They feel that
there will be a terrific amount of
European singers, magicians and
dancers as well as other types of
acts that can be used on cruises.

Immediate aim of the bookers Is
to keep the nut down as much as
possible. They fear that a drastic
upping in co.sts to the lines 'will
reduce the incidence of talent on
these trips. One booker feared that
should one major ship drop the
live shows and substitute amateur
contests, films and games, then
long-established cruise entertain-
nf:gnt will be doomed, unless pas¬
sengers put up a howl.

One of the major problems oh
the new scale will be the dance
teams. The dancers augment their
Income by teaching Latin hoofing.
On th.e longer cruises, this is
worth a sizable sum to the terpers.
They will be permitted to demon¬
strate and entice comeons during
champagne hours, but most danc¬
ers feel that they need the prestige

sfc • 5* »-ia i '

of showcasing with the other talent,
in order to lure the maximum
number of dance pupils. Once they,
work in the show they must get
scale. Just what will be done in
that department hasn’t been final¬
ized.

It already has been pointed out
that comparatively few American
musicians work the cruise ships
because of the scale. Foreign
footers predominate on virtually
every line.

‘20,000 Leagues Under,’
Steimnan’s Latest Spec,

In Shopping Centre Bow

Shopping centers are being tried
as a show biz market place by Har¬
old Steinman. Steinman, who
who controls the Dancing Waters
rights in the western hemisphere,
has now imported another foreign
show biz novelty, 20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea, which has been in¬
stalled in Green Acres Shopping
Centre, Valley Stream, L. I.

Steinman’s import, which had
been showm at the Brussels World’s
Fair, seeks to take advantage of
the renewed interest In marine life,
due primarily to the skin-diving
craze and a lot of fanciful under¬
water films.

The new import, a walk through
exhibit, with admissions at 50c and
25c, has living material with many
aquariums, stocked by a local
dealer, as well as electrically
worked monsters. The exhib has
the format of an underwater cav¬
ern. The lighting is in a low key
so that the fluorescence can pick
up the luminously painted mon¬
sters. There are giant rays and
an octopus with tentacles that go
in several directions; an octopus
seeking to open a treasure chest,
a dragon, fish swimming in midair,
and even the famous burial scene
from "20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea” with Capt. Nemo’s Nau¬
tilus high above in the background.
It’s all three-dimensional and real¬
istic enough to excite the imag¬
ination of moppets and entertain
the adults accompanying them,

Steinman, who opened the ex¬
hibit last Friday (19>, had four
men flown in from Brussels to set
up the show. The same crew is
now working on a portable mndel
that can be set up overnight, so
that several units can be operated
in various parts of the country.
The Valley Stream layout is re¬
garded as the pilot model. Also
in the works is a smaller model
for use in smaller areas. Jose.

Vivian Della Chiesa
For Waldorf in March

Vivian Della Chiesa has been
booked for the March 9 slot at the
Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. It’s
her first Gotham cafe date in some
years, although she’s been disking
on Various labels.

Miss Della Chiesa was set
through the William Morris
Agency.- ,<. = *

McElroy MCA Dallas Head;
Name Weiss, Gerber V.P.s

Howard McElroy has been
named head of the Dallas office of
Music Corp. of America. He suc¬
ceeds L. W. McClaugherty who
died of a heart attack recently.
McElroy shifts to the new post
from New York.

In other moves at MCA, two
vice presidencies were created in
the nitery department with Nor¬
man Weiss, of New York, and Roy
Gerber, head of the Las Vegas
office, given chevrons last week.

Portland Agents
Anti-MCA Stance
On Centen Pacts

Portland, Ore., Dec. 23.

Local booking agents are getting
into a hassle with the Oregon Cen¬
tennial Exposition Committee fol¬
lowing an announcement that gen¬
eral manager Floyd Maxwell had
signed a contract with the Music
Corp. of America for latter to pro¬
duce the 13 weeks of stage shows
at the Expo Bldg, here next June-
Sept. A budget of $20,000 to $40,-
000 per week has been earmarked
for the package shows, to include
vauders, icers, water follies, circus,
etc.

The expo outfit does not want to
hire an entertainment director or
have any part in producing the lay¬
outs and still give the estimated
5,000,000 to 8.000,000 attendance
the best in entertainment. Johnny
Walker, one of the local bookers,
is squawking for the agents stating
that “We have contacts with the
finest talents and §re in a better
position to make more favorable
deals than if negotiations are con¬
ducted with one large agency.”

C, Howard Lane, Centennial
Commissioner heading the enter¬
tainment committee, said that no
contract has been signed yet with
MCA. The document is now in the
hands of the attorney general.
Lane declared that under the
terms of the contract, the commit¬
tee has the right to approve or
disapprove talent and that MCA
would be serving as an employee
of the Centennial group. Lane also
pointed out that local bookers can
book the small shows outside of
the arena which will seat 8,000 to
9,500. Maxwell had hopes of ink¬
ing the entire 13 weeks by Dec. 1,
but didn’t.

The local bookers are also beef¬
ing that the Oregon "expo should
ibe carried out by Oregonians as
they pay taxes, etc. A new gov¬
ernor takes over in January which
may clear the air.

HOLIDAY SHimERS 3
CAFES IN CHI HOTELS

Chicago, Dec. 23.

Annual holiday hiatuses have
darkened three hotel supper clubs
here. The Hilton’s ice show melted
yesterday (Mon.), with the new
edition slated to bow next Satur¬
day (27).

Drake’s Camellia House ^buttoned
up over the weekend (20), as did
the Palmer House Empire Room.
Former resumes next Tuesday (30)
with Denise Lor, while Camellia
is set to go with Louis Armstrong
for the first week of a cancelled
stand by Chico & Harpo Marx.
Booker Merriel Abbott has yet to
fill the remaining 19 days origi¬
nally skedded for the Marx freres.

New Yorker Hotel Back
With Shows as of‘Eve’

The Hotel New Yorker, N.Y.,
will go back to floorshows after a
lapse of several years. Displays
will resume New Year’s Eve with
a Hawaiian show topped by Mona
Joy and Taloa plus the Catamaran
Boys. With options, layout is to
remain for four months. The
Golden Thread Cafe will be the
site Of the layouts.

Doris Vinton, who for many
years headed the publicity depart¬
ment of the hotel, has rejoined It
in the same capacity.

The New Yorker is the second
N.Y. inn on the Polynesian policy.
The Kawaian Room of the Hotel
Lexington has used this format
successfully ior manyijy^^irs,

_ 4 ^ M.*< .JV J ;■

Vegas’ New Frontier Reopening April
Under Doc’ Bayley in $6,000,(100 Lease

Las Vega.s, Dec. 23.

Omaha Auto Show Takes
It on Chin for $40,000

Omaha, Dec. 23.
Omaha Auto Show, staged Dec.
10-14 at the City Auditorium,
proved to be the turkey of the J
year here. With a turnout of only
17,000 for the 10 shows, backers
took a $40,000 financial spanking.

MrGuire Sisters, featured,
packed in 110,000 for 10 days at
the Auto show here three years
ago. However, • that was staged
after the holidays and was their
first local appearance. Comic Stu
; Allen was the supporting act. Mu-
; sic was by the local Eddy Haddad
orch. I

Price this year was boosted from
a. buck to $1.25. Further headaches
cropped up for show sponsors
when the local Cadillac dealer
withdrew because his exhibit was
placed in the basement rather than
the main floor. Weather breaks
were very good for December.

Club One Goes Under
Hammer in Toronto; Hit
$1,500,000 Yearly Take

Toronto, Dec. 23.

A Toronto night club, which once
had a weekly payroll of $7,800 and
a $1,500,000 annual gross, has hit
the dust for keeps. Club One Two
downtown had $250,000 worth of
equipment auctioned off last week.

Started by Norman Cornell in
1917 as Club Norman, on the site
of a wartime service canteen, it
I was sold in 1951 to financier Lou
Chesler and Ruth Lowe Sandler,
cpmposer of “FIl Never Smile
Again.”. A year later they sold out
to sportsman Tommy Holmes, w'ho
died the following year, at age 44,
after spending $150,0()0 on renova¬
tions, Taken over by Sam Shopso-
Witz, Toronto sausage king, it shut¬
tered last March. 15 and in May
went into voluntary bankruptcy for
$628,561 in debts and taxes.

A union dispute with musicians
and barmen was blamed for Cor¬
nell’s having to sell out in '51. The
club used mainly U. S. talent.

Decks have been cleared for re¬
opening of the shuttered New
Frontier Hotel casino and shows
with signing of a lease giving con¬
trol of the multi-million-dollar re¬
sort to Warren (Doc) Bayley, prexy
of the Hacienda Hotel Corp.

Original plans to reopen the
New Frontier on New Year’s Eve
went astray during a dispute over
the lease, and the reopening has
been pushed back to April 1.

The dispute centered on fears by
operators of the adjacent Silver
Slipper that Bayley would remodel
the New Frontier along the Bar¬
bary Coast decor and show, motif
which has made the Slipper a
must-stop on the glittering Las
Vegas Strip. Dispute was resolved
when the New Frontier landlords,
who also own the Slipper, agreed
to rent the Last Frontier Village
to the Slipper group, and got Bay-
ley to promise not to ape the Slip¬
per motif.

. According to terms of the lease,
Bayley will shell out “in excess”
of $6,000,000 in rent monies over
a 10-year period. At the expiration
of the lease, he will have an option
to buy the New Frontier for
$6,500,000.

The Silver Slipper operators will
see their current rent of $360,000
yearly for the Slipper alone in¬
creased to $402,000 with acquisi¬
tion of the Last Frontier Village.
An extensive remodeling project
on both the New Frontier and Last
Frontier Village is .skedded (o get
underway immediately at a com¬
bined cost of $2,000,000. In addi¬
tion, Bayley intends to add 250
rooms at a cost of $1.500 000. all
of which are expected to stimulate
the local construction industry.

Bob Schulze, Slipper prexy, .says
he will turn the Last Frontier Vil¬
lage into a Disneyland-type opera¬
tion.

Bayley plans to reopen both the
New Frontier’s main Venus Room
and the pnce-popular Gay Nineties
Room.

^ The lease, effective Jan. 3, was
signed-by Beldon Katleman. Mau¬
rice Friedman and Irving Leff,
representing the landlords; Bay-
ley, repping the Hacienda Hotels
Corp., and Schulze, repping the
Slipper.

Chanticleer, Baltimore,
Reopening With Layout I

The Chanticleer Club, Baltimore,
Is slated to reopen Friday (26)
with a show comprising the Jamal
Sisters, Lee Henderson line (10),
Five King-Pins and Randy Leeds.

Room, seating 350, with no cover
or minimum. Is (Operated by Jmmy
Colimore. Skyline Restaurant,
part of the Chanticleer, opened
two weeks ago.

Radisson's Cuffa Xmas
For Visiting Firemen

Minneapolis, Dec. 23.

Hotel Radisson, leading local
sport hostelry, is following its
usual custom of entertaining "on
the house” its Christmas Day
guests. It’s for "those unfortunate
enough to be aw'ay from home on
the Yuletide.”

It feeds the guests gratis and
takes them to a picture. The pic
this time will be "Windjammer.”

Cole-Laine-Dagmar, Mpls.

Minneapolis, Dec. 23.

After Nat King Cole’s four days i
of headlining the annual Minneap-1
olis Automobile Show, Jan. 9,
Frankie Laine will take over the •
helm for the remaining six days, j

Dagmar will be femcee through -1
out the 10 days. There’ll be a 15-1
piece orch and four or five sup¬
porting acts. 1

FLAME SHOW BAR—Detroit
December 2i-Jan. Sth

America's No. 1 Sepia Show

ARTHUR BRAGGS' 1958

IDLEWILD

REVUE

Ready for Any Stage
A CHORUS GIRLS

K I I SHOW GIRLS
V featured acts
PEOPLE ORCHESTRA
SENSATIONAL!

CLUB EL SINO—Dairoif, Mich.

RECORD BREAKER!

ROBERT'S LOUNGE—Chi, 111.

BREATHTAKING!

COFA CLUB—Columbus, Ohio

EXCITING!

CHAHERBOX—Clavaland, Ohio

UPSEHING!

FLAMINGO-^—Indianapolis, Ind.

-DIRECTION:-

Capital Attractions

2931 JOHN R. DelToif. Mich.
TEMPLE 2-3510.11
TEMPLE 3-7000 (NItel

RCA-Vicfor Records
Exclusively

Merry Chrisfma* to All
U%t. BILL MinLER, 161 g Broadway, Haw York

• e a * a ejt

46

REVIEWS

P^IEff \

[Wednesday, December 24, 1958

House Reviews

Roxv, X. Y. [lowdown, good house fodder and

Bohcrt C. hotkafel presentation mitts Monvays ( 2 ) are a

vich Lonni. Sattin. Sherry O’NciU! W

De <2, Boh Bucher;, 22 , ^ 3 .

Orch: sets. Bnmo Mmne; costumes.; gPO^ or^estraUons and sup-
Tfftnnijord Morton, choreography, ^ ppj.j j.,Pg jp fppp singers who
Rai/ Frost & Kenny Sj^inger; ‘‘The • yj-g okay band accompanists. They
Sei'enth Voyage of Sinbad" ^Col^,.‘are Eliaue Lubin, Frank Bernardi,
recieiccd in Variety Nov. 23, *58.' Georges Blanes and. Bouis Massis.

-— Though lacking top headline cal-

The Roxy’s stageshow juggles - ibre, this soldily programmed show
juve and adult entertainment for i may be in for good biz during its
comparatively good results. With . four-week tenime. Mosk.

speedup of the pacing it should hit
its mark. Robert C. Rothafel.

Box: s managing director who
stages the layouts, has three
worthy- acts on the bill. In each
instance, there’s a tendency to
make them overstay, and that re- BARBARA. LANTZ
due.s their overall el^ctiveness.. . impressions

In t e case of the De Mattiazzis 25 Mins

( 2 .. the mechanical doll trick, i Lake Club, Springfield. 311.

there are some added bits of busi- 1 ‘-what a difference six months
f them anticlimaxes j can make” is the theme of nouveau
and therefore works against a rous-, songstress Barbara Lantz’s second
ing exit. This act, through us j applarance at the Lake Club. The
viueo appearances, has given away i^.year-old c h a n t b 01 s i e has
Its surprise many times over, and : changed not only her coiffure and

only to get up with one protrud¬
ing, misses out on running hit
hand through a flame, and louses
up plenty of other tricks with a
good imderlying feel for gag and
even sudden realizations of frus¬
tration. A good act. Moske

MORWATS (2)

Teeterboard
10 Mins.

Alhambra, Paris

A man jumps from pedestal to
a teeterboard to loft a girl and
catching her either with one hand,
as she goes into a headstand, or
femme flying into a one-hand
stand on his head.

It’s a unique twist J;o the usual
teeterboard entries and looms a
good filler for Yank video, etc.,
on its snap, precision and perfec¬
tion. Mosk.

it’s difficult to recapture the old
m''7ic.

The topper is by Lonnie Sattin.
the Negro singer who has been on
th? verge for a long time and who
has the top song spot here.*Sattin
bu'lds and reaches his peak with
“I’il Never Walk Alone.” His fol¬
lowup “Stand Up and Fight” takes
the ed.ge off. However, his big
vo'ce and careful arrangements,
St R indicate that he’s one of the

accessories but her material. The
change is for the good. She looms
as a potential regular on the plush
hotel and supper club circuit.

In place of a “cold Hildegarde”
imitation. Miss Lantz has substi¬
tuted a warm chanteUse approach
more in keeping with her age.
(However, for the uninformed.
Miss Lantz would pass for a post-
21 performer.)

Instead of a rundown of the c.ur-

I instead of a rundown 01 me c.ur-
la( s who will ultimately make it. | parade. Miss Lantz now

I does a routine which might be

Sherry O’Neill, a promising per-
former. Miss O’Neill sings well,
but apparently has been reared as
a dancer. She winds up terping,
but the type of work essayed is of
a nature that needs a Gwen Verdon

summed up as “the best of BrOad-
\vay.” “Baubles, Bangles and
Beads” illustrates her serious so¬
prano. After one straight chorus
she gives the “Kismet” theme a

to carrj- it out. Ifs a bit concern- |

iX ^tlfan^four’ wmentT^o/^'^ome Anna Maria Alberghetti fol-

Tpn-th^fn hit ® * ^ : lowed swiftly by Jo Stafford, Doris

The production is handsome and ^GQt'^Lc«t^£^& Arms** is
lively. The Bruno Maine sets make ‘ Tc tVi

an onulent backdron to the Pro-: "!?4^"fhat it ^ *^uSs'Who I
ceed-^n-s, and Bob Boucher works

the stage band with his usual skill. ^ ^ ^g^t^ wgh eS, while “The

jose. ! Party’s Over” is turned into spe¬
cial lyrics as a closer. Miss Lantz’

AlhanAra, Paris !

T XT- 1 . T i Smartly gowned. Miss Lantz

Mick Micheyl, ^ Gerard Sety, strolls with considerably greater
Hazel Scott, Valerie Camille Dane- j poise than was the case in her first
ers ('ll, Marottes ('4.\ Moricai/s nitery turn here six months ago.
(2>, Dassies (2 K Ruby & Charles i A modem “Fair Lady” fluff allows
Vlaat, Armand Migiani Orch (22 1 \ her coiffure to match her tasteful
with Eliane Lubin, Frank Bernardi. tunes. Last time Miss Lantz’
Georges Blanes, Louis Massis; $2 ! tresses were severely cropped in
tf/p. : Italian urchin style. Wayn.

BARBARA EVANS
Songs
I 25 Mins.

; Bradford Roof, Boston

Barbara Evans, a cute, dimini-
i five, dark-thatched 4-10 bundle of
^ energy, formerly Bobbie Quinn
■ and at one time with Slapsie Maxie
■; Rosenbloom, has been out wdth a
i New Act single for two months
but not yet documented in
Variety. She's a frenetic per-
; former with a big-range, bell voice,

• and looks equally well at home
: with rhythm songs and ballads.

She’s a clever little earful and eye-
! ful and penned her opening num-
; ber which fits her, “I’m Just 'h
; Little Girl.”

W’ith a pixie cut and a balloon
; type green chiffon dress, she’s
I perky with “Everybody Loves a
: Lover,” “Tea for Two," with terp-
j ing, and comes off nice with “I
I Could Cry.” carboning Ink Spots.

! Her magnum opus is a wham rou-
: tine for which she changes onstage,

; emerging like one of the flappers
: out of “The Boy Friend” and pip-
: ing “Too Many . Rings Around
; Rosie.” She then goes into a story
of boy friends with medley on love
; theme. For wrapup, she puts on
; clown makeup, and gives out with
big voiced “Pagliacci,” for nifty
rounds. A speciaL “I Couldn't Do
. Without You,” gets her Off to solid
mitting.

; Miss Evans looks to have big
' potential, but needs a little more
' exposure for top spots. With sea¬
soning, she should make her mark
on the saloon circuit and could
; point to tv and musicomedy.

; Guy.

JACK ARY & ANN REY
Record Panto
10 Mins.

Crazy Horse Saloon, Paris

Duo do a clever record mime
bit which depends on inventive,
zany aspects, removing them from
the ordinary type of straight disk
takeoffs. Telephones under cloaks
ring and have w'ater poured into
them to give off gurgles and then
spit it back, etc.

Work is well coordinated and
witty and this emerges as a sight
act with good U.S. television and
specialized cafe chances. Mosk.

JOE CASTOR (2)

Puppets
8 Mins.

Crazy Horse Saloon, Paris

A girl sets a puppet on a table
and pictures are painted deftly
and swiftly. Puppet also cavorts
with the girl who handles him.
Twelve-inch puppet gives a fine
illiision and has and guessing as
to W'hether it is electronically con¬
trolled or what. Actually, Castor
is curled up inside the table on
v.'hich the puppet is to be hand-
manipulated. Illusion is fine.

This is a topflight offbeat act for
U.S. Video or niteries, Mosk.

Mick Micheyl is a stocky, gamin¬
like singer-cleffer who has pared
down her stint to simple love lyrics.
She has also removed the quiver
from her voice and developed more
ease in her bodily backing and
stance. But she still lacks the
needed projection and her songalog
has a tendency to fall into a same¬
ness and lose punch progre.ss'vely.

Addition of some Yank ballads
does not help. Miss Mic'neyl needs
a spicy addition to back her love
ballads and take advantage of her
pugnacious physique and personal¬
ity. As is, she looks set mainly for
specialized boites in the U.S.

Gerard Sety, who looks like
Danny Kaye, has an uncanny num¬
ber in which he changes himself
into a Samurai warrior, a Napoleo¬
nic grenadier, an ancient Egyptian,
and the characters involved with
Joan of Arc—all by manipulating
hi.s attire. This is accompanied by
ribtickling patter to make this a
unique transformation act. He is
more than ready for the U.S. in
boite or video situations and would
b‘i a nifty addition for legit revues.

Hazel Scott is okay on the ivo-
rie.-. even when the orch is too
loud, and essays some okay s nging
interludes in which she mixes
French ditties with jazz bits. More
individuality in the songalog would
holp. But her good spirits, rhythm
and pianistics have her in for
mitts.

Valerie Camille Dancers (7) do
some eye-catching mixtures of
exotic terps seen tlirough modern-
i.stic, sinewy movements. Miss
Cj'.mille, an American, blends these
aspects cunningly and expertly and
is well supported by her group
She gives a needed originality and
lift to the house terp picture here.
Marottes l4i are titillating puppets,
hand-operated by a young troupe,
who easily reach the auds in this
big house. Witty and colorful, they
also look ready for U.S. placement

Dassies ( 2 » are a knockabout aero
act with the right dash and ma^-
hc-m for filler purposes. Ruby &
Charles Vlaat do a comic dance
bit with fallaway clothes be'ng
dragged off by a trained dog. It is

, MAC RONAY
I Comedy Magic
i 15 Mins.

I Crazy Horse Saloon, Paris
I Mac Ronay does it the hard
way. His. is a magic act in which.
; dressed as a fakir, he-misses out
' on all the. tricks. But he has the
^ right timing and fey attitude to
, make this a risible act with good
i Yank possibilities for video or
boite spotting.

I He lays down on a bed of nails

Club Dale Pad

■ Continued from page 43 ^

tract, it may be done, provided the
notation is specifically initiated by
the performer on the contract, and
the total remaining, to performer
after all expenses is not less than
the applicable basic minimum.

In the event that a booker con¬
tracts for exclusive use of a per¬
former for one evening, the’ pact
provides that where performance is
delayed because of conditions
beyond control, of the producer,
the booker may hold the enter¬
tainer beyond the expiration of the
working period provided in the
contract, but only on the pa 3 Tnent
of 50% of the agreed upon price
for each hour or fraction thereof,
but -not more than $25 per hour.
Otherwise, contract shall be
deemed to be two and a half hours
beginning with the time stated in
the contract.

Also agreed upon is a provision
that the ARA member, in lieu of
payment, may elect to provide
meals and accommodations which
shall not be of a standard “less
than comparable to those which
cculd be provided with the cash
allowance w'hich would otherwise
be granted.”

On Damage Suits

In the event of a damage suit
resulting from an accident due
to booker negligence, the booker
is entitled to deduct from the final
award the amount collected from
the insurance policy from the
AGVA Welfare Trust Fund In¬
surance.

Agreement also stipulates that
after receiving an engagement con¬
tract persuant to a commitment, if
the performer does not within 72
hours return a. signed contract to
the booker, the producer shall file
with the union a statement ex¬
plaining the details of the commit¬
ment. whereupon the booker may
send a notice to the act in demand
that the contract be fulfilled. Un¬
ion may also demand completion of
the deal when these conditions are
carried out.

Contract was negotiated by
Dolores Rosaler and Helene Te-
trault, for AGVA, and Eddie- El-
kort, ARA prexy, and Abraham
Males, ARA attorney, for the
agents.

Scales, W'hich will differ in vari¬
ous localities, have been finalized,
and will be released to agencies
and members within a few days.
The club date code is considered
one of the more important agree¬
ments in the variety field because
the bulk of the acts depend upon
thet phase for the greater part of
their income.

VARIETY BILLS

WEEK OF DECEMBER 24

NEW YORK CITY

MVSIC HALt U

Victor Julian
Corps de Ballet
Uockettes
It. PnJge Ore.

ROXY
Lonnie Sattin

Sherry O'Nein
D« Mattiazzif.
Tronpera
BaUadeers
Roht. Boucher Ore

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNI
TIvell

Sabrina

S & M Harrison
Andrea Dancers
Horrie Dargie 5
Billy Baxter
Le Monnier
Mistin Jtmiora
Nicoli Bros.

Edit Juhasz

Martin Clarice
SYDNEY
Tivoli

Winifred AtweU
Morecambe A Wise
Gaston Palmer

2 Earls

Ross Sc Howitt
J A D Rees

3 Sylverkings
[Lorraine Bransgrove

Beverly Urqxihart

NEW YORK CITY

Blue Angel

Tom Lehrer
Felicia Sanders
Reyneaux
Frank Buxton
Jimmy Lyon 3
Bart Howard
Bon Soir
Alice Ghostely
Mae Barnes
Tony Sc Eddie
Jimmie Daniels
Three Flames
Murray Grand
Casanova

Zozo

Micheline Bardin
Chateau Maontf
B. Kraft Dners.
Xiomaro Alfaro
Ralph Font Ore
Panchlto Ore
Candl Cortez
Cepacabana
Myron Cohen
Vagabonds
Gaby Monet
Harry BeU
Boh Warren •

Lou Donn Ore
Pagan Ore
Downstairs Room
Demi Dozen
Jean Arnold
Jane ConneU
CeU Cabot
Jack Fletcher
George HaU
Gerry Mathews
Stan Keen

No. 1 Fifth Ave.
Suzanne Lake
Cedrone Sc MitcheU
Robert Downey
Harold FonviUe
Joan Bishop
Hotel Astor
Irving Fields
Hotel Roosevelt
Guy Lombardo Ore
Hotel Plaza
Carol Channing
Ted Straeter Gro
Mark Monte Ore
Hotel Pierre
Mirni BenzeU
Bill Tabbert
W'ilhur Evans
Joseph Ricardel Ore
Alan Logan Ore
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lope? Ore
Hotel St. Refit
Robert Clary
Ray Bari Ore.

Milt Shaw Orr
Hotel St. Moritz
Marshall Grant 3

In Boboll

Judy Magee
Herman Chittison
Greta Rae

Latin Quarter
Sue Carson
Johnny Puleo
Francis Brunn
Dick Curry
Pony Sherrell
Jo Lombardi Ore
B Harlowe Ore
Le Cupidon
Sandu Scott
Howard Beder
Ish Ugardi Ore
Catnn Ore

International
Jackie Miles
Four Aces
Pat Patemo
McKenna Line
Mike Durso Ore
Palmicri Ore
New Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Carolyn Carpenter
Larry WUdo
Steadman
Granado Ore
Riviera

Larry Steele Rev
La Playa 6
US V P
Mabel Mercer
Savoy Hilton
Emile Petti Ore
Town A Country
Chase Sc Mitchell
Bobby Freeman
Mambo Aces
Ned Harvey Ore ’
Sicari Ore

Two Cultart
Olga Valdl
Ivan Nepa
Xenia Brante
K. PoUansky Ore
Misha Usdanoff
Viennese canrera
Margarita Sierra
Ernest Schoen
vniaee Barn
Belle CarroU
Jim Lewis
Tex Fletcher
Flash Mason
Karen Thorsell
Vic Spaddy
Lou Harold Ore
Villase Vanfuard
Chris Connor
Stan Free 3
Randy Weston 3
Waldorf-Astoria
Eartha Kitl
Emil Coleman Ore
Bela Bahai Ore

CHICAGO

Blue Angel
Audrey Kirby
David Sc Amorah
Mighty Panther
Lord Connor
Lord Christo
Blue Note
Duke EUington
Chez Paree
Red Buttons
Barry Sis
Geo. Cook Ore.
Chez Adorables (9)
Cloister Inn
Will Jordan
Ann Richards
Ramsey Lewi.<5 Trio
Conrad Hilton
Helga Neff
“Frosty Frills’*
Farra Sc Carter
Ben Gee Sc Bernle
Harris
Jack KodeU
Eddie Ash
Manuel Del Toro

Inez Sc Gordon
Ken Harris Ore
Drake
Denise Lor
Jimmy Blade Ore
Cate of Horn
OdetU

London House

Gene Krupa

Mister KellYf
Cindy Sc Lindy
teddi King
Marty Rubinstein 3
Marx Sc Frigo
Palmer House
Louis Armstrong
Ben Arden Or<-
Preview Lounge
Cory Cole
Roberts Shew Club
Dinah Washington
Dyerettes 4
Bed Saunders Ore
Phyllis Branch
Sutherland
Sonny Stitt Sc
Three Sounds

LOS ANGELES

Band Box

Billy Gray
Bobby Breen
Jimmy Ames
Ben Biue't
Ben Blue
Helen Bolce
Smith Twins
Sally Blythe
Charles Vespla
Sammy Wolf
Dick Bernie
Richard Cannon
Ivan Lane Ore
Cocoanut Grovt
Ritz Bros.

Freddy Martin Ore
Crescendo
Mort Sahl
Stan Kenton Ore
interlude
Earl Grant
T. C. Jones

Moulin Rouge
Louis Prima Sc
Keely Smith
Sam Butera & The
Witnesses

“Wonderful World"
Regency Room
Matt Dennis
Dave Ketchum
Jeanne Taylor
Dick Hazard
Slate Bros.
Larry K. Nixon
Bobby MUano
The Players
Statier Hotel
Pete MarshaU
Tommy Noonan
Skinnay Ennis Ore
Ye Little Club
Diane Left!

Joe Felix
Roger Nichols

LAS VEGAS

Desert inn

“Newcomers of *28”
Paul Whiteman
Harry Richman
Rudy VaUee
Buster Keaton
Billy Gilbert
Fifi D’Orsay
Carlton Hayes Ore
Dunes

‘Minsky's FoHes
International”
Novelites .

Jimmy Cavanaugh
Tommy OHoe) Raft
Barbara Esko
Murray Brisco
Vickie Denas
Cee Davidson Ore
El Cortez
Rossi Sc Boyer
Eddie Bush
Versatiles
El Rancho Vegas
Lisa Kirk
Dick Rice Orch

Flaminfe
Pearl Bailey
Louis BeUson
Atkins Sc Cole
Don Kirk
Flamingoettes
Jack Cathcart Or«
Fremont Hotel
Honeycones
Deedy Sc Bill
Gayle Walton
Make Believes
Golden Nugget
Harry Ranch
Lee Sc Faye May¬
nard

Art (Cow Eyes) En-
gler

Sons of Gold'n Wst
Riviera

“Zlegfeld FoUies”
Jane Morgan
Dickie Henderson
Helen Wood
Andrea Dancers
Ving Merlin
Bill Shirley
Sue Ann Langdon
Ray Sinatra Ore
De Castro Sis
Sahara

Fred Waring Oro
Mary Kaye Trio

Sands

Sammy Davis Jr.
Augie Sc Margo

EUa Fitzgerald
Steve Rosti
Texas Copa Girls
Antonio Morelli Ors
Shewttoat
Shirley Scott
‘Garr Nelson
Showboat Girls
Vic Artese Ore
Silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Beverly Hills
June Wirth
Alan Clive
Sparky Kaye
Red Marshall
Danny. Jacobs
Annie Maloney
Geo. Redman Ors
Stardust
Lido De Paris
“Ces't Magnifiaue**
BUly Daniels
Happy Jesters
Wingy Manone
Troplcana
Dick Shawn
Dante D’Paulo
Barbara Luna
Carla Alberghetti
Jack Ackerman
Ray Malone
Ray Anthony Ore
D Williams Singers
Nat Brandwynne
Ore

MIAMI . MIAMI BEACH

Admiral Vee
Don Rickies
Rosette Shaw
Pete Brady 4
Americana
Marlowe-KuUer Rev
Barbara Heller
Blackburn Twins
Jerry Collins
Jack. DeLeon
Kaycee Jones
Mara Lynn
Mark Reddy
Tyier Ore
Lee Martin Ors
Nina Ramon
Balmoral
Marion Murray
Rodriguez Revue
Carillon

Zlegfeld Follies
Lou Nelson
Kathy Barr
Darryl Stewart
Marvin Roy
Gautiers St'pl'chase
ZiegfeldoUs (18)
Jacques Donnet Ore
Ciro's
■Alan Gaie
Redcaps

Clover Club
Rip Taylor
Barbara Velasco
Magnetones

Doauvillo

Xavier Cugat Rev
Abbe Lane
Buddy Hackett
Lee Martin Ore
Dream Lounge
Buddy Rich Ore
Willie Restum
Marty Harris 3
Diplomat
Tony Martin

Brascla Sc Tybeo
.Al Sendry
Mai Malkin Ore
Edtn Roc
Cab Calloway
Ricky Lane
Walter Nyo Ore
Jackie HeUer
Sonny Kendis OrS
Luis Varona Ore
Fontalnobloaw
Polly Bergen
Sacasas Ore
Ca'mpo Ore

Harbour LounfP
Sammy Walsh
GUbert Sc Tracy
Rasha Rodell
Tony Mataa

Latin Quarter
Sophie Tucker
Donn Arden Revue
Jose Cortez Ore
Lveonie

Havana Mardl Gru
Diosa CosteRo
Milos Velarde
Don Casino
Tonia Flores
Tony Sc Francelle
■Tuan Romero
David Tyler Ore
Murray Franklin's
Paul Gray
Murray Franklin
Dick HaviUand
Kay OuToll
Sue Shepard
Eddie Bernard
Nautilus
Jerry Lester
Holly Warren
Syd Stanley .Ore
The Grate
Georgie Auld 5
Flip Phillips &

Bill IZarris Quint

HAVANA

Caprt

Jose Greco Co.
Somavilla Ore
C:alvet Ore

Hilton

LUb

J. Moreno Oro
Fajardo Ore
NacionaT
Sandor Rev
Mitzi Mason
Martinez Casado
Gina Romano
Ana 8c Jolia
Manteca
Dancing Waters
W Reyes Ore
Gina Romand
Manolo Torrents
Ana y Julio
Riviera
Olga GuiUot
Mitsouki Sc Roberto
Gina Martin

Raul de Mesa
Nilo Rodrigues
Conrad WUsou
Felix Guerrero Or*.

sans Sovcl
Martha CHaude
Miriam Barrens
Dandy Cnwford
Susy Leiva
Roberto Arieta
Maria Nieves
Canaro Ore
Victor Alveres
Ortega Ore

Tropicane
Leonella Gonzales
Xioman AHsro
Marta CastUlo
Berta Depuy
Guaracheros i
Rolo Marlines
Henry Boyer
Troplcana Ballet
S Suarez Orq
Romeu Orq

SAN FRANCISCO

Backstage

Stan Arnold
Rene Joubert
BlackhSwk
Cal Tjader 5
Canterbury
Geo. Alexander
Benny Strong Ore
Easy Street
Turk Murphy Ore
Pack's
Lenny Bruce
■Axidentals
Bonnie Graham
Herb Barman Ore
Fairmont Hotel
Mills Bros.

K Heckscher Ore
440 Club
Larry Winters
Carol Davis

Cay 90't

Bee Sc Ray Goman
Sylvie St. Clair
Dick Keegan Ore
Hungry I
Kaye Ballard
Don Kenito
Cruz Luna
Stan Wilson

Jazz Workshop
Sonny Stitt

On the Levee
Kid Ory Ore
Purple Onion
(Coachmen 3
Maya .Angelou
Ronnie Schell
365 Club
Paul-Gubert
Estelita
Half Bros.

Bill Clifford Ore.

RENO

Harolds Club

Carmen Cavallaro
Magnetics

Harrah's Club
De Castro Sis
Art Engler
Red Nichols
Blakelys
Cindy O’Hara
Don Baker
Bonnie Jo

Holiday
Wade Ray
Esquire Trio

Commodores
Mapet
Edgar Bergen
Wilder Bros.

Ina Ray Hutton
Bill Norvas
Dubonnet 3

RIvorsIdo
Bob Crosby
Dunhills
Jack Schafer
Roberta Linn
Riverside Starlets
Ed Fitzpatrick Oro

San Antonio Boat Show

San Antonio, Dec. 23.

The third annual San Antonio
Sport & Boat show will be held
March 3-8 at the Joe Freeman
Coliseum. It wiU be sponsored by
the Alamo Boat Club and produced
by Charles and Bob Coffen of Dou¬
ble C. Productions.

There will be a 45-minute stage-
show nightly. Acts are being
booked.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

P^iEfr

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS

47

Sands, l4as Vegas

Las Vegas, Dec. 17.
Sammy Davis Jt., Augie & Mar¬
go, Steve Rossi, Dick Stabile,
Texas Copa Girls, Antonio Morelli
Orch (23); produced & staged by
Jack Entratter; $3 minimum.

For the first time, Sammy Davis
Jr. is appearing without his father
and uncle in the act, and for the
first time he omits dancing. He
doesn’t even dabble with the musi¬
cal instruments—his turn accents
his distinctive vocal pyrotechnics
and he throws in enough clowning
to make it one of the best nitery
sessions in the biz. New is an
Impresh of Fredric March doing
Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde—a fright¬
ening stunt which again magnifies
Davis’ personality.

His takeoffs on Frank Sinatra
and other headliners are outstand¬
ing jDoth technically and in the
humor department. Sock opening
number, “Let Me Sing and I’m
Happy,” is followed by such stim¬
ulators as “I’ve Got Plenty of
Nothin’,” “Birth of the Blues,”
“Where’s My Bess” and “Old Black
Magic,” latter being a song he says
he “stole from Johnny Johnston.”

Balance ^ the Jack Entratter
presentation trots out Augie &
Margo, and the Texas Copa Girls
backed in the lavish Bob Gilbert-
Henne Stuart production numbers
by the big voice of Steve Rossi. The
graceful lifts and spins of terpers
Augie & Margo are at top level in
excitement and imagination, with
excellent assistance from Antonio
Morelli and the'orch (23). As usual
Dick Stabile skillfully guides the
musicians during Davis’ portion of
the show, which is skedded through
Jan. 12. Duke.

pile lip yocks In a 25-mInute romp
of acrobatics and use of clarinet,
saxophone and drums.

Gardner Benedict’s combo han¬
dles the musical chores in splendid
fashion. Jimmy Wilber's three¬
some supplies intermission dance
accompaniment and Larry Vincent
sings at the 88 in the cocktail room.
Layout opening Jan. 2 has Allen
& De Wood, Jon & Sondra Steele,
Koll.

One Fifth Ave., N. Y.

Cedrone & Mitchell, Suzanne
Lake, Robert Dovmey, Harold
Fonville, Joan Bishop; no cover or
minimum.

Pearl Bailey Breaks Out
With Interracial Line Of
Choristers in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Dec, 23. j
new Pearl Bailey show.

Adolphus Hotel, Dalli^

Dallas, Dec. 20.

Fat Windsor (with Charles
Reader), Dink Frecniau, Joe
Reichman Orch (7); $1.50-$2 cover.

than flesh. Joe Castor is a unique
puppet act; Jack Ary & Ann Rey
have a clever record mime bit; Mac
Ronay is wrong-way magician (all
under New Acts).

The Rossignols (2) do some good
whistling duets dressed in Scot- f
tish costumes. Tone and delivery
The new Pearl ’Bailey show i are good and this is. a fine filler,
which is called “399 Plus One . fart Taylor orch (4) supplies .okay
Club—400 The Hard Way,” intro- j dance interludes,
duces two firsts to the Las Vegas; with the Lida the Crazy

Strip: Miss Bailey’s bow as a star- ; Horse Saloon is one of Pans nitery
producer-stager-director, and an: ^rid looks to remain so far

mterracial chorus line. Miss Bailey ■ some time while other strippenes Happy’ and a sock vocal ‘ of
dicks on all sides in her quadruple , .h'ot J "

Pat Windsor’s first Texas date
is auspicious. Love ly blonde
thrush, in 35-minule stint, piuls
hefty milting with a tasty mixture
of songs and dialog. Elegantly
gowned in red. she gives with
“Till There Was You.” “Get

One Fifth Ave. has been a pros¬
pering oasis for many years with
its policy of showcasing talent
which has a tendency to become
important in a matter of years.
Bob Downey, who long has been

sight

leans toward Jim Crow-ism as a
sop to gamblers from the you-all
belt.

In her, easy-going, casual, and
highly distinctive style, star hand¬
ily sells such as “ ’S Wonderful.”
“Someone To Watch Over Me,

intermission.

Mosk. “Let’s Fall in Love.” Sobering bit,
drawing hefty aud respect, is
haunting vocal of “A\e Maria,’’
followed by “I Believe. ’ and the
dual hymnals .wrap up the tablers.
Bonus bits include “76 Trom-
where she .shed.s the skirt

Dorchester, London

London. Dec. 19.
Leslie A. "Hutch’* Hutchinson,
JgoT Gridneff, Dorchester Girls
(4), Tommy Whittle Orch, Albert
Marland; $5.50 minimum.

There are very few cabaret
artists so consistent^ gainfully em¬
ployed on the limited West End
cafe circuit as “Hutch” and he
never lets the side down. In his
current stint at this swank Park
Lane hotel, Leslie A. Hutchinson
Is, as always, on the top of * his
form. He pays his audience the
compliment of taking great pains
In prepping his routine with a gen¬
erous quota of original material,
and has his own version of "Let’s
Do It” to provide a smash closer.
He’s self-accompanied on the 88
and works, hard with unfailing good
humor. At show, caught he was on
the floor for almost 40 minutes and
didn’t, outstay his welcome.

A newcomer locally, Igor Grid¬
neff provides a neat specialty rou¬
tine. He’s billed as “The Conti¬
nental Climber” and his main prop
Is a single frame chromium-plated
ladder, which he mounts with
startling ease and on which he per¬
forms some cute balancing tricks.
The Dorchester Girls, a pleasant
lineup of four dancers, open the
show and appear between the acts.
As a switch from the customary
terping routines they give the cus-
toniers an elementary lesson in
dancing the cha cha. and do it with
a lot of charm. Show is compe¬
tently backed by the Tommy Whit¬
tle orch. Myra.

iejvrr.sici<'^ Kono

Reno, Dec. 19.

Bob Crosby..Roberta Linn, Dnn-
vvaT,»n tjvpr ivi p - < Storlcts <8). Eddie Fitz- bones,”

running the room, has savvy and | lo u^ me p^trick Orch; $2 minimum. to reveal shapely legs and does

taste in pickling performers ^ 1 HanS” “FoeaV Dav ” twirling during the

Current show is headed by ; pf’ T n<?P Tt At ’The Astor ” i The Riverside management was • chant. Winds the top act with “I’ll

’ = apparently dealing directly with ' Never Stop Loving You” and “With

--^-- Santa Claus when it booked the ; a Song in My Heart” to a begoff.

rt- hol’day for the Olympic Room. It’s i Dialect comedian Dink Freeman,

riaiilinQ4>, i..a9 a package designed for any and all ! seen in a local cabaret years ago.

Cedrone & Mitchell, repeaters at
the spot. They have come in this
time with the strongest act since
the partnership was formed. Miss
Cedrone is a talented comedienne
with a high risibility rating, and

Pearl Bai'ey. (with Lloyd Phil- ^ age groups, wliat with the person- has a polished 25-minut'c opening
lips), Coles & Atkins, Louis Bellson, able Bob Crosby, the talented Rob- segment. He’s a headliner and the

Mitchell, who knows the ways of i Gleason, Don Kirk, Helen ; erta Linn, the perfection of the ; reception in the plushy Century

comedy in his own right, also col¬

leagues Miss Cedrone into the
socko class. They have a good
batch of material, grouped into
song segments. Most of the stuff

Thigpen, Moses La Marr, Allen ! dsnemg Dunhills, and the precision ■ Room proves it.

Davis Chorus (13), Flamingoeftcs offerings of the Starlets. * Freeman’s multiple-dialect varns

fio;, Jack Cathcart Orch ri5);: .Crosby, effortlessly and in good hit the funnybone and he draws
.e-iiieiiLs most oi me siuii , produced, staged, directed by Miss ; his way in and out of: yocks, but smartly paces his boff

is on the zany side and in good ! Bailey; choreography, Buster ^ as noi to step on his

taste. They get prolonged mittings i nelZ, special choreography & e/-• and tasta H^ His dialect stories are in

' fprtc Marie Brvanf- musical nr- overdoes his upstaging. I good taste and each scores. Short

French-born ' ranaements Bellson•’minimum with the femme on vo-; vocal inserts are smart additions,

^ cal? and handles the intros with but the aud participation bit—

his 'own pro styling. His solo titles wherein FreemaiT’suggests requests

“T To Ti.of -* _1_

here.

Suzanne Lake,

singer who came to legit attention
in “The Ring & I,” is a singer with

charm and delicacy and with an | ..Lady Re Good,” add "Just One
atSeflMu : O? She puUs laughs

singing. Whenever she gets off the
tunestering, she falls a few
notches, inasmuch as the talk that
goes with her act tends to obscure
her personality. But the straight
song passages are excellent.

The two-piano work by Downey
and Harold Fonville comes off well,
and Joan Bishop provides a pleas¬
ant interlude at the keyboard be¬
tween the acts. Jose.

Tideland^, Houston

Houston, Dec. 16.
Hilltoppers, Don Cannon Orch
(6); no 'fover or minimum.

with most of the numbers, and
shows a serious side with the
emotion-packed “My. Man’s Gone
Now.” As a rousing finale, she and
the entire cast—Avith volunteers
from the audience—present “Bill
Bailey.” Mixed Negro-white, male-
female chorus (13) enriches pro¬
duction values on several of Miss
Bailey’s songS.

include “Love Is Jusf Around the ! for certain dialect stories—brings

Corner’’ and other evergreens be¬
fore he reaches a “76 Trombones”
finale with lyrics changed to fit
names related to his music back¬
ground. He also wins plaudits in
a duo novelty bit, “I . Put The
Penny In the Gum Slot,” with Miss
Linn. Their baby talk fractures
the duo as well as auditors.

Working alone. Miss Linn show’s
jfull control with such things as
“I’m Happy,” “Old Black Magic”

Honi Coles and Cholly Atkins i and a melange of the standards.

An expert harmony group, the . .—

Hilltoppers quickly warm up an J proper shadings.

are personable terpers who win
warm mitting both as a team and
individually with their smooth
tapology. Louis Bellson, in an
impressive drum solo, proves again
that he is one of the top percus¬
sionists in the biz. The turn is
solid, showing great feeling and the

Her emoting and. sensitiveness
w’ith “j\Ierry Christmas, Darling”
command the respect of a silent
room. Miss Linn, how’ever, wisely
keeps the big chunk of her titles
in the beltier class.

The three Dunhills, familiar on
the Reno circuit, show perfection
terping. Timing is faultless,

average opening night aud to beg I Moana Gleason, a looker who ; and they', make their style seem

Deverly Hills, Cincy

Cincinnati, Dec. 19.

Rover Boys (4), Ford & Rey¬
nolds, Sally & Joe Novellc, Lind¬
say-Sapphire Dancers (9), Bill
Raymond, Gardner Benedict Orch
(10), Jimmy Wilber Trio, Larry
Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Sat..

. A gay holiday floorshow rounds
out another year of solid operation
at this class Kentucky theatre
restaurant. This fortnight’s liheup
has three first-time starters before
Greater Cincy niterygoers. They
are the Rover Boys, pop vocal four¬
some; Frankie Ford and Gary
Reynolds, zany comedy team, and
Sally & Joe Novelle and their
“poodle symphony.” An auto
wreck enroute from Florida caused
the dog act to miss the opener
Friday (19), the only loss of time.
Party bookings are heavy through
New Year’s Eve, a traditional sell¬
out at extra tariff.

The Lindsay-Sapphire line un¬
corks proceedings with a colorful
western number and climaxes with
a delightful medley of Christmas
tunes, vocals by baritone Bill Ray¬
mond.

Rover Boys highlight a 28-min¬
ute song sycle .with "Graduation
Day,” their top Victor recording,
and robust treatment of “Lonesome
Road.” In group are Buddy Victor,
lead; A1 Austin, baritone, Ronny
Ross, top tenor, and Wally West,
bass..

Frankie Ford, comic, and his j
singing partner, Gary Reynolds, I

off 30 minutes and eight numbers
later. One of the numbers is a
medley of songs of the ’ 20 s—‘if
You Knew Susie,” “I Can Do
Without Broadway” and such—
and the stagesiders had enough
nostalgia to palm this bit aplenty.

Jimmy Sacca," a lyr-ic baritone,
leads the quartet, composed of
baritone Doug Cardoza, bass Don
McGuire, and tenor Seymour
Spiegelman. There are bits of com¬
edy—too few, actually—and Mc¬
Guire joins the legion now doing
impreshes of Walter Brennan. The
boys go well with “Mary Ann,”
which they put on a Dot disk, but
best received is the closing num¬
ber, "Laugh, Clown, Laugh,” with
a little Pagliacci throw’n in by
Sacca.

The. Don Cannon combo, house
orch at this new nitery in the
Tidelands Motor Inn, opens the
show with a snappy ‘‘Mama Don’t
’Low . . and backs the Hilltop¬
pers with precision.

The quartet will remain here
through Dec. 31, joining replace¬
ment Jonathan Winters for the
sellout New. Year’s Eve show.

Skip.

masters the art of exciting undula¬
tion, teams w’ith singer-dancer Don
Kirk in an outstanding terp rou¬
tine. Helen Thigpen as a strolling
saleslady of strawberries (in the
audience) gets laughs, as doss
Moses La Marr, doorman at the
“399 Plus One Club.” Buster Bur¬
nell’s choreography is fresh and .

imaginative’ Show, " ske dded j lets, in a Yule season theme,
through Jan. 28, is skillfully bracket the show in Moro-Landis
backed by the Jack Cathcart orch ! productions. Show dates On New

’em home. He complies, and satis¬
fies, with rib-tick:ers.

Dual show ends Dec. 31, with
Joe Reichman’s band exiting also.
Betty Reilly and Leighton Noble’s
orch open a fortnight Jan. 1.

Bark.

llarold^s Club, Rono

Reno, Dec. 17.

Carmen Cavallaro, The Magnet¬
ics (3); no cover or minimum.

(15).

Duke:

Auditor's at the Carmen Caval¬
laro show in the intimate Harold’s
Fun Room respond to the artist
with an aw’e normally reserved
for the concert halls. .Ynd from
the usually calloused and blase
saloon set which frequent the Reno
bistros, such heavy endorsement
oQCTf iT'T" : indicates Cavallaro will become an

i annual affair for the seventh-floor
Art Stanley, Walter Long) takes = rnnm
turn before the spot, and then dis- i . rlV

play remarkable precision in u- current long engagenient is
unison. A new version of a South ! second time around-and both
African dance, done in heavy rub-

ber boots, is well received. : season Backing (Tav-

Eddie Fitzpatrick orch plays the , perfected rhythm is a

difficult bill capably. The Star-’ trio including Jimmy

' ^ J Norton on guitar. Bill Bandy on

string bass and Paul Guerrero on
drums.

The “poet’s” repertoire includes

_ such pop titles as “How About

mw m ^ Y’ou,” “Autumn Leaves.’’ “Rhap-

Hoiol 3Ioilteleoilo« JV- O, ' sody in Blue,” “Voodoo Moon” and
New Orleans. Dec 19 : “The Continental.” For the more

Year’s Eve. '

Long.

Jo Ann Miller, Nino Nanni John appreciative he proves his virtu-
Gary, Nick Stuart Orch-i 8) { S2 50 c^^ty with “Cavaquiho;’“Seren-

’ ata” anrl Thnnin q “Pnltinaise.”

London Houso^, Chi

Chicago, Dec. 17.
Gene Krupa Quartet; $3 mini¬
mum Fri.-Sat.

Gene Krupa Is a safe bet to keep
a nice head of b.o. steam up over
the holidays. He doubtless rates
as one of the strongest personal¬
ities in the pop and jazz fields, and
his skinbeating is still inimitable.
He can range from down-to-busi-
ness stickwork to the showmanly
ways that have long identified him,
as when he put the sticks to the
bass strings on “Big Noise From
Winnetka.”

The combo’s library and Tend¬
ings plead no single cause; there’s
enough in each set to please the
ordinary enthusiast (as in “Heart
of My Heart” with its strong melo¬
dic line) or the snob set, per a
delicate, flute-featured treatment
of “September Song,” a subtle item
with Far East overtones via Kru-
P.a’s cymbals. There’s the usual
wild outpouring for the unit’s
“Drum Boogie,” which has long
bore the Krupa patent. His side-
men are plenty spotlighted, but the
hoopla’s for Krupa, and that’s the
way the cash register rings.

Foursome finales Jan. 11 , with
Barbara Carroll trio returninf^ oh
the 14th. Pit.

Crazy Horse, Paris

Paris, Dec, 16;

Linda Romeo, Cara Sirocco, Ver¬
onika Baum, Joe- Castor, Lady
Phu-Qui-Cho, Dodo D’Hambour.g, . mimmuyn; $4 Sat.

Mac Ronay; Bella. Cucullw, Tessa j hanAcnmo t? « • ‘ minute stint inciuaeu pans ot tne

Dourafcine, Carolina Vo 7 i Stroujefz, The handso^Jva^ -soundtrack from his pianistics in

Jack Ary A Ann Lih Niagara,-; Jo’'Ann"S '

and Nino Nanni, who spins magic j Good warmer for the headliner

ata” and Chopin’s “Polonaise,”
among others. Begoff for the 3^
minute stint included parts of the

Rossignols- (2), Jenny Boston,
Croq’Monsieur (2), Bart Taylor
Orch (4); $5 minimum at table,
$2 at bar.

at the piano. Miss Miller adds eye ! are the capable Magnetics with a
appeal with a classy chassis. She’s , '^’^ried listing. Each takes a turn
a stimulating personality with ! and all double on vocals

warmth and projection and who ! and instruments. Bob Downie is
handles her vocal chores in excep- ■ gmtar. Bill Kane on piano and
tional style, and multiple tempos ! Nieves on strong bass Meyes
get her attention. Her repertoire I frequent Hums before the

ranges from the calypso “Tragedy I‘^P®^ good tenor voice on

of Trinidad” to "St. Louis Woman.” , as ‘‘Donkey Serenade Just
Versatile thrush also displays a i One Of Those Things” and he.
knack for patter that amused as [ the latter keyed to the Christmas
much as the body English she em- ! season. Long.

ploys to accent her lyrics when ' —--

Though strip is slipping in most
of the flesh parlors here, boniface
Alain Bernardin has wisely kept
his original undrape spot intact by
paying his young, shapely girls
well and not allowing them to dou¬
ble. Shrewd production values and
inventiveness in. strip presentation,
plus solidly selected sight acts,
make this a show with interna¬
tional pull for Parisians, provin¬
cials and passersby alike, and
boite is jammed every night.

Linda Roman does a series of
pouting poses in blackout tempo.
Cara Sirocco wraps herself in
beads. Veronika Baum, with slanted
light rays across her nudity, twists
about with a large mirror above
her. Lady Phu-Qui-Cho assumes
exotic poses. Dodo D’Hambourg is
a shapely girl doing contortions.

Bella Cucullis plays to the aud
with bumps and tantalizing mug¬
ging, Tessa Dourakine does the
shedding during a toe dance. Caro¬
lina Von Sirowetz mewls and
moans to add sound aspects to her
peel. Lili Niagara has savvy on and
off lighting and a reverse in dress¬
ing via a contortion exercise setup.
Jenny Boston wallows on a bed.

An antidote to all this well-done
erotics is a spoof strip for the
ladies by the men, the Croq’Mori-
sieurs. Right music makes the
strips easy on the. orbs and ears
and more erotic than, of yore due’
to suspenseful presentation.

Clever sight acts also emerge

Fairmont.. San Fran€*isro

San Francisco, Dee. 18.
Mills Bros <4), Ernie Hcckscher
Orch (9); $2 cover.

which show offbeat talents rather; floor.

warbling. Scores heavily.

Nanni is a pianist with words.

He presents a medley of familiar
ditties and parodies, plus a batch
of originals, that run from the
nostalgic to the hilarious. His
pianistics provide a delightful The Mills Bros, aren’t for the
background for his stories. His hippies, but they do a fine job for
“Voice of The Piano” bit nets the substantial check-grabbers and
plenty of palms. In this number figure to keep the Fairmont’s large
he follows the grand piano down ’Venetian Room booming through
the course of life, from concert the holiday season,
rinfehf ’ They come on with “Be My Life’s

^ Nfnni Vho^aSrts socko in an ‘ Gempanion,” then go into what
offbeat “White Christmas,” "Bar- Around

ber of Seville,” “What A Boy” and

“The Story of The Fabulous Miss S Tpo

Jones,” has a subtle accent, suave ' nvp^^^

mannerisms, an inner glee and a

Charles Boyer style that has the = Alwa\^

gals enchanted all the way. Bows ‘

off to big hand ' Gne You Love, a barbershop ver-

Johii Gary, young baritone, sells ' ^ion of ‘‘YQu Tell Jle Your Dream”
a tune with sensitive feeling and finally, their Opus One.
unadorned style that’s refreshing. 1 Show may not be terribly excit-
Nick Stuart and his musical crew ing, but it’s easy listening, and
are in excellent fettle and dish out' pleases crowd \vhich comes to hear
a Christmas medley—done par.tly exactly this kind of program,
in dixieland style—^and rhythmic Ernie Heckscher orch accompanies
f.-'re that draws dancers to the nicely. Show runs through Jan. 14.

Liuz. I

Stef.

48

LEGlTOfATE

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Shows on Broadway

Whoop-Ep

Cy Feuer & Ernest H. Martin presenta¬
tion of two-act musical comedy; book by
Cy Feuer. Ernest H. Martin and Dan
Cushman. Ivrics by Norman Gimbel.
music bv Moose Charlap; based on Dan
Cushman’s novel. “Stay Away. Joe.”
Direction. Cv Feuer; settings and bght-
ins*. Jo Mielriner: choreography, Onna
White; costumes, Anna Hill Johnstone;
musical and vocal director. Stanley Le-
bowsky; orchestrations, Philip J. Lang;
dance music arrangements, Peter Metz.
Features Susan Johnson, Paul Ford. Ralph
Young, liomo Vincent, Sylvia Svms,

Dann-, Meeh:-n. Julienne Marie. Asia,
P. J. Kellv. Opened Dec. 22s '58. at the
Sam .S. Slmbert Theatre, N.Y.; S8.05 top
($11 :"<) opening).

Glenda Swanson ... Susan Johnson
Jiggs Rock Medicine. Michael Kermoyan

W- It Stephenpierre .Tom Raskjn

Dub Winter Owl. Jack Warner

B:y W ater Owl...Bobby Shields

I. »uis Cbampl''in .Romo Vincent

Annie Chamnlnin - Sylvia Syms

M>fv Champlain .Julienne Mane

Mitthew Beerchaser. Tony Gardell

Karl Kellenbach . . Paul Ford

Clyde Wilschmidt.Wallace Rooney

G«*ori;e Potter . Danny Meehan

Medicine .Man . Tonv Gardell

Joe Chamnl'in Ralph Young

Marle.ne Standing Battle. .A.nn Barry

Cr.m’pere . P. J- Kelly

Billie Mae LRtlehorse _ Asia

Juke Box Voice .Bobby Shields

Mrs. Kellenbach .Vera Walton

Baptiste Three Bird.Paul Michael

Hotel Proprietor .Robert Lenn

Teenager . Robert Karl

State Trooper .Steve Wiland

Justice of Peace . ^ Earl Liopy

Strangers Edward Becker.

Socrates Birsky

Singer*, dancers: Mari • Amell. Ann
Barry. Edward Becker, Jeanna Belkin.
Socrates Birskv, Tim Brown. Sandra Dev¬
lin. Eleanor Dian. Tina Fave. Toby Gar¬
dell. Martha Granese. H. F. Green. Sal¬
vador Juarer. Robert Karl. Robert Lenn.
Earl Lipoy, Rae McLean, Michelle Newton.
Estelle Parsons. Yolande Poropat, Tom
Ra.skin. Tonv Rosa. Marla Stevens. Ben
Vargas, Barbara Webb. Steve Wiland.

Musical n»»nx,bers: “Glenda's Place.”
"When the Tall Man Talks,” "Nobody
Throw Those Bull.” "Rocky Bo.v Cere¬
monial." ••Love Eves," "Men." "Never
Before." "Caress Me. Possess Me Per¬
fume.” "Vlatterv." “The Girl in His
Arms.” “The Best of What This Coun¬
try’s Got." “I Wash My Hands.'’ "Quarrel-
tet.” “Sorrv for Myself." " Til the Big
Fat Moon Falls Down," "Whst I Mean to
Say.” “Montana," "She or Her."

It seems incredible that the same
producers who were responsible
for the brilliant “Guys and Dolls”
could be guilty of such a heavy-
handed and lacklustre show as
“Whoop-Up.” The new musical,
which opened Monday night (22)
at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre,
would be a dubious boxoffice
bet under normal conditions, but
with the newsoaper strike appa¬
rently settling down into an e*'dur¬
ance siege, “Whoop-Up” looks
boneless. "

The show marks the return to
active Broadway producing for Cy
Feuer and Ernest H. Martin, who
previously had nothing but money¬
makers with “Where’s Charley,”
the fabulous “Guys and Dolls,” ard
then “Can-Can.” “The Boy Friend”
and “Silk Stockings.” Perhaps no
one could have made a successful
"musical of “Stay Away, Joe," the
Dan Cushman novel about redskin
and paleface shenanigans on a
Montana Indian reservation. But
Feuer and Martin have com¬
pounded their initial error by turn¬
ing authors to write the book for
the show, with Cushman a collabo¬
rator and Feuer as overall stager.

The producers, who had a con¬
tract to do a picture for Metro,
originally planned to use the Cush¬
man story for the project, and the
studio purchased the screen rights
to the material. Subsequently,
Metro decided the yam wasn’t suit¬
able for films, but F & M were
smitten w’lth it and persuaded the
company to release it for stage
musicalization, taking a share in
the venture as payment and re¬
taining the screen rights to the
original material.

It’s possible, of course, that in¬
spired treatment might have made
a hit musical of the story. But tak¬
ing fact rather than theory, and in
the most favorable terms possible,
“Whoop-Up” is chiefly notable for
a sort of brash determination. The
Feuer-Martin-Cushman book hn.s a
heartv kind of mediocrity, while
the Norman Gimbel lyrics are em¬
phatic and predictable, and the
Moose Charlap tunes all tend to
sound alike, at least in the monot¬
ony of Philip J. Lang’s orchestra¬
tions and the din of Stanley Lebow-
sky’s orchestra direction.

Onna White’s choreography is as
strenuous, if not athletic, as Broad¬
way has seen in some time, but has
little apparent meaning, and
Feuer’s overall direction appears
competent at be.st. Jo Mielziner has
df*signed garishly striking settings
of a saloon, an auto agency office,
a redskin shanty and other loc.ales
on and near an Indian reservation
in Montana, and Anna Hill John¬
stone has provided colorfully rag¬
tag costumes.

Besides a couple of rousing
rough and tumble dance numbers
(including one prominently featur¬
ing bare ma’e buttocksh there are
a few songs that could conceivably
be put across by top talents. They
include “Men,” “Flattery” and
“Montana.” the latter a numben
that will doubtless provoke a flush¬
faced denunciation by that state’s
representatives in Congress.

The who-dat cast that fails to
make much of the show includes
Susan Johnson as a'strident saloon

proprietress with a highly variable
yen for a broncd-bustin' brave
played with rough and ready , will¬
ingness by Ralph Young; There’s
also a secondary -and slightly less
violent romance between an eager
but hesitant auto agency underling
.plaj'ed acceptably by Danny Mee¬
han and a race-conscious Indian
giiT portrayed by Julienne Marie.

Paul Ford has professional skill
as a lunkhead auto dealer, Romo
Vincent plays art Italian-accented
redskin of supposedly French ex¬
traction and Sylvia Syms mumbles
in something suggesting Bronxese
as his helpful squaw. P. J. Kelly, a
former Abbey Theatre notable, acts
a primitive-minded Indian ancient
and a dancer named Asia, whose
figger and pelvic movements, if
presented with finesse in a much
better show, might become the talk
of the town, portrays the seductress
who keeps upsetting the romance
between the lady saloon-keeper and
the heep big rodeo steer-thrower.

Although the dictionary doesn’t,
define whoop-up per se, it indicates
that the phra'se, whoop it up, means
to create a disturbance or stir up
excitement, with a connotation of
gaiety. In this case of this show,
at least the intention is clear.

Hohe.

Hamlet

Old Vic Trust Ltd. &. Arts Council of
Great Britain (under management of S.
Hurok) presentation of Old Vic Co. re¬
vival of two-act drama by William Shake¬
speare. Direction. Michael Benthal: decor
and costumes, Audrey Cruddas; musical
accompaniment. Gordon Jacob; musical
director. Arthur Lief; dueling direction,
Bernard Hepton. Opened Dec. 16. "53, at
the Broadway Theatre, N.Y.. $6 top.

Guards.Roy Patrick, James Mellon

Joss Ackland

Horatio .David Dodimead

Claudius .. NeviUe

Laertes . John Humphry

Polonius.Joseph O’Conor

Hamlet .John NeviUe

Gertrude . Margaret Courtenay

Ophelia . Barbara Jefford

Ghost . Richard Wordsmouth

Kosencrantz and Gildenstern

Peter CeUer, Gerald Harper
Player King Richard Wordsworth

Players .James CuUiford, Barbara Leigh-
Hunt. Robert Algar

ForUnbras . David Gardner

Captain .Robert Algar

Lady . Jane Downs

Servant . lUchael Culver

Sailors Harold Innocent. Douglas Harris

1st Gravedigger . Dudley Jones

2d Gravedigger-.... Thomas Johnston

Priest. Harold Innocent

Osric .. Jol> Stewart

Others: Peggy Butt, Jennie GOossens,
Ursula Jenkins. John Bonney. Simon
Fraser, JO-hn Gay, Timothy Harley, Peter
Hodgson. Dyson Lovell. Crispian Wood-
gate, William Young-

“Hamlet,” the old standby which
the Old Vic Co. presented at. the
Broadway Theatre last Tuesday
(16) as the second item of its five-
week repertory engagement, ran
into a combinatioD of difficult cir¬
cumstances, mostly stemming from
the newspaper deliverers’ strike
which has forced the suspension
of publication of all regular New
York dailies. With no adequate
way of publicizing the fact that
the show’s first-night curtain would
ring up at 7:30, the management
and company had to plod through
the performances with latecomers
disturbing the audience as late as
8:45. ( ^ •

The result was something of an
ordeal out front and, presumably,
onstage. With a large house like
the Broadway, audibility always
tends to be a problem, particularly
for a straight play, so the move¬
ment of latecomers down the aisles,
the necessity for those already
seated to rise and let the tardy ar¬
rivals get to their seats, the gleam¬
ing of ushers’ flashlights and the
inevitable mixups as people in
wrong locations had to be shifted,
made the performance something
of a travesty at times.

All these were complicating cir¬
cumstances for what must be a
somewhat unexciting show under
, the best of conditions, “Hamlet,”
j to be rousing entertainment, must
have fire and drive—rblood and
;guts. But this Old Vic revival of
j the classic is not only on'e of the
longest versions of the drama of-
I fered here in some years (Maurice
i Evans played the uncut script some
! 15-odd years ago), but tends to be
i a rather sedate treatment, with few

Broadway Baiwott

BiUDoU

oxcorptf a cliaptK from hir
ferthcemiB^ book,

“Tho World of Miko Todd,"
In a clostnp on Breadwoy't
Joe Gllck titled

The Manager Died
Rich
* * *

another Editorial Featuro
in the loon-due

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^IETY

contrasting. roles makes the
achievement the more admirable.
If Miss Jefford continues to grow
as an actress and a personality
sh,g’s a prospect for major stardom.

Probably as a practical answer to
the demands of repertory touring
-on an international scale, the
“Hamlet” production is just about
the ultimate of simplicity, consist¬
ing of little more than drapes,
lighting, a couple of easily-^shifted
thrones and the 19th century style
costumes. Michael BenthaU’s di¬
rection appears to be pretty much
traditional, as does the trumpet
background music composed by
Gordon Jacob.

John Neville gives "lyhat appears
to be a thoughful portrayal of Ham¬
let, with Margaret Courtenay a
rather fretful Queen, Oliver Ne¬
ville, ah irritable. usurper-King,
Joseph O’Connor a consciously
prolix Polonius, John Humphry a
boyishly emotionar Laertes, David
Dodimead an upstanding Horatio,
Richard Wordsworth doubling as
the Ghost and Player King, and
Dudley Jones as the garulous First
Gravedigger.

Except for Miss Jefford’s re-
markle O^elia, it’s a pretty long
and tepid evening, even allowing
for those first-night headaches.

Hobe.

gripping moments.

Under normal circumstances,

i Ophelia’s scenes, particularly the
! painful mad scene, .tend to be
’ tough to take—pretty much an un-
comfortable necessity to be en-
I dured for the sake of the great
I passages of towering tragic drama,
! But in this Old Vic production -(at
; least under the adverse conditions
I of the opening night) Ophelia’s

■ scenes were the standout, most
{notably the mad scene, which sil-
I enced a steadily coughing audience
: cind held them in rapt silence.

I This characterization by Barbara
Jefford, following her impressive
, performance the previous week as
i Viola in “Twelfth Night,” stamps
! this actress as one of the finest
I Shakespeare players to appear on
I Broadway hi memory; The fact

■ that Viola and Ophelia are such

Redhead

New Haven, Dec. 22.

. Robert Fryer Sc Lawrence Carr presen¬
tation of two act (IS scenes) musical com¬
edy; book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields.
Sidne.v Sheldon and David Shaw, music
by Albert Hague, lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
Direction and choreography. Bob Fosse:
decor and costumes. Rouben Ter’Anttun-
lan: lighting, Jean Rosenthal; orchestra¬
tions. PhiRp J. Lan& Robert Russell Ben¬
nett; musical direction and vocal arrange¬
ments, Jay Blackton; dance music ar¬
rangements.' Roger • Adams: assbeiate
choreographer. Donald McKayle: produc¬
tion manager. Robert Linden: hair stylist.
Ronald DeMann. Stars -Gwen- Verdon; fea¬
tures Richard KUey. Leonard Stone. Doris
Ricl^* CjTithia Latham. William LeMassen 2 L.
Ralph Sumpter. Patrick Horgan. Buzz
MUler, Pat Ferrier, .Joy N.’Tliols. Opened
Dec. 22, '58. at the ^hubert Theatre. New
Haven: $6 top, /

Ruth LaRue ...Pat Ferrier

Maude Simpson .Cynthia Latham

Sarah Simpson ... Doris Rich

May . Joy Nichols

- • . Pat Ferrier

Essie Wimole... Gwen Verdon

Inspector White . Ralph Sumpter

Howard Cavanaugh.. , .William LeMassena

George Poppett .Leonard Stone

Tom Baxter . Richard KUey

■■ Lee Krieger

Sir Charles Willingham.-Patrick Horgan

Tenor ... Bob Dixon

.... Buzz MUler

Street Entertainers - ... David Gold.

Shev Rodgeis, Harvpv Hohnecker,
_ John Lan.gston

Singers: Joan Fatrap, Lydia Fredericks.
Betie Graham, Dee H'riess. .Tanie .lanvier,
Kellev Stevens. Fob Dixon. Clifford FearL
Jolm I.angston, Larry Mitchell, Stan Page.
Shev Rodgers.

Dancers: Margery Beddow, Shjrlev de
Burgh. Pat Terrier. Patti K.arr. Elaine
K'n". Liane Plane, Dean Taliaferro, .Tohn
Aristides. Kevin CarUsle. David Gold.
Darvev Hohnecker, Kazimir Kokich, Dale
Moreda. Noel Parent!, Alton Ruff.

Musical Numbers:- ‘The Simpson Sis-
Jers J'oor," “The Right Fineer of My
Left Hand.” ".lust for Once." ''Merely
Marvelous.” 'The Uncle S^m Rag,”
"Erbie Fitch's Twitch.” "She's ,-Not
Enoii<»h Woman for Me." ''Behave Vour-
*elf." "Doesn’t T-ke a Minute.” "Mv Girl
Ts Just Enough Woman for Me,” "E**ie’s
■u^irion,” "Two Faces in the Dark." "Vnu
Mig^t Be Next." “Goin*' Solo." "We
Love* Va. Jimey.” "Pick-Pocket.Tango,”
"Don't Mention It," "I'll Try."

“Redhead” seems headed in the
right direction. It has terrific
chpreography, a moderately pleas¬
ing. score, a workable book involv¬
ing laughs, and whodunit material,
lush eye appeal, lively tempo^and
Gwen Verdon. These ingredients
are not at their neak as yet, but
with smart handling they can be
made so in the tryout weeks ahead
and the show can come in a win¬
ner. -

With choreographer Bob Fosse
at the directorial helm, it’s natural
that dancing would be emphasized
in this production. The hoofing
involves a standout span, from
music hall solo strutting to a clever
“star” dream sequence. If any sin¬
gle factor can be designated as
the show’s asset it’s the terping.

The “Redhead” book derives a
measure of comedy from the ro¬
mantic antics of a vaude strong
man and a day-dreaming worker in
(Continued on. page 54)

Shows Abroad

Two for the Seesaw

London, Dec. 18.

H. M. Tennent. Robert E. Griffith Sc
Harold S. Prince (in association with Fred
Coe) presentation of three-act (nine
scenes) comedy by WUlIam Gibson. Stars
Peter Finch, Gerry Jedd. Direction, Ar¬
thur Penn; decor, George Jenkins.
Opened Dec. 17, '58, at the Theatre RoyaL
Haymarket, London: $2.8D top.

Jerry Ryan . Peter Finch

Gittel Mosca . Gerry Jedd

Robert E. Griffith, Harold S.
Prince arid H. M. Tennent are in
command of the Haymarket. Across
the street at Her Majesty’s they
have the smash new musical, “West
Side Story,” and now at the Thea¬
tre Royal they are again associated
in another Broadway import, “Two
for the Seesaw.” This also has all
the makings of a hit, which should
hold up for a long and profitable
engagement.

In the past, the West End public
has not taken to two-character
shows, with their limitations in
story development, action, etc.
“Seesaw” looks like an exception,
a comedy drama with penetrating
quality and, like “West Side Story,”
a believable unhappy ending.

One of the more fascinating fea¬
tures to London audiences will be
the tender, moving and dramatic
performance by Gerry Jedd, a
young actress with an instinctive
sense of comedy and drama, and
the knack of swiftly shifting mood
and style. She has an ingratiating
personality, a delightful manner
and a rare gift of projection.

Playing opposite her, . Peter
Finch, a solid and reliable actor,
has a tougher assignment. As the
Nebraska lawyer torn between his
wife in Omaha and the girl in
Manhattan, he plays on more
stolid lines without the color
and warmth the role might have.
Nevertheless, he holds the interest
in an engrossing way and acts with
mkximum sincerity.

Arthur Penn, who staged the
original Broadway production, has
successfully repeated the chore.
That he has been able to sustain
the action and audience interest is
a tribute to his ingenuity. George
Jenkins, who designed the original
Broadway sets, has also repeated
the assignment in this pro(luction,
using a revolving stage to switch
from one apartment room to an¬
other. Myro.

Hid

Glasgow, Dec. 16.

Stewart Cruiluhank (for Howard Sc
Wyndham, Ltd.)** presentation of three-
acts operetta. Stars Vanessa Lee* Ken¬
neth McKellar, ^ Peter Graves: features
Joan Young, Desmond Walter-EUis, Mary
Millar. Book. Waiter Ellis; music* Rich¬
ard Tauber,- Bernard Grun: lyrics, Fred
S. Tysh, Walter Ellis. Direction. Dick
Hurran; decor. Tod Kingman: costumes.
R. St. John Roper; choreography. Jack
Carter; musical direction. Robert Lowe.
Opened Dec. 15, '58, at King's Theatre.
Glasgow; $1.30 top.

Orang Grinder ..Kenneth Lansdown

Lavender Seller .Thelma Phillips

Milkmaid . Valerie Thorne

Orange Seller .Denise Painter

Tinker .John Silvester

Christine ... Paddy Glynn

Peter Webster ....Desmond Walter-Ellls

Mary Fenton .Mary MiUar

Miss Murray . Joan Young

Lord Ranelagh .Peter Graves

Prof. Jacob Bray.Kenneth McKellar

Mms. Nancy Gibbs .Vanessa Lee

Sir Roger Woodville .Lionel Ba]

Lady Walgrave .Anne Muri-^^

Sir Percy Chudleigh .John Palmer

Countess of Stafford ....Marjorie Chard

Duchess of Crewe .Joan Tyrrell

Groom .John Silvester

Lamplighter- .Peter Pellatt

Students—Joan Knlghtdn. Pauline
Greta, Lissa Gray, Marie Lorraine. Ed¬
ward Cameron, John Van Best, Kenneth
Downs. Clark Stevens.

—Dancer.*—ft^rtle Hancock, Gloria
Hockey. Wilma Fleming. Teresa Early,
Unitey Grimwood* Iain Gordon. Michael
Facer, John Raven.

“Old Chelsea,” which starred
the late Richard Tauber in the
early 1940’s, has been updated and
given new music for this presenta¬
tion by Stewart Cruikshank, of
the Howard & Wyndham produc¬
ing firm. The result is a pleasing
operetta, with “My Heart and I”
still the song highlight and Jack
Carter’s clever choreography an
asset.

The three-act musical is set in
the Chelsea district of London, in
twilight of the 18th century, is
fairly well served by a large cast
under Dick Hurran’s direction.
Vanessa Lee has poise and strong
vocal prowess in the role of a
prima donna who is replaced in an
operetta by a pretty little milliner
played by Mary Millar. The show’s
slight plot centers round composer
Jacob Bray’s attempt to get his
operetta seen and performed in
London,

Mary Millar shines brightly as
the milliner, with her modest
sweetness and voice, and appears
to have a future in show biz.
Kenneth McKellar sings power¬
fully in the Tauber role, but Is too
stolid dramatically.

Peter Graves is properly smiling
and swaggering as a British airisto-
crat and art patron. Desmond
Walter-Ellis supplies light comedy
relief and there gire competent per¬
formances by Joan Young in a
supporting (jharacter part and
Paddy Glynn as the maid.

' Best among the musical numbers

are “Stay in My Arms,” sung by
Vanessa Lee, “Angels Outsld#
Heaven,” by Miss Lee and Mc¬
Kellar, and “My Heart and I.”
Robert Lowe batons the pit or¬
chestra.

The show Is here for an eight-
weeks’ sellout, due to the holiday
booking, which is surefire for most
productions. Then tryout tour con¬
tinues. The musical seems doubt¬
ful for London success, in view of
being a revival. Gord.

Who’s Your Father?

London, Dec. 17.

Henry Sherek presentation of three-act
comedy by Denis Cannan, Stars Maurice
Denham, Maureen Swanson. Donajd Sin-
den. Direction. Peter Wodd; decor, Hut-r
chinson Scott. Opened Dec. 16, '58, at
Cambridge Theatre, London: -$2.80 top.

Jan . John Gill

Clara Crabb .Joan Haythorne

Arthur Crabb .. Maurice Denham

Hettie .Madeleine Christie

Jill Crabb ....Maureen Swanson

Crispin Fifield ... Peter Myers

Bob Brewster ....'.Donald Sinden

Claude Vole .Newton Blick

Mildred Vole ..*. May HaUatt

Old Lady ...Ethel Grififies

Denis Cannan, hitherto a serious
playwright, has turned to^ farcical
comedy with sad results. “Who’s
Your Father?” is a dull and dreary
piece which seems a dubious pros¬
pect despite its potent marquea
lure. '

The plot is little more than a
trifle and the characters more like
caricatures. The dialog strains for
comedy effect and the humor has
a schoolboy quality. Under the
circumstances, the show is a waste
of such first-class talents as the two
male stars, Maurice Denham and
Donald Sinden.

Denham plays central character,
a tin tycoon who, as a one-time
orphan, needs a birth certificate to
qualify for the peerage. He hires
a genealogist to trace his origin,
and that leads to a prolonged far¬
cical mixup.

The players can do little with,
the material, but Denham again
shows himself a polished performer
and Sinden commendably parodieji
an angry young man. h^^ureen
Swanson has a negative and un-
rew'arding role, as have Joan Hay-
,thorne, Peter Myers, Newton Blick
and May HaUatt.

Peter Wood has staged the piece
leisurely, but there is a first-class
drawing room set by Hutchinson
Scott. Myro.

The Gondoliers

London, Dec, 16.

Bridget D'Oyly Carte (by arrangement
with Jack Hylton) presentation of .two-
act operetta; music. Arthur Sullivan;
lyrics, W. S. Gilbert: decor. Peter Goff in.
Opened Dec. 15, '58. at Princes Theatre.
London: $2.50 top.

Duke of PJaza-Toro.. Peter Pratt

Luiz.. John Fryatt

Don, Alhambra del Bolero

Kenneth Sandford

Marco Palmier!...Thomas Round

Guiseppe Palmierl. Alan Styler

Antonio . John Reed

Francesco ... Frederick Sinden

Giorgio .;. George Cook

Annibale . John Reed

Duchess of Plaza-Toro

Ann Drummond-Gr^nt

CasUda . Jennifer Toy®

Gianetta . Jean rlindmarsh

Tessa . Joyce Wright

Fiametta .. Mary Sansom

Vittoria . Ceinwen Jones

Giulia ...Anhe SessiDos

Inez .Alice Hynd

To paraphrase a show biz cliche,
there’s nothing ivrong with the
Princes Theatre that Gilbert and
Sullivan season won’t cure. Ever
since the boxoffice opened several
weeks ago there’s been a line at
the window, and the opening of
the three-month engagement with
“The Gondoliers” set the seal on
capacity business.

In style and presentation the
D’Oyly Carte Opera Co. has hard¬
ly changed since the operettas
were first produced. There’s still
another three years or so before
the w’orks fall into public doriiain,
an(l it remains to be seen whether
there’ll be any drastic change in
presenta;fcion after that. For the
time being, however, Bridget
D’Oyly Ciarte, who presents the
current season, is content to play
it safe.

In the opening production of
“The Gondoliers” the emphasis is
on the' tuneful numbers, good
singing and a cheerful mood. The
four lovers are stylishly played by
Thomas Round, Alan Styler, Jean
Hindmarsh and Joyce Wright.
Round particularly impresses as a
tenor, his singing of the ever-,
green “Pair of Sparkling Eyes”
being one of the highspots of the
show.

Peter Pratt stands out once again
as a superb droll, with a natural
gift for clowning. Kenneth Sand-
ford as the Grana Inquisitor, Ann
Drummond-Grant as the Duchess
of Plaza-Toro, ana Jennifer Toye
as her daughter ably lead an all¬
round cast.

Isidore Godfrey batons the New
Sympliony Orchestra to achieve
perfection backgrounding, and the
decor and costumes are up to the
usual D’Oyly Carte standard.

Myro.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

legith^te

49

Press Tieup StaDs 'Dillon Reprise;
B.R. in Hand, But Theatre Is Factor

Continuation of the publication
tieup of New York’s major daily (
newspapers may knock the props
from under the planned Broadway
reopening of "Epitaph for George
Dillon.” Norman Twain and Ber-

11 » Harrison, Kay Kendall

lion Kepnse, Take Peking on‘Bright’

London, Dec, 23.

I i I P 1 ‘-The Bright One,” Jack Min-

nilOfirP IC Ster’s production of J. M, Fulton’s

UvftUV lO 1 ClvlUI comedy, folded here last Saturday
' (20) after a 10-day run at the Win-

--^ —— ter Garden Theatre. The presenta-

:i> I*1 > Bl tion marked Rex Harrison’s direc-

Koar Like Ueve rlays torlal debut and the first West End

TAAii T 1 Cl • starring assignment for his v;ife,

500th London Showing Kay landau ^

T j oo ^ Harrison handled the staging

London, Dec. 23. ohore while costarring in the local

B’way, Off-Broadway Radio-TV Drives
To Offset N.Y. Newspaper Blackout

Harrison handled the staging
chore while costarring in the local

--f Broadway and off-Broadway

C I 9Ar D 1 HE* launched ad-promotion

jcek jub DanKrOil ror campaigns to re-estabnsh contact

Off-R’wav ‘FaJIniit’ Revue

Ull D Wdy rdliUUL UCYUC ^hat has blacked out the major
new revue budgeted New York dailies. The Main Stem

union, xvorman iwain anu jaca.- :-, cnore wane cusmiiins me i, ^ori ----- -

rard Miller who acouired the Like a Dove, Lesley production of "My Fair Lady.” at $30,000, is planned for off-Broad- expenditure, agreed to by produ-

riehts to the nlav after its recent Storm s comedy about an American understood, he and his wife in- way production «arly next spring theatre owners, will run

thrpiwppk rnn the girl s adjustment to marriage and ^heir own money in the pro- by H^vey Stuart and David Tayn- $20,000 weekly, while the

duction, and that their loss was off-Broadway outlay will be around

atre, N.Y. have raised' $ ^ ® estate, played its 500th perform- substantial solicitation to potential investors, $5 poO per week.

-to put the John Osborne-Anthony and reached a total ° ■ includes physical production, $13,- Action for Broadwav tn takP »

Creighton play back on the boards, $732,863 a,t the Phoenix m 11 9 * I 9 rehearsal, $2,900; promotion, y^Ued stand ^[n ^comblfing ^ the

thP Theatre. The Murray Macdonald Tn |||| n $2,500; administration, $1,500; effect of the new'^paner

S«h Stre°e? Thea^e foTO “LegenS Sevens production oo- 13110 S UC1006F bonds, $7,800, and reserve, $2,000. S ®hfci. came on top of ?he

of Li^ie” opens Jan 26 Howfver stars U. S. actresses Margalo Gill- The unspecified writers of the traditional pre-Christmas b. o.

Twai^reveri that nothing will be °iore and Anne Kimball,, the for- IIDII P II I 0 ^ combined 8^0 slump, was initiated la.st Thurs-

until the newsDaperl Resume mer havmg succeeded the late Eve- W||l |j||| < royalty, while Stuart and Taynton day (18) at the bi-monthly meet-

oZication Onerthe rapers ^ “ rUlU JClII. J will each get l^p of the b.o. take jug of the Assn, of Theatrical

bank on ^he sta^Tds the^p?oducers casting requirements, for doubling as. director and chore- Pressagents & Managers. A com-

tn nlit thrnlav into rehearsal Broadway pres- plans to bring the Tallulah Bank- ographer, respectively. The weekly mittee was formed at the confab

for r»n$»^wppk and^ then open at Hoxt season by the Play- head-starrer, "Crazy October,” to office charge is listed at $180 to map out an ad-promotion plan

the 54 th Street wrights Co., in partnership with Broadway have been scrapped. The weekly. for submission last Monday «22) at

, ^o^^ywood producers Harold Mir- James Leo Herlihy comedy will Stuart has stock and tv credits, a meeting with representatives of

If the strike connnues, iwai jgch and Martin Melcher, who own fold Jan. 3 at the Geary Theatre, while Taynton has had dance as- the League of N.Y. Theatre and

feels It may not be feasible to go the screen rights and plan a film San Francisco, where it began a signments in stock, tv and films. legit advertising agencie.s,

through with the project since the version with Doris Day (Mrs. Mel- three-week run Dec. 15. -!- A sub-eommittee was formed to

done until the newspapers resume , Varden

publication. Once the pampers are requirements,

"Dove” is due for Broa^dway pres-

Talh’s‘October’
W3IFol(IJaii.3

time available at the 54th Street oher) as star.

is limited and no other theatre _]_

has been set. A number of the per- j |^| * 1/1

formers who appeared in the Gold- IJ|a|| I Af|/|/vt1 I A
en presentation, under the produc- f lllll I 4 UIIIIUII vU«'
tion auspicies of David Merrick and

Joshua Logan, have been standing ^|<|| 1 ^ ^

by to repeat their roles in the • I ll> LI AlATAf 111*11111
Twain-Miller offering. U1 1 lUWCI I/I Ulll

The original Broadway produc¬
tion, incidentally, involved an ap- London, Dec. 23.

proximate $50,000 loss. The actors. Oriental talent was being audi-
who’ve been standing by, have .tinned in London last week by
been paid per diem expenses while Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome
waiting for the show to reopen. Whyte in anticipation of a possible
They include costars Eileen Herlie London production next spring of
and Robert Stevens. “The Flower Drum Song,” the new

The list of backers for the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical on
Twain-Miller project includes co- ^ Jroadway. Auditions were also
author Osborne, who's in for $ 7 ,-j Jeld for possible replacements in
KQQ the Broadway cast and. perhaps a

__^_ road company.

London, Dec. 23.
Oriental talent was being audi-

I The Walter Starcke production
I opened a pre-Broadway hike Oct. 8
and shuttered temporarily Oct, 25.
for revision and two weeks of re¬
hearsals. It reopened Nov. 10 in
Detroit and then moved to Los An¬
geles before beginning its Frisco
[ stand.

The venture was capitalized at
$100,000, with provision for 259o
overcall.

$41,000 Raised So Far
Toward lOOG Guarantee
For 5 More A.C. Bookings

signments in stock, tv and films. legit advertising agencie.s,

- A sub-committee was formed to

^ set up a schedule which was

Vnf l/AVromm Hr okayed at another meeting held

iJCL AuVuinU Ul yesterday (Tues.), The campaign

television

1 • i 9 spots, handbill distribution, out-of-

KollAC* in Avmo town advertising and a five-minute
DdUt/O lU lirilla nightly program, beginning tomor¬
row (Thurs.), at 11:15 p.in, over
“TJoVioc '• WRCA-TV. The show, which will

cut into the first five minutes of
Wn'the Jack Paar stanza will be han-
npvf Thp bnnk Wn ‘^^ted by Ben Graucr and will deal

^ '"''ith the Broadway theatre.

rewritten by George Oppenheimer,
critic for Newsday, Long Island

Regarding the handbills, the

dailv, and author of the recently- Mayors office has been coopera-
published anthology, “The Passion- t|ye in waiving the littering law
ate Playgoer.” hat prohibits the distribution of

. - ... - , , leaflets. Prior to the Monday meet-

MAVAr I AVin fn 1 nnHnil ^’®t been set for the musical, more touring legit shows to Atlan- sonally supervised by Rodgers. Al- ^ separate telephone service

iUcjCl liCVill lU iiUUUUii it’s figured likely to be the Palace, tic City this season. The subscrip- though , the show played only 71 frnntiTmPfl nn napp 591

P ^rrt»rinii1ciAn^ HiiflillA "^he current show there, "Where’s tion drive is headed by George performances on Broadway, it in- _ ^ ^

ror l/UinpUlMUil nuiiuic, Charley?” is tentatively skedded to Hamid Jr., head of a Chamber of troed a flock of tunes that have ^ «

Tfn ¥>1 1 1 1 close around next March, and if Commerce committee. since become standards. They in- I innQ9V-rrnilQA fft fiPf

Inen Keturns to Israel "Flower Dmm song” could be Committee members were in elude "My Funny Valentine,” "'The VIUUSC lO UCl

Mever T evin left for London last readied In time it would be the New York last week to line up the Lady is a Tramp,” "I Wish I Were rL,«l ««

, fn Tcrapi wViprp hp Hatural spot for the house. five additional bookings, which will In Love Again,” "Johnny One 1/uttl lajOri Oil ulOrj y

TociHpnf whiip iti TnnHnn Hammerstein -arid Whyte, who preferably be spaced through the Note” and "Where or W’hen.”

tn biiriHip with Dnnald Al came to London primarily to at- late-winter and spring periods. All the major numbers, including J/OD llOttOIl LaSt

£ery who Ss toToducr’^^^^ The five tryout^s which have previ- the title tune,, will he retained in Howard Lindaay and Ruaael

Cindcrella” &t thc Coliseum, ously played here, "Drink .to Me the new version. The Broadway prnncp arp in fnr a twn.'* iv navnff

pulsipn at the New Theat e h . auditioning juve- Only,” "Make a Million,” "Patate,” production was produced by Dwight on "fall Storv ” which tiiev adant-

The West End presentation will niles for “The Trapp Family,”»t;he "Epitaph for George Dillon” and Deere Wiman. A film version of ■ f^om Howard Nemerov* c honk
use Levin’s own dramatization of next R&H show, due for Broad- "The Gazebo,” grossed a total of the musical, costarring Mickey ! ..rpnp Homecominff Ga-nc ” Becid-'s

his bestseller, not the so-called way a year hence, with Mary Mar- $116,280 under the same subscrip- Rooney and Judy Garland, was re- oh-irintr in thp anthn'r rovaifv nf

"producer’s version” utiich Michael tin as star. tion-guarantee setup. leased by Metro in 1939. C weekiv

cppcnn also get a lO^p slice of ihe profits.

. 11 ----^-—--^--- The 90ro balance is to be split

Henri Torres a Pans attorney, equally between the ba-kers in¬
is translatin^g Compulsion into eluding Lindsay, with a $2 500 in-

French, as he has done \uth any vestment and the nianagi'inent.

number of American plaj’s, mostly r-< ^ t> __

courtroom dramas, dating back to CJo-pioducers Emmet.R..,,crsand

"The Trial ot Mary Dugan.” Dur- fjTT*T* Cfjfj |\T I Robert Weiner are to si.n ,• 1 .of

ing World War n. Torres was in V,y. Vj X - ’ ‘he weekly gross agains their .«lice

the U.S., where he tounded France- - ' .. ' profits The prodjci.on ivnieli

Ameriqie, French language daily f u * T ”

published in New York. He is now V

in charge o£ radio-tv for Gen. De- are^deiphia.'lW vemut

Levta's new novel, "Eva," is is capitalized at $125.00(1. with pro-

slated for Simon & Schusler pub- vision for 20Co overcail.

licafion next year and the author CO — J K —__ UT _ 1, _ A casting complication arose !a.st

was in New York last week for QJTQ ATIT1 IVOFSQrV IM niTI O ftF . week with the witudrawal of

confabs on that. Mrs. Levin, pro- a auxu w wa j Donald Hotton from a leatured

fessionally Tereska Torres (she was ' lead. The choice of a succei-sor

formerly attorney Henri Torres’ may involve considerable difficuity,

daughter-in-law), also has a new rtf part calls for a young man

book upcoming. four inches tall, with the

_ ' _ ability to play comedv. Hotton was

SET POLLY BERGEN AS ^ a' g„a°’

HAICa-MADDEN-HARRON

replace Gisele MacKenzie in the A ijj npr *y tQ ^pADTrp^

upcoming Broadway production of “1 IvELrtl iiu 1 UiViljA

"First Impressions.” Miss Mac- Washington, Dec. 23.

Kenzie, who’s married to Freddie Kenneth Haigh left his starring

Fields, Music Corp. of America • - -*1 ■ ■■ ■ ■ * m t

veep, withdrew from her costar- FoiUTlS ClOSing Shortlv Usual Advertising Rates Prevail : of “Look Back in Anger” at the

ring stint in the musical version , w # w j National Theatre last Saturday ‘20)

of Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prej- j and was replaced by Donald Mad-

udice” because of pregnancy. | den who, in turn, will leave the

Miss Bergen had been under ^ m ^ "x x* K J x i show at the end of its Washing-

contract for Carmen Capalbo’s pro- wlDGClCll iuXI^IOIlCLlIOXI /^ClVOLIltQLQ’GS i ton run next Saturday <271. Donald

jected Broadway production of * Harron. who has not previously

William Marchanf’s "Faster, Fast- played the Jimmy Porter role, will

er.” Her pact stipulated that re- • #«. take over as the production moves

hearsais would begin by Dec. 29. CoDV o/id SDoce reservoflons mov be Sent to onv Variety office Ijto Cleveland.

Capalbo, who hasn’t signed the ' Haigh is leaving to appear In

male lead yet, didn’t think he’d NEW YORK IS HOLLYWOOD 28 CHICAGO 11 LONDON. W. C. 2 the production of "Caligula” at the

do so by the agreed rehearsal d^te .154 W. 4«Hi Sf. 4404 Seutr Ilvd. 412 N. MIcUgaR Ave. 8 St. MortiVi Place Phoenix Theatre, N.Y. Madden,

and therefore has released Miss T rn fjitaar lawjir* who played the "Anger” leader on

Bergeu. tutu- ' Broadway last Summer while Haigh

PANIl« «OME. Ifmnp. E.f.r. ^

Edward Spector Productions Inc., • to move into the upcoming "First

Is scheduled to open March 12 at Impressions,” the musical version

the Alvin Theatre, N. Y. l-—--^— - ^^. -:—- ■ of "Pride and Pxeiudice.’*

todgers-Hammerstein musical on pOf 5 MorC A.C. BooklllgS .... . . leaflets. Prior to the Monday meet-

»p„strbrr%1.acTm^\u^^ Atlantic City, Dec. 23.^ j pisc^.nKcTeJLrr/ne^T^oi'f. i”4c‘J%a^dirand'’t

he Broadway cast and. perhaps a More than $41,000 has thus far da for several weeks next spring, nounce the establishment of a
03(3 company. Tdgcii pledged toward the $ 100,000 i ^^ith a summer stock tour slated to telephone service to handle infor-

Although no West End theatre guarantee necessary to bring five ; follow. The production will be per- nation calls on Broadway shows.

is now resident. While in London
he was to huddle with Donald Al-

OUT SOON'

53rd Anniversary Number

Forms Closing Shortly

Usual Advertising Rates Prevail

Special Exploitation Advantages

Copy and space reservoflons may be sent to any Variety office

NEW YORK 14
154 W. 44rii St.

HOLLYWOOD 28
4404 Sautr Ilvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. MIcUioR Ava.

LONDON. W. C. 2
8 St. Martini Place
Trafalgar Sqpara

PARll 28 rat HvciMttf

ROME, Stempa Estero

lO^c of the weekly gro-c, they will
also get a 10 *"?? slice of ihe profits.
The sort? balance is to be split
equally betw'een the bankers in¬
cluding Lindsay, with a $2 500 in¬
vestment arid the management.

Co-producers Emmett R:'-ger.s and
Robert Weiner are to sh.uv I*"? of
the weekly gross again.^t their slice
of profits. The prodjctioti, which
Herman Shumlin is di^etting, is
scheduled to begin a preXBroadway
tryout tour Jan. 8 al thV Locust
Theatre, Philadelphia. Tne venture
is capitalized at $125,000, with pro¬
vision for 20^0 overcall.

A casting complication arose la.st
week with the witiidrawal of
Donald Hotton from a featured
lead. The choice of a successor
may involve considerable difficuity,
as the part calls for a young man
six feet, four inches tall, with the
ability to play comedy. Hotton was
originally signed after inten‘:ive
scouting efforts.

HAIGH-MADDEN-HARRON
IN RELAY AS‘PORTER’

Washington, Dec. 23.

Kenneth Haigh left his starring
role in the cast of the road tour
; of “Look Back in Anger” at the
j National Theatre last Saturday ‘20)
1 and was replaced by Donald Mad-
I den who, in turn, will leave the
I show at the end of its Washing-
i ton run next Saturday <27 1 . Donald
Harron. who has not previously
played the Jimmy Porter role, will
take over as the production moves
to Cleveland.

Haigh is leaving to appear In
the production of "Caligula” at the
Phoenix Theatre, N.Y. Madden,
who played the "Anger” leader on
Broadway last Summer while Haigh
was abroad, can take over for only
one week because he is commited
to move into the upcoming "First
Impressions,” the musical version
of "Pride and Preiudice.”

50

LEGITIMATE

CASTING NEWS

♦t4»44»»tt4»t»4»4»»4»444»»»44^»44♦♦♦ ♦ »♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦

Folloicing are available parts in upcoming Broadway, off-Broad-
v:ay, touring, industrial and television shows. All information has
been obtained directly by,the Variety Casting Department by tele¬
phone calls, and has been rechecked as of noon yesterday (.Tues.).

The av-ailable roles will be repeated weekly until filled, and addi¬
tions to the list will be made only when information is secured from
respon.siblc parties. The intention is to service performers with leads
provided by the managements of the shows involved rather than to
run a lengthy list of blind items. ^

In addition to the available parts listed, the tabulation includes pro¬
ductions announced for later this season, but, for which, the manage-
vtents, as yet, aren’t holding open casting calls. Parenthetical designa¬
tions are as follows: CO Comedy, CD i Drama. CMC) Musical Comedy,
(MDf Musical Drama. (Rep) Repertory, (DR) Dramatic Reading.

Legit

BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

“Faster, Faster” (CD), by Wil¬
liam IMarchant; producer, Carmen
Capalbo; casting director, Chuck
Smith, JU 2-1596-1597. Available
parts: second male lead, 21-22 ap¬
pearance. over 5-feet, 10-inch
height, rugged build, dark, hand-
some.-

Gay Felons (C) — Producers.
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey
Jones *36 CPS». Director, Shep¬
ard Traube. .Available parts:
male lead, 40-50, Frenchman,
quiet, authoritative; male, 45-55,
Short, stocky, loveable sot, hen¬
pecked; about 12 assorted comics,
40-60; femme, 35-40, attractive,
quiet, Avarm, sensitive; male lead,
25 handsome, romantic. iSend photo
and resume to producers). Re¬
hearsals start Jan. 5.

“Gypsy” ’'MC». Producers, David
ISIerrick & Leland Hayward; di¬
rector, Jerome Robbins. Available
parts for two actress-singer-danc-
ers. 13-19. Contact Eduard Fuller
or Mike Mindlin, c/o producers,
246 W. 44th St., by mail only.

New Faces of *59. Producer
Leonard SRlman & Frank Produc¬
tions. 17 E. 79th St. Mail photo
and resume to producers. Don’t
phone.

Three Against Time (D)—^produc¬
ers. Tad Danielewski & Morris
Feld. Available parts: cul¬

tured well-built American general;
General’s wife. 45. subn|lssive,
quiet, dominated by husband;
young.energetic businessm?m and
pretty, restless, discontented wife;
retired professor, old, but still
bright and alive; efficient, relaxed
Government official, 40-45; two
servants, either authentic, Indians
or of American-Indian descent;
sandy blonde eight-year-old girl,
vigorous, bright; scholarly nine-
year-old boy. (Mail photo and
resume to production assistant
Jeanette Kamins, 234 W. 44th St.,
Suite 702).

“West Side Story” (MD). Pro¬
ducers, Robert Griffith & Harold
Prince. Auditions wiU be held
every Tuesday, 2 p.m., at the Win¬
ter Garden Theatre, 1643 broadway,
for replacements of the Broadway
and London companies. Apply for
appointments, stage door at 2 p.m.
or 8 p.m.. to Ruth Mitchell or How¬
ard Jeffrey.

OFF-BROADWAY

(Parts Available)

“Billy Budd” (D). Producer,
Equity Library Theatre; director,
Edward Greenberg. Rehearsals
Jan. 19-Feb. 14. Casting, ELT Loft.
11 W. 18th St., 2d fl., Jan. 5. 10
a.m.-4 p.m.; Jan. 6, 7 p.m.-lO p.m.;
Jan. 7. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (bring mem¬
bership cards) Parts available, all
virile types: male lead, 18-20, sea¬
man, psysically-intellectually and
spiritually the essence of goodness
and innocence; second male lead,
50, officer, gentleman, sardonic.

I “The brightest diversion in town!”

LOUIS SOBOL, JOURNAL-AMBBICAN

Spedal Sunday Perfs. Dec. 28

LIMITED

ENGAGEMENT

Thru January H

The Theatre Guild

presents

apoicto

BETTY

COMDEN

Performing fheir own comedy and musical numbers.

with

and

ADOLPH

GREEN

“They’re unique. iJ’s a combination of charm and
madnots. It’s o reof fro^t... lik* being at a
wonderful parfyl" ——JOSHUA LOGAN
”Befty and Adolph have always been (and are still)

my favorite diversion in lifer —LEONARD BERNSTEIN
••Brilliantr - GENE KELLY'

Produced by special arrange¬
ment, and in association with
Town Pro du^t io n s, Inc

As originally produced by J. J. G.
Productions, under the personal
supervision of GUS SCHIKMER^ JR.

Aisoclafe Producer FRANK PERRY *

Cvgi. (Tuns, thru Son. at 1:451 $5.75, 4.60, 3.45, 2.90, 7.30.

Mats. (Sat. and Sun. at 2:45) $4.05, 3.60, 2.90, 2.30, 1.75.

I GOLDEN THEATRE 45th St. West of Broadwayi

P'^iETY

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

thoughtful; secondary male lead,
40, cunning, evU, cruel; male, 35.
gentleman, intelligent, fair-minded;
male, 40, bluff, humorous, impa¬
tient; male, 30, amiable but stub¬
born officer; male, cockney of un¬
certain age, fawning to his super¬
iors but cowardly and sadistic to
lower ranks; male, 25, affected,
vain; male, 25, violent, loyal; male,
30, tough Irishman, sense of hu¬
mor; male, 25. tough; male, 21,
diplomatic; male, 22, seared, -sick
(doubles as next part); four bit
parts, 20-30. tough, experienced
sailors; male,. 35. ship’s surgeon;
a sentry; a messboy.

OUT OF TOWN

(Parts Available)

“Babes in Arms” (MC). Super¬
vising producer, Richard Rodgers;
casting director, Eddie Blum, 488
Madison Ave; To be produced in
Florida in April; available parts
for singer-actors, 17-21. Mail photo
and resume.*,

“Magic Honi,” children’s show,
to lour. Producer, Equity Library
Theatre; director, Lee Foley. Re¬
hearsals, Jan. 8-Feb. 6. Casting:
Equity members oiily (bring mem¬
bership cards), apply 3-5 p.m. and
7-10 p.m., Jan. 6th, at Golfarbs Re¬
hearsal Studios, 1697 Broadway.
Parts available (children’s shows
and Shakespeare experience re¬
quired): Male. 5 ft. 6 in., about 15,
straight juvenil?;, handsome, some
fencing and dancing; male, 5 ft.
6 in.-5 ft. 9 in., about 15, juvenile;
handsome, petudent, spoiled, some
fencing and dancing, to play a
prince; male, 5 ft. 10 in.-6 ft., 50,
straight character actor, kind, ele¬
gant, regal.

BUFFALO

Melody Fair, musical tent. Office 1
at Wurlitzer Store, 674 Main St.,
Buffalo. Pre-season auditions there
for singers, Saturday, Jan. 3, from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applicants must
be at least 18 years old, prepared
to sing one of three musical com¬
edy selections of own choice, avail-*
able for contract throughout the •
summer. \

FUTURE SHOWS

Ariadne Sc the Concrete Duck

(C>—producer, Howard Erskine (56
W. 45th St., OX 7-9620).

Far Away the Train-Birds Cry
(CD)^—^producer, Louis d’Almeida
(480 Le.xington Ave., JU 2-8115).

Gypsy (MC)—producers, David
Merrick & Leland Hayward (246 W,
44th St., LO ,3-0830).

Let’s Go Steady (MC)—producer
Edward Padula (1501 Broadway,
LA 4-4860).

Madonna and Child (C)—pro¬
ducer, Guthrie McClintic (1270
6th Ave., Cl 7-5152).

Rivalry (DR)—producers, Cheryl
Crawford & Joel Schenker (49 W.
45th St., JU 2-3466), in association
with Actors "Studio Inc.

The Poker Game (O—Producer,
Norman Forman (106 CPS).

SHOWS IN REHEARSAL

BROADWAY

Juno (M). Producers, Play-
WTights Go. and Oliver Smith (745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500).

Listen to the Mocking Bird (C).
Producers, Playwrights Co., 745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500.

Majority of One (D). Producers,
Theatre Guild (27 W. 53d St.,
CO 5-6170) and Dore Schary.

, Poker Game (C). Producer, Nor¬
man Forman, (106 CPS).

Rashomon (D). Producers, David
Susskind ic Hardy Smith, 444
Madison Ave., PL 3-1030.

Requiem for a Nun (D). Theatre
Guild (27 W. 53d St., CO 5-6170)
and Richard Myers.

Starward Ark (CD). Producer,
Eddie Dowling, c/o Thomas
Sweeny, 137 W. 48th St.

Tail Story (C). Producers, Em¬
mett Rogers and Robert Weiner
(234 W. 44th St., LA 4-5037),
OFF-BROADWAY

Failure (D). Producers, David
Ross & Lore Noto, 4th St. Theatre,
83 E. 4th St.

King Lear <D). Producer, Players
Theatre. 115 MacDougal St.

On the Town (MC). Producer,
Nancy Nugent Crawford (40 W.

Triad’Lost $20,000

“Triad,” which folded Dec. 14 at
the Theatre Marquee, N. Y., is :ffg-.
ured to have lost approximately
$20,000. The production, presented
by Peter Marx and Richard Altman
in association with Andrew Spiegel,
was capitalized at $19,250, with
provision for 10% overCall.

The offering involved three one-
act operas by Mark Bucci, “The
Dress,”. “Tale for a Deaf Ear” and
“Sweet Betsy From Pike.” It
played 29 performances.

Carol Teitel is featured in the
current production of Agatha
Christie’s “The Hollow” at the
Arena Staee. Washincton.

Inside Stuff-Legit

London producer Jack Hylton has reiterated several of his rebut¬
tal statements in his differences with Broadw'ay producer David Mer¬
rick, with whom he Is partnered (with Joseph Kipness) in the presen¬
tation df the revue, “La Plume de Ma Tante,” at the Royale Theatre,
N.Y. He has also submitted photostats of supporting letters, and nota¬
tions.

These documents include a letter from Lillie Levine, American
consul in London, noting that the entry permits and visas for the
show’s cast to make the trip*to New York were telephoned Oct. 8
from New York and that the copy reached the consulate Oct. 15. A
letter from the Cunard line indicates that the $10,000 deposit to cover
the troupe’s passage to New York was requested Oct. 7 and received
from Merrick’s office Oct. 8. .

A letter from Hylton to Merrick, dated Nov. 11, contains confirma¬
tion of Hylton’s office to buy Merrick’s interest in the “La Plume”
production, adding that he (Hylton) had been unable to reach Mer¬
rick on the phone the previous day to arrange details of the.transa -
tioh, but offering to go through with it up to premiere curtain time.
The final document is a photostat of a suggested revised sequence of
numbers in the show, purportedly in Merrick’s handwriting. '

Hylton again denies that Arthur Lesser, acting as agent for “La
Plume” author-star Robert Dhery, ever wrote him about allegedly de¬
linquent royalty payments, and he adds, “I do not recognize Lesser as
being Dhery’s agent, and never have.”

55th St., Cl 5-3815).

She ShaU Have Music (MC). Pro¬
ducers, Stuart Bishop. Dede Meyer
and Edwin West (72 Perry -St.,
CH 3-6728).

SIGNED

BROADWAY

Dark at the Top of the Stairs:
George L. Smith (succeeding Pat
Hingle).

Gay Felons: Denise Darcsl,
George Tobias.

Look Homewood, Angel: Eugene
R. Wood (understudy Jack Shee¬
han).

Music Man: Norwood Smith
(standbye for Robert Preston).

OUT OF TOWN

Music Man: Randy Garfield.

Industrial

(Parts Available)

Cass Franklin Agency (N.Y.).
Looking for topnotch announcer
located in San Francisco for Sales
Show. Contact director Patrick
Faye at the Huntington Hotel, San
Francisco after Jan. 1.

Television

CBS-TV, 524 W. 57th St. Holding
a few auditions for variety and
dramatic actors. Mail photo and
resume, plus letter requesting ap¬
plication, to Nat Greenblatt.

Camera Three, educational,
drama, CBS; producer, John Mc-
Giffert. Submit photo and resume
for consideration. Nat Greenblatt
(524 W. 57th St). •

Fuller, Smith 8c Ross ad agency,
230 Park Ave. Casting director,
Ronnie Schlueter. Mail photo and
resume.

Grey Advertising, 430 Park'Ave.
Casting, Jim Kaye. Submit photo
and resume by mail only.

I, filmed on location—CBS; pro¬
ducer, Gilbert Ralston; casting
through Marc Merson; address by
mail only, Barbara Tuck, CBS, 524
W. S7th St. Available parts: un¬
usual types, interesting faces, good
physical conditions, will consider
applicants having had odd occupa¬
tions. Submit pholo and resume.

Lamp Unto My Feet, religious
drama, CBS; producer, Don Keller-
man; director, James MacAllen.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration. Nat Greenblatt (524 W.
57th St.).

Lawrence Welk show (Plymouth
Motors), ABC-TV — Seeking teen¬
age vocal and instrumental per¬
formers for guest appearances or
as permanent band members. Sub¬
mit disk or tape (home-recorded
acceptable) of wellknown pop or
standard numbers, plus recent
photo, short biographical summary.
Address Plymouth Show, ABC
Studio, Hollywood, or 2623 Santa
Monica blvd., Santa Monica.

Look Up & Live, religious-
dramatic, CBS. Executive pro¬
ducer, Pamela lUott; producer,
Jack Kuney; casting, Marc Merson,
524 W. 57th St. . Casting from
files. Mail photo anfl resume.

Dela McCarthy Assoc.^ 515 Mad¬
ison Ave. Casting, Colin D’Arcy.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration.

National Screen Service, 1600
Broadway. Casting, Carl Carbone,
Submit photo and composite for
consideration.

North Advertising, 6 E. 45th St.
Casting Frank Higgins. Cast from
files for the Toni commercials. Pre¬
fer models with good hair. Mail
photo and resume for considera¬
tion.

Sarra, Inc., 200 E. 56th St.; cast¬
ing, Helen Hecht. Seeking new
faces, personalities; casting from
files; mail photo and resume.

Raymond Spector Agency, 445
Park Ave.: assistant casting direc¬

tor, Dave Fein: Casts through file
and agents, for Hazel Bishop. Mail
photo and resume for considera¬
tion.

“Stakeout,” 36 half-hour films;
shooting starts about Jan. 19 in
Florida. Producer, Screen Gems,
711 Fifth Ave., 2d fl.; casting,
Nancy Littlefield. All leads, ex¬
perience required. Apply through
agents only.

The Verdict Is Yours, unre¬
hearsed courtroom dramas. CBS;
producer, Eugene Burr; director,
Byron Paul; casting contact, Liam
Dunn, CBS, 524 W. 57th St. (do not
phone). No open casting; aU.done
from files. Submit photo and res¬
ume for consideration.

WRCA-TV, (30 Rockefeller
Plaza, N.Y. 20), accepting appli¬
cations for auditions for all gen¬
eral talent, except dramatic actors,
alternate Tuesdays. Apply by mail
to “Open Auditions.”

Films

“Parrish,” adaptation of Mildred
Savage novel. Producer, Warner
Bros.-Joshua Logan. Available: title
ro.'e, 18-22, about 6 ft., medium
build, handsome, an “unknown”
actor. Mail photo and resume to
producer-director Logan, c/o War¬
ners, 666 Fifth Ave., N.Y.

Hackett, Hoskins Shift
Stage Manager Duties

Dallas, Dpc. 23.

Bill Hackett, a stage manager
for the last five years at the Bucks
County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa.,
has taken over a similar assign¬
ment at the Margo Jones Theatre
here, succeeding Fred Hoskins,
who'•resigned to assume the same
duties starting last Saturday (20)
with the Arena Stage, Washington.
Hoskins has been here since 1952.

Other staff personnel at the local
playhouse include Jean Elliott,
business manager; Mabelle Duke,
pressagent; James Pringle, stage
designer and technical director;
Fredric Keck, costume designer;
Roger Titus, assistant technical di¬
rector; Patricia Hyde, production
assistant; Zelma Naylor, boxorfice
treasurer, and Dorothy Hosley, sec¬
retary and assistant b.o. treasurer,
j Aaron Frankel is managing di¬
rector.

FOR SALE ®
SHUBERT and COX THEATRES I

III CinclRnotl, Ohio

p BLACKSTONE THEATRE

and leoM of

I GREAT NORTHERN THEATRE

^ Ih Chicoge, lllineii
^ to purchasers Inttndlnf to ust tho
property bought os Legltimeto
M . Theetrei.

I Reply to Box V-8058-59. Vorloty.
p 154 W. 46th Sr.. Now York 36

^TOM LEHRER
FELICIA SANDERS

FRANK BUXTON
RENEAUX

^lue^ngd '

NEW YEAR'S EVE Roservationsilijj

152 East 55Jh St. Ns:PL 3-599Sijiii

ITcdiieflday, December 24, 1958

51

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4ifittl4^R9'eribnC -esi^iMfciel An eveningt enlerNtffi>
' .imwf'^i Wlw^ ft |ni»i4dtes*’*',

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boitttnw fBNT Fredcn^ Brisson nn4 lite aiay^righit^^^
/ j ComiMBBiyi ‘The Gazebo* ,fs e^sfieRsefui anct fanny. I think ft

'-'''XX"'''''"' '. should have a long life.”

WAITER KERR, N. Y. HEUAW TRaUNE-

“Murdmeus fon is irresisfibie, (dblightfully contagious.”

mtH CHAPMAN, K Y. OAIIY NEWS--

”‘The Gazebo’ is a |bliy melodrantaflc force. This is an amusing

piay^”

FRANK ASTON, N. Y. WORID-TEIEGRAM A SUN-

“Keeps fhe customer laughingf”

WILUAM GIOVER, ASSOCMTED PRESS-

“i^Kicap rompl A neatly paced
mixture of tingle and ticMel”

THE PLAYWRIGHTS’ COMPANY and FREDERICK BRISSON present

:VMiTEIt

''the toiBo"

A NEW COMEDY MYSTERY BY Alec Coppel

sm o story by Myra ond Aloe Copp«l]y|)

V -dward Andrews

f RODUaiON DESIGNED AND LIGHTED BY COSTUMES BY

Jo Mielziner Virginia Vo Hand

DIRECTED by Jerome CKodorov

PRICESi Evgs.; Orch. $6.90; Mexx, $5.75, 4.60, $.45, 1.90; 2nd Bale. $2.30, 1.75. Wed. Mat.i Orch. $4.05;

Mexx. 43.45, 2.90, 2.30; 2nd Bale. $1.75, 1.15. Sat. Mot.i Orch. $4.60; Mexx. $3.45, 2.90, 2.30; 2nd Bale. LYCEUM THEATRE 45 th St. East of B^WOy
. $1.75 (Tax Incl.). Please enclose self-addressed, stamped .envelope with check or money order.

htitrkk Brisstn <ml Hu Maywrights’Ctmpmy are alst the pndutm tf

IHE TOWNS NO. I COMEDY NIT! ^-^Walter WlncheH ■^HE PUASURE OF HIS COMPANY”

52

1JEGITI»IATE

PISriett

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

B’way Blitzed, But Old Vic $61,600;
‘J.B.’$37m‘Wmd’23G,‘Gazebo’15G,
‘Poet’36G,Teeling’24G,‘Bells’22G

The roof caved in on Broadway
last week. The traditional pre-
Christmas slump combined with
the publication shutdown of the
major N.Y. dailies, resulted in a
b.o. nosedive that went as high as
$19,600 for “Bells Are Ringing.”

The drastic drop in business
represented heavy operational
losses for a number of shows. De¬
spite the dismal situation, there
were no closings, although a few
entries are figured likely to fade
in the next few weeks. Of 27 iJlain
Stem shows, eight were sellout
dr virtual capacity. They included
“Flower DrunuSong,” “La Plume
de Ma Tante,” “Marriage-Go-
Round/' “Music Man,” “My Fair
Lady,” “Pleasure of His Company,”
“World of Suzie Wong” and the
Old Vic’s “Hamlet.”

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Rerue),
Ivrc (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi¬
cal-Drama). O (Opera), OP (Op-
etta).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
numher ofperformances through
last Saturday, top prices (where
two prices are given, the higher is
for Friday Saturday nights and the
lower for weeknights), number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 109o Federal and
5^0 City tax, but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of taxes.

Bells Are Ringing, Alvin (MC)
(I05th wk; 836 p) t$8.05; 1,453;
$58,000) <Judy Holliday». Almost
$22,000. Previous week, $41,600 at
the Shubert.

Cold Wind and the Warm, Mor-
osco «D.> (2d wk; 16 p> ($6.90; 946;
$37,500 > <Eli W^allach, Maureen
Stapleton). Over $23,000. Previ¬
ous week, $25,200 for first eight
performances.

Cue for Passion, Miller (D) (4th
-wk; 31 p) <$6.90; 946; $32,000)
(Diana "Wynyard, John Kerr). Al¬
most $5,800. Previous ’week, $11,-
200. May close next Saturday (27).

Dark at the Top of the Stairs,
Music Box <D) (55th w’k; 436 p)
(S5.75-$6.90; 1,010; $33,000 >. Almost
$11,000. Previous week, $16,000.
Exits Jan 17 to tour.

Disenchanted, Coronet (D) (3d |
wk; 21 p) ($6.90; 1,101; $35,404)
(Jason Robards Jr., Rosemary Har- {
risi. Over $24,000. Previous week, i
$29,300. 1

Flower Drum Song, St. James j
(MC> (3d wk; 24 p* <$8.05; 1.615; 1
$62,617). Over- $62,600. Previous;
week, same. '

Gazebo, Lyceum rC^ (2d wk; 11 :
p) ($6.90; 995; $31,000) (Walter
Slezak, Jayne Meadows). Almost
$15,000. Previous week, $14,800 for
first three performances and four
previews.

Girls in 509, Belasco fC) dOth
wk; 77 p) <$5.75-S6.90; 1,037; $33.-
000) (Peggy Wood, Imogene Coca).
Kearly $9,200. Previous week,
$14,700.

Goldilocks, Lunt-Fontanne (MO
(10th wk; 81 p) ($9.90; 1.402; $68.-
843> (Don .A.meche. Elaine Stritch).
Over $37,900. Previous week,
$4,5.600.

Jamaica, Imperial <MC) (54th
wk; 428 p) ($8.35; 1,427; $63,000'

TEMPORARY OFFICE JOBS

with the world's
finest firms

Every Office Category
Including

TYPiSTS SECYS/STENOS
CLERKS MON/SWBD
KEYPUNCH ADD/GRAPHO

Immediate Placements

OFFICE TEMPORARIES
INCORPORATED

45 W. 34 St. 55 W. 42 St.

37 Cortlandt St., N.Y.C.

(Lena Home, Ricardo Montalban).
Over $28,400 on tw’ofers. Previ¬
ous week, $39,600 on twofers.

J.B., ANTA (D) (2d wk; 12 p)
($6.95; 1,185; $45,892). Nearly $37,-
200. Previous week, $30,000 for
first four performances and two
previews.

La Plume de Ma Tante, Royale
(R) (6th wk; 47 p) ($7.50; 1,050;
$41,000) (Robert Dhery), Over
$41,200, Previous week, $41,100.

Look Homeward^-'Angel, Barry¬
more (D) (56th wk; 444 p) ($6.90;
1,076; $40,716) (Miriam Hopkins,
Ed Begley). Almost $17,000 on
fwofers. Previous week, $22,200 on
twofers.

Make a Million, Playhouse (C)
(9th wk; 68 p) $6.90; 996; $36,000)
(Sam Levene). Over $15,600. Pre¬
vious week, $19,300.

* Marriage - Go - Round, Plymouth

(C) (8th wk; 61 p) ($6.90; 1,062;
$42,000) (Charles Boyer, Claudette
Colbert). Almost $41,600 with
parties. Previous week, $41,200
with parties.

Music Man, Majestic (MC) (53d
wk; 420 p) ($8.05; 1,626; $68,658)
(Robert Preston). Nearly $69,100.
Previous week, $69,300.

My Fair Lady, Hellinger (MC)
(145th wk; 1,155 p) ($8.05; 1,551;
$68,210) (Edward Mulhare, Sally
Ann Howes'. Steady at $69,400.

Old Vic, Broadawy (Rep) <2d wk;
16 p) ($6; 1.900; $59,000). Almost
$61,600 for eight performances of
“Hamlet.” Previous week, $47,300
for “Twelfth Night,’.’ w’hich was
also presented, Monday <22) and
yesterday (Tues.), with “Henry V”
following tomorrow (Thurs,)
through next Sunday (28).

Once More With Feeling, Na¬
tional (C) (9th wk; 71 p) <$6.90;
1,162; $43,000) (Joseph Cotton,

Arlene Francis). Almost „$24,000.
Previous week, $35,500.

Pleasure of His Company, Long-
acre (C) (9th wk; 69 p) ($6 90; 1,-
101; $36,800) (Cyril Ritchard, Cor¬
nelia Otis Skinner, Charlie Rug-
gles, Walter Abel). Nearly $35,300
with parties. Previous week, $36,-
100 Avith parties.

Say, Darling, Beck (MC' (38th
wk; 300 p) ($7.50: 1.280; $46,000)
(Eddie Albert, Vivian Blaine. John¬
ny Desmond'. Over $13,100. Pre-.
vious week, $25,400.

Shadow of a Gunman, Biiou

(D) <5th wk; 36 p) <$5.75-$6.90; 599;
$20,400'. Over $6,000. Previous
week. $7,300.

Sunrise at Campobello, Cort (D)
(47th wk; 372 p) ($6.90; 1.155; $37.-
500 (Ralph Bellamy). Over $28,400.
Previous week. $35,600.

Touch of the Poet,. Hayes (D)
(12th wk; 92 p) ($7.50; 1,139; $43,-
067) (Helen Hayes, Eric Portman,
Kim Stanley. Betsy Field). Almost
$36,000. Previous \t'eek, $40,400
with parties.

Two for the Seesaw, Booth (CD)
(49th wk; 388 p) ($6.90; 780; $31,-
700) (Dana Andrews. Anne Ban¬
croft'. Over $21,700. Previous
week, $26,100,

West Side Story, Winter Garden
(MD) i65th wk; 516 p' ($8.05; 1,404;
$63,203). Over $33,300. Previous
week. $38,900.

WorM of Suzie Wong, Broad-
hurst (D) <10th wk: 79 p) <$6.90;

! 1.214; $46,500'. Almost $45,500
with parties. Previous week, $45,-
800 with parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

Power and the Glory, Phoenix
<Di (2d wk; 15 p) <$4.60; 1,150; $29,-
382). Almost S14.10(). Previous
week. $10,300 for first seven per¬
formances. Tentatively set to close
Jan. 11.

Radib-TV Drives

Continued from page 49 —
through w'hich reservations can al¬
so be made, was initiated yester¬
day by a group of 13 off-Broadway
producers, who banded together
following a meeting last Saturday
(20). Besides the telephone angle,
the oif-Broadwayites are also tak¬
ing out 1,000 posters for display in
about 400 subway stations starting
today (Wed.). A distribution of
100,000 handbills is also planned
in addition to radio-tv spots.

Several Off-Broadway theatres
had previously arranged coopera¬
tive radio spots, but that fell
through'when a few of the par¬
ticipants bowed out. Various Shows
have also been going in for inde¬
pendent promotions. The 13 pro¬
ductions involved in the off-Broad¬
way tie-up are “Diversions,” “Hel-
oise,” “Ivanov,” “Of Mice and
Men,” “Sala(i Days,” “Boy Friend,”
“Crucible,” “Hamlet of Stepney
Green,’' “Man Who Never Died,”

PROFESSIONAL CARDS HONORED

Theatrical and TV Make Up • All
Leading Cosmetic Lines-• Imported
a Domestic Perfumes • Distinctive
Fountain Service.

FREE DELIVERY OPEN SUNDAYS
"The Drug Store of the Stars"

HADLEY REXALL DRUGS

1181 6th Ave., Cor. 46 St., NEW YORK
Telephone PLaza 7-0022

Opening This Week
i Whoop-Up. Shubert <MC) ($8.05;

• 1.453; $58,101). Cy Feuer & Ernest
ill. Martin presentation of a.musi-
I cal, with lyrics by Norman Gimbel,

■jj music by Moose Charlap and book
' 1 by Feuer, Martin and Dan Cush¬
man. based on Cushman’s novel,
“Stay Aw'ay, Joe”; opened Monday

• night (22) to two affirmative re¬
views (Aston, World-Telegram;
McClain, Journal-American) and
five negative (Atkinson, Times;
Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror;
Kerr, Herald Tribune; Watts, Post).

Party With Betty Comden and
Adolph Green, Golden (R) ($5.75;
800; $25,152). Theatre Guild pre¬
sentation of Comden & Green
performing their own comedy and
musical numbers; opened last night
(Tues.).

Janet Cohn, of the Brandt &
Brandt play agency, planed to
Denver last week to spend the
holidays with playwright Mary
Chase and her family. She’ll also
visit the Coast before returning to
New York.

Ambulating Bally

Sandwich board advertising
is one-, of the gimmicks to be
used in the promotion cam¬
paign for Broadway. About 75
men will be hired to carry the
placards and to distribute
handbills throughout Manhat¬
tan.

Those employed for the job
will be costumed by the Brooks
Costume Co.

Road NG; N.Y. ‘Abner 22G, Montreal;
‘Lady $42,500, Bennett $19,000, Chi;
‘Anger 241/2G,D.C., Tallulah 221/2G,S.F.

“Playboy of the Western World,”
“Quare- Fellow,” “Time of the
Cuckoo” and “Threepenny Opera.”

One off-Broadway show, “Many
Loves,” which was to have opened
last Sunday (21) at the Living
Theatre, has been postponed be¬
cause of the strike. Reviews on
last Monday night’s (22) Broadway
opening of “Whoop-Up” Avere giv¬
en a brief going over on Paar’s
tv shoAv folloAving the musical’s
preem, Avhile summaries of the no¬
tices Avere also fed to neAvscasters.

Radio spots preceded last night’s
(Tues.) Main Stem preem of‘“A
Party Avith Betty Comden and
Adolph Green.” The title team
Avere also scheduled to perform
bits from the shoAV on DaAud Stiss-
kind’s “Open End” program on
WNTA-TV .folloAvihg the opening.
The Susskind session AA’as slated
to deal Avith legit acting tech¬
niques.

The off-Broadway Phoenix Thea¬
tre is Mso. scheduled to promote
its current entry, “Powor and
Glory,” over WNTA-TV tomorrow
(Thurs.) in a half-hour stanza
starting at midnight. The program
Avill commemorate the theatre’s
fifth anniversary. Performers from
BroadAvay and off-BroadAvay pro¬
ductions have also been hitting
radio and tv a la Judy Holliday’s
appearance in the audience of the
Paar show last Monday night to
plug her starring vehicle, “Bells
Are Ringing.”

Off-B'way Shows

Boy Friend, Cherry Lane (1-25-
58).

Crucible, Martinique (3-11-58).

Diversions, DoAAmtoAvn (11-7-58).

Hamlet of Stepney Green,
Cricket (11-13-58'.

Heloise, Gate (9-24-58).

Ivanov, Renata (10-7-58).

Look Back in Anger, 41st St.
(11-7-58).

Man Who Never Died, Jan Hus
(11-21-58).

Of Mice & Men, ProvincetoAvn
(12-4-58).

Playboy of the Western World.
Tara (5-8-58).

Quare Fellow, Circle in Square
(11-27-58).

Salad Days, Barbizon Plaza (11-
10-58).

Threepenny Opera, deLys (9-20-
55).

Time of the Cuckoo, Sheridan
Sq. (10-27-58); closes Feb. 8.

Tis a Pi^' She’s a W'hore, Or-
pheum (12-5-58'.

CLOSED

Sextet, Royal (11-26-58).

SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS

(Theatres Set)

BROADWAY

Shakespeare's Ages, 46th St. (12-28-58).
Third Best Sport, .Ambassador (12-30-58).
Legend of Lizzie, 54th St. (wk. 1-26-59).
Rashomdn, Music Box (1-27-59).

Requiem for a Nun,.Golden (1-28-59).
Redhead, 46th St. (2-3^59).

Majority of One, Barr>more (2-11-59).
Rivalry, Bijou (2-12-59).

First Impressions, Alvin (3-12-59).

OFF-BROADWAY
Mr. President, E. 74th St. (12-26-58).
Failures, 4th St. <12-29-58).

King Lear, Players (12-29-58).

She Shall Have Music, Actors (1-6-59).
On the Tov/n, Carnegie (1-15-59).
C-iligula, Phoenix (1-20-59).

Clearing in Woods, Sheridan Sq. (2-16-59.

Road business was generally poor
last week, with several shoAvs tak¬
ing a severe beating.

A numher of entries have been
laying off the early part of this
week and will reopen either tomor¬
row night (Thurs.) or Friday (26).

Estimates for Last Week

Parenthetic designations for out-
of-town shows are the same as for
Broadway, except that hyphenated
T with show classification indicates
tryout and RS indicates road show.
Also, prices on touring shows in¬
clude 10% Federal Tax and local
tax, if any, but as on Broadway
grosses are net; i.e. exclusive of
taxes. Engagements are for single
week unless otherwise noted.

BALTIMORE

LiT Abner, Ford’s (MC-RS, hus-
and-truck) ($1.66-$4.98; 1,819; $45.-
000). Almost $39,100 for nine per¬
formances through Sunday (21).
Previous week, $38,500 for seven-
performance split.

CHICAGO

Auntie Marne, Erlanger (C-RS)
(16th Ayk) ($5.50-$6.60; 1.333; $45,-
187) (‘Constance Bennett). Over
$19,000. Previous Aveek, $30,100.

My Fair Lady, Shubert (MC-RS)
(59th wk) ($7; 2,100; $72,979)

(Michael Evans, Diane Todd). Al¬
most $42,500. Previous week,
$56,200.

Romanoff and Juliet, Blackstone
,(C-RS) {1st wk) ($4.95-$5.5Q; 1,450;
$38,000) (Peter Ustinov). Opened
Dec. 15 to two favorable notices
(Syse, Sun-Times; Barzell, Amer¬
ican) and two so-so (Harris, Daily
NeAvs; Cassidy, Tribune); nearly
$31,800 Avith Guild subscription.
PreA’ious Aveek, $39,600 at the
Hanna, Cleveland.

CINCINNATI

Two for the Seesaw, Shubert
(CD-RS) ($4.52; 2,000; $54,000)

(Ruth Roman, Jeffrey Lynn). Over
$19,500. Previous Aveek, $8,100 at
the American, St. Louis.

COLUMBUS

Warm Peninsula, Hartman (CD-
T) (4 perfs) (Julie Harris). Almost
$12,900 forfour performances Mon-
day-Wednesday (15-17); laying off
until Dec. 26 when It reopens at
the American, St. Louis. Previous
week, $26,700 at the Shubert,
Detroit.

MONTREAL

Li’l Abner, Her Majesty’s (MC-
RS, N.Y. Co.) ($5.50; 1,704; $45,-
000. Over $22,000. Previous week,
$27,500 at the Auditorium, Roches¬
ter.

PHILADELPHIA
Third Best Sport, Locust "(C-T)
(1st wk) ($4.50-$5; 1,418; $35,000)
(Celeste Holm). Opened Dec. 15 to
three pans (Gaghan, News; Mur¬
dock, Inquirer; Schier, Bulletin);
nearly $27,700. Previous week,
$19,700 at the Shubert, Washing¬
ton.

SAN FRANCISCO
Crazy October, Geary (C-T) (1st
Avk) (S4.95-$5.50; 1,550; $43,000)
(Tallulah Bankhead). Opened Dec.
15 to five unfavorable reviews
I Cone, Oakland Tribune; Hall,
Call-Bulletin; Hodel, News; Knick¬
erbocker, Chronicle; Morten, Ex¬
aminer); about $22,500. Previous
Aveek, $25,000 at the Hartford,
Los Angeles.

Music Man, Curran (MC-RS) (9th
wk) (S5.50-$6.60; 1,758; $59,000).
Over $59,50(j. Previous week, same.

TORONTO

Sunrise at Campobello, Royal
Alexandra (D-RS) ($5; 1,525; $36,-
000) (Leif Erickson). Over $18,600
AA'ith Guild subscription. Previous
week, $19,900. for eight-perform¬
ance split.

WASHINGTON

Look Back in Anger, National
(D-RS) (1st wk) ($4.40-$4.95; 1,677;
$36,800) (Kenneth Haigh). Opened
Dec. 15 to one favorable notice
(Carmody, Star) and tAvo favor¬
able, with reservations (Coe, Post;
Donnelly, News); over $24,500
Avith Guild subscription. Previous
week, $30,700 at the Colonial,
Boston.

SPLIT WEEKS

Auntie Marne (C-RS) (Sylvia
Sidney). Totalled $14,100 for six
performances, as follows: Victoria,.
Kansas City, Sunday-Tuesday (14-
16), three, $4,300; Auditorium,
Denver, Thursday-Saturday (18-20),
three, $9,800. Previous Aveek,
$26,700 for six-performance split.

Diary of Anno Frank (ID-RS)

(Francis Lederer). Totalled $22,-
100 for seven performances, as fol-
loAvs: Tower, Atlanta, Monday-
Wednesday (15-17), three, $11,900;
ToAvnship Hall, Columbia, S. C.,
Thursday (l5), one, $990; Ovens
Auditorium, Charlotte, N. G., Fri-
day-Saturday (19-20), three, $9,300.
Previous week, $27,400 for eight-
performances split. Closed in
Charlotte.

British Shows

(Figures denote opening dates)

LONDON

At Drop of Hot, Fortune a-24-57).
Auntie Mamo, Adelphi (9-10-58).

Boy Frlond^ Wyndham’s (12-1-53).
*Brtath of Spring, DuXe York’s (3-26-58).
Brouhaha, Aldwych (8-27-58).
Chrysanthomum, Wales (11-13-58).
CIndralla, Coliseum (12-18-58).

Day In Lift Of, Savoy (10-1-58).

D'Oyly Carte, Prince’s (12-15-58).
Expresso Bongo, Saville (4-23-58).

Five Flngor Exorcise, Comedy a-16-58).
For Adults Only, Strand (6-25-58).
Friemfs A Neighbors, Vic. Pal. (11-11-58'.
Gras's Is Crooner, St. Mart. (12-2-58).
Hook, Line, Sinker, Piccadilly (11-19-58).
Hot Summer Night, New (11-26-58).

Irma La Douce, Lyric (7-17-58).

Living for Pleasure, Garrick (7-10-58).
Long Day's Journey, Globe (9-24-58).
Repertory, Old Vic (9-17-58).

Mousetrap, Ambassadors (11-25-52).

My Fair Lady, Drury Lane (4-30-58).

No Concern, AVestminster/l[10-6-58).

Not in tho Book, Criteriof (4-2-58).

Roar Like a Dove, Phoenix (9-25-57).
Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54).

Simple Spyman, Whitehall (3-19-58).
•Tunnel of Love, Apollo (12-3-57).

Two for Seesaw, Haymarket (12-17-58).
Unexpected Guest, Duchess (8-12-58).
Where's Ch»rley, Palace (2-20-58)

West Side Story, Majesty’s (12-12-58);
Who's Your Father?, C’bridge (12-16-58).
* transferred

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Long, Short, Tall, Royal Ct. (1-7-59).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Bright One, Winter Garden (12-10-58).

Touring Shows

(Dec, 21-Jan. A)

Auntie Marne (Constance Bennett)—
■Layoff (22-25): Erlanger Chi (26-3).

Auntie Manie (Sylvia Sidney)—layoff
(22-24); Moore. Seattle (25-3).

Crazy October (tryout) (Tallulah Ban-
head)—Gear.v, S.F. (22-3) (Reviewed in
VARIETY. Oct. 15, *58).

Li'l Abner bus-and-truck)—layoff (22-25>:
State Fair Music Hall, Dallas (26-31);
Municipal Aud., Shreveport, La. (3).

Li'l Abner (N.Y. Co.)—Royal Alexandra,
Toronto (22-3).

Listen to the Mocking Bird (tryout)
(Eva Le Gallienne, Billie Burke)—Col¬
onial, Boston (27-3).

Look Back In Anger—National. A^'ash.
(22-27); Hanna. Cleve. (29-3).

Music Man ?2d Co.)—Curran. S.F. (22-
27); Aud.. Denver (30-3).

My Fair Lady (2d Co.)—Shubert. Chi
(22-3). »

Rashomdn (tryout) (Claire Bloom. Rod
Steiger, Oscar Homolka, Akim Tamlroff)
—Erlanger. Philly (29-3).

Redhead (tryout) (Gwen Verdon)—Shu-
beit. New Haven (22-27); National. Wash.
(29-3).

Romanoff and Juliet (Peter Ustinov)—
Blackstone. Chi (22-3).

Starward Ark (tryout)—Shubert, Wash.
(26-3).

Sunrise at Campobello (2d Co.) (Leif
Erickson)—Shubert, Det. (22-3).

Third Best Sport (tryout) (Celeste Holm)
—Locust. Philly (22-27) (Reviewed in
VARIETY, Oct. 22. *58).

Two for the Seesaw (2d Co.) (Ruth.
Roman. Jeffrey Lj-nn)—laj’off (22-25>t
Todd. Chi (26-3).

Warm Peninsula (tryout) (.Tulie Harris)
—layoff (^-25); American. St. L, (26-3)
(Reviewed in VARIETY. Nov. 5, '58).

Dizzy Gillespie

The Signatures

kill. mTT”

1 Opening Mon., Dec. 29th"l
I J Nile Onlyl j

j Anita O^D ayj

■NEW YEAR’S EVE Reservations

VILLAGE VANGUARD

7th ave. at 11th tt. chelsea 2-9355

STRAW HAT-THEATRE
FOR RENT

Successfully used for 8 seasons June
1st through Sept. 1st. Complete
Facilities 25 minutes outside Cleve¬
land, Ohio.

Reply: CHAGRIN VALLEY
LITTLE THEATRE

40 River St„ Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Wednesday, Decemb^ 24, 1958

P^iEfr

LITERATI

53

Literati

Helen Tranbel’s Memoirs

Former Met opera singer Helen
Traubel is telling her life story
In the January Ladies’ Home
Journal. It is a condensed version
of her book, “St. Louis Woman,”
soon due via Duell, Sloan & Pearce.

Story deals with her ankling the
Met for Las Vegas’ razzledazzle and
the night club circuit. She also
recounts her experiences as a vocal
coach of Margaret Truman; her
running battle with Edward John¬
son at the Met and her tug-of-war
with Lauritz Melchior for the
spotlight at the opera house.

“Ballet 8’ •

“Ballet 8,” a book of photos by
Serge Lido (Macmillan; $93, is an
ideal terp gift book. Published in
outsize format in France, tome
contains a preface by Marie Ram-
beri and nearly 100 pages of ex¬
ceptional dance photos.

Irene Lidova summarizes the- In¬
ternational dance year. Jacket, in
. color, carries a captivating portrait
of Ludmilla Tcherina. Rodo.

Book on Brooklyn USA

Everett M. Vassar, former re¬
search technician for 20th Century-
Fox and longtime resident of

Brooklyn, is at work on a history
of Brooklyn life, a section of which
will deal with local show biz

aspects.

He’s seeking background mate¬
rial from performers who have

lived or worked in Brooklyn. Vas¬
sar resides at 5T5A Sixth St.,

Brooklyn 15, N.Y.

BiUy Talbert’s Book

Dramatic story of Billy Talbert,
revealing his lifelong struggle with
diabetes and his tennis career as
one of world’s great doubles
players, has been bought by Sports
Illustrated for three-part serializa¬
tion this spring. Little, Brown is
publishing the book simultaneous¬
ly. Consolidated Press has con¬
tracted for Australian rights. The
former U.S. Davis Cup captain, in
words of one medico testimonial,
has shown “a million diabetics how
to live.”

Talbert wrote tome with John
Sharnik, magazine columnist and
writer of CBS’ series of tv news
specials.

Song Books’ Pull

M. Lincoln Schuster (Simon &)
says that, while that 16-page special
ad section in the N.Y. Times in¬
terprets itself chiefly at local book¬
stores, of the mail order reaction
the top puller, surprisingly to him,
were the orders for the new
“Rodgers & Hammerstein Song
Book.”

These music books have done
well over the years for S&S which
first published a Gilbert & Sullivan
anthology, then Rodgers & Hart
song book. He has Noel Coward,
Cole Porter and possibly also an
Irving Berlin song book in mind.
On all, except Berlin, Schuster ties
In closely with Max Dreyfus, head
of Chappell-Harms through whose
outfits the top musicomedy song-
smiths operate. A Lemer &
Loewe song book is also pencilled
in for future.

New Theatre Annual’

“Theatre World Annual, No. 9”
by Frances Stephens (Macmillan;
$5), is another in Britain’s top
series of stage yearbooks. As in
former seasons, author, writing
from London, reviers the West End
year, including production statistics
and offering many illustrations.
Information about players, opera
and ballet is also supplied. Jacket
and frontispiece of current edition
indicate that highlight of London’s
past season w-as arrival of Rex Har¬
rison and Julie Andrews in "My
Fair Lady.” Ralph Richardson and
Ian Carmichael are given special
bio space, with portraits.

Book is presented in customary
handsome format, and is well-

Sheilah Graham Corrects
Editor, Variety:

Beverly Hills.

Your reporter w'as misinformed
about the reaction of Scott Fitz¬
gerald’s daughter, Mrs. Samuel
Lanahan Jr., to "Beloved Infidel.”

After reading the book a couple
of weeks before publication, she
telephoned me from Washington
to say that she had enjoyed the.
book very much.

I was upset at the bracketing of
“Beloved Infidel” with "The Dis¬
enchanted” because the No. 1
reason for writing the. book was
to correct the impression given by
Budd Schulberg’s book that Scott
had died drinking and in the
depths of despair. If you have read
my book you will know he gave up

drinking for more than a year be¬
fore his death and he was working
soberly and industriously on his
novel, "The Last Tycoon.” So I
hope you will set this matter
straight.

Sheilah Graham.

Boulder Dams-Up ‘Bias’ Ad
! Town of Boulder, site of the U.
of Colorado, has agreed to stop
advertising in a Chamber of Com¬
merce come-on brochure the per¬
centage in its population of "native
white,” “colored” and "foreign
born” residents.

American Civil Liberties Union
argued this was disparagement of
racial minorities in the name of
civic pride.

“TV Guide’s’ New Peak

TV Guide set a new Circulation
mark of 6,843,585 with the Dec. 6
issue. A picture of James Arness
was on the. cover. The New York
metropolitan edition was out front
In total increase, with a boost of
49,120 copies, raising its circulation
to 1,317,508. Mag’s previous high
was an estimated 6,752,992 set by
the Nov. 1 issue.

Merrill Panitt, managing editor
of TV Guide, named editor of the
mag, succeeding Walter H. Annen-
berg president of Triangle Publica¬
tions. Named to the post of manag¬
ing editor is Alexander H. Joseph,
Panitt’s former assistant m.e.

Fred Othman Better
Frederick C. Othman, syndicated
columnist in Washington and for¬
mer United Press Hollywood cor¬
respondent, was reported recover¬
ing from a serious heart attack
suffered last Tuesday .(16).

Othman, who wrote UP’s Holly¬
wood column from 1937 to 1942,
w'ill remain at Doctors’ Hospital in
Washington for the next few weeks.

$100,000 For ‘Lolita’
Perhaps a record payment for
reprint rights is the $100,000 which
Fawcett’s Gold Medal Books has
shelled out for the sensational
Vladimir N o b o k o v bestseller,
“Lolita,”

It wiU be a 50c Item.

Not-Bo-Easy Reading
Altman’s is only department
. store left in the Gotham area with
a book department on main floor.
Last week. Stem Bros, shifted its
main floor book section to the
fourth floor between bed cover¬
ings and rugs and within breath¬
ing distance of linen dept.

Macy’s book section was moved
upstairs in 1953, Gimbel’s, in
1950, and as for Bloomingdale,
it just never made the main floor.

I. R. Levine’s ‘JJSSR’ Book

Irving R. Levine, who covers the
USSR borscht-and-caviar belt for
both NBC and Variety, will have
his new book, "Main Street,
USSR,” published by Doubleday
next month. The book’s 26 chapters
will deal with all aspects of Rus¬
sian life and provide candid an¬
swers to such queries as what is on
Russian tv, how much does a set
of false teeth cost, and what’s with
choral groups and bands in Soviet
schools.

"Main Street, USSR” will also
have eight pages of photographs
snappe4 by the writer-broadcaster.

CHATTER

Folklore Library Publishers Inc.
authorized to conduct business in
New York.

William P. Berger "pouring” for
actress-author Mary Astor on the
occasion of Doubleday’s publica¬
tion of her memoirs, titled “My
Story.”

Frank Gruber, who co-created
“Tales of Wells Fargo” vidpix se¬
ries with Nat Holt and scripted
some of the segments, is readying
an anthology of series for Bantam
Books.

Walter J.. Mordaunt, assistant
press secfretary to Gov. Averill
Harriman and former legislative
correspondent' for the Albany
Times-Union, will join the public
relations staff of the N.Y. State
Bar Association.

Frank Tremaine w'as named veep
of UPI at a hoard meeting of di¬
rectors last week. Tremaine, 44,
began his career with the UP in
Salt Lake City in 1936, and is now
general manager of UPI News Pic¬
tures and a director of UPI.

Walter B. J. Mitchell Jr. named
promotion director of Dell Pub¬
lishing Co., major newstand pub¬
lisher. For past five years Mitchell
was sales promotion manager of
Prentice-Hall. New job entails
overseeing advertising and promo¬
tion for Dell books, comics and
magazines.

“Rhyming Dictionary for Song
Writers,” which the publisher be¬

lieves to be the first ever com-r
piled specifically for lyricists, is
being prepared by Larry Holofce-
ner and is tentatively scheduled
foi release late next spring or
early the following fall by Crown.
The author collaborated on the
lyrics for the Broadway musical,
j “Mr. Wonderful.”

‘Castles in Air’

Continued from page 2

instant success with audiences and
with the international set.

Their return to America was
triumphant. Irene’s gowns, hei
bobbed hair, “the Castle walk,”
and other trademarks of the teaim
swept the country. In vaude, at
New York’s Cafe de 1‘Opera, and
with the Castle School of Dance,
couple. scored enormously, com¬
manding highest fees ever paid for
such an act.

Vernon served in World War I,
returned to the U.S., and was killed
in 1918 in a plane crash while in¬
structing a cadet.

In 1923, she retired from the
stage, but not from the public eye.
As she relates, she has been ac¬
tive many "years with the Anti-
Vivisectionist League. While mar¬
ried to Frederic McLaughlin in
Chicago, she established a home
for friendless animals. Her inter¬
est in welfare of dumb creatures
began when she and Vernon pur¬
chased show animals in theatres
they played to spare the beasts
what they considered cruelties nec¬
essary to stage training.

Several times married since Cas¬
tle’s. death, author is now Mrs. E.
C. . Erizinger of Eureka Springs,
Ark. She has written an entertain¬
ing, witty, nostalgic book of a. great
era to which she and her partner
were major contributors. Tome
might even restore the one-step to
popularity; and perhaps there is
room for a new film bio to add to
the two already done about the
team; “The Whirl of Life” (a sil¬
ent) and “The Story of Irene and
Vernon Castle’,” starring Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Rodo.

Miami Beach’s

Continued from page 2

time, will eliminate its participa¬
tion in the package deal whereby
a vacationer will see three spots in
an evening for a complete piice of
$11, including tax and tip. Eddie
Risman, general manager of the
LQ, says that the club wdnds up
with nothing and no prospect of
ever getting that customer again
during the run of the show. At
the same time, Risman points out
that, with the exception of a few
seasons, Florida rarely had a big
second-show business. Therefore,
he feels, the package deal defeats
its own purpose.

Many talent agencies are ap¬
prehensive about cuffo entertain¬
ment throughout the Florida re¬
sort. It’s construed to be a yard¬
stick of how much entertainment
can draw.

But whatever direction the ideas
instituted this season will take, it’s
seen that normal hotel and cafe
selling methods are being out¬
moded. it may be, trade observers
say, that the future of the cafe in¬
dustry will depend. on w’hat gim¬
micks the operators can come up
with.

Union Will

Continued from page 2 .

be cut to $35,000 and the band
concerts to $15,000.

Hal Davis, president of. Local
60, told City Council that mahy
big cities, including Philadelphia,
help their symphony orchestras
with ^ public funds and said that
“this” $50,000 appropriation is vital
to the continuance of the orchestra
and provides a good service to the
citizens of the community.”

Wall St. Nervous

Continued from page 1

know% and are getting to know,
about, the inside on each manage¬
ment in each picture enterprise.
This Is figured as a tipoff oh the
'future.

Personal Angles . .
They’re seeking out and obtain¬
ing, too, information on individual
producers. This is for the reason
that each picture in the “new era”

; SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK |

By Frank Scully

Palm Springs, Dec. 23.

While waiting in a long line of supermarket shoppers, who were
held up by a lack of cashiers at the exits, I got to gabbing with a bunch
of unemployed germs, microbes, viruses and some radioactive dust
that had blown in when the doors were opened. The bugs were feel¬
ing blue because, at least so they told me, business was positively bad.

“The festive season is usually our best season,” they insisted. “Peo¬
ple overdo in pagan pleasures at this holy season of the year. They
ret bushed, crocked and weary. But they keep on going till they drop.
' nd that’s where we come in.”

But this year, they confided, shopping has been w’ay off, “and un¬
less people are wearing themselves out. we don’t have a chance to
make a living. We had a convention last summer—things are pretty
quiet in our line in summer—and we decided to thump for a more
commercialized Christmas. In this we figured we would have both
profit-hungry capitalists and profit-hungry Communists on our side.
But though they both believe in rooking the peasant, they can’t agree
on who gets the first cut.”

The Freedom of The Sneeze

One of the bugs said they thought the sports-car craze would help
their biz, and it did to a degree. Teenagers love sports cars, they said.
“Teenagers are good carriers of our merchandise. They sneeze all
over town and in their homes, rarely covering their pretty mouths,
and soon everybody is down w’ith a cold. The teenagers decide to cure
their colds by dressing up in bermudas and taking some fresh air in
I a sports car. Their folly should kill them, but young people are sur¬
prisingly tough and we don’t like to use them in our biz except as car¬
riers.”

Souping Up On Tired Blood

But older people are their caviar. “If you haven’t had a good meal
in months,” one old bug confessed, “you can’t Imagine how good it
feels to soup up on some tired blood. Older gals who, Imitating teen¬
agers, wear short-shorts and go around barefooted, except for go-gos
or thongs on their feet, and ride sports cars in wintertime, are better
friends of ours than teenagers. The ones who add short mink coats to
their idiotic ensembles are the best friends of all, because tney keep
some male broke and w’orking himself into pneumonia to pay for the
jobs."

He admitted there were occupational hazards to the bug industiy.
“Every time some smart Alec comes along with a flit or an antibiotic
we suffer setbacks. The stuff stuns us at ^st but unless it is radioac¬
tive we manage to get around it after a while. And we tell our kids
to stay away from the stuff. God has pointed out to us that certain
laws govern His universe and if we obey them and lead moral lives
we will not be exterminated. Of course, the laws apply equally to peo¬
ple but He has observed through the ages that most people will not
obey them.”

I tossed a handful of Vitamin C tablets into my mouth. He wanted
to know w'hat I was doing. I told him I was taking nourishment, that
Vitamin C was just like grapefruit. I didn’t want to alarm him by ad¬
mitting that most of our family was bedded with colds and that I wat
building up my resistance against their infections. He must have sus¬
pected what was in my mind because I noticed be moved aw'ay a bit
and went into a huddle with his friends.

Or maybe he saw a better prospect.

Christmas Among The Microbes

"Merry Christmas!” he called as he hopped on the back of-h fly who
was heading toward a kid who was eating an ice cream cone while
I standing in line with his mother. I recognized her as the wife of the
manager of our nabe picture house. She, sagging under a load of pur¬
chases, asked him where his shoes were. Then I noticed he was not
j only sniffUng but barefooted. He said he had left them in the car. The
I fly and the microbe, meanwhile, w’ere feasting on his ice cream cone.

[ They saw that I had seen what they were doing. I moved up next to
the boy.

“Merrs^ Christmas!” repeated tTie bug, since I had acted as if I had
I not heard him the first time.

The boy thought I w’as saying it. He looked up and smiled.

“Merry Christmas to you. sir,” he said.

I asked him how his father was. He said fine. Then I asked him If
he would sell me the cone for a quarter. He said it was not the giant¬
sized one,* merely the super, and had cost only a nickel. I offered him
the quarter again. He thought I was crazy but we made the exchange
anyivay. His mother smiled at me and as she went out I noticed she
was wearing jamaicas, which are shorter than bermudas. I also no¬
ticed she had pretty legs.

After they had gone and -I w’as cleared of the customs bv paving the
usual duties, plus a nickel for the cone, which seemingly* hadn’t been
cleared, and I w’ent out into the cold night air and handed the taint¬
ed cone, to the first dog I saw*. Dogs. I am told, have superior defenses
in their mouths and are not felled by bugs which knock off human be¬
ings.

The boy, now' in the car next to his mother, saw me and must have
thought I had taken on some of the qualities of St. Francis of Assisi
who was famous for being kind to animals. ’

Season’s Greetings Not Controversial

“And a Happy New' Year sir!” he called as they drove off

“Happy New_ Year!” I shouted back.

The bugs thought I was a louse in the blouse of civilization But I
didn’t care. I have alw’ays felt that my first loyalty was to people
especially anybody on the fringe of show business.

And if that’s W'here you are. the far-flung and ever devoted Scully
Circus wishes you and yours a IMerry Christmas and Happy Healthy
days in the years to come.

J of mammoth budget expenditures
f can have an important beai'ing on
the overall financial welfare of any
company.

Wall Streeters figure further that
an individual’s personal living
could have a bearing on his busi¬
ness acumen and therefore are
getting the “know” on the former.

Disapproval

An actual instance of this in¬
volves a Holl^voodite who sold a
block of stock in a film corporation.
It turned out he needed the money
to buy a new house—needed money
despite the fact he has been high-
income for years. When he can’t
properly manage his personal af¬
fairs how can he manage multi-
million-dollar film projects, asked
a downtowner?

In past, brokers had close In¬
formation on only a couple of film
companies—^those in which they
more or less specialized. But w’ith
all pic outfits having become “hot”
trading commodities, the Wall
Street merchants have spread
themselves around. They’ve famll-

. iarized themselves with the entire
field to the extent they can recite
without hesitation the best and
worst aspects of any film operation.
And in mostly all cases an ap¬
praisal can be given by the broker
<his own appraisal) of the manage¬
ments of the companies. Here in
capsule form are a few’ comments
i which have been heard about the
; top-echelon film officers; “They're
interested only in the welfare of
' the company and can be trusted”;
I “They only care about their own
I employment contracts”; “They’re
still thing in the past,” etc.

! Regardless of the validity of
! some of the size-ups, the point is
• that film execs on the tow Coasts
; are being dissected. The "Wall
j Sti'eeters are tossing beaucoup
j money into film stocks and they
} want to keep in immediate touch
j with the execs who call the turn:^
i in the film company operation,
j This might add up to an aside to
I the picture industry’s top com¬
mand: More and more people are
i getting to know you.

54

CHATTER

USRiEfr

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Broadway

Jennie Grossinger pledged $100,-
000 for the Histadrut Medical
Center in Israel.

The George iWm. Morris) Woods
off to the Coast and Palm Springs
for a three-week holiday.

Variety Paris correspondent
Gene Moskowitz IMosk) arrives
Dec. 30 for a Gotham visit.

Larry Adler’s flu attack in
London forced postponement of
his N.Y. nite]^ date at the Village
Gate last Friday.

Joe Lopez, ex-maitre d’ of the
Copacabana, ailing at the Fitz¬
gerald Mercy Hospital in Philadel¬
phia.

Adman Charles Schlaifer to the
Coast to 0 . 0 . Hollywood product;
his ad agency reps several Broad¬
way firstruns and also handles the
20th-Fox business.

New 3,500-seat nitery in the
Hotel Concord debuts this w'eek
with Harry Belafonte as the at¬
traction and is drawing the Broad¬
way press for the formal preem.

David Burns, of “The Music
Man” cast, feted last week at the
African Room, for being the “iron
man” in the cast, being the only
lead not having missed a perform¬
ance to date.

Robert Lantz, recently severed
from Joe Mankiewic?’^ Figaro Inc.,
indie pic producer copartnered
with NBC, back from a London
quickie. He’s back in the inter¬
national management business.

An official reception by Mayor
and Mrs. Wagner at Gracie Man¬
sion for the Prince Rainiers (Grace
Kelly* was one of the least exciting
events because of the press black¬
out. It was known chiefly to the
invitees.

Frank M. Folsom, RCA chairman
of exec committee, to Palm Beach
untfl Jan. 6 to be with his one of
his married daughters and also for
the Jan. 4 wedding of the daughter
of an old friend, the Dick O’Con¬
nors.

Vet cabaret impresario Gaillard
T. (Gill Boag, onetime husband-
manager of shimmyshaker Gilda
Gray, recuperating at his Forest
Hills’ home from major surgery.
Has just completed his autobiog
and says he has major Hollywood
interest therein.

Frank Hefter, ex-Communica-
tions Councillors, named foreign
publicity head of Hilton Hotels
Internatioral, succedlng Ray Pur-
pus, who resigned when John W.
Houser exited as exec veep of
HHI. Hefter is under national
pub-ad veepee John Joseph.

In.stead of the cuffo invitation to
the New Year’s Day annual cock-
tailery which John Perona has
hosted for over 20 years at El
Morocco, this year’s shindig—the
last at the old site, since the nitery
is moving next season—will have
a $5 tap, per person, for benefit
of Boys’ Town of Italy Inc.

At the Hotel Diplomat, Holly¬
wood, Fla., opening last week such
duhs as Hy Gardner, Louis Sobol,
Leonard Lvons and p.a. Mack Mil¬
lar were digging up the divots to
such a degree that the hew hostel-
rv-’s golf pro. Dr. Cary Middelcoff.
was moved to observe, "Anyway,
you must all be. digging up enough
itemsi”

Mi-'hael J. McHale, director of
the U. of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Players,
staging an exhibition of Everett
Shinn’s paintings at the university
in February. McHale would like to
produce one of artist-vaudeville
author Shinn’s sketches, written
between 19Q7-1910, for the Keith
circuit, especially “The Prune
Hater’s Daughter.”

Franco Cancellieri’s S.P.A. Pro¬
ductions.

RCA to rush Mario Lanza’s re¬
cording of “Come Prima” backed
by “Q Sole Mio” ahead of his
just-completed piC. Alan Kayes
of Victor Red Seal division re¬
cently in town to set details.

“The Burmese Harp” (Globe
Films) to inaugurate series of spe¬
cial screenings of quality films
sponsored by Rome Film Critics
Association. Audiences will be
polled for reactions.

Albert Leonard. Magna Theatres
exec, in to supervise opening and
special publicity for “South Pa¬
cific.” which gets special Todd-AO
release in certain Italian cities
during holiday season.

Giuseppe Rotunno, Italo lenser,
flew to U.S. to start preparatory
work for “On the Beach,” Stanley
Kramer production. Rotiinno
recently completed camera work
on “The Naked Maja,” Ava Gard¬
ner-Anthony Franciosa starrer.

Luciano Emmer and Michel¬
angelo Antonioni off to Paris to
set future direction plans with
producer Emanuele Cassuto of
NEPI Films. Emmer’s next will
be “Girl in the Window,” with
French actress in lead, w'hile An¬
tonioni’s w’ill also star Gallic name.

Boston

By Guy Livingston
(344 Little Bldg.; HAncock 6-8386)

Chantoosy Nancy Drake off for
. Florida dates.

{ Billy Kelley, Hub based comic,
inked for Haitian cruise.

Billy Albert & Ardrey Sisters
headlining Steuben’s holiday show.

Bucky Harris, longtime Universal
flack here, joined Gabe Stern
agency.

Clio Colivas hosted Hub press at
opening of Henry Oi’s new^ Seven
Seas, Polynesian type beanery.

Guy Guarino doubling as emcee
and singing headliner at his Moulin
Pvouge intimer in Hotel Vendome,

Mel Maddox On the Christian
Science Monitor drama desk fol¬
lowing death of Ed Melvin, paper’s
longtime drama critic and arts
editor.

Ruthie Shapiro, Hub-based na¬
tional record promosh rep, expand¬
ing into personal management field
with inking of Bobbi Baker &
Enrico,

Harry Marshard society orch off
on annual tour of deb balls in New
York, St. Louis, Chicago, Phila¬
delphia and New Year’s eve at
Rolling Rock.

“Listen to the Mocking Bird,”
legit tryout w'hich opens at the
Colonial Saturday (27), and will
be only show on the boards for
New' Year’s.

Rome

By Robert F. Hawkins

(Stampa Estera: tel. 675 906)

Anthony Steele flew' in to join
wife Anita Ekberg before going
on to Hollywood.

Susan Hayward to Milan, and
Florence to p.a. her “I Want to
Live” pic and to sightsee.

Rank, presented Pope John
XXIII with print of the coronation
film, made by Grafton Green for
Rank- new.sreel division.

Cathia Caro, French starlet, an¬
nounced her engagement to Yank
singer John Ritter, currently ap¬
pearing in Rome.

Marisa Allasio, recently married
to Count Di Bergolo, will retire
from screen after her next pic.
She’s pacted to Titanus Films.

Rossana Rory Eleonora Rossi
Drago and Carla Gravina to star
in Turgenef’s “f'athers and Sons.”
P-AI-TV’s next serialized drama.

Ava Gardner off to U.S. missing
opening of her latest pic, Titanus’
“The Naked Maja.” It’s set for
Xjr.as release throughout Italy.

Artur Braunc-r, CCC topper" in
town. He’.s reportedly asked Paris
Herald Trib columnist Art Euch-
wald to .script a Western parody.

Georgia IMoll. Rossana Pode=ta
and. perhaps, Abbe t.ane will star
in upcoming “Girts in Tunis” for

Show OdI of Town

Continued from page 4S

Redhead

• a w'axworks. Located in early 20th
century London, the story telLs of
1 plain young girl w'ho passes her
; time in a museum operated by her
' aunts, but who constantly dreams

■ her prince will come along some
day. He does, indirectly through

: the murder of his femme partner
in a strong-man act, and the result¬
ant business is the hook on which
: the songs, dialog and dances are
hung.

The score is not memorable, just
pleasant, and it’s going to require
! the insertion of a couple of real
rousers to give the music distinc¬
tion and punch. The lyrics capably
cover the span from comic to ro¬
mantic and appropriately abet the
story line.

If there’s been any lingering
doubt about Miss Verdon’s right
to star .status, this show should re¬
move it. The dancer-singer-
actress has considerable appeal as
the romantic dreamer and she's
all over the lot^ in her dance as¬
signments. with a spectacular mix¬
ture of steps. She’s okay vocally
and dramatically ingratiating.

Richard Kiley impresses favor-
: ably as the man of strong muscle
but weak resistance (w’here the
heroine is concerned). Leonard

■ Stone does a stellar job in a com¬
bination comedian-h e a v y role,

' Doris Rich and Cynthia Latham
: score as spinster operators of the
waxworks, and William Le Mas-
sena gives a good interpretation of
a distraught music hall producer.
Other good support is furnished by
Ralph Sumpter as a stuffy Scotland
Yard man. Patrick Horgan as a
murder su.'^pect. Pat Ferrier and
Joy Nichols as a pair of prosties,
i and Buzz Miller in a standout dance
duet.

Fr.ver and Carr have put plenty
of coin into the attractive sets and
flashy eostume.s, all enhanced by
effective lighting. Fosse has
staged at a generally rapid, at
, time.s almost frantic, pace. Boi-.e,

London

(COVent Garden 0135-6-7)

Eric Glass to Cannes for New
Year.

Edwin Smith returned to N. Y.,
after swing through Europe for
ABC Films.

Robert J. O’Donnell in with his
wife to spend Christmas and New
Year’s in London.

Geoffrey Bernerd resigned as
sales director of Orb Productions,
but retaining his board seat.

“The Rose Tattoo,” due in West
End mid-January, to follow “Hot
Summer Night” at New Theatre.

Alma Cogan. dickering disk pro¬
motion trip, to America in New
Year.

Warwick Films acquired screen
rights to “The Pistol.” new novel
by James Jones for production next
year.

Irene Selznick reportedly clos¬
ing deal for U.S. stage rights to
“Any Other Business,” recent hit
at Westminster Theatre.

: Aldo Ray presented Heather
Sears with two toy Kuala bears
when “The Siege of Pinchgut” unit
returned from its Sydney location
last week.

Charles Young, publicity coor¬
dinator for Rank, additionally ap¬
pointed director of- publicity and
advertising for Circuits’ Manage¬
ment Assn.

Roy Evans, Associated British-
Pathe’s Belfast branch manager,
won new car in company’s sales
drive to honor Maegregor Scott’s
appointment as general manager.

Adeline Bourne, former actress,
who in 1908 founded Actresses’
Franchise League, honored at a
“My Fair Lady” benefit ball for
Actors' Orphanage at the Savoy
last week.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz

(28 rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)

“Wild is the Wind” (Par) in for
good reviews, especially for Anna
Magani.

More than 60 stereophonic disks
already on the market here, most¬
ly classics.

Private showing of “I Want to
Live” (UA) getting mixed reac¬
tions from press and literary view¬
ers.

Producer Walter Wanger has
screen rights to Nobel prize win¬
ner Aitert Camus’ novel “The Fall”
and plans •a film.

In a switch, French banned
Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita.” It
was out here,' long before its
Yank printing, in an Olympia
Press edition in English.

Director Roger Vadim’s wife,
Annette Stroyberg, set for role in
Carl Foreman’s “The Guns of
Navarone.” She is nOw in Vadim's
pic “Les Liaisons Dangereues.”

Maria Schell’s brother, Karl, in^]
for three French film stints, “The
ShipwTecked” of Charles Brabant,
“Bird of Prey” of Marcel Blistene,
and “Le Kepi” with Darry Cowl.

Hit Diego Fabbri play, “Proces
A Jesus,” performed in immense
Palais de Sports for a one nighter.
It w'as kingsize theatre-in-the-
round attempt that came off by
adroit mike setups. Show con¬
tinues at Theatre Hebertot.

Ludmilla Tcherina rehearsing
new ballet company. Using the¬
atrical directors, her first, “Heart
Trump” being staged by comedians
Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thi-
bault, “The Lovers of Teruel,” a
dramatic Opus, by Raymond Rou¬
leau, and satirical “Fire to
Powder” by Jean Renoir.

Playwright Jean Anouilh will
have five plays on the boards this
season after none last year. Jean-
Louis Barrault-Madeleine Renaud
Co. do “Mile. Moliere” at Palais
Royal, his “Thomas Beckett” is
slated for Theatre Montparnasse
and “L’Hurleberlu” (The Madcap)
for Comediei Des Champs El.vsees.
State-subsidized Comedie-Fran-
caise may do bis “Madame De . .
based on Louise De Vilmorin
novel, and one acter on 100 day
return of Napoleon “Le Foire
D’Empoigne.”

Washington

By Liz Carpenter
(1202 Nat. Press Bldg.;

STerling 3-5445)

Xavier Cugat & Abbe Lane socko
at Lee Zeiger’s Casino Royal.

Scott Kirkpatrick, National The¬
atre manager, judged one-act play
contest for area Catholic high
schools.

Danny Kaye in town for meeting
of national committee making plans
for 1960 White House Conference
on Children and Youth.

“Redhead,” Gwen Verdon starrer
opening here Dec. 30, a cinch to
post alltime. W’ashington advance
sale, topping previous holder of
i record, “Damn Yankees” (with
j same star).

1. MPAA prexy Eric Johnston
i home to Spokane, for holidays, re-
I turns here Jan. 7 (day Congress

reconvenes), stopping off en route
at Los Angeles for Pasadena Col¬
lege speech.

Don Baruch, motion pictures
chief for Defense Dept, off to
Miami to spend holidays with his
mother and hospitalized father,
Sailing Baruch. (His uncle is Ber¬
nard . Baruch.)

New Club Waldorf in nearby
Maryland, featuring 200 slot ma¬
chines with Tommy Dorsey’s Orch
(Warren Covington) currently,
changed its newspaper ads to read
Club Waldorf Casino.

Over 3,000 crippled-handicapped
children w'ere guests of Mrs. Jouett
Shouse, at a Christmas concert by
the National Symphony Orchestra
here. Fourth time Mrs. Shouse,
vice president of symphony, picked
up check for this event.

Lay Jury

— Continued from pa^e 1 ^

to develop, the decision as a “cause
celebre,” for protection in similar
situations where composers are put
on the defensive.

Tiomkin claims that plagiarism
suits have become a “racket” and
a “big game” and that plaintiffs
only file their action in hopes of a
quick out-of-court settlement,
which in the past the publishers
have been too quick to accept in
order to avoid the “nuisance” and
the expense of court costs. Spaeth
claims that cases of plagiarism
should not be put into the hands
of a lay jury but should be decided
beforehand by a referee of musical
peers. If the music-oriented ref¬
erees decide that damages have
been inflicted, then the case should
be brought to the courts.

The legalites who represented
Tiomkin, the Music Publishers
Holding Corp., which published
“The High and the Mighty,” and
(John) Wayne - (Robert) Fellow's,
who produced the pic, were against
eliminating the conventionally-
chosen trial jury.

Joe Karp, attorney for MPHC,
said that the desire to eliminate
trials of this sort is a “fantasy.”
“The best way to squash these
cases,” he added, “is to take them
to court with enough evidence pre¬
pared so that a victory is inevita¬
ble.” Louis A. Dreyer, attorney
for Tiomkin, concurred, stating
that “he didn’t want to disturb the
jury system.”

Arthur F. Driscoll (O’Brien, Dris¬
coll & Raftery), who represented
the pic’s producers, states that the
judging by musical peers as advo¬
cated by Spaeth is not practical.
One w'ay to beat continuatihn of
similar suits, according to Driscoll,
is to get the N. Y. Legislature to
pass a law r^uiring the plaintiff
to post Mind of between $25,000
and $50,000 ^nd have the plaintiff,
if he loses, pay all costs, including
counsel fees.. Jack London, attor¬
ney for Ned Washington, who com¬
posed the lyrics to “The High and
the Mighty,” dissented with the
observation that a lay jury was not
equipped to decide the similarity
! between songs.

Spaeth, how’ever, plans to bring
the issue before the National Music
Council to push his “referee” plan
through Congress.

As a result of this action and
the expenditures involved, Tiomkin
has now' taken out, for the first
time, insurance against plagiarism
suits. Tiomkin, incidentally, is a
member of the French composers’
society, SACEM. He’s the top-rcUik-
ing SACEM composer in the U. S.
Follow'ing Tiomkin is Georges
Auric, best known for his “Song of
The Moulin Rouge.”

I Supreme Gt. Hears

I s—; Continued from pa^e 1

I a boat or a strong sw’lmmer to get
to the casinos.

At the pleading of Virginia of-
j.ficials, the Maryland legislature
adopted a law preventing slot
machines from operating within
Maryland unless they can he
reached by foot on Maryland soil.
State courts upheld the law, and
the slots were removed from the
piers and stored in a Waldorf, Md.,
warehouse.

Donohue asked the U.S. Supreme
Court to find the Ma^land law un¬
constitutional, claiming it violates
the due process and equal protec¬
tion clauses of the Constitution.

He said the casinos have been
hard hit, with their employment
dropping from 225 to 8. He said
casino operators have paid more
than $200,000 in federal and
CQunty license fees in the current
year which will be lost if gambling
can’t be resumed.

HoDywood

Jon Hall to Mexico City.

Cary Grant off to London.

Joel Cohen upped to v.p. .of
Frank Cooper Associates. -

Milton Shapiro named treasurer
of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster.

The Alfred Hitchcocks off to
Switzerland for holidays.

Robert Aldrich back from Lon¬
don.

Archie Bacon elected prexy of
lATSE Set Designers Local 847,

Pier Angeli divorced Vic Da-
mone.

Ward Glenn new KRCA opera¬
tions manager.

Richard Thorpe returned from
five months in Europe.

Ernest- Lehman back from Eu¬
ropean sojourn.

Don Fedderson returned from
tw'o w'eeks in Honolulu.

“The Buccaneer” benefit preem
raised $20;000 for City of Hope.

Joseph HI;Hazen arrived for six-
week stay.

Julie London back from Mexico
City.

David S. Garber in Mt. Sinai
Hospital for sciatica.

Angela Lansbury skied to Aus¬
tralia for HHL’s “Summer of tho
17th Doll.”

Robert Manby arrived from N.Y.
with Bruce Newbery for produc¬
tion huddles.

Anthony Boucher appointed story
consultant for Irving Pincus’ new^
series, “The Haunted.”

Anne Baxter left for Australia to
star in HHL's “Summer of the 17th
Doll.”

Maureen O’Hara forced to cancel
out on Bob Hope’s overseas jaunt
because of laryngitis.

James Gleason recuping from
major surgery at Motion Plcturo
Country Hospital.

Wolfe Cohen (WB) on month’s
tour of Far East promoting “Wel¬
come Back, Jack” sales campaign.

Robert Young will host anihial
New' Year’s Eve ball of Academy
of Television Arts & Sciences at
Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Frank Ferguson, head of 20th-
Fox legal dept., named to board of
governors of Beverly Hills Bar
Assn.

Sammy Davis Jr. commuting be*
tween Sands engagement in LaS
Vegas and “Porgy and Bess” dub¬
bing sessions in Hollywood.

! Chicago

(Delaware 7-4984)

Dakota Staton repeating at Rob¬
erts Show Club.

Jazz chlrjier Peggy Taft current
at Blue Dahlia in Oak Park.

I GAC’s Lee Wolfberg back from
eastern vacation.

Roosevelt U. teeing off “Golden
Era of French Film” series Jan. 7.

Bernie Baker, business manager
for American Cavalcade Theatre,
resigned last week.

Don Cherry booked by Black
Orchid for New Year’s Eve only.
Club’s closed for remodelling
meantime.

Mike Todd Jr. and publicist Bill
Doll here this week for press con¬
ferences re opening of new Mich¬
ael Todd Theatre.

Sidney Harth, 32, replaces John
Weicher as concertmaster of the
Chicago Symphony, Weicher will
remain, as what not identified.

James A. Weber publishing
monthly new'sletter known as Thea¬
tre Chicago, covering community,
educational, children’s, stock and
Main Stem legit activity.

Scotland

By Gordon Irving

.(Glasgow; BEArsden 5566)

Margo Henderson scoring in Tom
Arnold’s “Humpty Dumpty” at
Empire, Glasgow'.

Scotsport unit of Scot indie tv
mounting record number of pro¬
grams over New Year.

“Fol-de-Rols” unit teed-off the
holiday season at Lyceum Theatre,
Edinburgh.

Eddie Fraser, senior vaude meg¬
ger at BBC Glasgow, to Blackpool,
Eng., to stage annual pantomime
at Winter Gardens Pavilion.

Duncan Renaldo to Glasgow and
Scottish Television studios in his
role of Cisco Kid. Also visited
hospitals in town. '

Diana Napier, widow of late
Richard Tauber, to Glasgow for
launching of new version of old
Tauber musical “Old Chelsea.”

. Jack Radcliffe, Scot character
comedian, pacted for New Year’s
Eve date on indie tv network pro¬
gram, produced by Rai Purdy.

Robert Wilson, Scot singing star,
set for New Year tv stint from
Glasgow. BBC beaming Scot cele¬
brations live over NBC network in
U. S.

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

U^RiEfr

5S -

OBITUARIES

GEORGE K. ROLLINS
George K, Rollins, 53, chief of
Federal Communications Commis¬
sion’s public safety and amateur
division since 1950, died in Wash¬
ington Dec. 17, after two opera¬
tions complicated by pneumonia.
He started his Government service
In 1929 With the Commerce De¬
partment’s radio division.

Rollins operated a Springfield,
Mass., ham radio station at the
a« of 14, His early days with
FCC were spent'In monitoring ac¬
tivities. Later, he was supervisor
of FCC’s central Atlantic area ra¬
dio intelligence division.

He leaves his wife, son, brother
and sister.

CARLETON GUT
Guy Carleton Mercer, 81, one¬
time actor, producer and play¬
wright, died Dec. 15 in Chicago.
Under the name of Carleton Guy
he toured the country with his own
stock company for 30 years start¬
ing in the 1890s. The company did
Guy’s own plays as well as the
standard library.

One of Guy’s last show biz ef¬
forts before his retirement was a
Chi radio show called “Hoosier
Philosopher” in the late 1930s. He
was active in his later years in
philanthropic work for needy peo¬
ple in the theatrical trades.

Son and sister survive.

ROBLES MONTEIRO
Robles Monteiro, 70, actor-man¬
ager and impresario of Lisbon’s
Teatro Nacional, died Nov. 30 in
that city. Starting his stage career
In 1916, he founded his own reper¬
tory theatre some 10 years later
in partnership with his wife,
Amelia Rey Colaco.

The Monteiros were named im¬
presarios of the Teatro Nacional in
1929. Over the last 30 years he

P resented some 300 plays at the
ouse.

Surviving, besides his wife, is a
daughter. Latter, Marlene Rey
Monteiro, is a top actress of the
Teatro Nacional.

JOSEPH M. DEALT
Joseph M. Dealy, 75, onetime
vaude performer and more recently
a theatre manager, died Dec. 2 in
Saugerties, N.Y. He trouped wdth
his late sister, May, in a dancing
act. A native of Newport, R.I.r he
was a dancing instructor before
turning to vaude.

Dealy, who terped on stages of a
number of theatres In Catskill
mountain communities, later ran
the Rivoll in Monticello and the
Liberty In Liberty, N.Y, For the
last 10 years he managed the Wind¬
ham Theatre, Windham, N.Y,

A. brother survives.

REUBEN SCHOENSTADT

Reuben Schoenstadt, 69, former
theatre chain exec whose career
began in the nickelodeon era, died
Dec. 15 in Chicago. He retired in
1953 after about 15 years as gen¬
eral manager of the H. Schoen-
stadt & Son circuit on Chicago’s
south side.

At Its peak the chain boasted
15 houses, now down to eight.
Schoenstadt joined the firm in
1908, one year after it was founded
by his late uncle, Herman.

Survivors include his w'ife, two
sons and three sisters.

FRANCOIS FRANCA
Francois Franca, 78, dean of Por¬
tuguese circus performers, died re¬
cently in Lisbon. A champion
athlete In his youth, he joined the
Anclottl family of acrobats and
toured the worid. At the age of 40
he suffered a fall. He then left the
troupe to become ringmaster of
the Lisbon CoUseu, a post he re¬
tained until the end of the season
last April.

Surviving Is his daughter, for¬
mer trapezist Olga Franca. For the
last 10 years she’s been femcee of
the Cohseu circus.

ELAINE B. MITCHEL
Elaine B. Mitchel, 53, radio sing¬
er and actress who later was on
the staff of WTOL, Toledo, died of
a heart attack Dec. 11 in that city.
For the last two years she was
publicity director of the Toledo
Orchestra Assn. She also was an
account executive, copy writer and
designer for Beeson-Relchert Inc.,
a Toledo ad agency.

Surviving are her father, son and
a brother.

HARRY MARTIN

Harry Martin, 50, director of
public information for the Amer¬
ican Red Cross, died of a heart
ailment Dec. 23 in Arlington, Va.
A onetime Variety correspondent,
he had served as national president
of the American Newspaper Guild,
Survived by a son and his
mother.

JOSEPH LUCACHEVITCH
Joseph Lucachevitch, 60, French
producer-disributor, died of a heart
ailment Dec. 13 in Los Angeles.
Associated with Ilya Lopert, he
headed Sedif Productions in
France and divided his time be¬
tween Hollywood and France. He
had been in semi-retirement for
past several years.

Surviving are a son, brother and
two sisters.

CHARLES ROSE
Charles Rose, 69, double bass
player with the Toronto Symphony
for 35 years, died Dec. 18 in Tor¬
onto. He was also a member of the
Canadian Broadcasting Corp. orch¬
estra and was on the teaching staff
of the Royal Conservatory of Mu¬
sic, Toronto, where he earlier re¬
ceived his musical education.

Two sisters survive.

MAX KROUSE

Max Krouse, 79, musician, died
Dec. 11 in Philadelphia. He played
with the Philadelphia and Wash¬
ington Symphony Orchestras and
pit bands in the Stanley Warner
chain here.

Surviving are his wife, three
sons and a daughter.

ROBIN MORSE
Robin Morse, 43, film-tv actor,
died of a heart attack Dec. 11 in
HoUywood. He was stricken Dec.
6 while rehearsing for a “Play¬
house 90” program.

A brother survives.

James W. Illingworth, 80* pioneer
cmema manager, died recently in
Dundee, Scotland. For years he
managed houses owned by Gray’s
Cinemas, Dundee.

Abraham (Abe) Stone, 68, retired
exhibitor, died Dec. 12 in Clear¬
water, Fla. A onetime projection¬
ist, he formerly owned the Eagle
Theatre in Albany. His wife, daugh¬
ter and two sons survive.

Syd Seymour, 52, who ran the
Mad Hatters dance band, died Dec.
13 in London. He was a tv and ra¬
dio personality,. but he scored his
main success in vaude.

Ted Davison, husband of May
Moxon, dance troupe proprietor,
died Dec. 8 in Glasgow'. For a time
he was house manager at Victory
Theatre, Paisley.

Sam Finn, 65, film extra for the
past 30 years, died on the operating
table W'hile. undergoing brain sur¬
gery in Hollywood Dec. 14. Tw’O
sisters suiwlve.

Carl Sodders, onetime sllen
screen actor, died Dec. 18 in Day
ton, O. He appeared In severa
D. W. Griffith productions.

Mother-in-law of John Joseph,
veteran film adman-turned-Hilton
Hotels exec, died in Indianapolis
last week.

Mother of Bill Smutzer, member
of NBC-Chi’s advertising and pro¬
motion staff,-’’died Dec. 12 In Chi¬
cago,

Father, 79, of author-playwrigh
Richard Bissell, died Dec. 16 ii
Dubuque, la.

T Reeves, 67, singer

Irish ballads, died of bums Dec.
In Toledo, O.

Mother of Ken Christiansen,
operations supervisor of WNBQ,
Chicago, died Dec. 16 in that city.

Bumpers, 46, co-owner o
KEYA, died Dec. 14 in Shamrock
Tex.

Political Field

SS Continued from page I ^

sang hit numbers from their shows.
At another, Fred Waring, his mu¬
sicians and his chorus entertained.
Waring had performed for several
previous White House dinners in
the past. Among others who have
performed at White House dinners
in the Eisenhower Administration
in previous years were Artur
Rubensteln, Patrice Munsel and
Jeanette MacDonald, to name a
few.

Although approximately 80 are
invited to a White House dinner,
invitations go out to about 150 to
200 more to come late (In white
tie, like the diners) to sit in the
elegant white and gold East Room
for the musical program. The rank
of all guests—those asked to eat

and those Invited to come later—
is top strata.

Mrs. Ike’s Jubilee

Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower will
head the patron list for the Wash¬
ington Jazz Jubilee to be held
March 16. The Jubilee, a benefit
for a Washington settlement house,
will present a musically illustrated
history of jazz from Congo Square
to Carnegie Hall. Other patrons
are Mrs. Richard Nixon, Mrs. Earl
Warren and Mrs. John Foster
Dulles.

The Jubilee is sponsored by the
Congressional Circle for Friend¬
ship House, a group of wives of
Senators and Representatives. Pro¬
ducers will be Willis Conover, who
produces "Music USA" for the
Voice of America, and pianist-
arranger Dick Cary. Edwin Ash¬
craft, Charles McWhorter and
John Hammond will assist.

Rockefeller’s Snaaytorium
Albany, Dec. 23.

The administration of Gov.-Elect
Nelson A. Rockefeller will start oh
a high social note Jan. 1. He will
entertain some 4,000 guests at a
black-tie inaugural ball in the
Washington Ave. Armory, with en¬
tertainment by the New York City
Ballet, Cab Calloway’s orch, and
Meyer Davis’ society band, plus
Ben Grauer, veteran NBC announ-
; cer, as emcee.

Rockefeller, who wUl pay all the
costs (for him, pin money) is re¬
viving an event not held here since
the second inauguration of Thomas
E. Dewey as governor, Jan. I, 1947.

Guests will receive engraved In¬
vitations. Wine punch (madejfrom
New York State products) fruit
punch and cookies wlU be served
from buffet fables scattered
throughout the giant drill shed
(whose acoustics have recently
been Improved). The Sheraton-Ten
Eyck Hotel will cater the affair.

Red, white and blue bunting,
festooned in the Armory, will
carry out the theme of the “Stars
and Stripes” ballet, created by
George Balanchine of the 41-mem-
ber New York City troupe.

Demonstrations by several fife
& drum corps, and appearance by
the 12-glrl Rockefeller Campaign
“Rockettes" rooting squad from
Westchester County (where the
governor-elect has a home) are
also scheduled.

The noontime Inauguration cer¬
emony, in the Assembly Chamber,
will be witnessed by 9.67 seatees,
plus standees.

Gov. Averell Harriman, as .w’ell
as former governors Herbert H*
Lehman, Charles Polettl and
Thomas E. Dewey, will attend. Mr,
and Mrs. Rockefeller will hold a
reception at the Executive Mansion
from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The Inaugural ball is expected
to prove a boon to local hotels,
restaurants and other establish¬
ments.

Cal.: Jessel beats’ Hope .

Sacramento, Cal., Dec. 23.

Bob. Hope’s out of a job—^be¬
cause California Gov.-Elect Ed¬
mund G. Brown Is keeping a
promise.

Committee planning Brown’s In¬
augural ball Jan. 6 had asked Hope
to emcee. But Brown then recalled
that before last month’s election
he’d told George Jessel 'fhat, if
elected, Jessel could have the job.
Brown said Jessel will get the
“patronage."

K.G.’s Dixie

Continued from pace 1 a—
the Hotel Muehlebach’e Terrace
Grill at 12th. This returns Balti¬
more to its pnce-famed status as
the K.C. white way.

As the Southern Mansion, the
club was operated for years by
Phil Magglo who closed it a few
years ago. A group tried to make
a go of it as restaurant, but that
flopped and the spot had been dark
for several months. Magglo Is leas¬
ing to the new operators.

Next in Is Sister Rosetta Tharpe,
spiritual singer, opening Dec. 26
and running through New Year’s
Eve. Music for shows and dancing
are provided by Jimmy Tucker
orch. Three shows nightly at 9,
10:30 and 12:30 contrasts to the
established policies of two shows
nightly ot other downtown major
spots.

Previously the only night club
open to colored trade ^ here has
been the Orchid Room, located
In the heart ef the Negro district,
and no downtown spot has been
open to them until the Manor
opened last week.

N.Y. Newspaper Strike

Continued from page 1

J. P. Morgan-Giiaranty Trust bank¬
ing merger, America’s signal suc¬
cess (at last!) with the earth satel¬
lite, etc. .— were brushed off as
casually as one of the wave of bank
stickups which seemed to be a
new kind of pre/^Christmas mania.

■ Even the Idea of the news-In-
depth, by the N. Y, Times, over
WRCA, N. Y., was given a dim
view because of Its early Sunday
(9 a.m.) scheduling, not particular¬
ly ideal for the day-of-rest, “read¬
ing the Sunday papers at leisure,”
longtime An>erlcan habit.

Legit Left Dangling

Frustrated legit managers were
stalemated with “good” notices a
secret. Among them was "J. B.”
and according to Frederick Bris-
son, producer of “The Gazebo,” his
show also got “good” reviews al¬
though, It is understood, they
might be Interpreted as "mixed.”
Anyway, Brisson on behalf of him¬
self and the Playwrights Co., co¬
producers of “Gazebo,” round-
robined investors et al. with a
digest of the “good” notices which
the drama critics dutifully wrote
for the record but which, other¬
wise, was a “secret.”

(It’s for. the same reason that it
is academic for Variety to capsule
the alleged “good” reviews since,
until such time as they are widely
disseminated, they remain locked
in the confines of the newspaper
offices. Eventually, as happened'
five years ago when the photoen-
grayers’ strike tied up the metro¬
politan New York dailies, they will
be reprinted in digest form, and
impresarios, of course, will do
everything to disseminate them.
As is, certain criticisms are being
supplied the tv-radio stations for
quotes’ purposes. Some are re¬
printed in this issue.)

Also sharply affected, although
on a more circumscribed basis, are
the niteries which depend on
ballyhooing whichever might be
the new saloon attraction. Spots
like the Copacabana, Latin Quar¬
ter and International Casino use
wide space; ditto the hotels. Eartha
Kitt’s advent into the Waldorf
Monday night (22), for example,
was a secret save to the innermost
cognoscenti.

The Sunday TV Magazine sec¬
tion of the N;Y. Herald Tribune,
which Is printed six weeks in ad¬
vance and fully dated, twice was
a total loss j;o that sheet. Some
600,000 copies had to be scrapped.
(The current week’s programs are
supplementarlly Inserted, other¬
wise it is boilerplate).

An offer to dump them cuffo
with department stores, supermar¬
kets etc. w'as met with a threat
by the deliverymen’s union of
cross-picketing which, while recog¬
nized as an Illegal secondary boy¬
cott, wasn’t worth the mutual
headaches involved so the . Trib
“ate” the more than 1,000,000 TV
Mags.

The staff Is continuing editing
and publishing the supplement
which, however, is now being
printed (1) sans date, and (2) with
an eye to timeless editorial fea¬
tures.

Besides the Wall St. Journal the
N. Y. Journal of Commerce and
Women’s Wear Daily have been
publishing and carrying generous
amusement advertising.

There were the sundry news
fillips. DePInna, a 5th Ave. (N.Y.)
_specialty store, flashed, new's bul¬
letins. KLM flew over daily the
Paris editions of the N.Y. Herald
Tribune. Pressagents looking for
“breaks” with WInchell and the
other columnists, got “hot” copies
of the Phllly, Miami and kindred
papers. The Jersey and Pennsyl¬
vania papers shipped In extra runs
of their papers. Ditto the Chris¬
tian Science Monitor and other
Boston papers. The N.Y. Central’s
“daily commuters’ newspaper” had
a "publisher’s statement expressing
the wish that “this is the shortest-
lived daily paper,” signed by Al¬
fred E. Perlman, president of the
road, as the “publisher.” The met¬
ropolitan colleges got spot news
for its campus dailies also enjoyed
a sudden bull-market in national
ads for cigaret brands, soft drinks
and the like. The Hunter College
Arrow’s co-news editors, Gail
Green, daughter of former film-
man (now liquor business) Harold
M. Green, and Paula Sack, neice
of the N.Y. Timc.s’ Pulitzer Prize
reporter Meyer Berger, latched
on to the Times’ national and in¬

ternational news service and hyp-
poed that girls’ college's campus
sheet with an upped rum of 8,000
papers.

The daily Wall St. investment
houses’ communiques supplement¬
ed their market tips and stock quo¬
tations with spot news highlights
off the tickertape. The newsmag¬
azines, of course, were sellouts.
The .Spanish and Italian dailies
added English sections.

The N.Y. Board of Trade es¬
timated “irretrievable damage” be¬
cause of the strike and 80 student-
researchers from the Columbia
School of Journalism made these
findings: as result of the strike
there were 2,000 less tons of debris
daily, 10,000 of New York’s 16,000
newsstands were closed, their busi¬
ness off 75-80%, by no means
compensated by the bull market in
periodicals and an 3 dhlng readable.
Also, as result, public charity ap¬
peals, geared for the holiday sea¬
son, were 33% under; employ¬
ment agencies estimated a 30^75%
drop in job applicants because of
the lack of want ads; department
stores were unsure, because the
season naturally made them a mec-
ca for shoppers, but It was figured
business was dented 15%; there
were fewer public hearings sched¬
uled because of the lack of pub¬
licity and general Interest; social
events and wedding announce¬
ments were dented; even mourners
were 20% fewer In numbers for
the same reason; attendance at
Madison Square Garden was off
3-25%, depending on the sports
event. Radio listening was esti¬
mated up 10%.

Marek Accenis

— Continued from page 2

been boomed by the public’s ex¬
panding free time.

Marek stresses that recorded
music at 1: >me already has tied the
older and younger generations
closer as the parents recognize the
new concept of rock ’n’ roll music
and, conversely, as better music
has upgraded the tastes of the
youngsters. Victor sees it first
hand, for example, in how Van
Cliburn has become “a popular
hero” with the kids, a la Belafonte
or Presley.

MARRIAGES

Ingrid Bergman to Lars Schmidt.
Dec. 21, London. Bridegroom of
the film star is a Swedish indus¬
trialist and quondam film producer.

Sharon Lee to Budd Albright,
Avalon, Santa Catalina Island,
Sept. 21. Bride's an actress; he’s a
singer.

M 3 Ta Allen to Alf Cooper, Irvine,
Ayrshire, Scotland, Dec. 12. Bride’s
a dancer; he’s an acrobat.

Joy Ackland to Ronnie Heckman,
Exeter, England, Dec. 14. Bride Is
a Windmill Theatre dancer,

Sheree North to Dr. Gregory
Sommer, Holly w'ood, Dec. 17.
Bride’s an actress.

Margot Nelson to Irwin Winkler,
New York, Dec. 20. He’s with the
William Morris Agency.

Brenda Rae Gins to Arthur
Greenfeld, New York Dec. 21.
Bride’s father Is general sales man¬
ager for NTA Pictures.

BIRTHS

Mr, and Mrs. Ed Murdock, son,
Houston recently. Father is a vo¬
calist In that city.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Strauss, son,
New York, Nov, 29. Father heads
his own management agency.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Dane, son,
Hollywood, Dec. 14. Mother Is
actress Constance Dugovic; father’s
a thesp,

Mr. and Mrs. Mead Mulvihill Jr.,
son, Pittsburgh, Dec. 12. Father,
an attorney, and mother were both
on KQV staff.

Mr. and Mrs. John E. McArdle,
daughter, Washington, Dec. 2.
Father is general manager, WTTG-
TV.

Mr. and Mrs, Mickey Hargltay,
son, Santa Monica, Dec. 21. Mother
is Jaj'ne Mansfield; father is a
sometime actor.

Mr. and Mrs. Wynn Nathan,
daughter, Stamford, Conn., Dec.
15. Father is v.p. of MCA-TV syn¬
dication division.

Mr. and Mrs. Wa|ter Kerr, son,
Dec. 17, N.Y. Father is drama
critic of the N.Y. Herald Tribune.
Mother is the writer Jean Kerr.

56

I

Wednesday, December 24, 1958

Mills-
Park-
Milford
has a
package
for you.

You'll' find
it tagged
SKINNY
AND ME,
BOOMERANG,
CHRISTOPHER
MORGAN,
PATTERNS,
THE DARKNESS,
BROADWAY,
MERTON
OF THE
MOVIES,

THE BLANK HOUR,
HAWKINS FALLS,
METROPOLITAN
HOSPITAL,

AIR FORCE WIFE,
DOUBLE CROSS,
BARRIER,
MARY HAWORTH,
etc., etc., etc.

And season’s
greetings
from

Ted Mills,

Ben Park,

Jim Troy,

Hilly Elkins,
Desmond Smith,
George Charles,
Dave Geisel,
Halle December,
Ralph Sudaley,
Betty Nick,
Estelle Lindover,
Joan Greenberg,
Kay Klotzburger,
Lynn Mileson,
and Blithe Spirit.
Special wrappings by
Advantage
Enterprises.
Designs by
H. E. Management,
and effort beyond
compare by GAC-TW

STAGE

PnUlshsd WMklr at Ui Wait 4eUi Strati. Ntw York S8. N. T, br Varletr. lac. Aannal tabterlptloii. SIS. SlnSlo eoplM. SS oota.

Socond dan Poatasa Paid at Naw York. N. Y.

COPYRIGHT. 1S88. BY ViSIErY. INd ALL RIGHTS RRSSRVXD

VOL. 213 No. 5

NEW TORE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1958

56 PAGES

U.S; GLOBAL SHOW BIZ PITCH

--- ^ - --

CoBsampdon Must Rise 511%

To Sifport Economy & biployables

llCULTUl

E)

TV’s Banner $1,4%IKI0JIII0 Ad Coin
Intake in ’58; 10% Hie Over ’57

Rapid changes in tfa» North4
American standard of living as*
well as revamped concepts of mer^
chandising will mark the next 10
to 15 years. Consumption must
rise better than 50% to support
til* country’s needed production of
over $700,000,000,000. Thai figure,
in tuni. Is necessary if th^. labor
force is to be employed efficiently.

This estimate was given in a
recent speech by Amo H. Johnson,
v.pr and senior economist for the
J. Walter Thompson advertising
agency.

Johnson^ who keeps his fingers
on the nation’s economic pulse,
said the rising sales curve that Is
naded (an addition of $147,000,*
fiOO.OOQ annual^) "can take place
only if mass millions of Americans
change their habits, change their
desires, change their motives,
change their ideas of what satis-
fies them, and change broadly their
level of demand for the inWte
variety of goods and services and
investments that measure a stand¬
ard of living.’’

And he added: "The importance
of selling, advertising, packaging,
merchandising, premium incen¬
tives and consumer credit as forces
to bring about these necessary
changes can hardly be overem-
phasBed.” Johnson’s remarks to a
large extent are directly applicable
to the film business and its place
In the future economy of the coun-

A variety of "hidden pressures”
will influence future merchandis¬
ing plans In consumer industries,
^ maintained. He outlined them
ss follows:

(1) Change in our productive
ability—an ability that should
reach $700,000,000,000 by 1969 com-
3 >ared with a prewar peak of $229,-
■fi550,000,€00 in 1940 and a level of
^9,000,000,000 in mid-1958 (all.in
terns of June, 195$ prices).

C2) Change in the discretionary
pending power of our total popu-
^ (Continued on page 16)

If angels Can Preach In
Ivent of Cinemas But Can’t

Dallas, Dec. 30.

Edwin Christian Tiemann and
his 'wife, local evangelists, may
preach, in front of the downtown
Majestic,- Palace and Tower Thea¬
tres, but- they must hot interfere
with the -theatres’ business.

That-was Judge Claude Williams’
Judgment • in • district court In a
^t brought-by Interstate Thea¬
tre -Circuit Inc., which sought to
stop tho sidewalk evangelists from ]
peaching-and carrying signs ini
front of the- trio of theatres.

The Interstate Theatre (Circuit
had alleged that Tiemann pair had
interfered by exhorting patrons
not to enter because they would
be sinning, . v .

Hartford*! $95-Million

Huntington Hartford, the
Broadway producer, Hollywood
theatre owner, art patron and
model agency head, Is esti¬
mated to be worth about $95,-
000,000 in A&P stock alone.
That is figured on the basis of
hitherto unrevealed informa¬
tion made public recently in
connection with the chain store
company’s move to sell its
shares on the open market.

Hartford is a grandson of
George Huntington Hartford,
the late founder of the firm.

[ He Is married to legit actress
Marjorie Steele.

More TV, Radio
Sets in U.S. Than
People, Sez FCC

Washington, Dec. 30.
The nation goes into 1959 with
more tv and radio sets than people
and a record 5,100 radio and tv sta¬
tions on the air, according to Fed¬
eral Communications Commission
Chairman John C. Doerfer.

In a year-end statement, Doerfer
estimated more than 200,000,000
sets in use—150,000,000 radio and
50,000,000 tv. This is three times
the number of automobiles and
tops the population by about 25,-
000 , 000 .

Other vital statistics recited by
Doerfer:

Nearly fi70 authorized tv stations
(470 VHF’s and 200 UHF’s), of
which more than 500 are on the air.
About 200 tv translator stations are
in operation, picking up and re¬
transmitting programs of originat¬
ing stations.

Some 60 educational tv grants
have been made by the FCC, and
35 stations are operating (28 VHF
and 7 UHF).

Over 90% of the populace is
(Continued on page 55)

B’way Showmen See

Pro Football Bi^ime

By ABEL GREEN
If the New York postmortems
among the sporting show biz fra¬
ternity Mon: (29) was any criterion,
professional football has a strong
chance to displace or, at the very
least, strongly augment baseball as
the national pastime. Not in mem-
oiy have thet-e been heard such
enthusiasms for the pro gridders,
capped of course by that storybook
finish wblchi gave the Baltimore
Colts their fi^t national pro foot-
o. - (CojE^tinMtii'Oip^ag^ 15) " 1

By LES CARPENTER

Washington, Dec. 30.

On the theory that there's noth¬
ing like "cultural exchanges” to
cement Interiiatlonal relations, a
group in the new Congress, which
convenes on Jan. 7, is aH set to
push for an ambitious culture¬
swapping program between the
U.S. and many nations. Accent
will be on pop show biz values.

These Senators and Congress¬
men, led by Sen. Hubert Humphrey
(D.-Minn.), a Democratic Presiden¬
tial candidate and just recently re¬
turned from a w^-publicized trip
to Russia, are impressed with the
Soviet-American cultural exchange
pact which Humphrey, for one,
sees as the most optimistic phase
of all U.S.-USSR relations.

The theory behind all this ap¬
pears to be that, if in addition to
handing out millions in commercial
aid the U.S. can also dole out "get-
ting-to-know-you” culture, the re¬
sultant “friendly” atmosphere, ap¬
pealing to the mind as well as the
pocketbook, can only shape as a
credit to the States.

Humphrey will have enthusiastic
support from other devoted friends
of the arts in Congress, such as
Sens. J. William Fulbright (D-
Ark.), Jacob Javits (R-N.Y.), Ken¬
neth B. Keating (R-N.Y.), Alex¬
ander Wiley (R-Wis.) and Joseph
Clark (D-Pa.) and Bep. Frank
(Continued on page 53)

FBI‘Checks’VIPs
For Arts Center;
Fnlhright Bums

Washington, Dec. 30.

Prolonged footdragging by the
White House, stopping anything
from being done on Washington’s
$15-$25,000,009 Cultural Center, Is
inciting Congressional anger.

President Eisenhower has let al¬
most four months pass without
appointing Cultural Center’s board
of trustees or advisory commission.-

Sen. J. William Fulbright (D-
Ark.) called the delay an “outrage”
and told Variety: "I certainly
hope the President can get around
to making these appointments
quickly.”

Other Cpngrossional sponsors of
the law, enacted laAt Sept, 2 an-
thormng a national Cfultural
Center in Wariilhgton’s. fog^
bottom district, ei^Ncessed similar
disappoiatmeht at- the: lack *of
action by the White Hoiue. They
will become - more ypcal when
Congress reconvenes.

The\law giyes prised show-
<C(Hrtinued on ^age 1$)

Planting Audia Murphy

San Antonio, Dec. 30.

Some prominent Texas the¬
atre men of the Interstate The¬
atres Circuit, with headquar¬
ters at Dallas, have ganged up
with John Rosenfield of the
Dallas News in an effort to
persuade John Wayne to give
Texas’ own Audio Murphy a
part in Wayne’s forthcoming
epic, "The Alamo.”

The Texans point out that
Murphy Is the outstanding
hero of World War II and
certainly "belongs in a picture
of Texas heroism.”

Broadway Goes
Back to Normal
As Dailies Ditto

The 19-day New York newspaper
deliverers' union strike^ against
Gotham’s nine top dailies ended
Simday (28) night and show biz was
one of many nerve centers of the.
city’s vast network of enterprises
that shouted hallelujah as presses
started rolling again.

It was a brutal strike, in many
respects, with the deliverymen get¬
ting virtually no sympathy from
anyone save their immediate fami¬
lies. The hardships they wrought
cost the city an estimated $50,000,-
000. It cost the publishers an esti¬
mated $25,000,000. Approximately
15,000 newspaper workers suffered
heavy economic blows in their pay
envelopes.

Not affected by the news-starved
metropolis were undertakers, the
Transit Authority which got a
flurry of subway advertising, and
(Continued on page 14)

Waiters* ‘Happy Birthday*
Chant No ‘Enterlaimnent’

Washington, Dec. 30.

When the waiter bows at your
table and sings "Happy Birthday to
You,” that’s not music in the
opinion of the U. S. Internal Rev¬
enue Service.

Federal tax agents have just put
out .a ruling on classy restaurants
with colorfully costumed waiters
who serve flaming dishes with
spectacle and ceremony, involved
in the same .fiecree on taxation is
the practice of some waiters to
break into a traditional iong (at
I the table) to wish celebrating
guests a happy birthday. ]

I All this, IBS ruled, is merely a
’’colorful” way of doing b^iness,
j an^ does not turn a restidrant Into
a cabaret In other words, the cab¬
aret tax. does not apply.

Washington, Dec. 80.

Television bucked the recession
in fine style to chalk up a reconl
$1,420,<)CK>,000 high in advertisinf
coin during the past year, accord¬
ing to estimates by National Assn,
of Broadcasters. This was a 10%
jump over 1957,

At same time, NAB reported that
1958 Saw new records in the num¬
ber of tv stations and sets In use
and time spent watching tv.

NAB prexy Bbrold E. Fellows
said the impact of tv advertising
was a potent factor in helping the
nation out of the economic dump
and added:

"The achievement of television
in not only holding its own but
actually expanding during a slump
demonstrates the acceptance it has
achieved in American life.”

"Operating ty stations increased
during 1958 from 495 to 512, en¬
compassing ever-broadening areas,
according to NAB. Sets in use
reached 48,300,000. a 3,800,000
increase from 1957. NAB eki-
mated an 8 % rise during the year
in "home hours per day” of tele¬
viewing—-from 239,000,000 hours
in 1957 to 269,000,000 in 1958.

In its year-end tv wrapup, NAB
termed the - stepped-up use of
videotape "one of the most excit¬
ing developments.” It said broad-
[ casters expect great strides in local
programming as more stations in¬
vest in videotape equipment.

Also cited was the increase In
(Continued on page 53 )

SI. Cops Guard TaDoIah
After Threats at Hotel;
Eve Arden Also Target

San Francisco, Dec. 30.

Local police are guarding Tal¬
lulah Ban^ead from the threats of
an unidentified man. The man
phoned Miss Bankhead’s secretary,
Ted Hook, three times last week
and after being rebuffed, tried to
sneak into the Huntington Hotel
to reach Miss Bankhead’s apart¬
ment. He was wearing a dirty
windbreaker, blue jeans and was
hatless and tieless. The hotel staff
stopped him at the elevator.

As the man was being shoved
out the front door, he shouted, “If
I don’t get her here. I’ll get her
at the theatre—you wait.” A hotel
employee notified Hook and he
called the cops, who posted guards
at • the hotel and at the Geary
Theatre, where Miss Bankhead is
appearing in ""Crazy October.” The
tryout folds here next Satur¬
day (3).

Tom Kilpatrick, company man¬
ager of ”Crazy October,” said Evf
Arden, who appeared in a road¬
show Terslon of “Atmtie Marne”
at th 0 Geary earlier this month,
had similar trouble. Police even¬
tually picked up Miss Arden's
annoyer and found he bad escaped
[from a mental hospital

M i iilnw i tiir » jnjw j tw Jtl, 1958

WiA His 7th Annual Xmas; GI Show

By HANK WERBA \

Madrid. Dec. 23.

When Bob Hope, guest star,
Gina Lollobrigida, and Hope’s USO;
show ial^ntjcompriOTig Hedda. Hop-
per, J e rr y Colonna, Ituady Sparta,
Molly Bee and Elaine Dtmn ^ap-
peared iinstage for a Nnsle Des
Bnwn -<lionis of ^‘White Gbrist-
znas,*’ !io vind a spectacular thtee-
hotir eBjertairnent prograai at the
tr. S. Torrejon Air Base ^outside
Madrid, laugh-happy spectators
close to the mike swear “Boving
Bobert” was singing "*wet” for,

It was raining when Hope’s^,
seventh tour of American bases
abroad arrived in the Azores;
po utric in PtMrt ,ijya«tey.
aaaways.wece flooded in Andalucia
and np tBoriB tn the 90- man j&nsem -
T)le joi pomics, singers, iiiuslclans,
trchniffani and trekking Sc^ciheS
ispuld venture to explain how the
C^lt and C-54 floated into GamP
Ma r ff e and aet after the Show to
finiow ralndlouds into Madrid,
Gped iiy tour flack Frank Liber-
jBSsg Mies Hopper filled in at a
(Continued on page 55)

SatclsMlbtliereTd
(Scan^na) But Tour
Sufes as 100,000 Draw

Stockholm, Dec. 3().
Dtirtog the 21 days that Loins
Aarmstrong will tour Scandinavia,
an tatlmated audience of 100,000
will see his show. Most of the
lick^ were sold within a couple
of days of announcement.

Satohmo’s achedulo starts Jan.
16 at the Concert la Stockholm.
After thr^ days hi the Swedish
capital, the group will travel north
to SundsFadl and Umea. From
thfere they win go on to a six-day
atand In Copenh^en, and then off
to another Danish city, Aalborg.
5^ tonr will continue through the
SwecQ^ cities- of Malmo, Gothen¬
burg and Boras on its way to = a
two^y visit in the Norwegian
capitel of Oslo. On Feb. 5 the
group will jcomplete its Scandina¬
vian trip Jn, the Swedish city of
Llnkopiag.

TEMPESTS 2G^TiUNG
F0R5?DST.R0UTlIffi

New York’s 52d St. spots are
starting to make with the tall coin
for name atzips. (No upbeat- dollar
trend yet; only one Is Involved so
far). A high on that lane for a
4Sbedder is being spent by the Con¬
tinental which has Tempest Storm,
plus surrouuding talent, booked at
a record-lMceaker for New York—
$2,000—according to Miles Ingalls,
who set Ihe deal
LiU St, Cyi worked that tho¬
roughfare several years ago at
$1,750. Since then. Miss St. Cyr
has gotten considerably more in
her Las Vegas and other bookings.

fieaiySart /

U ■# toe uidtoNi HmI

wmM lilwMl to Jl

Films Are Todays
Most Dfymimic Art

aaetlMr litoHlil PtdTiMi
Iplfce.

53d Anmversary T^umbtr-

W WBCT W g gK

Marie Tom
llMhg Seutace Jan 5

Marie Torre,. ItY. Herald Tri^
une ra«Ho-tVi»liimniit was ordea^
to sThreiider MondJor (5) to begin
servfaig a 1^-day Jafl "sentence for
coBtanpt -of -eourt iar refusal to
disclose the source of aAews «tory.
jShe depBned to iter

source and thus p«u:ge herself =bf
contempt when Invited yesterday
<Tu6s.) to do ao by Federal Judge
Sylvester J. Byan.

Judge Ryan rejected a request
by Miss Torre’s a t t o rne y, Mathias
Correa, that the writer, mother cf
iwe aihildren, be given two we As
to arrange hw affairs before going
to jalL

Judge ^an warped the column¬
ist that.even/jrfter serving her sen¬
tence would be liable to further
action if She again refused to an¬
swer the question she first balked
at as a Witness in the Judy Gar¬
land-libel case against GBS.

Bury Vieiuiese to Song
By Laine, Per Last Wish

Vienna, Dec. 23.

“Play the disk ‘Blowing WUd’
vHth Frankie Laine when you bury
ine*’ was the .last line in the. testa¬
ment of ana lyalter Valek, a nui-
cide by Jumping from 20th story of
the newly erected. Matzleinsdorf
building. His wisDi' was iulfilTed.

Valek, badly hurt in a car acci¬
dent some time ago and mftering
brain troubles ever since, feared
insanity.

There are hundreds of songs
ending with the wish to be buried
:to Vieima music. Hundreds of
times Schranunel outfits (typical;
Viennese small orchestra) play Vi-
pnnpgp .songs at funerals. This-
may be the first time, that an “out¬
sider” was used. Tune was cut by
Laine for Columbia in 1953. - it
clicked hlg in Europe although the
disk didnT mean much in the TJ, S.

12/31

IplItoDi^citelto

YmA Center nlsndj

Miami Beach, Dec. 30.

Sophie, Tucker, who wmds up
her engagement at the Latin Qiiar-
tter thfs week, sails on the Queen'
Sizabeto April 6 for Besheha, Is-,
xael, to d^cate the Soi*ie Tucker
Youth Center.

The town to 30 'miles from Jeni -1
adem and the Center has 5>e.en^
from monies sent by Miss
from toe sale of heir book,
of These Days,” and her
record, “I’m Bi^r Than Ever,”
Stoeel943,Mtos'3fticker has ffistrib-
d more than .$3,000,000 to va-,
idiarities a B -over the world;
Tega^tess of diencuninatioB,

I Cm jan. 13, J- Myer fiddn^
hjdiaicinan -nf , tba board \ot Schhae -
. .an^ hifi SOU Richaid,.
:wii3 gender' “toe iat nf . toe Hed
. Hot Mamas” a bittoday

Rnney-^^lazn CauBnaCluh. 'Mias:
Tucker wfll* be 74.

I On Jan. 15, Sopide .goes on for a:
6ne-shbt at fiieDeauvRle and leaves,
the following day for New Orleans,
•tif^ce Has. V^s, Lm Angeles
and back to New York.

Louis iSzer

A SwHcfc 3 Shwfes’ TV
Click %pis?«rsaBls]

Fittobmsh, Dec. S$..

Hobday Houm has hcHl ovto toe,

Three;-Stooges tois ye<at. iPi thei ___ _ _

first iime a ^headline art ^®^”^i®!j|jcampaign in the wor^ W-on’t make

‘liyeliiYeUAB^
film Ciix Sweep

Stanley Kramer’s “The Defiant
•Ones” (United Artiste) Was named
the best picture ..of the year by the
Ni¥. -Film Critics at the group’s
24th nnnual balloting yesterday
(Tues.). The picture was chosen on
the.third ballot, receiving 10 votes
for the necessajy t,wo-thirds ma¬
jority. Runnerup film, Hecht-Hill-
jLancaster’s “Separate Tables,”
also a UA release, received five
votes from the 15 participating
eritics representing eight, dally
newspapers, --

■ The best. actor award went to
David Niven ior, his performance
in “Separate Tables.” He nipped
Alec Guinness (“The Horse’s
Mouth,” also UA) by an eigbt-to-
seven vote, on the sixth and final
ballot which requires a simple ma¬
jority.

The best actress award went to
Susan Ha 3 ward for her perform-
(Continued on page. 15)

had its original contract eoctended
by Jnhn Bertera who 4 >perates toe
big room, on Route 22. a residtj
Hobday has two starring turns cur¬
rently, PepperDavto toThjnyHeeoel
as well ^ toe'‘StOi^es.* BIH ‘atoo-'j
includes Dorothy Claire, singer,
and dancing Curvetle*. ^

The h.o. of StoDgea wai due to^
great part to toe toree fcnsatiooal'
kiddie matinees they did at Hobday
House during Christmas Weefc;
Shows jampaeked the nitery and
hundreds were- tnnied away.' So;
Bertera, noting that -cbSldren would'
stiU be on vacation this week,'
inked Stooges with provtoo toat;
they’d do three more matineeSi
New Year’s Day and Saturday and •
Sunday, Jan. 3-4. They were aU
sold out 48 hours after the aut
nouncement. . ^

Comics’ popularity with the
youngsters are traced -to toeir old
Columbia shorts, which run on
Ch, 4 (WTAE) here every weekday
afternoon at 6. It’s one of the top-
rated shows on the local airwaves.

Smhseri^i^n Ow^der ¥wm

Enclosed find check tor

□ One Year

Please send VARIETY for O Years
■ □ Three Years

To

CPleAM Print Njuiie) '

Street

City,,..,;.. Zone,.>« State..

Reg ul or Seb s cri pt ioB tofts
Or# Yeor—$15.00 Two Yttn—$20.^

Tiirtt Yton—$39,00

CoRodo oHd FoftigR ■■ $ ! AddItioiMi Ftr Ytor

1S4

, 2:1

Jerry Levris May
BuyMoChiQez

Chicago, Dec. 3C-
Jerry Lewis Is reported interest¬
ed in a buy-in of the Chez Paree
here. Chez’s Dave. Halper acknowl¬
edges but indicates it’s only at the
overture -stage and says be hopes
to huddle with the comic prior to
his three-and-a-half’ week stand
here Feh. 18. Terms haven’t been
spelled out, but besides coin, Lew¬
is will also be expected to guaran¬
tee the nitery his services for pos¬
sibly a six-weeks-a-year mimmunu
Lewis reportedly has investments
In the Koko Chib in Phoenix, and
the Chi Chi in Palm Springs, and
it’s understood he’s- considering
other buy-ins.

Cnee lefly Badi k Pix
—It’s AD Abont Monaco

London, Dee. Jfi.

Grace Keby has returned to toe
screen, but only for a fiC^minute
eolor documentaiy, “Invitation to
Monte Carlo.” She, Prince Rain¬
ier and their dau^Uer nppear in
this film, which is dp«iigTiflr! to
boost interest In Monaco, IKrit-
ten, produced and directed by Euan
Uo^ for his own company, Rich¬
mond Fihns, “Inritation” to jex-
pi^ed to have litQe difficulty In
landing a major cJncult booking.

• The jpdeasant story line eoncems
a little girl from an orphanage who
to selected to go to'Monte Carlo.
This to moreS^ a peg to show at-
trattive-toots of the JWvIera and in¬
timate family shots of Prince
Rainier in his private zoo and In¬
teriors of the palace. The com¬
mentary, written by Jack Davies,
Is spokra by Leo Genn, Nicole
Mahrey and S. V. Emmett. Lloyd
said that no distribution-deal has
yet heeiiset;'

' £-*‘-** f rf

Shmtmm mnd
Shdwmmddp

EdlteiU MM ^ ^

la*e

53d Chamber

of

OUT HPtT Wiilf

■All toe adVertMng and promo¬
tion in toe'world han’t make a
book a bestseller-If 3toe book isn’t
of bestseller-raiare,” Is the reply
fA -Oscar Dystel, president of Ban-
tarn Books, to* xharge from a mo-
tom picture pubaid lihief who con¬
tends that the film industry is
artificiHly hypoing books into the
bestseller JMsts. my own

knowledge, 1 am nttf aware of a
jingle book that fms'Been so hy-
[j^d artifically,”' aaM I^stel. “i
' aware, on the olber hand, of
^of bestsellers ahich have
" waluable film.- properties—
•like ‘Peyten

Place,* Battle Cry,’ ‘I’ll Cry To¬
morrow,’ ‘Island -In 'The Sun,*
‘Blackboard Jungle’ and ‘From
[Here To ■Eterraty.'*

“As a book publtoher, I wish it
were true that -a big advertising
and promotion budget'could auto-
Imatically pnoduce ^bests^er. But
as everyone An toe. pitolishing busi¬
ness knows, if a botdFfdoesn’t'have
it—and by ‘it* I *iean if it isn’t
good enough to get friends recom¬
mending it to friends—:the" best

ASCAP’s Gifts To
National Music

Ann Arbor, ,-Dec. 30.

A^first major gift to the Amer¬
ican*' Opera Workshop of the Na¬
tional Music CanuD at Interlochen,
Mich., has been promoted. It’s a
grant from the American So^ty
of Composers, Authors and Pub¬
lisher? covering ccmstruction and
equipment of a new amt for the
opera housing prujecL It Wfll be
known as ASCAP House.

Construction win begin at once
in preparation for toe 195f «um-
},mer season. Two annual acholar-
ships to be offered in . toe name
of ASCAP are included for young
composers, librettists and per¬
formers. Money value of the gifts
not disclosed.

it a bestseller. This will hardly.
Ibe news to anyone in the picture
industry. At some time or other,
eyeiy es^oitatiou jBaan onust have
had'the isad expcadeace oLcreating
(Continued on page 14)

bjClaikCaEle h
)934, JIeo’s Loupes Now
Sta^ a Comeback

Albany, Dec. 30. ''
A story in tlm Albany Knickei^
bocker News last^ week oii the
comeback of “long johns” for
American males, based on the cur¬
rent boom in that Hne for the Ben¬
nett Tej^e Co., at Cohoes, N.Y.,
l-commented that the new ■‘‘demand’*
for long underwear “reverses the
frend started In 1934 by Clark
Gable. 'Whefn Gkble was seen in
‘It Happened One Night’ wearing
shorts and no -undershirt, per
William Bpiegler lhe inion suit he-
oaflie an unpopular thing among
American young men.”

Military example also helped.
Veterans “demanded” in civilian
fife what they wore in service—the
T-Shirt and the-Government issue
thermal “long johjK.”

^aip’ No Big Tifll

As in Briti

London, Dec. 30.

Hugh O’Brian, television’s Wyatt
Earp, looks like he’ll be an accepr
table, hut unsensational, Christ¬
mas entertainment ehtiy hi Brit¬
ain. He opened Friday (26) on the
Odeon circuit.

O'Brian is in a two-week season
In which heH do 33 -to-ows with a
supporting company;. He does rop¬
ing, gunning and roughhousing
which come off well, but his sing-
ii^ duet looks out of character.

T941u Rmiiforf <t

FouHrcD i9es by simi siuwkmam/ .PuMuiwd WMkiy by vAftimr, inc«

Sya BUvenajiii, :Preihient

154 WMt aath SU mm York 3S. iN. Y. JUdMB S-aMt
Hotlrwood 2$

«4eA Cni»et Boqlcvard. HOUywood »-U4l'

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11

STerliiv a-S«4B

Bia :Mo. jnrtdgm Avt., DBbiwar* 7-1084
. I Jibilin WCa

a St MurthTi Yl^TnUulai iy Sq., COVent Garden 0155

SUBSCBIPHON AaWMl* roceljpi, *16; .Binate Contofc 55 Pent*
_ A»BL •OBEKN, BdUor

Volume 213

Number 5

HAPPY NBW Y-aAB

IHDCH

Bills . 44

Casting Newfl. 52

Chatter . 64

Film Reviews 6

House Reviews .. 44

Inside Legit 46

Inside Music ............ 37

.Inside Vaude. 42

International U

Legitimate 46

Literati ............._ -53

Music .:.34

New Acts .........

Night Chto Reviews

Obituaries ..

Pictures ..

Radio __

Record Reviews ....
Frank Scully «.

Television _....

Television Reviews
TV Films

Vaudeville ^

Wall Street..

44
, 45
, 55
, 3
, 17
. 34
. 53
, 17
. 23
. 20
. 41
. 4

■ ^ DAILY VARIETY »

(Publlahed -to Houy-Kii^ by Daily Vaartoty, LtdJ
_ . *15 A year. *20 ^Foreign, i r - ♦,

>

3

liTejncgday, Dc<»inl>er 31» 1953

MprtJiMCS

$1|(IIII),III)0 in Imhstry Pen^ Chest

Hollywood, Dee. 30.

Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan has rccumulated over
$12,000,000 since project was Initiated In 1954. Contributions come
from both employers and employees. Payments of $50 monthly
will be made to- those eligible, starting Jan. 1, I960.

Sonar Dyer (Walt Disney Studios) Is new chairman, other new
officers Include Jack Plndlater, vice-chairman; Alan Jackson,
secretary; and Paul O’Bryant, vice-secretary.

M-O-Vision Makes Goiij Fast
h Chkage or It’s in Bad Odor

Chicago, Dec. 30.

It will be left for Windy City
audiences to determine whether or
not SmelT-O-Vlsipn has a future as
a process that will help to sell
pictures. Michael Todd Jr. has re¬
vealed that "Scent of Mystery,"
the first (and possibly the last) of
the smellies,'will have s one-mar¬
ket layout because of the high
cost of installation. "Three days
after It opens,” Todd spid, "we
ought to know whether It is worth
equipping theatres in other cities
or whether we will have to scuttle
the whole project."

Chicago Is the logical choice for
the trial ballooning since the Todd
company’s only theatre properties
locate here. Todd’s Cinestage will
be wired for smelUes soon aften the
first of the year. If it should be
a fiasco, Todd said, the loss would
obtain not so much from the cost
of the process as from the invest¬
ment in the installation.

"Scent of Mystery,’^ with an Eng¬
lish actor, not yet named, as star
and Peter Lorre featured, will be
shot in Spain, the lensLng begin¬
ning March 15. Accompanying it
on the'screen wUl be a 12-mmute
animated cartoon, now in the
storybook stage, which will intro¬
duce and 4lemonstrate the process.
John Hubley, formerly of UFA,
and his wife will create the car¬
toon, the central charact« of which
will be a bloodhound who lacks
the sense of smell.

Todd Jr. admits that SmeU-O-
Vislon is a hokey gimmick, which
is why he isn’t attempting to glam-
ori 2 e its name, but he feels it’s
unique enough to lure people to
the theatre. "I regard the process
itself as ah evening's entertain¬
ment," Todd said. "If I'm wrong,
at least we’ll have the picture."

RKOOutofMPEA;
Fear Europeans
May Manipulate

I) Resignation of RKO from the
Idotion picture Export Assn, effec-'
Ifive Jan. 1 is seen among the other
MPEA members as creating a def¬
ile problem abroad where, it’s
feared, foreign government will try
so use it as a pretext for cutting
Bown on the number of Import
senses issued to Yank distributors!
|1 The RKO exit had been fully ex-;
•ected, considering’ that the com-
*bany is no longer active in either
froduction oj: distribution. It had
nil been paying over $1,000 a
veek in MPEA membership dues
Inclusive of foreign expense assess-

- (Continued on page 6) *1

V#f Magito

]Milboiirne

Christoplier

recaps seme omasle^ cmecdota la

Bocus^Pocus on the
Docks

oeoHier briqlrt Editorial Feotore
la ^ sooa-dae

53d Anniversary Number

of

Chat. Allen Stays WB

The Wall StrMt report that
Charles Allen Jr. was leaving
Warner Bros, proved a wrongo.

Allen is staying on as a
member of the board and con¬
tinues ownership of 50,000'
shares of WB conunoh stock.

Directors Recoup
Ikir Pres%

The motion picture director,
once top dog in the profession, is
making a "comeback" in' Holly¬
wood.

Not only are directors' names
taking on a certain importance
with the public, but they're loom¬
ing as kingpins with the Inde¬
pendents since many stars fre¬
quently will decide whether or not
to go. into a picture depending
who directs it.

This accoimts, in part, for the
fact that so ma^ directors have
turned producers and, in a double
capacity, are making films for re¬
lease through the majors. Latest
to plan such a move is Martin
Ritt, a comparative newcomer who
has such puc as “Long, Hot Sum¬
mer," “Black Orchid” and now
“The Sound and the Fury" under
his belt "Top directors are as
much in demand today as top
stars,” he noted recently. “The di¬
rector with a name can ask a high
price because he acts like a mag¬
nate for other creative personnel."

In Europe, directors have always
rated high with the public, partly
because their scope of responsibil¬
ity on a film has been so much
greater. Men like |lene Clair and
Jean Renoir are boxofflce names
In France and elsewhere since
they’re blUed as the "creators,” re¬
sponsible for all facets of a given
picture.

. In the States, once, the Cecil B.

(Continued on page 6)

The threat of a proxy fight
against Loew’s Inc. by dissident
director Louis A. Green appt|u:s
tc have dissipated mth the acqui¬
sition of a substantial block of
Loew'i shares by an entirely new
group which entered ihe picture at
the last moment Headed by indus¬
trial!^ Nathan Cumniings, head of
Consolidated Food Corp., and his
brother Maxwell Cummings, the
new interests have acquired 235,000
shares at a cost of $22 share,
plus brokerage commission. The
transaction totaled more than $5,-
170,000.

Connected with the Cummings
brothers is industrialist Paul Na-
thanson, son of the late N. L.
Nathansofi, former'head of Fam¬
ous Players-Canadian. The deal,
which has been brewing since last
Wednesday (24),. was completed
Monday (29), with the Cummings
brothers and Nathanson and one
other unnamed industrialist ac¬
quiring a portion of the shares
owned by partners of Stryker &
Brown. Green’s Wall Street firm;
Jerome A. Newman, Green’s asso¬
ciate on the Loew’s board; Joseph
Tomlinson, the dissident director
who unsuccessfully challenged
management' last year, and Leh¬
man Bros, and Lazard F^res, the
Wall Street banking firms ctosely
associated with the Loew’s situ¬
ation.

The Stryker & Brown partners
sold aproximately 50,000
shares, which leaves Green still
in control of some 100,000 shares.
Tomlinson Is supposed to have
sold approximately 45% of his
150,000 shares, with the rest com¬
ing from Newman, Lehman Bros,
and Lazard Freres,. David Baird
was the broker. ' .

It’s almost certain that Green,
Newman and Tomlinson will re¬
sign from the Loew’s board of di¬
rectors shortly after Jan. 1. Their
places are expected to be filled
by Nate Cummings and other rep¬
resentatives of the hew syndicate.
The Cummings brothers are said
to have obtained inOre than 75%
of the 235,000 shares and are al¬
legedly buying more shares on the
open market.. .

The new group entered the scene
just as a deal that involved Ira
Guilden, a director favoring prexy
Joseph R. ’V’ogel, collapsed. Guil¬
den, who controls some 200,000
shares, had an. agreement to ac¬
quire the same number of shares
from the same sources for $23 a
share.. However, when minority
stockholders of General Industriid
(Continued on page 6)

‘Outsider’ (Han? 5igdstem) Hunks
He Oin Break Oucago Pattern And
Day-Date Widi BdHTs loopers

By JACK PITMAN

King Bros, 5c DiVvy

Hollywood, Dec. 30,
King Bros. Productions haa
declared a five-cent cash divvy,
payable Feb. 15,1959 to stock¬
holders of recoM Jam 15,. and
a 5% stock divvy, luiyable July
15, 1959 to stockholders of rec¬
ord June 15. Latter is subject
to approval by the Corporation
Commissioner of California.

At annual meeting Dec. 19,
directors elected included
Frank King, Maurice .King,
Fdix Guggenheim, Paul R.
Wertz and Melvin. B.; Hott.
Officers elected for roming
year: Frank King, ptexy; Mau¬
rice King Herman King, Paul
Weiden, Arthur J. Steel, vps;
Arthur Stannard, secretary-
treasurer.-

San Sebastian In

Madrid, Dec. 30.

Recent decision of the Interna¬
tional Federation of . Producers
Assoctetions, granting full a.ccred-
itation to San Sebastian as one of
the top-flight film festival sites in
1959, has spurred Spanish govern¬
ment, local film industry and the
Basque festival committee to co¬
ordinate a series of measures de¬
signed to give the San Sebastian
fest material means compatible
with a major status.

According to Madrid sources,
the government has assured fest
a two million peseta subsidy. Ad¬
ditional . funds from the Basque
provincial and municipal admin¬
istrations are also expected to pro¬
vide a fest budget considerably in
excess of meager funds available
in the past.

Hotel Marla Cristina will 'be
taken, over en toto as fest center
and the Teatro Victoria Eugenia
will be given a modern revamp
before the seventh annual film
gathering next July.

Although there has been a cog-
tinning drive to re-open San
Sebastian’s casino for added fes¬
tival diversion, there seems little
possibility government will okay
for the coming "Golden Seashell"
film contest.

‘Demand’ Producers and Directors
Rival Compensation Paid To Stars .

Payments demanded and paid to
the top-ranked film stars, though
the film Industry U, overall, In
trouble, have beai Increasingly
stressed by producers and other
spokesmen. Yet producers and di¬
rectors on the "demand talent" list
are compensated on a simlliar
high-coin reckoning

Among these high priests of
■pim- Tnaking are 'such names as
Geoige Stevens, John Ford, John
Huston, William Wyler, Billy Wild¬
er, Cecil B. DeMille, Otto Preming¬
er and Stanley Kramer. Sam Spie¬
gel and Jerry Wald would be in¬
cluded among those who s^ictly
produce and Samuel Goldwyn, of
course, would be- prominent on the
list If he did not completely finance
his own pictures.

An analysis of the some of the
recent deals Involving Stevens as
a producer-director gives a clear
picture of the fiTr«npi»l standingj
and value of these behemoth film
creditors. To produce, and direct;
“ThenSeafelJ "Sfoit'Evef "Told," ^

20th-Fox’s upcoming mammoth
production of the story of Christ,
Stevens, according to reports, will
receive $1,500,000 plus 25% of the
gross after double negative recoup¬
ment. He will receive this payment
over a 10-year period,

'Ann Frank* Terms

For "The Diary of Ann Frank,"
which he recently produced as an
indie in association with 20th,
Stevras will receive $600,000 plus
25% of the gross fifter double
negative recoupment. Stevens, as
well as his colleagues in the king-
sized league, can command deals
of .75% of the net or 50% of the
gross after double negative recoup¬
ment. They can also . be choosey
and select only those properties
they Care to work ^on. William
Wyler, another member of the topr
money echelon, is reportedly re¬
ceiving $1,000,000 over an extend¬
ed period for handling the ditee-
torial assignment on Metmfs "Ben-;
Hur." In addition, theaf^4lpi-mak-
ing giants are often lured by other

inducements, including real estate
deals, long-term capital gains stock
arrangements and various other
inducements.

How can the film companies af¬
ford to give away so much and still
emerge with a profit? A study of
Stevens' recent unblemished-track
record may perhaps provide the
clue. Three of pis most recent
blockbusters — "A Place in the
Sun" (Par),, "Shane” (Par) and
"Giant" (WB)—racked up the first
time around a combined total gross
of approximately $50,000,000, of
which $21,000,000 represents film
rental and $16,000,000 the profit to
the production-distribution compa¬
nies and the various participating
partners.

Last year Warner Bros, depend¬
ed on "Giant" for almost its entire
net profit of $4,500,000. AH but
$500,000 came from "Giant," which
grossed $15,000,000 of WB’s tptal
cearnings of $75,000,000. H’a figured.'
that the picture has since pideed
up an , ad^tional _ _$5,(^,0()0__ln.
j^M“earhingsT ~

Chicago, Dec. 30.

Harry M. Eugelstein, who heads
the owning <iorporation taking over
the south side Regal Theatre
March 1 (on explr&tion of the Bala-
ban tc Katz lease!, has set his
sights mainly on cracking the
Loop's armor of firstrun solidarity
—ahd thereby toppling the old,
oft-controversial Chicago clearance
pattern.

Engelstein, who claims only to be
a busineteman (banking and realty)
and professes a broad ignorance of
show biz, believes the salvation of
pictures Ue3 in day^atmg down¬
town and outlying.*. It's the now"
familiar theory that Main Stem is
waning as a magnet, and that en¬
tertainment must go’ where the
people are, I.e., the distant nabes
and suburbia.

Whether the Regal can upset the
Chi system and day-and-date with
the Loop seems highly doubtfuL
Such an eventuality wuuld open
the gates wide' for other nabes with
suf^ient bankroll and derring-do,
and it!s a foregooe conclusion the
deluxers ^primarily B&K, which
dominates the Loop) would fight it
tooth and nail:

All the same, Engelstein Is bull¬
ish on the pic industry generally,
and the Re^ in particular. Eds
South Parkway Building Corp.,
which owns the 2,800-seater, is
making this clear with a $250,0(K)
outlay for remodelling, including
new seats and stage facilities.
Regal's past policy of occasional
stageshows (under B&K operation)
will continue but will be neefed up
as to attractions with probably
• (CdntInued on page 6)

Antitrust iitU.S.
Qpuds Merger
Ideas Overseas

The American antitrust laws
loom as a definite deterrent to the
"merger” thinking of some of the
, U.S. film comx>anles In the foreign
[ market

Involved is m application of the
Sherman Act in an area where it
has yet to be fuUy tested, i.e. to
what extent the antitrust laws, in
the States can be enforced when
it comes to the operation of Yank
outfits abroad.

Lawyers admit they’re puzzled
by the maze of legal complications
that surrounds the question. How¬
ever, they’ve warned the com¬
panies not to proceed hasUly In the
merger direction.

It’s generally assumed that the
antitrust • laws become a factor
only if and when another American
outfit claims that, as the result of
a merger, it’s’been hurt or in any
way shut out from the market.
That was the contention of the
Zenith Radio and TV Corp. when It
(Continued on page 16) ‘

■'> Vt Exhibitor

Robert J, O’Doimell

'aadltloBs' Hia oow If St prodaet
aod predicts a

22% B.O. Vpbeat

it ft It ^

oaefbar EdltMtal Footara
fa riw

S3d Anniversary Number

•f

0«t NCCt 'WKK

AisoBattleVideo’sStay-at-R(MnfePiill i.

iNiy Mttt

(George Marton

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

Dxhibiton here are misUing a
nevr gimmick being employed by
a group of 12 local dining places,
a switch on “the two for one,”
which they beUeve can be adapted
in some form for showhouses.

The restaurants include some of

IMBASSY SEEKS A JURY

Want Re-Trial Before 12 Good
New and True

San Francisco, Dec. 80
Lawyer Robert Raven^ represent-

Mi M owa feMcriptiee for tko
Mtofiag of JatoraoHooel hlhi

*BonI« ItV

: _ _. D»et«Aer 31, Ha

National Boioffic^ Survey

Oteat Week Biz; *Sinbad’ New Champ,

^Buccaneer^ 2d, *Mame’ 3d, ‘Inn*'4th

aaoHitr Editorial Foohiro
lalfco

SBd Anniversary dumber

the leading ones here. Their aim, jjjg Embassy Theatre o^vners Lee
^ ckurse, is to lure people away Dibble and Dan McLean, last week

from television sets to dine out and gied a motion in Federal court m

have a whirl on the town on week- requesting assignment of a judge , OUT NEXT WEEK
days at least once a month. for jury trial of the Embassy’s

Purchasers of a $3.95 dinner-a- antitrust case against Fox' and .
month book receive 12 certificates eight major producer - distributors fiPIVIi TW PATPANQ NllW
each of which entitles them to a Feb. iJlUf t-lrl I AllVUIlO IlUn

free meal at a different one of the Case was tried last spring be- rilAACV IIITI? II APHTftP^
restaurants every month through- fore Federal Judge Edward P. vIHiUjI LUUj flnlU/lyrw
out the year. The month and res- Murphy without a jury and the Minneapolis Dec. 30.

taurant are specified on the cer- trial lasted four mqnths. Judge hart nn thk cast sea-

tificates which are redeemable Murphy died -in mid-December Looking hack on me past

Mondays through Fridays after 5 without giving a verdict. son, this territory’s outdoor the-

p.m. Dibble and McLean seek $8,000,- atres operators feel an outstand-

Certificate holder must be ac- 000 damages for their independent ing fact is that they’re now in the

companied by a guest and he, the downtown_ theatre for the 1936^0 four-wall exhibitors

holder. wiU get a free meal equal penod. Suit was filed Dec. 29, hpnome

CHOOSY LIKE HARDTOPS

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.
Looking hack on the past sea¬
son, this territory’s outdoor the-

toquilTrald r -tbeir patrons, too, have become

dered for the .guest—which must ■ - selective and shop for their pic-

be paid for. UVIUIAM DEDCTCTC VC tures.

Sales goal is 4,000 books. Exhi- ni liliili rdwlultj lu* Whereas until this year it didn’t

bitors are hopeful that when the <ADDU AII DEDfAAC’ seem to matter to a large segment

holders toe out they -11 also at- UKTRAIt rtKlUUo patronage what was hold-

toatre a?todance'*"^* week-day Hyman, v.p. o£ Am«I- jng forth on the screen attractions

theatre attendance. Broadcast^-Paramonnt Thea- . p„aominating boxo^ce

tres, has issued a special edition of . " ^ ,xrMT

M a release schedule compiled in the factor, according to Reno Wilk,

I A4t|A|lp |<A17PAff interest “of the orderly distribu-. Triangle OuWoor Theatres circuit
Rjil Ul tllllj INIVI/Ull of quality product throughout general manager.

' d the year.” Prior thereto the portion of the

M 1 ^or some time now, Hyman and public attracted to the drive-ins

IfAAfA I |AI*lflAn AB-PT prexy Leonard Goldenson seemed to come no mater what was
jrCivIv llll/ll j*^ave been in the forefront of a showing, just as the film fans did

campaign to do away with the so- in the good old pre-television days
Springfield O called “orphan” periods, during for the four wall houses, he points
Editor, Variety: ’ * which top pictures are withheld out. Principal attendance influ-

T wicK tr. icco -s market for Tolease duTlng encihg factors as far as the drive-

the of holiday periods. Despite their ef- ins lere concerned were their

by hig^(*oorstuSS?of sSg- exhibitors have continued to novelty, , the opportunity they af-

field OMo complain that distribs are holding forded to be outdoors for a few

yp,’ . ‘ . V 4 . * 1 - ' pictures for the key stanzas hours on warm nights, etc.

The toee of the year. So that now it behooves the

days before Thanks^ving, and the Hyman’s special edition supple- drive-ins to hook skillfully and dis-
zacts and figures show 01 ^ busi- ments the schedule which was is- play the utmost in showmanship
ness was better this week than the sued last September and contains the sarne as the indoor houses,
previous year. Father Reese and the releases of most of the film Wfik points out. The pictures,
committee were formed of companies through the first six not the drive-ins themselves, now
.this the following: week during our months of 1959 and beyond. must be sold

mediation sessions. The State The---—---^__

atre had SRO most of the week

Amusement stock Quotations

tional Catholic Welfare Conference ^ j /-o/ix

received its inforinaUon. but con- Week tnAed luesday (JOJ

In quality and price to that or¬
dered for the -guest—which must
be paid for.

Sales goal is 4,000 books. Exhi¬
bitors are hopeful that when the
holders dine out they’ll also at¬
tend a picture, helping week-day
theatre attendance.

Catholic Boycott
Facts Qarified

Springfield, O.

Editor, Variety:

I wish to issue a statement on
the story of the Catholic boycott
by high school students of Spring-
field, Ohio.

Christmas week la nu^-j

Ing exhibitors across the country j
happy this stanza. Only a few of
key cities covered by* Variety
failed to respond vigorously to the
new product released to take ad¬
vantage of holiday season. While
the weather was bitterly cold in
some keys, it seldom proved an ad¬
verse factor at the wickets.

“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
(Col), which was. second a week!
ago, is pushing up into No. 1 spot,
pic proving a natural for the juve¬
niles. “Buccaneer” (Par), champ j
last round, is winding up a close
second. ...

“Auntie Marne” (WB), out fori
first time to any exteftt, is captur¬
ing third position. ^‘Inn of Sixth j
Happiness” (20th), which has been
a bit slow getting iijcTder way, is
finishing in fourth spot. “South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama),
which was third last session, is
winding up fifth.

“Separate Tables” (UA), which
has been launched in only a few
keys, is showing such strength it
will cop sixth money. Pic is likely
to be heard from considerably in
the future. “Tom Thumb” (M-G>
again Is landing in seventh spot but
showing up much better cn indi¬
vidual dates than a week ago.

“Roots of Heaven” (20th), out
for first time to any great extent,

la finishing eighth. “South Paci¬
fic” (Magna) is finishing ninth.

“Geisha Boy” (Par), compara¬
tively new, is taking lOth spot.
“Tonka” (BV), out for first time
this stanza, will wind up llth >vhile
“Bell, Book and Candle” (Col), in
much same category, roundsi out
the Golden Dozen this week. Both
probably wiR be heard from more
in the future.

“Gigi” (M-G), long high on the
list; “Windjammer” (NT) and “My
Uncle” (Cont). are the runner-up
put. • • '

“Rally Round Flag, Boys” (20th)
preemed at N. Y. Palace during
the past week, and looks soc£
“Some Came. Bimning” (M-G>,
great in 'L.A.,'alscr is big in Buf¬
falo and Seattle. “I Want To Live”
(UA), still lofty in N. Y., shapes
smash in Frisco.

“Horse’s Mouth” (UA), playing
mainly in small arty theatres so
far, is doing well enough currently
to indicate- nice possibilities.

“Houseboat” (Par) still is doing
fine in Chi and Bftifton. “Night To
Remember” (Rank) perked up in
second round at the N.Y. Criterion.

“Tunnel of Love” <M-G), which
has been prominent on the list in
past weeks, is brisk in LA. and
good in Philly. “Senechal” (DCA)
is not getting far currently.

{Complete Boxoffice Reports on
Pages 8-9).

New York Sound Track

Amusefflent Stock Quotations

tional Catholic Welfare Conference
received its inforination. but con¬
tacting the local committee and
Father Reese of Catholic Central
High School will confirm the abovq.

I also want it understood that I
did not concede anything that was
right in settling this boycott, they
arited ttiat all “B” and “C” rated
pictures by the Legion not be
shown. The final settlement was
•*C” rated pictures would not be
shown. La 1958 there was not one
American—^made film In this cate¬
gory. M. H. Chakerjes

Europe to U. S*

Jerome Whyfe

N, Y. to L. A.

Paul Benson
Ralph Hetzel
Ben Nalmenson
Robert Rossbn
Barry Shear
Robert Thom
Tom Ward

L. A. to N. V.

Murri Barber
Buddy Basch
Janet Cohn
Robert Cohn
Nina Foch

W>if#r Producer • Dinctor

Hal Kanler

BMkos Hke a frewa-ap^^ mah Ud
wM hli tost ^MtHoaaalra In
« BOW Hotlywead goma

Are You a Good Show
BiaWife?

^ *

■■vfMjr ■■nvnvi rvwrv

iaiiM

53d Anniversary ?iumber

•f

f^SlEFr

OUT NEXT WEEK

N, Y. Stock Exchange

1958

High Low t Weekly Tol. Weekly Weekly

in IMs High Low
20;^ 14 ABC Vending 36 19V& 18%

22 13 AmBr-ParTh 199 20^ 19^

4m 2m CBS ........ 105 38% 37%

20% .. ColPix..... 58 20% 18%

19% 13% Decca .140 18% 17%

43% 14 Disney ..... 95 43% 39%

148 97% Eastman Kdk. 82 145 140%

10% 3% EMI ..._ 442 10% 9%

10 % 6% List Ind. .... 71 9% 9

23% 12% Loew*s .....' 742 22% 20%

11% 7% Nat. Thea- 104 10% 10%

47% 30% Paramount ,.38 46 45%

26% 12% Philco .151 ' 24% 23%

109% . 43% Polaroid .... 128 104% 97

47% 30% RCA . 353 48 43%

9% 5 Repiiblie_ 109 9% 8%

14% 9% Rep., pfd. .. 1 13% 13%

18% 14 Stanley War. 25 17% 17

26% 20 Storer . 20 26 25%

42% 21% 26th-Fox ... 105 39% 35%

27% 15% United Artists 32 25% 24

28% 18% Univ. Pix ... 24 28% 2634

96 57 Univ. pfd.. *550 ‘75 74.

26% 16% Warner Bros. 26 25% 23%

208% 67% Zenith . 122 204 177

American Stock Exchange
4% 2Ts Allied Artists 16 4% 4%

10% 7% Ail’d Art., pfd. 12 9% 8%

3% 1% Cinerama Inc. 46 2% 2%

8% 3 DuMont Lab. 122 7% 7 %

4% 1% Guild Films.. 536 2 1%

9% 5% Natl Telefilm 56 9% 9 %

734 3% Sfciatron .... 94 5% 5%

8 % 3% Technicolor . 98 7 % 7 %

8 % 4% Tele Indus... 31 5 434

Over-iheA^ounter Securities
. Bid Ask

Ampex .. 63 64 4

Chesapedee Indnstrlea ... 3 % 3 % I

Cinerama Prod. ..... 2 % 2 % 4

Magna Theatre ... 3 3^4 1

Metropolitan Broadoastinr .. 13 % 13 % _i

Scrantoh Corp. .. ’ 10 % 11 % «.

U. A; llleatrcs .. 6 % 7 _

• Actual Volume,
t Week ended Mon. (29).

(Courtesy of. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Femner 4c Smith)

. Weekly Weekly

Tnes.

High

Low

Close

19%

1834

18%

20%

19%

20%

38%

37%

38%

20%

18%

20%

18%

17%

18%

43%

39%

43%

145

14034

145

10%

9%

10%

9%

9

9%

22%

20%

21%

10%

10%

10%

46

45%

46

24%

23%

23%

104%

97

102%

48

43%

47%

9%

8%

9

13%

13%

13%

17%

17 .

17

26

25%

2534

39%

35%

39%

25%

24 .

25

2834

2634

2834

‘ 75

74

75%

25%

23%

25%

204

177

198%

Ralph Hetzel, exec v.p. of the Motion Picture Export Assn., flies to
the Coast Saturday (3) for huddles with Eric Johnston and the studios.
He’ll return within the week. Reason for the trip: “No Comment.”

Emile J. Lustig has U.S.' representation for the controversial Ger¬
man film, “Rosemarie” , . . Actor Bradford Dillman in vrith family
and out to the Coast again . . . Jack Brodsky- (20th-Fox) and: new wife
moved into their Forest Hills house . . . Cops patrolling the “wild" line
of juves waiting-to get into the Alan Freed rock ’n’ roll show at Loew’s
State. ' ,

Robert (and wiffe Paula) Brown, daughter of former film ad-pub exec
George Brown, doing postgraduate work with the University of Aus¬
tralia, continuing their stay Down Under and each working on a book.
Young Mrs. Brown lived with the aborigines for three months as part
of her archeological research.

Metro bought fights to Tom Chamales’ unpublished novel, “No Rent
In His Hand,” story of a wealthy Chicago theatre-owning family . . .
Andie Murphy joins star lineup of H-H-L’s “The Unforgiven” . . .
Otto Preminger launches “Anatomy of a Murder” March 16 . . . 20th-
Fox shelved plans to. produce ^‘A Tanglewood Story,” originally on
Henry Ephron’s slate . . . James Harris-Stanley Rubrick production
team has penned story outline, -“Sick, Sick, Sick,” and will develop it
for their indie s^te. ‘ ‘

Dan^l F. Zannek Productions will produce William Faulkner’s
“Requiem for a Nun,” recently acquired by 20th-Fox, with Richard D.
Zanuck handling producer reliis . . . Allied Artists extended Scott R.
Dunlap’s producer pact, for two to three pix during 1959 . . . Walt
Disney Productions registered “Kidnapped” with MPAA Title Regis¬
tration Bureau, for possible filming of Robert Louis Stevenson classic
. . . Andre De ToHi win direct. “Ten Years a Counterspy,” Louis de
Rochemont production 'sWth Ernest Borgnine and- Cliff Robertson for
Columbia Pictures release . . . Bob Barbash will script a western
feature for Tecisa, Spanish production outfit, for filming in Spain.

Random House will have a first printing of 1,000,000 copies of the
souvenir hook on Samuel Goldwyn’s production of “Porgy and Bess.”
Tome will be published in place of the usual souvenir program usual¬
ly issued with roadshow engagements . . . Albert Dekker into Paddy
Chayefsky’s “Middle of the Night.” Starring Kim Notak and Fredfio
March, film is being shdt completely in New York, with, Georg#
Justm producing pd Delbert Mau directing . . . Michael Callan, for¬
merly of “West Side Story,” has completed his role with Gary Cooper
and Rita Hayworth in Columbia'! “They Came to Cordura” and is in
Gotham for promotion work.

Walter Reade Jr. back from Europe where he discussed coproduc-
tion and ‘ shopped” for films . , . The “March of Todd-AO” short
which the Louis de Rochemont ■ org turned out for Magna Theatre
Corp runs to a tidy $200,000 (incL prints) . . . ‘Xes Tricheurs” (The
Liars) copped the Grand Prix du Cinema Francais. Pascale Petit was

wm nave a sequel. It’s title: “Riflfl Chez Les Femmes” ... The Ger-
manmagazine, Der Spiegel, i>oints out that the film version of “Jacob-
owsky and the Colonel” omits some Jacobowsky lines in wliich he nc-
cuses the democracies of failing tb act against Hitler until he threat¬
ened them directly, the implication being that the west was parfly
responsible for the Nazi treatment of the Jews. When the Wcrfel play
was first put on in Germany after the war, German audiences loudly
applauded that passage. 1

When A. R. (Pop) Lawrence marked his 90th birthday tec. 21 h#
1W8-13 m when he was “lecturer” for EdJonton’s Al-
berta first motion picture theatre, the Bijou . . . “Every Sunday when

^ to the Ubrary and

on tt?pkti^e,”^e™ 2 ®“ ^

^ counsel for the Joint Legislative Committe#

taE?^Nlw*Ynrk'’rSS? Material (which recently held two-day hear-
resigned as chairman of the Clinton
^ ^

authorized to produce and'deal in motion
^th cJpJul stodc of $125,;
7M‘are Preferred, with par value of $100, and

and Directors are: K. S. Seeley. Jr.

we?. * WhlttcJ.

Wednesday, 31, 1958

pi^^SgEfjt

Hcixnus

GERMANS: ‘SOVIET IS FAVORED’

Dec. frosses Down But Not Out;
lardi Gras Romps Home Tops;
Tunnel of love Ranks Fourth

Directors as Own Cutters Just

Won) Shorten Pet Sequences

Distributors are complaining-^
that the “big” pictures, the ones
that shape as Important and ex¬
pensive properties but fall short
of blockbuster stature, ai'e running
too long.

Films like “Inn of the Sixth Hap¬
piness,” “The Big Country,” “The
Buccaneer,” “Hoots of Heaven,”
“The Last Hurrah,” etc. constitute
good merchandise, but could be
edited more tightly both for better
. results and for a considerable sav-
: Ing in print costs, the sales people
; complain.

Feeling is that, with costs up
sharply, production is loath to lose
footage. that’s been shot. Also,
directors of renown, names like
Mark Robson, John Huston, Wil¬
liam Wyler, John Ford and others
are being given more leeway on
the Coast today under the inde¬
pendent setups, and most of them
go to work editing their own films
after they've finishing shooting.

“Once a director falls in love
with a shot it’s almost Impossible
to talk him out of it, particularly
If a lot of work was involved get¬
ting it;*' observed a sales exec this
week. Part of the reason for this
is that the screen values with the
accent on scope, have become so
much more important and a good
deal of the action is taken up with
visuals which may not be vital
to the story Itself but tend to
dazzle the spectator.

A good deal of back-and-forth
argument is going on between New
■York and the Coast re the subject
of length. The homeoffices can see
the importance of running time in
the roadshows, where it makes cus¬
tomers feel they’re getting their
money’s worth (although both
“Old Man and the Sea” and “Sleep¬
ing Beauty” are comparatively
short features). But they’re4own
on the ordinary “big” film which
runs around two hours and drags
in the doing.

Trying to get the Coast, or Hhe
Independent, to make cuts once
work print has been seen in New
York and' the picture has been
judged as being too long, is almost
as difficult very often as trying to
get the director to part' with his
credits. The “creative” argument
is that films should run as long as
it takes to teU their story and
that, anyway, the longer features
would lead the way towards single¬
billing.

New York doesn’t argue that
point, but many are aware that
nothing can spoil the enjoyment
of a picture more than stretches
of boredom. Furthermore, there's
a suspicion at homeoffices that pro-
"jfaction costs could be reduced
■*^h better pre-planning so that the
tolume of footage actually exposed
can be reduced. Finally,, with to¬
day’s expensive prints, that extra
15 or 20 minutes cail add up to a
tidy sum when a company puts out
300 or more copies.

IfiAPUN SEniEMENT
£ ON TAX, $500,000

Washington, Dec. 30.
^^'Charlie Chaplin has sheUed out
,^(?0,000 iu an put-pf-court tax
'.ftSttlement with Government, In-
^Tehial Revenue Service revealed
Monday (29). Government could
have billed Chaplin for about
$700,000 In back taxes i and inter¬
est, but tax officials said they were
happy to get what they did.

The settlement averted show¬
down in five-year dispute before
a Federal Tax Judge in Los An-
.geles scheduled for next Monday
(5). Payment was made by a
representative for Chaplin, who is
In self-ej^e In Switzerland.

Sum was accepted as payment
for a $486,950.44 claim the Govern¬
ment lodged against actor’s 1953
inpme., .Offici^ smd interest on
tWs and ofh^ claims cpuld have
Mked'.Chapliii’s tax'debt to about
$700,000. -

Horror Runt in Cycles

Boston, Dec. 30.

The Boston Herald took an
editorial squint at horror films,
and decided “we shall cheer
when the current horror craze
wanes. But we shall not die of
fright in the interim. There
are many more terrifying
things in the world than grisly
motion pictures.”

Herald quoted Britain’s the
Economist which found that
horror films run in cycles.

Excerpt: *The Economist
effectively disposes of the ca¬
nard that current horror films
are a manifestation of post¬
war decadence in western so¬
ciety. Hammer Films, Brit¬
ain’s largest producer of
grisly movies, makes three
versions of each. The gentlest
is for the British market;, a
tougher version goes to. the
United States; and for Japan
and the East no holds are
barred.”

Sez Brown: Scribe
3d Class Citizen
In Hollywood

• Tol^o, Dec. 30.

Academy-Award-Winning scena¬
rio scripter Harry Brown to
Variety: “In Hollywood the writer
is still a third-class citizen.”

Asked the obvious question, why
he continues to engage himself un¬
der such status after 13 years and
some 30 screenplays, he replied.
“The answer Is money. Dr. John¬
son said any man's a blockhead
who doesn't write for money. In
Hollywood they pay you for the
price of anonymity.”

In explanation. Brown echoed
(Continued on page 6)

By HAZEL GUILD

Frankfurt, Dec. 30.
Delayed detonation in Germany
to the. recent film-swap pact be¬
tween the United States and the
Soviet Union amounts to this: the
American fUm industry talks “pri¬
vate enterprise” but practices
“power politics” under prodding
from the State Dept.

“We were told again and again
that Arjerica was a land of pri¬
vate companies, that no deal could
be made nation-to-nation. Now
we see that this was lip service.
When John Foster Dulles wants it
otherwise, it’s otherwise.”

Meanwhile, the Germans are us-
Ipg such strong words as “betray¬
al.” Why should Russia, not a
market for American product* at.
all, get handsome terms and spe¬
cial deals denied, to Germany
which has been a main foreign
market for Yank films?

Cynical cracks about the Motion
Picture Export Assn, talking how
“independent’' all its members are
and then acting as an arm of the
Washington Government leads up
to asking:

“1/ this was done for political
recfsons — why couldn't some
similar arrangement be made
with the Germans, to guaran¬
tee prices and guarantee that
a certain number of German
films would play in the
. States?"

Several other German producers
cited that they feel it is just as
important for the MPEA members
to protect their good relations
with the German film industry as
it is for MPEA to deal with the
Russians, xcmphasizing that Ger¬
many now represents “the only
free market in -Europe,” where
Americans have only self-limita¬
tion on the number of films
brought in and where Deutsche
marks can be freely converted to
dollars and transferred out of the
country.

Some German producers com¬
plain that MPEA doesn’t do enough
(Continued on page 54)

December B.O. Winners

l; “Mardi Gras”.(20th).

2. “South Seas” (Cine). *

3. “South Pacific” (Magna).

4. “Tunnel of Love” (M-G).

5. “Houseboat” (Par).

6. “Gigi” (M-G).

7; “Windjammer” (NT).

8. “Home Before Dark” (WB).

9. “Last Hurrah” (Col).

Karamazov Only
Yank Film Among
Swiss Top Ten

Zurich, Dec. 30.

After an unusually strong show¬
ing in the first six months of 1958
where it garnered 50% of the 10
top-grossing films, U.S. product
dipped sharply in the second half
of the year, ending this month, in
the five key cities of Zurich, Basle,
Berne, Geneva and Lausanne.
Same as during the similar period
in 1957, only one Yank entry,
“Brothers Karamazov” (M-G),
made the grade among the 10 b.o.
toppers. With a total running time
of 17 weeks in the five cities,. it
wound up fourth.

Top spot is held by Marcel
Game's GaUic juve delinquency
pic, “Les Tricheurs” (The Cheats).
Although released in only two cit¬
ies (Zurich and Geneva) so far, its
smash grosses easily put it in the
No. one spot. It broke house rec¬
ords in both situations. Runner-
up as well as eighth’ position went
to Swiss films “It Happened in
Broad Daylight” and “Golden Ox
Inn,” respectively. They racked up
(Continued on page 55)

ON SALE NEXT WEEK!

Thft

53rd Anniversary

■Edition

Of

NEW YORK n
154 W. 44th Sf.

HOLLYWOOD 21
4404 SiRMt Blvd.

CHICAGO 11
412 N. fllehIvM Avc.

LONDON., W. C. 2
t St. Martia's Plaea
Trofalgor Sqaare

PARIS. 28 rie HMcbatta

ROME. Stampu Estertf

Variety’s regular weekly
boxoffice reports are summar¬
ized each month, retrospec¬
tively, Based on an average of
24 key situations, the source
data constitute an adequate
sampling of current releases
but are not, of course, fully
''definitive." An index of rela¬
tive grossing strength in the
V. S, - Canada market, the
monthly report does not pre¬
tend to express total rentals.

By MIKE WEAR

With better product availabla
much of the month, film business
held UP surprisingly well early in
December. Then the pre-Christmas
doldrums set in. Combination of
severe cold and a usual rush for
the department stores sloughed
trade in every key city covered by
Variety. The fairly stout biz early
in the month was easily topped by
the rush for the wickets starting
Dec. 25. .

“Mardi Gras” (20th) copped first
place for the month by dint of win¬
ning first place twice in weekly
ratings and showing early strength.

“South . Seas Adventure” (Cine¬
rama) wound up second with tha
biggest coin total for any pic al¬
though it varied from No. 1 spot
to fourth position. It was fifth in
November. “South Pacific” (Mag¬
na) finished third, being fourth-
place winner in November. “Tun¬
nel of Love” (M-G), one of tha
few big newcomers to figure in tha
ratings, wound up fourth.

“Houseboat” (Par), also a newle,
copped fifth spot. “Gigi” (M-G),
which was sixth in November, held
in the same position,

“Windjammer” (NT), which was
eighth in the month before, fin¬
ished seventh in December. “Home
Before Dark” (WB), which copped
10th money in November, never
quite measured up to advanca
hopes to ^vind up eighth.

“Last Hun-ah” (Col), third in tha
previous month, landed In ninth
place. “I Want To Live” (UA),
which is just getting started, man¬
aged to top the better runner-up
pix, with “Party Girl” (M-G). tha
other film in this categor 5 ^ “Girl”
was seventh in November.

A large array of new productions
took off the final week in Decem¬
ber. One of the strongest new¬
comers is “Separate Tables” (UA),
rated great in L. A., Chi, N. Y. and
Washington. Showing in two New
York theatres was all the more
surprising because the pic was
launched in the midst of the news¬
paper strike there when all new
entrants were hard hit. Business
in both houses was rated sock even
for a normal week.

“Buccaneer” (Par), also new,
shapes as another potential Winner,
being strong enough to cop first
place the Initial week put. “Geisha
Boy,” from the same distributor,
landed fifth place the same stanza.

“Some Came Running” (M-G),
another newie, wound up slick in
L.A. “Night To Remember” (Rank),
nice in N. Y., was okay In L.A,
“Auntie Marne” (WB), fine in L.A.,
was rated great at N.Y. Music Hall.
The Xmas stageshow at the Hall,
of course, accounted for the major
draw there.

“Tom Thumb” (M-G), another
newcomer, was a big disappoint¬
ment the first week out but man¬
aged to finish seventh opening
roimd, “Seventh Voyage of Sin-
bad” (Col), another new pic, was
sturdy enough td cop second money
the same session. “Inn of Sixth
Happiness” X20th) was rated solid
for second session in two N.Y.
houses. “Ben, Book, Candle” (Col)
did excellent’ trade on first date
in L.A.

“Restless Years” ( 0 ), also new,
was sturfiy enough to finish eighth
one week in D ecember. “Old Man
and Sea” <.(WB9-.wasird major disap¬
pointment ipuch^ of month. It was
(Contimied on jpage 55)

HUM BBVIBWS

Ve<liic§day» December 31, 195#

CiuM, Cilrlfl amd
Gmmgwtmrm

Adequate dtialer.

Hcdlywood, Dec. 23.

United AitlsU release of an Imperial
pcturee production. Stars Mamtii van
Uoren; costars Gerald Mohr. Lee Van
Cleef, Grant Richards; features Elaine
Zdwards. John Baer. Carlo Fiore. Paul
£Lc.JW. Beal Wonr. Produced by Robert
Z. Kent. Directed by Edward L. Cahn.
Screenplay by Robert E. Kent; camera.
Itoneth Peach; art director. William
G^sgow; editor. Fred Feitshans; score,
J^l Newman. Previewed Dec. 23. '58.
Kunninff time. 7 * MINS.

“Guns, Girls and Gangsters” is
•n interesting chronicle of the
Uueprinting arid near-carrying out
'«£ a $2,000,000 robbery. The crime
comes much closer to perfection
than, does the film, but there is
aomething to exploit about tophner
Mamie Van Doren, though it's not
her acting, and the United Artists
release should manage to bring
home some pennies of profit.

One of Edward Small's low-
hudgeters, the Imperial Pictures
productitm will have tough sled¬
ding as a first-runner unless pro¬
moted by unrelenting penetration.
As a dualer, it’s more than ade¬
quate. ■

Producer Eobert E. Keut screen-
played from a story by Paul Gan-
gelin* and Jerome Sackheim, lacing
together the ifitricate detailing of
the heist of an armored truck car^
lying bills from Las Vegas casinos
to Los Angeles cashiers. Film un¬
folds In a semi-documentary vein
that, had it been carried to its
full«t, could have resulted in
greater quality.

Miss Van Doren is a nitery
singer with a husband in jail and
a boy friend in hand. Comes along
Ger^d Mohr, released cellmate of
the hubby, and the robbery plans
begin to roU. The husband breaks
out of jail at the last minute to
upset all the plans, and just about
everyone except the blonde charm¬
er ends up dead.

Direction by Edward L. Cahn
fails to bring a professional per¬
formance from Miss Van Doren,
and Mohr seems entirely too
amooth. Grant Richards, as the
club owner, and Lee Van Cleef, as
the husband, are very good, as are
Elaine Edwards and John Baer as
ewners of a roadside motel where
the crime takes place.

Technical credits. — Kenneth
Peach’s photography, William Glas¬
gow's art direction, Fred Feit¬
shans’ editing. Jack Solomon’s
sound and Emil Newman’s score—
ajre capable. Buddy Bregman and
Stanley Styne penned a couple
songs, both of which are fine for
the film but neither of which will
belp sell the product. Ron.

The jiiqiiare Peg

(BRITISH)

Seasonably amUsing Army
farce, with Norman Wisdom
successfully playing a dual
role.

London, Dec. 23.

RanX (Hugh Stewart) production and
release. Stars Norntan Wisdom. Directed
By John Paddy Carstairs. Screenplay. Jack
Davies; editor, Roger CberriU: music,
Philip Green; camera. Jack Cox. At Gau-
mont. London. Rxunlng time, 19 MINS.
Norman Pitkin. General Schreiber

Norman Wisdom

Leslie Cartland.Honor Blackman

Mr. Grlmsdale .Edward Chapman

Sergeant Loder . Campbell Singer

Gretcben . Hattie Jacques

Henri Le Blanc . Brian Worth

Captain Wharton.Terence Alexander

Colonel Layton.John Warwick

General Hunt . Arnold Bell

Jean-Claude.Andre Maranne

Jogenkraut . Victor Beaumont

r;»ptaiti Ford .. Frank Williams

Medical (^Icer . Eddie Leslie

The successful trio of producer
Hugh Stewart, director Joha Paddy
Carstairs and comedian Norman
Wisdom has again teamed up in
search of yocks. Set in the fairly
safe field of Army slapstick, "The
Square Peg” Is a mildly amusing
comedy with a number of hilarious
situations among dullish patches.
It should be a worthwhile booking
lor most family houses in U.K. Its
auccess in the U.S. looks to depend
on the drawing power of the star’s
name there.

•*Peg” Js interesting in that it
continues the plan to get Wisdom
away from his original "Gump”
character in the lU-fitting suit and
offer him a wider acting opportun¬
ity. He plays a dual role, a road-
jnender who gets drafted into the
Konecr Corps (Britain^ army
labor regiments) and a Nazi gen¬
eral ★bom he closely resembles.
Wlsiim plays the latter role
gtrayfht, with only a hint of satire,
and is very effective.

Yam opens slowly with a lot of
drawnout situations Involving
road-moider Wisdom in brushes
with local Army officers. 'They
decide that it’s better to have him
and his bos in the Army so they
are drafted. From then on, the
cwnedy pace quickens. In error
they arc dropped into enemy ter¬
ritory. and are captured with local
resistance leaders. Wisdom saves
the situation single-handed and

escapes himself when about to face
a firing squad.

Jack Davies’ screenplay is cus¬
tom-made for Wisdom, being
genial rather than witty and offer¬
ing the comic plenty of scope in
such well-tried routines as learn¬
ing to drill, use a bayonet and so
on.

Carstidrs’ direction Is imeven in
pace but brings Out the full pos¬
sibilities of Wisdom, whose like¬
able personality as a little man
striving to get ahead is given
ample chance to shine. Remainder
of the cast loyally fulfill their re¬
spective roles as chorus to the
star. Among them, useful per¬
formances are given by Honor
Blackman, as a comely femme
officer, who’s really a secret serv¬
ice agent; Edward Chapman, as.
the pompous boss of Wisdom;
Campbell Singer, as a typical film
farce sergeant and Hattie Jacques,
as an outsize vamp.

Jack Cox's photography is okay,"
but Roger Cherrill’s editing might
have been brisker at the opening.

Rich.

Un Drole Bbnamelie

(What a Sunday)
(FRENCH)

Paris, Dec. 23.

GCFC xelea»d ^ J. J. Vit«l-CCFC pro¬
duction. Stars Danidle Darrieux. BourvU;
features Arletty, Cathla Caro, Jean Bel¬
mondo. Rofer Hanln. Directed by Mare
Allegret. Screenplay, Serge De Beianc.
Pascal Jardin, Jean Mamn; camera.
" ones Nattean; editor. Suzanne De

_fe. At Normandie. Paris. Running time,

90 MINS.

Catherine ............. Danielle Darrieux

Jean.... BourvU

Arinler .....Arletty

Caroline .. CatUa Caro

Patrick . Jean Belmondo

Sartor!.... Roger Hanln

A pleasant pic, this is about a
man who meets his wife In a bus
after she bad walked out on him
five years before. Pic then re¬
counts the high points of his affair
and marriage in flashback and his
winning her hand again. Skimpi¬
ness of characterizations and pe¬
destrian direction hurt the film’s
dramatic punch. It is okay as a
possible dualer or special ^tting
in foreign situations.

BourvU, a gangling, timid com¬
edian, has become a heavywei^t
actor here since winnitig a Venice
Film Fest thesp aw^d two years
ago. He is engaging and warm as
the nice guy who has no ambition
except for the love for his wife.
He masquerades as a success when
she returns to him and she real¬
izes she still loves him. Danielle
Darrieux is fetching as the wife
in spite of the sketchy role. Pic
is technically good and agreeably
mounted. Supporting players also
help but the production remains
a lightweight affair which is saved
by knowing performances..

Mosk.

Le Joneur

(The Gambler)
(FRENCH; COLOR)

Paris, Dec. 23.

Gaumcmt release of Fnmeo London pro¬
duction. Stars Gerard Pliillpe, Llselotte
Pulver. Bernard Blier; features Nadine
Alari. Francolse Rosay. Jean Danet.
Carette. Directed by Claude Autant-Lara.
Screenplay. Jean Aurenebe, Pierre Best.
Francois Boyer from novel by Feodor
Dostoyevsky; camera (Eastmancolor). Jac¬
ques Natteau: editor. Madeleine Gag. At
Colisee. Paris. Running time, 1M MINS.

-Alevei ... Gerard PhUipe

Pauline .. Llaelotte Pulver

Blanche ...Nadine Alari

Zagorien'sky .. Bernard BUer

Des Grieux ... Jean Danet

Grandmother . Francolse Rosay

Muzjlk . Carette

This is another pic version of
Dostoyevsky’s "The Gambler,”
which was done in Hollywood back
In 1948. This production is in
color. This fact coupled with a
'solid cast makes an uneven tale
a colorful entry whkdi might be
of offshore arty theatre Interest

Film has its bevy of Russians In
the 19th Century Baden-Baden,
wearing their souls on their sleeves
and fighting over heritages with
some ensuing suicide, deaths and
a run of gambling fever. An aging
general, waiting for an old aunt to
die, is living it up In Baden-Baden
on the expenses of a French ad¬
venturer, waiting for his payment.
The general Is engaged to a French I
coquette and his daughter is the
Frenchman’s mistress.

Into this comes their tutor,
Gerard Philipe, a headstrong, over-
passionate type, in love with thej
general’s daughter. All this comes i
to a head when the old aunt arrives ]
and loses her coin at the gambling;
table. The family is ruined but the ■
tutor has a run of luck and wins a:
fortune only to be too late In sav¬
ing the proud. girl he loves from
suicide.

Philipe has the intensity and
dash for his role while the suppor¬
ting cast Is good, witti Francoise
Rosay outstanding as the old aunt
Remainder of cast is good, especial¬
ly Llselotte Pulver’s Impassioned,
headstrong girL Technical qualities
are fine with the. garish color a'-
plus. Some pruning of the early
segments would make the tense
scenes and dramatic climax even
stronger. Mosk.

jUUaretie CroBslag

(BB|TISH-C0L0R)

Important, fascinatuig docu-
meatary on tbe Fnchs-Hillary
Antarctic expeditiou; excellent
prestige bookhig.

London, Dec. 23.

Rank release of a World Wide f^ures
(Jameg Carr) production. Camera, G^rge
Lowc:, Derek Wrigbt, others; editor Dm-
nig Gurney; music. Humphrey, Scarle.
Previewed at R. F. D. private theatre.
R unning time. 45 MINS.

Here is a fascinating document¬
ary which will he a must for any¬
one who thrilled to the headlirics
concerning the exploits of Sir Viv¬
ian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary
and their teams in the recent Ant¬
arctic expedition. Beautifully
photographed, wiin a taut com¬
mentary which never falls into the
trap of hyperbole, it is a triumph
for the cameramen who brought
back about nine miles of color film
and to the editor, Dennis (kimey,
who brought the material down t5
45 minutes playing time. The pic
manages to cover most of the im¬
portant events of the two-year
expedition.

The kehlevement was obviously
a tremendous one. Dangerous,
monotonous, frustrating, but this
is not conveyed as much as might
be expected. The color photo¬
graphy robs the Antarctic of much
of its harshness as can be seen
when compared with the inset
films of the Scott and Shackleton
expeditions. The amazing colors
of the Antarctic, beautiful to be¬
hold, somehow take away to some
extent a feeling of bitter, freezing
cold. The expedition’s equipment,
strong ship; modern tractors, up-
to-date kitchen and well-stocked
larder alsp contrast strongly with
that used by the two previous ex¬
plorers. This is by no way of de¬
tracting from either the gigantic
enterprise or from this pictorial
record of it,. It is simply that the
commentary is needed to remind
the audience completely about the
toughness of the job^

George Lowe who accompanied
the Fuchs’ expedition and Derek
Wright who travelled with the
Hillary party have done a standout
piece of lensing. Artistically, it is
excellent and technically superb
especially considering that the job
had no rehearsals or re-takes, and
that for 18 months they were
unable to check the result of their
work. Women will be particularly
interested in watching these hardy
explorers fending for themselves
as cooks, tailors, and “housewives.”

Music by Humphrey Searle sets
off the film, which is one to fill
every audience with a sense of
wonder and of pride that men are
prepared to endure -such discom¬
fort, danger and grinding monoto¬
ny not merely for a sense of ad¬
venture but because of the in¬
valuable scientific results. Rich.

Director’s Presiige

SSS GontiBued from pag:e 3

DeMille era of riding boots and
megaphone had passed, directors
more or less sank into the back¬
ground, obscured by the stars.
Gradually, in recent years, certain
names again have come to the
fore. A George Stevens has be¬
come closely identified in the pub¬
lic’s mind with such pictures as
"Shane,” "Giant” and now "Diary
of Anne Frank,” and studio pub¬
licity has focussed on him as much
as it has on the stars.

To R greater or lesser degree
the same is true of Elia Kazan,
DeMille, Wilhara Wyler, Billy
Wilder, John Huston, Mark Rob¬
son, Anthony Mann, King Vidor,
John Ford, Joshua Logan, Alfred
Hitchcock, etc. With the decline of
I the star system, and Hollywood’s
general tendency to bare its pro-
1 duction "secrets,” film company
publicity has begun to take cog-^
nizance of the directors as the most
"glamorous” of the technicians.
This in turn has been reflected in
the amount of copy that is written
about the men be hin d the camera.

Certain directors, of course, are
identified With given ^‘styles.”
Hitchcock obviously is the man for
inystery, and a goodly segment of
the population will be attracted to
a film simply because he directed
it. Kazan and Huston are meat for
the mtelligencia. Ford and gtevens
are identified with great workman¬
ship and an eye for the visual, ahd
DeMille of ^urse is in a class in
himself as the’ "master” Interpre¬
ter of the Bible.

‘ The director in Hollywood today
Is a more important man than he
ever was, particularly if he has
sufficient stature to throw his
weight atound. Even when he’s not

functioning as his own producer,
he stm has a in the casting,
the script, choide of story and
stars, the final editing; etc. And
he’s now apt to go out heating the
bushes for customers when his pic¬
ture goes into release.

Loow’s fin cars

Continued from , pace S

Enterprises Corp., a subsidiary of
Guilden’s Baldwin Securities Corp.,
brought a suit against the company
charging violation of the Invest¬
ment Act of 1940 for becoming in¬
volved in theXioew’s dispute, Guil-;
den was unable to consummate the||
deal.

The new principals were brought
into the Loew’s setup by Wall
Streeter David Baird, long known
for arranging numerous deals in¬
volving film companies. He got in
touch with Green and made the
offer that resulted in the comple¬
tion of the deal and presumably
brought an end to the threatened
proxy fight. Baird is known to be
pro-Vogel and the new group will
also be in the "LoevTi prexy’s cor¬
ner.

Cummings declared that his
group is joining Loewis “as a ^end.
of management” and will work
closely with VogeL He added that
he saw “enormous potentials in the
future of Loew’s and Its many acti¬
vities.” He stressed that his phil¬
osophy is to operate m business
successfully and not to liquidate it.:

Entry of Nate Cummings et^al
brought an end to a bizarre aeries
of negotiations. EarUer Green at¬
tempted to acquire Guilden’s hold¬
ings at a price of $25 per share,
acting on the theory that a buyout
of Guilden would give him sub*,
stantial control of the company at
a cost equal to what would be;in-'
volved if he proceeded with .a
proxy fight However, the conver¬
sation shifted and Guilden made
the ah 0 rtive effort to obtain
Green’s shares.

The Cummings brothers, Nathan-
son as well as Tomlinson all have
their roots In Canada. Mac pum-
mings is a Montreal real estate op¬
erator and developer. Nathanson,;
Canada’s largest film disteibutor as
well as an industrialist, is now a
resident of New York and a diver¬
sified investor in sundry Industries.

The new group has the solid sup¬
port of the individuals and firms
whose stock has been acquired. At
the annual meetings of Loew’s
stockholders in January, Green,
Newman, Tomlinson and Ijazard
and Lehman are expected to vote
their remaining sh^es with the
new interests.

Curiously, the Cummings broth¬
ers are distantly related to the late
L. B. Mayer, who was associated
with Tomlinson in an effort to un¬
seat Vogel and his management
team.

The acquisition of Loew’s stock
by Cummings represents the sec¬
ond major deal the Industrialist
has concluded fn the past few days
As chairman of the hoard of Con^
solidated Foods Corp., he complet¬
ed the acquisition of the Lawson
Milk Co. of Ohio, a large dairy and
bakery products company, at the
cost of $ 10 , 000 , 000 .

Nathanson was also Involved in
a recent important transaction, be-
mg connected with the sale of Con-
soli^ted Copper Mines to Ceiro
de Pasco, also a mining operation.

Nate Cummings, who Is 61, start¬
ed his business career in Canada
as a shoe salesman in 1912. He
entered the merchandise ImportlhR
business in 1930 and, in 1934, ac¬
quired control of McCormick’s Bis¬
cuit Co. which he sold in 1938, the
^ar in which he came, to the U. S
He became president of the whole^
sale food firm of C. D, Kenny Co-
of Baltimore, In 1939, bought out
me company two years later, and
began a series of acquisitions and
mergers which resulted iu the f®r-
mrtion of Consolidated Foods.

Cummings is a leading art collec¬
tor, ownmg a group of paintings
by French impressionists. His col-
,'tections of paintings as we'll as
Peruvian ceramics have toured the
y. S. and Europe and have been
displayed at leading museums, in¬
cluding the Louvre In Paris.

Burch Helms Met in D.C.

Washington, Dec. 30.

Raymond Burch, veteran of 25
years with Stanley Warner thea¬
tres, has been named manager <if
the Metropolitan Theatre here.

Burch started as usher at the
Tivoli Theatre, subsequent^ work¬
ing at Seco, Colony, Kennedy and
Calvert Theatrea here.

WrHers’Low Stale

Cpntlnuca from pace S

the cry of his professional brethren
•and offered, "The writer In Holly¬
wood pretty much has to do what
he’s told. If he doesn’t, they pet
another boy.”

He hastened to add,* "I don’t
really dislike it. I don’t want to
knock it as much as that. Naturally
I’m m it for money. Any business
rd be in, I’d he in it for money
“Actually the place isn’t as bad
as I paint it,” he stipulated. "It’s
been pleasant. I like the place. But
that first careless rapture is gone ”
On the pleasant side. Brown
offered, “Occasionally you work
with someone like Charlie Brackett,
George Stevens or Stanley Kramer,
But even then, working with peoplt
you like, you can’t be sure the pic¬
ture win turn out a success.”

Asked why the writer should re¬
ceive greater consideration, Brown
said, “Iti-s very simple. Without
the writer you don’t have a picture
“The only way to get out of it.’’
he said, “is to become a writer-
director or writer-producer. But I
wouldn’t want it,” he qualified.

"You work harder and don’t
make any merer money. 1 read
VAHiETy every week and see the
guys who are- dropping off at 48.
The hell with it,” he summarized.

Getting more writer control ig
ohe of the reasons Brown relishes
■his current assi^ment of writing a
smpt for WilHam E. Brusseau’i
Westminster . Films International
slated to he filmed here this spring
in co-production with Hengo Stu¬
dios of Tokyo. The story concerns
an American Nisei who comes to
Japan to uncover his roots and
thereby establish his identity.

Brown is staying in Japan about
a month, checking locations and
doing “at least the first drafL” He
will try to . get the feeling of the
country, “People do it differently,*'
he submitted. "I just absorb—just
take in the sights and sounds.”

GU Pattam

- Conttnaed from page 3

more stress on big name bands, per
Lionel Hampton’s March 27 date
for a single stanza.

Engelstein’s ambitions—and this
is of almost equal interest to
tradesters here—figure to coUidt
head-on almost immediately with
the B&Krowned Tivoli, in the same
sector of town, which the big chain
is refurbishing prior to. adopting a
feature-and-vaude scheme. Perhaps
coincidentally. it will meet the
Hampton challenge to the . date
with Pearl Bailey and her Hawai¬
ian revue. But the Tivoli (with
3,0Q0-odd capacity) will also play it
"by ear” as tn stageshows, accord¬
ing to B&K prez Dave Wallerstein,
the chief reason being, of course,
the shortage of siiitahle stage at¬
tractions. Understood circuit has
allbcated about $65,000 to prettify
the theatre and add new stage gear.

Engelstejn in recent weeks has
huddled in New York with varioiis
[fUm company execs, setting forth
his views and seeking advice. Hi
Is convinced the day-dating goal
would only benefit producers, t
feeling, he indicates, that somt
Broadwayltes shaire.

As Variety has noted, there are
A number of companies which
would like to experiment with ex¬
panding the firstruns by day-dating
downtown and outlying. It’i beei
.done in some instances (notably
Los Angeles, albeit geography th«»
is cited as A major fyetor)^ hat Bit
resistance generally of downto^ra
operators is considerable and biv-
ter,

Engelstein says the Reg 4 ^i
$250,000 revamp sum squares with
utterances by 2 ()th-rox toppiir
Spyros Skouras that exhibs rniRt
“dress up” if they hope to counftf
the wide disenchantment With their
business.

RKO Exits MPEA

Continued froK pax# S ^sai

ments) and its depart ure will l«aVA
quite a hole in the MPEA bodgA
. MPEA itself maintains that tha
RKO resignation from the Asstw
atlon has little meaning in tcr^ w
supply since the “gap” can and
easily he closed by the xemahW
members. Whether this argum^
is acceptable in the quota countrl.w
remains to be seen,

RKO also quite the Motion P16*
tui'e Assn ,of America.

PtSEuWff

rscrmaa

7

December Sl^ 195S

NO CONSENT TO END CONSENT

----------- 4 .

Fdms Actors and‘Madness’

Should Aied Sbtes Ksband,

Th# Summit, N. J. pharmaceutical house, abi, Issues a doctors*
bulletin called “State of Mind’* which has Just published an amaz¬
ing piece on “Movies and Madness”—by which the behaviour of
actors is mostly in qu^on. Article, an unsigned Interview with
an unnamed psychiatrist argues that a desperate struggle to main¬
tain sanity Is constant In Hollywood. Being deeply Involved In im¬
aginary events and unreal compensation—flinging away fortxmes in
gainbling places—actors’ “ties to''the real world are severely tes^

Life in the “dream factory” (studio) is complicated when hair-
-ityllsta, make-up artists, designers and even plastic surgeons re¬
make personality. Add a new name. There Is a sacrifice of real
identily to one conferred by the producer or the public.

Piece speaks of the “Dorian Gray” syndrome. Actors refuse to
grow old; then aging catches up and they collapse. A great many
Hollywood players are under psycho-analysis. Indeed they may have
an analyst in every port, may embarrass a doctor by mentioning
him in public, or involving him in scandals. They may .in fact In-
' fest the doctor’s own emotional equilibrium. Land.

Swiss Press Outraged 1^ Ariutrary,

Geneva, Dec. 30. -

Switzerland's usually ealm press
had its feathers ruffled by the gov¬
ernment’s ban of the Kirk Douglas
film, “Paths of Glory,” and its
subsequent refusal to screen the
picture for Journalists. The gov¬
ernment, Le. the Ministry of the
Interior, banned the production as
“subversive propaganda directed
at France” and “highly offensive
to. that nation.”

The govemment said it would
confiscate all prints unless United
Artists, the distributor, immediate¬
ly, exported them from Switzer¬
land.

Di the wake of the government’s'
commimique announcing the de¬
rision, members of the press, asked
for a screening of the picture, but
were refused permission to see it.
This set off quite a row in the
public prints. Among the questions
that are being asked—publicly—
are these:

(1.) Why should the Federal
Council suddenly institute politi¬
cal censorship on a film when it
doesn’t object to the sale of books
or magazines which quite fre¬
quently contained biased attacks
on other countries or govern¬
ments?

(2.) Does the ruling imply that,
in the future, a film about -Little
Rock or about Rungary also would
be banned as “offensive” to the
U.S. and Budapest respectively?

(3.) What precisely are the rela¬
tions between France and Switz¬
erland that they have to he treat¬
ed with such. delicacy?

The Journal De Geneve points
out, however, that the showing of
tht film in Belgium provoked vio¬
lent demonstrations by World War
I veterans and. that it’s been
banned in some other countries
alswi. It was never shown in
France.

At HORWIT5 SEEN OUT

BimpneUi’s ^otUnc Definite’ as To
Columbia Post \

Hollywood, Dec. 30.
While Columbia Pictures studio
v^pub-ad chieftain A1 Horwits’ con-
runs until May, it is believed
A^hat he will exit the berth sooner.

vJiscussed here- is continuing
-^.port that Universafite 'Charles
Siraonelli has been engaged by
•ilfaul N. Lazarus Jr., Col veep,
“a top stU(M berth,” without
-.pentifying the situation to Hor-
Latter, in turn, has also been
sPld by studio production boss Sam
Briskiu that he is' “satisfied” with
Horwits’ department while Simd-
nelli, out here now, indicates
“nothing definite has been set.”

Extoid KamKer Tenure

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

Contract of Bemie Kamber as
publicity - advertising director of
Hecht-Hill-Lancastcr has been ex¬
tended for another year. New deal
was set here during Kamber’s cur¬
rent visit to discuss promotion
plans on “Separate Tables” and
other BHL properties.

Kamber has been with HHL for
five years, first- serving as N. Y.
representative and becoming- pub-
ad chief last year.

Gerald Willem van
Loon

shrewdly oioIyMS popalor tastes
!■ his cooelMslea thot

There^s No Such
Thing us THE Public

* * *

OMther Editorial Eoatoro
In tha

53d Annitenary Number:

OUT NEXT WEEK

Tollvision Seen
A Devisive Item
Facing'Congress

The policy being pursued on
tollvision emerged this week as
another incident to disrupt the
“complete harmony” within the
new American Congress of Ex-
Mbitors. A controversy within ex¬
hibitor ranks concerns the efforts ^
of both Theatre Owners of Amer¬
ica and the Congress to. get the
Government to outlaw all forms
of pay-tv, the over-the-air type as
well as cable.

Trueman T. Rembusch, an . Al¬
lied States Assn, leader and a co-
chairman of the exhibitor-organ¬
ized Joint Toll-TV Committee, has
charged that both TOA and the
Congress have sui)erseded the pol¬
icy approach of the Joint Toll-TV
Committee and has done so with¬
out consulting other members of
the Joint exhibitor group,

Rembusch, In a letter to S. H.
Fabiauy chairman of the American
Congress of Exhibitors, maintains
that the -policy, of the Joint Com¬
mittee on ToU-’IY was to fight the
aquisition of the free airwaves by
pay-tv and not to. combat wired
tv because of . the contradictory
position it would place Fabian’s^

I Stanley Warner theatres and other
I theatres presenting closed-circuit
theatre tv events. Rembusch con¬
tends that this ambisal«it posi¬
tion mSkes the exhibitor approach
^‘ridiculous” and provides “the am¬
munition” for the pay-tv pro¬
ponents who want “to take over
over the free airwaves.”

In his letter to Fabian, Rem¬
busch raises the point of the pro¬
priety of Phflip F. Harling, a co-
chairman of the Joint Committee
on ToU-TV, “fronting” for a TOA
pay-tv policy “which is directly
contrary to the policy laid down”
and followed by the ^int commit¬
tee. Rembusch says that Harling
foiled to answer a letter raising
these points.

The Allied leader and Indiana
theatreowner charges, too, that
George Kerasotes, president of
(Continued on page 54)

By HY BOLLINGER

Tha latest Industry campaign,
as demonstrated by the efforts of
Theatre Owners of America and
the new American Congress of
Exhibitors, to bring about changes
in the Government consent de¬
crees and to obtain exemptions
from the antitrust laws is regarded
as mere wishful thinking by real-
listic legalites, both in New York
industry and in Washington Gov¬
ernment circles.

Hard-headed students of the
Government’s monopoly regula¬
tions, particularly as they affect
the film business, seriously doubt
that any alterations wiU be per¬
mitted by the Dept, of Justice, the
Federal Courts or, for that matter
the Congress of the United States.

It's emphasized that tht
mere fact that conditions have
charged in the industry is not
sufficient cause to amend Fed-
eral laws which have been
handed down and enforced
after extended thought^ argu¬
ment and experience. More¬
over, the iridustTyfs tainted
history of malpractices during
the 1930s is not something
that can be easily forgotten or
dismissed by Federal authori¬
ties or by the victims of the
excesses.

AnoRier consideration, despite
the efforts of the new American
Congress of Exhibitors to give the
impression, that there is total har¬
mony in the industry on the sub¬
ject of the consent decrees, is the
la^ of true unanimity in exhibitor
quarters. There is a hard core of
Allied States Assn. leaders who
fear a revival of the old distribu¬
tor tactics should there he any
significant relaxation of the con¬
sent decrees. As a. matter of fact
many Allied members are cling¬
ing to the charges made in the
recent “white paper” and rather
than pursuing any action that
would bring about an easing of
the antitrust laws, they .are seek¬
ing stricter enforcement by the
Dept, of Justice.

Skooras’ Candor
With the exception of 20th-Fox
prexy Spyros Skouras, the heads
of the major film companies have
been carrinl In not airing their
views on the subject of the con¬
sent decrees and the . antitrust
regulations. It’s hardly a secret
that the film companies would like
to see significant changes in the
decrees and the antitrust laws,
hut they are not saying so openly^
Skouras’ recent remarks caused
some surprise and it led one Wash¬
ington official to wonder privately
if the 20th-Fox topper had con¬
sulted his attorneys befmre he
made the statements concerning
the decrees and the anti-monopoly
laws.

The heads of the formerly-affil¬
iated circuits, who constitute the
driving force in the new American
Congress of Exhibitors, appear fo
be the most vocal in advocating
changes in the Federal statutes.
Deeply concerned about the short¬
age of produeft, they feel that if
the divorced circuits were permit¬
ted to enter production and dis¬
tribution with pre-emptive rights
for their own theatres, it would
alleviate a serious and growing
threat to the livelihood of the
nation’s theatres;

In this contention, they have the
support of all exhibitor groups,
including Allied States Assn. But
when they seek deeper and more
drastic alterations in the decrees,
they are almost certain to meet
j opposition within, the ranks of
Allied. It is still extremely doubt¬
ful that the Congress of Exhibitors
Iwill be able to find a unified in¬
dustry approach, to the decrees.

I If it does, it is expected to repre¬
sent a compromi^ and It’s be-
llieved that it wiU hardly contain
all the recommendations submitted
by RKO 'Theatres topper Sol A.
Schwartz as chairman of the Con-
i (Continued on page i4>

Defer to Coi^ess of Exhibs?

Sol Chaneles

batr «a latorofthig dEssorMlaa oa

What Chinatown Film
Fans See

(Hoag Keog foiparfs LoHf.ao

noranty)

* * *

ooa OMoy fdltafial .Foohiras

In Hia

53d Anniversaty Number

af

OUT NEXT WKK

SemenenkoNot
Selling Out h
Warners, But-

Sources closely associated with
Serge Semenenko, the Boston
banker who has a leading stock in^
terest In Warner Bros., maintain
that Semenenko has no thought of
selling his 161,000 shares at this
moment.

However, UiesC Sources do not
discount the possibility of Semen¬
enko making such a transaction in
the future. If such a transaction
lakes place, it’s stressed' that the
j Boston banker would be motivated
purely “by personal reasons not
related with any activities or poli¬
cies of WB,” In which company,
Semenenko stresses, he “has the
greatest confidence.”

Moreover, it’s emphasized that
Semenenko would not sell his
shares directly to the company,
since such an action presumably
would give him an advantage over
the regular stockholders who must
wait for tenders. It’s said that any
adjustment of his holdings could
be only within the original group
which purchased the shares at the
time of the change in management
in July, 1956.

Briefly stated, it imP«ars that
Semenenko has no intention of
selling his shares to the company
pef se, hut it does not preclude
the possibility of his selling to one
of the principals with whom he was
associated in obtaining a substan¬
tial interest in WB.

Semenenko, an active director <5f
WB, is said to be pleased with the
progress the company is mridng.^

Cmcj Grajils Relief On
Tleatre Ticket Taxes;
Costs Citr40G Yield

Cincinnati, Dec. 30.

City Council here has granted
the appeal of television-hit thea¬
tres and other amusements for re¬
lief on admission tax to stay in
business.

Beginning Jan. 1 Cincinnati will
exempt tax on admissions of ^1.05
or less. When the fee exceeds $1.05
the city will tax the first 55c.

Present tax exempts admission
under 90c but levies 3% against
entire amount over higher fees.

Initial cut Is for 1959. In 1960
the city will allow exemption on
the first $1.05 of all admissions.

City Manager C. A Harrell, who
recommended the relief to the city
fathers, said it wUl cost the city
$40,000 In lost revenue in both
years.

Industry spokesmen who fol¬
lowed through on the relief appeal
since October Included Morris
Zaidins, ticket sellCTS* union;
Charles Morris, Cincinnati Base¬
ball Oub; Tom Gfrace, Cincinnati
Garden: Joe Alexander, RKO The¬
atres; Carl Ferrazza, Keith’s; Wil¬
liam Rush, Cinerama, and Willis
Yance, Indie exhibitors.

Allied States Assn.*s official po¬
sition pertaining to its relationship
with, the new American Ck>ngress
of Exhibitors will bt determined
at tha organization’s mid-winter
board meeting and national drive-
! In convention In Pittsburgh Jan. 24-
I 28. The board will convene two
days prior to the opening of the
convention, whirii will be the only
one to be held by Allied during
1959. Starting with 1960, the ex¬
hibition group will hold combined
conventional theatre and drive-in
conventions.

Allied, ‘now in its 30th year,
“will have to deal with the most
momentous evmits In its history,”
according to board chairman Al^
ram P. Myers, Among the conclu¬
sions Allied must make is one de¬
termining if the Congress of Ex¬
hibitors Is an organization of in¬
dividuals, Including Allied mem¬
bers, or an organLmtion of organ¬
izations, similar to the Council of
Motion^ Picture Organizations. If
the latter is the case, Allied has
before It a question raised by one
of its leaders if “Allied should not
now be disbanded and the entire
burden and responsibility of pro¬
tecting exhibitors (be) left to the
American Congress of Exhibitors.”
This thought, according to Myers,
has been forwarded to the direc¬
tors “so they can think about it in
advance stt the meeting.”

S&or, Rembusch

There are indications, however,
that a number of Allied leaden
are already disenchanted with
some of the policies being pur¬
sued by the Congress. Myers, so
far, has been careful in not dis¬
cussing the activities of the Con¬
gress, However, two former Allied
presidents. Rube- Shor and True¬
man T. Rembusch, have voiced
their exceptions to certain actions
of the Congress in specific and
forceful manner,

Myers points out that Allied
would be in a better position to
chart its future course if, by the
time the board meeting Is held,
the representatives of the Congress
of Exhibitors have had an oppor¬
tunity to hold their proposed con¬
ference with the presidents of the
film companies. He notes that when
20th-Fox prexy Sypros P, Skouras
called the meeting at which the
Congress was formed, he (Skouras)
expressed the hope that confer¬
ence between exhibitors and the
film companies would be held be¬
fore the end of this year. Indicat¬
ing that this is clearly impossible
now, Myers expressed the hope
that it would be held hefore Al¬
lied’s Jan. 24 board meeting.

While certain Allied lexers
have voiced disapproval of certain
policies of the Congress, other
groups within Allied have strong¬
ly supported the new organization.
The Allied Theatre Owners of New
Jersey, for example, gave the new
group a big boost via a resolution
approving the agenda adopted by
the Congress and recommending
support of the Cl!ongres4 “in every
way possible to help it achieve its
announced purposes ..

Meanwhile, according to Myers,
complaints of “unfair,” qnd what
Allied purpOTts to see as “unlaw-
fnl” practices by the film compa¬
nies “are moimting faster than
ever.” Myers contends the prac¬
tices include not only those de¬
scribed in Allied’s recent * “whita
paper,” but also others “wa
thought had been discontinued.”
In' the latter category, he referred
to complaints about the forcing of
picture, l.e., compulsory block
booking. He Presses that this prac¬
tice was specifically condemn^ by
the Sepreme Court as a violation
of the Sherman Act.

New UA Product Deal

Holljrwood, Dec. 30..

Robert Wise and Mirish Co. have
formed a coiffoduction deal te
make series of top-hudgetters for
United Artists.

First'is to he the Robert Capa
bioplc, “Battle.”

rienns cmossES

ITediicgJay^ December SI, 1958

Mpk Finds Pre-Xmas Preems Okay;
ifindjammer Wham $20,000, *Mame’
Smash 15G,Tandle'B^ at $8,000

lirliimeapoliSt Dec. 30. *
Success was achieved by local
cinemas which stole a march by
shoving in their important holiday
attractions the week before Christ¬
mas, a period usually written off as
a complete logs, instead of waiting
until the Yuletide day itself. What
was deemed an experiment turned
out especially well for the Or-
pheum and Gopher which enjoyed
highly profitable business “the
worst week of season” with Buc¬
caneer” and “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad,” respectively.

The inducement for the Or-
plieum, Pan and Gopher to deviate
from conventional practice and not
to resign themselves to the week-
before-Christmas downbeat un¬
doubtedly was because their holi¬
day pix hold a particular appeal
for younger patrons which has be¬
come the boxoffice’s bulwark here.
It was school vacation time and
they figured rightly that would
help.

Current week’s lineup of pic¬
tures, probably strongest ever for
any holiday period, finds the Loop
enjoying prosperity. The three
downtown new-comers, “Auntie
Marne,” “Roots of Heaven” and
“Bell, Book and Candle” shape as
torrid boxoffice.

Holdovers, too, are not only
numerous, but also are hefty box-
office performers. It’s the 27th and
scvfenth weeks, respectively, for
the hard-ticket “South Pacific” and
“Windjammer,” The second round
for “Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
still is smash at the Gopher. “The
Buccaneer” looks tall and nearly
a.s big as opener. “Tom Thumb”
Is fated nice In second session.

Estimates for This Week
Academy (Mann) (947; $1.59-
$2.65) “South Pacific” (Magna)
(27th wk). Soaring to fine $7,000.
Last week, $4,500.

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-$2.65)
— “Windjammer” (NT) )7th wk).
Daily afternoon and youths’ morn-
(Continued on page 15)

Tonka’ Ronsing $15,000,
c K.C.;/Mame’Wbainl4G,

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week .$1,052,200

(Based on 22 theatres)

Last Tear .$1,091,500

(Based on.24 theatres)

'Seas SoGd 15G,
Pitt; 'Sinbad’ IIG

Pittsburgh, Dec. 30.

Holiday week generally looks
big. “South Seas, Adventure” got
away to a solid start and return
of “South Pacific” at Nixon also is
showing considerable strength.
Only “Roots of Heaven” among the
first-runs looks barely good. Both
the holdover of “Buccaneer” at
Penn and “Seventh Voyage of Sin¬
bad” at Harris are ahead of open¬
ers. “My Uncle” is nice in second
at the Squirrel Hill. '

Estimates for This Week

Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 80-$1.25)—
“Rqots of Heaven” (20th). Disap¬
pointing but stayk anyway via a
booking commitment. Doesn’t look
like much more than $7,000, just
good. Last week. “World in His
Arms” (U) and “Bend of River”
(U) (reissues), $2,500.

Guild (Green) (500; 99-$1.25)—
“Circus of Love” (DCA) (2d wk).
A little improvement at oke $1,800.
Last week, $1,300.

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 80-$1.25)
—“Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col)
(2d wk); Pushing to sock $11,000.
“inn of Sixth Happiness” <20th)
comes in tomorrow (Wed.). Last
week, $6,000.

Nixon (Rubin) (1,490; $1.25-$3)—
“South Pacific” (Magna). Dearth
of legit bookings brings back this
musical, which previously played
here.

D 1 1 oj' six-month roadshow date
uO. iJ€ 2S r8t 14u, JU Started okay, in first 3 days doing
Kansas City, Dec. 30. j better than $5,000.

Holiday season is boosting i
grosses strongly here, with some of
year’s best totals being turned in,

“Tonka” in three Fox Midwest
theatres is top flight. “Auntie
Marne” at Roxy 'shapes wow for
smair hou.'^e. Both will hold. 0th-
ers are holdover from engagements
starting before the Christmas holi¬
day, and all are doing better.

“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” at the
Plhza is going great for Fox Mid¬
west in second round. “Bucca¬
neer” shapes solid at Paramount,
also on second. “South Seas Ad¬
venture,” which opened in Cine¬
rama at the Missouri Theatre early
In December soared this week after
moderate start.

Estimates for This Week

Glen, DieklnsoB, Shawnee Drive-
in, Leawood Drive-in (Dickinson) I
(700; 750; 1.100 cars; 900 cars; 75-
fiO)—^“Revolt in Big House” (AA)
and “Johnny Rocco” (AA) (first
run) with “Shotgun” (AA) (2d run).
Fairish $5,QO0. Last week, sub¬
sequent runs.

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 90-$1.25)
—"God Created Woman” (Kings)
(47th wk). t Spurred by holiday
play, bright $2,000. Last week,
$ 1 , 400 .

Midland (Loew) (3,500; 75-90)—
“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and “Ghost
of Chipa Sea” (Col) (2d wk). Fair
$6,500. Last week. $4,500.

Missomi (SW-Cinerama) (1,194:
$1.25-$2)—^‘South Seas Adventure”
(Cinerama) (3d wk). Boosted by;
holiday trade and extra shows, 1
fancy $14,000. Last week, $8,000.

Paramount (UP) (1.9^; 90-$1.25)
^“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk).
Solid $8,000. Last Week, $6,000.

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 90-$1.25-
$1,50) — “Auntie Marne” (WB).
Walloping $14,000; holds. Last
week, “Big Country” (UA) (6th
Wk). $2,400.

Uptown, Fairway. Granada (Fox
Midwest) (2,043; 700; 1,217; 75-90)
^"Tonka” (BV). Fine play from
family trade, handsome $15,000.
Stays on at Fairway and Granada.
Last week, “At War with the
Army” (Indie) (reissue) and “Fiend
Walked West” (U), $6,000.

Plasa (Fox Midwest) (1,900; 75-
gO)—"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”
(Col) (2d wk). Giant $12,000; holds.
Last week, $9,000*

Penn (UA) (3,300; 99-$1.50)—
“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Shoot¬
ing ahead after pre-Xmas slumo
to big $19,000. Last week, $12,0(1

Squirrel Hill (SW) (900; 99-$1.25)
—“My Uncle” (Cont) (2d wk). Pick¬
ing up to nice $4,000, with a good
chance of going over that. Last
week, $3,500.

Stanley (SW) (3.800; 80-$1.25)—
“Geisha Boy” (Par) (2d wk). Stick¬
ing just four days and not lip to
hopes at fair $6,500. Last week,
$7,500. “Auntie Mame” (WB) in
next.

Warner (SW-Clnerama) ■) 500;
$1.40-$2.40)—“South Seas Aaven¬
ture” (Cinerama). Off to fast start
to get solid $15,000 in first five
days.

Tonka’ Trim $6,000 m
Omaka; 'Sinbad’ 3iG, 2d

Omaha, Dec. 30.

Biz perked slightly this week at
downtown first-runs but it is still
not-big. Of the new entries, “Ton¬
ka” is sock at the State. ‘.‘Roots of
Heaven” at Orpheum isn’t display¬
ing the expected strength. Of the
lecond-weekers, “Buccaneer’ at
the Omaha and “Seventh Voyage
of Sindbad” at the Brandeis are
both rated as improved but not
strong eneugh for a third session.
Hard-ticket “South Pacific” re¬
mains sturdy at the Cooper.

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (Cooper) (694; S.9^—
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
(2d wk). Fair $3,500. Last week,
$3,000.

Cooper (Cooper) (708; $1.50-
$2.20)—“South Pacific” (Magna)
(10th wk). Heading for big $9,500.
Last week, $9,000.

Omaha (Tristates) (2,066; 90-

$1.25)—“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk).
BeneMing from word-of-mouth
for nice $7,000 after $5,500 open¬
ing round.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,980; 90-
$1.25)—“Roots of Heaven” (20th).
Only mild $7,000 or near. Last
week, “At War With Army” (Indie)
(reissue), $4,500 at 75c-9Cc scale.

State (Cooper) (850; $.90)—“Ton¬
ka” (BV). Smash $6,000. Last
week, “Union Pacific” (Par) and
“Northwest Mounted Police” (Par)
(reissues), $2,000,

'Geisha’ Hot 12G,
Cincy;'Seas’25G,9

Cincinnati, Dec, 29.

Cincy’s film front is ringing out
1958 with a chorus of lusty grosses.
Favorable weather and wholesome
films are a springboard for sharp
gains in holdovers at first-runs.
Hard-ticket pix, “South Seas Ad¬
venture” and “South Pacific,” like¬
wise are on the climb. “Geisha
Boy” is shaping hotsy at the Albee,
in second round. “Buccanneer”
looms sock at the small Grand, also
in second. “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” continues swell at Keith’s.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 90.-$1.25)—
“Geisha Boy” (Par) (2d wk).
Bounding to hotsy $12,000 over
$8,500 preem.

Capitol (SW-Cinerama) (1.376;
$1.2()-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (9th wk). Great
$25,000 cushioned by six extra
shows to equal peak week gross of
run. Last week, $14,000.

Grand (RKO) (1.400; 90-S1.25)—
“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Sock
$12,000 in gain over last week’s
$9,500.

Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 90-$1.25)—
“Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col) (2d
wk). May top swell $9,500 of first
week.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 90-$1.10)—
“Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d wk). Okay
$8,000. Last week, $6,000.

VaUey (Wiethe) (1,300; $1.50-
$2.50) — “South Pacific” (Magna)
(35th wk). Solid $10,500, best here
in some time: Last week, $4,000.
Announcing final weeks.

Det. Hotsy; 'Roots’ Smooth $20,000,
'Geisha’ 21G, 'Buccaneer Lusty 25G

Detroit, Dec. 30.

Despite holdovers in all except
two downtown houses, grosses are
seeking higher levels generally as
the holiday season is bringing peo¬
ple downtown. Newcomers “Roots
of Heaven” at Fox and “Man In¬
side” at Broadway-Capitol are
doing great biz in the first-named
house and only average in latter.

However, “Buccaneer” is smash
in second round at the Palms.
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” is
smooth sailing in second week at
Madison. “Geisha Boy” shapes tor¬
rid in second stanza^ at the Michi¬
gan. “South Seas Adventure” looks
terrific in 13th week at Music
Hall.

Estimates for This Week

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1.25-
$1.50)—^“Roots of Heaven” (20th)
and “Diamond Safari” (20th).
Grand $20,000. Last week, “Bank
That Should Be Robbed” (20th)
and “Villa” (20th), $10,000.

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,000;
$1.25-$1.50)—“Geisha Boy” (Par)
and “Money, Women, Guns” (U)
(2d wk). Up to big $21,000. Last
week. $18,000.

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1.25-$1.50)

—“Buccaneer’* (Par) and “When
Hell Broke Loose” (Par) (2d wk).
Climbing to great $25,000, Last
week, $20,000:

Madison (UD) (1,900; 90-$1.25)—
“Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col)
and “Enemy from Space” (Indie)
(2d wk). Soaring to smash $20,000.
Last week, $15,P00.

Broadway-Capitbl (UD) (3,500;
90-$l,25)—^“Man Inside” (Col) and
“Senior Prom” (Col). Average
$12,000. Last week, “Unwed Moth¬
er” (AA) and “Joy Ride” (AA)
$ 10 , 000 .

United Artists (UA) (1,667; $1.25-
$3)—“Couth Pacific'’

(20th) {38th
$7,000. Last week.

wk). Neat
$5,000.

Adams (Balaban) (1,700- 90-

$1;25)—“Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d
wk) Oke $8,000 in 6 days. Last
week, $7,500.

Mnsic Hall (SW-Cinerama) (1.-
208; $1.50-$2.65)—“South Seas Ad¬
venture” (Cinerama) (13th wk).
Great $24,500. Last week, $19,000

’Trans-Lnx Kiim (Trans-Lux)
(1,000; 90-$1.65)—“Horses- Mouth”
(UA) (2d wk). Fine $12,000. Last
week, $10,000.

D.C. Soars; Tables’ Socheroo 21G,
‘Canfle’Wow 17a‘Seas’Mo 15G

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Grosa
This Week .$3,256,500

Based on 21 cities and 217
theatres, chiefly first ‘runs, in¬
cluding N.Y.)

Last Tear.$3,393,700

Based on 20 cities and 220
theatres.)

'Geisha Wow 23G,
Frisco; 'Live 17G

San Francisco, Dec. 30.
First-run trade Is perking cur¬
rently. “Geisha Boy” is socko at.
the Golden Gate while “I Want to
Live” is great at the United Artists
to pace newcomers. “Sinbad” is
rated fine in second at St. Francis.
“South Seas Adventure” is soaring
to a smash take in fifth Orpheum
week, “Buccaneer” looms good in
first holdover round at Paramount.
Estimates for This Week
Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; $1.25)
—“Geisha Boy” (Par). Wow $23,000.
Last week, “Restless Years” (U)
and “Appointment With Shadow”
(U), $6,500. >.

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1,50)—
Roots of Heaven” (20th) and
Frontier Gun” (20th). Mild $13,-
000. Last week, “Girl In Bikini”
(Indie) and “Scandal in Sorrento”
(DCA) (reissues), $9,500 for 8 days.
Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 90-$1.25)
-“Tom Thumb” (M-G). (2d wk3.
Oke $10,000 in 6 days. Last week,
$9,000.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$1.25)
—“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Good
$15,000. Last week, $15,000.

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1.25-
$1,50)—“Seventh Voyage of Sin¬
bad” (Col) (2d wk). Fine $14,000.
Last week, $15,000.

Orpheum (SW-Cinerama) (1,456;
$1.75-$2.65)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (5th wk). Smash
$26,000. Last week, $15,500.

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,207;
90-$1.25)—“I Want to Live” (UA).
Great $17,000. Last week, “Scream¬
ing Skull” (AI) and “Brain Eaters”
(AI), $6,000.

Stagedoor (A-R) (440; $1.25-3.1)0)
—“Gigi” (M-G) (25th wk). OK
$10,500.,Last week, $7,200.

Presidio (Hardy-Parsons) (744;
$1.25-$1.50)—“Lovers of Paris”
(Indie), Nice $3,000. Last week,
“Up Creek” (Rank) (4th wk),
$ 2 , 000 .

Vogue (S.F. Theatres) (364;.$1.25)
-"Seventh Seal” (Indie) (6th wk).
Big $3,200. Last week, $2,200.

Alexandria (United California)
(1,170; $1.50-$3.50)—“South Pa¬

cific” (Magna) (26th wk). Up to
sock $14,000. Last week, $8,000.

‘Running’ Past $13,000
In Seattle; ‘Roots’ 8G

Seattle, Dee. 30.
Some new,, strong product Is
helping trade generally here this
round. “Roots of Heaven” looks
good at Coliseum while “Some
Came Running” shapes great at
Music Hall. “Old Man and Sea”
looms big at Music Box. “Buc¬
caneers” is heading for fair tak¬
ings in second Paramount week.
Estimates for This Week
Bine Mouse (Hamrick) (800;
$1.50-$2.50) — “South Pacific”
(Magna) (31st wk). Swell $8,000.
Last week, $3,600.

Coliseum (Fox-Evergreen) (1,870;
90-$1.50) — “Roots of Heaven”
(20th) and “Frontier Gun” (20th).
Good $8,000. Last week, “Unwed
Mother” (AA) and “Joy Ride”
(AA), $6,300.

Fifth Avenue (Fox-EvergreenJ
(2,500; 90-$1.50)—‘'Seventh ' Voy^
age Sinbad” (Col) (2d wk). Swell
$10,000 or over. Last week, $9,^0.

Music Box (Hamrick) (850; 90-
$1.50)—“Old Man & Sea” (WB).
Big $7,000 or near. Last weelL
‘Gigi” (M-G) (11th wk), $3,800.

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,200; 90-
$1.50)—^“Some Came Running”
(M-G). Great $13,000 or close.
Last week, “Tunnel of Love”
(M-G) and “Appointment With Sha¬
dow” (U) (4th wk), $3,700.

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2,700; 90-
$1.50)—“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and
“Snowfire” (AA) (2d wk). Oke
$7,000. Last week, $5,100.

Parwouni (Fox-E v e r g r e e n)
(3,107; 90-$1.50) “Buccaneer”
(Par) (2d wk). Fair $7,500. Last
week, $8,800.

Washington, Dec. 30,

Burst of sock biz In most main-
stem cinemas is spelling out Happy
New Year the happiest way here
“Separate Tables” is a real cham¬
pion at the 904-seat Columbia, with
a sensational second week. “Buc¬
caneer” is also in a second-week
jump, vaulting to a smash total.
“Bell, Book and Candle,” also great
at Trans-Lux, could be a record-
setter there. “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” is fair in second round
[“Night Heaven Fell” looks big at
276-seat Plaza. “South Seas Ad¬
venture” in second week looms
socko at Warner. ‘Tom Thumb” is
improving but is still below hopes.

Estimates for This Week
Ambassador-Metropolitan (SW)
(1,490; 1,000; 90-$l.25)—“Seventh
Voyage Sinbad” (Col) (2d wk).
Mild $11,000. Makes way for
“Auntie Marne” (WB)’. Last week,
“Sinbad” was same.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 90-$1.25)
—“Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d wk).
Fair $14,000 with heavy kiddie
helping after $8,500 opener.

Columbia (Loew) (904; 90-$1.25)

—“Separate Tables” (UA) 2d wk).
Sensational $21,000 on top of $19-
000 opener. Holds.

Keith’s (RKO) (1,850; 90-$1.25)—
“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Smash
$17,000 after $15,000 in first.

MacArthur (K-B) (900; $1,101—
“Shamus” (Indie) (2d wk). Mild
$2,000. Last week, $1,800.

Ontario (K-B) (1,240; 90-$1.25)—
“My Uncle” (Cont). Big $9,000.
Last week, “Houseboat” (Par) (10th
wk). -$2,000.

Palace (Loew) (2,390; 90-$l.251—
“Roots of Heaven” (20th). Nice
$10,000 but departs. Last week,
“Restless Years” (U). $7,000.

Plaza (T-L) (276; 90-$1.50)—

“Night Heaven Fell” (Kings).
Tremendous $9,500 for this tiny
house. Last week, “Razzia” (In¬
die), $1,800 in 4 days of third
frame.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; $1.25-

$1.80)—“Bell, Book, Candle” (Col).
Sockeroo $17,000, one ^ of best
weeks ever here. Last week,
“Tarawa Beachhead” .(Col) (2d wk),
$3,200.

Uptown (SW) (1,100; $L25-$2.50)

—“South Pacific” (Magna) (2d wk).
Good $8,500 for first w’cek ended
Monday (29).

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,300;
$1.25-$2.40)—“South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (2d wk). Socko.
$15,000 after $7,400 for opener.

Balto ImproTes; ‘Marne’
Okay IIG, ‘Roots’ Fair
$5,000,‘Geisha’3(^ 3d

Baltimore, Dec. 30.

Standout currently is “Auntie
Mame” which is doing impressive
biz at the Century. Elsewhere, It’s
rather bleak. “Roots of Heaven” is
only fair in first at Mayfair. “Sene-
chal the Magnificent” is slow in
first at the Cinema and “Horse’s
Mouth” and ‘‘My Uncle” are not
much better at 5 West and Play¬
house, respectively “Tom Thumb”
is st'll disappointing in second at
the Hipp and “Seventh Voyage of
Sinbad” is also down in same ses¬
sion at the New. “The Buccaneer ,
is only fair in second frame at the “
Stanley.

Estimates for This Week

Century (R-F) (3,100; 50-$1.50)—
“Auntie Mame” (WB). Good $11,-
000. Last week, “Restless Years”
(U), $3,000.

Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50- -
$1.25) —“Senechal” (DCA). Slow
$1,500. Last week; “Love Lottery’
(Cont)^ $2,000.

Five West tSehwaber) (460; 90-
$1.50) — “Horse’s Mouth” (UA). .
Oke $2,000. Last week, "Shamus’ ,r-
(Indie), $1,000. /.

Hippodrome (R-F) (2,300; 50-
$1.25)—‘Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d,
wk). Dim. $2,500 after $4,500.,
opener. . j ’

Little (R-F) (300; 50-$1.25)--
“Nice . Little Bank” ,(20th). Tepid
$2,000. Last week, “White- Wilder¬
ness” (BV) (5th wk). $2,000.

Mayfair (R-F) (980; 50-$1.50) --
,"Roots of Heaven” (20th). Fair
$5,000. Last week, “Houseboat
(Par) (6th wk), $2,500.

New (R-F) (1,600; 50-$1.25) —
“Voyage of Sinbad” (Col) (2d wk).
Down to $4,000 after $8,000 in first

Playhouse (Schwaber) ( 400 ; 90-
$L50)—?‘My Uncle” (Cont). Fair
$1,700. Last week, “Me and
Colonel”^ (Col) (11th wk), $1,500.

Stanley (R-F) (3,200; 50-$1.50)
“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Fan
$7,000 after $11,000 in first.

Town (R-F) (1,125; 50-$l-25) r-
“Geisha Boy’- (Par) (3d wk). MiW
$3,000 after $5,000 In second.

Wodnetday, Decottbcr SI* 1^8

P^GSBPff

hcuju gsossks

N.Y.

‘Inn’Paciqi LA, WbeHnig $53M
‘Manie’Rnu^ 44GI ialiles’1b
22G, ‘Runinig’ % ‘Sinbad’ 31G

Los Angeles, Dec. 30. -
A smash :|350,000 is in store for
L.A. first-runs here this round*
from 26 regular situations hut it
is under last year’s total for 33
houses. Helped hy New Year’s
holiday, virtually every hill Is
showing imdsual strength, with
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” leading
thd field .with a mighty $53,000
likely at four theatres.

“Auntie Marne” among hold¬
overs is forging ahead to near,
house retord of $44,000 in second
round at the Chinese. ^‘Separate
Tables” also is heading for a mew
high with a wham $22,000. on
initial session at Fox Beverly.
“Tonka” is heading for bright
$21,000 ror over in Jhree splits.

“Lonelyhearti” looks hig $13r
000 at Warner Beverly. ^’Sinbad”
looms mighty in second round in
three -houses. '^‘Some Came Run¬
ning” is sDckeroo $30,000 in second.
Hollywood Par week, ^^uccaneer”
is lus^ $20,000 in second roiind
for three sites, “Tom Thumb” is’
busy $10,000 in two housea in
second week.

“South Seas Adventure” is hig
$26,200 in 13th week at Warner
Hollywood,

Eatimatea for This Week
Fox Beverly (FWC) (1,170; $1.50-<
$2.401—‘Separate Tables” * (UA).
Boffo $22,000. Last w^, “I Want
to Liver (UA) C4th wk-3 days),
$5,000.. . ’

Downtown Pafanwinit, Iris*' Id

Key (ABPT-FWC)(3,S00; «25; KI;.
90-$150)—“Tonka’f, (BV) hnd
“Raising a Riot” (Iris, HI Reyl,
“Miracle ef Man^linp” tHidie) .
(2d wki. Bright $20iX)D or over.;
Last week. Downtown Far, "Mir¬
acle of Marcellino” andie) dat'
wk-8 days!, $VW- Iris vdth Los^
Angeles, Lbycila, “At. War
Army” (Indie) limits” (Farli
(reissues), $13,200. £1 Rcy; "N^t ;
to Remeittfcr” (Rank),. $2,4t)D. .

Pantag^ Lot Angt^es* Imveli*
Four Star (RRO-FWO^TC) XZrl
815; 2,017; 1,2«8; $68; $L50$2)^:
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20tWj
Blockbuster $53,000 nr over. Liid,
week, Pantages, '*Peji»ii; Place*^
(20th), “Long, Hot Summer” (20th) ^
(reissues!, $1,000. • , . :

Waimer Beverly (1^2; $0-
$1.50)—“Lone^earts;” (DAL. Big
$15,000. Last week, “Bell, Btibk,^
Candle’-* (Col) (6th wk-10 d^rt),;
$7,200. i

New Fox (FWC) 765* $1.25'-$3)—;
“Windiammer” (NT) (m.o.X Loiid^
$ 10 , 000 . Last we^, “Last Hurrah’’;
(Col) an4:"‘Kiil HervGently” (CoDi
(2d wk-4; dajrs), $2,000.

Downtoam* Wiltem, .Hollywood
(SW-FWC) (1,757; 2,344; 756; $0-:

(Continued on page 16)

L’villeUp;‘llai)e’M
$ll,0fi0; IhccaBeer’ M

Lbiiiiville, Dec.

Louisville firstrruns .are xbon^ig:
this week, after the'usual. !Xmas;‘
slowdown' “Auntie Mame’t at the i
Mary Anderson had the placed
jumping, for hest grosa in mbnt^.:
Holdovers shape higher, in acane;
instances, nearly douhli!^ hiZ; pfi
pre-Yuletide stanza, “Yom Thtin;d)“;
at the Brown “Buccaneer” at'
the I^tucky are way above tt»e i
preceding, week,
j. Estillaita foe TUa Week
Browm. (Fouith AveJ (1,200; »0-
$1.25)—‘Toin Thumb” (M-G) (2d:
wk) Soaring to lofty $7,500 after
first week’s $4,000.

^lioeky (Switow) (900; W$8)
Buccaneer” (Pari (2d wB. Into
high roeed for a swcH $9,000 after*
initial week’s $7,000.
nn^? 7 -,AMeraom (Pco^c’s) (l.OQO;
fi0-$l.25)—"Auntie Maine” (WB).
Opened Xmas Day to hefty hit,,
and indicating a smash $11,000.

<FoUrth Av^) (3,000; fSr

2poto of Heaven** (20th)-

The (20th) and “Gladiat^
(20th) (reissues), $4.500:

Hrtfsta (UA) (3,000; 60-
:!^e*»^th Yoysge Sinbad”
(Col) and "Apache Terr it o r y ” (Col)

Pace stepped up to fine
$7,000 after ^st week’s $4,500.

RAME’LUSH $13,000,
PORT.; mUEER’IIG

Portland, Ore., Dec. 30.
City Is leaning heavily on hold¬
overs in current roimd for best
showings. Top n e w. c o m e r is
'‘‘Auntie Marne,” big at the Broad¬
way, ‘Buccaneer” is perking in
second session to a lu^ total at
Paramount while “Tom Thumb”
is better in second frame at Lib¬
erty than opening week. “Roots of
Heaven” is rated mild at the Fox
Eattmates for This Week
Broadway (Parker) (1,890; $1-
$150)—“Auntie Marne” (WB). Big
$13,000. Last week. “South Pa¬
cific” (Magna) (30th wk), at $250;
top, $ 5500 .

Fox (Evergreen) (1.536; $1-$150)
—^BDOts of Heaven” (20th) and
“Flaming Frontier” .(20th)- Mild
$6,000. Last week, “Adventures
Tom Sawyer” (NTA) (reissue) and
“Snowftre” (AA), $5,700^

Good (Indie) (400; $1-$1.50)—
.“Gigi” (M-G) (19th wk). Slow $3,-
OOO.^Last we^. $3300.

liberty ^(Hamrick) .(1$65; $1-
$1.50)—‘Tom Thumb” (M-G) and
‘Money, Women, Guns" (U) (2d
wk). P«k^ to okay $7,000. Last
wedc. $4,400.

O r pp taa t (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$L50)—‘Seventh Voyage of Sin-
bad” (Col) and “^Apadie Territory”
(Col) ^ wk). Dp to passable $6,-
$00. Last wedt, $6,000.

P anumb pmt (3,400; $1-

$1.50)—“Buccaneer^* (Par) and
*5Fitrty Crashers” :(Par) (2d vk).
Lusty $11,000. Last week, $9,800.

Indianapolis, Dec; 30.

AU Christmas week Hrst-run pix'
here are holdovm and mnst of^
them are doing bigger biz than last
istanza. Leader again is ^‘Seventh
Voyage of Smbad” at reopened In¬
diana. It is rated ^cat in .second ;
wedc. “Geisha Boy” at the Circle
lodto fancy. “Buccaneer" at j
Kdth'sdio is strong “South Paci¬
fic” has taken a new. lease on
life In 37th week at Lyric. “Tom
Thnmb” Js up, but still lag^g at
Loew’s.

Estimates for This Week

Clrclo (Cockrill-Dolle) (2,800;
75-90)—“Geisha Boy” (Par) (2d
wk). Grand $i0i000. Last week,

$3,000.

Mima (G-D) (3,200; 75-90)—
^‘Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col)
and “Let’s Rock” CbD (2d wk).
Great $12,000. Last wedc, $10,000.

MtKs (C-D) (1300; 90-$1.25)—
'"Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). Big
$9,000. Last wed;. $lLO00. ^

[ Loew^Si (Loew) (2,427; 75;90)—
[‘Tom Thumb” (M-G) and Andy
Hurdy Comes Home’* (M'H) {2d
wk). HUd $5^. Last week,
S4.000

^yrie (C-D) (850; $135-$230)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (37th wk).

, Sodo $10,000; Last week, $5,000.

I BuilalOj Dec. SO.

r Bk Is perking up here this
stmza. Most of stnmgth is with
holdovers but “Tonka” Is xated
bright at Lafaj^tte. Even more
brilliant is ^‘Some Came Running,”
great at the L200-seat Teck. "Bue-
t Sineer” k up sharply to big take
In. second Paramount round. “Sin-
bad” l yMM sturdy In second frame
at Ceatuiy. t

EsttMief for Thk Week
; Btfaii (Loew) ( 3 , 500 ; 7^90)—
“Tom Thunib” (M-6) and “Thun-,
dering *ts” Ondie) (2d wk). Fair
$9,000 or ovrir in 6 days. Last week,

^cSter (AB-PD (3,000; 7(1-9^
“Roots of HeaVen’* (20th>. Mild
$7,000. Last week, ‘Tlace in Sun’
(Continued on page 16)

eoiyESTiiiE

NITHODETIIKES

i Booming biz at first-run theatres
will keep Broadway wickets spin¬
ning this session as the Street has
shaken pre-Christmas influences.
And the stagefilm houses are tak¬
ing the spotlight. The Roxy, Music
Hall and State, all with stage-
shows plus their films, are heading
for mk^ty coin, totals. The three
alone will come close to racking up
$548,000 or better than all the rest
of first-run theatres combined.

With Its' annual caufstmas stage-
show and* “Auntie Marne,” the
Miisie Hall is heading for a new
aiUtime high of $228,000 in current
(4th) ueasioB. It would top the for¬
mer mark of $226,500 registered
hy “Sayonara.”

The Root, with" “Seventh Voy¬
age of Siimad” and an elaborate
Yulefide show, finished its second
stanza yesterday (Tues.) with a
mighty $195,000 or riose, « figure
surmissed only by “The Robe,”
which idaye^ at higher admissions.
The Alan Freed rock-n-r6ll stage-
show headed by Johnnie Ray with
^‘Vdla” loi^ to hit a sockeroo
$125.tX)0 St the State, near the top
stagefilm mark there.

Brightest new straight-filmer
looks to he ‘Ruccaneer,” with a
mreat $67,000 opening i^k at the
Capitol Another big newcomer is
“Rally Round Flag, Boys,” with
$39,000 on initial stanza at Palace.
%11, Book and Candle” also is
smash with $30.^000 in first session
at toe Odeon and $16jOOQ at the
Fine Arts.

The ace' holdover -is “Sepiurate
Tables,” with a terrific $43,000 in
second Astor week and'a new high
of $22,000 in second stanza at the
Nebnandie. Boito are far ahead of
opening round figures. "Gririia
B^” looks like smash $31,000 in
second M^alr week. ’

^‘Inn of Sixth Happhiess” Is soar¬
ing to a sock $65,000 in third week
at the Paramount and a great
$15;200 at the Plaza where day¬
daring. ..

* “Night to Remember” wound its
second stanza on two-a-day at the
Criterion with a nice $20,300, “I
Want to live” pushed to hotsy $21,-
000 in sixth sesrion at toe Victoria.
"South Seas Adventure” climbed
to a sturdy $24,800 in 23d week at
the Warner.

Estiauies for This Week

Astoc (City Inv.) (1,094; -75-$2)—
“Sepuate Tables” (UA) (2d wk).
This round is zooming to wow
$43^000 or near. First was $30,000,:
tmusually big for time of year.
Stays on Indef.

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25-$2>—
“My Uncle” (Cont) (9th wk). Eighth
session completed last Sunday (28)
was great ^,200. Seventh, $6,600. j
Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$l50)
—“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk). First
stanza ended Monday (29) wss
mighty $67,000 or jdose. Looks in
for run. *

Bedman (RAB> (590; $1.20-
$1.75)-^‘He Who Must Die” (Kass-
ler). Opened last Sunday (28), with
a very big $5,000 in sight for first
three dayx Last week, not rirst-
run. . • J

Criterion (Moss) (1,671; $1.80-j
$2.50) — “Night to Remember”
(Rank) (3d wk). First holdover ses¬
sion finished yesterday (Tues.) was ^
fine ^,500. Initial week, $lf J500 .1
Fbw Arts (DavhO (46^' 90-$150)
—“Ben, Book, Candle” (Col). First
round ending today (Wed.) looks
to hit mi^ty $16,000. Continues.

G«M (GuiW) (450; $1-$1;75)—
"My Uncle”^(Cont) (9th wk). Eighth
stanza finished Sunday (28) was
.great $7,800. Seventh was $5,400.

Mayfair Gndie) (1,736; 79-$L80)
—“Geisha Boy” (Par) {2d u*). This
stanza winding up . tomorrow
(Thurs.) Is soaring to $31,000. or
dose, great First week $17,200.
Stays on.

Konuniio (Trans-Lux) (592;
$13041-a0> — “Separate Tables"
(UA> (2d wfc>. This session winding

(Continued on page 16)

E$tnHtte$ Are Net

Film grosi estimates as ce-
poited .jerewith from the vari¬
ous key cities,^ are -ngt; ~
. without usual tax Distrib¬
utors share on net takcv when
playing percentage, bme the
estfmaied figures are net in-,
come.

The parentoetkr. admisstett
prices,, however, as indicated.

include the U. S. amusement
tax

STATE CUSliapesBoffi^^ Miglity

TAKES ^

SeM Smash4(l&1ui pMicy at $27,1

TONKA'LIVELY lOd !
ST.L;‘T8liMB’$li»,000

St Louis. Dee. 80.
Most first-runs have holdovers:
currently and are dedng far better.
than on opening stanas. One eit
few newcomers li “TwAa,” Mato
at Qrpheum. “The Buecimeer” at
the St Louis is great.in second^
round as is ^‘Tom Thumb” ait
Loew’s. “Geitoa Boy” at the Fox
is rated ^8 ih first holdover'ses¬
sion. “South Seas Adventure” is
soaring to a great l^ure In ninth
Ambassador week.

Etomates for This Week
fimbamader (Cinerama} (1,400;
$130-$2.40)—“Souto Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) <9to wlri- Great
$12,000. Last weito, $6,000.

Apolie Art (Grace) $0-:

$135)—^‘Inspector Maigret” (to-
die). Oke $2500. Last week, ’‘The
RooU” Ondie), $1500. •

Fox (Arthur) (5.000; 6S-J0)—
"Oisha Boy” (Par) and "E^rth to
Moon” (WB) (2d wWl Big $15500.
Last week, $12,000. ^

Loe^s (Loew) (3.800; 60-90)—
“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and “Anatoe
Territory” (Col) CM wk),

$16,000 m* near. Last weto, $8,000.

Orphenm (Loew) (1,000; 60-90]^—
“Tonka” (BY). Mato $10,000- Uwt
week. “Haunted Straauaer” (M-G)
and ‘TMd Witoout Face” (M-G),
$3,000.

Pageant (Arthur) (1.000; $160-
$235)—“South Padfic” (Migna)
(37th wk). Fancy $6,000. Last weto.
$3,000.

St Lwto (Artour) (3,600; 60-75)
—-‘The Buccaneer” (Pm) (2d wk).,
Great $14,000 or dose. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

Shady Oak (Arthur) X560; 60-60)'
—“Senechal toe Ifaghifieent”
(DCA). Fair $1,500. Last, week,-
“Truto About Women” fCont) (2d
wkl $1,000.

Inn ScNioSi^^^

PfaiUdelphia, Dec, 80.
Trade Is uneven here tots round
with moppets helptog “Tom
Thumb,” “Tonka,” ^Rlnbad” and-
^Grisha Boy.” “Thumb” .is rated
big at Arcadia while toe city’s
new leader Is “Inn of Sixth Hap¬
piness,” which is socko at the Fox.
“Tonka” is tall at Goldman. “Sin-
bad” looms okay in second at
Stanley. j

“Buceane^ - shapes smash la
second at Stanton. “Geisfaa Bov”
looks good in third d Raadolito.;
*‘Gi^” is riimbiiig to a hotsy toko
in second at toe VQttog,
Estimates for TUs Week
Artodia (S&S) (536^* 664130)—
“Tom Thunto” (M-C). Big $12,006
or over. Last week, “Party Girl"
(M-G) (4to wk), $6,400.

Boyd (SW) (1,480; $13042.40)—
“Windjammer” (NT) C9th wk).
Trim $10,000, Last week, $6500.

Fox (NaribnsD (2350; 9441-49)^
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20to>.
Soto $25,000. Last weel; **Bank
Should Be Robbed” (SOto) and
.“Gang War” (20to), $3500 In 5

Mdmu (Goldman) (1300;
$l,40-$2.60)—“Tonka” (BV). TsH
$14,000. Last week, “Revolt to Big
House” (AA) and. “Johnny Boeco”
CAA), $7,000.

MUtown (Goldman) 0306;
$13042.40) — “South Pacif lV*
(Magna) (40to Wk). SoUd $10,000.
Last week, $6300.

mandrtph (Goldman) 0350; 64-
$1.49)—"Geisha Boy” (Par) (3d wk).
Good $9,000 or over. Last weto,

^iShiley (SW) (2,900; OMLBO)—
“Seventh Voyi^ Sinbad” (Col) (2d
wk). Up to oke $13,000. Last
weto, $7,000.

Stonton (SW) (1,483; 99-$L4&)r-

“Buccaneer” (Part (2d Big

$15,000. Last week, $14,000. ^ ■

Studio (Goldberg) (400| 99-$1.40>
—‘.‘Hulot's Holiday” (Indie) arid
(Continued on page 16)' '

, Chicago, Pec. 30.

Current session" shapes bofl with
arrival of fresh blockbusten.
There*! fresh product at no less
toan eight driuxers, and tMs,
coupled with decent weather and
toe holiday stooot recess, should
really zoom trade. Facing the
opmiers is State-Lake’s "Separate
Tables,” great at $63,000. Pic’s fir^
day (25) was best at the house since
‘Tiktogs” preera last summer.

OrirnttoTs first week of “Boots
of Heaven” is figured a h^ $27,000
while “Bell, Book and Candle**
initialer »t toe Woods should hit a
wham $40,000. “My Unde” is
rated hefty $9 000 at the Surf.

UMted Artists* “Inn of'Sixth
Happiness" looks to log a great
$27,000 preem stanza. “Tonka” Is
figured fat $29500 at .Roosevelt.

C%icMlo*s second frame of “Buc¬
caneer” to figured strong, and live¬
lier thin preem. “Tom Thumb"
tooiild chalk up a fat second at the
Lo^, and ditto round of “Seventh
Vo 3 age of Sinbad” is rated sock at
toe Ctorrito.

Of toe hurd-tieket pix, “South
Seas Adventure” post^ a hotsy In
14to Palace xound. “South Padfic"
notebed a good 40th session at the
KeViCkers. on switchover

from Harris (Now Midiad Todd,
legit-picture stand) to Todd’s Cine-
stage, dimbed to a fancy ^th

Estimates tor This Weto

Career (Teiem’t) (485; $135)—
“WHe tor a Night” (Indie) and
*‘Rooto” (Indie). Good $3,580. Last
week reissues.

Otieago m&K) (3,900; 904L88)
—‘Bocctoeto” (Par) (2d wk). Soto
$40,609. Last weto, 1^000.

Eavtire (HIcE Balaban) a,356;
$L50) — "Houseboat” (Par) (Slh
wk). Hep $7500. Last week, $6,506.

Gerrito (BfcK) (m; 9041.25)—
*^vento Voyage Sinbad” (C^)
(3d yto>. Haiw $18,600, weto,
$1A660.

Leef (Tdem’t) (606; 9041.50)—
**T«n Thumb” (M-G) (2d wk).
Lofty $20,660. Last week. $15,006.
' MeVltoen (JL&S) (1580; $135-
$336) — “South Padfic” (Magna)
(46towk). Big $22,000. La^week,
$12,606.

Memme (Jovan) <1500; 85-60)—
“Ft. Bowie" (UA) mid “Tomahawk
TraH" (UA). Fine $6,000. Last weto
“Femmakeri” (UA) and “Menace
In (UA) ast wk), $4500.

Gritotel (Indie) (3.400; 9041-56)
—“Roots of Heaven" (20th). Hep
$27,060. Las^ wek, “Anna Lu-
casta” (tJA) (4th wk), $11,000.

Palace (SW-Ctoerama) (1,434;
$13543.40)—"South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (14to wk). Dan^
$28,000. Last week, $23,000.

Roosevto’ (BAK) (1,400; 96-

$1.80)—"Tonk'’” (BV). Sockti $29.-
I 000. Last week, **Earto to Moon"
(WB) and “Endianted Island**
(WB)-(2d wk), $7500. .

I Stete-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 96-
$1.69> — “Separate Tables” (UA).
Smato $63,000. La^ week, “I Want

(Continued on page 16)

$iccueer' 12(1
Pr»T4TMb’TalieG,
%dsia'&aa49G,2d

Providence, Dec. 30.

With toe (Aristmas hoUdiQr dol¬
drums gone. RKO Albee has toy-
rocketed with “The Buccaneer.**
Also on the hot side Js Majesttoh
’Tonka.” Strand looms big in sec¬
ond wito “The Geisha Boy," “Tom
Thumb*’ srill to drab in second
round at toe State.

Eatimetes tor Thk Weto

Albee (RKO) ’ (2300; 65-90) —
“The Buccaneer" (Par) and "VnUT
C20to). Giant $12,000. Last weto,
“Unwed Mother” (AA) and “Joy¬
ride" (AA), $3500.

Maiettie (SW) (2300; 65-80)—
“Tonka" (BV). Happy holiday hop¬
ing to nice $19,000. Last week,
“Blood of Vampire” (U> and "ltc»-
Ster On Campus^ (U), $5,000.

State (Loew) (3300; 85-80)—
*To» *rhttnto" (M-G) and "Tar-
zan*s Fii^ for life” (M-G) (2d
wk>. Up some thou^ still very
Blow at $6,500. First was $5500.

Strand (National Realty) (2300:
65-601—“Getoha. Boy" (Par) and
“Hot Arigel”* (Par) (2d wk). Socko
$9,000. First week, $6,000.

Wednesday, December 31, 1958

f/

‘‘Reniarkabiy
striking
and
dramatic!
A splendid
filmization
of the hit
Broadway
play'
Bound to
have strong
drawing
power!”

-F'-LM DA-iV

PHILIP )mm

EVEN MORE EXCITING THAN THE INTERNATIONAL ^TAGF HIT'

siiMiiy onvis, m.

aslaiioy"

THRU

UA

PHI[!P yOROAN
ARN0 l 3 LAyPfi

[;V[I! P-SSS'E s
:es 'r:. F'CGicnc"

PTBSiBff

'VAMiTY't' LOMDOW MPICI

If. Martin't PI«c*r Trafalgar Sguar*

Puritanical Israeli Dress Up Dancers

, Tel Aviv, Dec. 30.

THe African Folk Dancers of Keita Fodeba whose performance
was “scrutinized” by a group of government officials looking close¬
ly at the scantily dressed figures of young African girls have been
permitted to appear in Israel on condition that one “highly erotic
sequence” be omitted completely and others be presented with the
girls putting on “more garments than theif wear in performances
elsewhere.”

The scene cut is called “Panthers and Lions” and stylises a jun¬
gle fairy-tale of ancient origin. Keita Fodeba, himself a Guinean
minister of state, strongly resents the official Intervention and ex¬
pressed regret that the troupe included Israel.

African gals lost much of their inherent purity of expression
when subject to the Israeli, brand of puritanism (borrowed from
Boston where chorus girls used to have to wear leggings on the
Sabbath) and there was some division here between the worldly
Europeans and the conservative elements. Ballet was part of the
Festival of French Art under the auspices of the French. Embassy
here.

Xinilefella’ 1st
Of Kg West N

London, Dec. 30.

First of the major West End sea¬
sonal shows was Harold Fielding’s
production of “Cinderella” at- the
Coliseum on Dec. 18, with music
and lyrics by Rodgers and Ham-
merstein. The show has^ a firont-
ranking cast, with rpck’n’roUer
Tommy Steele, as’ Buttons; night
club singer Yana, as.-Cinderella;
and comedian Jimmy Edwards as
the king. Loudon Sainthill, who de¬
signed the scenery and costumes,
has put the emphasis on spectacle.
His decor frequently overshadows
the production. However, it looks
a cinch to rUn at capacity for its
limited season. The R&H times
give a. welcome lift to the tradi¬
tional story. The humor, however,
Is occasionally, heavy-handed. And
Betty Marsden is much too sophis¬
ticated as the Fairy Godmother’

“Sleeping Beauty,” Val Parnell’s
rival show at the Palladium, is an
equally certain house-filler. Lavish¬
ly staged by RobertNesbitt4t sticks
rather closely to the traditional
story. It is gay, magnificent and
fun of good humor. Parnell has
turned to tv for his stars. Charlie
Drake is a slapstick king and “Sun¬
day Night at the Palladium emcee
Bruce Fprssdh shows up weU as
the jester. Bernard Bresslaw, how¬
ever, seems rather over-awed by
the production. Edmund Hockridge
and Patricia Lambert are 4 happy
pair of lOvCTS.

Sarah Chimchill is the newest
Peter Pan at the Scala and the crix
were divided; about her. perform¬
ance. TJierie w:as general agree¬
ment, hdarever, that John Justin
gave a'fine performance as Caph
Hook. The pjfodiiction Itself is ohe
of the 1^ iince the war. The Mils
Bros, have the -London circus field
to themselves ibis year and have
provided » -tophotch; show at the
Olympia, with enough animals,
shrills aijd iddi^s to satiaty the
most avid chi]|fr An American: act.
The Aenal.C^pnisiu, provide one
of the atandont '^ks. Coco the
Clown iji Inehair^ <^the sli^stick,

a guarantee edv^ood; fun,:

The intmm xiSf Anton i>olin and
Markova in ‘^I^ere the Rainbow
Ends” has breught SRO biz to the
New Victoria Oncma. “Noddy in
Toyland'* -is also doing well at the
Victoria Palace. '

One of the most popular of this
year’s Christmas entries is a new
one, “Billy Bunter^ Mystery
Christmas,’’ featuring a maga^e
schoolboy character. Gerald Cam¬
pion, who popularized Bunter on
tv repeats his performari^c In an
amusing and exciting comedy.

Horror Pix Producer

Sees Peak Reached

London, Dec. 23. - ■
Hammer Films, British pioneer
producers of successful boxoffice
horror pix, considers the saturation
point for this tyi)e of film has been
reached. Producer Michael Car-
reras said: “I do not think public
Interest in them is dead, but the
demand has become more selec¬
tive.”

Carreras hinted that Hammer is
likely to start a new world cycle
with a new, distinctive type of
British ihusical,: Meanwhile, Ham¬
mer is making its 57th production,
a color thriller, "The Man in the
Rue Nolr,” for Paramount release.

CortmesfoBebedirated

Mexico City, Dec. , 23.

Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, ex-presi¬
dent of Mexico, will be decorated
with the Film Medal of Merit,
award of the Assn, of Mexican Film
Producers.

Producers unanimously voted the
medal for private ciazen Cortines
because of his “real aid to ttie film
industry during .his Six years of
government.” '

Exorbitant Costs Cat
Down Nninber of Yank
Pix Prods, in France

Paris, Dec. 30;

Although Yank pie, production
abroad is still burgeoning, France
has been passed up of late. Main
reason for this is. the exorbitant
cost outlay which top those Of any
other Continental country, U.S.
producers mainly use France for
necessary exteriors jQid local col¬
or, but are now leery 6f actual full
production.

Metro’s “The Blessing” did ex¬
teriors in France but interiors in
England; same was true of “The
: Scapegoat.” In 1958, “The Roots of
Heaven” Was shot in French stu-
; dios with exteriors in Africa and
some near Paris. The French union
1 demands for hiring French techni-
I clans for key spots, even if an
American is on the spot inch .ding
standby equipment, is another de¬
terrent. '

French studios are modern,
crews are good, and working hours
are acceptable. But the equipment
is sometimes not up to par, accord¬
ing to some Yanks who claim there
is not a decent crane in all of
France. A French film director
told Variett that French pix could
match the technical skUl of most
other countries afld had to rely on
candor, frankness and adult 4reat-
ment for their main international
prestige. French crews still lacked'
the adaptive, cohesive qualities of
the average American ones, this
director contended.

However, it Is hoped that with
the Common Market the growth of
big-scale internationally - slanted
coproductions will lead to building
up the technical scene here. They
have the knowhow, and the needed
fiinds might ^ve them the neces¬
sary productibti set^.'

Y anks are investing more in
French pix fcff dittrib rights and[
also putting up production. Coin.'
But there are no American pix.
skedded for French lerising in the
near future except for some scenes
in Dahyl Zanuck’s forthcomihg
“De Luxe Tour.”

kOB£RTOI(a£SlAS
HITS HAVANA HARD

Havana, Dec, 30.‘ ,

Roberto Iglesias and his BaUet
Espanol troupe opened here at the
Havana Riviera Hotel- during the
past week to acclaim, with grosses
to match. Sellouts have been the
rule for the first show each night
as the Spanish dancer and his com¬
pany, Who are booked for Jour
weeks, returned .to,the Riviera’s
Copa -Room for their second ap¬
pearance here in- eight months. In
his last'showing at the Copa, how-
.erer, Iglesias was little known,
comparatively, but with a long
American sellout tour under his
belt, under the aegis of Sol Hurok,
he comes back tp the flamenco
sweepstakes.

Hurok, Incidentally, has just
guaranteed Iglesias 16 weeks for
next season’s United States tour.
The past season was for eight
weeks, the .first year that Hurok
managed the dancer States-side.

Bob Ardrey to Coast

Playwrlglrt - scfe^nwrltw - author
Robert Ardrey planed to the
Coast receixtly to spend the
holidays, but is due Jan. 10 in
London to confer with Collins, his
publisher, regarding his next book,
to be titled “African Genesis.” He
then goes to Paris for confabs with
his European agent, George Mar-
ton, about various offers for Con¬
tinental productions of his recent
London drama, “Shadow of
Heroes.”

>-Aft« that, he’ll return to Mt-^
laga, Spain, to resume work on the
“African Genesis” manuscript.

ZMoreYanklegiters
Rated Okay for PariSv
’Wed^ 0^ ‘So^

I Paris, Dec. 23.

t Two 'more Yank plays opened
this weeln knd look in for fair to
good runs. Nowlef are Carson Mc-
1 Cullers’ "Member of the Wedding"

! and Uam O’BrIenfs “The Remark¬
able Mr. Pennypockcr.” “Wed¬
ding,” ndspted 1>y Andre Bay, is
.cfdled “Frailkie Adtams.” Its subtle-
i ty and mood Ad not sit well with
[French aisleAtters who mainly
I fottnd it talky and litefary. Some
^ kudosed the acting and direction.
It looks to be in for only a fair run.

I “P^ypacker*' (L'Etpnnant Pen-
[nypacter) was adapted by Roger-
Ferdinand and staged by Jean-
Pierre Grenier at the Theatre
Marigny. In French hands, this
tale seemed to hinge too much on
the farcical. -It is freshly acted,
and appears in for a good ruh. Re¬
views were okay,

BETA RHYTHM’S tfllRD
MADRID APPEARANCE

Madrid, Dec. 30. .

The Delta Rhythm Boys Wound
up their ihird engagement at the
Fasapoga here in. little- over a year
[^ahd are now in their eleventh swing
'abroad on circuits ranging from
Casablanca to Stockholm.

Itinerary this time around car-
ri^ the male quartet from Moulin
Rouge In Paris to Oran and back
to Madrid for an Easter‘perform¬
ance.* They covered Sweden in one-
• night stands with the Knappupp
Variety Show for four and a half
months, played six weeks at the
Paris vaudery Alhambra. lyoitt
Maxim’s in Geneva they teturned
here for a'seir-mit fortnight at
Pasapoga and will wind the year
at Barcelona.

Boys have been booked for past
[ 20 years by one agent, Paul Kapp
' of N. Y.

JokBstol Tdh Eires

Tokyo,..Dec. 23.

Eric Johttstoh TCPlfed to pro¬
test lodger by Eiren '( Japan Mo¬
tion Picture Producers Assn.) that
he wag unable to suspend the ex-
hibttioh of “Camp oh Blood Island,”
a Briti^ Hammer preductionb^^ft
shbxm..^ the , U.-S. which depicts
brutality of • Japanese soldiers to- :
■ward dyiliang ih a ^W eamp..

The MPEA proxy’s letter bf reply
said he didn’t think it advisable tp
make films that bring, back meiho-
ries of detestable experienceU bf '
World .War II and hoped, that they ■
will not he produced .again. But
he added that freedom of expres-
Sioh aa proinise'd in the- constitu-^
tions of the .world countries is the
freedom of motion pictures as well
and. it should not be violated. i
■ Johnston expressed the desire I
to pmsonally talk the inattef over I
with concerned Japanese parties
during his expected visit here next
year. |

.---^^- 'I

Raul de Anda New Head
Of Mex iDm Producers

Mexico City, Dec. 30.

Raul de Anda was» elected unani¬
mously to head the Assn> of Mexi^l
can Film Producers. He has instf- j
toted a-program to achieve solidar-;
ity in the local film' Industry.-

Board of directors includes:’ Gre¬
gorio Wallerstein, Cesar Santos
Galindo, AbeL Salazar, Gronzalo
Elvira, Jesus Grovas, Oscar Brooks,
Armando Orlve Alba, Juan Bru-
guera, Felipe-Mier, Juan J. Ortega
and Santiago Reachi.

Jesus Sotomayer has been named
; to rep the indie producers.

.iSTCTWAfiograi. u

GernMA Fis Kz Fopi$ New Assn.

To fVolect % TV Onshui^

Friesa^h’s Festiyal

Vienna, Dec-. 30.

' The open-air stage of toe Castle
on toe Petersberg Hill- near Frie^
sach in Carinthia will be the scene
of the Frlesach Festival next sum¬
mer. During nine preceding years,
^such presentations drew 120,000
visitors. ‘

This year’s program ‘^Offerg tol
CSeihard Hauptmann's tragedy
^Tlorlan. Geyer,” which is
on the events of the German Peao-
attt Wars of the Ifllh century and
.(h> William SbUcespeare's comedy
"The Taming of the Shrew.”

Vwna *We
H^ IteiiiAi llil^

- ’Vienna, -Dec.

the chief of toe UnJon of the
chorua membera fcai informed toe
Vienna State Opera management,
that his members will ring in the
German language at toe forthcom¬
ing staging of “Cavalleria Ruati>
cana” and “Bajazzo.” He pointed
out, toat toe new contract omits
the provisio “ire all languages.*’-
Thus, German is the official chorus
language henceforth, regardless in
what language the principals * sing
in.

Mmagement Is not willing to
concede to this demand and asked
toe government for an arbitrary
xuUi^ If turned 'down, they still
have one hope td induce the t^or-^
l8ter» to learn thehr parts in. ttaj-
ian—paying overtime for studies.

ZURICH,WORLD-PREEMS
NEW BA^OT FILM

Zurich, Dec. "Sth

eWorld- preem of new Brigitte-
Bardot starter “La Femme et le
Pantin’' (The Woman and toe Pup-.
^t> at toe 450^eat Palace is pac¬
ing toe lineup' of New Year re¬
leases here. Year^cnd holiday:
bookinj^ look like one of the most
.yerfatile.' arrays ' of features in
yeus, featuring films, from seven
nations, ^ in original* versiGUs.

Three Yank releases are skedded.
“Merry Andrew”. (M-GI, “Vikings”
(UA) ahd “A Time To Lore and a
Time TO pie” (U). Beride ^‘Wom¬
an.-’ France will ewtribute Mich-
mle Morgan starrer “Two-Faced
Mirror” and Jacques Tati’s "My
Uncle,’^ Whereas Britain will be
represented "b;^ “Iron Petticoat”
with'Katoarine Hepburn and Bob
Hope.

Italian product includes “Anna
of Brooklyn,” starring Gina Lollo-
brlgida, plus “Padri e figli” (Fath¬
ers and Sons), with Vittorio de Sica
and Antonella Lualdi. C>eniuuiy*s
“Girls in Uniform” (Romy Scbnel-
der^tilU Palmer! and Austrian
thh.or ’‘‘Das Dreimaederlhaus”
(HodSe of Three Girk) are a^riset,
. Native fare figures • importantly
with a'new'Swiss pic,- “Die If ae*^

: serei .in her Vehfreu^,” produced
tor NeuePilm A. G. It is based oh
a peasant novel by 19to

century * ^Wiss writer,' . Jeremias
Gkttow, re-pbpularjzed by a suc-
'ceiirt^ radio serialization.,

Disney Takes Oxer RKO
Setup, Films in Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 23. .

incorporation of Japan RKO by
Walt Disney Productions, was re¬
vealed by A. L. Gaplan, Far East
"Pisney supervisor. Tills means that
Disney Productions has acquired'
toe entire stock of RKO Radio Pic¬
tures of Japan, Ltd. and will take
over its operation in Japan. Date
of actual transfer will be an-r
npunc^ later, but it is expected to
be during first half of next year.

Move has been made to cope 4dto
additional Disney product im¬
ported here. Daiei will continue to
release Disney films as its pact was
recently given a two-year renewal.
But other Disney product is al¬
ready being released to hitherto
RKO facilities. No personnel
Changes will be made. Toshlshige .
Ishikawa, who was RKO general
manager for Japan, will remain in
that capacity under the new setup.

. . Frankfurt, Dec. 23.

'The German film industty, hav¬
ing learned its lesson In advance
by seeing the American film In¬
dustry’s fight against the Inroads
of tele, has just formed a new as¬
sociation- to give the filmites a
measure of control against tv. The
kssoclttipn. first of its kind in Eu¬
rope, has no equal in toe U.S.

diAed toe Verwaltungs Gesell-
s<d^* fumr Fwmseherichtung (Ad-
ml^trative Association for Tele-
Rights), the new outfit,
formed last week, has its head-
*quertei« hf Vflesbaden. It will in-
etode.- Gennab distributors, pro-
doctf^ .tochhlrijMis, exhibitors, and
SP^' membere (leading organiza-
tkm. of ^hc otttire film industry).

Oa the ioitial committee are
sttrii key men eJ toe German films
-as Arno Haucke of UFA; film
(Hitribntor Thee Osterwind of Film
Hansa; product Dr. Herman
Schweripe, major theatre owner
S. LliblihcP, and Horst von Hart-
lieb. head pf toe Distributors Assn,
of Gennany.

.As- V<m Harllieb pointed out:
“We want tb make a good con¬
tract with television because In
Germany now there is the

l^venuoeht-controUed television
moifopolyrWe think we of the film
industry, should make some sort
of reguiatipns about servicing the
teltf^ indtistey and protecting our¬
selves from too much damage be¬
cause,of it,-We wnt to be a real
.parto^ to tv, film production, to
help make television films and
benefit German tele—but at the
same time protect the film in¬
dustry".

.Idea .of toe organization is to
collect all the tele rights on Ger¬
man films and see that no tv rights
are transferred without, its ap¬
proval. If tele wants a German fea¬
ture pic, it must negotiate with
this' association.

. prices paid for toe tv features
are not the main feature, von
Hartlieb explained, because there
are to many'producers competing.
•The -outfit has just been formed
and is- now oollecting the rights
from producers and distributors.

ItilMisSeek
ixteiisioiiOf
Pix Aid Setup

Rome, Dec. 23.

The Italian film Industry wants
an extehriott of current le^latlon,
whjeto ejqpiref next June, through
Deft 31; 196L Move wa« recently
decidto Ity Italian Union of

Prodiieto^' biKke<i Ity atmh Italo
Ptodurtloii as ANK^ chief

Eitri- Monacor add Tltimus prexy
Lombatdo. Decison to
'for T>ostponeme]at’ was. also
ptotopted Ity a rimiter decision on
the part of the French. The ex-
ttoiltin. through 1961 also coincides
wRh the di^ asked for by the
French'Producer’s Union.

Feetoig /here is that the extern
'sloO tvill-idlowe longer period of
di^OSsion, both by the French and
Itriians, and avoid a rush job on
the Vital legislation. Both film in¬
dustries work in. close harmony,
with ovejr onje-toird of their yearly
output nowjied up in mutual co-
produ^ive efforts.

While the French and Italian
film aid laws are essentially simi¬
lar, it’s been a longstanding local
desire that the German film in¬
dustry set itself up in a similar
way. Germany’s different industry
structure has long been felt a
major obstacle confronting toe
longstanding local hope that a
GOmmoh Market for films may be
set np In Europe around a kei:nel
composto of toe Italian, French
and Gorman film industries.

i li«Mtea Onemas Cot Scale
London, Dec.. 30.

In an attempt to woo family au¬
diences, fomr cinemas in South East
London have inaugurated a "half-
,price-for-childr^” policy seven
days a week.

Half-price previously applied
only oh Saturdays ahd public holi¬
day!.

P^RIElff

vWcditeiJay, December 31^ 1958

\!R5©raBC!I

ENTHRALLED!

•

He had two wives

and led two lives!

•

He had one family
In Philadelphia,
another in Harrisburg

No wonder they
call him the Eighth
Wonder of the World!

CLIFTON DOROTHY CHARLES

lAfcDD Ailcniiinr Pnmmi

lE

JILL

RON

Produced by Directed by

CHARLES BRACKETT-HENRY LEVIN

Screenplay by Based on the play by

WALTER REISCH-LIAM O’BRIEN

is with It in 19591 6et with 20e,/

F lC T CTUEi

1959

IB

hiiN)rtaiit Court RiiEi^ on Boodunen

If Union Repljgice* Man for Seniority Purpoyes,
Ezhibs Not Liable for Idle Pay

St. Paul, Dec. 30.

Beversing state employment de¬
partment findings, the Minnesota
Supreme Court has rendered a de¬
cision of vital importance to many
exhibitors throughout the nation-^
one likely to save them thousands
of dollars annually.

In the first such decision that
estaUishes a precedent, the^ court
has ruled that an exhibitor is: not
accountable^ as far as unemploy¬
ment compensation is concerned,
when the projectionists* union re¬
places one of his booth operators.

It has he?n the unions* practice
In the Twin- Cities and undoubtedly
elsewhere after the end of outdoor
theatres’ sevens to replace many
of the temporary booth operators
In the four-wall houses with those
from' the shuttered ozoners—^this
by virtue of seniority. The replaced
projectionists then appiy for and
receive unemployment compensa¬
tion.

Under Minnesota and many other
states’ laws the exhibitor or any
orher emplojrer cannot object to
tie payment of unemployment
c impensation when he, without
cause, discharges a projectionist or
other employee without cause. But
exhibitors have been objecting un¬
successfully to the benefits being
charged to his “experience ac¬
count’’ at a substantial cost to him
when the union, not he, replaces
the projectionist.

However, theatres have not been
resisting such procedure to the ex¬
tent of libation. But when the
Minneapolis neighborhood Campus
booth operator was pulled out and
replaced thusly by the union, with
no desire by owner Sol Fisher for
the change, the latter oecided to
resist having the unemployment,
benefit charged to his experience
account.

Three state employment agen¬
cies, one after another on appeals,
decided against Fisher who then
carried the matter to the state
Supreme Court, his last resort
with the far-reaching result indi¬
cated.

In going contrary to the state
employment agencies’ rulings, the
Supreme Court held invalid the de-
partmentals’ • stand that the union
is the exhibitor’s agent

WORLD GETS GUINNESS
IN Li?EY CHI BIDDING

Chicago, Dec. 30.

Chuck Teitel's World Playhouse,
Michigan Ave. arty, outbid for the
new Alec Guinness pic, “Horse’s
Mouth” (iKjpert), and will- likely
iinsppol it sometime^ In February.

Bidding was lively, particularly
among tbe import situations^ in
view of 'generally soft art house
patronage, here of late, a condi¬
tion some "tradesters Tinlr to short¬
age of top foreign product

Ralph Hathaway in Los Angel*
swings from manager post of Ch
nese Theatre to similar gpot i
Fox, along with moveover *
Windjammer ” Steve Smola]
formerly manager of Loyola late]
^ Pacific Ocean Park, succeei
Hathaway at Chinese;

Saunter to Neatert Exit

Boston, Dec. 30.

A $15,000 loss in a two sl^nT n
blaze which emptied the naba
Franklin Park Theatre in the
Dorchester section of Boston
was sustained by. the film
house, cigar store, beauty
salon and 'shoe repair shop,
Wednesday (17>. More than
100 patrons fled from the film
house as smoke trickled in -
from the blaze only 50 ft*
away.

. Manager, James J. WaU in
his announcement te the pa¬
trons, suggested they leave as
they might be “bothered by
smoke from a nearby fire.”

Drums Roll For
'A New Columbia

Columbia Pictures Is In the
midst of a campaign designed to
convince the Industry that “a new
Columbia, a company which in
many significant was* wiU be the
same in name only’i is emerging
under the direction of the new
management team headed by
prexy Abe Schneider.

The company’s drumbeaters are
alerting the press to the fact that
many significant policy statements
win result from a series of four
regional sales meetings in Janu¬
ary called by v.p. and general
sales manager Rube Jackter.

lu all, the four two-day sessions
wiU be attended by nine home-
office executives and 36 division
and branch managers. A top ad-
pub executive wiU attend each
meeting.

In calUng the sessions, Jackter
indicated that Col’s new manage¬
ment team, which took over the
reins of the company about 10
months ago after the death of
Harry Cohn, has developed its
program for future productions
and operations to a point where
he feels that it is essential that
the sales force hear about it at
first hand.

The first meeting wiU convene in
Washington on Jan. 5-6 at the
Statler Hotel and wiU be attended
by execs representing the divisions
in the eastern region of the U.S,
and aU of Canada.

Subsequent meetings will be
held Jan. 12-13 in New Orleans
for the southern divisions; in
Chicago Jan. 19-20. for the far
western divisions and Jan, 21-22
for the mid-'Westera divisions.

Jackter will chair the sessions.
Attending the Washin^on con¬
clave will be sales exec MUton
Goodman, sales accounting and
contract deparhnent manager
Joseph Freiberg, exchange opera¬
tions manager H. C. Kaufman,
New York branch manager Saul
Trauner, and pub-ad director Rob¬
ert S. Ferguson.

WYNNEWOOD GRINDS AISAIN

Retains Todd-AO Gear After
Tacific’ Ran

Herman G. Weinberg

m fotomttaf excerpt front Uf
fertheemre^ beek« 'Sle eed
CleeeM,' oe the Hketh of

No Screen Sex Sans
Subtlety
* * *

one of the mony Edfterlol Fcotnei
le the

53d AnniverMtay dumber

of

u^reFr

OUT NEXT WEEK

Dallas, Dec. 30..

Suburban Wyunewood Theatre,
after an extended road show en¬
gagement of “South Pacific”
(Magna) for 33 weeks, has returned
to a family policy of continuous
showings of current motion pics.

. AU of the Todd-AO equipment
wUl he retained by the theatre In¬
cluding the huge curved screen and
the sterophonic sound.

Under the current poUcy, the
Wynnewood wUl open on week¬
days at 6:45 pjn. and on Saturdays
and Sundays at 1:45 pjn. The
regular Saturday morning Idd
shews wiU also be reinstituted.

! R, W. Reaves of Mineral WeUs,
i T has assumed the management
; ''’exan Theatre at Athens.
Tex. replacing CharUe Fields Jr.

By FRED HIFT

The hew European Common
Market, which comes into being as
an opentmg entity encompassing
six countries tomorrow erhurs.^,
poses a host of future problems
for the American film Industry.
At the same time. It envisions a
single and commercially strong
Continental .market, less suscepti¬
ble to economic Ifnetuations than
the present ‘National’* markets.

The U.S. State Dept, and the
iSlm bli via Eric Johnston have
endorsed' the Common Market of-
ficIaUy,;the argument being that
it is essentiallY a self-^hejp propo¬
sition designed to bring greater
economic strength to the whole
area. ' |

There are those who, whUe they
go along with this-reasoning, also
fear that -— in the specific case of
the film industry — the Common
Market threatens to put the Amer¬
icans at a severe economic disad¬
vantage since it promises to in¬
troduce limitations and restrictions
in countries where none now exist
for HoUywood product.

^ Ontsideni Stay Out

Under the CommoB Market con¬
cept, the six nations involved wUl
gradually drop trade and tariff
barriers among themselves whUe
maintaining them for oxitsiders.
The six countries taking part • are
France, Italy, Crermany, Belgium,
Holland, and Luxemburg.

Preparatory to the CM coming
into existence, nine European
countries along with Great Britain
moved last week to make thehr cur¬
rencies freely convertible in vary¬
ing degrees. In none of the nine
do American film companies pres¬
ently have any problems remitting
their earnings...

They were hit, however, by the
devaluation of file French franc,,
which was pegged by the French
Government at an official rate of
493.7 fr. to the dollar, i.e. a 17%
drop in value. The U.S. distributors
have no large amounts, of earn¬
ings blocked in France, but wiU, of
course, have to take the rap on
future remittances, which will cor-
respondin^y be cut by T7%,

The British Treasury annoimced
in London, that the pound sterling
as of tomorrow will, be freely con¬
vertible into. any_ curroic^, indud-
ing doUars, provided the funds are
held by peraons dr companies re¬
siding ontside of the sterling area.
The ruUng appears to have a direct
impact on the American film in¬
dustry, currenfiy limited to an
official $17,000,fiOO a year remit¬
tance from Britain.

Britrin No Problem

ActuaUy, the Yanks have been
getting virtaaUy aU of their money
out of Britain via various types
of bonuses, local production etc.
Inasmuch as the remittance limi¬
tation is embodied in the current ■

[ Anglo-American film agreement,
the possibility looms that the US.
companies may ask for a renego¬
tiation of the accord, which nor¬
mally would run to Sept. ’59.

, However, neither in France nor
in Britain will convertibility Im¬
mediately benefit the U. S. film
biz. This is so partly because re¬
mittances are now regulated by
agreements, and partly because it.
remains to he established whether
the American accounts are classifi¬
able as “non-resfdenf* under new
regulations. It can only be hoped
that convertibility will bring with
it improved reniittance deals for
U. S. pix within the continuing
framework of restrictions.

What effect free convertibility
would have on American produc¬
tion in Mtain, and whether It In
fact applies to tte film companies,
which maintain “residenf* com¬
panies to do their business In
Britain, remains to be seen. Till
now, one of the Incentives of In¬
vesting In production in Britain
was that ^such pictures Pan use
up otherwise frozen sterling. Also,
theM films get the quota label.

Johnston, the MPEA president,
(Continued on jjage 14)

Ibtioiial 1katre$ Profit Dip, 42.6%

Sanguine of Shareholder Okay to Acquire Nat’l
Telehha Asaoctates Via 5^4% Debentures
-^ _

No Convertibility lor Pix

In decreeing convertibfllty
of the lira by non-resideiit» in
Italy, the Italian Govenanent
specifically exenapted the cto*
ematographle accounts^ thf
; Motidn Picture Export Assn*

: learned yea,terday (Tue*.).
There had been some question
whether to go^ through 'with
the pending ItaBan agreement,
which limits remittancen to $T,-
000,(X)0, In the' light of the
monetary oha]iges.r
Apart from films, only one
other category if exempt from
convertlWlity, Yank bb
suffers because its Italian
earnings are used ^parily tn
help^ the local film business.
Thus, neither in Britain,
France or Italy does free con¬
vertibility of, non-resident ac-.
counts benefit Hollywood.

DthatllAAs

AB-Year Fete

A worldwide," year-long celebra¬
tion- of jts ■ 40th anniversary is
being planned by United Artists
for 1959. Company was founded
on April . 17, 1919.

According to Robert S. Benja¬
min, UA chairman of the board,
the occasion will he observed via
a seriesL of public and film industry
fetes by UA’s ■164 domestic and
forel^ offices and Its 2,200 em¬
ployees '

The current year, with an ex¬
pected gross of over $80,000,000,
has been the best in UA’s history.'
Apart from being in distribiftion
and production financing, UA also
produces tv shows and records.
The company has shown a consist'
ent profit in the year since 19l51
when: the current management
team took over. Prior to 'that, UA
registered heavy , losser.

Benjamin said . th£i week that
the films to be’ r^eased by the
company in its anni year, ^repre¬
sented a $^,000,000 Investment,

ZENITH'S 'LES AMANTS'

Importer Dmi Frankei 'Sore ItH
Pass US. CnstoBu

“Les Amants” (The Lovtti), con-
troversi^ (and sexy) French-Itad-
ian coproduction, has been ac¬
quired for US. distribution by Don
Frankel’s Zenith International Film
COrp.

Picture, which got a silver lion
prize at Venice this year and
caused a sensation at the Mexican
film fest, hasn’t as yet been sub¬
mitted to U.S.. Customs. However,
Frankei said Monday (29) he was
confident it would pass “without
difficulty.”

Frankei obtained the rights from
Premier Productions, which oIh
talned them in turn trMn the
French interests. , Frankei gave
what he described as a “very sub¬
stantial” guarantee against a per¬
centage, with Premier to partici¬
pate in the eventual profits.

“Les Amants” was directed by
Louis Malle. It stars Jeanne
Moreau, Alain Cony and Jean-
Louis de Villalonga. Frankei also
has the German “Naebts Wenn der
Teufel Earn” (Robert Siodmak)
which he plans to dub.

Mann-Disnej Clote

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

Ted Mann has obtained Di$ney*s
“Sleeping Beauty** and it’ll follow
“South Pacific” into his Todd-AO
equipped Academy.

Since Its Interior was rebuilt by
Mann the Academy has had. only
two attractions, ^th $2.65 top
hard-ticket. “Around the World in
80 Days” ran 50 w^ks and “South
pacific” now Is in its 26th week. |

Los Angeles, Dec. 30.

National Theatres Inc., for year
‘ended Sept, 30, 1958, dipped
42.6% under previous year’s con¬
solidated net profit, $1,302,000 as
compared to $2,266,000. Earnings
were equivalent to 48 and 84 cents
per share for respective years.

In his report, prexy John B, Ber-
tera stated inre^t indications
point to improved earnings for
first quarter of new fiiscal year
ovm: take of last year’s correspond-
ing quarter,

“Our theatre earnings for the
second and third quarters (of the
past year) exceeded those for the
comprkrahlfe period In the prior
fiscal year,” he said, “but there
was a decrease in the first and
fourth quarters due to a lesser
number of pictimes of boxoffice
value:”

Exec, who succeeded Elmer C.
Rhoden as prexy Oct. 1, stressed
that “public, response to well-pro¬
duced pictures of quality demon¬
strates the existence of a strong
demand for good entertainment.”
However, he added, there is only
a limited number of quality films
which |»roduce satisfactory grosses
and have long rims. Change . In
Federal taxes on theatre admis¬
sions, effective Jan. 1, 1959, will
bcne& NT’s earnings, according
to Bertero.

A special stockholders meeting
win be held by company Jan. 8
to vote on National’s proposad to
acquire the common stock of Na¬
tional Telefilm Associates Ihc., derf
fw which .has been in the hopper
since last Spring. In his proxy
statement to shareholders, Bertero
saM that the chain’s move to ac¬
quire NTA is “in furtherance of
the company’s policy of diversify¬
ing its activities in the fields of
television, radio and other enter-
tainfifeirL”

Ngtibnal stockholders are beingi
called on to approve a plan wbm^
by Telefilm: Associated stockhold¬
er would be offered NT deben-
turis and warrants. For eadi share
of Telefilm stock, holders would
receive an $11 NT 5^% subor-
.dtnaled sinkihg fond debenture
Mveh 1, 1974, and a wai>
rant, for purchase of one-quarter
share of National common stock.

Direetorste last Nov, 16 ap¬
proved an agreement for purcha^
of X66,^K) shares of the Telefilm
eDnamoB stock, reppLog approxi-
matrfy 15% of that firm** stock is¬
sue; owned by NTA’s three prin-
cipat stodkholdersr board ^airman
Ety A. Landau; prexy Oliver A.
Unger uid exec vp Harold Gold¬
man, Purdiase agreement was tim
same as is now to be offered other
stochdudders. If NT stockholders
wrfe is affirmative.

HeBdt Projectioiuits

Hollywood, Dec; 30.

A1 Adams was elected prexy of
Mqtloii Picture Fro j eetioni^. Local
150. lATSE, and Art McTaughlfn
org’s businesf agent Bidance of
incumbents we^ returned to of¬
fice, indoding Harold Angel, Vp.;
Charlee Crowe, secretary-treasurer,
and Paul Mahoney, assistant Mz
agent

Panel tidees over Dec. 23.

HmSywmd WrHmr• H t i m t a t

Dudley Nichols

. ImH iH|-

The Day Started
To BeUeve His Own
Script
* * *

--E-■' -*-l — --'

wiwrmr nNfvnvi rww

tniW

SSd Annhersmy Number
nf

P^nSFr.

OUT NEXT W» '

14

nCTDSBS

Wcdneaday^ Dcccmhcr-31» 1958

No Consent To End Consent

1 Continiicd from p»f* T 5S^=5i—•
industry-1 The decrees do/not prevent the

theatres

from

but

fress* committee -- , ^ ,

Gov«nm.ent relations. SS^"^dl5ion per se, but

For yean now, the Dept, of succinct in denying the

Justice has resisted all exhibitor circuits the right to distribute
efforts to alter the decrees so their own films, particularly with
that the formerly-affiliated cir- pre-emptive rights. Justice was
cults could enter production and instrumental in paving the way for
distribution ' with pre-emptive several circuits to lend money to
rights for their own theatres. United Artists for the production
TTnw thATi' if iq asked are of several successful blockbusters
.B^ai^tlngmoSnt as long as the 01 ^ had no sa^so
Theatres and EKO Theatres per- !?. A®^
mitted to produce and disteibute tnbuted the f . ....

pictures and Paramount Pictures Justice has been caught between
to acquire theatres? Both Para- two fires—one demanding stricter
mount and BKO came to the Dept, enforcement of the decrees, as
•f Justice" voluntarily and agreed epitomized by Allied s white pa¬
id consent decree judgments be- per"; the other clamoring for more
lore the district court promulgated leniency, as demo^trated-by the
the «*broader remedies” and are efforts of TOA and the Ai^ncan
ttierefore not part of the stricter Congress of Exhibitors. Though

decrees which prevent production- acutely aw^e of the peculiar

di^hutlon and new theatre ac- problems of the motion picture in-
cuisitions dustry and making efforts tp be

TbA -npnf nf Ju«!tice Is beUeved helpful. The department must—

faced charges that it is. in “ents antitrust Jaws,

essence, discriminating against the It has run Into criticism
companies which divorced at a AUied because it has aUowed the
later date. Bather than extend- formerly-affiliated circuits to ac-
the rights to the companies that quire new theatres, especi^y
separated subsequently, Justice drive-ins, after they had completed
probably '#ould have preferred their divestiture requirements,
that the exempted companies be as The Department has also made
equally restricted as the later di- it possible for Stanley Warner to
vorcees, since -this situation would become Involved in Cinerama, Na-
be more in kwplng with the wishes tional Theatres in CineMiracle, and
of the Supreme Court and the played a part in the development
provisions banded dowh by the dis- of Todd-AO. Where the laws per-
trict court, mlt It, the Department, according

Weighing In all the factors it’s to its recent actions, shows ah incH-
eonsidered unllk^y that the Dept, nation to be sympathetic to the in-
of Justice would consent to any dustry, but—^as realistic legal
easing of the decrees that would opinion sees it—it simply cannot
aUbw the formerly-affiliated cir- &o as as some theatremen are
cults to produce and distribute pix dem andin g.

and the film companies to oWn in any event Justice . can only
tteatres. This was made rathef recommend and it is up to the Fedr
clear by Victor Hansen, head of eral Courts to ‘make the final d'e-
the antitrust division of the Dept, [cisions,
cf Justice, in. his. speech to the
^OA convehtibn in Miami’ Beach
le'ccntly.

m

Europe Faceijlf

a Cohtlnned from page 13 a

A&F

FILM

CORP.

enters

ITS

IV

YEAR

IN

CAN_ADA

^as hailed the Common Market as
a step forward. However, there
are those Vi^ho are concerned lest,
under the guise of CM, some coxm-
tries with locM film Industries, use
the setup to ^tificially exclude or
at lea^ limit American imports.
Pic biz has gained in the past via
free trading,, convertibility, and im¬
port conditions In. West Germany,
for Instance.

It’s conceivable that, with the
CM taking e^ect, jthc Germans will
finally bring their, own limitations
in line with; those of Italy and I
lYancer "Which .would mean higher'
duties, a quota on imports, etc.
This has long been lurged on the
Germans by their two producing
partners In the CM. However, the
West German Government Jias
steadfastly refused to create limi¬
tations.

Possibility has been raised that,
eventually, the American compa¬
nies may be faced with a move by
members bf the Common Market
to create a single office ta nego¬
tiate film deals with the U.S, in¬
dustry for aU of the countries in
the economic' bloc. One bright
light In the sityatlon is the fact
that, to keep their theatres open !
and audiences coming. Individual
countri^ are seen having to main¬
tain a fairly constant stream of
U.S. film imports. At the same
time, they’ll be in a much better
position to put pressure on the
Americans to obtain improved
playing time for their pictures in
the States.

The entire question Is of para¬
mount importance to the U.S. in¬
dustry Inasmuch as, in recent years,
it has learned to depend more and
more on foreign revenue, a good
chunk of which derives from Eu¬
rope. Some economists lean to the
view that an economically stronger
Europe, In the long run, will be
more' important to the industry
than the levelling out of restric¬
tions that may result from the
CM. which la .to be accomplished
in stages, l,e. over a period of
a dozen years. In discussing this
question In a speech some months
back, Johnston acknowledged that
the adjustment period may be
•painful” for U.S. films.

SHELTON EXITS GOIOWURM

Had Headed Times Film Sales For
' Four Years

William Shelton, in charge of
sales at Times Film Corp., has
resigned, : effective immediately,
Jean Goldwurm,

company, reported we^ Shel¬
ton. had been with Hines Film for

fouk" years. 3 ^ v xT.,f

He’s being succeeded by Hat
Sanders, who’ll head up sales
Felix Bilgrey, v.p. of the outfit
Which distributes foreign films.

Shelton gave reasons of health
for quitting Times Fflm.

Bloom Otf Video,
Hunks Gnmwald

' Hollywood, Dec. 30.
British audiences have reached
the saturation point on tv and are
now leveling- pff with a return^ to
theatrical pix, says British pro¬
ducer Anatole de (Jlrunwald, but
it will be Vp to Hollywood product
to lead the way back to the tum-
stUes. British features, he.says, are
“too insular,” they have lost their
former aim on the world market
and aren’t even drawing a$ well at
home as they formerly did.

De Grunwald is. here for a few.
days conferring with Metro toppers
on “The Doctor’s Dilemma,” which
he made in Britain for the Holly¬
wood. company, He is next doing
“Libel” for Metro, also^ in London,
again with Dirk Bogarde top-
starred. He does not classify these
two as British films, but as Holly¬
wood-inspired product with an eye
ta world bbxoffice
He finds the film capital on .a
much more even keel emotionally
than on^hls last visit, eight months
ago. He thinks, however, that there
is too-much obsession here . with
.the teen-aged market, fie does not
deny that this is an important seg
of the ticket-buying public,: but
fears other audiences are being
alienated by a deluge of pix de- |
voted to the young.

“We’ve got to go after other
audiences,” he maintains, “particu¬
larly that adult, mature cla^, that
is fed up to some extent with tv
and now shopping around for other
entertainment.”

In Britain, he says, the bloom
Is off. tv, its peak audience has been
reached and passed. But, he warns,
"unless there are strong theatrical
pix available,, audiences will be
slow about deserting the homeside
brand of entertainment.

He says Hollywood film-makers
seem to have the. bounce to fight
this that Britaitfs opposite num¬
bers lack. He finds more elasticity
in thinking here and more concen¬
tration on the end result in-product
rathet than on details along the
way. .

“The only thing that has been
told me about the pictures I am
making for Metro is that they
should be good, not bother about
details such as expenses here and
there,” he says. “Naturally, they
expect me io keep within budget,
but they don’t lose sight of the
fact that the most important thing
is to make the pictime good, so the
studio gets its money back, and
perhaps a bit more.”

He finds more tendency here,
too, to think in'terms of world
market “the knowledge that as far
as films are concerned, there are
frontiers.” He thinks both
British and American exhibitors
could do'^more to showcase the
product more attractively, yith
cleaner, more up-to-date equip¬
ment and facilities.

Shaw Bix Back to Normal

; Continued from pace 1 s

Lex Barker in Spanish

‘Mission in Morocco’

Madrid, Dec. 30.

Lex Barker leaves early in Jan¬
uary for Tetuan to star with Juli
Re^ng In a Spanish production,
“Mission in Morocco, co-starring
Sylvia Morgan and Fernando Bey.

Hispamer Films, an active low-
budget local production company
headed by Sergio Newman, is in¬
creasing picture costs on “Mis¬
sion” to 10,000,000 pesetas ($200,-
000 ) with its first-time incorpora¬
tion of U.S. talent. Venus Enter¬
prises, an Amefican-owned Swiss
film distribjitor, 'wiR release. •

Junes Garner, the “B^'ett Mave-
[rick” of television, wBl come to
Dallas in February to b**!

1 newest-tf*e''tre featU’ o, ‘'Up Peri-
Iscope” (WB),^

Elisabeth Marion, agent for Con¬
tinental playwrights and scout for
European producers, has opened
an office in N.Yv She’s the sister
or George Marton, and also his U.S.

Gotham broadcasters, not to men-,
tion the “newsleggers” of '‘hot”|
copies of out-of-town daily gazettes.

It created incredible hardships for
merchants and meehUIics; auction- ,
eeirs and actors, touts as^d tourists,
pressagents and peddlers, the latter
unable to wrap their fish in news¬
print. "

Monday (29) saw the dailies gob¬
bled up like salted peanuts. The
front page of the Daily News re¬
vealed the tab coming off the
presses with a head reading:
“We’re Off and Bunning Again.”
The N. y. iVtirror exclauned “Hello
Again!” Both the N. Y. Times and
N. Y. Herald Tribune were more
conservative in their headlines hut
nevertheless jubilant^ in their lead.

There was little sweetness ap¬
parent in the statement issued by
Barney G. Cameron, prexy of the
N. Y. Publishers Assn., after the
strike ended. He pointed out that
the deliverymen “accepted what
they twice earlier rejected . ...”
Sam Feldman, prexy of the News¬
paper and Mail Deliverers Unipn,
said his men were ready to go hack
to work “with the best wages and
working conditions ever' had by
the members of our union,” and he
hoped the. publishers “will $how
the respect for our views and for
our strength to which we are en¬
titled.” . .

Conden^d Reviews
Both the Times and the- Trib
were planning to carry condensed
versions of stories, reviews, etc.,
their readers had missed -during
the news blackout. The Trib car¬
ried reviews of previous plays and
pix yesterday (30) and the Times
was readying what it called a “Spe¬
cial Catch-Up Section” for today’s
(Wed.) editions.

The Times’ special section was
.to. contain the front pages readers
didn’t get during' the strike, edi¬
torials, commentaries, “men in the
news,” obits, stock market high¬
lights, market, averages, theatre,
film and music reviews.

Despite the. late hour at which
the, strike ended the, publishers
were able to put out morning
editions, although considerably
thinned down, but nonetheless de^
tailed enough to cover all aspects
of the strike and with a sizeable
amount of show biz advertising.
-The Times carried about three
pages of theatre advertising includ¬
ing large display copy for the
films, “Separate Tables,”- “The Doc¬
tor’s Dilemna;” “The Buccaneer,”
etc. The Times also carried a de¬
tailed story on how Broadway fared
during the strike along ■ with a
breakdown of what the drama
critics said about various, shows
that -opened during the two-and-a-
half-weeks of the strike. There
were also lists of first-run films and
plays in town as weE as .-a chron-
olo^ of the major news events
during the press strike.

Significant were the full page ads
by Newsweek and Time in the
Times and Trib. The Newsweek ad
welcomed back the dallies, post-
scripted to commuters on the 6:02
to Westport: “We’re sorry that you
weren’t able to get copies of News¬
week on Friday,* Dec. 12,. etc. . . .
The Time ad showed a shuttered
newsstand and a quote from Thorns
as Jefferson: “Were it left to me
to decide whether we should have
a government with newspapers, or
newspapers without a government,

I should not hesitate a moment to
prefer the latter.” Copy ended
with “We’ve missed you. Welcome
back.”

Union Blasted

Lead editorials in the Gotham
dailies on Monday lamented the
“needless disaster” of th^ strike. |
The N. Y. Mirror spoke of “eco¬
nomic vandalism”; the Daily News
headed its editorial: “It’s Great To
Be Back In Business, But—”; the'
Hmes said suspension of publica¬
tion “was at least an object lesson
in the services provided by news¬
print and printer’s ink,”

Broadway producers,' during the
strike, had their pressagents doing
everything but skywriting, to hypo
biz. Actors, ordinarily as conser¬
vative as the NAM, In their public
utterances, appeared on interview
programs and blasted the strikers.

The N. Y. Post’s frontpage head
read, “What’s New;”, and proceed¬
ed to give its readers an immediate
fill-in. Editorially, it spoke of find¬
ing “new methods and machinery
for the avoidance of the kind of
blackout that descended on. <he cily
nearly three, weeks a.;^o.” Richard

Watts Jr., the Post’s drama critic,
appeared with brief reviews of the
new plays on-and off-Broadway
during the strike.

..Also, among jubilant readers of
the city’s dailies were gals with
engagement notices on society
pages and the recipients of birth¬
day greetings in Nick Kenny’s col¬
umn.

The city’s street cleaners scowled.

Paperbacks

; Continued from pase Z

a magnificent campaign for a film
that just Couldn’t be sold.”

Dystel’s statement on the Im¬
possibility _ of “manufacturing”
bestsellers was prompted by a
statement issued by an anonymous
industry member who claimed
that cooperative pre-sell promo-
tiops^, with financial assistance
from pix producers, is creating
phoney bestsellers which the in-
dustry then has to pay a high price
to obtain.

'The question of price for a
book property,” Dystel stated, “is
a matter of contractual agreement
between a publisher and a motion
pioture.' company. Naturally the
movie rights to a book at the top
of the bestseller list will be high¬
er. But the contention that a pub-
Ushfsr can artifically create a best¬
seller, for which he can then de¬
mand, an exorbitant price, is a
false one. No one can keep a book
on the bestseller list by artificial
hypoing.”

In answer to the question, “Why
should the movie company pay to
create business for the book pub-
'lisher?” Dystel answered, “Why
should a movie company pay a
press agent to start publicizing a .
lliovie months in advance of its
release?” The obvious reason is
because they want td-pre-sell the
public. I know of no more effec¬
tive pre-selling tool fpr any movie
than a book which millions of
people have read or heard talked
about or seen in a bookstore or on
a newsstand.”

Tnld of the film exec’s complaint
that “it’s getting so film promo¬
tion men can’t sit down to plan
exploitation without consulting
with the hardback and paperback
publishers of the book,” Dystel
said, “I find It hard to believe
that I or any of my fellow publish¬
ers could force a movie exploita¬
tion man to consult with us. The
movie exploitation men I know are
hardheaded businessmen arid the
only reason they consult with any¬
one is because they have some¬
thin# to gain from it.”

Another complaint voiced by the
industryite was that the .film In-
dusi^ spends more money on ad¬
vertising and exploitation ’ than
the book industry. Dystel admit¬
ted this was perfectly true but
pointed out that the potential re¬
turn on a pic' is figured in the .
millions while the potential return
on even the biggest bestselling
book is figured only in the tens of
thousands.

Questioned about the statement
that a book company has nothing
to lose while the. film company
faces a considerable loss if the
pie turns out to he a flop, Ban¬
tam’s president asked, “In all fair¬
ness, should a book publisher be
held responsible because someone
makes an unsuccessful movie
based on his book?”

FILM PBODUCTS

Hav« racantly ac 4 ulred a consldtr-
ablc library of loW and medium
budgeted, old and recently released
theatrical films. Would like to rtierge
with or purchase seme additional
new theatrical or television shows or
some better quality films released
since 1941.

Would also consider acquiring sub¬
stantial Intarest In film or television
production company.

Write BOX 1214 VARIETY,

154 West 44th Street, New York

New Yark Theatre

iioio CUT estic «m—I

RockafaUtf Cealer • CM-4M0 ^

“AUNTIE MAME”
ROSALIND RUSSEL

rORRCSr TUCKER ■ MM.
ii nemiiiiii* kti

AV/ARNIE BIIOS.fpU6E

and mtMuaciMhti.a

f<!SiIEfr

MCnfltES

15

Wcdnesdaj, iWemKer SI, 1958

Money-Back
Draws Yawns Of
John Q; PnbGc

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

Even when theatres give a satis¬
faction or your money back guar¬
antee for a picture they’ve been
unable in the recent Instances the
device has been used here to pull
a respectable number of patrons.

It seems to be a case of if you
have what they want they’ll come
regardless of promises, guarantees
or even advanced admissions. And
even the chance to see the picture
for free will not drag in a substan¬
tial number of them if they, for
some reason or other, aren’t at¬
tracted.

ihat’s what exhibitors here are
finding out, trade circles point out.

During this month the money
back guarantee went with two of¬
ferings and it didn’t help much, if
at all, judging by their small
grosses.

“Me and the Colonel’^ was sold
on that basis by the RKO Orphe-
um, but failed to click at the box-
office even though the critics
lavished praise on It and word-of-
mouth left nothing to be desired.

In a trio of neighborhood houser
“Cry Terror” suffered a similar
fate after money back guarantees
in larger than usual newspaper ads.
However, “Terror” previously had
been picked up b^ a local “fine
arts” uptown theatre, the Campus,
after being unnoticed on twin bill
downtown and being passed by
other neighborhood theatres. And
with the money back guarantee and
large newspaper ads it clicked big,
running four weeks. The other
three houses (non-art) that tried
the same device unsuccessfully
more than a month later were far
removed from the Campus and
widely separated from each othec,

New Rink Loses Plea
Of‘Unfw’Tax Relief
Granted Film Exhibs

Philadelphia, Dec. 30.

A taxpayers suit asking the Com¬
mon Pleas Court to invalidate a
recently passed City Council or¬
dinance exempting film houses
from the municipal 5% amusement
tax was dismissed by Judge Charles
L. Guerin (26).

The suit had been filed by the
Boulevard Ice Rink, which con¬
tended that ordinance would vio¬
late the state constitution's provi¬
sion that all taxes should be uni¬
form. Exempting the film theatres,
counsel for the rink argUed, dis¬
criminated against ether enter¬
tainment places still liable for the
tariff.

In . dismissing the complaint.
Judge Guerin ruled that the Boule¬
vard Rink, which opened Dec. 4,
had not exhausted its administra¬
tive remedies by appealing first to
the Tax Review Board. 'The
ordinance providing tax relief for
the film theatres becomes effective
Jan. 1. Its passage in Council had
the backing of Mayor Richardson
Dilworth and other city leaders.

$1.39 POUND OF CANDY
WITH $5 CERTIFICATE

MihneapoLis, Dec. 30.

The three Twin Cities’ RKO The- {
atres are' offering the public a
Christmas bargain. J

Purchasers of a $5 gift book
which comprises that amount of
admissiou coupons plus a bonus
are receiving a $1.39 pound of
candy. -

- The bonus book coupons also are
redeemable at the theatres’ con¬
cession counters.

Jim Ross’ Texas Feature

Houston, Dec. 3Q.
Company of Jim Ross’ produc¬
tions, “Five Bold Women” which
has been on location at Bracket-
vUle, 'Tex.j for the past three weeks,
returned to Houston by‘chartered
bus. Slmoting. at Atascocita, on
Lake Houston is due to start this
week. ' .

Company includes Merry Anders,
Jeff Morrow, Irish McCaHa, Mathy
Marl<¥Wf^ Dee.-Carroll and Bob

Caffer. ' ^ ^

^ IrfiE^iPpitfllo Is director,

Rost it producer. ' ‘ ■

PERSPECTIVE ON 'BLITZKRI^'

Tank General to Put U.S. Inter¬
pretation on Import

An American general will be
sought to provide a “let’s get it
straight” introduction for the Lion
International import, “Blitzkrieg,”
which, via documentary war foot¬
age, gives a history of the last war
as seen from the German side.
In Its British release, a British
general introed the Nazi film com¬
pilation to put the picture into its
proper frame.

Narration throughout is pretty
much a translation of the original
German voices, though a second
narrator Is Introduced when the
Nazi commentary goes way off the
beam.

Czechs Partner
On New'Golem’

“Golem,” the middle age classic
made once before as a silent film,
wUl be coproduced with the Czechs
by two Americans, J. Jay Frankel
of M.J.P. Enterprises tmd Richard
Davis, prez of United Motion Pic¬
ture Organization. Picture is bud¬
geted at $3,000,000, which would
make It the most expensive inde¬
pendent production yet to be shot
by Americans In Europe.

It’s the first definite U.S. co¬
production deal with a Soviet
satellite.

Arrangements, already approved
by the Czechs, will see the film
shot in Prague, where the Czech
Industry will contribute studios,
extras and production personnel.
In return, they’ll get exclusive dis¬
tribution rights behind the Iron
Curtain.

Plans are to make the film In
color, widescreen and stereophonic
sound and with English dialog.
Script will he Written , by Ameri¬
cans and will carry the approval of
the State Dept. The En^sh version
will be released by U.S. interests
throughout the free world.

Shooting Is due to start in late
1959 with no prior release com¬
mitment In the States. A new com¬
pany is being formed to handle
distribution.

While Hollywood has been aloof,
other countries have coproduced
with the Communist nations.
“Witches of Salem,” now current
In N.y., is a French-East German
coproduction. A British outfit plans
to coproduce with the Soviets,
who’ve also talked to Bryna (Kirk
Douglas) and various other U.S.
outfits, though no definite projects
have materialized.

Frankel’s M.J.P. company has ^
sold a number of American films i
to the Czechs. Davis is an exhibitor i
(the Fine Arts Theatre, N.Y.) and I
also a distributor of foreign films.
Davis has acquired a Czech film
for U.S. release. -

Altered ChanneDiiig;

RKO Theatres Copping
Strong Ones Via Bids

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

RKO Theatres, which for a long
time under a product splitting.ar-.
rangement seemed to he somewhat
of a stepchild as far as landing the
“blockbusters” was concerned,
continues to grab off a surprisiiigly
large number of the promisers
since the advent of competitive
bidding which it demanded of all
companies.

“Some Came Running” (Metro)
just has been awarded to it for its
Orpheum on the heels of Par’s
"The Buccaneer,” Metro’s ‘Tom
Thumb,” Warners’ “No Time for
Sergeants,” Columbia’s “The Last
Hurrah,” and Metro’s “Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof,” which last nanved
was one of 1958’s top boxoffice
performers here.

United Paramount has corner lip
with “I Want to Live,” “Auntie
Marne” and “Tunnel of Love,”
among others; the' independent
World, “Inn of Sixth Happiness,”
“Gigi,” “Bell, Book and Candle”
and “Wild Wilderness, and the in¬
dependent Gopher “Seventh Voy¬
age pf Sinbad,” “Houseboat” and
“The Geisha Boy.”

Elimination of United ‘ Para¬
mount’s 4,lD0-seat Radio City from
the local scene, of course, has
helped the U.P. opposition in the
scramble for the blockhuste^.

RKO Orpheum with its 2,800-5eat^
capiacity now is the largest Twhi

FaBian’s Rotterdam Deal

Albany, Dec. 30.

Fabian Theatres Corp. is pre¬
paring to take over the operation
of the Riverview Drive-In In Rot¬
terdam, N.Y. from Lament Thea¬
tres,

Althou^ a deal to acquire the
ozoner has not as yet been com¬
pleted, the chain has filed papers
in Albany for the organization of
the Riverview Drive-In Corp., the
corporate name under which the
outdoor theatre apparently will be
operated. Schwartz & Frohllch
were the filing attorneys.

Pro Football

■■ ■ Continued from page 1

ball championship over the N.Y.
Giants.

The Gotham gridders, In turn,
were a “film script” team with their
three-in-a-row victories, coining
from behind to nose-out the tough
Cleveland Browns. |

the New York pubs and taverns
buzzed with nothing all day but
pro grid talk. Sports enthusiasts
more attuned to the Ivories than
the ivy League talked ground
gains, pass sUtistics, line-blocker
heroics and “educated toe” con¬
versions with the same fervor as
the hot-stovers discuss baseball and
with more enthusiasm than the
Yales and the Harvards.

'The tumaway gates of the pro
games attest to the economics.
Subconsciously appealing a lot to
the fans is that the grid game, like
the doughty mailman whose ap¬
pointed rounds are never stayed
by snow, sleet ^no^ rain. Is not
subject to the same “called on ac¬
count of rain” vagaries as baseball.
Then, too, the greater the nip in
the fall-winter air the greater the
nips from the pocketflasks in. the
grandstands. (It is already evident
that if pro football is to continue
winning the Sunday family trade
something will have to he done
about the rowdy and downright
drunken misbehaviorism pf some
of the not-sOr“coufh” Sunday non-
rahrah crowds. It’s not only the
unsubtle tippling hut the language
and slovenly aftermath that may
militate the most against getting
the “nice” people.)

Regardless of all the nuances,
this Is a new Ijrand of snowballing
show business. Sports have always
had important h.o. interest among
shownlen and if pro football musb-
rooms as did racing, dogtrackr and
the like, including weekend night
games, it will be still another new
headache which the conventional
Indoor entertainments will have to
worry about.

N.Y. Grix Awards

—^ Continued irom page 2 s=S5

ance In “I Want to Live,’^ another
UA release. Miss Hayward won
ouj: on the fourth ballot with 10
votes, topping Shirley Booth,
named for her performances in
“Hot Spell” (Par) and “The Match¬
maker” (Par).

Stanley Kramer, who directed as
well as produced ^‘Defiarit Ones,”
was cited as "best director, gain¬
ing the two-thirds majority on the
fourth ballDt over Delbert Mann
(“Separate Tables”), four votes;
and Richard Brooks (“Cat On A
ot Tin Roof, Metro), -one vote.

The critics reactivated a writing
award and named “The Defiant
Ones” for “best screen tvriting,’’
without calling attention to the
writers—Nathan E. Douglas and
Harold J, Smith.

“Mon Oncle,” the Jacques Tati
starrer released by Continental,
was chosen the best foregih film on
the sixth ballot, beating the re¬
cently opened Jules Dassin film,
“He Who Must Die,” and the In¬
dian film, “Panther Panchali.”

Formal presentation of the
awards will be made on Jan. 24 at
Sardi’s.

Todd-AO Geared House
Up. for Stanley Decision

Albany, Dec. 30.

The first installation, hereabouts,
of ToddA.O is scheduled for either
the downto^ Ritz or the uptown
Madison, both Stanley Warner
houses. Equipping is expected to
be done within a month.

Gio Guiliardl, new chief engi¬
neer for Stanley* Inspected ihe
two theatres and rettinied to New
York with a report. Decision on
the theatre 'wdll Jae made there.

Ritz.is a ‘^B” mrst^nin, while the
Madison ^isimnnally'A

Questions Shouras, Fabian 'Sincerity’

GROWN-UP KIDDIES

Adults Predontinaie In *Sinbad’
Audience, Check finds

Preliminary survey mad# by
Columbia disclosed that “The 7th
Voyage of Sinbad,” .ostensibly
aimed at the kiddie trade, is never¬
theless attracting a greater prty-
portion of adult business.

At the Boxy, N.Y., wh^ the
picture grossed $69,471 for five
days in face of the newspAP«r
strike and freezing weather, it’s
reported that the majority of the
business was In the evening. At
the tiny Garrick in Chicago, where
capaci^ was reported for the
weekend, it’s said that children
accounted for no more than 25%
of the business,

Toledo B ank Nile
Issue to Trial

Toledo, Dec. 30.

Whether or not bank nights In
Toledo are legal will be decided
Jan. 2, when Municipal Judge
Homer Ramey reopens the trial of
Urban R. Anderson, manager of the
Colony Theatre, charged with con¬
ducting a lottery In violation of
state law. Meanwhile, there is a dif¬
ference of opinion in other cities on
subject. In Akron there haven’t
been bank nights for the last 20
years though In neighboring Cuya¬
hoga Falls bank night at the State
Theatre has continued without in¬
terruption or complaints.

In the Toledo case, the Toledo
Theatres Assn, has taken a stand
In favor of bank nights where give¬
aways of any sort are permitted
by municipal officials. They reason
that if bank nighte are verboten,
so must be church raffies, free
turkeys by newly-opened super¬
markets, free cartons of drinking
glasses (this is the glass eapltal of
the world), often given at new
J filling-stations, and any other give¬
aways that cause some “gain” to
the promoter or retailer. Actually,
the theatres see no harm In any
of these promotions, but do not
'want to be subject to what they
consider unfair discrimination.

When Anderson pleaded inno¬
cent at a hearing in December,
six witnesses testWed, Including
the winner of a $i()0 “consolation
prize” at the bank night draw¬
ing, and the city rested Jtj?

W. Kent Fenton, Counsel for the
theatre manager, asked for dis¬
missal of the charges, aud Judge
Ramey decided to , continue, the
case to allow time for preparation
of arguments on the mptioh. Tlie
'Colony bank night case is re¬
garded as a test case of state and
city laws on lotteries.

Scbenck-Kocb’s Olpnpia
Delirering‘Vanisbed’;

1st for United Artists

“The Day the Children Van¬
ished” will be the first film to he
delivered by Aubrey Schenck and
Howard W. Koch to United Artists^
under their new, multiple-picture
deal with the company. Schenck j
and Koch will operate as Olympia i
Productions Inc.

Duo previously was connected
with UA as Bel-Air Productions.
It’s currently winding up a four-
picture deal with Warner Bros.
Under their prior arrangement,
Schenck and Koch delivered 28
films to UA.

Their first UA production imder
the new deal rolls in March. Other
pictures in work include “First
Train to Babylon,” and “Line of
Duty.”

Ol 5 Tnpia will release exclusively;
via UA and also plans to enter the.:
tv film field. The theatrical product'
will be shot with tiie overseas mar¬
ket in mind and will actually be^
filmed abroad when stories Jend
themselves to foreign locationing.
“The Day the Children Vanished”
is based on a This Week seriaL
Stanley Niss is cuii^tly working
on the screenplay, ' :

According to UA, Schencic;afid
Koch will “cpncentrate.'onfqua^.
productions and Importaut/iffopet^^

f Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

In t blast against present film
sales policies and the selling of fea¬
ture pictures to television.* circuit
owner Bennie Berger here joined
Rube Shor, former national Allied
president^ in casting doubt on the
sincerity of Spyros Skouras, SI
Fabian and others responsible for
the American Congress of Exhibi¬
tors development as far as their
concern for the small grossing ex*
Idbitor is concerned. Unless th*
Congress provides all-inclusive ar¬
bitration, he says, he’ll tight It

The outburst of Berger, the top
independent exhibitor leader here
for the most of the past 15 years
and president of North Central
Allied for most of Its existence and
until he stepped out two years ago,
came on the heels of tue present
North (Central president Frank
Mantzke’s expressed opinion that
the Congress development "Is the
greatest thing that ever happened
In the industry* and paves the way
for exhibition’s resurgence.”

But Berger charges that Skouras
ct. al., “are the very persons re¬
sponsible for what’s driving the
nails into the small exhibitors’ cof¬
fins—unconscionably high percent¬
age and the sale of features to tele*
vision.”

And Berger serves warning that
if the Congress gets into operation
and fails to bring relief to small
exhibitors he himself will try to
organize the low grossing theatres
nationally.

Most of Berger’s sentiments art
contained in a letter to national
Allied president Irving'DoUinger,
The letter followed a meeting
called by local circuit owners Ted
Mann.and Harold Field to report
to local exMEitdrs on the ACE at
which Mann-Field meeting he was
present. Berger had an Invitation
to the Skouras New York meeting
where ACE was spawned, but
hadn't returned from an around the
world trip in time to attend. Ha
sent copies of his Dolllnger letter
to Shor, Mann and Field. Reasoned
Berger;

“After elimination of several
thousand borderline theatres in the
last several years, the (heatres still
re m a inin g In operation by and
large should continue in existence
for the industry’s good. The pro¬
ducers should not condemn these
remaining theatres to die, but the
50, 50 and 70% . racket will kill
■most of them off.

“Specifically, I played In the Ce¬
dar theatre, which is a very good,
newest built Minneapolis neighbor¬
hood house, ’Bridge On the River
Kwai.’ I was forced to play it e
week and grossed $708. After
three months haggling I got the
50% reduced to 35% which still
left me with a $200 loss.

“I haven’t yet played many of
the so-called' blockbusters in that
theatre, including ‘The Ten Com¬
mandments’ and ‘The Vikings,' etc.,
whiclL have been available a long
time, because I can’t meet the
j terms and escape a loss.

J. “I played ‘The Vikings’ for a fuU
week in my Fergus Falls, Minn.,
th^tre at fi0% four months ago.
We grossed slightly over $1,200. I
haven’t as yet paid for the picture
due to the distributor’s refusal to
make an adjustment. Obviously, if
I pay the 60% ‘I’ll lose several
hundred dollars. Now United Art¬
ists will not sell me a picture.

^‘What has happened in the case
of these theatres is an example
of what’s happening to 50% of the
theatres in the U. S. These theatres
could and should live-r-they could
live if the top pictures were 'avail¬
able to them at prices they can
afford to pay.”

Alfred Marchetti to WB

Albany, Dec. 30.

Another in the thick-and-fast
changes which have recently oc-
cuired on Film Row moved Alfred
Marchetti from booker in Colum¬
bia to Warner Bros.

Marchetti, who had served as
head date-fixer at Universal for
28 years prior to the shuttering
of that company’s exchange last
February and who later joined
Columbia, went to WB as replace¬
ment fogr Irwin Yabllns.

The.latter, .transferred a month
W from Washington, D.C., t#
Jim Evans, quit and ao
bwtfeide the film in

IS

nCTUBBS

ITcdaegdayi Pecwbcr ^ 195S

*Magie’B«mOOO,Hab;
Tim’BofflSG,‘Tonka’
14G,ll»imb’Mild8G

Boston, Dec. 30.

Hub’s deluxers on holiday kick
with big "fUnw were nabbing coin,
but not as big as figured. Deep
freeze continuing through Xmas
to date has hurt at the bo. One pf
top newcomers is ’‘lA.untie Marne"
at Met wjthbig take. Comparatively
stronger is ^*Inn of Sixth Happiness”
at the Astor where socko. “Tonka”
at Fenway ^d-Paramount is mild.

*’Bopts of Heaven” shapes slick
at the Capri. Holdovers are modest
with “Tom Thumb” just lukewarm
at prpheum in second. “Seventh
V^agd of Sinbad” looms mild in
second at State. “Buccaneer” leads
iMldoVers with rousing round in
a^nd frame at Memorial.
Estteates for This Week
Astor <B&Q1 (1,371; $I.25-$1.5G)
—*Thn <rf Sixth Happiness’ (20th).
Socko $18,000. Last^veek, “Giant”
<WB) imd ^Mister Boberts” (WB)
(reissues), $2,500.

Beaeoa Hill (Sack) (678; 90-$1.50)
Plasfr” (Indie). Hot $8,000.
Xast week, ’“No Sun in Venice”
(Indlel and “Model” (Indie) (5th
Wk), $^400. "

Boston (SW-Cinerama) (1,354;
ai.25-$2.65)—“Windjammer” (NT)
tlOth wk). Big $20,000. Last week,
$15,000.

iCfaprl (Sack) (1,150; 90-$1.50)—
•Hoots of Heaven” (20th). Happy
^,000. Last week, “Man in Rain¬
coat" (Indie) and “Toraro” (Indie)
(4th wk), $2,000.

Exeter Gndie) (1,300; 75-$1.25)—
‘Tnspcctor Maigret” (Lopert).
Opened Sunday (28). Last week,
“Rockets Galore” (Rank) (5th wk),
■fair $2,000.

Fenway (NET) (1.276; 60-$1.10)
-T’Tanka” <BV). Fairish $3,000.
Litft week," “How to Make Monster”
(AD and ^ "Teen-Age Caveman”
(AD, $2.50(3.

Gary (Sack) (1,240; $1.25-$3)—
“Gigi” (M-G) (18th-final wk). Ro¬
bust $15^000. Last week, $10,000.
‘Hell, Book, C^andle” (Col) opens
tomorrow (31), on $1-$1.75 scale.
Kenmore (Indie) (700; 90-$1.50)
“My Uncle” (Cont) (7th wk).
Stroi^g $6,600. Last week, $4,000.

' Memori^ (RKO) (3,000; 60-$1.10)

— ^‘Buccaneer” (Par) and “Hot

Angpl” (Par) (2d wk). Wow $18,-
COO. Last week, same. ;

kfetropoUtan (NET) (4.357; 70-
"‘Auntie Marne” (WB). Big
^0,000 or near. Last week, “En¬
chanted Island” (WB) apd “Guns-
moke iU Tucson” (AA), $8,500.
Mayflower CATC) (683; 75-$1.25)
^•Houseboat” (Par) and “As
Young As We Are” (Par). (2d runs).
Oke.^,500. Last week, “Kings Go
Forth” (UA). and “La Parisienne"
(UA) (2d runs), $2,000.

Paramoimi (NET) (2,357; 70-
$1.10)—“Tonka” (BY). Mild $11.-
000. Last week, “How to Make
Monster” (AD and “Teenage Cave¬
man” (AD. $7,500.

FUgritat (ATC) (1,000; 60-$1.10)

— “Senior (Col) and “Miur-

dor Reported” (Col). Neat $9,200.
Last week, ‘’Hot Car Girl” (AA).
and “Cky Baby Killer” (AA), $6,000.

Saxon (Sack) (1,000; $1.50-$3.50)

— “Sooth Pacific” (Magna) (38th
wk). Sot $12,000. Last week.
$ 10 , 000 ,

TraM-Lox (T-L) (730; 75-$1.25)

— “Most Dangerous Sin” (Indie)
$nd ‘His First’ Affair” (Indie).

$4,000. Last week, “Poor But
Beau^ul” (T-L) and “Bed of
Grass” <X-D, $2,500.

Orpfcom tLoew) (2,900; 9O-$1.50)
—“Tom Thumb” (M-G) and “Ten
Dayt in Tnlara” (UA) (2d-final wk),
MUd $8,000. Last week. $8,500.
‘Home Came Running” (M-G)
opeim Thursday (1).

State. (Loew) (2.600; 75-$1.25) —
“Seventt Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
and “Whole Truth” (Col) (2d wk).
wfiM $8,500 Last week, ditto.

PHILADELPHIA

(Continued from page 9)
“Constant Husband” (Indie). Fair
$3,000. Last week. “Suicide Bat-
Kupn” (AI) and “Jet Attack” (AD

$8,400.

Traite Lux (T-L) (5D0; 99-$1.80)
—"^Tunntt of I 4 ve” (M-G) (5th wk).
Okay at $6,200. Last week, $5,500.

Yiking (Sley) (1.000; 75-$1.49)--
“Gi^”* XM-Q> (2d wk>.. Torrid
$ 13 m List week, $10,000.

irWii (Palhe) (604; 95-$1.80)—
Worse’s Mouth” $15,-

$QP. wee^ “Whiter Shxek’

BROADWAY

(Continued from page 9)
up today (Wed.) is heading for
record $22,000. First was $15,500.

Palace (RKO) (1,642; 90-$2) —
“Rally Round Flag, Boys” (20th)
(2d wk). Initial frame ended yes¬
terday (Tpes.) was socko $39,000
or near.

Odeon (Rank) (813; 90-$1.80)—
“Bell, Book, Candle” (Col). First
stanza finishing today (Wed.) looks
■like terrific $30,000, and new high
here. Holds, natchl

Paramount (AB-BT) (3,665; $1-
$2) — “Inn of Sixth Happiness”
(20th) (3d wk). This ses^on finish¬
ing tomorrow (Thurs.) is climbing
to socko $65,000 or near. Second
was $40,000. Stays on.

Palis (Pathe Cinema) (568; 1B0-
$1.80)-i-^“Horse’s Moutti”' (Lopert)
(8th wk). Seventh' round ended
Monday (29) was very big $18,700-
Sixth was $13,300.

Radio City Maste Hall (Rocke¬
fellers) (6,200; 90r$2.75)—“Auntie
Marne” (WB) plus annual Christ¬
mas stageshow (4th wk). This ses^
Sion finishing today (Wed.) looks
like new alltime record at $228,000
or close, being helped by extra
shows. Third was $177,000, over
expectancy. Longest lines In his¬
tory of HaU spelling this new high
mark or equal of old peak regis¬
tered by “Sayonara” (WB). Stays
on, natch!

RivoK (UAT) (1,545; $2-$3.50)—
“South Pacific” (Magna) (13th wk).
The I2th round completed Monday
(29) was big $30,000 for six shows.
The 11th week, $11,000.

Plaza (Lopert) (525; $1.50-$2)—
“Inn of Sixth Happiness” (20th)
(3d wk). This week finishing up
tomorrow (Thurs.) is beading for
great $15,200; Second was $13,300.

Roxy (Indie) (5,705; 90-$2.50)—
“Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” (Col)
plus stageshow (3d wk). First
holdover session completed yester¬
day (Tues.) soared to terrific $195,-
000 or near. Initial week, $79,000.
Second week was biggest here since
“Robe,” which had higher scale.
Christmas Day was the greatest
ever in Roxy history while Satur¬
day’s total was' very close to alltime
high for a Saturday.

State (Loew) (3,450; $L50-$2.50)
—^Alan Freed and his rock-n-roU
stageshow headed by Johnnie Ray
with “Villa” (20th). Fjrst session
ending today (Wed.) looks - like
mighty $125,000, one of big totals
here for stagrfilm policy. In

OniHiHfc

h V-'

ahead, “Jewel Box Revue” onstage
with “(Xiina DoR” UA) (3d wk),
$15,000.

Sutton (B&B) (561; 95-$1.80)-.
‘Gigi” (M-G) (9th wk). Eighth ses¬
sion ended Satmrday (27) was
mighty $22,000, with ninth week
going higher. Seventh was $15,-
300. Eighth round’s total com¬
pares with Opening week’s $28,600,

Trans-Lux 524 St. (T-L) (540; $1-
$1.50)—^“Doctor’s Dilemna” (M-G)
(23d wk). Second round completed
yesterday Tues.) was big $17,000r
First was $11,500.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,003; 50-$2)
—“I Want To Live” (UA) (7th wk).
Sixth session ended Monday (29)
climbed sharply to big $21,000.
Fifth, $12,200.

Warner (SW-Cinerama) (1,600;
$1.80-$3.50)—"South Seas Adven¬
ture” (Cinerama) (24th wk). The
23d round ended Saturday (27) was
boff $24,800. The 22d week, $17,-
200. Current (24) session is going
even higher what with so many
added p^ormances.

(re-

BUFFALO

(Continued frwn page 9)

(Par) and “Stalag 17 (Par)
Issues), ditto.

Century (UATG) (1,410; 70-90)—
“Seventh Voyage Sinbad (Col) and
“Life Begins at 17” (Indie) (2d wk).
Sturdy $9,000 or over. Last week,
$4,800.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 70-90)—
"Tonka” (BV). Bright $14,500. Last
week, “It” (UA) and "C^iurse
Faceless Man” (UA), $4,000.

Paramoimi (AB-PT) (3,000; 70-
90)—“Buccaneer” (Par) and “As
Young As We Are” (Par) (2d wk).
Sharp $12,000. Last we^ $9,00a

Teck (Loew) (1,200; 70-$1.25)—
“Some Came Running” (M-G).
Great $14,000. Last week, “De¬
fiant Ones” (UA) (4th wk), $2,000.

Cinema (Martina) (450; 704L25)
—^"Horse’s Mouth” (UA). Fine $5,-
900 or close. Last week, “Amer¬
ican in Paris (M-G) and “Annie
Get Your Gun” (M-G) (j-eissues)
d9y5)..$l,200.__

LOS ANGELES

(Continued from page 9)
^_.50)--“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk).
Lusty $20,000 OP near. Last week,
$17,400.

HiUstreet, Vogue, Uptown (RKO-
FWC) (2-,752; 825; 1,715; 90-$1.50)
—“Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col)
and “Ghost of China Sea” (Col)
(2d wk). Great $31,000. Last week,
$17,000.

Stete, Hawaii (UATC-G&S)
,404; 1,106; 90-$1.50) — “Tom
Thumb” (M-G) and “Ride Vaquero”
(Indie), State, and “Great To Be
Young (Indie) Hawaii, (2d wk).
Busy $10,000. Last-week, $6,200.

Fox Wilshire (FWC) (2,297; 90-
$1.50) —“Tunnel of Love” (M-G)
(2d wk). Bright $12,000. Last week,
$7,500.

Chinese (FWC) (1,408; $2-$2.40)
‘“AuBtie Marne” (WB) (2d wk).
Mighty $44,000, Last week, $26,000.
Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
,468; $1.50-$2) — “Some Came
Running” (M-G) (2d wk). Sockeroo
$30,0g0. Last week, $24,000.

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; 90-$1.50)

- “My Uncle” (Cont) (2d, wk).
Hotsy $7,500. Last week, $6,900.

Orphjeum (Metropolitan) (2,213;
90-$1.50) — “Anna Lucasta” (UA)
(5th wk). Bright $4,700. .Last week,
$2,600.

Wittwep Hrflywood (SW-Cine-
rama) (1,389; $1.20-$2.65)—“South
Seas Adventure” (Cinerama).
Started 14th week Sunday (28)
after big $26,200 last week.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,392; $1.65-
$3.30) — “South Pacific” (Magna)
(30th wk). Fine $17,500. Last week,
$9,200.

Carthay (FWC) (1,135; $1.75-

$3.50)—^‘Around World in 80 Days”
(UA) (106th wk). Wham $23,000.
Last week, $14,000.

MINNEAPOLIS

(Continued.from page 8)

Ings showings boosting this Jilgb
stepper. Wham $20,000. Last
week, $14,500.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-90)—
‘Seventh Voyage Sinbad” (Col)."
Smash $8,000. Last week, $9,800.

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 90-$1.50) —
“Auntie Marne” (WB). Steeply
upped admish no deterrent for this.
Wow $14,000. Last week, “Party
Crashers” (Par) and “As Young As
We Are” (Par), $5,500.

RKO Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 90-
$1.25)-—“Buccaneer” (Par) (2d wk).
Tall $10,000, Last week, $11,500.

RKO Pan (RKO) (1,800; 85-90)—
“Tom Thumb” (M-G) (2d wk). Very
big at matinees. Sock $9,000. Last
week, $5,500.

State (Par) (2,200; 90-$1.50) —
“Roots of Heaven” (20th). Unusual
situation finds this one limited to
single week regardless of its b.o.
It has to give way Jan. 1 to “I Want
to Live” (UA). Mild $6,000 for the
single week. Last week, “Earth to
the Moon” (WB) and “Brain Planet
Arous” (Indie), $5,000.

Subnrbaa World (Mann) (800;
85)—^“Devil’s General” (Indie) and
“Third Key” (Rank) (2d run). Mild
$1,500. Last week, “Viva Zapata”
(20th) (reissue), $1,200.

World (Mann) (400; g5-$1.25)—
‘Bell,. Book, Candle” (Col). Big
$8,000. Last week, “Night Heaven
FeU” (Kings) (4th wk), $9,800.

U S. Consumption Must Rise

; Contimied from paz* 1 s

CHICAGO

(Continued from page 9)
to Live” (UA) (6th wk), $14,000 in
final 9 days.

Surf (HiE Balaban) (685; $1.25)

— “My Uncle” (Cont.). Fancy
$9,000, Last week, “Inspector Mai¬
gret” (Lopert) (5th wk). $2,000.

Todd’a Cinestage (Todd) (1,036;
$1.25-$3)—“Gigi” (M-G) (25th wk).
Hefty $14,000 on switchover from
Harris. Last week, $12,000.

United Artiste (B&K) (1,700; 90-
$1.80)—*^n of Sixth Happiness”
(20th). Boff $27,000. Last week,
“Home Before Dark” (WB) (4th
wk), $9,000.

- Woods (Essaness) (1,200; 90-
$1.50) — “BeU, Book & Candle”
(Col>. Smash $40,000. Last week,
“Mark oTHawk” (U) (3d wk),
$ 11 , 000 .

World (Teitel) (606; 90) —
Tosca” (Indie) (2d wk). Great
$9,000. Last week, $8,000.

Lefine Seeks Sales Head

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

Joe Levine, Boston indie -film
importer, is currently here nego¬
tiating for a national sales man¬
ager to set up a nation-wide sales
organization to handle his “Her¬
cules” and future product.

Levine, who ;plans to launch his
pic with a monster luncheon for
press and trade at the Waldorf-
Astoria in March, was named in
Life’s current' entertainment In-'j
dustry-issue as a possible successor
to Mike Todd in his showmanship.

Levine, in addition to working
on his prospective sales force, is
also dickering for other product
for, xeteesft iHfitopJfes, “

lation—now over six-and-a-balf
times as great ai Jn 1940—and
capable of growing another 78%
by 1969. This discretionary spendj
ing power now represents 57%
consumer income as compared
with 35% In 1940.

(3) Change In family Income dis¬
tribution with mass millions climb¬
ing the income ladder—in 1950
some 12 million families had in-
comies over $4,000 after taxes, now
28,000,000 are in this group and,
by 1960, there mby be over 36,000,-
000 above $4,000.

(4) Change in relation of debt
to production—^total private debt
dropped from 176% of a ye^s
production in 1930 to only 103%' to
24% of a year’s production in the
same period. Consumer credit,
within the next five years—by 1964
—could expand safely by 83% over
the 1958 level without exceeding
the 1940 relationship to discre¬
tionary spending power.

(5) Change In number of births
—with 1958 births totaling about
4,300,000 compared with 2,600,000
oin 1940, or an increase of 65%.

(6) Change in age makeup of our
total population—^with over 80%
more children under 5 than in
1940, and 75% more in the 5-9 age
group. This will put increased
pressure on schools, on housing,
and on food requirements.

(7) Huge increase in new family
formation soon—^the teen-age
group is growing rapidly in num¬
bers. By 1970 the number of per¬
sons between 13 to 21 will grow to
34,500,000 or 77% more than we
had in 1952 and 55% more than in
1958.

Starting about two years from
now—1960—there will be a rapid
increase in the number reaching 18
years old, indicating a record
growth over the following-15 years
in new family formations and
births. The starting' of a new fam¬
ily is a critical point In forming
brand and purchasing habits.

(8) Change in place of resi¬
dence by 159,000,000 persons in a
five-year period—^1951-1956; equiv¬
alent to nearly the entire civilian
population. Important regional
shifts in popiilation such as
Florida growing 52% in seven
years—1950 to 1957; and Califor¬
nia growing ^31%.

Mobility is particularly hi^
among young adults. 43% of young
married women In the 18-24 age
group move their place of resi¬
dence within a year, and 28% of
those in the 25-34 age group' move
in a year. It is very Important to
any product that It have distribu¬
tion and identity of package If it
is to retain any brand loyalty with
this rapidly shifting population.

(9) Change to suburban living
and self-service—between 1950 and
1957 suburbs have grown seven
times as fast as the rest of the
United States in population—a 36%
increase versus 5% for all the rest
of the country.

85% of our net growth In civilian
population since 1950 has been in
the Metropolitan Markets and their
suburbs. This has meant a rapid
expansion of shopping centers and
of supermarkets with expansion of
self-service into dmg and general
merchandise outlets as well as in
fo(^ outlets. With selfservice and
the vast expansion In the numbei-
of items offered on the shelves
(over 5,000 in a typical supermar¬
ket) for consumer self-selection,
and freedom of choice the pr^
sellmg influence of advertising has i
rapidly grown in importance,

(10) Change in obsolescence and
age of our dwellings—with more
than’ 50% over 30 years old,

(11) Change In number of motor-
vehicles—with twice as many ve-*
hides as in 1940 putting adM
pressure on roads, streets, garages,
and parking facilities that were not
adequate even for the much small¬
er number of vehldes In 1940
(1940 32,000,000—1957 over 67,-
000,000), Passenger cars alone in¬
creased from 27,000,000 In 1940 to
over 58,000,000 In 1957, or an in¬
crease of over 100%.

(12) Change in number of
women workers—47% more women
of ages between 20 to 64 employed
in 1957 tfa^ in 1942 compared
with J.8% more men employed.
This Increase in number of work-
ing women took place In spite of
the increase <> percentage married,
increased" family life, and a 44%
increase in the number bearing
children.

tal weeks of vacation of workers in
the United States doubled in ten
years—^froih 34,400,000 weeks in
1946 to 70,OOQ,000 weeks in 1956.
It was-estimated that 85% of va¬
cations in 1956 were with pay.

(14) Change in education level
of our people—with 110% more
high school graduates in our adult
population than in 1940.

(15) Change- in attitude toward
family life—with increased per
cent married, with greater home
ownership, larger families, more
children per family, suburban liv¬
ing, and a resurgence of religion.

(16) Growth of advertising in¬
fluence—^between 1950 and 1959
total advertising in^uenefe directed
to the consumer will have grown
by 96% from $5,700,000,000 in
1950 to an estimated possible $11,-
200,000,000. in 1959. In relation to
the standard 15f living (total con¬
sumer purchases of goods and
services), advertising influence in¬
creased from 2.9% in 19§0 to
3.7% in 1957. Advertising has been
a strong influence in encouraging
our rapid Improvement in living
standards.

‘These changes and trends are
more than quantitative. The people
themselves have changed^ creating
entirety new ways of living,” John-
■son said. “Great masses of peo-
[-ple have vastly wider horizons,
have new and different experi¬
ences, have changed patterns of
home life, of e^tpression, of leisure
time and of busdng. And this is
only -What has' taken place since
World War II. Even greater
changes must occur within the next
ten years to provide markets for
our productive ability.”

FBI‘Cheeks’VIPs

ss; Continued from pace 1 —j
fuse’s trustees five years to raise
privately the millions necessary to
build it. Government is furnish¬
ing only the site.

“Naturally,” said Fulhright, “the
trustees can’t get to* work and
raise the money until the trustees
are appointed.”

if necessary amoimt Isn’t raised
In fiye years for the Center under
law, what has been collected must
go -to the Smithsonian Institution.

Apparently a tentative list of
the 15 trustees to be named by
President Eisenhower has been
selected. It is known here that
Federal Bureau of Investigation
has. sent agents out to check repu¬
tations on some of Washington’s
best known patrons of thej^arts.
FBI agents, among other tniiigs,
are asking friends if these re¬
spected people are “loyal” to the
government

Fulhright called it “ridiculoivs”
to assume that FBI checks need
be ma4e on persons prominent and
distinguished enough to be con¬
sidered by President Eisenhower
for appointment to a board-which
will , build a national center for
performing arts. Board otherwise
has nothing to do with the Govern¬
ment '

ftstilmt & O’Seas

Continued from pafe 3 j
sued RCA under the trust laws for
its merger moves in Canada.
Zenith won Its point, claiming that
the policy-was designed to elim¬
inate cfMDpetition. ‘

For the moment, film comply
mergers aren’t contemplated' in
any of the larger territories.
There’s « good deid of talk, how¬
ever, about getting together in the
smaller countries, and Metro and
20th-Fox particularly have gone
quite far in that direction.^

The film companies are permit¬
ted to function joiqjtly abroad as
the Motion Picture Export Assm
under a special act of Congress,
which makes it possible for Ameri¬
can firms to act In concert over¬
seas without violating the Sherman
Act..

Fire Endt Watson House

Regina, Sask., D^» 30.

Fire, of unknown origin de¬
stroyed the. theatre, at Watson,
Sask., owned by Barney Smith.
The blaze, which started in an up¬
stairs room of the theatre 20 min¬
utes after the patrons had left,
also razed a nearby hardware store.

Total damage was estimated at

$ 120 , 000 ,-^

17

ITednesdaj, December SI, *1958

■UaiO-TBEEVISIOM'

TV’S OPTIMISM AT YEAR-END

Hie New Nielsens

^ ■ (Two weeks endini: Dec. 6)

It’s still a runaway for the westerns on the new Nielsens, out
this week. As m the previous report, eight of the Top 10 are caters
(ActqaUy it’s 9 out of 11, since "‘Wyatt Earp” and “Texan” are tied
for 10th place). CBS has five places; ABC has four, ^C hw two
Overall appraisal of the Nielsens shows ABC stiU leading four
nights of the week (all commercial time periods between 7:30 and
10:30)—on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
Here’s the Top 10 picture:

• Gunsmoke (CBS) ...

Wagon Train (NBC) ...[ ” ] j. 35 4

Have Gun (CBS) ...35 0

Rifleman (ABC) ...'.!.!*.!!!!!!!!’!.33'l

Danny 'Thomas (CBS).... ..* * * 3

I’ve Got A Secret (CBS) ..V oo?

WeUs Fargo (NBC ..32 !o

Mawrick (ABC)

Real McCoys (ABC)... * *.* . 30 ? -

Wyatt Earp (ABC) .. ' ..!

Texan (CBS) ... ..|o4

TV-Radio Handling of Controversy
Surveyed & Fonnd Definitely Wanting

Radio-tv ^coverage of controver-^
aial Issues 'gets a thumbs down
treatment in a just-published pilot
study on behalf of the Civil Liber¬
ties Educational Foundation by the
Dept, of Communication of New
York Univ.

After monitoring the major com¬
mentators and discussion programs,
the researchers came to- the con¬
clusion that individuals “turn to
network radio and tv less for opin¬
ion, still less for radical or liberal
opinion, and almost not at all for
many-sided discussion.”

“Whether the public is thirsty
for opinions and controversy is an¬
other question, but one cannot
slake one’s thirst at a dry well,” Is
a conclusion drawn from the pilot
study.

Little commentary or expression
of opinion is offered by network
newscasters on radio, the, report
states, adding" that^ a “baker^ dozen
of regular commentators were
Identified, most of them ‘middle of
the readers.' There is more (but
very little more) conservative than
liberal opinion offered the listener.
Most important, tv, with the great¬
est potential of all mass media to
bring to the vei^ living rooms of
our nation a basis for political en¬
lightenment, offers nearly none.”
The report goes on to say that on
“radio, •liberal and conservative
viewpoints are most likely to be
beard the poorer the network to
which one listens.’'

The study of commentary was
made during a one-week period in
March "of 1958. while the many-
sided discussions were examined
over a month-long period from
March 23 to April 20. Conunenta-
tors at the time were Gabriel Heat-
ter, George Hamilton. Combs, Ful¬
ton Lewis Jr., John W. Vandercook,
Edward P, Morgan, Eric Sevarmd,
Chet Huntley, David Brinkley,
Morgan Beatty, Gedric Foster, Lo¬
well Thomas, George Sokolsky and
John T. Flyim. Newscasters were
• (Contihued on page 32)

Whopping Year
For Granada TV

London, Dec. 30.

Th# Granada group, which in¬
cludes a tv web and picture thea¬
tres, more than trebled its trading
profit over the previous year at
$3,107,000 for the year ended Sept.
27, 1958. The figure of 1957 was
$930378.

Dividends of 5% are being paid
on the ordinary and non-voting
^‘A” stock, as well as interim divi¬
dends of 10%. The net profit of
the Group after depreciation, tax
and interest was $720,000 against
Just under $98,000 the year before.

Dealing in Granada stock was
banned by the Stock Exchange
Council in August when the com¬
pany stated that it had no Inten¬
tion at the time of seeking an
official quotation. The stock had
^en changhir hands at up to
$5.78. Last week the stock was
unofficially quoted at $8.40. '' ’'

MBS Seeks New Home

Mutual Is seeking a new home
office, planning to move from its
present quarters on Broadway
when its lease expires In August.

Plan Is to move closer to Madi¬
son Ave. in midtown. Cuirently,
the home office is confined to one
floor of the Broadway building.

Just One Snag
After Aaother
For Costigan

Mildred Freed Alberg, exec pro¬
ducer on the “Hallmark Hall of
Fame’' series on NBC-TV, seems
to be running Into a succession oT
snags in trying to line up a Feb¬
ruary entry for her standout series
of specials. This was to have beeni
the James Costigan original (prob-
(Contlnued on page 33)

LOTS! LOOT ON

By GEORGE ROSEN

In sharp contrast to Jan. 1, '58,
when television was ex!periencing
some agonizing moments in the
mfdst of a recession, the three tv
network! are closing out the year
on a higher note of optimism, with
full confidence that '59 will be
brimming with record profits and
new challenges. Nobody’s panick¬
ing.

If year-end spirits are high
around the webs, it’s because the
worst is behind them. At the
moment there’s nothing wrong-
on any or all of the three fronts—
that better programming won’t
cure. And even here, on the basis
of new strategy In program de¬
velopment, there appears more
evident a sense of sufeness and
direction in upgrading the sched¬
ules.

Perhaps the “big news” at year’s
end was the emergence of ABC-TV
as a more solid contender for top
Nielsen-Trendex honors in the
prime nighttime areas.. But the
p^t year also saw ABC making
the big thrust Into daytime tele¬
vision (with some $15,000,000 in
spbnsorship coin riding on the in¬
itial outcome) with results thus
far that are looked upon by many
as somewhat dubious. Befofe
mAny more weeks have elai)sed
both ABC and the industry as a
whole will know just about where
the network is going pre-dark.

A year ago there was consider¬
able apprehension as to whether a
tv economy could support three
networks. For the most part these
fears have been allayed. True, all
three networks have open spaces
in the nighttime schedules. But
equally certain is the fact (despite
what seems to be a determined
effort on the part of publishing
interests to downgrade tv and re¬
capture the ad doUarl that the
television sponsor is back in busi¬
ness and flaunting some hefty
budgets—enough to provide rich
nourislunent ■ for all three net-
(Continued on page 32)

Study of Economics of TV Biz,
Reasons for Split Sponsorsh^

Stronach Ankles MCA

Alexander (Sandy) Stronach Jr,
has resigned as vicepresident of
MCA-TV effective with the New
Year. Stronach, with MCA for
about five years, had served pre¬
viously with ABC'and had been
with the William Morris Agency
as well. /

Stronach expects to annoimce a
new affiliation shortly.

7irginia Story'
Set for Jan. 21

'The first Ed Murrow-Fred
Friendly in-depth show since “See
It Now” went off the air has
been scheduled by CBS-TV. It’ll
get a prime nighttime showcasing
on Thursday, Jan. 21.

This will be the “Virginia Story”
detailing the school integration
problem and the “Lost Class of
’58-’59.” Camera crew has been
at work on the special for the.
past month.

Thus it is now’ official that the
“Sec It Now” format and scope
(regardless of whether the same
title Is used) will continue to have
a place in the network’s program¬
ming pattern. Although Murrow
and Friendly had been given the
nod some weeks hack to go ahead
and prepare the show, it was not
definitely established until this
week that it would get on the air.

ON SALE NEXT WEEK!

Th*

53rd Anniversary
Edition

Of

NEW YORK t« . HOLLYWOOD 2t CHICAOG 11 LONDON. W. C. 1

154 W. 4Arii 4404 Suset Rlvd. 412 N. MfckIgM''Av«. f-St. Mortfafs Pfoce

PARIS. 2$ m Hachelfe

Trafalgar Sqw
ROME. Staupa Estora

By JACK HELLMAN

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

Recession in television’s $150,-
000,000 industry has spurred Alli¬
ance of Television Film Producers
to order a survey by Price Water-
house Co. into the reasons behind
the slump. Statistics made avail¬
able to Maurice Morton, prexy
would indicate a growing trend
toward participations and split
sponsorships which is resulting in
more sustaining time on the net¬
works.^

One^of the webs, according to
Morton, admitted that 29% of the
time is sustaining and other nets
are said to match or exceed, this
figure. The study by PW will
be made of the economics of the
business, to ascertain the reasons
fon program partnerships instead
of full bankrolling as in previous
seasons. Morton said membership
in ATFP, now 22 companies or
80% of the indie producers which
started six years ago with fiva
qiember companies, is entitled to
know why their shows aren’t fully
sold and to this end has ordered
the survey into the economic in¬
stability of the business. Alliance
is the only trade association In tv
making such a study.

In delving into Uie economice
of the business Alliance Is broad¬
ening its original scope of opera¬
tion to go beyond code matter, tax
structures and continuing interest
in program content to avoid cen-
sorable material. Morton said th#
companies are operating well with¬
in the NAB code and the only com¬
plaints have been on excessive vio¬
lence, which, he said, has been cor¬
rected. “Alliance producers have
been 98% clean,” said Morton.

What worries the Alliance is
that moneys originally channeled
to tv are being channeled off to
other media. 'This the PW study
is expected to pinpoint. Another
source of concern to Morton is the
making of pilots without regard to
potential sale. “As many as 250
pilots have been made in a year,'*
said Morton, “and not more than
25 are sold. A. hundred or more
should never have been made at
all. We are also looking-Into this
practice to save our producer-mem-
(Continued on page 32}

LevathesGets

mTVJob

Differences between the televi¬
sion programming department and
the media sector at Young & Ru-
bicam have been temporarily set¬
tled with the appointment of Peter
G. Levathes, media v.p., as chief
of the television department as
successor to Robert P. Mountain,
who has been shifted over to head
up the new business sector at the
agency.

Levatbes will become bead of an
expanded radio-tv- sector which
will now combine programming
with time buying, the latter pre¬
viously being a section of the me¬
dia department. For the time be¬
ing, Levathes will continue as di¬
rector of media.

TEXACO PLANNING

2DTYMDSICAI

Texaco, which has formulated
^lans for a "Swing Into Spring’*
show for Friday, April 10 on CSS-
TV, is currently negotiating a sec¬
ond spring show “Holiday USA'*
slated for airing In May.

Both specs will be produced by
Cunningham A Walsh, agency for
Texaco, and will be musicals.
“Swhig Into SiH-ing” will feature
Benny Goodman and his b^nd
while the agency is still shopping
around for both talent and a time
period for the “Holiday’"'Spec. ^ ‘ ’

Dccemher Sl» 1953^^

»

P^SSBH

QeasM,,'^iirsiii’ Axed m Major
I hogramResliuineforCBS-TV;
‘Rawhide’ as FrL {(MVliiL Entry

CBS-TV greets the new year-
with two msior: program casualties
!—^the Friday night Jackie Gleason
^ show and the''Wednesday night
full-hqur “Pursuit” series. The ax-
ingff, In turn, will cue a program
realignment Inf a bid to put the
network’s Wed. - Fri. program
houses in ord^r- (NBC has the
commanding leifd on Wed., with
ABC dominating'on Fri.)

Gleason has one more show to
go and on Jan. 9 he’ll be replaced
by the 60-minute “Rawhide” series,
-which goes into the Fri. 8 to 9
hour, which will run as competi¬
tion with ABC’s “Walt Disney
Show,” which enjoys topdog Friday
status. Installing of “Rawhide” is
something of a turnabout for CBS,
which, with the exception of “The
Texan,” shunned new western en¬
tries this season. However, the
-.oaters are hotter than ever this
semester (eight out of the Top
Nielsen 10). Thus CBS is banking

A Precedent

CBS decision to slot "Raw-
hide,” the Charles Marquis
Warren western, in the Fri¬
day 8 to 9 slot finds alt three
networks competing with hour-
long shows, a tv first.

ABC has the dominant “Walt
Disney Presents,” CBS wiM
have “Rawhide,” and NBC- is
sticking -with Its slow-running
“Ellery Queen.”

on “Rawhide” being hot enough
to whittle down those Disney rat¬
ings.

Present Friday lineup reads:
“Trackdown” at 8 and Gleason at
8:30. This means “Trackdown”
must find a new time slot, and CBS
is shifting it over to the Wednes¬
day 8:30 slot now that “Pursuit”
Is being knocked out of the box.
(Here again the CBS strategy is
based on Inviting a switchover
from NBC's “Wagon Train" at 8:30.
“Pursuit” currently is slotted 8 to
fr. What goes into the 8 to 8:30
Wed. niche has yet to be deter¬
mined. “Pursuit” ran Into trouble
two weeks ago when Mennen
pulled out.

“Rawhide” will inherit the brace
of Gleason sponsors—^Lever Bros,
and Pharmaceuticals. There are
about 10 of the hour shows already
in the can, representing a CBS in¬
vestment of $1,000,000. The west¬
ern had been put on ice some
months back when a deal for Rey¬
nolds Metals sponsorship evapo¬
rated at the start of the season.
The strategy at that time was to
slot “Rawhide” Wed. 7:30 to 8:30
as opposition to “Wagon Train,”
but deal fell through.

As for Gleason (who, according
to CBS, wanted, out on the show,
but nonetheless jegisters as the
season’s top casualty) the network
says he wUl be utilized for some
tv specials.

Mar; Margaret Dickers
WNEW-TVHr.Deal,M
Waats Spidication Rights

WNEW-TV and Mary Margaret
McBride are dickering the possibil¬
ity of veteran femme broadcaster
doing a 60-minute cross-the-board
daytime talk and interview ses¬
sion on the New York station. Re¬
portedly holding up the deal Is
that MMM wants to retain syndica¬
tion rights on the daily program
for herself, while WNEW chieftain
Bennet Korn is eyeing a p^
ownership for the station, witii
distribution rights going to Screen
Gems.

Since leaving WNTA-AM (New¬
ark) a few weeks ago, Miss Mc¬
Bride has tied up with Charles
Arden to produce her stanza.
Arden some four years ago pro¬
duced a local automobile telecast,,
which was aired on WABD, the
WNEW-TV predecesscMf.

Miss M-cBride has stipulated that
she only wants tw work a three-
day week, which would necessitate
her video taping many or all of
her shows for a five-day-a-week
exposure format. All 6ve would be
taped should the stanza go the
syndication route.

DC. Pyrotechnics
Set Town on Ears

HONEY ^EAMiiRS

Records Transcriptions

Mrmt: ART WARD Direction

Oarford 7-9034 MCA

Ej Si#rai Plaining

Skew From Portugal

Ed Sullivan is plotting an early
Felwuary diow from Portugal, with
pouibility that the show from that
country may be a springboard to
filTT^ a program in Russia. Details
ds the latter aren’t set yet.

Also on the Sullivan itinerary is
the possibility of filming a show
from Tokyo.

Joey Adams

who kaown htn woy eroaad e noc-
taraoT adcrophoM iHieeiirsts
oa the

Midnight Disk Jokers

By JAY LEWIS

Washington, Dec. 30.
The polite townfolk hefe winced
when a leather-li»ged radio opin-
ionator barged into their political
china shop about 18 months ago,
Washington is the melting pot of
controversy, but there’s a decor¬
ous tendency ta keep it under the
lid of the Capitol or other official
debating arenas. I

The tussle of naked opinion over
Steve Allison's "talk.” show con¬
founded and offended. But while
the citizenry reddend and winced
they listened. Allison’s weet-
nightly (19: 35 p .m.-l aju.) free-
for-all over WWDC radio/ has been
copping the top Pulse ratios for
the time slot, and he’s hilled as
“The Man Who Owns Midnight."

An old hand at being an. angry'
young man, Allison came here
from WPEN - in Philadelphia;.
There, with a similar format, he
whipped up a crusade against
McCarthyism, earned the lasting
enmity of the lunatic fringe and
began carrying a gun.

He’s still carrying it. In Wash¬
ington, Allison has been sounding
off for racial tolerance and inte-
gratiogn. He stiff-arms the bigot
with such invectives as “goon” and
“coward. ” This tends ta stir the
cranks out of the woodwork. Al¬
lison forwards aU the anonymous
threats to the FBI.

Based in a downtown Chinese
restaurant, Allison musters an as¬
sortment of lawmakers, nightclub
performers, lobbyists, psychia¬
trists, etc. for offbeat Interviews.
Allison’s change-of-pace artist and
a showman who can followup bawd¬
iness with light humor, and fero¬
city with calm discussion. His
rough-and-ready rhetoric keeps
the program in high gear, if it
(Continued on page 33)

Sarnoff Reports
Upped Biz in TV,
' Radio, Satellites

RCA. is studying special-purpose^
satellites including an orbital post
office to speed mail delivery, Brig.
General David Sarnoff, chairman
of the board of RCA said in a year-
end report.

General Sarnoff also reported In¬
creased sales in fourth quarter
giving RCA annual volume of biz
in 1958 approximating record high
of $1,176,000,000 obtained In 1957.
Profits will , total about $2 a share
compared with $2.55 in 1957.

NBC, subsidiary of RCA, regis¬
tered broad gains in 1958 in both
fv and radio, Gen. Sarnoff re¬
ported. For 11th straight year,
national advertisers Invested more
heavily than ever in NBC-TV and
it again led all networks in num¬
ber of sponsors, he said.

CSross time sale on NBCi-TV in
1958 exceeded previous year by
11%, morn than double network’s
volume five years ago,-he added.
Commercial radio biz was up 20%,
he said.

He alsa singled out NBC’s public
service programming of “Contin¬
ental Classroom,” describing it as
'world’s largest class.”

]■ the

SBd AjutiverMary Number

«(

Pi^nsff

mthtowwi

Granada-TV’s Award

To Best Playwright

London, Dec. 30.

Winner of a Granada-TV play¬
wright contest is an unknown 33-
year-old native of Manchester,'
whose three plays, “Clap Hands,
Here. Comes Daddy,” "Midgley,”
and “To Keep Our Way Of Life,”
have earned him the $8,400 prize
money. The web plans to air one
of the plays during next year.

The winner, Robert F. Morrow,
who works as a buyer with a
North country firm of catering en¬
gineers; has no previous writing
= experience, but claims that while
watching numerous tv drama pro¬
ductions, he saw many faults, the
chief one being that the plays
appeared only two dimensional.
His style of writing apparently
looks at situations from a wide
angle.

Granada launched the contest last
March because it was felt there
were a lot of writers—playwrights,
short story writers and novelists
—^in Britain who could and should
write for the medium.

Ford, Coke Probe Outer-Space Ads

Washington, Dec. 30.

Will radio and television have to divide the advertising dollar
with satellites orbiting out of this world?

Maybe—in the opinion of Andrew G. Haley, Washington broad¬
casting attorney and president of the International Astronautical
Federation. ^

The tape of FreaidCnl Eisenhower voicing “peace on earth’’ ftom
the Atlas satellite hhowed the feasibility of using privately-owned
satellites for commercial advertising, Haley noted. He said tech¬
nicians of the Ford Motor Ca and Coca-Cola have already started
informal discussions of what could be done. Numerous technical
and legal obstacles are involved*, however, not the least of which is
getting space broadcasts in frequencies which-can be received in
homes.

No S^stifaite For A Daily

Na doubt a Boclal htotorlan will pause one of these not too
distant days to carefully mmine the role of the Gotham broad¬
casters during the recent shutdown of the nine metropolitan
dailies.

What he will find as he pokes his way with' enlarging glass in
the interstices of broadcast Journalism,, Is a dismal picture of
mediocre coverage of -Hje citj^s heartbeat.

The observer, Inevitably, will come to the realization that a
24-point Chelteidiara bold italic head on newsprint can never
be replaced.

' Insofar as commentary was concerned during the deepfreeze
of the newspaper presses, the broadcasters behaved in their
usual neutrali eunuch-like manner. The color and the bite and
the frequently rich Indignation of newspaper editorializing—all
this was woefully missing from the stale arid sterile airlanes.
The in-depth dynamism and coverage of daily journalisfh, so
necessary for the Insight and background of the citizenry, was
not to be had on the broadcast spectrum during the press
blackout.-

The mere piling up of repetitive news bulletins by broadcasters
was no signal to crow that -the medium had flowered 'into a
five star audio-video copy of the metropolitan press. In this
vital moment for the need-of illuminating reportage, the take-
It-away-radio-tv newsroom boys fell flat on their oscillators.

True, there were a handful of redoubtable broadcast perform¬
ances turned, in during the strike. As might be expected under
such circumstances, they stemmed largely from a newspaper-
owned station—\^QXR, the N. Y. Times’ radio sentinel. With
savvy showmanship and scholar$hlp. The Times’ news and edir
tonal staffers (Theodore M. Bernstein, Joseph Durso, Harrison
Salisbury, et al.) performed absorbingly and authoritatively. By
comparison, the other stations were struggling with a pallid
roadshow version.

The inescapable conclusion Is that the “ear” of a daily news¬
paper is Infinitely more attuned to the pulse of a great city than
video’s frequently blurred ’^eye” and radio’s highly skimmed and
Inadequately filled “mike.”

Ik Cash R^ter Rii^s at Mkh^ht,
Chi TV Statioiis Prep for Windfall

W. T. Young to Proxy
Burnett Ad Agency;
$100,000,000 Billings

In a host of year-end changes at
Leo Burnett, Richard N. Heathy
prexy of the agency, moves up to
•ehairman of the executive com¬
mittee and W. T. Young was named
president of the ageneqr. Leo. Bur¬
nett contmues as chairman ot tihe
board of directors. In other eleva¬
tions at the agency DeWitt d’^effe^
a director and one of the founders
of the company, was electedf a seit
ior veepee and three exec V;p.’h
were named. -

Draper Daniels was named exeii
veepee in charge of creative serv^
ices; Joseph M. Gredey, exec yeep
in charge of the agenQr’s‘’marketlng
services division and Philip H.
Schaff, Jr., exec v.p. for adminis¬
tration and finance.

Changes at the agency have Ed¬
ward M. Thiele, v.p. and a director,
named senior account exec and
Phil Schaff and Eldon M. Sinclair I
appointed to the company’s board
of directors. Sinclair is a veep
and manager of Leo Burnett Co.
of Canada.

Coincident with this announce¬
ment, the agency reported “that Ih
December it passed the $100,00(V
000 mark in billings.

WHITNEY $4,539,978
TV BUY GETS OKAY

Washington, Dec. 30.

J. H. Whitney & Co., New York
investment firm headed by, U.S.
Ambassador to Britain, in^eased
its tv interests when Federal Com-'
municatioDs Commission approved
sale of KBET-TV, Sacrainento*s:
^annel 10, to the company, operal-
: mg as Western Broadcasting Corp.,
for $4,539,978.

^ It was a 4-to-l commisisqn deci¬
sion, with Commissioner Robert T.
Bartley dissenting (his reasons not
made public) and Commissioners
Robert E. Lee and Frederick Ford
not participating.

Firm headed by d^Iomat “Jock?*
Whitney als» bas interest in KTSfUP-
TV, Houston; KOTV-’TV, Tulsa*
WISH-AM-TV, Indianapolis; and
WANE-AM.-TV, Fort Wayne.

Seller of California capital city
tv station is Sacramento Tele¬
casters, Inc., headed by John H,
Schacht.

CJhicago, Dec. 30.

So lively have spot and local
sales been In this market the past
year that the four Chicago tv sta¬
tions are exploring the possibili¬
ties of expanding t^ir saleable
time. Best prospejgrmward that
end seems to be "me period he-
gin^g midnight, the stroke of
which has been cutting down sets
in use from as high as 15 to as
low as 1.

Feeling is that the Windy City
could become a latenight videp
if programming w^e
stronger than it has been after 12.
Some programmers, in fact, are
wondering if they didnt’t create
the natural cutoff time themselves
by being perfunctory about post¬
midnight shows. Says one local
exec, “Paar got ’em to stay up
; late, so- we ought to be able to
keep them up later yet. After all,

! when he goes off at mid.night here
iit’S 1 o’clock in New York.”

! It’s at WNBQ, the NBC o&o,
i that the mass tuneoff at midnight
:is felt most,; net becau^ Its early
ta.nrj'ratii^ps nre lower than any-
■one eke’s but because the “Jack
[Pair. Show” paves such a strong
i'leadjhr to something else. Fre¬
quently, Piiar goes off here with
ratings of 11 and 12. One minute
after paidnight the rating drops to. a
fraction a pair of half hour
synfficated reruns, sponsored by
Polk Bros. WNBQ would like to
salvage some of the unusually big
audlehce that quits ‘when Paar
does. ‘ .

While happy with the longtime
BoHfc sponsorship at the early hour,
VPNBQ veep-gjB. lioyd Yoder has
'indicated he would like to strength¬
en the fare, possibly with a live
(Continued on page 22)

Roger Price

feu em a wwfcir dlteeme ea
. tke weM-laewa
'TlMre's Ke fwlaeti," ale.,
la his hHqht fmm —

Irving Berlin Revisited

.■» * *

•aeilMr Ediferlor Mars
fatha

SSit Aumvereary Number

af

OUT NEXT WEIff

19

December 31, 1958

BABIO-TBLEVKIOX

tIBG-TV’s 50,000,000 Pro Grid Aud

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

While no figures were available yesterday (Mon.) on size of the
tv audience watching Sunday’s N.Y. Giants-Baltimore Colts game.
It is estimated by Tom Gallery, NBC-TV sports director, that it
may reach 50,000,000. It will doubtless post the highest rating of
any sports‘event • ever telecast aside from a heavyweight champ
fight.'

” Gallery, here to oversee the net's telecast of the New Year’s
Rose Bowl Game, said the pro football championship game has
been locked in for three more years. Significant in the trade is
that NBC signed tWo sponsors making their bigtime debut in ty
—Savings & Loan Assn., and Clinton Motors.

Gallery said Bayuk Cigars will become one of the biggest spend¬
ers in televised sports with $6,000,000 layout. He is not concerned
about pay-tv cutting in on sports events, with most of those aired
by NBC sewed up exclusively from three to nine years.

NBC will telecast more sports events in 1959 than any. previous
year, according to Gallery.

Barthelmess-Combs Radio Press
Lines Up 25 Stations on News Feed

Some major independents like .^1
Gordon McLendon's Texas Tri¬
angle Stations and some network
outlets like J. P. Williams’ Ken^
tucky and Ohio stations have
bqjight the new Stewart Barthel-
mess-George Hamilton Combs ra¬
dio news feed. In all the Barthel-
mess-Combs’ Radio Press has lined
up 25 stations in the first five weeks
since it began peddling the straight
news feed.

The Schine WPTR, Albany, N.Y.,

Is among the signatories. Triangle
Publication's stations in Altoona,
New Haven, Binghamton, N.Y.,
and Philadelphia have also signed
on. The McLendon Triangle sta¬
tions in Dallas, San Antonio and
Hduston, offer an interesting foot¬
note to the situation, since McLen¬
don said early this year that such
a news service could hardly survive
because not enough stations could
afford to pay for it.

Organization has already begun
providing its lineup with several
minutes of canned news each day,
which then can be recut by the
stations to fit their news skeds.
Combs, who doesn’t plan to do any
of the mike work himself, has lined
a fulltime London bureau, a
permanent staff in Paris and
stringers elsewhere overseas. They
all do their own radio-reports. In
Washington, D.C., Radio Press
plans to form a permanent bureau
shortly, augmented by the five-man
(all former INS scribes) News As¬
sociates, which is currently han¬
dling capital news breaks. All the
voices are delivered to stations via
beeper phgne. Shortly, Combs
hopes to buy class C lilies in a
permanent hookup of stations in
the eastern part of the country and
eventually extend it to other areas.

MBS’ToiighieOn
Qearance in N.Y.

Mutual, the network without any
o&o stations, is confronted with a
tough situation in New York, the
key market in the U.S.

It’s affiliate WOR Radio, accord¬
ing to the station’s own promotion
piece, has Mutual programming
occupying only 1% of the sta'tion’s
programming log. It's not a case of
MBS sponsors not getting a ride
In the N.Y. market. The RKO Tele-
. radio N.Y. flagship does carry MBS
■ commercials, spotting them in local
shows. It’s a case of many net¬
work sponsors buying MBS news¬
casts and having their commer¬
cials spotted in different WC)R
programs, with the purchased
newscasts not carried In N.Y.

Situation is set to come to a
head shortly. WOR’s affixation con¬
tract, like those of other RKO
Teleradio stations, are due for
renewal in August, '59. Lack of
clearance in N.Y. on WOR will be
among the items on top of the
agenda. ,

MBS does not have the same
trouble outside N.Y. with RKO
Teleradlo ‘ affiXates. Rundow'n of
RKO statiens other than WOR
which are up for w'.‘'h rc’iew'al con¬
tracts incite. KFRC, San Fran¬
cisco; KHJ, Lo*? WNAC,

Boston; tamd WHBQ,. Memphis.

tadie f

CBS-Kaiho Prmxy

Arthur Hull Hayes

dtlalli hit ewa views oa

Have Network,

Will Stay

* * *

aaothar IrighI Ectlf-erial Feofara
la the

53d Anniversary Number

f'SniETY

OUT NEXT WEEK

WNEW Decides To
Shoot the Works
On a News Staff

WNEW Radio has gone whole
hog in forming a fulltime, inter¬
nally controlled, hews operation,
with its annual news budget now
going up to almost two-and-a-half
times what It was for the New
York station when it aired the
jointly-owned hourly newscasts
with the Daily News.

Under Martin Weldon, who was
hired away from WCBS, N.Y., to
act as chief of the news operation,
there will be 13 fulltime staffers,
12 of them reporters and rewrite
men. Instead of the longtime
hourly reports alone, Weldon and
administrative boss of the station
John Jaeger have arranged for
news reports on the hour and half
hour 24 hours a day.

The twice hourly reports will be
five minutes each, except between
9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 1 aim.,
through 5 a.m., when the on-the-
hour reports will consist of nothing
but headlines.

Since all the news carried by
(Continued on page 33)

LIQUOR ADS FOR

FM JAZZ SmiON

San Francisco, Dec. 30.

New jazz FM station, scheduled,
to go on the air from suburban
Alameda in the. spring, will be first
station in Northern California to
accept hard-liquof advertising, ac¬
cording to co-owner Dave Larsen.

FCC okayed outlet earlier this
month and Larsen, now program
manager at KNOB-FM, Los An¬
geles, and Pat Henry, other co-
owner who’s a dee jay at KROW-
AM, Oakland, • have applied for
KJAZ-FM as call letters.

Larsen says he’s lined up, as
staff, deejays Wally Ray and Ginny
Eleven, from KWBR-AM, Oakland
station, and Jerry Dean, KNVA,
Vallejo. • He says station will also
air tapes by Frank Evans, L.A. dee-
/jay, and Nat Hentoff, New York
jazz, critic. • . !

ISlilPIIOBINi;!;

Washington, Dec. 30.

Much sound and some fury (but
probably very little legislation) lie
ahead for the broadcasting indus¬
try on Capitol HiU In 1959.

The new Congress, with its
swollen Deinocratic majorities, will
press more radio-tv investigations.
The main ring, however, will like¬
ly shift from House to Senate.

The tv rating probe slated by
the Senate Commerce Committee
in New York in February figures
to be a broad sounding board on
the pros and cons of network prac¬
tices and policies in general. It
can’t avoid, of course, getting into
the area of network programming
structures.

There’ll be some vocal gripes
that the public interest isn’t being
served by present network public
service and ’other programming
policies. But best bet, as of now,
is that the Committee will count
on network Initiative, spurred by
the publicity of the hearings,
rather than venturing remedial
legislation in this slippery area.

The legislative recommendations
of the House Harris Subcommittee,
so far as the Federal Communica¬
tions Commission is affected,
might appear a little anti-climactic.
FCC Chairman John C. Doerfer’s
relatively mUd proposals to block
wire-pulling and bar Commission¬
ers lecturing for money are cer¬
tain to be adopted and pushed by
Uie House group. A code of ethics
governing members of federal reg¬
ulatory agencies also appears like¬
ly to emerge. But the major mop¬
ping-up action will be at the FCC
itself, during the rehearings of
past channel decisions.

Communications 4^ct

Preliminary steps toward a
broad-scale revision of the 25-year-
old Communications Act will be
taken by the House and Senate
Commerce Committees in- 1959.
The big push here, however, prob¬
ably won’t come, until 1960. It will
involve numerous controversial
proposals for revamping FCC, its
powers and its practices.

There’s a reasonable chance that
the pay-tv question will be set¬
tled one way or another during the
first session of the new Congress.
Chairman Oren. Harris of the
House Commerce Committee
hopes so anjway. His group opens
hearings on the question in Janr
uary, and the betting is on a bill
which would strip FCC of any
authority to license tollvision.
Such a measure may be more con¬
troversial in the Senate than in the
House. Drastic Congressional Com¬
mittee shakeups and realignments
as a result of the Democratic elec-
(Continued on page 22)

BeOamy, Polly Bergen
Sared for Tett Trulk’
Via Early Ere Taping

Goodson-Todman’s “To Tell the
Truth,’’ CBS-TV panel show, will
be aired via videotape on a regular
basis starting next. Tuesday (6).
Decision was made to tape the
program at 7 p.m., 90 minutes be¬
fore air time for following reasons:

Packagers thus can regain the
services of Ralph Bellamy as a
regular panelist. Bellamy is in
“Sunrise at Campobello’’-- on
Broadway which forced him to exit
the tv show last season. Early tap¬
ing will permit him to do the
panel show, and also be at the
Cort Theatre for his 8:30 rising
curtain.

Secondly, Goodson-Todman will
be able to keep the services of
Polly Bergen as “regular on the
show. Her upcoming rehearsals in
the Broadway musical version of
“Pride and Prejudice’’ would have
prevented her from making
live air show.

Furthermore, new setup will
enable the producers tb ■ garner
more Broadway figures as panelists
who heretofore’ were Unavailable
because of showtime •coiiflicts. ‘

D.C.

WCBS Radio s Whdesale Revamp
Of Pri^am Sked Keyed to TCP

NIC-rV Program VJP,

Robert F. Lewine

•xploret

The Quiz Game That
Never Has an Ending
* * *

OM of the MCMy Editorial Footarei
bitho

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^RlETf

OUT NEXT WEEK

Barrow Over A

Decision by CBS-TV to drop its
must-buy requirement last week
represented another astute sam¬
pling of statesmanship by the net¬
work, a case of grabbing the politi¬
cal bun by the horns in a back¬
ground of changing network eco¬
nomics. Like the web's relaxation
of network option time earlier this
fall, it represents a strategic re¬
treat before the pressures of Wash¬
ington but also an adjustment to
the new business angles of net¬
working.

Relinquishment of must-buy
and relaxation of option time
aU but obviate the force of the
Barrow Committee recommenda¬
tions. Though the committee’s re¬
port seeks more stringent limita¬
tions, the CBS action in both in¬
stances is probably enough to take
the edge off any aU-out attack on
the webs that’s been brewing in
Washington.'

Yet, CBS’ decision to yield,
though obviously motivated to
an extent by the pressures on
thd Potomac, is a realistic ap¬
praisal of the new type of network
selling which has emerged full¬
blown this fall ,a result of the re¬
cession of last winter and spring
and g reflection of the high cost
of television. When CBS Med its
objections to the Barrow Report,
its Insistence that must-buy and
option-time were indispensable to
the survival of networking was no
doubt well taken; in the short span
of eight months, however, network
economics have taken on a new
look.

Web’s relaxation of option time,
which consisted of turning over
the Tuesday and Wednesday 7:30-8
periods to the stations, subject to
recapture (some affils and one n&o
grabbed off the Tuesday at-8 slot
as well), stemmed simply from the
(Continued on page 33)

AKRON AM STATION
SALE FETCHES 6006

Akron, Dec. 30.

Radio Station WCUE, Akron,
has been sold for more than $600,-
000 to an eastern corporation head¬
ed by Ted Estabrook, New York
City, who previously owned sta¬
tions in Rhode Island and Florida,
and Jack Valdes, Princeton, N.J.,
former advertising account execu¬
tive. Sale is conditional on ap¬
proval by the Federal Communi¬
cations Commission. .

: The nine-year-old Akron station
is one of four in that city and
only independent radio station. It
was owned by Tim Elliot and his
father, Edwin Elliot of Philadel¬
phia. WCUE's parent corporation,
Akron Broadcasting, also owns
majority stock In WIGE, Pro¬
vidence, R.!:, radio stetion. Elliot
said he will move to Providence
next summer, ‘ ’

Drastic program changes are In
the works for WCBS Radio as a
result of the web’s recently-formu¬
lated Program Consolidation Plan.
A vigorous shakeup throughout
both weekday and weekend sched¬
ule will see the exiting of familiar
figures.

Flagship outlet, in addition to
stepping up its news schedule by
some 33 and one-third percent,
signed Johnnie Ray for a Sunday
bight (7:05 to 8 p.m.) 55-minute
show in which the performer vill
work at the piano, vocalize and
spin records; Johnny Desmond,
also on Sunday (1:05 to 2 p.m.) 55-
minute program in which the
singer will warble and play rec¬
ords. Tony Mottola, guitarist, will
appear with Desmond.

New talent also Includes Louis
Nye who’ll be heard Monday
through Friday from 8:15 to 9:30
p.m. doing dialects, jokes and
playing records. Nye will be fol¬
lowed by Emily Kimbrough, author
and lecturer, from 9:30 to 10 p.m.
in interviews and story telling.
Miss Kimbrough was heard on
WCBS Ra6io previously from 1953
to 1955.

Also moving to the key outlet
of CBS Radio will be Westbrook
Van Voorhis in two 15-minute news
broadcasts, 6 to 6:15 p.m. and 11
to 11:15 p.m. cross-the-board. An¬
other new metropolitan figure, Lee
Jordan will be aired from 1:05 to
1:30 p.m. on Saturday. He’s also
booked from 5:30 to 6 p.m., 8:30
to 7 p.m. and at 8:35 to 9 p.m. with
a live jazz show. Additionally,
there’s Portia Nelson, a singer,
who will get exposure on the
station.

Expansion of the station’s pro¬
gram structure will find team of
Stan Freeman and Richard Hayes
in new time spot, 10:05 to 11 a.m.
and Lanny Ross filling the 12:15
to 12:30 p.m. segment, Galen
Drake, who runs the “Housewives
Protective League,” will be aired
' one hour earlier, 2:30 to 3 pm,
Jim Lowe expands his Monday-
j through-rViday program to two
hours, 3:05 to 5 p.m. with five
minutes out for news at 4 p.m.

Sam J. Slate, general manager
} of the station, after huddling with
[ Allen Ludden, station’s program
director, also decided to up the
local news coverage. Resultant
I move gives Dave Dugan, young
newsman responsible for winning
i a Peabody for “This is New York,”
a. 15-minute local newscast dally
at 12 (noon).

Station will garner its bulk of
(Continued on page 33)

WINS, Engineers
End 41-Day Strike

strike by erigineers against
WINS, N, Y. radio indie, came to
an end Sunday (28) at midnight
after 41 days. Strike ended when
the station settled contract de¬
mands with local 1212 of the In¬
ternational Brotherhood of Electri¬
cal Workers and the settlement
brought back to work the 14 strik¬
ing engineers and six staff an¬
nouncers from the American Fed¬
eration of Television & Radio Art¬
ists who went out in sympathy for
the engineers.

Negotiations, when there were
negotiations, were frought with
bitter feelings. IBEW accused El¬
roy McCaw, owner of WINS, with
not wanting to meet in order to
iron out the differences the em¬
ployer and the union had. Strike
began on Nov. 18, when IBEW
filed unfair labor charges against
the station. Charges were based on
the accusation that McCaw refused
to bargain in good faith.

IBEW charged that nodoby was
In authority except McCaw and he
was unavailable to dicker most of
the time because of a recent auto¬
mobile accident .which kept him
abed on the Coaai. However, last
(Coi^iPHedL .pc page 22)

TT-VBJMS

PT^SBFt

Wcdneidaj, December 31, 19SB

Bad Shows at Pdot rime
CaH Eliminate 13-Week Menace

Although telefilm producer-dis¬
tributors still wince at the mention

wnnuxors suu wince at the menuon n • 9 a m I Dr'TIT
€>f a 13-week deal, such short- pn hilll X LOlli I AdL’Ii
tenners at midseason haven’t , 1 • •

gained any ascendency la numbers. qJ YlflPlC SKCIHS

A fkA 'fa'llr vArnA •«AA«tV *

gained any ascendency la numbers. hf Vimilf. SkftllK

Despite the talk of some agency 1 1 iv»

execs, telefOmeries hope that the Hne lyQlm] J^CflSlOllS
Jesa than 26.epi8ode deals wiU di- uiwiHU a/nuwiowiw

gikrfsh. Telefilm execs were heart- London, Dec. 30.

nned hy this production news out Anthony R Morris, head of for-
Wf Holl^oo<b out of the 18 series eign sales for ABC-TV, is leaving
gow filmed in studios, only London next week on a six weeks’

time mre of the 13-week variety; tour of the Far and Middle East
lour series are in on 28-week pacts to promote sales for 10 vidplc se-
gnd the remainder firm 3ft-week ries. He planes out next Tuesday
deals. (6), taking the Polar route to Tokyo

McCann-Erlckson’s Terry Clyne and his itinerary will include Hong
yecently acclaimed the mobility of Kong, Manila, Austria, New Ze^
iS-wedic deals, pointing to agency’s land, Singapore, Thailand, Iran and
deetoion to get off the “Ed Wynn Iraq.

Show” and “Brains and Brawn.” Among the packages he’ll have
&f Wttit on to opine there wiU be to offer will be the “Flying Doc-
more tiiort-termers in subsequent tor” series, 39^half hours lensed in
seasons when the show appears to Australia; “Ilme‘ to Bmember,”
he an unknown quantity, not mak- a new skein of 26 “scrapbook’
log any distinction between a film films, recounting the highlights of
and "live” ahowcase. the first half of the century, with.

The rebuttal from telefilm execs commentaries by Michael Redgrave
follows the traditional lines. It’s and Stanley Holloway; three Grpss-
argued that it would have been Krasne sen^ Pa^o^

better to “doctor” the scripts of “Glencannon and J^gle Boy’ ;
Wynn than unceremoniously dump three skeins pMdm^ hy
it after a 13-week period. What Alan Tow^, “Dml 999, Manto-
assurance has Clyne got that the vani” and MarHn Kane ; 26 half
•iiKKa/i “-n A njiii houTS in the “Tomahawk series;

Despite Popularity of Westerns,
Teleflmeries to Scatter Sliots

Webb-NipiMiTVOptioi
ToMakeTakyoDrapet’
StartiflM is Fdnary

Tokyo, Dec. 30.

The high rating dust kicked up
by the oaters again this season has
made pilot preparation for the
y spring-silmmer selling season a
’ game of “blind man’s bluff.”

7 Latest top 10 Nielsen’s find the
oaters the only cZes.f pf'oular pro¬
gram trend. Their predominance

BETTY MADIGAN

Corel Kecorii
Currently on the
Dure Garroway “To-Day” TV
WUUam Morria Agency _

Co-Production Of
Yidlilm Entries
Can lick Quota

subbed show “D.A.’s Man” will hours in
draw greater rating fire? and the

Instead of playing a game of children,
'^nslcal chairs” with a variety of
shows in short cycles, it’s contend-
ed that the advertiser, agency and \ | ^||
telefilmery should get together on
Ji vehicle. Once the decision is ^
made to go ahead, they should pool ^

their talents to upgrade the show, ||||
if subsequent episodes don’t seem \/lI
to be maku^g the grade.

All sides agree that' there’s no
use in “doctoring” a real turkey. Jack T

will hours in the “Tomahawk” series; *^^6 stimulant towards Anglo-

and the ‘Torchy” puppet films for American co-prdducU6h is exempU-
children. < geij by the experience of CBS Film

--- Sales.

■ A* u Last year at this time, the CBS

tT yfiyi lyyi DujIaa subsld had 22 series hemg telecast

IlllKS ^ Britain. Currently, the Ameri-

yx^avvjvvv xmawv telefibnery has 12 skeins on

^ im 19 /V U-B:. airwaves.

fill InfAmAr VaAO ^ happened In the 12-

Ufl iniClINll |J6ES period is that British sta-

VIA become more self-suffi-

•Hnllvwnnfl an. cient _in programming and that all

All sides agree that' there’s no Hollywood. Dec. 30. I

use in “doctoring” a real turkey. Jack Wrather’s Independent Tel-

But telefilmeries contend that the evision Corp. has consummated Its gales bv ^ one coniSSv

enes that don’t have a chance to second foreign coproduction deal, d^cult Of course acting al

hit should be eUminated in the rigning with fhe J Arth^ Rank “^ake^for CBS Films, as weU as
pilot, or pre-pilot stage. But If a Organization to produce “Interpol ^

lihowhas some plus quantities, the Calling” at Pinewood Studios in official but effective ouota which
more challenging task is to im- London. Already Jn Preparation

Men” riaiTing Jack

PAlICr-TDliEint TIED ^ ^ ^ production shortly. ^ co-production, with a sizable

'AUU]JL*1]IV££1TL I1£D “Interpol,” based^ on files of the number of episodes filmed in Eng-

•WV C/'DCVII /'me f\rAI I^^ternational Criminal Police Or- land, doesn’t come imder the quota
111 M/lulLrl ULUIJULAL ganizatlon, is budgeted at $1,409.- restrictions. Thq co-production also
ca,.aaa -hn* cloned an ex °°° episodes and will roU; usually fetches better prices. And

. 1 ,^!. irfth the ™ “ mid-Februaiy, Anthony Petry, on occasion in the past, a poorer

elusive vidfilm deal wito tfie mo producer, will produce the co-production will he sold in Eng-

sSse?U^on;T“c^ <“ « lend^ carrying Tat -Madeln the

G?^e It's thl firs^^me thrt ttc worW-wile basis. UJC." label wlule an all-U.S. pro¬
duo ^ich produced "DOA” “ tl"® second ebproduotion; duced skein will be left begging,

*‘The Thief” “Fastest Gun Alive” ^v for Rank. Couple of months quality considerations notwith-
and is currently working on Par’s ago. Sol Lesser Productions and standing.

-‘Thunder in the Sun,” has done the Rank group, acting through - — „ .

tv. . Sydney Box, set a coproduction fnliQn^e Mnvia Hnchnir

Jack Webb’s Mark VII Produc- on the scorecard leaver Any other
L, 1 - -T, ArtHnT, maVA program format for lel-ifilmeries

tions has signed an option ^ chance proposition, & greater

a Japan locationer version 01 gamble than years’ past.

“Dragnef* that .will eitlier be Unlike previous years, when
called “Tokyo Police” or “Tokyo, there were a variety of formats
bragiiet.” Spadework of securing among the. new program rating
VAAn winners, this upcoming selling sea-

In^arcati deride to when a telefilmery will come
^ ia with an anthology, a meller, an
^etkmer. or what hive you. he vir-
tually can’t point to a track record
tory to rolling ta June. format. The sfaoot-em-ups,

Story would have two^ American ^ established win-

police officers assigned here on m- have corralled the top rat-

ternational exchange basis with an ’

English-spcaktag Japaness office course, there are the non-

on hand as liaison. Angle would established rating winners

be differences to solving ermes ^ a Danny Thomas, an oc-

with emphasis on the greater drii- “Shirley Temple Story-

cacy with which the Japanese law book,” “The Real McCoys,” Jack
enforces, have to work. ^ ^ Benny, “Hitchock Presents,” etc.

Venture would be made in co- Virtually ithe only new filmed
ordination with the Nippon Trievi-. series on the webs to hit the upper
sion Networic of Tokyo (NTV), now rating strata so far—at the sea-
presenting a “Dragnet” copy son’s midpoint—^in the non-oater
called “Dial IIG” successfully, categories are the “Ann Sothern
This, pins success here of filmed Show” and “Peter Gunn.” Repre-
“Dragnet” series , led to idea. Mark sentation of a situation comedy
VII would retain international dis- andv a sBck, private eye meUer
tribution rights and NTV would hardly makes for a track record on
release the series locally. ' new shows.

- What to do? One answer—as ex-

vwvmvMf a »«vv 9 mm • emplified by the 20th-Fox produc-
WN1 A TVMfl lA^ roster—is to scatter the shots.

If ri 1 M* I f S Hlfl lUr ^ave a pHot project for most any

IIAIXXA xr V AiAMjva A buckshot approach to

^ ^ pilot-makiug also is being adopted

U Avtavmvi by -^BS Film Sales. The idea Is to

TrofinrsflD iiCVHinD ® ^^®

X national sale, when the

WNTA-TV, Newark owned b buying is being done for the’59--60

operated station of National Tele¬
film Associates, is going to revamp ;

Apparently, not all sponsors will

ROUSE-GREENETIED

the largest portion of its schedule want to ride the range comes next
on Jan. 19. The effort to jazz-up «ason. For those with other than
the program lineup of the "station sagebrush ideas, 20th-Fox, CBS
which NTA has controlled since; Films, and other telefilmeries will
last spring has begun with new fiave other fare. With no clear
plans for daytime. “trend in the non-western, cate-

Instead of continuing with mo- “’f * scattershot

H«n opprooch IS aboul the safest.

tion pictures which have had sev¬
eral runs, both on WNTA and

The 20th-rox roster best exem-

other metropolitan area outiets, the pBefies this approach: the pilot
station will institute what is to be Projects range from an “Esther
" ’ — ■ *• - ■ ' Williams Show,” an anthology, to

called "“Quality Theatre” features

Greene. It’s the first time that the

^uo. which produced “DOA,” , Deal is the sewnd
“The Thief,” “Fastest Gun Alive” Rank. Coup]

and is currently working on Par’s ^So, Sol Lesser Proc
-Thunder in the Sun,” has done the Rank group, act

Sydney Box, set a

Rousc-Greene are signed to pro- for four series,

duce at least two pilots a year' - - ■
for the next three years. First , w 1

pilot goes into production in the CavtAll « Rebuttal

next two weeks in Hollywood. To 3 ACUUIMI

be called “Underworld,” skein —

win concern undercover cops,

Greene will produce, Rouse direct
and both will share writing chores, Variety.

with this system obtalning'through- Because Radio an
out the six SG projects. Packagers, Inc. and

Cohen’s Movie Hosting

Pittsburgh, Dec. 30.
Harold V. Cohen, drama-movie

ravfnn’c RAhnH^I ^^® looming Post-Gazette

l«jrlUll o AcDUllal and Variety stringer here, Is re-

- —r~_ fo television to host a fea-

. ture picture Sunday afternoons
New York. over KDKA-TV.

iitOT, Variety; Special package station has just

Because Radio and Television acquired tees off Jan. 11 in 3:30-5

in the current l-to-2:30 p.m. fea- Belvedere,” a situation come-
ture film slot. Second run films ’^y* “Profile,” a one hour dra-
such as “Snake Pit,” “Laura,” and biographic series, to “Five

“In Old Chicago” will be exposed lingers,” .an espionage meller,
in the afternoon slot after the =

Station is revising its time sked WE UFTS SUSPENSION

on the moppet block In the late/ p* njiiv |iriT I/IJD

afternoon. “Junior Town” is be- Uf l/Lirli fYALlUjiV

ing extended from 45 minutes to an -n..., -ja

hour every weekday, with the show I

Hollywood, Dec. 30.
Warner Bros, has lifted its eight-

to hold down the 4-to-5 p.m. riot T

'‘TVTafyfr Plnwn ” nnof a nnaTtAt* ^Onth SUSpCnSlOB Of Clint

"Magic Clown,” now a quarter
hour, will expand to take the 5-
5:30 p.m. anchorage. And WNTA-

imposed when actor walked out of
his star role in “Cheyenne” tv

Wrap’s New fiatoh
Of lone Ranger’ Pix

Packagers, Inc. and I personally p.m. slot with “Life of Emile Zola”
have built an outstanding reputa- and also includes ‘Tale of Two
tion for fair dealing and for honor- Cities,'” “Cyrano De Bergerac,”
ing aU agreements, I must correct “Naughty Marietta,” “Mr. Bland-
errors and misleading statements Ings Builds His Dream House,”
in the story published in the. Dec. “Abe Lincoln In Hlinois” “The
24 issue of Vahuty. An action was Informer,” “Silver River,” “Con-
brought by Sterling Television Co. fidential Agent” and “Bad Bas-

serials of the space and cowboy re- senes

run variatv continue, according to studio.

run variety to replace the current
crop of stuff in the 5c30 to 6 “Ac-

New plans for Walker will be

Hollywood, Dec. 30. brought by Sterling Television Co. fidentii
Ja(i Wrather is planning produc- against Radio and Television comb.”
tioii of 59 more ‘The Lone Paricagers. But this action concerns
Ranger” vidplx next year, also 39 only rescisson of an agreement, and 1

‘ Vldpix bf a series, “Adven- alleges fraud only in respect tor
tm^g of Tojn Swift” certain alleged verbal conditions

DEAN JONES SERIES

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

turgg 01 Tom ownu cerxam auegea vero^ conmuons u^an Jones has been

“Ringer” aeries was not in pro- which were not embodied in «ie niw

.^tion thia semest^, with reruns formal written contract between: ^ wtV+rn

bSig tiiown on ABC-TV. but Sterling and R & TV. This action-

Wratiiear guns a new batch of does not call for an accounting, -vr.S” ” nnder contract to
them in 195** Bi addition. Wrath- and William D. Cayton Is not

*r*s production slate includes named. . j—--- — —

«l,assie,” and “The Gale Stmm Further, Radio and Trievlsion

Show,” taking over toe latter Packagers, Inti, bas interposed wj -v x rt -i

£rom Had Roach Jr„ when it fin- <jiree counterrialms against Sterl-: INatiiail Li. Halperil

Ishes its currmit production sked. ing Television Co., Inc. The flr^ . , ,,

--— counterclaim seek? <- $100,f)00 In

Bt Options‘Bondike’ ciosed-circuU tf

Ottawa, Dec. 30. exi^g betweea Sterling Tele- Invites ^30MOO.flOO

Tir O^iB ‘Bon&e’

Ottawa, Dec. 30.

Ziv Trievision Programs has vision and R & TV. Other counter-
taken X one-year option on “Klon- claims Involve the failure of Ster-
dlke” (ptthliahed.as “The Klondike ling Trievision to turn over to R
i’ever” in U.S.) by Yukon-born & 'TV fimds due R Sf TV.

Biesra Berttm, asseriate editor of Sterling does not have a minorl-
. Toronto Star. Pilot la skedded to be ty owrershlp Interest In “Cartoon
xtaried this week, and some of Classics Serials,” but only a ndnor-
fhooting may actually be dtme in ity particim>tion In net revenues
ytnndike. long since stripped of derived from toe sale of just two
•oWr atiU rich in scenery. of toe total number of caitxton
*^Bertoo, who’ll act as adviser on scries Issued as part of the “Car-
the aeries docs a daily section-page toon Classics SerialsV package,
^lumn in Toronto Star. WiXliam D. Cayton.

Ulosed'Circuit TV
Invites $ 30 , 000,000
In BilUngs

tion Theatre” riot. It’s held prob- disclosed by WB, according to
able that A1 Hodge, the “Captain ■ •^«ck L. Warner, after first

Video” whq once held down a net- ankled assignment

work slot on DuMont, will host the, weekly salary

stanza 1 wasn t sufficient and he wanted

Ersi nlghUtoe .Itewtion to be »®to£^fl®f___

indicated is that WNTA-TV wiB.

air live wrestling from Bridgeport,. f IK.TV^« ^Maaii OliAt’

Conn., on Monday between 8 and; vl>^l I S UlOlHl oDlIl
10 p.m. Ihe wrestling show', be-;

ing produced directly for the NTA- ’ AS la6UX

owned station, ig bring taped for HoTlvwooa Dec 30

i^eapolis outlet. CBS-TV in NYTbag acquii^
-f*™ “Moon Shot,” SatEvePosl story by

thiK Harvey, for e new vidpix

»«'ies, with plans to shoot It In
tion, even though the parent NTA. Go^m

does ha ndle such tape; synd ication.. Gil Ralston to

produce and Harvey to pen to*
JACIC COBMCK UPPED pilot teleplay. Series, fictional,
Hollywood, Dec. 30. deals with nuclear propulsion.
Jack Corric k of Revue’s produc-- H. N. Swanson agency repped the
tion department has been upped" author in negotiations,
to assistant secretary of the MCA- --^-

ORotfier Editorial Feature
hi the

5Sd Anniversary Number

of

P^tiEfr

«UT NEXT WEEK

__ 'DREAM PACKAGE' SAIES

. . ~ . national Toleflhn Assaciatea ha«

N^x Frisco Solup ,, racked up additional mai^ets on

San Francisco, Dec. 30. Its “Dream Package,” putting toa
National Telefilm Associates has jp:oup in about 50 markets.

] opened new offices in San Fran- New deals include WMAL, Btl-
c^sco, with Henry P. iong and .timore; WCIA, Champagne; lU.;

i Robert Lang in ^arge.

WJAR, Providence; WH3F, Rock

Long Is a former v.p. of MCA-TY Island; WINK, Fort Meyers;
film syndication, while Lang is a KONO, San Antonio; KPTV, Port-
former assistant to the radio and land. Ore.; WJBT, FHnt; aod
tv director of BBD&O. WRCA, N.Y.

22

lBABI«-TBLEVISIO]$

Wednesday, December 31, 1958

a

Ed Nobk, Whose Dissents Livened
AB-PT Board Sessions, Dies at 76

I.ast year when Edward J. Noblef:
was 75 years old, he was apparent¬
ly still quite chipper and certainly j
quite active in the American'
Broadcasting - Paramount Theatres
sphere. As the chairman of the
finance committee of AB-PT, he
often was the, dissenting voice at
those monthly hoard meetings, a
dissenting voice particularly in the
past two years, since a frontrun¬
ning part in the active manage¬
ment of the tv-radio-motion pic¬
ture theatre company was deprived
him at the time Robert Kintner
was removed as president of ABC
division.

Noble, who died, reportedly of
cancer, last Sunday (28) in his
home in Greenwich, Conn, after
an illness of nearly a year, bought
the old Blue Network from Radio
Corp. of America, when RCA was
forced by consent decree to get
rid of one of its two networks. He
reportedly paid Gen. David S'ar-
noff & Co. $8,000,000 for Blue, and
then turned it into ABC Radio.

Impressed by a young columnist,
Robert Kintner, who interviewed
him shortly after the network
takeover. Noble hired him to\Vard
the end of the war as a network
executive with an ominbus title
giving him some measure of say
in a wide variety of network areas.
It was not too long after that he
made Kintner prexy of ABC, a job
Kintner held until two years ago.

In 1953, Paramount Theatres
(which had split-

Chi Stations

s—^ Continued from pace 18

show that would be promotable or
that would generate a word-of-
mouth. For the time being, he and
his staff are studying - the time
period and mulling the possibili¬
ties.

WBBM-TV will be the first to
take real action in the witching
hour. Station has been maintain¬
ing a double feature of cinematics
every night, one ending and an¬
other starting at midnight. Pre¬
viously, the later show has been
a repository for vintage and weak
product, but now that it has ac¬
quired the Paramount pix. WBBM-
TV is going to tempt a wee-hours
audience with stronger titles and
casts. The experiment will run
nine days, starting Jan. 4 with
Cary Grant and Nancy Carroll in
“Woman Accused.”. Subsequent
shows will include “Moon’s Our
Home” with Henry Fonda and
Margaret Sullavan; “Unseen” with
Joel IMcCrea and Gail Russell; and
“Car 99” with Fred MacMunay.
Continuance of this policy, of
course, depends on how the rat¬
ings read in February,

W’BKB for nearly two years has
followed its 10 p.m. film with
“Marty’s Morgue,” an hourlong in¬
terview show with klarty Faye,

sports announcers; nor did it get

(2) an okay for remote control
(from the studio) for remote con¬
trol of the WINS transmitter nor
permission to operate studio and
transmitter from a dual control.
Ck>nversely, separate engineers
will be retained at both locales.

(3) Station must retain regular re¬
lief periods and a maximum board
trick of 90 minutes followed by re¬
lief time.

Apart from this, IBEW got a
$12.50 per man raise per week,
bringing weekly minimums for en¬
gineers to $185, which is the
equivalent of the base at WMGM,
N. Y.

Meantime, the longtime dickers
between IBEW and WNTA, in
Newark, are continuing. There the
situation is that the station wants
somewhat similar changes in staff
duties and IBEW fears they will
lead to eventual reductions.

decree — from Par Pictures) and
ABC merged^ Noble then relin¬
quished operating control to be¬
come a director of the new parent
company,. AB-PT. However, upon
the removal of Kintner from the
top network post, some three years
later by leaders in Paramount, he
made vigorous efforts to get back
into the driver’s seat, without any
apparent luck. He was nonetheless
that continuing, often dissenting
voice, in AB^PT.

Biff Business

Noble was, in addition to his
radio-tv Interests, the board chair¬
man of Be^b, Nut-Life Savers. In
1913, eight years after he was
graduated from Yale, he bought
(along with partner J. Roy Allen)
the Life Savc-r candy company
from a Cleveland manufacturer
and thereafter built it into a multi¬
million dollar business. Active in
philanthrophy for a number of
years, Noble formed the Edward
J. Noble Foundation to serve out
coin from his well-established es¬
tate. In 1938, he became chairman
of the new Civil Aeronautic Au¬
thority, created by Franklin D.

(Continued on page 31)

I which sometimes spills past 12:30
•also by consent ja.m. The rating services differ in

assessing its audience—ARB rat¬
ing it low and Nielsen remarkably
high—but it has been gelling well
and will continue indefinitely as
the station’s sfgnoff show.

WGN-TV had experimented sev¬
eral months ago with a rather
costly live entry tabbed “Midnight
Ticker,” but that opus was quickly
reduced from a cross-the-boarder
to Friday nights only. It seems to
be holding up well enough its
single night on the air. Best of
the week the station maintains a
double feature policy like WBBM-
TV’s, mainly with reiuns.

Except for WBBM-TV’s experi¬
ment with' upgraded firstnins in
January, none of the stations is
ready to splurge for a big show in
the post-midnight period, but all
want to flirt with a low-budgeter
that gives some promise pL pro¬
ducing results. •

WINS

Yearend Wrapup
Of Mutual Biz

For the third consecutive year,
Quaker State Oil has renewed Mu-
tuaji’s “Game of the Day” baseball
broadcasts. Quaker picked up the
Saturday games and also inked for
Frfinkie Frisch's six weekend five-
minute sportscasts.

Starting in January, Lanolin Plus
Co. has signed for a schedule of
newscasts, alternating 10 five-min¬
ute newscasts one week, with 15
newscasts the following week.

The Quaker State Oil and Lano¬
lin biz came on the heels of other
orders inked by the net. MBS exec
v.p. Blair Walliser stated that 35%
of Mutual’s 1958 roster of adver¬
tises have renewed contracts for
*59. Walliser said 24 of Mutual’s
89 clients in *58 have signed ’59 re¬
newal orders.

Year-long campaigns were or-
deed by Colgate Palmolive, Ex-
Lax and Hudson Vitamin Corp.,
while projects of shorter periods
wee signed for Benrus Watch Co.;
Ligget & bfe^ers; National L. P. Gas
Council; P. Lorillard; Pharmaceuti-
cads; = Reader’s Digest; R. J. Rey¬
nolds; and Sterling Drug.

JANET DEAN'S EXIT

WABC-TV’s (N-Y.) longtime
^*Weathe Girl,” Janet Dean, is
ending he. tenure shorUy with the
network flag..

-Station is dickering a replace¬
ment now.

Continued from page 19

week, the union said, they “dis¬
covered” that McCaw had em¬
powered station manager Jock
Fernhead to sign a new cohtract
and at that point dickers began in
earnest on both sides.

What IBEW wanted to avoid in
the course of the pact talks was
the reduction in staff being sought
by the station, but the 14 men will
remain on the job and the three
clauses which would ultimately
have lowered their strength were
not changed. Station did not get
(1) unmanned remotes, except for
the possibility of one lO-minUte
remote a day by one of the station

D. C. ‘Preview’

S Continued from page 19

toral sweep, however, make the
future of this—or any. other legis¬
lation—confusing this early.

The usual investigations of con¬
tested elections that mark the be¬
ginning of a new Congress may
give rise to more talk of revising
or doing away with the equal time
requirement. Pitches will be made
for “clean elections” bills which
might include provisos that net¬
works set aside a prescribed
amount of free time for national
candidates. If the past is any in¬
dicator, odds are against enact¬
ment of major legislation in this
area.

A bill to set up a spectrum space
study seems to be a good legisla¬
tive prospect. After passing the
Senate, the proposal died in the
House during the last session be¬
cause of a controversy over how
much representation the military
should have on the study Commis¬
sion.

Hard Liquor Ads

The perennial bills to outlow
hard liquor advertising in inter¬
state commerce will be introduced
and may get more than usual at-,
tention on this 25th anniversary of
repeal. If anything should come
of them at all, a compromise limit¬
ing, the ban to liquor commercials
over radio and tv would seem most
likely. This, again, is highly prob¬
lematical.

BiUs to settle the question of
basehall’s antitrust status will be
revived, and the outcome could af¬
fect televising of major league
games. Rival measures in the
last Congress both made provision
for agreements between major and
minor circuits on television with¬
out fear of federal antitrust action.

And there’ll be fresh efforts to
allow televising House hearings.
House Speaker Sam Rayburn has
always blocked this in the past, but
more support for throwing hear¬
ings open to cameras is develop¬
ing each year.

Washinffton—National Assn, of
Broadcasters has named John T.
Wilner of Baltimore, engineering
v.p. for 'Hearst Corp. stations, as
the first recipient of a new award
for broadcast engineers who make
outstanding contributions to the
technical development of radio and
television.

Eidophor Big Hit at Unveiling

Washington, Dec. 30.

Eidophor. the new projector which promises to revolutionize
closed-circuit tv, lived up to the advance billings at its. American
debut here Saturday (27).

In the first live color program ever shown publicly by the meth¬
od, the Swiss invention was put through the sternest tests imagih-
‘ able. The consensus afterward was that Eidophor passed with fly¬
ing colors.

Unveiling took place at Sheraton-Park Hotel ballroom under
auspices of American Assn, for the Advancement of Science which
Is having its annual convention here.

Pro^am consisted of abreviated lectures and demonstrations by
scientists in a studio at the hotel. Projected on a 12 by 16 ft.
screen, they dealt with color blindness, lens structure and micro¬
biology. In the process, subtle differences In color, vivid contrast
and fine definition were accurately reproduced. It figures to be a
cinch for wide educational use at hospitals, universities and scien¬
tific iheetings. .

Its entertainment potential will be exploited by 20th-Fox which
Is financing construction of prototypes for theatres.

Eidophor projector was developed by the Swiss chemical firm
CIBA and built in this country by General Electric Corp. It can
achieve a contrast equivalent to good film projection, using a spe-r
cial oil and the field sequential system of color reproduction. Pro¬
duction models of the color projector, which weighs 800 pounds,
are expected to cost about $16,000.

CIBA plans further demonstrations at medical meetings in San
Francisco next February and April.

m mw YORK CITY . . .

Sportcaster Chris Schenkel spending New Year’s Eve with his par¬
ents in Bippus, Indiana, on occasion of their 50th wedding anni . . ,
Carl Jampel takes over as producer of “County Fair” on NBC-TV with
Perry Cross upped to exec producer . . . Marian Carr will make her
NBC-TV “Omnibus” debut on Simday (4) in “The Oresteia” in support
of Chris Plummer and Irene Worth . . . Robert Trout, CBS newsman,
elected prexy of Assn, of Radio-TV Analysts. Bill Downs, CBS News,
Washington, and John MaeVane, UN radio-tv reporter, named veeps.
Blair Clark, CBS News, elected secretary, and Cesar Saerchinger,
treasurer. Executive hoard now includes Quincy Howe, ABC; H. C.
Kaltenborn, NBC; Leon Pearson, NBC. New members are Don God¬
dard, ABC; Wilson Hall, NBC; Bill Shade!, ABC. Howe is retiring
prexy.

WCBS Radio sales manager Tom Swafford is in the Stamford Hos¬
pital battling severe ulcer attack . . . “Monitor” staff writer Bernie
Kahn recovering from hepatitus in Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital . . .
Bill Leonard celebrates his 13th anni on WCBS Radio today (Wed.) . . .
Phil Rizzuto replaces Frank Gifford as commentator of “Sports Time”
Monday (5) on CBS Radio. Jim Dolan, exec producer of CBS Radio
Sports, produces the program . . . Russell Lynes is describing the
“good music” format of WPAT in the January issue of Harper’s . .

First tv script by AP columnist Hal Boyle, “The Romagen Bridge,”
will he presented on CBS-TV’s “Twentieth Century” Sunday (4) . . .
CBS-TV’s “Your Hit Parade” salutes Rodgers & Hammerstein songs
Friday (2) . . . “G-E College Bowl” preems on CBS-TV Sunday (4)
with first show originating from Brown Univ., Providence . . . “Top
Dollar” emcee Jack Nar* off to Florida on biz trip Jan. 10 . . . Ruth
Olay joins guest list on Time Jazz Show, Jan, 7, over CBS-TV with
Jackie Gleason as host . . . Charles Steinberg, director of info services
for CBS-TV, back at desk after a week’s holiday . . . Kenneth (Iroot,
executive secretary of the N. Y. local of the American Federation of
Television & Radio Artists, was omitted last week from an article list¬
ing the key men involved for the union in the now-ending AFTRA-
network dickers; while Groot’s only official title bears a local stamp,
he is also in the employ of the AFTRA national body, as an eastern
regional executive . . . Cartoonist Milton Caniff appearing Sunday (4)
as initial guest on the newly revised “Wonderama,” the Sonny Fox-
starrer on WNEW-TV . . . Half-hour tribute to the late Robert Donat
heard on “London Town,” the WBAI (FM) stanza emceed by Don
Spark . . . Vernon Goldsmith joined WNEW-TV press department,
reporting to ad director Ken Klein.

Joshua Shelley, ^ director of last season’s on-and-off-Broadway pro¬
duction of “Simply Heavenly,” does a thesping stint on WPIX’s “De¬
coy” Wed., Jan. 21 . . . Evelyn Shoemaker, secretary to NBC Radio’s
AI Capstaff, returns from Florida holiday (5) . . . Peggy Cass set to
repeat on “Keep Talking”'Sunday (4) in addition to her regular chores
on Jack Paar Show . . . Carole Gilligan, secretary to NBC's Chuck Hen¬
derson, back at work next week after minor sxmgery . . . Vernon Gold¬
smith has joined the WNEW-TV press dept. . . . Marian Carr of CBS
Radio’s “Right to Happiness” cast'for “Omnibus” Sunday (4) . . . Herb¬
ert Dodfman named associate producer of “Byline — Monty Hall,’*
which preems over WNEW-'TV next week . . . Fred Parson and his wife,
Lynn, off for a month’s holiday in Mexico City and Acapulco.

IN HOLLYWOOD . . .

Tom Calhoun scouted the marts for next .seasoii and took back to
N.Y. for Ayer-client inspection a dozen of the more promising shows
. . . Tom McCray moved up Jack Kenaston as program manager at
KRCA to succeed John Hinsey, who crossed over to the NBC network
. . . Cliff Gould ended two and a half years as Screen Gems castinjg di¬
rector . . . Ralph Levy moved over to Desilu on loanout from CBS to
produce the pilot of “Guestward Ho,” to star Vivian Vance . . . West¬
ern States Ad Agencies Assn, picked Palm Springs for Its ninth an¬
nual meet . . . Jim Cox, long time with Broadcast Music, made a vee-
pee of the Glasser-Gailey agency ... Syd Cassyd back from Hawaii
where he filmed a tv documentary on the Earle Reynolds atomic pro¬
test incident . . . Arthur Kennedy is producer Jess Oppenheimer’t
choice for the star role in the Ben Hecht-scripted “Third Command¬
ment” being taped for Feb. 8 airing on NBC-TV . . . Alvin Cooperman
has 10 projects on his future'slate as executive producer at Screen
Gems . . . Court McLeod named administrative manager of ABC-TV’s
program department,

IN CHICAGO . . .

Sun-Times tv critic Paul Molloy got his long-awaited second son on
Christmas Day. (The six kids between his first and eighth offspring
were girls). Wife Helen had sounded the alarm during Midnight Mass
. . . Frank Atlass, WBBM-TV program director, vacationing in Cuba
. . . Joyce Graff, daughter of -Chi NTA topper E. Jonny Graff, now
working for Lee Armentrout at Talent Inc. . . . Well-known publicist
Ed Morris has signed on with WTTW, the educational station, as di¬
rector of development . . . Rolf Forsberff has starring role in “Henry
and the Passing of Time,” original live drama on WTTW tonight
(Wed.). WGN-TV did an original drama, “Dead Wrong,” last Sunday
(28) . . . NBC-TV’s “Queen For a Day” originating here' the week of
Jan. 12 . . . Mark Reiusberff joined WFMT as commercial manager
. . . Don McNciirs ABC “Breakfast Club” already set for a week’s orig¬
ination from the Chicago International Trade Fair next July, and
W(IN-TV will put it’s cameras on the expo . . . Joe Diehl, CBS sports
writer who for years has been touting his dog of unmatching eyes as
a sorcerer,, circulated Christmas cards this year which read, “Yes San¬
ta, there Is a Rex the Hex.”

IN WASHINGTON . . .

WWDC’s Fred Fiske told his radio listeners to 'beware of high-cal¬
ory holiday edibles and follow his formula: “I’m on a mental diet-r-
wishfuL Shrinking” . . . Jim Ameche taping a special 55-minute daily
(Mon.-Fri.) variety show especially for WTOP-AM -starting Jan. 5; sta¬
tion has also signed Jim Meyers, pianist and arranger, for a nightly
55-mmute program . . . Joe McCaffrey’s interview-discussion offering,
“Celebrity Parade,” begins its fifth year on WMAL-TV Jan. 7 . . .
New northeast territory field rep for National Assn, of Broadcasters
station relations dept, is John A. Buning, formerly of INS, Mutual and
ABC . . . WTOP-TV reports Encyclopaedia Brittannica films have
stirred unusually large favorable public relations since they started
being screened on “Ranger Hal Show” locally.

IN BOSTON . . .

Hub radio continues in shakeups with disk jock John Bassett ank-
ling WBZ for WORL this week; Bill Givens, musical dir., and exec
producer, WBZ, joining WORL as program director aqd air person¬
ality ... WILD with an all new lineup of disk jocks, is off on new
format programming throwing out “mechanical music” and doing re¬
motes from dept, stores with Stan Richards, program mgr. and disk
jocking . Major revision in programming at W^EI . . . Bud Lee,
program mgr. at WEZE, has ankled; ourrent program director is now
Ted Forman , . . Tom RnsaeU, WEEI, jiabbed sugary comments for hit
(Continued on page 32)

TfcdneM&jr, Oecemlier Bl, 19B8

TELEVISION REVIEWS

23

:: Tele Follow-Up Comment

Small World

The informal chats between en¬
tertainment indust^. personalities
^ on video has been instrumental in
some enlightening moments on
problems that beset the industry.
With Ed. Murrow moderating of
“Small World” an intercontinental
'gabfest between Vivien Leigh from
London, producer Samuel Goldwyn
from Holljrwood and New Yorker
critic Kenneth. Tynan from New
•York, resulted in an entertaining
session.

Despite all the natural rancor
among these divisions of the in¬
dustry, one thing is elemental.
Everyone in the upper echelons
has at least one goal—to raise the
standards in the field, and prob¬
ably elevate the calling from a
craft to an art.

The gab started on a high level
of controversy with Goldwyn re¬
marking that l^nan’s review of
“Flower Drum Song” criticized the
producers for slotting a Japanese
in a Chinese role, why then, did
Miss Leigh, an Englishwoman, re¬
ceive two Academy Awards for a
portrayal of a southern girl? Ty¬
nan’s explanation which stated
something about the different
characteristics of both groups, just
didn’t hold water in view of the
fact that this is virtually an every¬
day operation for an actor of
quality.

Of the three roles, it seemed that
Goldwyn has the greater respon¬
sibility with the problem of creat¬
ing on an extremely high level, and.
yet look out for boxoffice pressures
as- well. Goldwjm said that any
producer who thinks of the box-
office only is doomed to failure at
the start. Goldwyn, as was
pointed out, comes out as the best
known individual in each of his
productions, while others labor in
virtual anonymity. Goldwyn ex¬
plained that he’s not one to put
millions in any picture and then
relinquish control to others. .

The riiow was filled with a lot
of controversy including the por¬
trayal of the Negro in the forth¬
coming ‘Torgy Jc Bess” Goldwyn
says that the picture set circa 1900
portrays the Negro of that era as
a funloving individual with an al¬
most fantasy-like quality. ^

The brunt of the controversy was
upon Goldwyn with Tynan getting
in on the verbal pressure as well
Despite tbe fact -that Miss Leigh
escaped this kind of treatment,
she came off exceedingly well.

“Small World” brings out some
healthy airings on many questions,
with Murrow keeping the gab and
question up to a galloping tempo
and steering the discussions into
exciting channels. Jose.

Voice of Firestone

The peg for ABC-TV’s “Voice of
Firestone” stanza Monday (29) was
a **Mu^cal toiir of fkbmhaittan.”
With Eartha Kltt, Hildegarde,
Err oil Garner, Lisa Della Casa and
Bill Tabbeft in the lineup, the 30-
minute musical tour rolled by at
an attractive and pleasing pace.

.Framework had the various per¬
formers representing different
Gotham spots Whidi gave the pro¬
gram fluidity' and scope. Eartha
Kitt, for example, xepped the
Waldorf-Astoria, where she’s cur¬
rently appearing; Hildegarde, the
Persian Boom of the Hotel Plaza;
Garner, Carnegie Hall; Lisa Della
Casa, the Metop; and Tabbert,
Broadway.

Miss Kitt clicked with “Memphis
Blues” and “C’est Si Bon,” Hilde¬
garde scored easily with “I’ll Be
Seeing. You” and her trademark
“Darling, Je Vous Aime Beau-
coupi” Miss Della Gasa gave effec¬
tive readings of a couple of fave
operatic arias, Tahbert was warmly
effective with "Ybunger Than
Springtime” and "You Are Beauti¬
ful” and Gamer jazzed up the key¬
board on “Where Or Ythen" and
“I Love Paris.”

Show was hosted by John Daly
In his usual slick manner and the
Glenn Osser orch gave It a strong
musical support. Gros. .

Playhouse 99

A Christmas haUet-story, “The
Nutcracker,” done to the music of
Tcjiaikowsl^, had: a couple of
charming touches on ..CBS-TV’s
“Playhouse . 90” last Thursday
night (25), hut it was not enough
to sustain a 90-minute production.
Overall, it was a slow and sac-
charme show that never managed,
to glow with the holiday spirit
Perhaps the kiddies would have
enjoyed It, but the late evening
slot was Way past the usual bed¬
time hour.

The story of a young lass who is.
transported to a magical land
uhere peppermint sticks, choco¬
late bars, coffee beans and snow¬

flakes came alive was. told in a
mu£ of pantomime and ballet'
Idioms, with June Lockhart nar¬
rating the action. The pantomime
setpiences were uniformly dull and,
unfortunately, comprised the ma¬
nor slice of the time.

The ballet routines, choreo¬
graphed by George - Balanchine
performed by members »of the
N.Y, City Ballet, augmented by a
children, were
attractive, but presented in a frag¬
mented style. The need to teU a
literal story in ballet form obvi¬
ously got in the way. of the dancer’s
freedom. The title of the story'
derived from a nutcracker, in the
form of a doll, which metamor¬
phosed iuto a young prince. The
Tchaikowsky “Nutcracker Suite”
ivas the background music. i

As narrator. Miss Lockhart
pitched her style of delivery as if
she were telling a yarn to a group
of children. It quickly became
cloying, particularly since her re¬
peated predictions of “amazing ad¬
ventures” for the young heroine
materialized in routine fairy tale
stuff. Herm. i

Armstrong Circle Theatre

The wonderful world of Christ¬
mas, its manifold joys and excite- I
ment, its touching traditions and]
legends were related in true hoU-
^y spirit on the “Armstrong
Circle Theatre” Christmas Eve
(24) oyer CBS-TV. I

Ordinarily, the program Is de¬
voted to full-hour dramatizations
of actual events, but on this occa¬
sion the sponsors in Yuletide ca¬
hoots with Talent Associates, the
producers, hit upon the happy
notion of filling the holiday eve
viewer’s stocking with a chres-
tomathy of Chrirtmas stories gnd
music.

The holiday stocking was fllled
with such goodies as Victor Jory’s
rich reading of Anatole France’s
“Our Lady’s Juggler” and Clement
C. Moore’s memorable poem, “A
Visit from St. Nicholas.” Dick
Van Dyke did two comedy bits,
one decidedly unfunny (“Wassail
Bowl”) but tbe other, a fine gein of
pantomime on the problems of
decorating a Christmas tree,
il^thie Lee, with her guitar, de¬
livered two effective holiday num¬
bers, and CBS newsman Doug
Edwards read the celebrated New
York Sun editorial of 1897, a reply
to Ibtle Virginia O’Hanlon’s ques¬
tion: Is there a Santa Claus?”

Perhaps the highspots 'Of the
full-hour devotion to the spirit of
the-season were the choral offer¬
ings of the boy choristers from
St, Paul’s Episcopal Church and
the charming, sophisticated UPA
film set to the delightful music of
“The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Overall title of the program was
called “A Picture bf Christmas”
and to live up to the full meaning
of the title, the staff introduced
each segment of the program with
appropriate prints and paintings
of yesteryear. A fine job of re¬
search was performed in this
instance as was the scripting by
Irve Tunick and the same was
true of Paul Bogart’s direction.
“A Picture of Christmas” also be¬
spoke the unerring taste of pro¬
ducer Jacqueline Babbin.

Armstrong Cork, in keeping with
the harmony of the program, made
no effort to sell its products. The
result was a program to savori
to remember and to applaud.

Bans. ‘

Steve Allen Show
• Year-end quips and an Ice-show
made Steve Allen’s Sunday night
(28) NBC-TV sesrfon pleasant
viewing. Among the emcee’s tele¬
vision predictions for 1959 were:
“Dinah Shore will do a whole show
without changing her dress and
Brigitte Bardot will appear fully
clothed before a naked’audience.”

Reprised were spoofs of the in-
terview-in-depth show, the big
money quiz show and the late Mike
Todd's Madison Sq. Garden “birth¬
day party.” "WTiile. of historical in¬
terest, the dated sketches were
grim reminders of how tv and show
business in general are constantly
subject to changing trends.

Blades display was topped by
figure-.skating champ Hayes Alan
Jenkins who Impressed with his
spins and whirls from the rink at
NBC-TV’s Brooklyn studio. Also
proficient were the skating adagio
duo of Nancy Lee Parker and Nick
Powers. Solid comedy relief was
supplied by The Scarecrows, a slap¬
stick quartet from “Ice Follies of
1959.” Latter’s current PhiHy
stand and upcoming date at New
York's Garden were duly plugged.

Musically, the Four Lads ably
harmonized “Breezin’ Alopg vdth
the Breeze” from the rink whilst
songstress. Pat Kirby chirped a

YEABS OF CRISIS: 1949-1959
With Edward R. Murrow as chair-
naB; :pic Sevareid, Charles Col-
liogwood, David Schoenbrun,
Winston Bnrdett, Ernest Leiser,
Paul Niven, Peter Kalischer.
Richard Hottelet
Producer: John F. Day
Asst. Producers: David Zellmer,
Robert Skedgell
Directors, Don Hewitt
60 Mins.,' Sun., 10 p.m.

KELLOGG, LEVER BROS.
CBS-TV from N.Y.

(J. Walter Thompson, Leo
Burnett)

Such long faces on the CBS News
correspondents who gathered
round the table Sunday (28) over
CBS-TV to give their 10th anni
edition nf the state of the unset¬
tled universe. Such grimness,
such unbending formality I Relax,
boys.

Edward Murrow, as in past,
threw tbe questions at the boys,
among "them Eric Sevareid, Wash¬
ington; Charles. Collingwood, Lon¬
don; David Schoenbrun. Paris;
Winston Burdett, Middle East; Em-
CTt Leiser, Middle Europe, Peter
Kalischer, Far East, Richard Hot¬
telet, Latin America, and Paul
Niven, Russia.

Nothing sensational came out
of the world looksee. Basically it
was a recap of what they’ve been
saying all along—look out for Rus¬
sia. look out for China, look out
for Arab nationalism, look out for
a trade war in Europe, look out for
a possible World War III, etc.

Correspondents also appraised
outstanding events in the past 10
years and what’s ahead for the
next decade. Sevareid, most pun¬
gent of the lot, thought there might
be a Hilton Hotel on the moon un¬
der Russian management; Burdett
saw a sharper challenge for west¬
ern countries; Kalischer predicted
a frightening*, expansion of Red
China; Collingwood saw Africa in
greater upheaval;,Schoenbrun en¬
visioned France without any colo¬
nies. ^ \

What was desperately missing
■from “Years of Crisis” roundup was
more controversy, more infighting.
One wanted less stuffy recitations,'
more difference of opinion^ more:
snapping at each other, less oundit-
ing, more punching. Banx.

BLUE RIBBON JURY
With Boss Martin, Charles Mere¬
dith &

Producer: Charles Irving
Director: Bill States
60 Mins.; Fri., 9 pm.

FELIK CHEVROLET
KTLA, Hollywood

Cameras have been poking re-
creatively in most of the chambers
of justice with apparent success to
appease the curiosity and satisfy
the interest of those who know
about their modus operand! only
through what they read in the
papers. There must be a fascina¬
tion by the very name of it—blue
ribbon jury—and this series will
take KTLA lookers into the sacro¬
sanct precinct vicariously and by
proxy of the television peepholer.
For an opener It sufficed its pur¬
pose yet there wasn’t enough
dramatic meat to feast the hunger-^
ing eyes. "

'That the cases will be authentic
recreations of actual transcripts is
more in its favor tiian the real
thing. Actors do a much better
acting job than the principals. This
playback of what transpires in a
grand jury room and how criminal
indictments are returned had to do
with the bribe of a coimty liquor
control official, blackmail and the
murder of a police officer. For a
warmup If filled out the hour fairly
interestingly but the legalistics

g loved a <di^ and Felix Chevrolet
roke in too often to further
slacken the tempo. There cpuld
have been a better choice of case
material despite the efforts of the
Hollis packagers to give it rippling
sinew. The curiosity factor, how-;
ever, may have overcome the. def-'
icits and once off and running
after a few heats the series may
catch bn as have other courtroom
dra&as.' It has lively prospects.

The credits supplied by KTLA
list only Ross Martin as the as¬
sistant d.a. and Charles Meredith
as the jury chairman. For Martin
it was a sweat-out although he
seemed to use a script instead of
cue cards or teleprompter. He han¬
dled the part well, however, if not
In league with the Perry Masons and
other more polished prosecutors.
Minor uncredited roles were .de¬
serving of at least passing mention.
Producers are Charles Irving and
Hal Cooper and director is. BiU
States. They may have a good one
going for them Helm.

listenable ■‘Moonlight in Vermont”
from a prop sled. Louis Nye, Don
Knotts and Pat Harrington Jr., all
regulars in the AUen stable,
clicked handily in a New Year’s
resolution “Man in the Street” hit.

Alien, who long ago won his ver¬
satility diploma, donned skates for
this outing. Let’s say he paired
the course. Cilb,

THE.FACE or RED CHINA
With Gerald Clark, Walter Cran-

Cameraman: Rolf GHhanaen
60 Mins., Son. (28), 4:89 RA
CBS-TV, from N.Y.

“The Face of Red Chlna’^ rankt:
as one of the most important docu¬
mentaries ever offers on televi¬
sion. Via a superb film, the Com¬
munist-directed upheaval in the
Uves of a half-million, people on the
China mainland was glimpsed 'vyith
a "vivid, and sometimes terrifying,
concreteness. .Since IX.S. corre¬
spondents are net permitted into
Red China (by a Idnd of mutual
agreement of the Beds and UJS.
State Department), the film footj^e
for this CBS Special NeWs Show
Unit production as supplied by a
skilled German photographer, Rolf ]
Gilhausen, while Gerald Clark,
Montreal Star reporter who did a
long hitch dn C3mia, backed up
with a* perceptive narration.

Primarily, the show made the
newspaper stories about tbe fonna-
tion and operation of the Chinese
communes come alive. For the
first half, the fOm focussed on the
Chinese countryside, showing the
mobilization of men women and
children into .a rigidly regimented
society driving towards Industrial¬
ization. The new tempo of Red
China’s existence Was suggested by
shots of the peasant masses strain¬
ing to build dams, blast furnaces
and ^ctorles. And over and over
agali^ the documentary accented
the campaign of the CSiinese Com¬
munists to whip the people Into
line through an unremitting propa¬
ganda din.

The second half of the show
showed life in the Chinese city
where the commune principal has
not as yet been applied so xigor^
ously. Once again, the accent was
on work, military training and
ideology. Symbolic of the regime
was the shot of the model prisons
in Peiping where intellectuals and
political dissenters were undergo¬
ing a persuasion treatmoit. An¬
other striking'clip showed a vast
Manchurian steel mill in operation.

Clark’s commentary was meas¬
ured in Its estimate of the Chi¬
nese effort and abjective in his
description of the Commulst alms.
There appeared to be no exaggera¬
tion and no under-bstim'atioft of tbe
Chinese potentiaL Walter Cron-
Mte was the show’s anchor man,
introducing Clark and asking some
questions between the halves.

Herm.

PROLOGUE 1959
With John Daly, Charies P. Amof,
Robert FlemLag, Don Goddard,
Quincy Howe, Edward P. Mor¬
gan, Yale Newman, Bill Shadel,
Bob Sfnrdevanl, John Secondari,
Ray Falk

Producer: Mary Laing
Director: Manhali Dbkln
Writer: A1 Mann
60 Mins., Sun. (28), 9:30 pm.
ABC-TV, from New York
“Prologue 1959” ^as presented
iby the ABC news staff on televi¬
sion Sunday (28) night at dtrebt
competition to CBS-TV’s year-end
wrapup, “Years of Crisis.” What
came to mind in viewing John Daly
& Co. was that the ABC'ers, in
following their review of theyear’s
big news events, were rather re¬
stricted by the amount and quality
of filin available In the various
instances.

As It turned out, the domestic
news stories—on segregatloii, on
November’s election, Sherman
Adams, on rocketry—were morr
intererting and even better han¬
dled than yarns on the old and
new Popes, the rise of DeCJiuilIe,
Quemoy, the Middle East crisis,
etc. There was apparently more
and better film footage available
in the coverage of domestic crises,
which only seems natural, ^ce
there ate no language or* political
barriers against the Itotwoi* pho-
togs here. Also, tbert'was factor
that the ABC reporters handling
the American 3iarn5, men like Don
Goddard, Ed Morgan and Bill
Shadell, were more effective, if
I simply as personalities, before the
tv cameras than their overseas
counterparts, ptobably for the
simple reason &at being at home
most of the time, they have had
more time learning front-of-camera
technique. Many of the other re¬
porters, all of whom seemed to
show fair to exc^ent gram of
their subject material, suffered
from a disturbing dependence on
the Idiot board. Even as their faces
moved, their eyes stayed glued on
that prompter, which may have
even ibeen a shade out of line with
that camera, because even dead-on
camera their eyes appeared vague¬
ly awry.

With such limitations as news-
film availability and camera ex¬
perience of correspondents to miti¬
gate the effectiveness of ABC’s
annual “Prologue,” it might be¬
hoove administrator Daly,* who
himself was a dignified, measured
host for the hour, to alter the
format. Art,

THE YEAR GONE BY
With Howard K. Smith, moderator;
Martin Gainsbrugh, Dr. James B.
Count, David Dietz, Phil
Coombs, Louis Kronenberger,
Bosley ^Crowther, Irving Kolo-
41n, Clifton Fadiman, Ei^ly Ge-
uner, Nat Hentoff, Merrill Pa-
nitt, Ed James, Russell Lynes
Troducer: William Weston
Director: Vem Diamond
120 Mhis., Sun. (28), 2:30 p.m.
CBS-TV, from N. Y.

“The Year Gone By" as present¬
ed on. CBS-TV last Sunday after¬
noon (28) represented an ambitious
undertaking by the network’s pub¬
lic affairs department, with two
hours of programming (2:30 to
4:30) preempted to permit this
assessment of America’s arts, sci¬
ences and humanities. Almut a
'dozen astute observers and author¬
ities were rounded up to expertize
on this 120-minute round-robin of
gab. But for reasons perhaps best
known to itself, CBS in one fell
swoop dissipated the potential
pulling power ard impact of the
program in its “opening curtain”
blunder.

With a lot of provocative and
even scintillating talk in the offing,
the network chose to kick off with
a nearly 20-minute sumup of busi¬
ness and finance in ’58 (by Martin
Gainsbrugh of the National Indus¬
trial Conference). That it belonged
on this particular show was in it¬
self questionable. What ensued w'as
a dull and dry rehash of charts and
figures (so frequentty told and re¬
told) that must have Invited somo
wholesale tuneouts or switchovers.
To hold an audience through tw'O
hours of talk, talk, talk requires
some pretense at showmanship, or
call it proper pacing. To start off
with the driest and most chart-
heavy discussion (through no par¬
ticular fault of Gainsbrugh) w'as a
classic reversal of hepness.

It’s all the more regrettable be-
cauae of what followed. For ex¬
ample, those who '“survived”
Gainsbrugh were treated to such
Interesting wrapups as Scrlpps-
Howard science editor David
Dietz’s discourse on science and
medicine; educator-diplomat Dr.
James B. Conant on education;'
Time Magazine’s Louis Kronen-
berger on the theatre; N. Y. Tiroes*
Crowther on the films;
N. Y. Herald Tribune art editor’s
Emily (Jenauer on paintings, and
Clifton Faidman on books. All had
something to say and they said it
well. Other participants included
Irving Kolodln, music editor of the
Nation (classical music): Nat Hen¬
toff (on jazz); TV Guldens Merrill
Panitt and Broadcasting Maga¬
zine’s Ed James on televi^on and
radio; Phil Coombs of the Fund for
the Advancement on Education on
Education and Harper Magazine’s
Russell Lynes (on fads and fash¬
ions). Howard K, Shnith moderrted,
occasionally injecting some q & a’s.

With the exception of some
slides, graphs and charts, there
was little attempt to embellish the
program with added visual values.
As/such it could have served just
as well as a yearend summation
for radio. Rose*

PROJECTION '59
(NBC Kaleidoscope)

With Frank McGee, moderator;
Irving R. Levine, Cecil Brown,
Joseph C. Harsch, Welles Hau¬
gen, Edwin Newman, Jolm Rich,
Daykl Brinkley, Robert Mc-
Cwmiek, Herbert Kaplow, Ray
Bekerer, Pauline Frederick.
Predndeer: Chet Hagan
DIreetw: Bob Priaulx
99 Mins., Sun. (28), 5 pjn.
NBC-TV, from N.Y,

The mixed-up state of world af¬
fairs was reflected quite accurately
Sunday (28) as a panel of a dozen
NBC correspondents from over¬
seas and the U.S. tried to assess
the yeer to come on “Projection
'59” over NBC-TV. It was a stimu¬
lating, spirited kind Of discussion'
and report, which saw some of tha
NBC reporters disagreeing vigor¬
ously among themselves.

Technically, it was a surprising¬
ly poor job. There were no shots
of the men as a group. There was
no individual identifical^on of the
participants, except via moderator
Frank McGee, who tended to con¬
duct the meet on a first-name basis.
The camerawork was static, which
on shows like this can be both an
advantage and a disadvantage.

Though the give-and-take on the
program provided a lot of food for
thought, and was remarkably can¬
did, the “sensation” of the hour
was Welles Hangen, NBC’s Cairo
man, who launched into a big de¬
fense of Nasser. He advocated.
American use of Arab nationalika
as a bulwaric against Communism,
“You want to let a thug take
over?” asked David Brinkley,
“There are many thugs around, as
you must know, coming from
Washington,” shot back Hangeiy •
One of the men then suggested
that Hangen had been looking toe
(Continued on page 33)

psatlffff

Wedne^ay, December sl, 1958

WcdneftdaTy 81» 1958

2S

network 4 ni^ts of the week... Snnday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

last year. Each of tiie other 2 network, sad to say, is down.*

* Nielsen Average Audience per minute all
s^niSOred programs, Sunday through Saturday,
7:3()!40:30 EM., N,YT. for 2 weeks ending -Dec¬
ember 6,1958 vs. same period one year ago-

** Nielsen Average Audience per minute, Mon¬
day through Friday, 11:00 A.M.-4:00 BM.(local
time) for 2 weeks ending December 6,1958.

UC TBfflSIOII

26

TV-FILMS

yediicidayy De<M?inI>er 31^ 1958

rrT?j rmil Cl? rrrv nv rrrv PBfir'R am m apt* *VAia*rT’» wekly chart is based on the 22 major markets regularly reported by Tete>
JcJjJtrJr ULior/ IJl JL*lSr*L»ll I i XllJvFlliVifl LiOArlA* pulse ecKh fnon^, in addition to 133 other Tel’epulse tabulated U.S markets^ covered
river the course oj a yean Cities VTilUbe rotated voeekly. The Variety chart U a eorhtnlatibn of data on syndicated films, as toell as network and live programs, in each
market. Under the top 10 multi-wiekly heading, the (t) staTtds for local prpgramming~and the (*) for network shows.

SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND Stafions: KGO, KPIX, KRON, KTVU. TV Homes; 817,700. Survey Dates: November 5-12, J 958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS
EK. PROGRAM—DAY-^TIME STA.

RTG. RK. PROGRAM—DAY-TIME

1. Gnnsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).KPIX

2. Maverick (Sun. 7:30-8:30).. .KGO

8. Waron Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).KEON

*. Snrarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30).KGO

5. Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9). .KPIX

6. Tale* of Wells Fargo (Mon. 8:30-9). .KRON

7. Loretta Young (Sun. 10:00-10:30)_KRON

*. Real IttcGoys (Thurs. 8:30-9:00).KGO

^9. Ray Rogers (Sun. 9:00-10:00).KRON

10. Lineup (Fri. 9:00-9:30).KPIX

Mike Hammer (Mon, 10:30).

U. S. Mai^al (Thurs. 7:00).
Divorce Court (Sat. 6:00)...

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS
RK. PROGRAM—DAY—TIME STA.

tBig Movie (M-F 10:00-11:30) .

t6 O’clock Movie (M-F 6:00-7:30)_

♦NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30).

tPopeye (M-F 5:15-6:00) .

tShell News (M-F 6:00-6:15)..

♦CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30) .

tAmos V Andy (M-F 6:00-6:30)_

tChannel 5 News (M-F 6:00-6:15)_

tNews, Sports Desk (M-Th 11-11:15)
*Price Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.) .

RTG. 10.

-- 10 .

15.2 11.
14.0 12.
11.5 13.

11.5 14.
11.0 15.
10.8

10.6 15 .

10.5 16.

10.3 16.
10.3^

Dr. Hudson (Wed. 10:30).

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 5:15)..

DICATED SHOWS

AV.

AV..

TOP COMPETITION

AV.

STA.

DISTRES.

RTG.

SH.

PROGRAM

STA-

RTG.

.KRON.

... Ziv

23.9

41

People’s Choice ......

..KPIX

15.5

%KPIX.

... CBS

22.9

36

Cimarron City ...

..KRON

19.9

.KRON.

... Ziv

21.5

44

Decoy '...

i.KPIX

12.5

• KRON.

... MCA

17.2

42

Big Movie ..

..KPIX

15.4

.KPIX.

,.. Ziv

16.2

32

Cimarron City....

..KRON

18.9

KRON.

... Ziv

16.2

41

Big Movie.

..KPIX

15.7

.KPIX..

... ABC

15.5

27

Sea Hunt ...

..KRON

23:9

.KRON.

... NTA

13.5

25

6 O’clock Movie...

. .KGO

18.9

.KRON.

... Guild

13.0

31

(6 O’clock Movie...,.

..KGO

10.3

1 Perry Mason ........

..KPIX

20.5

.KRON.

... NTA.

12.9

32

What’s My Line.

. .KPIX

17.2

.KPIX..

... Official

12.5

26

Highway Patrol ...

. .KRON

21.5

.KRON.

... .CNP

12.5

23

Boxing .

..KGO

25.5

.KGO...

.MCA

1.2.5

20.

Roy Rogers .

..KRON

26.9

.KRON.

... CBS

12.2

23

Lassie ..

. .KP7X

21.9

.KRON.

... MCA

12.0

32

Big Movie.

. .KPIX

19.0

. KRON.

... Flamingo

11.9

25

6:00 O’clock Movie;...

..KGO

18.5

.KRON.

... ITC

11.7

20

6:00 O’clock Movie ...

. -KGO

19.4

•KRON.

... UAA

11.5

■44

(American Bandstand .

. . KGO

6.5

1 Early Show -;....

. .KPIX

5.3

.KRON.

...CNP

11.5

24

Perry Mason -...

. .KPIX

21.7

.KRON.

... GuRd

11.2

41

Early Show ... ...

..KPIX

7:0

.KRON.

... Screen Gems

11.2

25

6:00 O’clock Movie.....

. KGO

14'.9

MENNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL

Stations: KMSP, KSTP, WCCO. WTCN. TV Homes: 385,200. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

Death Valley Days (Sat. 9:30).

Loretta Young (Sun. 9:00-9:30).KSTP

Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30) ..WCCO

Perry Como (Sat. 7:00-8:00).WSTP

Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).WCCO

Wagon Train (Wed. 6:30-7:30).KSTP

Red Skelton (Tues. 8:30-9:00)...-... .WCCO

Ed Sullivan (Sun. 7:00-8:00) .WCCO

Alfred Hitchcock (Sun. 8:30-9:00)... WCCO
U. S. Steel Hour (Wed. 9:00-10:00).. .WCCO

PhU SUvers (Fri. 8:00-8:30) ..WCCO

Roy Rogers (Sun. 8:00-9:00).KSTP

TOP TEN MULTLWEEKLY SHOWS

tToday’s Headlines (M-F 10-10:15).. .KSTP

tWea„ Sports (M-F 10:15-10:30).KSTP

tPopeye (M-F 5:30-6:00).WCCO

•tNews-D. Moore (M-F 10:00-10:15). .WCCO
tAxel And His Dog (M-F 4:30-5:30). .WCCO

♦CBS News (M-F 6:15-6:30)...WCCO

tWea., Sports (M-F 10:15-10:30i.WCCO

tNews-Adams, Sports (M-F 6-6:15) .WCCO
♦As The World Turns (M-F 12:30-1). .WCCO
♦American Bandstand (M-F 4-5:30).. WTCN
tNews Pieture (M-F 6:00-6:15) ......KSTP

Sky King (Sat. 11:30 j

Bums and Allen (Mon. 7:00).

U. S, Marshal (Fri. 10:30)..

II You Had A Million (Mon. 9:00).

.WCCO...

, U. S. Borax

29.0

52

MacKenzie’s Raiders ,.

..KSTP

16.0

.KSTP.-.°.

. Ziv

23.7

37

9 O’clock Movie.

..KMSP

17.2

. KSTRu...

,.MCA

20.5

32

Garry Moore ..

..WCCO

25.2

• KSTP....

,.CBS

19.5

31

What’s ^y Line.

. .KSTP

25.2

.KSTP....

,.CNP

17.0

47

Movie Spectacular ....

..WTCN

9.2

.WCCO...

.UAA

16.6

56

Mickey Mouse Club....

. .WTCN

6.8

.KSTP....

, .Ziv

16.0

28

Death Valley Days.

. . WCCO

29.0

.KSTP....

.CBS

15.5

51

Championship Bowling

. .WCCO

8.5

.WCCO...

. Screen Gems

i5;o

67

True Story ...........

. .KSTP

4.9

.KSTP....

. Sports-TV

14.7

36

( 9 O’clock Movie.

( Small World ...

. . KMSP
..WCCO

10.7

9.7

.WCCO...

.Kellogg

14.3

47

American Bandstand ..

..WTCN

8.4

■ KSTP.....

.CNP

14.2

23

U. S. Steel Hour.

..WCCO

27.2

.WCCO...

. Nabisco

13.9

72

Detective’s Diary .

..KSTP

3.5

.WCCO...

. Flamingo

13.8

49

Texas Rangers.

..WTCN

6.8

• KSTP....

.Ziv

13.5

39

Movie Spectacular ....

..WTCN

9.9

.WTCN...

. Screen Gems

12.7

24

Restless Gun ...

. .KSTP

18.5

• KSTP....

.NTA

-12.4

33

Mike Hammer ........

..t^CCO

10.0

.WTCN...

. MCA

1?.2

18

Arthur Murray .

:.KSTP

24.5

. WCCO ...

. Eannar

12.2

33

Ten-Fou^ ^...

..KSTP

9.2

KSTP....

.Ziv

11.7

29

Movie Spectacular -

..WTCN

13.7

COLUMBUS

Stations: WENS, WLW-C, WTVN. TV Homes: 180,400. Survey Dates: November ,5-12, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

Gunsmoke (Sat. 10:00-10:30).WENS

Wyatt Ew (Tues. 8:30-9:00)...WTVN

Sugarfoot (Tues. 7:30-8:30) .i. WTVN

Danny Thomas (Mon. 9:00-9:30).. . .WBNSi
Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 9:30-10) WENS
Real McCoys (Thurs. 8:30-9:00).... .WTVN

Maverick (Sun. 7:30-8:30) .WTVN

Perry Como (Sat. 8:00-9:00).WLW-C

Phil Silvers (Fri. 9:00-9:30).WENS

Perry Mason (Sat. 7:30-8:30).WENS

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

tLooking With Long (M-F 7:00-7:15) WENS

♦CBS News IM-F 7:15-7:30).WENS

tNews-Pepper, Wea. (M-F 11-11:15). . WENS
^Amer. Bandstand (M-F 4:30-5:30).. .WTVN

tFlippo-Clown (M-F 5:00-6:00) .WENS

♦As The World Tur^s (M-F 1:30-2) . .WENS
♦Mickey Mouse Club (M.WP 5:30-6) WTVN
♦Price Is Right (M-F 11-11:30 a.m.). .WLW-C

tNews, Wca/(M-F 11:00-11:15).WLW-C.

tCasper Capers (M-F 3:30-4:30) ..: WTVN

Sea Hunt (Mon. 7:30).:.

. . WBNS..

.. Ziv

29.2

Casey Jones (Tues. 7:00).

..WTVN..

.. Screen Gems

24.9

Death Valley Days (Sun. 9:30).

..WBNS.^

.. U. S. Borax

24.2

San Francisco Beat (Wed. 7:00)...

..WTVN..

.. CBS

22.9

Boots and Saddles (Sat. 10:30)... r

..WENS..

..CNP

22.7

Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 6:30)...

..WTVN..

. Kellogg

22.2

Highway Patrol (Wed. 8:30) .

,.WENS..

.. Ziv

19.5

Our Miss Brooks (Sun. 6:30)......

,.WBNS..

.. CBS

19.2

Gray Ghost (Fri. 7:30) .

..WENS..

.. CBS

18.5

Whirlybirds (Thurs. 7:00).

..WTVN..

..CBS

18.2

State 'Trooper (Fri. 7:00).'.

;.WTVN..

..MCA

17.9

If Yon Had A Million (Sat. 6:30)...

..WENS..

. . MCA

15.5

Amos V Andy (Tues. 7:30)..

..WENS..

.. CBS

15.2

Judge Roy Bean (Mon. 6:30).

..WTVN..

.. Screen Craft

14.9

Huckleberry Hound (Thurs. 6:30)..

..WTVN..

.. Screen Gems

14.5

Mauna (Sun. 6:00) ..

..'WENS..

.. CBS

14.5

Cisco Kid (^ues. 6:00).

..WTVN..

..Ziv

14.2

Hiurbor Command (FrL 10:30).

..WTVN..

.. Ziv

14,2

MacKenzie’s Raiders (Thurs. 7:30).

..WENS..

.. Ziv

14.2

Superman (Wed. *6:30).

. . WENS ..

.. Flamingo

13.9

53 Name That Tune_...WTVN

49 (Looking With Long....WENS

( CES News .WENS

38 Roy Rogers.WLW-C

45 (Looking With Long....WENS

tCBS^ews..WENS

44 Something Different .... WTVN

56 (News, Sports.WLW-C

(NEC News .WLW-C

30 Ozzie and Harriet..._WTVN

42 Eest of MGM...........WLW-C

36 Rin Tin Tin....WTVN

41 (Looking With Long....WENS

ICES News.WENS

42 (Looking With Long....WENS

I CES News ..WENS

34 Midwestern Hayride _WLW-C

25 Sugarfoot ...WTVN

37 Traffic Court.WENS

43 Woody Hayes ..WENS

41 Eest of MGM....WLW-C

46 Explorer .WENS

27 Person To Person,.WENS

27 Leave It To Eeaver.WTVN

. 39 Jeff’s CoUie ___ _WENS

SPOKANE

Stations: KHQ, KREM, KXLY. TV Homes: 82,300. Survey Dates: October I3 t20, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

Restless Gun (Mon. 8:00-8:30)

WugCJX Train (Wed. 7:30-8:30).

Lassie (Sun. ’7:00-7:30) .

Wyatt Earp (Tues. 8:30-9:00)
Father Knows Best (Mon. 7:30

.KHQ

34.8

2.

-KHQ

.KXLY

34.3

33.8

3.

• KHQ

32:6

4.

-KXLY

32.3

5.

.KREM

32.3

5.

-KREM.

31.5

6.

-KHQ

31.3

7.

-KREM

31.0

8.

1 KXLY

30.8

9.

Kingdom of the Sea (Tues. 6:30)..... KXLY..

Whirlybirds (Mon. 7:30).

Sea Hunt (Thurs. 9:00).

Popeye (Mon.-Fri. 4:30).

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

♦Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6). .KREM

tPopeye. (M-F 4:30-5:30).KREM

•NBC News (M-F 6:45-7:00>.KHQ

tlront Page (M-Th 6:30-6:45).KHQ

tNews, Mise. (T-F 10:30-10:45).KHQ

tNewsbeat (W-F ff:30-7:00).KREM

♦ttgeen#or A Day (M-F 2:00-2:30) . .KHQ
♦TntA ^ir Conse. (M-E 12 Nn.-12:30) KHQ
♦Frl 0 e,Is Right (M-F 10-10:30 a.m.)..KHQ
♦VerSSFla^Xouis (M-F 2:30-3:00).. .KXLY

10 .

— 11 .

27.0 12.

24.8 13.

20.8 14.

19.1 15.

15.6 15..

15.1 16,
15.0 16,

14.6 16.

14.2 16.

13.9 16.

Danger Is My Business (Wed. 7:00)
Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 6:00)...

Annie Oakley (Sat. 6:00).

Big Story (Wed. 7:30)'

Mike Hammer (Tues. 7:00).

Reieue 8 (Mon. 7:00) ...

Sileht Service (Sun. 4:30)_......

Star Performance (Sat 8:00).

..KHQ.,.

. .U. S. Borax

32.5

..KHQ...

..MCA

31.0

..KXLY..

. Guild

CO

..KHQ...

. .Nabisco

27.8

..KREM..

..ABC

27.3

..khq:..

. .CBS

27.3

..KHQ...

. -Ziv

26.0

..KHQ...

. .Ziv

25.8

..KXLY..

.. NTA

25.3

..KREM..

..UAA

24.8

1 .. KHQ....

.. .CNP

24.3

..KREM..

.. Kellogg

23.3

3). KHQ....

.. .Tel-Ra

22.3

-.KXLY..

..CBS

20.3

D).KHQ....

.. .Sports-TV

18.8

..KREM..

.. Flamingo

18.3

..KXLY..

.. MCA-

18.3

;-KREM..

.. Screen Gems

17.3

..KHQ...,

.. .MCA

17.3

..KHQ...

., .Screefh Gems

17.3

. KHQ.-..

.. .CNP

17.3

..KREM..

.. Official

17.3

( Leave It To Beaver..
) Little Women.

100 No Competition

38 Playhouse 90

(Matinee on 6....
( 5 O’clock Movie.

43 5 O’clock Movie. ...
55 Saturday Showcase

27 Twenty Six Men.

29 Texan .

55 Bowling St^s

..KREM

12.8

..KREM

15.8

..KXLY

15.8

..KHQ,

23-5

. KHQ

24.5

‘ilQCLY

20.Z

..KXLY

30.8

..KXLY

19.3

..KXLY

21.3

..KREM

23.0

..KHQ

8.4

. .KHQ

11.1

..KREM

18.8

..KHQ

17.3

..KREM

10.3

...KHQ

13.8

..KXLY

13.8

. -KHQ

33.5

..KHQ

25.3

. .KHQ-

26.0

.. .KREM

27.3

...KXLY

33.8

.-..KREM.

9.0

,..KHQ

26.8

BIRMINGHAM

Stations: WAPI, WBRC, TV Homes; 153^200. Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958.

TOP TEN NETWORK SHOWS

Gunsmoke (Sat. 9:00-9:30).. . .i WBRC

Have Gun Will Travel (Sat. 8:30-9).. WBRC
Lineup (Fri. 9:00-9:3(3).. .’. ...WBRC
Yancy Derringer (Thurs. 7:30-8:00). .WBRC

Zane Grey (Thurs. 8:00-8:30).WBRC

Danny Thomas (Mon. 8:00-8:30).... .WBRC

Millionaire (Wed. 8:00-8:30) . ..WBRC

December Bride (Thurs. 7:00-7:30).. .WBRC
Ann Southern (Mon. 8:30-9:00) .. .WBRC

Fve Got A Secret (Wed. 8:30-9:00).. .WBRC

TOP TEN MULTI-WEEKLY SHOWS

*Mickey Mouse Club (M-F 5:30-6:00). WAPI

♦NBC News (M-F 6:15-6:30) ...WAPI

♦CBS News (M-F 5:45-6:00) .WBRC

tNews, Sports, Wea. (M-F 6:00-6:15).WAPI
♦Verdict Is Yours (M-F 2:30-3:00) ..WBRC
tAlabama Newsreel (M-F-5:30-5:45).-WBRC
♦Edge of Night (M-F 3:30-4:00)..... .WBRC

tDance Party (M-F 4:30-5:30) :.WAPI

tAmos V Andy (M-F 5:00-5:30).... .WBRC
♦County Fair (M, W-F 3:30-4:00).... .WAPI
♦Seerei Stom (M-F 3:15-3:30) • .. WBRC

1. Highway Patrol (Sat. 9:30).

.WBRC.:.

. Ziv.

38.8

71

Brains and Brawn.

.WAPI

14.8

2. MacKenxie's Raiders (Thurs. 8:30).

• WBRC...

. Ziv

36.3

58

Ernie Ford..

.WAPI

26.3

3. Twenty Six Men (Fii. 9:30)...

.WBRC...

.ABC

35.3

63

Boxing .

.WAPI

20.8

4. Target (Thurs. 9:00).....

. WBRC.,

. Ziv

34.8

64

Groucho Marx...

.WAPI

19.8

5. Sea Hunt (Thurs. 9:30)...

.WBRC...

.Ziv

31.8

65

Mike ECammer.

.WAPI

16.8

6. U. S. Marshal (Fri. 10:00).

.WBRC...

.NTA •

30.8

60

M Squad .

.WAPI

20.8

7. Official Detective (Tues. 7:00).

.WBRC...

, NTA

27.8

48

Eddie Fisher.

.WAPI

30.3

8. Whirlybirds (Thurs. 10:00)........

.WBRC...

.CBS

25.8

64

Naked City..

.WAPI

14.8

9. State Trooper (Fri. 8:00).

,WAPI...

..MCA

25.3

41

PhU Silvers .

.WBRC

35.8

10. Gray Ghost (Wed. 10:00).

.WBRC...

. CBS

24.3

57

Pat Boone.

.WAPI

18.5

11. Boots and Saddles (Thurs.'6:00)..

.WBRC...

- CNP

23.8

62

( News, Sports, Wea. ...

WAPI

14.5

•

i NBC News.

WAPI

15.0

11. Sky King (FrL 6:00)- 1 ...

.WBRC...

. Nabisco

23.8

60

J News, Sports, Wea. ...

.WAPI

15.5

1 NBC News .. .. .

.WAPI

16.0

12. Dial 999 (Sun. 10:00)..-..

.WBRC..,

. Ziv

22.5

57

World's Greatest Movies

WAPI

16.8

13. Western Marshal (Sun. 5:30).

.WBRC..'.

. CNP

22.3

68

Football Film ..

.WAPI

10.3

13. Wild Bill Hiekek (Tues. 6:30).

• WAPI....

, -Screen Gems

22.3

52

You Are There.

.WBRC

20.5

14. Danger Is My Businem (Wed. 9:30)

• WAPL...

;.CNP

20.8

39

U. S. Steel Hour.

.WBRC

32.0

14. Jim Bowie (FrL 10:30). -..

.WBRC...

.ABC

20A

63

World’s Great Movies —

.WAPI

12.3

15. You Are There (Tues. 8:30).

.WBRC.^.

. CBS

20.5

48

Wild Bill Hickok.

.WAPI

22.3

16. Inner Sanetnm (Toes. 10:30)......

.WBRC...

. CNP

18.8

52

Sheriock Holmes .

.WAPI "

17.3

16. Union Pacific (Tues, 8:00)..

. WBRC-..

. CNP

18.8

50

I News, Sports, Wea. ...

-WAPI

19.5

I NBC News.

.WAPI

18.5

DAYTON

Stations: WHIG, WLW-D. TV Homts: 143,700. . Survey Dates: November 5-12, 1958.

_ TOP TEN BIETWOBK SHOWS

Gmumeke (Sat 10:00-10:30)..WHIO

Wyatt Karp (Tues. 8:30-9:00)... .WLW-D

Sa^arfeot (Tuea. 7:30-8:30) .WLW-D

Fve Get A Secret (Wed. 9:30-10:00). .WHIG
Dau^ Theeias (Mon. 9:00-9:30) .. WHI P

Have Gn Wm Travel (Sat 9:30-10). WHIP

Bettleae Got (Mon. 8:00-8:30).WLW-D

Bed SMten (Toes. 9:30-10:00).WHIP

Leretta Yevag (Sun. 10:00-10:30)... .WLW-D
MllUenatrc (Wed. 9:00-9:30)........ WHIG

WfleMan (Toes. 9:00-9:3())..WLW-D

TOP TEN BtULTl-WE EKLY SHOWS

fLIttlc Raseals (M-F 6:00-6:30).WHIG

tSohio Rptr^. Sports Desk WHIP

(M-F 6:30-6:45) ..

tFront Page News (M-F 11:00-11:15) WHIG
♦As The World Turns (M-F 1 : 30 - 2 ).. WHIG
•NBC News (M-F 6:45-7:00) - • • - - WLW-D

tNews, Sporta (M-F 6:30-6:45) -. .WLV/-D

♦Adventure Time (T,Th 5:30-6:00) WLW-D
tSo-So Club (M-F 12:00 ICti.- 1:30) WLW-D
♦Mickey Mouse Club (M,W,F 5:30-6)
tWea. (M-F 5:45-6:00) .. WHIG

Badge 714 (Sat 10:30)...

Mike Hammer (Frt 10:30)........

Dr. Hudson (Frt 7:00).......

Highway Patrol (W«i. 8-.30).......

Twenty Six Men (Tups. 7.*00}.

Gray Ghoet (Mon..7:00>.

State Trooper (Toes. 7:00)..

Death Talley Dayv (Mon. 7:00)..v.
MaeKentte’s BaMen (Thurs. 7:00).
Little Baacab (Mon.-Frt 8:00)....
Star And The Stery (Wed. 7:30)...
Tugboat Annie;(Wed. 7:00)...^...

Target (Thurs. 7:00)...

Colonel Flaek CMbn. 7:30)-...

Sea Hunt (Wed. 10:30)...........

Jeffs Coffin (Tues. 7:30).........

Roy Rogers (Sat 5:00)............

Flight (Tues. 8:00)..

If Yon Had A BOlUon (Sat. 7:00)..
Harbor Command (Sun. 10:30)....

Mama (Sat. 6:00)...

Woody Woodpecker (Tues. 5:00).,,

.-WHIG..-

..CNP

30.0

..WHIG,...

..MCA

29.8

..WHIG-.,

..MCA

29.3

..WHIG...

..Ziv

293

.-WLW-D..

.ABC

273‘

..WHIG...

..CBS

273

. . WHIG...

..MCA

243

..WLW-D..

.U. S. Borax

243

.. WLW-D..

-Ziv

233

..wmo...

. interstatn

21.9^

..WHIG-..

..Gfficial

213

WLW-D..

.TTC

213

..WHIG,..

.,Ziv'

203

.."WHIG...

. CBS

19.3

WLW-D..

.Ziv

183

..WHIG...

. .ITC

17.8'

c.WHIO...

..MCA

17.8}

..WHIG...

. CNP

i7.3

..WHIG...

..MCA

16.8

..WLW-D..

.Ziv

14.3

..WLW-D..

,CBS

14.3

.. WLW-D ..

; KeUogg

14.3

09 Brains and Brawn.....WLW-D

62 Patti Page .. ..WLW-D

78 Outdoor Guide.WLW-D

48 Ozxte and Harriet.WLW-D

53 State Trooper.,...WHIO

53 Death Valley Days.WLW-D

47 Tnsen^ Six Men.WLW-D

47 G^y Ghost ...WHIO

' 54 Target .WHIO

87 Rescue 8- .WLW-D

40 Lawrence Welk.WLW-D

46 Man'Without A Gun.WHIG

48 MjuXenzle’s Raiders _WLW-D

36 Lawman ..WLW-D

40 U. S. Steel Hour.WHIG

29 Sugarfoot .....WLW-D

64 All Star Golf ..WLW-D

28 Sugarfoot .WLW-D

38 Midwestern Hayride_WLW-D

31 What's My Line.WHIO

48 Rising Generation .WHIG

54 Wild West ..WHIO

13.3
18.0

9.3

34.3

24.8

24.3

27.8

27.3

20.3

13.3

32.3

25.3

23.8

33.8

27.8

43.3
10.0

44.3

27.8

31.8

15.8

12.3

ViiaMiaaay,. PaieiiBStf ily

n

Who's in

the driver's

In Chicago, it's WBBM-TVl While other
stations go round in circles, WBBM-TV
stays out in front—Chicago’s number one
station, month-in, month-out, according
to all three rating services.

The competition, meanwhile, keeps on
jockeying for the runner-up ^t: during
the past year, each station has been in
second place at least, once and each has
been in tost place at least once.

Channel 2’s never-failing popularity is
the direct result of a powerhouse CBS
Telewsion Network-lineup plus top-rated
local programming. For example, Nielsen
shows that month after month'WBBM-TV
presents Chicago’s highest-rated feature
film show.. .thirtyrminute syndicated
film program.. . daytime adult program..,
woman’s service show.. .news program..,
Monday through Friday nighttime strip
... and live variety program.

Keep ahead of the competition yourself.
Tell your story on..

Chic^a^s Shoym amhip Station
CBS Ownedt Channel JS^Eepresented by

CBS Television Spot Sales

Tv-nois

P9smm

lliriiicalarf VHt

P^EfY-niSX. FEATURE CHART

Vabiety’s wefikly chart, hosed on ratings furnished by Pulse’s latest reports on
feature films and their competition covers 155 markets. Each week, two different
markets will he listed, with the 10 top rated features tabulated. The tabulation excludes
features, and their ratings, telecast up to 6 p.m. during the midweek. Their exclusion
i» dictated hy Pulse’s Tnethod of reflecting daytime midweek rating data.

Factors which would assist distributors, agencies, stations and advertisers in
determining the effectiveness of a feature show in a specific market have been
included in this Varikit charts Listed heiow is such pertinent informatUm regarding
features as their stars, release year, original production company and the present
distributor included wherever possible aloTig with the title. Attention should he paid

to such factors as the time and day, the high and low ratings for the measured
feature period and share 'of audience, since these factors reflect the effectiveness
of the feature and audience composition, i.e., a late show at 11:15 p.m. would hardly
have any children viewers, hut its share of audience may reflect dominance in that
time period. In the cities where stations sell their feature programming on a multi
stripped basis utilizing the same theatrical throughout the week a total rating for the
total number of showings for the week is given, the total rating not taking into, op.count
the duplicated homes factor. Barring unscheduled switches in titles the listed features
for the particularly rated theatrical filmed show are as accurate as could be ascer¬
tained. Under Time Slot, S. O. stands for Sign-Off.

SAN FRANCISCO

TOP 10 FEATURE FILMS
1. “TREASURE ISLAND”—Part 1
Wallace Beery, Jackie
Cooper, Otto Kruger;

MGM; 1934; MGM-TT

t. “GREEN DOLPHIN STREET”-
Lana Turner, Van
Heflin, Donna Reed;

MGM; 1947; MGM-TV

8 . “THE MEN”—

Marlon Branco,

Teresa Wright;

United Artists; 1950; NTA

4. «TOXES OF HARROW”—

Rex Harrison,

Maureen O’Hara;

20th Century Fox; 1947; NTA

5. “ARMORED ATTACK”—

Dana Andrews,

Anne Baxter;*

Samuel Goldwyn; 1942; NTA

5. *‘THUNDERBIRDS”—

John Barrymore Jr., John
Derek, Mona Freeman;

V Republic; 1952; HTS

6. “TREASURE ISLAND”—PART I
Wallace Beery, Jackie
Cooper, Otto Kruger;

MGM; 1934; AiGM-TV

7. “SANTA FE PASSAGE”—

John Payne,

Rod Cameron;

RepubUc; 1955; HTS

8 . “ROAD TO DENVER”—

John Payne, Mona
Freeman, Lee J. Cobb;

RepubUc; 1955; HTS

f. ‘"KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL”-
John Payne, Coleen.

Gray, Preston Foster;

United Artists; 1952; UAA

8 . “MAKE HASTE TO LIVE”—
Dorothy McGuire, StepheiE
McNally, MaV Murphy;

Republic; 1954; HTS

COLUMBUS .

1. “PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE”—
Humphrey Bogart, Claude
Rains, Michele Morgan;

Warner Bros.; 1944; UAA

8 . “CAPTAIN JANUARY”—

Shirley Temple, Guy
Kibhee, Slim Summerville;

20th Century Fox; 1936; NTA

8 . “JOHNNY GUITAR”—

Joan Crawford, Sterling
Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge;
RepubUc; 1954; HTS

4. “BOYS TOWN”—.

Spencer Tracy, Mickey
Rooney, Gene Reynolds;

MGM; 1938; MGM-TV

5. ‘<SOUTH OF SUEZ”—

George Brent, Brenda
Marshall, George Tobias;

Warner Bros.; 1940; UAA

f. "UNDERGROUND”—

Jeffrey Lynn, Philip
Dom, Kaaren Verne;

Warner Bros.; 1941; UAA

7. “FOUR WIVES”—

John Garfield, Gale
Page, Claude Rains; •

Warner Bros.; 1939; UAA

8. “MY FRIEND FLICKA”—

Roddy McDowaU,

Rita Johnson;

20th Century Fox; 1943; UAA

1. “NINE LIVES ARE NOT ENOUGH”-
Ronald Reagan, Joan
Perry, 'James Gleason;

Warner Bros,; 1941; UAA

8. “FAIR WIND *10 JAVA’"—

.Fred MacMurray, Victor
MacLaglcn, Vera Ralston;

RepubUc; 1853; HTS

Stationi; KGO, KPIX, KRON, KTYU. TV Homes: 817,700. Survey Dates; November 5-12, 1958.

TIME SLOT
6 O’Clodc Movie
Thurs. Nov. 6
6:00-7:30 p.m.

kgo

6 O’clock Movit
Mon. Nov. 10
6:00-8:30 p.m.
KGO

Big Movie
FrL Nov. 7
10:00-11:30 p.m.
KPIX

Big Movie
Wed. Nov. 5
10:00 p.m.-S.O.
KPIX

Big Movie
Tues. Nov. 11
10:00-11:30 pjn.
KPIX

Big Movie
Mon. Nov. 10
10:00-11:30 p.m.
KPIX

PULSE
AVERAGE
RATING HIGH
18.3 19.0

AVERAGE

SHARE

36

AV.

TOP COMPETITION STA'OON RATINGS

Amos "n’ Andy.... KTVU 12.9

I Love Lucy...KPIX 16-5

U.S. Marshal..KRON 13.5

Channel 5 News.

...KPIX....11.3

17.8 19.3

15.8 18.0

15.6 17.7

CBS—News ..KPIX.12.0

Big Story.KRON .11.9

Texan .KPIX.18.0

Father Knows Best.. KPIX.23.5

Restless Gun.KRON .,.21.2

77 Sunset Strip..KGO.. 15.5

Major Movie—“Kansas

City Confidential” (1st Run).. KRON .10.5

This Is Your Life.. KRON^ ..21.7

Dr. Hudson.•.KRON .12.0

News, Sports Desk....KRON ........ 8.3

Jack Paar Show.. KRON *. 6.9

Californians .KRON ........ 22.2

Science Fiction Theatre.. KRON . 16.2

News, Sports- Desk.. •.KRON .10.3

Jack Paar Show........KRON ........ 7.7

Arthur Murray.KRON ..20.5

Mike Hammer ....KRON .17.2

News, Sports Desk.... KRON. ........ 9.7

Jack Paar Show.... KRON. 8.0

1st Bun

6 0"Clock Movie

15.2

15.7

14.7

33

Shell ^News,....•_

.KRON .....

...11.3

Wed. Nov. 5

NBC News....

.KRON ...w

...11.7

6:00-7:00 p.m.

Rescue 8......

.KRON .....

...11.2

KGO

1st Run

Fabulous Features

14.6

16.0

12.7

43

Movie Time—“Main

Sun. Nov. 9

Street to Broa'dway”...

.KRON .

... 7.8

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Annie Oakley....•.

.KGO..

... 8.3

KPIX

1st Run

Big Movie

11.5

13.0

9.7

32

Brains and Brawn..

.KRON .....

...14.5

Sat. Nov.« ft

Movie Hits—?‘A11 Quiet on

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

the Westfem Front” (1st Run)

-KRON .

.. .10.8

KPIX

1st Run

Major Movie

11.1 >

12.3

9.7

26

Big Movie—

>FrL Nov. 7

“The Men.” (1st Run).

.KPIX..

...18.1

10:00-11:30 p.m.

KRON

Repeat

Big Movie

ll.i

12.0

9.7

31

Groucho Marx...

.KRON ..

...24.2

Thurs-. Nov. 8

.KRON ..

...15.9

10:00-11:30 p.m.

News, Sports Desk....

.KRON ..

...12.7

KPIX

Jack J*aar Shbwl..

.KRON ..

...11.0

Staiions:

WBNS,

WLW-C. WTVN.

TV Homes: 180,400. Survey Dates: November 5-12,

1958*

1st Run

Something Different

20.5

223

18.3

48

Boots and Saddles.

.WBNS :.

,..22.7

Sat. Nov. 8 •

Alfred Hitchcodc.....

.WBNS .

,..18.0

10:30 p.m.-S.O.

Pins and Needles*.

.WBNS .

,.. 8.0

WTVN

1st Run

Shirley Temple Movie

18.2

19.0

17.3

57

Football Highlights_......

.WLW-C.

,..12.3

Sat. Nov. 8

Sports Newsreel.... i.... -

.WLW-C .....

,.. 8.7

4:30-6:00 p.m.

AIL Star Golf.. ...

. WTVN .

.. 6.8

WBNS

‘

1st Run

Armchair Theatre

15.6

16.3

147

54

Jack Paar Show...

.WLW-C .

8.4

Tues. Nov. 11

11:15 p.m.-S.O.

WBNS

1st Rim

Best of MGM

14.1

15.0

13J

30

Mama .. .

.WBNS .

. .14.5

Sun. Nov. 9

Our Miss Broo)»....

WBNS .

..19.2

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Lassie _..

.WBNS .

..24.5

WLW-C

Repeat

Best of HoUjrwood

11.6

120

11.0

27

Your Hit Psxsde . .

.WBNS ......

...16.2

Sat. Nov. 8

Midwestern Hayride. ..

WLW-C ...i.

6:00-7:30 p.m.

I Love Lucy ..

WBNS

..222

WTVN

Repeat

Lexmayer’s Theatre

10.6

12.3

9.3

27

Loretta Yotmg ....

.WLW-C

...29.2

Sun. Nov. 9

Whafi My Lfaie... .

WBNS

.*.264)

10:00 p.m.-S.O.

Sunday News ^eial -.... ..

WBNS .rc...

..20.7

WTVN

' News—Nonasn Doftn .

•WBNS .

.. 9.T

Academy Award Theatre —

“Little Fugitive” (Repeat)..

WBNS .

.. 7.7

Repeat

Sunday Showboat.

10.0

143

8.7

23

Columbus Town Meeting. ....

.WBNS ......

8.0

Sun. Nov. 9

ProfenfonsT Foot^nin—

1:45-3:15 pan.

“Detroit vs, Cleveland.

WBNS ......

..37.8

WTVN

Repeat

Armchair Theatre

9.2

10.3

8.3

33

Jack Paar Show...

.WLW-C .....

..12.8

Fri. Nov. 7

11:15 pjn.-S.O.

- WBNS

Simday Showboat
Sun: Nov. 9^
3:15-5:00 p.m.
WTVN

Armchair Theatre
Thurs. Nov. 6
11:15 p.m.-S.O.
WBNS

Professional FootbaU—
Detroit vs. Cleveland.
Curley Morrison.

Jack Paar Show.

•WLW-C ..10.0

Wednesday^ December 31, 1958

P^RIBTT

|MJ»IO-TEUEVISf»N

SI

Price Structure: Blow-by-BIow

Here is a mariet-by-market rundown of average prices secured
for half-hour telefilm, properties in the world market. The prices,
with listed exceptions, are for the initial run. The average ^ures
for individual markets are by no means absolute, i.e. England pays
about $2,800 per episode, based on the average skein, but for a few
singular shows such ^ the “Phil Silvers Show,” the price could
go up to $5,000. There may be a similar percentage range of quoted
average prices in a number of o^er listed .markets. The accom¬
panying article in this issue give^ greater detail as to each mar¬
ket. But as to the average price, this is how the foreign market
sh^es up:

SPANISH SPEAKING LATIN AMERICA*

Average

Price

Per

Episode

Mexico .$ 525

Puerto Rico ..,.^...; 400

Venezuela .. 400

Cuba .\..... 200

El Salvador —. 50

Columbia . IrO

Argentina . 150

Peru . 45

Quatemala ...—..... 60

Costa Rico ...•.. 35

Nicaragua ../..... 35

Panama . 40

Uruguay . 35

$2,125

Total for Spanish-Speaking Market ..2,833

Brazil ......;. 300

Total for Latin America ...3,133

COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES

England ..... .$2,800

Canada .....'.. ....... 2,500

Australia ............... 750

Total ...'—.. , $6,050

CONTINENTAL EUROPE

France . 600

French Canada (2 Runs) ... ......... 2,000

Luxembourg . 200

Belgium . ...-..... 200

Switzerland . 290

Italy ..... .... 300

West Germany . 1,000

Austria ........... lOO

Denmark . 145

Sweden ... 175

Finland . 50

Total . $5,060

MIDDLE EAST

Iran ...$ 90

Saudi Arabia ........... 40

Iraq .'... 125

Total ... $ 255

FAR EAST

Japan ....$ 250

Philippines ..... 100

Hong Kong .......40

Thailand ........... 60

Total ..... . . ’ $ 450

Ed Noble Dies at 76

a— Continued from page 22 ^

NBCs Stanley Steamer Cooks

I With TV Gas m Atom Age

Roosevelt, and 1939 and 1940 he
was Roosevelt’s Under Secretary
of Commerce. He left government
service in 1940 to support Repub¬
lican candidate Wendell Willkie.

Like the late John Shepard III
of Boston who insisted that lie was

Mgf. William Morris Ae«nqf

jONNNTJoarSIDl)

iHRchcon served Noea !• I P-M.

MoRdof thnt Fridof
COCKTAILS—DINNER—SUPPER
84 t Second Arenii* at 45 tL Street

Member all charge clubs
MU 4-7250-Opea 7 days

IjBROOKS

R2COSTUMES

SWnt«hlS(.,N.Y.C<T«l.n.r-SMe

wealthy pre-radio via his family’s
department stores in Boston and
Providence, Noble had an aversion
to the assumption of some persons
that he represented a radio-oreated
‘fortune. Actually he was a sponsor
(Life Savers) before he was a
broadcaster, a sequence also mark¬
ing the career of WRliam S. Paley
who was Mr. Congress Cigar be¬
fore he was^ Mr. CBS. Oldtimers
alone would” recall one amusing
experience involving Lifesaver^
sponsorship of what was supposed
to he a brand-new “idea" for Jfedio
—^the use of scenery and wings In
the studio. This gimmick sold
Noble on using the late Ed East
and his partner (now a film actor)
Ralph Dumke. Only flaw In the
beautiful idea was this: the labor
relations gentry at NBC sounded
a fierce alarm that scenery in a
radio studio would open the door
to the Stagehands Union. It Is to
be remembered that the studios
knew not the big muscles of the
lATSE until television changed
everything.

Wen before he became associ¬
ated with the Blue Network Noble
cut his teeth as a broadcaster at
WMQA, N. Y. His associates of
that period found his mind Inces¬
santly preoccupied with financial
matters. He had one or two gum¬
shoe “portfolio” men around the
premises. Staff morale was never
good and Noble, with his Wall St.
fixation, was not a congenial boss
for personnel interested in live
programs, newscasts, public aff a ir s
and so on.

It’s held probable that no one
will be chosen to replace Noble as
chairman of the finance committee
of AB-PT. Only a few men have
ever left the board and none of
them have been replaced.

- Widow, daughter and . brother
survive.

Foreign Markets

Continued from page 21

cators are understood to have got¬
ten as high as $600 in the market.

Some details on. the Common¬
wealth market: An episode could
bring about $1,000 if sold to the
web, Australian Broadcasting Co.-
but If sold to the individual mal>
kets, the price structure is differ¬
ent. Two principal cities of Syd¬
ney- and Melbourne bring about
from $400 to $500 together. Tele¬
vision stations in Adelaide, Bris¬
bane, Perth, and Hobart should
commence operation in ’59 and '60.
Buying is being done for those
markets and the price should be
a maximum of the combined Syd-
ney-Melbourne tab. There is •ho
repeat 39 plus 13 formula in Aus¬
tralia at this time.

Canada is a tough market for
most telefilms to get air slots. If
sold to the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp., the price should be $3,000
per episode. Going the market-
by-mar}cet route is a hai'd puU,
again because of the scarcity of
air time. .^The market-by-market
route could bring in toto from
$1,800 to $2,200. (All prices, of
Course, are for first runs). But
the Canadian- market can grow
markedly with the new stations
projected there,

England has that 14% quota on
the telecasting of foreign product.
The quota not only acts to limit
the numb'-r of American filmed
shows,, hue to cut prices, accent¬
uating the competition. Consid¬
ering the number of sets and the
financial success of the. commercial
•operators, American telefilmeries
feel they are being underpaid in
that market. England’s another-
raarket with no repeat deals.

On the Continent, France bas
very few American shows being
telecast. Dubbing in French lan¬
guage costs about $1,200. It just
don’t pay to make a deal alone
for France, the dubbing fee being
more than the price received there.
Clinchihg French Canada which
pays $2,000 for two runs is ideal,
but there, again, the air time is
crowded and it’s very difficult. If
the telefilm played Luxembourg
first, another French-speaking out¬
let, the French network won’t
play it. In Switzerland, the two
tv markets are Geneva (French-
speaking) and Zurich (German-
speaking), each paying $145 apiece
for an episode.

Italy and West Germany pay for
dubbing in their respective lan¬
guages. Denmark, Sweden and
Finland are subtitle countries, each
nation paying the subtitling cost.

In the Far East, the Philippines
is one of the few areas in the
world which is blocking all out¬
going currency. In Japan, the
.semi-government netw'ork opera¬
tion, NHK, pays a maximum of
$250 per episode, without any re¬
runs. The other s.tations in the
six markets bring about $300 in
toto, with 13 reruns on a series
of 39, making the price up. to $400
per episode.

That’s the market-by-market
situation as of December, '58.

Kaiiua City — Jack Kroeck has
been appointed farm director for
WDAF radio, it was annoimced last
week by Bill Bates, general man¬
ager.

By JO RANSON

During the Coc^day Circuit
Tieriod of broadcasting it was cus¬
tomary to feed cock-crowing time
.tuner-inners old Doc Bagley’s set¬
ting-up exercises.

Physicists are now filling
In for physical culturists and
latest reports from builders
of the “Continental Classroom on
NBG-TV indicate that rise-and-
shiners are eating up the “Atomic;
Age Physics” college tv
for credit co-sponsored by the
American Assn, of Colleges for
Teacher Education and NBC.

Instead of getting advice -^n
how to slim down the stomach,
morning hour viewers are now up
to their hips in solemn discourses
on angular momentum, elasticity,
the Zeeman Effect, Hooke’s Law
and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Prin¬
ciple (no'kiddingl).

The highly specialized course,
for which large industrial organiz¬
ations are underwriting the costs,
is reportedly reaching an audience
of more than 270,000 as “Physics
for the Atomic Age” reaches the
middle of the first semester. Two
hundred and fifty colleges are now
cooperating in the program, many
offering it on a college credit basis
and the public-service-minded big
biz sponsors are certainly not com¬
plaining.

In addition to college level stu¬
dents and trained teachers taking
the course, laymen also are tun¬
ing in, including plumbers, clerks,
housewives and the “best brains”
from San Quentin Penitentiary.

Edward Stanley, director of pub¬
lic affairs at NBC, who helped
bring the program to the alrlanes,
is certain that “Continental Class¬
room” will continue long after Dr.
Harvey E. White completes his
chores as teacher of the physics
course. Stanley said subseoueut
subjects in the “Continental Class¬
room” may deal with chemistry,
math and languages, perhaps
French, German .and Russian.
Wherever there are major defects
in education, the teachers on NBC-
TV’s “Continental Classroom” will
try to correct thenj.

Stanley was aware of a trend
In tv and radio public affairs pro¬
gramming to enlist industrial and
educational organizations as un-
iderwriters of program costs along
with NBC.

Stanley cited “Continental Class¬
room” as getting ffnancial assist¬
ance from Bell Telephone, General
Foods, IBM, Pittsburgh Plate
Glass, U.S. Steel, California Oil
as well as the American Assn, of
College for Teacher Education.”
Moreover, this was a program
that was virtually oversubscribed
with sponsors. For NBC to have
imdertaken this project alone
would have been almost prohibi¬
tive, Stanley said.

The two current NBC Education-
TV Project programs, “Ten For
Survival” is being underwritten by
the U.S. Office of Civil and De¬
fense Mobilization, and “Adventur¬
ing In the Hand Arts” Is under¬
written by the Girl Scouts of Amer-,
lea. In each instance, NBC is

'Charging only production costs but
the air time Is free. The civil
defense series production costs will
run approximately $140,000.

Pepsi’s Boy Scout Show

The recent one-time-only fiO-
minute telecast with Bob Hope
designed to promote the Boy
Scouts’ new Explorer program was
underwritten by Pepsi-Cola ai $40,-
000. The aforementioned “Adven¬
turing in Hand Arts” series is
transmitted over the NBC-TV Net¬
work facilities at 6 p.m. to the
country’s inter-connected educa¬
tional tv outlets. Other NBC affils
carry the series on a delayed basis.
WRCA-TV plans to start the Girls
Scouts series in' January. '

- Realizing that public service or¬
ganizations must compete with
commercial programs for the view¬
er’s interest, officials are now
certain than ever that any ^ . nies
expended on production co.s?s will
1 repay them handsomel.’* in au¬
dience response. A recent Amer¬
ican Heart Assn, series of pro¬
grams, in this, instance backed by
Squibb money, was proof of this
premise. Each of the 13 programs
cost $10,000 to produce, but the
results justified the expense.

The American Cancer Society is
planning a series of programs
starting February with $10,000 al¬
located for each program. NBC
will also produce these programs.

Stanley is convinced that the
educational potential of tv is
enormous, particularly in its use
as a classroom teaching tool. “For
one thing, we are going to have
to teach more things more quickly
to more people,” Stanley said.
“There aren’t enough teachers —
never enough great teachers —not
enough schools and a prospective •
school population that is stagger¬
ing.” He is certain that it would
be folly “not to expoit for educa¬
tion the most fluent and com¬
pelling medium that man has yet
invented.”

He is telling some old fashioned
teachers who insist on turning
their backs on educational tv that
aU of the experiments thus far
conducted indicate that in either
elementary or secondary school
levels there is no significant dif¬
ference between students taught
by conventional methods and those
taught via tv. “In fact there is
some evidence that the tv-taught
students retain a greater percent¬
age of what they have been taught
and have a lower percentage of
failures,” Stanley said.

Gotham's educational tv system
Is poor compared with other cit¬
ies Stanley observed, but a good
start has been made by the Re¬
gents’ programming over WPIX-
TV. "However, it is only beginning
to scratcH the surface,” he said.
^-It is a shame that New York City
doesn’t possess its own educational
tv outlet. In this great urban com¬
munity with such an enormous
concentration of minorities, an
educational tv station Is desperate¬
ly needed.”

Ultimately, there will be a happy
wedding of the performing irt»
and education, Stanley said.

3S

From fhe f roduc^on Centres

=SBSsssiS=Sis=i ContinMd from paxe 2Z

^Christmas with tte Russells’' prograta from, hfs farm In Hopkinton.

. . . 'WHDH-TV news dept., largest fulltime tv news org in N.E., had
all six of its members out of the U.S: on news assignments in 1958 . ..
An award for the best American play of 1958 was presented to Archi-
hald MacLeiatra “J, B., by Elliot Norton, Boston Record drama critic,
a^ WGBH-TV, on Norton’s weekly WGBH program ... Ad Schenider,'
NBC-TV net’s first director of news and special events, joined Magna j
Film Productions here, after stint producing tv commercials and in-i
lustrial films- in Fla. . . . WBZ-TV brought live cameras outdoors for
school and church choral groups on “Boston Movietime’’ and erected
a 70-ft. Xmas tree in front of their studio.

tN LONDON . . .

Cabaret and tv thrush Evelyn Sharpe appeared in last Saturday’s :
(27) Associated Television’s ‘‘Spectaculaf ’ show » . . A new 13-week: ]
skein in the “Boyd Q. C.** series starring Michael IXenison made its j
how via Assoclated-Rediffusion last night (Tues.) . . . BBC-TV kicks off
weekly Sdward JI^. aHuTow “Bmall World’’ series Jan. 10 •, Trank ;

Winiaais has Joined the cast of Granada-TV’s top rated show, “The
Army Game” . . . Patrick McGoohan starred in an A-R production of
'The Big Knife” yesterday (Tues.) . . . Songstress Shirley Ableair lined
up for a BBC-'TV appearance next Mon. (5).

m PITTSBVRCH . . .

Jean Cennelly leaves Ch. 2 next week to become women’s director
of Ch. 4. She’ll also have her own half-hour daily show on the latter
station,, from 9:30 to 10 every weekday morning . . . Bill Nesbit, WCAE
wake-up man, -visiting bis wife’s folks in Lynchburg, Va., over the holi¬
days and Tom Shaffer is filling in for him . . . Harry Kodinsky and his
wife, Carol, are producing a l6-hour telethon for the March of Limes
In St. Louis over WMOX-TV Feb. 1 . . . “Nick Perry Presents” will he
Nkk Perry hosting a feature movie on Ch. 4 from 10 to 11:30 Monday
through Friday beginning Jan. 5 . . . Jean Dreschler, secretary in the
KpKA publicity department, to California for a couple of weeks . . .
hfary Eythe* “Mrs. Pennsylvania” In ’57, has been picked to replace
JoaepUae XChiaaese) Chase on “Luncheon at the Ones” strip 6n Ch.

YUNON

Leads the

Rating Race
In Market

after-Market!

SOMEANT PRESTON.20.0

Stata Trooper...19.5

Honeymooners............ .19.5

SiMt Service...12.5

Sea Hunt.11.7

■ " —

SnOEAftT niESTON.24.5

Harbor Command.23.5

Sheriff Coebise.22.5

Highway Patroi.,.22.2

StataTroopar..21.2

StROEANT PRESTON..^. .4^.8

WWrlyblrd*.34.4

Saa Hunt.29.3

Highway Patrol.29.1

$llantSarvica.13.8

•EROEANTFRESTOli.... .31.0

Highway Patrol.........29.5

SaontSarvfca........29.3

StataTroopar......27.8

* ^ ....19,8

I Harbor Cbihmand... .„433

I M^ wayPatror....«..,41.9

SSrtffofCocWaa..3i0

xHonl. .31.9

INDEFKHDKNT

tbi-evision

COUTPOItATION

iliiMMr Avi. • S.Y.22* KutB-flll

TV’s Optimism

Continned f.om paxe 17 g—
works, A good show won’t lack
bankrolling.

CBS-TV is in a far more com¬
fortable position than it was a year
ago. Profits for the year have
soared to an alltime high. And
v.'hile NBC may have lost some
ground on the nighttime rating
charts in contrast to a year ago,
when it was giving CBS a run for
its money, equally certain is the
fact that Bob & Bob (Samoff and
Kintner) aren’t sitting hack or let¬
ting themselves get lost in the
shuffle.

Even now, it’s known, there are
plans for some fresh stabs at cre¬
ativity designed to vest *59 with
broader and more oxciting pro¬
gramming appeal. And whatever
the immediate shortcomings of the
network, it has a classic penchant
for making noise in the right
places and copying headlines in
the process.

That board chairman Bob Sar-
nofl was chosen to keynote the ’59
convention of the NAB is but one j
more reflection of the network’s ]
s'tature in the overall scheme of
things.

Study TV’s Eesusmies

CoBtliiiicd from pax4 17 SSS

bers the vast amount of mon^ ex¬
pended without any visible return.
Throwing good money after bad
is proving risky business.”

In his dual capacities as prexy
nf the Alliance and: veepee vt'(iper^
ations for McCadden Productions,
Morton insists he doesn’t have to
wear two hats. “What gofe for the
others goes for HeCaddeh,’* he
said, “and we’re at ibuch eohe«ni^ ]
about business . Whir futuaeled
frdm tv to other raWa ts aliy of j
the other teleplc prbdufWs^ In fact j
McCadden is well kware of the’
need, as are the others, for a study j
of the factors contributing to tiie
rece^g market “H we’re over¬
pricing the market we want to
know it so we can proceed pru-'
dently with next season’s prod¬
uct.”

NBC-TV Today’ Bonanza

Mere than |I,500,000 in gross
revenue from 11 advertisers in tte
form of new and renewal biz has
been placed on NBC-TV’s “Today”
within recent days.

New orders came from Stem’s
Nurseries, Sandura Co., Hagan
Chemicals and Controls, hlagnus
Organ Co. Kayser-Jloth Corpi, and
Jackson ie Perkins. i

Renewals were from National-
Presto Industriest,. General. JHec-
tric, Studehideer PWWt

Craft Corp. lyiid CboperSK Inc.

PTSmfr

' VibAiegday, Pcccmber SI, l^SS

11. Latter left to. follow Sada Thompaon In the lead of tho off-Broad-
way “lyanoV.”

IN PmLADELPHM . . .

Former top WIBG deejayi Doug Arthur has Joined WCAU. Arthur
will preem t^ee shows daily across-the-board (Jan. 5) . .. Disk Jockey
Eddie Newman returns to WDAS as program manager. He succeeds
1 Jerty Grove» now upped to operations manager . . . William B. Caske,
j exec veepee of WPEN, elected to board of directors of Sun Ray Drug
Co., of which the station is a subsidiary . . . Maynard Ferguson,

I tmmpeter-bandleader, will debut a half-houi’ jazz s^ow out of WR^-
TV for th e NB C-TV network in January. Sid Mark, who conducts fazz
show on WHAT-FM, will do the commentary . . . Folksinger Jean
Ritchie, who has recorded for the Library of Congress, the BBC and
commercial companies, appeared on WCAU-TV’s ^‘Big Blackboard” (27)
accompanying herself on dulcimer.

m SAN FRANCISCO . . .

Roger Boas resigned as moderator-interviewer on KQED’s toprated
“Profile: Bay Area” after 18 months and 59 shows. ETV station's off
the air until early January for technical maintenance . . . Chief En-
■gineer Harry Jacobs rushed installation of KGO-FM’s new high-gain
I antenna, raising power of ABS outlet 600% and getting station back
on the air lO^^ays ahead of schedule . . . KFRC’s George Ruge plan¬
ning on injf^ ^on of some c ontrov ersial public affairs material for his
man-on-the-street show . . . KTVU joining with C®S-TV’s Pacific Net¬
work to telecest the Santa Anita feature races live on Saturdays. Un¬
ion Oil’s picking up the tah. . . FCG okayed a new FM outlet for San
Luis Obispo—call letters will be KATY.

ABCtjOtfOkayOn
Mike Wdhee D<^
Striped Motiial Slow

Mike Wallace is set to narrato
Mutual’s “World Today,” the 25-
minute stripped news show, broad¬
cast from 8:05 to 8:30 p.m.

Wallace got an c^ay to do the
show from ABC, with whom he has
an exclusive deal encompassing
radio and tv. Wallace’s deal with
ABC runs'put in May, ’59. Since
the axing of the Sunday night
“Mike Wallace Interviews” on
ABC-TV, he hasn’t had any broad¬
cast exposure.

Understood net is considering
a new Wallace taped panel show
for tv. But Wallace’s absence from
the airways Is said to have spaiked
the move to do the “World Today.”
Deal hasn’t been put into writing
as yet< but with the ABC Clearance,
"no hitches are expected.

Bowing out as narrator will b#
Westbro^ Van Voorhis. Martin
Plissner will continue as producer.

IN DETROIT^. . .

Van Patrick, pla^by-play caller for the Detroit Tigers and Lions,
figures he haS logged 70,000 air miles and broadcast 200 games, includ¬
ing U. of Michigan contests, in the past several months . . . “Don't
drive yomrself to death” are the key words in a new series of jingles
being presented by WXYZ personalities Fred Wolf, Paul Winter, Mick¬
ey Shorr, Ed McKenzie, Fred W eiss and Jack Surrell, in cooperation
with the Traffic Safety Assn. . . . WWJ recently hosted local ad agency
execs who viewed a slide-tape presentation “As Basic as the Alphabet”
which focused on every facet of the station’s operation . . . WXYZ’s
Fred Weiss originated his “Night Train” show from Greyhound’s new
bus terminal which is being billed as largest single floor facilty of its
kind,

m MINNEAPOLIS ...

WTCN had a “Santa" Claus” handing out candy on public busses . . .
International Boxing club bout to be televised from the Twin. Cities
for the first time Feb. 4, the St. Paul Auditorium being the locale . . .
TV dancer Ray McDonald here to visit his sister, Mrs. Ralph Green, the
former Grace McDonald of the films . . , WDGY gave 20-pound turkey
to first person spotting an intended obvious error on a program . . .
WCeO Radio Christmas contest had dialers for prizes guessing identi¬
ties of unnamed celebrities wishing the public holiday cheer over the
air . . . Local tv history was made when WCCO-TV presented on Am-
pex tape recorded program, the second In its series of locally produced
spectaculars . . . KSTP-TV’s Jim Hutton, who emcees the local “Treas¬
ure Chest” quiz program, doubling as a KSTP Radio disk jockey . . .
Bobby Cox, former U. of Llinnesota football star, now a WDGY sales
staff member, also holding down a weekend disk jockey assignment.

Controversy Found Wanting

■ - Continued from page 17

Bob Elegant, Erwin Canham, Rob¬
ert McCormick, Leon Pearson, etc.

Mature Analysis Lacking

Commentators weren’t too pro¬
found in their analysis of the main
issues of the week, according to
the surveyists. “It was apparent,
too, that much of the commentary
was directed at the emotions of the
listener,” the report stated. “Ver¬
bal tricks, motive language jmd
rhetorical devices were used ...
Generally, the atmosphere of ma¬
ture 'analysis of the issues at hand
was absent'from a number of the
: broadcasts. Much of the commen¬
tary, toor related to trivia, or, at
[least, trivial aspects of important
problems. What is calIed>commen-.
itaiy was often straight news re-
penrting read in. such a way as to
induce-the listener to believe that
Solomon ,^aks.”:.

Report continued* what’s

missing: from* broadcasting “is 4
sober, mature, logical commenfory'
on the slgzuficance nf these’evehts”'
and . “neither medium* gives' evi¬
dence of recognisiihg that facts
alone are often meaningless, since
our world is inundated by an ocean
bf facts,..ui emhaTfas cfo .Tichesse*
in 'words oit stafeimdii reporters,

• age^tSr lobbyists 'and other
.mass communicators ... a mass of
material severely in need of ordei^
ing and interpretation by incisive
mind which relate them to one of
the various perspectives frpm
which this disturbed planet can be
viewed. Fa<^S;.. alone may merely
confuse the individual, and the
muilitude of impressions offered .to
him, raw and imexplained, may in¬
duce the. lethargy of ‘narcotizing
dysfunction,’ the ugly term whidi
social psychologists use to describe
ttte behaviour of a rabbit as he
stares blankly transfbeed at one’s
'rapidly advancing aiito headlights.”

Nor did the discussion programs
get off any easier in the opinion of
the N.Y.U. audltofTs. “This finding
is indicative, perhaps, of the hesi¬
tation of radio and tv to stimulate
eontroversy, to face men of variant
erlentatiMis, responsible spokes¬
men for differing points of view,
one with the other,, offer them the
floor, and let the ehll« fall where
they iflgy.” ..

. The report makw it clear that It

did not examine the roster of Sun¬
day afternoon programs "when the
nature of the fare provided by. the
networks is markedly different
from the rest of the week.” The
object pf the survey was to focus
attention on the prime listening
hours of the evening, .the hours
convenient for the average listener
and viewer.

“Granted that the networks pro¬
vide extraordinary public service
broadcasts on Sundays, It is the
very uniqueness of this kind of
programming which underscores
the significance of. the findings
which follow,”, the report declared.
“Sunday has long, been a 'day s^
aside, in our culture for the jibs<K
lutipn of sins, committed with vigor
for the preceding .six. days^.
Pdr^d with renewed energy .with
the Monday morning jsunrise.”

•: .The .report hopes that a' short
detailed . study; the “shocOkii^
^yelations” in, “Controversy on
BadiQ^ahd TV”, (title, of .the report)
beinade..;

Thb introduetioii to, the report Is
signed by^ Geerge N. -Gordon,-
a^jstani. professor./-of ..education, I
Dept, of Comnnmu^iona in
cfttioni, N.Y.U. The Civil liberties
Educational Foundation is: prexi^
by. UN mediator Frank- P.' GraJuuh, .
fonher prexy of 'Univ, of Necfii
Carolina and fonher U. S. Senatort;

Board of directors inriudes Buell.
G.' Galla^ier, Ndvriwid Morris,
Charles A. Siepmanh, hfark Starr,
John A. Thomas, Charles Baffin
and 'William Hammatt Davis. Mlnni
Post Peyser is executive director.

WCCOAxes'HPL’

Minneapolis, Dec. 30, -
After having had '“Housewives’
Prolectiye League” on the air foe
more than 10 years, W(XO Radio
(CBS aftillate) is dipping It be¬
cause of what’s said to be a dif¬
ference of opinion as to how the.
revenue, accruing from if should
be aplit.

Alan. .Gray has been stationed
here by HPL tb handle the ^ows.-
It’S expected he’ll be transferred
to New: 'York to assist Galen. Drake,
the HPL man at station:
there. ■-

’Donna Reed Show’

Gets New Sonp Coin

Hollywood, Dec. 30.

“The Donna Reed Show” has
been renewed by Campbell’s Soup
for another 13 weeks, thus assur¬
ing the vidseries a run through the
entire season. It was originally
bought for 26 segments.

Series, on ABOTV Wednesday
nights, is filmed at Screen Gems.

NTA'S DREAM PACKAGE

of 85 feature films from the
studios of 20th Century-Fox
and other important producers

Each and every one'of fhe 85
feature films in this distin¬
guished group offers a sales
and rating di*eaml'. top-flight
stars.’first-rate pictures»

THIS ABOVE All

Tyrone Power, Joan FonUln%

Thoiniks Mitchell

CAUNORTHSIDETTT

Jamea Stewart. Lee J. Cobb. Rrcbai#C«at*

MOTHER WORE TIGHTS

Betty Grable, Dan Dailey

THE RAINS CAME

Tyrone Power, Myma Loy

HEAVEN CAN WAIT

Gene Tierney. Don Amecho

CAILOF THE WHO

Clark Gable, LoretU Younf

ROAD TO GIORV

Fredrle Mardt. Lionel BerrymofW

UUUN RUSSEll

Alko l^ye, Don Ameche. Henry F0A<»

MCNTMME/tmr

Tyrone Power, Jean Blondell

BANTE’S INFERNO

SpHicer f raey, Claire Trevor

KMOnER'rHE DAY

Claudette Colbert. John Payne

m OF FURY

Tyrone Po'wer. Gene Tierney. Georfa Sai^aiW

1WONDEA WHO'S.IQSSIND HER Nilft

June Haver. If ark Stavena

THE LOVB OF EDUR AUEN FOE

Linda DarneM, John Sbep)>ard

EOUfi in AND A PRAYER .

LoretU Yount, Georte Snndcra, David Niv«t

STREET WITH NQ NAME

Mark Stevens, Richard Widmark,

Lloyd Holaa

.For the full story,

get in touch today with.,,.

UTA national telefilm
It 111 ASSOCIATES. tNC..

IQ Columbus CircIe^New York 19

FOR LEASE

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Wednesday, Dwember 31, 1958

CANADIANtVSTAR ^
HILED IN XMAS FALL_

BAOIO-TELEVISiarr

Toronto, Dec, 30.

Star of Canadian Broadcasting
Corps’s weeMy tv show, "P.M.
Party,” Kay Norris, 42, also man¬
ager of the “Rhythm Pals,” fell
to his death headfirst on Xmas
Eve from a three-floor drop in an
apartment house here after grap¬
pling with his wife and lurching
through a long, plate-glass window
leading to an elevator which they
were awaiting.

Police’ reported the case as
closed after his wife, Marlene,
fainted during her testimony that
her husband tripped after evading
her outstretched arm and plunged
to the canopy roof when she ad¬
vised him to take a taxi rather
than drive his own car after a
party that broke up at 6 a.m*

No inquest was ordered in Nor¬
ris’ death.

Barrow

Continued from pa£e 19

fact that the web was unable to
sell the periods and figured it was
better all the way round to let the
affils make some money on the
slots rather than advance substan¬
tial out-of-pocket costs for net¬
work sustainers. In light of all
the networks’ inability to get com¬
pletely off the sustaining hook in
choicer times, the decision appears
to be justified.

As to must-buy, it’s become , ap¬
parent with the jchanging patterns
of sponsorship,' whether in the in¬
creasing accent on participations,
the growing number of short term
buys of as little as one or two
weeks, the diminution of spon¬
sored periods into little bits and
chunks Of shows instead of full
sponsorship or even alternate
sponsorship, that to operate profit¬
ably the networks must accent
flexibility above all. The day of
the firm 52-week sponsorship, the
fullblown lineup and the otherwise
rigid ratecard requirements that
characterized network advertising
as recently as a year ago are over;.

In a three-network economy
where costs keep - spiralling, the
webs must be able to handle as
many types of advertiser and as
much budgetary-distribution-mer¬
chandising problems aniong their
advertisers as. possible. The key¬
note is' flexibility — flexibility
against the other webs; against
the inroads of national spot;
against the cable-less networks
like NTA’s, which has siphoned off
at least $5,000,000 in billings which
would normally accrue to the webs;
against the growing preference for
regional syndicated film buys by-
major advertisers like Amoco;
against the tendency of some net¬
work advertisers to use supple-
■ mentary budgets in pinpointed
local campaigns instead of addi¬
tional netw'ork buys.

Okay Sedalia Sale

Washington, Dec. 30.

Sale of tv channel at Sedalia,
‘Mo., for the price of .$50,000 has
been ap^oved by the Federal
Communications Commision.

. Buyer of KDRO-TV is Cook Paint
and Varnish Co., with interests in
KMEC-AM-tV, Kansas City, and
KPRM, Concordia, Kan. Seller is
KDRO-TV and Radio, Inc., headed
by Milton j. Hinlein.

Tols Revim

I Continued from page 23 ;

long at Nasser’s “toothpaste
smile.”

Considering Hangen’s views, and
even allowing for the fact that all
correspondents seemed to plug for
their areas, it did seem remarkable
for NBC to maintain Hangen in
Cairo where, in the light of his
opinions, his objectivity would ap¬
pear questionable.

Irving R. Levine did a good job
on the show in his comments on
the Russians, and he was matched
by Brinkley, who proved again why
he’s tops in the NBC news team.
Joseph C. Harsch, Who covers the
London beat, noted Britain’s prob¬
lems are DeGaulle and the Com¬
mon Market, though that topic got
remarkably little play. Cecil
Brown gave a big pitch for more
attention to the Asian nations.

Program contained a number , of
remarkably sharp and negative
comments re President Eisenhow'er
and his administration. Said Brink-
ley, noting the U.S. was “rocket
crazy”: “It’d be tragic if we’d end
up as the first ones on the moon
and the last non-Communist* coun¬
try left in the world.” Pauline
Frederick, who tends to “lecture”
(as did Frank McGee in . his one
lengthy statement), made a good
point in noting that technology was
outpacing the diplomats at the
UN. ■ Hi/f.

Majors

Continued from page 21 ^

tribution organization. As long as
Warner Bros, continues to hit it
lucky with its westerns, giving
ABC-TV a good rating boost, it’s
unlikely that Warners will hit the
syndication trail. But one bad
year could reorientate Warners
thinking.

MGM-TV has been toying with
the idea of setting up a syndication
organization for telefilms, but the
management fracas of the parent
Loew’s Inc., has made any expan¬
sion move in that direction most
difficult. Charles (Bud) Barry,
former MGM-TV topper, also
wasn’t too hot on getting into,
syndication. His replacement may
think otherwise.

W;hat stopped Barry and so many
of the other majors is that syndi¬
cation represents a specialized biz.
It requires a national organization,
staffed by people with specialized
sales talents—and a misstep can be
costly. But those problems are
true of most any new business field.
What will stimulate the majors to
take the step is their need for
more coin, their need to diversify
and hedge their risks.

HOWARD E. STARK

■ROKER AND FlNAqCIAl. CONSULTANT
' RADiO^DTEXtVISION STATIONS

all INQUIRIES confidential J

HELP WAMTED

Ftmolc

PUBLICITY GAL FRIDAY
for tiew York TV Station
Yonng, ptraoNoblo^ oxporionced.

Box Y-1222-51 VARIETY,

154 W. 4ftA St. Now York 36. N.Y.

Cosli-san ;

Continued from page 17 <

. ■ ' €

ably the most eagply looked-for j
in the entire serieb by virtue of (
Costigan’s last year smash, “Little ]
Moon of Alba.”) i

Costigan, it appears; was count- •
Ing on Leslie Caron to step into j
the lead role. In fact he was plan- (
nmg to write the program with
Miss Caron in mind. When it was
established that the film star would
not be available, Costigan then
turned to the idea of doing a tv ,
adaptation of ’’Time Remembered,” '
the Broadway legiter in which ,
Helen Hayes starred last season. '
Deal looked promising until it de- „
veloped that the show’s principal ,
backer (owning 40%) wouldn’t re- .
lease the tv rights.

At the moment Costigan and
MisS Alberg are right back where
they started. As the February en¬
try, rehearsals would have to start
in the next two or three weeks.

WGBS Radio

Continued from page 19 —^
more than 25 hours of additional
broadcast time during the week¬
end period. Draxe’s aforemen¬
tioned program also gets more
time on Saturday, 9:05 to 10 a.m.
Ross is also a new addition to the
Saturday schedule from 12:15 to
1 p.m. Revised weekend lineup
calls for “Let’s Find .Out” moving
to a new and earlier period Sun¬
day, 10:05 to 10:30 a.m.. Jordan’s
Sunday series, tagged “Music..:
From Broadway,” will be heard
10:30 to 12 (noon) and agaih at
night from 8:05 to 9 p.m, Jordan
and Miss Nelson will do a program
called “Simday in New York.”

Web’s public service features;
“Congressional Closeup,” “World

Tonight,** “Face the Nation,” “In¬
vitation to Learning” and “Salt
Lake City Tabernacle” will as in
past be heard over the weekend
periods.'

Affected by the revision will be
the Robert Q. Lewis show, George
Bryan as newscaster, similarly
Allan Jackson, and a reduction in
number of “This is New York” pro¬
grams. Rest of program schedule
remains much the same with the
network taking over at designated
times. Unlike other links in CBS
Radio web, WCBS Radio will do a
delayed broadcast of a network-
originated hour (“Houseparty,”
“Galen Drake” and “Howard
Miller”) from 11:05 a.m. to 12
(noon).

Understood that CBS Radio’s
sales staffers have considerable
sponsor interest in upcoming shows
which preem Monday, Jan. 5. Pro¬
grams reportedly ure serving as
pilots for other web o&o stations.
In the event that Ray, Desmond,
Jordan, et al. click in the metro¬
politan area, likelihood is they may
go syndication on tne sister sta¬
tions.*

WNEW

Continued from page 19

WNEW for 17 years was fed di¬
rectly to station announcers from
a special setup in the News Build¬
ing, WNEW had. no need for the
wire services, but in the last few
weeks—primarily due to the news¬
paper strike in N.Y.—the outlet
has rushed through a dozen wire
service teletype feeders and has
hurried completion of a news room,
which was once WNEW’s largest
broadcasting studio. (Operation
wasn’t slated to start until lomof-
row, New Year’s Day.)

In addition to the news every
30 minutes, WNEW is. gearing for
frequent on-the-spot news break-
ins, with hot news preempting the
re^ar deejay sked. Station has
made a tieup with a group. of for¬
mer INS men in Washington to
feed special capital reports, this
being in addition to the regular
wire service feeds. Many members
of the entirely new staff will be
“legging it,” searching out fresh
and foTowup news remotes, after
the fashion of Gabe Pressman at
WRCA.

Weldon had to throw the opera¬
tion into gear three weeks early
because of the paper strike. He
hired Jim Gash, John Pluntzp, Bob
Le Donne, S. G.. Rudermah and
Steve Banker, whose most recent
or major credits are with other
radio or tv stations, and Ed Scott,
formerly of CBS^News and WNTA
(Newark) press department; Dick
Merson, lately INS night foreign
cable editor; Aarren Gardner Jr.,
former assistant p.r. officer for the
N.Y. State Department of Public
Works; Ruth Lloyd of UP. in East¬
ern Europe, former INS night cable
ern l^urope, IgarusrN. Pappas, ex-as¬
sociate editor on Surburhia Today,
Good Housekeeping and News
Front;_ Charles Sinclair, once of
WPIX publicity and, as his assist¬
ant, Weldon hired Joel Blumenthal
away from CBS where she was an
editorial, researcher.

SLear Helms ‘Music Shop’

Maurice Duke, producer, has
hired Bairy Shear to direct the
upcoming Buddy Bregman’s “Mu¬
sic Shop.” ...

. Show, which replaces. “North¬
west Passage” in the 7:30-8 NBC-
TV Sunday .slot, 'wilL have the first
in.stallment taped.

Shear, who was awarded a
plaque by. the. officials of the re¬
cent Brussels exposition for his
directing of the Ernie Kovacs one-
shot . panto, stanza,, left for the
Coast over the weekend to start
work on the Bregman showcase.

NBC Apokpes (or Treatment Of
! MacLeish on Garroway s Today

D. n. PyrotecliBics

Continued from paso 18 =5.

doesn’t please the grammarians.

When Allison is alone .on the
stand, he gets into telephone alter¬
cations with irate listeners, or
simply relies on his :own remark¬
able loquacity.

Highly opinionated, .there’s no
middleground for Allison on most
issues. And whether he’s for or
against, it’s strictly from feeling.
He can work up a fearsome wrath
over the arbitrariness of a House
committee chairman who bottles
up bills he doesn’t like (“I think
it’s just a horrible thing.”). Or
returning - pre-war assets to the
Germans (“I wouldn’t give.them'
a eap pistol”). Or home-rule for
Washington (“Southern Congress¬
men don’t want a Negro mayor”).
Or the American Legion, the Mc¬
Clellan Committee, the starving
children of Washin^on’s slums ...

Allison’s experiment in free-
swinging speech has enjoyed the
loyal support of WWDC prexy Ben
Strouse who gave him full rein
to plunge into the Negro question
in the faU of 1957. Allison began
by airing a joint interview between
a Virginia segregationist and an
NAACP official. ' Other volatile
duels have followed, and Allison
has been accused of stirring up
racial strife by the same people
who demand he depart for Russia
er some place even further beyond
'me pale.

Because of his refusal to stay on
the fence, Allison takes some
bumps when jumping off. The
crank threats have extended to his
wife and two children. He’s lost
a couple of sponsors (but replaced
them), and moved his operations
twice from previous restaurant lo¬
cations. As Allison says, “If you
can’t talk freely in Washington,
where can you?”

Radio Review

CHRISTMAS SING WITH BING
With Bing Crosby,. Kathryn Grant
Crosby, Norman Lnboff Choir,
Paul Weston Orch, Ken Car¬
penter, others

Producer-director: Bill Morrow
60 Mins.; Wed ^4), 9 pjn.
INSURANCE CO. OF NORTH
AMERICA

CBS Radio, from H’wood

(N. W, Ji.yeT & Sou)
Another Christmas, another Bing
Crosby “Sin.g.” CBS Radio estab¬
lished the “Christmas Sing With
Bing” pattern four years ago and
it still holds up as an easy and
comfortable programming segment
for Yule listening.

With Crosby crooning and
emceeing aroimd-the-world pick¬
ups for Xmas festivities, the hour
rolls by in a familiar but stiU en-
jovable way. The hymns, carols
and even the Tin Pan Alley salutes
to the season get lots of play and.
the interviews with representatives
from such far-away places as Ha¬
waii, Australia; Paris and Rome
set the global mood in music and
attitudes.

Extra added attraction this year
was Kathryn Grant Crosby who
joined her husband on “Away in
the Manger” carol. Otherwise the
tune pitch was the same. “Jingle
Bells.” “Adeste Fidelis,” “White
Christmas” and other standbys
were pleasant to hear again in the
Crosby manner.

Accomt)anin>ent by the Nonnan
Luboff Choir and the Paul Weston
orch was topnotch. Gros.

■ Taken sharply to task by a dis¬
tinguished Gotham rabbi for rude¬
ly cutting in on Archibald Mac-
Leish’s .recent appearance on the
NBC-TV “Today” program, the
web this week apologized and
asked the minister to give “To¬
day” “another opportunity to
prove our integrity and sensitivi¬
ty.”

Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, prexy
of the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations, wrote to Robert
Kintner, prexy of NBC, protesting
the “callous” behavior of the
net in connection with the Mac¬
Leish appearance. "Although less
than five minutes of television’s
precious and costly time was al-
loted to this great American poet,
even those few moments were twice
interrupted by the usual pitch*
man’s cheap and tawdry hiicker-
stering,” Rabbi Eisendrath wrote.

“The second interruption came
precisely as Mr. MacLeish was,
with prafound penetration and
spiritual affirmation, speaking of
his play’s (“J. B,”) endeavor to
echo thq eternal problem adum¬
brated in the Biblical Book of Job
concerning the justice or injustice
of the universe, and it was at
precisely this instant when Mr.
MacLeish spoke of the ‘confronta¬
tion of God’ on the part of the
hero of his • play that this out¬
standing symbol of America at its
best was most rudely and crudely
and even blasphemously, consider¬
ing this discussion of the Scrip¬
tural Book of Job, interrupted for
the inevitable and irresistible crass
commercial announcement. A shin¬
ing examp’" of America at its
worst! . . . Despite the unioue and
noble stature of Mr. MacLeish
and the exalting nature of the sub¬
ject of which he was sneaking,
both were cavalierly dismissed on
this pro.eram as Mi's Florida who
preceded him and the trained
porpoire that followed him!”

Rabbi Eisendrath concluded with
the snapper that “this was an af¬
front not only to ?Ir. MacLeish
and to any viewers other than
children of imbeciles, but an af¬
front to all reli^’ons as well.”

Robert F. Lewine, veep In
charge of NBC-TV programs, un¬
dertook the job of renlving to the
rabbi’s letter, by agreeing that
the interruptTons were unfortunate
and “there is, quite objectively,
very little we can say in our de¬
fense, since we cannot and do not
beg the viewing public’s indul¬
gence and understanding of our
problems: the end result must
stand by itself without excuses.”

Lewine explained that in the
post-proeram conference on Dec.
3,2 the “Today” .staff “was fully as
upset as you and far more vehe¬
ment.” He observed that NBC has
been “accused of many things by
interested parties, but one of our
great and continuing sources of
pride is that we have very seldom
been accused of bad taste. Bad
judgment, yes, but of the kind that
was exercised in a matter-of sec¬
onds under great pressure.”

Lewine said it wasn’t an easy
letter for him to write “since in
retrospect we can only concur in
the validity of your criticism” and
“it is my personal wish that yon
■will give us the chance to justify
our hope that your conclusion will
not be a lasting one.”

Rabbi Eisendrath was out of
town when Lewine’s letter arrived
but his secretary said the rabbi
would comment on it upon ,hiS
return. A copy of the Lewine let¬
ter also went to MacLeish.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

from

SCREENl^GEMS, INC.

television SUBSIOIART of COLUMBIA PICTURES CORP.

711 Fifth Avenue. New York 22 PL 1-4432

t DETROIT CHICAGO HOLLYWOOD MIAMT HOUSTON

Mn»c

W^clnefldaj^ December 31^ 195S

JoclrS/ Jukes <ind Disks

^ By 3IIKE GROSS .

I^c (Capitol): “ALRIGHT, flngerwork and a vocal chorui on
YOU WIN“ (Mlnsont) has a pleasing theme from France,
a swmgiHg, rhytimilc quality that BiUy Williams (Coral): “TIED
the juke crowd ought to take to in TO THE STRINGS OF YOUR
a mg way. “MY MAN" (Feist*) gets HEART" (Draket) is a pretty hal -1
a hip fmd hot interpretation for lad that may win some spins with i
gcmd spinning reaction. • the anti-Top 40 programmers.

„J^^ay Crosby (RCA Victor): “I. “NOLA" (Sam Fox*) is in a vocal
ip^OW (Larry Shajme*) follows setting, this time out, for some
the familiar rocking pattern estah- deejay attention,
lished by Presley aiid Nelson and The Morgan Bros. (MGM):
could make this Crosby a teenage “NOLA" (Sam Fox*) swings the
crush. “DELIA" (Montdaret) has oldie in a way that gives it some

Best Bets

MTCH MILLER ORCH... CaBODLDREN’S MARCHING SONG
(ColiiiiH>u).. .Carolina In The Morning

Mitch Miller’s ^‘Children’s Marching Song” {Miller*^) has the
^ -Kind of snap that takes in the kiddies as well as the adults and
\ 'Should hold its oym against the earlier Cyril Stapleton version on
'London. “Carolina in the Morning” {Remick *) has a community
\ sing idea, culled from .the “Sing Along With Mitch” LP, that easily
\fiits into jufcebor tastes.

Alnim Reviews

Ricky Nelson: ‘TUcky Sings
Again!" (Imperial). In this, his
third LP for the Imperial label,
Ricky Nelson continues the vocal
pattern that’s made him a teenage
favorite. It’s pegged for the young¬
er set with titles such as “Old
Enough To Love,” “Restless Kid"
M and “You Tear Me Up.” The jean-
ers will probably go for it in a
big way. Nelson gets a strong musi¬
cal assist from James Burton (gui¬
tar), James Kirkland (bass), Richie
Frost (drums) and Gene Garth
(piano).

Frankie Avalon: “The Young
Frankie Avalon" (Chancellor).
Frankie Avalon has clicked strong-

LAWKENCE WELK f aS hdp get him a foo^-

Presents ■ hold in the album market. He’s got

PETE FOUNTAIN a pleasant singing style but it lacks

fCorai Album No. 57200) the maturity to lure the adult

- • buyer though there are enough

auot, “ATTTU'rn? Tv^AivAi?»» teeuBrs arouud to makc it H good

Allen. AUNTIE MAME (Wit- ggUgr. In addition to his crooning

mark*) gets a rich instrumental ©n such as “Too Young To Love,”
treatment that makes for topnotch “Teach Me Tonight" and “Pretty
progra mm ing. Eyed Baby,” Avalon comes through

V - ^ - progra mm ing. Eyeu RaDy," Avaion comes xmougn

. \, ♦ Sheh WmW (MGM)* “STAR OP with a nifty trumpet solo on “Bella

SASS . .IN THE WILLOW BY MY WINDOW LOVE" TcorZdU is a modeiSe Del Hondo."

(Erie) ....... .Sntra Cha-Cfaa ballad that will, pick up occasional Henry Mancml Orcb:

* W-V ’ ‘ 'J- Wr D* “CHERRY SW^T" (Cor- Music ffrom 'Peter Gunn’" (RCA

WiUom hy My Wmdow Szts a Lrttle Bird .^^rks a pleasing lilt into a Victor). Some of the interesting

•iGilT) arums up a cute beat for lots of spinning acceptance likable side. jazz themes that Henry Mancinl

on all levels. Tune also has the kind of appeal that will make the Roeer Coleman (20th-Fox)’ bas composed for the “Peter
other diskeries vxint to cover. “Sutra Cha-Cha” (Lake Eriet) “SUNDAY" (Williamson*) is a Oimn’' teleseries get an exciting

has a lively flavor that will get it an okay spinnig reaction. lively item from Rodgers & Ham- showcasing in this padcage. The

• • » - “erstein's ’Tlower Dram Song” poslc:has be<^e a

lrTlvr'«Tnm 'roar, o.ttv that will add up to lotsa’spins and tn buil^g tbe shows ratings b^

KINGSTON mo. ... SALLY new fans for Roger Coleman, it

.. Strawberries ;RKH IN LOVE” ^

The Kingston Tno’s “Sally’’ CBeechwoodi) isn’t as. grim as group’s SnSet Coleman Ss^ a nea? ag® '®are.

Wemow ^om Dooley” click but it’s got a beat and a folk flavor SSuSng iob^° David Seville; “The Witch Doc-

that win lead It to a spnmng payoff. “Rasvbernes, Strawberries” . Marti* (ABr-Paramount)* (Liberty). David Seville (ne

iArdmoref) ts a folk item that’s neatly concocted and delivered. i.Q^Q]^^2yj5£^Tr^LuSowt) ^9®* Bagdasarian) who came up
* * ' * is a neat workover of a former

CHRIS BARBER^S JAZZ BAND...PETITE FLEUR “OI^^GR]^^ ^GOOS^’^iStone*) Is his ■ catalog for this album

(Laurie) .... wad Cal Blues ^nt UftlffoSng^^ a^d ^ turns out to he a f^^

Ghria R/irhor^* VIov-r’* X. mr.nWfo'i. “urmT and ^ppy pactege that wiU. do

(Laurie) ....WHd Cal Blues

Chris Barber’s “Petite Fleur” I Hill & Range t) has an ingratiatr
ing instrumental lilt thaVs sure to get the side into the top spin-
.ning cohfms. “Wild Cat Blues’’ (Pickwick*) has a smooth jazz
pattern that the spinners ought to pick up for some play.

’ * * pick up. ‘TIRST ANNIVERSARY"

MEL ALBERT_*•.... .SUGAR PLUM (Planetary*) has a cute ibeat but

(Apollo.) .......,..Never Let Me Go ‘^P^^iettoS;

Mel Albert’s “Sugar Plum” (Melhedd’O is ^eet^spinning side Anu .Leonardo (Colpix): “SIN-
foT teener appreciation. Newcomer has a winning rocking style BAD” (Thursday.*) is trapped in a
and the tune right up the jean set’s alley. “Never Let Me Co’ strained lyric and an ordinary
(Beast) sets up a.neat r ’h’ r beat that young Albert takes to easily. melodic line. “SINBAD CHA-CHA/’

= “WITH “Si in the maSdrin addition to
LOVE (Favorite ) S®ts a fiood ^ repeat- of the cllcko “Witch Doc-
spmm^ chance m the way t^t .tor,» there are “Bird On My
Head" “Little Brass Band" and
‘.'T“ke *'ive” to keep the grooves

jumping.

Howard Lanin Orch: 'Tlower
Drum Song" -(ABC - Paramount).
The Rodgers & Haminerstein score

for ihe, current Broadway produc-

|BAD” (Thursday.*) is trapped in

“Flower Drum 5ong,"

*'rhythmic Bair which the young catch- on potential. “GUIDING
crooner handles iniite well. STAR’MSafn Fox*) ha^ Jimmy wanciy isnasca): "si^u-- muen for tne fuenara itoagers

^ Jamlea^pi5r “SNOW wRl^ppSTto adultelmd^l^n^^ V melodies, it makes for a pleasing

TRAIN” (Eoxhury*) is a fine rec- ifia'king it a good spiSShig^S ^ badegrpund for home terplng. And

ord for the winter season with a tion. pmnmg seieq- w^^y dueted with ^Margaret that's the set’s mam purpose,

l ot of intrigning hArmony effects. d- Castro (Ann-Pat^ Whiting for Capitol in 1^49. The. Charlie Bamri: '‘Cherokee'’

“WHEN THE SUN GOES 1X)WN" mount)* “TEACT?^ (Everest). Here’s a big band sound

(Roxbury*) features more of the CTHA CHA” harks back to the heydays of

group’s larmony tricks hut this , hit of several vears was a :^8 coun^ click the 1930s and early ’40s. Charlie

one has less of a spinning chance, gtyeg |t no adde/*valiiM^^^‘Tmr *n® ®*^®^ ® Barnet has rounded up some top-

str^ed iyric an OTdinapy dressed uo In a neat dancing pack-

B^o^cline. SINB^ CHA-CHA/ ggg 'ftoward Lanin. Maestro
(Knqllwppd*) IS ,a bit too intricate keeps the beat simple and easy to
to wm the hip-swingers. and although It doesn’t fio

Jimmy Wakely (Shasta): “SLIP- much for the Richard Rodgers

treatment that will wm some spms. flight sideme'n to help recapture
wmE"” (Kin^wav*) Is flaVoMdJ (J^isnnt)''Buddy Morrow Orch (RCA Vic- the spirit of those pre-ro(* ’n’ roll
w^xoSS^I^SrUrtt^me tor): »pM-TWO-THSEE KIOT" dws, and they do^t wltK a rest

-lut Bin Darnel builds it UD fM' - , (Spier*) has the orch in a hot that’s seldom beard in current re-

a cEhanoe io snin strongly again. “1 Oreh conga beat that rubs on both sides cordings. In addition to the title

UNBERSTAITO" ^Jubnee*?s5*s a k DRIFTINCl ’ ( Wit- of the disk. Could be the first step tune, disk features '‘Moten Swing,"

Dauaa m nn rn r pic, •■Auntie Marne,” handled fa a

WARM'spot* ge^ warm and wfantog way by DavidU ASCAP.

son?e spinning heat only from the ^ «•

Sric ^brifevable, P^RlSff li) l^ct ^]|a]

SHADOW" (Bourne*) comes off ♦ » »■»♦ »♦♦♦»♦ ♦ »»♦ » ■tv lA/Oi UvIivJ
like a material piece that is more X
iinpcMrti^ to Vale on a nitery floor - ■*

*“ (RCA Victor): !: 1- CHIPMUNK SONG (4) .

“CHIP OFF THE GUD BLOCK" ‘; 2. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES <3) ...

:: *• TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM (7) .

.

MY HEABT" (Adams-Vee & Ah- 5. MY HAPPINESS (1) ..

bottt) is a slow county ballad ^at - bEEF BEEP (7) . ^ ..

will find fans among Eddy Arnold’s “ .d * ...y

friends. i! 7. GOTTA TRAVEL ON (1)..

Camea Oavallafw fDecca): “A « -pimwTirMc

CUTE LITTLE FIGURE’MLeeds*) 8. PROBLEMS (6) ...

prints a cute little melodic side ’; g, i got STUNG <6 ) ...

irihi^ LONESOME TOWN (5) ....

Bernstein*) spotlightii CavaHaro’s ;;

in replacing the cha cha.

“Pomptpn 'Turnpike” and “S^-
liner," among other swingers,

Sian Rubin Orch: “Open House"

J Best Sellers on Coin MaduneSn

1. THE CHIPMUNK SONG (4) ...... Chipmunks .. Liberty

2. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES <3) ,.... Platters ... Mercury

3. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE JUM (7) ....... i.... Teddy Bears ..Dore

4. TOM DOOLEY (11)... Kingston Trio .Capitol

5. MY. HAPPINESS (1) ..... Connie Francis ..........MGM

e. BEEP BEEP (7)....... Playmates . Roulette

7. GOTTA TRAVEL ON (1).. ....... Billy Grammer . Monument

8 . PROBLEMS (6) ....... Everly Bros. .Cadence

9. I GOT STUNG <6) .......... Elvis ’ Presley .Victor

10. LONESOME TOH^ (5) .... Ricky Nelson .. Imperial

Whe could bo mero oxport tbon

Oscar

Hammerstein 2d

to write noHiorltativefy tome

Notes on Lyrics

mothor Edtterlal Footure
ia the

S3d Amuversary Number

of

' P’SRilSfr

I OUT NIXT WUK

Second Croup

WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN’ ........ Fats Domino . Imperial

ONE NIGHT ........ Elvis Presley ....’. Victor

A LOVER’S QUESTION .i.. Clyde MePhatter . Atlantic

ONE ROSE..... ... Teresa Brewer . Coral

BLUE HAWAH ....... Billy Vaughn .Dot

16 CANDLES ... Crests . Coed

LITTLE DRUMMER BOY ...;-* .... Harry Rimeone Chorale .20th Fox

IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIE\’£......... Contoay Twitty . MGM

BIMBOMBEY .......i.. Jimmie Rodgers .......Roulette

MANHATTAN SPIRITUAL .... Reg Owen Orch . Palette

[Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 10]

(Coral). Stan Rubin and his Tiger-
town Five are in a big band setting
for this livply disk bash. Packa^
mixes up jx -dixieland ^ numbers
and six straight dance items for
results that will appeal to the
listener as well as the dance-at-
home crowd. Group has lots of*
spirit and a flashy musical savvy
that sparks through every groove,

Jackie Cooper & His Combot
“The Movies Swing’’ (Dot). Jackie
Cooper, a parttime drummer, takes
off on a dozen pic tunes for a hip,
happy package. He’s got a flair for
the sticks and the. boys in his
comho back him up strongly as h»
beats his way through ‘Pennies
From Heaven," “Gigi,” “The
Bridge On The River Kwal
March,” “Gone With The Wind"
and the like. The Cooper comho
consists of .Yank Lawson (trumpet),
Boomie Richmond (tenor sax), Bill
Stegnfeyer (clarinet), Dick Hyman
(piano), George Barnes (guitar).
Bob Haggart (bass) and Lou Mc-
Garrity (trombone).

The Young Tuxedo Jazz Bandt
“Jazz Begins" (Atlantic). The fu¬
neral and parade music sounds of
New Orleans have been excellently
captured by the Young Tuxedo
Jazz Band. Disk has been hand¬
somely packaged to match the high,
quality that went into the groov¬
ing. Most of the musical pieces are
traditional giving the set historical
as well as entertainment values.

“The Geisha Boy” (Jubilee).
Walter Scharf has penned an en¬
tertaining score for the Jerry Lewis
starrer, “The Geisha Boy,” that
combines the melodic moods of
the western world and U)e Far
ILast. This soundtrack package,
played by the Sinfonia of London
Orchestra conducted by ,Muir
: Mathie§on, will help LP program¬
mers and do okay on the retail
level.

Jo Basile-Aldo Conti: “Cafe lial-
iano" (Audio Fidelity). A tasty
musical pizza parade is dished out
by Jo Basile’s accordion and orch
with tenor Aldo Conti coming in
I for a flavorsome vocal assist. Tho
Italian mood is kept and

bright for overall appreciation,
even if the lyric remains foreign.

1 Pat Dom Orch; “Dancing For
Debutantes" (Seeco). Although
there are plenty of dance sets al¬
ready on the market, room should
be made on the shelf for thia latest
entry by Pat Dom. Piantet-
maestro has been backing the blue-
blood bashes for some time and
knows the proper beat to keep tha
terpsters moving. In this package
he arranges everything into neat
teip patterns to suit all styles.

Oscar Brand: “Give ’Dn Tha
Hook” (Riverside), ^'bis set is sub¬
titled “Songs That Killed Vaude¬
ville" and it’s easy to see why.
Oscar Brand has collected soma
musical relics which would really
be horrible if taken seriously.
However. Brand delivers ’em all
with a spirit that gives the pack¬
age an intriguing humorous qual¬
ity.

Alan liMnax: “Texas Folk Songs’*
(Tradition). The folk tune buff If
In for a treat with this package.
Alan Lomax’s collection of cowboy
ballads, love songs and hymns
make up an interesting musical ex¬
cursion into Texas lore, Lomax
gives them all vocal life .with his
knowledgeable balladeering style.
Accompaniment by Guy Carawan
on guitar and banjo and John
Cole on harmonica are first-rate.

“Saxomasiae" (Apollo). Sub¬
titled “Sax Sounds Out Of tha
Past,” this package features such
topnotch horn-men as Coleman
Hawkins. George Auld. Ben Web¬
ster, Wiliis Jackson, TITrhni s Jae-
quet and Arnett. Cobb on soma
swinging solo sounds. Some tha
sides were cut more than 10 yean
ago, but the recordings are fina •
and demonstrate . that the boys
really knew how to blow up a
storm in those days. Gros.

Roman Rambhr

Sam’l Steinman .

disceiirsts oa the aew Itala
Tla Poa Alley

Sing^ Singy Sing
(And in Italy It
Spells $ $ $)

* * *

another Editorial Feotara
In the

S3d Anniversary Number

of

P^SiEff

W^ednefidaj, December 31^ 1958

P^aE^r

MUSIC

S5

STEREO & DANCEBAND DISKS

Mitch Miller BMB s 'Man of Year’
(Because He, Too, Hates Top 40’)

The “Top 40” pattern of pro-,
gramming got another slugging
last week. This time the^ pitch was
made by the Better Music Broad¬
casters who gathered to plaque
Mitch Miller, Columbia Records
pop artists & repertoire chief, with
a “Man of the Year” citation.

Award was' made on behalf of
Miller’s continuing battle against
“Top 40” and especally his speech
at the deejay convention in Kansas
City earliet in the year when he
blasted ‘Top 40” programming.

Award was made by Carl L.
Schuele, president of Broadcast
Time Sales, who referred to the
Miller speech as “The Gettysburg
Address of Radio” and said that
It had been a signal to all broad¬
casters to “take a long look at
their programming with a view
toward more variety and quality in
music.” He quoted from Miller’s
K.C. talk in which the a&r boss,
said, “A smart radio station is the
one that recognizes that a person
is grown up a lot longer than he
is a sub-teen and works to buUd
a permanent audience.”

John Reeves, manager of the
record department at Macy’s,
noted that national sales figure
now show that LPs now account
for 36% Of the units sold, but
70% of the dollar volume. In the
New York market, he added, LPs
account for almost 80% of the
dollar volume, a jump of 30% in
loss: Reeves also stated that-LPs
are purchased by adults and the
more mature teenager. He said
the advent of stereo records should
be a large factor in increasing LP
sales even more next year.

In accepting the award. Miller
said the Better Music Broadcasters
keep and exercise the professional
responsibility of music program¬
ming and do not leave it solely to
the. junior high school set and
the list-maker in the record shop.
Jle said, “We must not under-rate
the taste and intuitive.wisdom of
the people. An audience has an
Insatiable appetite for. fresh-
varied and unpredictable music. I
refuse to picture the listener as
passive and slothful. An attentive
and alert listener, which to you
and your adveftising clients xneans
a successful and loyal listener, de¬
pends on a constant rotation of
rich musical crops and your (Bet¬
ter Music) programming proves
that’tWs can guarantee a financial
harvest bigger and more perma¬
nent than radio has even seen.”

The Better Music unit is com¬
prised of stations WVNJ, Newark;
WAYE, Baltimore; WJMJ, Phila¬
delphia; WDOK, Philadelphia;
WDOK, Cleveland; KADY, St.
Louis; KIXL, Dallas, and XEMO,
San Diego. All feature adult mu¬
sic programming, particularly LPs.

Stably at Dick Clark’s
Pottstowa Dance; Scions Of
Skerman, Ter, Eye Control

Philadelphia, Dec. 30.

Dick Clark’s teenage dance end¬
ed in a brawl at the Suunybrook
B^lroom, Pottstown, with one
youth ^bbed and another held for
aggravated assault and battery.
More than 1,000 boys and girls
watched the fight, which took place
on a parking lot in the rear of
the baUrbom.

The incident occurred at mid¬
night (26>as about 2,000 youngsters
were leaving the record hop, which
Clark had personalty conducted.
The “American Bandstand” star
(ABC-TV recording and dance
show) bad already left the ball-
r<Jom, however. He said later at his
Drexelbrook home that he was lin-
aware the fight had-taken place,
r “This is very Unfortunate,” the
tv deejay declared. “The kids were
very orderly all evening and the
place was properly chaperoned.
We’^ve had more thah BOO dances
like this and thete has never been
any trouble. I’m very sorry It
happened ”

RCA Victor Q.M. 4 VJ*.

George R. Marek

•xpoynds oa

Stereo: You^d Better
Not Make a Mistake

* * *

another Editorial Fcotara
In the

53d Anniversary Number

of

OUT NEXT WEEK

Cleai^ House,

Catalog 2 Ways

With Bill Nielsen as new sales
director, Urania is blueprinting an
expansion in the pop and classical
field for 1959. Nielsen, former
general manager of Epic Records,
joined Urania several weeks ago.

For the ’59 push, Nielsen has
streamlined the Urania catalog,
deleting close to 40% of the items
in an effort to build a fast-moving
repertory. Nelsen plans to start
the year rolling with a drive gn
the catalog line, releasing no new
LPs in January. He’s also offering
a special 10% discouijt on both
monaural and stereo packages to
distributors which, in turn will be
passed on to qualifying dealers.

Nielsen also plans to ship the
Urania merchandise only through
its regular distributors and to dis¬
continue disposing of deleted
items through channels that have
(Continued oh page. 40)

The dancebands, which have had
only spotty success on wax for the
past decade, are getting another
big chance to become important
disk factors with the advent of
stereo. Herman Diaz, of RCA Vic¬
tor’s pop artists & repertoire de¬
partment, sees stereo’s new sound
techniques and requirements as be¬
ing especially suitable for exploi¬
tation by the big pop bands.

While solo vocalists stand little
to gain from stereo treatment, the
instrumental group? can utilize all
of stereo’s spatial separation of
sound with maximum impact. Diaz,
however, stated that the band¬
leaders. as well as the arrangers
must first learn to master the
stereo elements in order to get
legitimate musical ideas, rather
than simple ping-pong effects, out
of the new recording technique. He
said that the technical and a&r
ends of the recording sessions also
have still a lot to learn about put¬
ting stereo into the groove.

In any ease, the new potential
created by stereo has sparked Vic¬
tor’s recent accent on bands. Rela¬
tively new on the Victor roster are
the Larry Elgart and Xavier Cugat
oirchs who join such bandleaders^j
as' Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Ray
McKinley,. Henri Reve^ Artie
Shaw, Melachrinp, Frankie Carle,
Buddy Morrow, Meyer Davis, Es¬
quivel, Sauter-Finegan, and Ray
Martin, In addition, Victor Is push¬
ing orchestral music by its own
musical directors, Hugo Winter¬
halter and Jpe Reisman.

Diaz opined that the reason the
dancebands went into decline in
the early 1940s was that they
stopped playing dance music. In¬
creasingly, :he arrangements be¬
came “concertized” and the^ kids
stopped dancing to the beat in or¬
der to listen to the souped-up mu¬
sic. Diaz believes that it would
be a mistakd for the current bands
to repeat the same pattern. Dance¬
bands, he said, sboidd stick to
their last and, while it’s okay to
throw in an occasional special ar¬
rangement, the bands should play
in a consistent and recognizable
way.

George Marek Sees New Peaks For
Disk Biz in’59 Via Stereo Route

Columbia Rocordn Proxy

Goddard Lieberson

has his own

Perspective on Stereo

o a a

another Editorial Featara
In the

53d Anniversary Number

of

OUT NEXT WEEK

D.S. Firms iirBrit.
Get Tough’Rules
For Entry in PRS

London, Dec. 30-
Three new clauses governing the
eligibility of publishers, for mem¬
bership in the Performing Right
Society are making, it difficult for
American subsidiaries in Britain
to obtain entry into the PRS.

The new conditions stipulate
that: (1) the business must have
been actively conducted for at least
12 months; (2) the pubbery must
have a catalog of at least 25 pub¬
lished musical works that are being,
broadcast or publicly performed to
an appreciable extent; and (3) that
at least 20% of the» broadcast and
publicly performed works must be
British, or the earnings of the
British songs must be worth |2,800.

A suggestion to H. L- Walter,
general manager of PRS, that these
stipulatiqns amounted almost to a
ban on membership of new Ameri¬
can companies in Britain, and ap-
(Continued on page 40)

ON SALE NEXT WEEK!

The

53rd Anniversary
Edition

Of

NEW YORK 3*
154 W. 44rii Sh

HOLLYWOOD 2t
4404 1

CHICAftO 11
412 N. Mlcblgoii Av«.

LONDON^ W. C. 2
t St. Mortla's Place
Trafalgar Sqoora

PARIS, 21 rae Hockotta.

ROME, Stompa Eitara

- As his year-end wrap-up of the
music biz situation, George Marek,
RCA Victor disk v.p. and general
manager, sees stereophonic sound
as “presenting an opportunity for
lifting the record business to new
heights, for introducing new peo¬
ple to music, for convincing the
half-convinced.” Marek stated that
“while it is always dangerous to
gaze into the crystal ball, I think
that in 1959 stereophonic sound
will ‘sing’ its way into the minds
and hearts of many thousands of
music lovers.”

lilarek added that stereo will
also prove “a potent stimulant to
the phonograph and record busi¬
ness” and that it will bring new
and challenging 'opportunities for
interesting recordings.” The Vic¬
tor exec also stated that the “tape
cartridge developed and introduced
by RCA Victor will aid the use
of tape in the American home.”

Pointing to 1958 as a year In
which Victor “continued to
strengthen its leadership” and as a
year of “many accomplishments,”
Marek acknowledged that the last
12 months also was “beset with
.many problems for the industry,
-problems for both the manufac¬
turer and the dealer.” He accented
that RCA is “studying the prob¬
lems faced by the dealer with spe¬
cial care for we have always be-
lived that without a strong dis¬
tributor and dealer structure, the
industry cannot grow, prosper or
serve the public well.”

In a rundown of Victor’s stereo
efforts in 195S, Marek stated that
the label released 198 different
nieces of rc^cloire on stereo LPs,
27 tape cartridges and 76 stereo
tape reels. “Tliis represents,” he
said,” the largest stereo catalog
in the industry.”

Marek snotli.ghted the Van Cli-
bum recording of Tchaikovsky’s
First Piano Concerto and the
label’s new recording of “Madame
Butterfly” for copping first prizes
In the recent Saturday Reviews*
critics’ poll. A’so the package field,
Marek focussed on the label's ^st-
selling pic soundtrack set of “South
Pacific.” "Victory at Sea.” Vol. 2,
and albums ■ bv Harry Belafonte,
Perry Como, Perez Prado, Fritz
Reiner and Elvis Presley. Marek
stated that Pre.sley has continued
his phenomenal popularity as i
single seller despite his absence
from the country as a member of
the Armed Forces.

Famous British Resenre
Seen Making Chai^eoTcr
To Stereodisks Slower

London, Dec. 23.

It’s going to be several years be¬
fore Britain becomes stereodisk-
conscious to a major degree. Rea¬
son for this is attributed to tha
natural conservatism of the public.
But the diskeries are by no meanf
dowmhearted — it’s exactly what
they expected.

Contrary to a report in the Fi¬
nancial Times (Britain’s Wall Street
Journal), which states that con¬
sumer reaction to the new system
has been disappointing, record com¬
pany spokesman say the change^
over has got to be gradual—it waa
never anticipated as an overnight
craze. And considering the limited
number of titles available at pres¬
ent, they are quite satisfied with
the way sales are shaping up.

The demand for playback equip¬
ment is still small, however, and
this has been attributed to its cost,
ranging from $97 to $588, which
becomes even more prohibitive
when it’s pointed out that the bulk
of disk purchases are made by
teenagers.

Apart from the price range of
the phonographs, there is still only
a small selection of stereo platters
on the market—about 200 in alL
Of these, about 75% are classicaL
But a Decca spokesman stated that
despite this, sales were larger than
expected. He added that, it had
taken nine years for microgroove
platters to make any sizable impact
on the public.

Top Record Talent and Tnnes

tlMBlH IIV ‘Ml 4i|BMAd*3)

Wednesday, December SI, 1958

Inside Stuff-Musk

A pointed expose of songsfeark techniquei was made In t recent is¬
sue of the Toronto Star by associate, editor Pierre Berton. Under the
pseudonym of Penny Burton, he submitted a deliberately corny lyric
to three music firms which advertise song appraisal services in the
various pulp mags. In each case, the music firms praised the lyric and
asked for publication fees, ranging from $34 to $110. One of the firms
put on additional pressure by warning that “our monthly quota is rap¬
idly nearing capacity for records, television, radio, motion pictures,
shows, entertainers, etc.*’ Berton’s tagline to his story is: “And yet, |
after listening all day to rock ’n' roll, I have a nagging suspicion that
this idiotic poem» could have been a smash hit Crazier things have
happened.”

The Festival of Faith and Freedom Foundation has been formed to
dramatize the Bible through a series of musical productions. The org
will (1) promote the presentation of Biblical pageants, oratories, bal-*
lets and dramatic works; (2) encourage new musical dramatic works
based on the Bible by contemporary composers; (3) record and dis¬
tribute these works; (4) establish a centre for Biblical music which will
Include library, auditorium, rehearsal rooms and a museum for Bibli¬
cal arts. Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Platagorsky are among the artists
Involved in the new org which will headquarter in Los Angeles.

New England jazz buffs are getting a cuffo break from educational j
tv in Boston, and will be able to see and hear their faves on WGBH .
radio and tv. AFTRA is giving special clearance to the Boston educa- :
tional stations for regular appearances of jazz artists on “Jaza With.
Father O’Connor,’* simulcast by WGBH Fridays from 7:15 to 7:45 p.m.
Father Norman J. O’Connor, (^tholic chaplain of Boston U., is mark-
■ tng his fourth year of week^ jazz progr ams in cooperation with Local ■
9 of the AFM, and now AFTRA <

Gearing for a consumer push to stereo after the first of the year,
Columbia’s phonograph division has added nine new models to . its!
stereo line. This brings Col’s stereo phono line up to 22 models. The
nine new models, which will be marketed in January, cover portables,
consoles in a price range from $39.95 to $399.95.

The current issue of the Swedish music monthly Musikrevy is de¬
voted to American music. This is believed to be the first time that a
Scandinavian music p.eriodical has devoted a whole issue to America. ,
It was done with the assistance of the United States Information Serv¬
ice survey.

P&RMETT

Cqpjfol Xteonfs P/txy

GleBn £• Walliclis

defoHi the wliea t why thtra't

Nothing More
Permanent
Than Change

porticalorly la the Disk lailaeu
* * *

Mother Editorial Foaluro
In tho

53d Anniversary Number

of

OUT NEXT WEEK

W. Germany’s 41-Mil Disks

Berlin, Dec. 30.

Diek production in Western Ger¬
many hit the 41,000,000 mark for
the first nine months of 1958, for a
10% increase over the same period
in ’57. The 45 rpm platter accounts
for 89% of the market now with
the 78 virtually on its last legs.

While the production of record¬
ing machines has gone up . only
slightly this year, tape recorders
registered a 40% upbeat over the
previous year.

Duke Niles in Paris

Duke Niles, Ray Ventura’s pub¬
lishing, rep in the U.S., left for
Taris last week for huddles with
Ventura on publishing and record¬
ing plans for the new year.

On the agenda is a plan to re¬
lease Ventura’s Versailles disk line
in the U.S. Latter label is cur^
rently released in France.

Mvsic

MaUng like Parent, UA Records
Called'Dream’for h£e Producers

MJQLONGIE-G WEEKS
AT Sf.’S BLACK HAWK

San Francisco, Dec. 30.

The Modem Jazz Quartet have
signed for their longest Coast stand
—a six-week se^ent at the Black j
Hawk starting Feb. 10. |

MJQ’s previous gigs on the
Coast have never been tonger than
a month. This year the group wiH
bypass Los Angeles and play Frisco
prior to a Japan to«m. Contract
with the elub allows them the priv¬
ilege at supplementing theic take
with concert dates In snd around
the northern CaHfonria srea. They
have already agreed to a **Jazz at
Sunset’’ date for Jimmy Lyons In ,
Carmel on one of their off-nights
from the Black Hawk.

Camden Steppmg lip

Steree Sets 111959

RCA Victor’s low-priced disk
line, Camden Records, has mapped
a substantial step-up in its atcreo
activity for next year. 'Camden
will Idck off 1959 with three
stereo sets in January and. Is plan¬
ning a regular two-emonth
schedule from February on.

The Camden stereo LP.t are list¬
ing at $9.98, a dollar more than
the standard LPs.

BETAIL DISK BEST SELLEBS

-1

Survey of retail disk best
tellers bas^ on reports ob- ^

tUined from leading stores in g

20 cities and shotping com-
parattve sales rating for this S

and last week. ^

National g

Ratiag S

This Last k

wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title |

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty)

1 1 Chipmunk Song. 1

PLATTERS (Mercury)

2 2 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. 4

HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE (20th)

3 8 Little Drummer Boy.... 6

TEDDY BEARS (Dore)

4 3 To Know Him Is to Love Him... ..

PLAYMATES (Roulette)

5 4 Beep Beep...... 2

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

6 9 One Night ....

CLYDE MePHATTER (AtlanUc)

7 8 A Lover’s QaesUon... 10

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

8 5 Tom Doe l ey.. ..

EVEILY BROS. {Cadence)

9 20 Problemu .

JACKIE WILSON (Brunswick)

lOA 10 Leaely Teardiope ....

BILLY GRAMMER {Monument)

lOB 22 .GotU ’Travel On...

COBJWAY TWITTY {MGM)

12A 11 IPk Only Make Believe,.-
LITTLE CINDY (Columbia)

12B .. Happy Birthday, Jesms.

STAN FBEBERG (Capitol)

12C 15 ESreen Chiietmas.. ..

CONNIE FRANCIS {MGM)

15A 7 MyJfaiEtIneM .. <

•ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor)

15B 13 IGhtBtw .......r.,,. ..

RICKY NELSON (Imperial)

17 12 . LMiemMuTm ..

FATS DOMINO {imperial)

18 14 . Whole Lotta Lovln*... -.

AUGIE RIOS (Metro)

IflA 24 Deade Salt Santa Clane.. 7

CRESTS (Coed)

19B IT^ 16 Candles.. ..

RICKY NELSON (ImpertaD
19C 18 I Goi a FeeUmg.... . »

RITCHIE YALENS (Delfi)

22 .. Donna .. .

TONY DALARDO (Mercury) .

23A .. Come Prfaag ... 8

BOBBY DARIN (Atco)

23B 19 Queen of Ihe Hop.. -..

BOBBY HELMS (Decca)

23C .. Jingle BeU Roek... ..

+■ United Artists’ carryover of its
Independent production concepts
from the film industry into the hTsIt
, field is opening new creative fron¬
tiers for musicians. With UA put-
‘ ting up the coin, musicians with
package ideas will be provided op¬
portunity to get in the groove with
a minimum of interference from
the label itself.

That, In any case, is how the
^tup is working out with pianist
Hal Schaefer, who recently quit
UA as a musical director to become
an indie disk producer. He’s set
td do six packages for UA, soine
showcasing outside talent

The mechanics of the UA opera¬
tion, which is an idea foster^ by
Max Youngstein, prexy of the la¬
bel, are simple. An indie producei;
like Schaefer, broa<dies an album
idea in rough form to UA record
execs. If they like the idea, UA
will undertake full financing of the
disk project.

'Typical costs of a package with
a small combo would involve about
$700 for musicians’ fees, $300 for
itudio rental, engineer and tapes,
and about $100 fqr rebalancing of
the final tapes to be used for the
disk master. The jacket layout
runs a couple of hundred dollars
additionally.

Under this setup, all of the pro¬
duction costs come out of the pro¬
ducer’s share. After the break¬
even point is reached, the producer
and UA share in the profits equal¬
ly. Schaefer pointed out that the
economic incentive is considerably
higher as a producer than as an
artist, for whom the take Is gener¬
ally limited to a royalty ceiling of
5% of the rental price.

The most important benefit,
Schaefer noted, is that the pres¬
sure for a fast payoff is al^nt un¬
der this operation. An indie pro¬
ducer, imlike a company exec in¬
terested exclusively in the com¬
mercial angles, can take a long-
range-view of his work. He can
be as chancertaking in his musical
ideas as he wants to be, with tha
realization that he takes the final
responsibility for success or failure,

Schaefer’s first for UA will be
titled “10 Shades of Blue” early
next year. He’ll do one every two
months thereafter and is lining up
other talent to use on some of the
disks.

YICT0RCIITS$2 0FF
• FIEDLER’S NEW ‘GAIIE’

RCA Victor is kicking off a Jan¬
uary promotion with a cut-price
angle for a new recording of
‘■Gaite Parisienne” with the Bos¬
ton Pops orch under Arthur Fied¬
ler. Album is being offered at m
$2 reductiem from the ireual list
price of $4.98 for the monaural LP
•and $5.98 for the stereo LP. This
is tying in with the annual Redler
tour wth the Boston Pops, which
gets underway Jan. 2 ovtf a !(>■
city route.

Victor's spotlighting the har gafu
in a heavy ad campaign via the
CCMtsomer mags and radiortv.
cial window displays have been
JW$r?d for disdc retaflers. Price
cut la expected to -idsoot this re¬
cording Over all jpurevioos FTedleF-
Pops sales., Fiedler recently wen
a Victm* award as the first Ited
Seal artist to top the 2,900,000
mdes mark.

9 .. 10 < 22

3 0.. *

8 2.. fi ..10

kMMm

Peter Deilheim has-been '{: 9 !ped
to an artists A repertoire
M In HCA Victor’s Bed Seed de-
motment, worldly under Alan
Kayes, Victor’s loo^udr aAr rtilef.

Deilheim was formoly iP t iri ca l
directiMr with RCA Cmnden Rec¬
ords, Victor’s low-priced suMd
labeL

Harms Sum WWOL, BoHala

Buffalo, Dec, 30.

Harms Inc. has action

fior an injunction and damages fn
TVS. Distric t Co urt here j^aiBSt
radio station WWOL.

The music publirtier alleges that
Leon 'Wyszatycki, doing btuiness as
Greater Erie Broadtaaiing Co.,
broadcast “Begin the Begidne,**
^Dancing in the Dark” and “What
Jb This Thing Galled Love?^ last
June without permissimi.

MUSIC

Wediiesdayt December 31, 195^

Everest’s IP Of
‘8) Days’ Fih

Chicago, Dec. 30.
version of the ‘‘Around j
S! 80 Days” film is.being !

planned by Everest Eecord^, new
indie subkd of the Belock i
^Und Corp. ThA soundtrack set of;

JreS nni® ^OUng SCOrC IS 8 ^

750,000-plus selle\ for Decca Bee- i
ords. 1

The new ”80 ikys” LP Is an
•daptatlon by lyricist Harold
Adamson, who penn^ the origin&l
l^cs to the pop version of the
theme, featuring songs, chorale,
narration and dramatization. Court
Benson will appear as Phileas Fogg
and Leon Janney will play the
- Passepartout part. Franz Allers
will conduct the orch.

The lyrldzed score was intended
for a dance adaptation of ”80
pays,” which had been one of
Mike Todd’s projects before his
death, according to his son Mike
Todd Jr. Latter said he was trying
to sell the adaptation as a tv spec
with Marge Sr Gower Champion
headlining.

Todd, producer of ”8(1 Days,”
was previousj 7 / saluted by Everest
in an LP tagged “Mike Todd’s
Broadway/' The Everest line, in¬
cidentally, Is handled by Decca’s
distributors who are still rolling
with the soundtrack set. The Ever¬
est pabkage is set for release in
February.

45’S, IP’S RISE, 78’S IN
BRIT. GET SHELLACKING

London, Dec. 30.

Disk sales in Britain are declin¬
ing. Platter sales in ^October, ac¬
cording to the Boarti of Trade,
valued at just over $3,687,000 less
•ales tax, were 9% down froni the
same month in 1957. But for the
period January to October this
year, total sales were worth $29,-
960,000—only 29a under the figure
for the corresponding period last
year. I

In October, export sales were al¬
most 5% less than In October,
1957, the same fall as the average
for the first 10 months of this year
compared with January to October,
1957.

While the platter sales average
drops, the rise in production and
popularity of 45 rpm disks, contin¬
ues and in October their production
at 3,144,000, against 1,630,000 in
last year, was 8790 greater. During
the 10 months covered by the BOT
repqrt, production of 45s stood at
20,140.000, which was 9,867,000
more than in the sam^e period in
the previous year.

The number of LPs produced was
12% up at 12,488,000, white 78s
nosedived by 41% to 24,387,000,
compared with 41,257,000 in the
year before. ^ ^

RETAIL ALBUM BEST SELLERS

Survey o/ retail album best
sellers based on reports from lead¬
ing stores and showing comparative
ratings for this week and last.

National
Rating
This Last

wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

Only the Lonely (W 1053).

2A 6

VAN CLIBURN (Victor)
Tchaikovsky Concerto (LM 2250).

2B 2
4 3

SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor)
Soundtrack (LOC 1932)....

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

Sing Along with Mitch (CL 1160).

JOHNNY MATHIS rColumbia)
Merry Christmas (CL 1195)..

GIGI (MGM)

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)
Swing Softly (CL 1165)

19

23 20

Ahmad Jamal (LP 634)...
But Not For Me (LP 628).

RAY CONIFF (Columbia)
Concert in Rhythm (CL 1163)

MANTOVANI (London)
Film Encores (LL 1700)..

8 1 2 ..

5 9 5 .. 4 10 78

4 .. 7 .. 8 6 .2 2 3 ..

6 71

1 ..

3 2.

2 8

2 5 10 2 71

4 17 2 5

9 5 64

4 4 3 2

6

8

3

3

6

4 ..

4

1

4

52

7A

11,

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

2

2

8

5

3

6

2

49

7B

7

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol)

Kingston 'Trio (T 996). ...

5

5

8

1

7

10

2

1

49

"9

24

JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia)

4

10

3

6

10

3

3

38

10

13

MUSIC MAN (Capitol)

Original Cast (WAO 990).

4

1

.. 10

7

6

4

8

37

11

5

BING CROSBY (Decca)

Merry Christmas (DL 8128)..........

. -,.

7

I

5

5

1

36

12

16

TENNESSEE ERNIE (Capitol)

Star Carols (T 1071)....

6

1

5

2

30

13

9

MITCH MILLER (Columbia),

Christmas Sing with Mitch (CL 12051,

4

3

7

8

6

10

28

14

FLOWER DRUM SONG .(Columbia)

. Original Cast (OL 5350)..

3

10

..

9

1

8

24

15

MY FAIR LADY (Columbia)

Original Cast (CL 5090).

6

9

4

8

8

a

22

16A

NAT KING COLE (Capitol)

Very Thought of You (W 1084)_

6

4

6

8

20

16B

12

MANTOVANI (London) -
Christmas Carols (LL 313).

2

9

2

.,

..

20

18

18

HARRY BELAFONTE (Victor)

Sings theTIlues (LC 1006). .

10

7 ..

7

9

5

, .

17

19

AHMAD JAMAL (Argo)

Ahmad Jamal .

8

6

4

.,

15

20

15

PERRY COMO (Victor)

End of Day (LPM 1885)..

..

9

.,

4

6

14

21A

MANTOVANI (London) :

Gems Forever (LL 3032).'.

5

9

6

...

13

13

6 8

10

8

Columbia: Charlie Walker

Charlie Walker, western singer
and deejay at KMAC, San Antonio,
signed a five-year deal with Co¬
lumbia Records. He’s currently
riding with “Pick Me Up On Your
Way ]5own” and is planning a se¬
ries of personal appearances in
the U.S. and Canada after the first
of the year.

Paris: Sparkletones
Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones
have switched from ABC-Para¬
mount to the Paris label. Group
clicked on ABCJ-Par with “Black
Slacks.” Paris also purchased the
master of a Spanish version of
”Eso Es A1 Amor” from Moonglow
Records of Belgium.

Seeco; BiUy Maxted
Billy Maxted and his dixieland
group have joined the Seeco roster
Maxted, formerly house band at
Nick’s, Greenwich Village eatery.
Is now on a national tour. He’ll
out his first LP for Seeco next
month.

. Joy; Five Blobs
The new Joy Records label has
tagged the Five Blobs for two
novelty sides. Vocal combo bowed
on Columbia a couple of months
ago with “The Blob,” a pic title
tune.

The Dukes of Dixieland will give
? concert in Troy, N.Y., Music Hall
Jan. 11 under the auspices of Ted
Bayly.

GREAT

j 60 CHASE A MOONBEAM

I JtrryVati Columbia 4-12M

! 6REAT SOMEBODY
I COD’S CHRISTMAS TREE

I Tho Southwest ijligh School Choir .
I 0. B. Dahlo, Director Columbia 4-12SS

j EACH TIME YOU KISS ME
! THE BOX

I Tho Four Voicoa Columbia 4-1231

MUSIC PUBLISHERS V
HOLDING CORPORATKD?!'

New Renditions
of Great Standards_

» MA.

Ho'f Making Eyes At Mo
SHIRLEY NORWOOD on
Fratornity Records #F -824

» CARAYAN-^Parts I & II

COZY COLE on

Grand Award Records #10M

' CORRINE. CORRINA

BILL HALEY and tht COMETS i
Dacca Records #9-30781

MILLS MUSIC. INC.

40

MCSIC

Vednciday, December 31^

‘Stock Up in Jan.’
Rouktte’s PHcb

A special 10% discount has been
set up by Eoulette Kecords In the
form of a Restocking Sales Pro¬
gram. The sales pitch Is part of
dlskery’s second anni celebration.

The discount plan, which runs
from Jan. 1 until Jan. 31, also will
Include Roulette's subsid labels,
Tico, Roost, Gee, Rama and CoStar
Records. Program covers the en¬
tire line except for five albums
which are being offered at the
suggested list price of $2.98. (They
are priced regularly at $3.98.) The
special LPs are "Jimmie Rodgers
Sing Folk Songs,” Coimt Basie’s
"B^ie,” Joe Williams' "A Man
Ain’t Supposed To Cry,” Hugo &
Luigi’s "When Good FeUows Get
Together” and' "Tyree Glenn At
The Roundtable.”

Yienna’s Xmas Toppars

Vienna, Dec. 23.

"White Christmas” (either Ihe
Bing Crosby or the I^uis .Arm¬
strong version) again tops the
Christmas sales with “Silent Night,
Holy Night” a close second.

The disk industry and dealers
had complained up to middle of
December of a stagnancy and
feared they would not reach the
1957 turnover. The last two weeks
of the ending year changed the
aiutatlon and it is now believed
that 1958 broke all records.

The'

’^OF THE

ART

MOONEY

ond His OrciMstro

BYE BYE
BLACKBIRD

“CARE^ ME,
POSSESS ME,”PERFUME

(From iKo B'way Musical
Whoop-Up)

K-12744

Scoreboard '

OF

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Staiistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machiiies Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE: The eurrent comparative sales strenijth of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
arrived at under a statistical system comprisiner each of the three major sales outlets enu¬
merated above. These findings are correlated uHth data from wider sources, which ate exclusive
with Vahuty, The positions Resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT d^
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent (coin machines, retails
disks) and three ways in the case.of tunes (coin machines, retdil disks and retail sheet music).

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

1 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8
9

10

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week
1 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 6

10

* ASCAP

TALENT

ARTIST AND LABEL TUNE

CHIPMUNKS (Liberty) .Chipmunk Song*

PLATTERS (Mercury) ... Smoke Gets In Your Eyes*

TEDDYBEARS .(Dore) . To Know Him, Love Himf

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor) . ..

PLAYMATES (Roulette) .... Beep Beepf

KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol..Tom Dooleyf

HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE (20th Fox) .. Little Drummer Boyf

EVERLY BROS. ^Cadence) ............... Lifef

BILLY GRAMMER (Monument) .Gotta Travel Onf

RICKY NELSON (Imperial).A Feelingf

^ ^ (Lonesome Townf

TUNES

TUNE PUBLISHER

^CHIPMUNK SONG :...:.. Monarch

♦SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES ......Harms

fTO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVK HIM .. Warman

fTOM DOOLEY.. Beechwood

♦BEEP, BEEP.. H&L

fPROBLEMS .. A-Rose

flT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE ...... Marielle

fLITTLE DRUMMER BOY ..... Delaware

jLONESOME TOWN .....Eric.

fGOTTA TRAVEL. ON. Sanga

t BMI

Valley Lodge . . . Appearing with
Dakota Staton at the Frisco Civic
Auditorium last Sunday (28) were
the Virgil Gonsalves Sextet and
Eddie Walker’s band ... . Choitabo,
the Latin tenor saxist, is aug¬
menting Cal Tjader’s Quintet at
the Blackhawk . . . Ex-San Fran¬
ciscan EdAe Fitxpatrick, whose
band is at the Riverside, Reno, was
elected secretary of the Reno AFM
local . . . Bandleader Art Norkos*
house burned—$10,000 damage . . .
Dukes of Dixieland scratched their
Easy Street engagement. . . Julian
Adderley and John Coltrane will
be with the Miles Davis Sextet
when latter comes into the Black-
hawk darly in 1959.

New York

Carlton Records sponsoring a
contest for deejays and: listeners
to submit drawings of their Inter¬
pretation of a "Little Space Girl,”
a new Carlton disk. Contest will be
judged by the Children’s Advisory
Board to the Museum of Modern
Art . . . Pianist-composer Samuel
Fershko and his band celebrating
second year at Cafe Sahbra. . . .
Metronome mag changing its 75-
ycar-old name to Music U.S.A. . , .

Sberm Feller, longtime Boston
disk jock, has jumped Into the
music publishing, biz since ankling
with Roxbury Music.

Erroll Gamer plays - his only
nitery date in six months when he
begins a two-weeker at Chicago’s
Black Orchid Friday (2). FoUowing
that, be resumes concert schedule.

JAN GARBER

i THE IDOL OF THE AIR LANES *

jf
>
*

t and His Orchestra *

* . Mr

•K Currently J

t ROOSEVELT HOTEL, New OrleaM t

* * (EIGHT WEEKS) J

* «cciu»iiiTEn onniriMn rnDDADiTuiu *

G

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

JOI GLASER. Pres.

74S pmh Aye. m N. Wabash Av« 407 Lincoln Rd. lilSSunset M
Mcw’YeHrtt.M Y Chkase. III. Miami Botch, FIs. HNm
WL sas e CEntral4-MS1 JEfforson S-03U OLyrnFleS-tW

. . . Tunesmith Dick Adler heads
for Toronto for a guest shot on
CBC’s “Showtime” Simday (4) . , .
The Upbeafs finished disk sessions
for Joy Records backed by* an orch
conducted by Richard Hayman.

LoDdon

Bill'McGuflie, pianist currently
featured at the May. Fair Hotel, is
now appearing regularly in an
Associated Television -advertising
magazine ^irogram. He replaces
Stanley Black . . . Larry Adler,
harmonica virtuoso, is siting the
theme music for “Wolf’s Clothing,”
a new comedy which Anna Deere
Wiman wUl present In London in
the New Year . . . Singer Toni
Dalli lined up for a;New Year’s
Day tv show.

Hollywood

Jimmy McHugh talking to RCA’s
coast chief Boh Yorke regarding
another album .. Imperial’s Lew
Chudd has been asked to be pop
music consultant for Argyle Press’
upcoming six-volume Music Ency¬
clopedia, out next fall . . . Louis
PrimA and Keely Smith will cut
“Louis Prima jmd Keely Smith at
the, Moulin Rouge” for Capitol dur¬
ing their current stand . .. George
Dui^ng will score Fred Kohlmar’s
“The Last Angry Man” for Colum¬
bia ... MRmIe Van Doren set to cut
a new Dot album . . . David Rose
conducting Connie Francis for a
new MGM album.

San Francisco

Meg Myles and Randy Sparks,
plus T. C. Jones, go into George
Aiidros’ Fack’s II Jan. 8 ... Hermie
King and h’s piano departed
Bimba’s Trophy Room for the
Somerton Loungue . . . Ralph Sut¬
ton left Turk Murphy’s Easy Street
for^-A-winterriDiig

PRS

Pittsburgh

Vernon Lodge h6s left Waltet
Gable band at Ankara after seven
years to join Howdy Baum’s sax
section at New Arena . . . Jack
Purcell orch played Pittsburgh’s
No. 1 society function, the Cinde¬
rella Ball, third straight year . . .
Arnett Cobb combo into the Hurri¬
cane Music Bar for a run ., . Eege
Merwick, formerly with Blue Bar¬
ron, is new lead saxman with Artie
Arnell outfit . . . BUI Sortlno quit
Joe Pape's orch at Mona Lisa to
devote his time to his VUla Cafe
in Dormont, in which he has
bought out his brother Vince Sor-
tino’s interest. Fred Zummo, orig¬
inal trumpet man with Pape, re¬
joins him to replace Sortino .

^ St. Louis

Sammy Gardner’s Mound City
Six, featured at th>f Tiger's Den,
due out with a dixieland album on
the new Everest label in January.
Sides were cut under the super¬
vision of Raymond Scott . . . Maes¬
tro-musician Bobby Swain, KMOX
Radio musical director, now dou¬
bling in brass as musical director
and bandleader for the Ambassa-
-dor-KJngsway Hotel's Caesar. Room
-and Crown Room , Organist
Dick Balsano heading into his
fourth year at the Sheraton-Jeffer-

Continued from pare 35

peared to be designed to force up
the amount of British music per¬
formed, was said to be “very nearly
correct.”

A number of U.S. subsids have
been hit by the regulations. Among
them is Planetary-Kahl, recently
set up here by Fred Jackson, for¬
mer Eiuopean boss of Mills Music.
Jackson is fighting hard for some
kind of modification of the ruling,
and has corresponded with Sir
Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's
Musick and president of PRS.

Jackson’s point is that if PRS
persists in this line of action it
could lead to the setting up of
European branches of ASCAP and
BMI. PRS, it is understood, claims
that this could not happen because
of existing arrangements, but has
nevertheless a^ed the Planetary-
Kahl topper to put his views before
the PRS executive council on'
Jan. 1.

Urania

SShS Continued from page 35
in the past hampered dealers and
distributors.

The Urania buildup for the com-.
Ing year will also Include the sign¬
ing of new artists and a strength¬
ening of Its foreign affiliation. In
the U.S., Urania is handled in 29
markets by the Decca Distributing
Corp. and In nine markets by
indies.

Diskery hit a sales peak in '58
riding with a Pope Pius package,
the first recording of Offenbach’s
“La Grande Duchess de Geroh-
stein,” Barbara Cook’s “Songs of
Perfect Propriety,” Henny Young-
man’s “Horse and Auto Race” and
Offenbach’s “Galte Parisienne.”
There are now 30 stereo sets in
the Urania line.

. tom ■
thumb's
? tune >*

MUSIC BY

JESSi GREEK

FLAPPEREnE

Vocal - Instrumental-

PsbIIsiMd by

MILLS MUSIC

SONG FROM THE

“GEISHA

BOY”

Recorded bv

DON RONDO

JUBILEE RECORDS
PARAMOUNT MUSIC CORP

HI1.K£\1I.\DERS

^SLEIGH RIDE

r 100% recorded

• SCARLET RIBBONS

• from PERRY COMO’S
latKft RCA Victor
LPM 1885

• THE KINGSTON TRIO
Capitol F-3970

MILU MUSIC, INC.

Vf f.t 1 1

Hr<fciei3ay5 BecgiBil>er SI, 19S8

PMdSFi

VAU^gVlilg

41

Loew's Stale Nix of $3 Top Bums
Man Freed; RSRs $125,000, l$tWed[

Manasement of Loew’jS State, 14 ^
N.Y., lias decided that the present!
12,50 is about the limit that young--
aten raise for an adxnission
to the theatre daring the present
Alan I'reed engagement. The rock
fn* ToU topper, who is in on a
peroontaf e deal, had sought to get
the management to hike the tab
to $3. This was refused on the
ground that the management had
been wondering where fhe hiilk of
the tetosters even raise the lower
$2 and ^.50 to get in.

One reanlt of the* argument was
Freed's threat never to play a
Eoew hoBse on Broadway. There¬
fore; lie ihay take his Easter show
Into Brooklyn, at ettho* the Fabian
Fox or the Brooklyn Paramount.
Inasmuch as the State closes Jan.

4 after Freed's engagement and
will «ut down the present house
capacity to 1^500 seats, the only
other Loew house he can go to
on Broadway is the tlapitol. If he
wants to remain on Broadway,
Feed’s only other jwssible bidlet
Is the Roxy, which is said to feel
that it would destroy most of its
class reputation If it housed rock
. rollers.

Only part of the issue that was
resolved by the tiff is that the

Tex. State Fair Elects

*I>aIlas, Dec. 50.

R. L. Thornton Sr. was reelected
prez of the State Fair of Texas for
his 14th term. Elected to the hoard
of directors was W.. C. Miller^
named to -fill vacancy caused h/
death of Alphonso Ragsdale Jr.

Other officers xeelented were
James H. Stewart, executive v^,
amd general manager; Charles jSL
Meeker Jr,, v.p. and assi^nt gen¬
eral manager, Fred F. Fiofence,
treasurer, and Arthur K. Hale^ sec¬
retary.

Portland, Ore., Dec. 30.
The Oregon'Centennial .Commis-
kloh ffred Floyd Maxwelij $15,000-
a-jear managing director of next i
year’s (June to Sept.) Centennial'
Ejgposition. He was. pinkslipped

(NewsjapeB)it’s,20fters|a.S5;5 flL% SStlS:

been shifted to other individuals

Ifltlsn’tOoeTliiiig
New^pen)ft’s2
(AirIiiies)Y&lter;?iBj

. With one strike out pf the w^>
there are two more to go before
hitery bit rights itself,' according
to some New York boi^aces, Jlie
newspaper vacuum imving been
settled as of Monday (2g>, there’s
only the . Eastern and American
Airlines strikes remaining before
vjr WIC loas. xo txiex*, wxa; I the /normal nuota of visitors hit
State Jiot go above the presentJ Man^ttan.

$2.50 .limit even for Froed. Thatl^w that the newspaper black-
figure is the highest ever posted ' ■ ’ -

£or general admissions. Only hard-
ticket houses get higher admis¬
sions.

Meanwhile, the gross, shapes as
around $200,^)00-for the ll-day run
of Freed, wluch would give the
house, a new record. The first week
is heading for a big $125>000, ac¬
cording to the theatre. Show
opened alow on Christmas Day
with $15,000-

Freed previously played the
nearby- Paramount on Broadway,
but with' that theatre’s new, film
ccmtcact wdth 20th-Fox, it is not
In line, for-atageshows.

MPIS. PAW DISNEY
ASIijytSBALDFW

Minneapolis, Dec. 30.

A .local -CQUimittce will go to
Hdllywpod early next month to
meet watti Walt Disney and extend
him an invitation to he the grand
mai^bal ei sQxe 1959 Minneapolis
Aquatennial ’ parades. The Aqua-
tennial k the annual local summer
mardi gras and its day and night
parades are among Its principal
events. Vice President Richard
Nixon was this year’s marshal.

Comprising the committee on the
Holtywood jaunt will ;he Mhoneapo-
lis Mayor P. K. Peterson, the 1959
Aquatennial -queen ^aran Bigalke
and Barbara Flanagan of' the Min¬
neapolis Star.

out has been eliminate, the opera¬
tors feel tiiat. they can seR out
Most cafes are still-hehijid on
New Year’s "Eve reservations. Tele¬
phone solicitation Is being resorted
to in some Instances, hirt most of
the cafes feel that the normal sell¬
ing procedures will be sufficient

At one spot, a party of Cana¬
dians, who bad sent a deposit for
a reservation, cancelled out be¬
cause of inability to get air reser¬
vations on the big night.

One encouragiag facet has been
the excellent . business in the
bistros nver the weekend. Both
the Latin Quarter and the Copa-
cabana had near-c^acity for three
shows, and most cafes were in fine
^ape on that night. There is. no
scarcity of traffic on Broadw^
which has been exceedingly heavy
this wedc with the school holidays.

fort Bdyw,Y«., Gets

jyi-Armjr Finals Asak

Washington; I^. 30.
Wallace Theatre at nearby Fort
Belvpir, Va.; will be the site for
the second year of grand finals
of the All-Army, Entertainment
Contest, June lfi-20.

Appnutimateiy 1$0 finalistg iroih
Arniy InitaTlationa tiiroughout the
world will compete in the finals In
these seven cat^ociea: Vocal solo¬
ist, Instrumental soloist, Jndividual
specialty, 'vocid £roop, InstcnmeB-
tal group,' specialty group must pal
and specialty gropp nQn-TpngTpAT’
All winners win perform in the
Bhowcaae Freientatian here ^npe
22-23 before an audience of mili¬
tary and civilian 'VlPa. £d Sul¬
livan’s tv show will, present some
winners, and all arc expected tb
join the Army’s global touring
•how, ’’Rolling Along el 1959.”

P0P$3,000,D00Pr4iaa

Holiywsod, Dec. $0-
A five-month construction pro¬
gram wffl be lannched early next
month.,hy- Facifie <)eean Park.- to
cost aimad $3gM$.1MD. The Santa.
Monica wpet etees Fan. 4 end woa^
reopen anffl May
Among the new features to aug¬
ment pceaent aamsement facilities
be a Amge IQddylana, a Baby
Abimal Za/ti additional misionier

dnJ • hif ji.W ITirPiia

Gene Whelan, who books the
shows at Hanston!s Shamrock-i&l-
ton, has signed Don Cornell, Jaye
P. Morgan .dc The Morgan Bros.,
Dave Barry, the Woodsons and the
Paul NcighDors and Billy Williams
bands for his New Year's Eve show.

XedeBiiusdle’sLQ
Bs 1st N.y.Cale Date

Keefe BrasseRe has been signed
for his first New York cafe date.
Filmster has been pacted by the
Latin Quarter to start March 5.
Brasselie -toured the cafe circuit
in 1054 in cmnpany with comedian
GeUe Wesson.

■Whether Brasselie will do a sin¬
gle or work with a partner hasn’t
been settled.

Expo Head Axd
MCA Pact

. The action came after a hassle
over the proposed assignment to
the Music Corp. of jtoierica for
producing the shows. A budget
-of $25,^ to $40,000 per week
has be^ earmarked for each of
the 13 weeks of bills in the arena.
■Maxwell wanted to buy packaged
xhows only instead of hiring an en-
tertaiument ^director to do the pro¬
ducing. Local bookers also com¬
plained that they were given the
cold shoulder after submitting pro¬
posals for the big arena presenta¬
tions.

The attorney general Is current¬
ly looking over some contracts sup¬
pose^ signed with MCA for some
of the 13 "weeks of shows. H. Quen¬
tin Cox has..been appointed to
take over thie Maxw^ post.

Ckre. PnAas Park Sold
As Dmlopiiient For 500G

Cleveland, Dec. 30.

Puritas Springs Park, one of
Cleveland’s major amusement
parks since 1898, was sold by the
James E. Gooding family for a
reported $500,000. Price included
80 acres ^of land, midway buildii^s,
and four other structures. Buyers
were Harry ^cks, builder, and Ar¬
thur Orlean, who will tear down
tile park for a housing develop¬
ment.

Demise of Puritas leaves the
Humphrey family-owned Euclid
Beach Park soloing It In Cleveland
proper.;

h Ntefies’ Seasonal Slevnlown

In Time for Big

Bill Miner, who opened fbe
Riviera on Friday <t26) on tiie
site of the f«wmer Cafe de
Baris, N.Y., said that btt per¬
manent liquor’Bceiise waifid
he a granted in. time for last
. night’s -(Tues J Abow as prelude
to New Year’s Eve. ’

■ NHery opened ’irith a jtem-
poran^ cateper’s lIcenae,”j^od
for three days, to acootnmo-
date parties whidi\iiad; been
booked.

$300,000 Fxe Visits
Stage Door,

lliM

' Toroxitq, Dec. SO.

Defective wiring caused a .fire
which demplliihed the :$titte Door
night club at 4 p.m. Kmas isve,'
inflicting $300,000 damage. WiQi,
no liquor sold in Toronto on Xmas
day or night, there were no sub-j
sequent casualti^ to the bexoffices
hut 12 firenmn of the 65-maa crew
on this fhird^arm fire were in¬
jured and hospitalized.

James KaEfiBs,'owner-4q?enator
of the Stage Door, said he would
rebuild and reopen. He said reser¬
vations paid for by New Yemr’s'Eve
customers (more than .200) would
he refunded. He believed the
downstairs cocktail bar could be
saved. The fire was discovered by
Karl Sorenson, 58, the canet'idEer.

According- to James Payne, eWef
building inspector of metropolitan
Toronto, the remaining building
will have to be torn down,- tiie
steel beams suppenting the tidrd
and fourth floors being buckled by
•the heat, with upper floor struc¬
tures dropping through to tiie
ground floor.

■ If present trends continue, it
may soon he impossible to find a
major nitery in many cities during
the slow season. Latest to announce
a temporary shuttering is the Town
•Casino, Buffalo, which will close
Jan. 19 and reopen after Lent. Pre¬
viously announced as indulging in
a temporaiy foldo was the Latin
iCasdno, Philadelphia, which won’t
eren bother remaining opai for
New Year’s Eve, iigui*ing that the
profits from that one night woi^
be sufficient to overcome the
losses of the rest of the hoUdUqr
week.

In the past, the Chez Paree, Chi¬
cago, a landmark on the natiemaJ
nffery scene, closed during a riow
period when it couldn’t»get show*
Idtitmg enough to warrant opera-
''itien.

In the case of the Town Casino,
operator Harry Altman will at¬
tempt what he terms is a final try
with nanaes upon resumption of
■operation. Should that fail to weak
nid; he may give up bonlfacing
that «dub.

In all the ope«itions which have
tried temporary shuttering the
clientele is apparently accustomed
to names. lYith these not available,
the operatOTs feel that it’s a losing
battle, with neither attractive price
policies nor gimmick riiows pro¬
viding the answm*.

Talent agencies say that many
other eafes are considernig steg-
gered operation. Feeling that
since the spot depends mainly upon
names, -th^ will -open when audi.
talent can be booked. It med to
be that a cafe owner-feit co n t m n e d
operation was necei|sa^ to main¬
tain whatever momentam the iq>ot
established. Some owners now re¬
port that they can pick Iheir 9%^
of operation, splurge heavfly on
ads and exploitation and book some
parties, and then only wfll they
operate. Problem is to pick a suffi-
dent number of weeks to warrant
maintenance of the nitery even
during the dark weeks.

Coliseum Destroyed

Omaha, Dec. 30,
Two-and'a-half stoiy Coliseum
was one of two large buildings de¬
stroyed by fire at Clinton, la. lart
Wednesday <24). Ckilisevn was
home of the Modernistic Ballroom
and other offices.-
No one was injured in tbe blaze,
which caused estiaaated dianaag* ei
$2,000,-(»0.

ON SALE NEXT WEEK!

The

53rd Anniversary
Edition

Of

HIWVMK H
184 W. 4ifii fit.

ifouarwooo 2t

OflCABOIl
412 41. JilcytM At*.

lONDOII, W. e. 2
• fit.

-RAttS.2$iM

BMflt fiMnpo ibliva

mmcnmm

SIGHTS ON MOTELS

Albany, Dec. 30.

The Manger hotel -chain, which
last February pturchased the De
"Witt Clinton in Albany, Is entering
fee motel field, wdth one under
construction and with negotiations
on for leases on three others.
Julius Manger Jr., 44-year-oH
board rhairman, is fronting the*
fleals.

Manger, who reported bis thala
will “end up 1958 about the same
ms 1957”—despite the fact hotel
business generaHy was adversely
affected by eonditions in like 18-
month recession period—believed
patronage “will be ^conslder^ditr
better in 1959,“

Television will be Installed Im
evsiy room of fee Ma^(er-De Witt;
is eadtidering cost estimates for a
cenfeal aircofodilkmu^^ '^rstem.
Mawr also probably wfE make
mom* changes -on the meaaains':
coddmil lounge-dmice floor section
of Ite local hotel. New Aecor-Wi^i
fentme^t tree”—^ I^isjBec:

traiemark at 10 muck 1siii|jiii -ii;

I9ie xfiiaki '^fiees Ast knew
actfy wh^ ft wm A* sAovt ih«.
bagreom” of fee Be iittt Th*
aendng of taod feoe im Nwcsi
continued, but .may be resmBed
when fee Ze0£aimre icssveses in
Janctazy.

The annual meeting of the Man¬
ger group began in Rochester last
Tneoday <lfi) mnd wound up here
Ttsarsday <1*).

MDliiitrub’s Array

^ttanky -Kinstnda las met m ^bed .
of big names for his Blinstnfe*!
i;7D0oemt in South Boston for tbs':
lioreport of lEMB. JifeaBie^ Ray,
iJbiiaay Dnra^ MoGhdee Bisters:
nsid Eartha ^ xepeaf*, are
pocted.

Xdnei9 fior next iwm months
zeoil*; Betty JcSuison, Dee. XMan,
4; Teddy Randazao, Jan. 5^ Tina
l!teW «4 Jan. 1925; 4!:bmiie Ermicis,
Jan. 26-Feb. 1; NfcGuire jSMers.
Feh, 2-8 l James Joyce^ Feb. ‘9-15;,
Dm^nte, FeU'16-22; Eartha’

TAVBKVUUr

Adai^ City Bank on Airline Strfte^
As Ive Aid Vs. Hops to Hot Qimes

Atlantic City, Dec. 30.

With the airline- strikes making
It difficult to make that four-hour-
plus trip to warmer areas (Florida,
for Instance), this resort is set to
•ntertain crowds expected to ex¬
ceed some previous ones of New
Year’s Eve. '

Night spots and the beachfront
hotels have arranged for evenings
which win feature added talent,
plus *‘Fve” gimmicks. Prices start
at alx)ut $7.50 with other places
Waiving cover and minimiun.

At the Claridge, top beachfront
hostelry, two celebrations are
planned, one in Trimble Hall and
the other in the Mayfair Lounge.
Dave Moaahan smd The Warners
are booked while the Mayfair
Guardsmen, house band, and Bert
Estlow will provide music.

■ -The Ambassador: Joel Grey,
Joanne Wheatley, and Alfredo &
Lenore; the President: Jacqueline
James and other acts; the Tray-
more: show in Submarine Boom
plus Julea Lavan orch; Seaside’*
Surf ’N* Sand Room: Ralph Rob¬
erts* house orch; Sheraton Ritz-
Carlton; Parties in Crystal Room
end Carousel bar; Shelburne: Open
house in Boardwalk Lounge with
the Don Morray Trio.

Two night clubs are offering spe¬
cial entertainment but nearly all
of the 300-odd licensed spots here
plan to cash in on the crowds. At •
the 500 Club, Georgie Tapps, Senor
Wences, Danny Costello and Bar-
hara McNair head the bill.

Club Harlem, sepia spot, offers

I •^"boston 3

I SMASH HIT ’

I THE OlAMOROUS NEW

I HQTiL S

Show folks are ravins, about the |:
• all new Hotel Avery. AH new, large, ^
beautifuliy furnished deluxe rooms i|
with private bath and televisiorr.
Many Air Conditioned.

AVfRY a WAMBWTW nsj

YVONNE MORAY

HPLICS ClUt
Revere, Mots.

{thaiik you. Tom Foriin)

ASSOCIATED lOOKlNO CORP.
JOI OLASia, Pre*.

Hortense Allen's Rock *n’ Roll
revue.

For those who would pass a quiet
New Year’s at the cinema: “Gigl,”
at the Embassy; “Auntie Marne,’*
at the Hollywood; “Inn of the Sixth
Happiness.” at the Boardwalk
Roxy; “The Buccaneer,” at the
Center; “South Pacific,” at the Vir¬
ginia; and “Seventh Voyage of Sin-
bad” at the Beach.

Weekend crowds-at hotels and
motels filled them from near capac¬
ity to capacity. Xmas Week. Em¬
pire motel's new ice rink and swim¬
ming pool, latter outdoors and en¬
closed in a “bubble,” and rink and
pool at Traymore did top business.

N.O. Status Quo

New Orleans, Dec. 30.

New Year’s Eve tabs at night
spots here are the same as last
year: Blue Room of the Roosevelt
Hotel, $25 per person; Swan Room
of the Monteleone, $22.50; Carib¬
bean Room, $16; Jung Hotel,
$12.50, and DInkler-St. Charles, $9;
French Quarter bistros, no cover
or minimum.

Major spots are sold out due to
throngs'■here for the Sugar Bowl
grid classic.

T0MBAU’SC0UP;R0K’S
KIM SISTERS FOR U.S.

Tokyo, Dec. 23.

Nitery show packager Tom Ball
returned to the Orient for the j
third time In six months. This
time it’s for a week to supe^ise
final paperwork in getting the
singing Kim Sisters out of their
native Republic of Korea and to
the U.S..

Ball has trio pacted for six
months. They report the end of
January and go into the Thunder-
bird In Las Vegas with a “China
Doll Revue” and are pencilled in
on the Ed Sullivan . show for
March.

In recent years others have tried
to get the Kim Sisters, a top act
in Korea, to make the trek. It
wasn’t easy. He had to enlist the
aid of Dr. Yank, Ambassador to
the U.S. and head of the Korean
delegation to the United Nations.

Ball, who used to run the China
Doll in New York and now works
with Frank Sennes’ circuit, suc¬
cessfully toured a “Geisha Girl
Revue” on the U.S. nitery chain
for 16 weeks last year. This sea¬
son, in addition to the “China Doll
Revue,” he has lined up a second
edition of the “Geisha Girl Revue”
and also plans to import for 60
to 80 OSK girls from Osaka; (who
appeared In the film “Sayohara”)
for the Moulin Rouge, Los An¬
geles, and other spots.

Season's Greetings

PAMELA DENNIS

Carrently at

COLONY, London

DoBblla^ STORK aid
SOCIETY CLUI, Loidea

Jilt CempIito^ASTOR. Loodea
Twa Appearaacea oa IIC-TV
Radio Espaae, lorcoleaa aad
ibitro Clib

OpMiiig Feb. 3 for Four Weeks
HILTON HOTEL, Istonbul. Turkey
Morch 1-16, Posopoga. Madrid, Spain

MaaogMiMrt: INGALLS aid HOYT

RCA-Victor Ricorda
Exclusivily

^COYEENOR'S INAUGURAL BALL
Albany, N. Y., January 1

Met, iiu MimER. Ulf Rfoadway, Now YoA

?|Dde, Cafe Dates

[ New York

Roslta Serrano, * the Chilean
singer, starts at the L’ . Regis
Maisonette Jan. 8 . . , “Ice Ameri¬
cana,” a blades show with an in-
: tegrated cast,. starts a three-day
run at the Island Garden, W.
.Hempstead, Jan. 23 . . . Kuldip
StnEh preems New Year’s Day at
Chateau Madrid , . . Norman Paris
Trio opened at Peacock Alley at the
, Waldorf-Astoria ♦.. George Matson
, inked for the Havana Riviera,
Havana, Jan. 20 . .. Evelyn Knight
down for a junej<flate at the Ritz
Carlton, Montreal.

Pinky Lee booked for the Latin
Quarter, Miami ' Beach, starting
Jan. 8 ... Bob Snyder down for the
Frolics, Revere Beach, starting Jan.
4 . . . Irene Hilda starts at Old
New Orleans, Washington, tomor¬
row (Thurs.) . . . Arlene Blaine
current at the Casino Royal, Wash¬
ington . . . Johnny Puleo booked
for the' Roosevelt, New Orleans,
April 2 to be followed by the Stat-
ler-Hilton, Dallas, April 16 , . .
Dorothy Samoff inked for the Bev¬
erly Hills, Cincinnati, Jan. 16.

Hollywood

Singers Eddie Cochran and Jerry
Wallace will be at the Buccaneer’s
Den at Pacific Oceeui Park through¬
out the holidays . . , Steve Gibson
dc Bedeapa current at Larry Pot¬
ter’s supper club In the valley , , .
Eddie Oliver hitting the keys at
thfe BevWilshire Hotel’s, Brazilian
Room . . . John Travel Dno set for
Frascati Rotisserie in BevHills.

Concert pianista Rosa Linda mak-
’ ing an indefinite stand at the Wild
Goose in Burbsmk . . . Dennis Day
opened at the Chi Chi in Palm
Springs, Sunday (28).

George DeCarl orch, current at
the Largo, holds over for another
four weeks . .. June Christy opens
at the. Crescendo Friday (2) . . .
The Mastersonnds, vocal group,
open at the Interlude Room Friday
(2) . . . Herb Jeffries at Jack Den¬
nison’s for two weeks . . . G<wi
Grant will headline the Shriners'
Show at the Shrine Auditorium
Jan. 16, 17. Songstress wiU also
star at the National Ttailer Show
at the Pan-Pacific Auditorimn Jan.
28-Feb. 1.

Pittsburgh

Bon Bons into Yeaman’s Knife
& Fork Chib in Detroit for two
weeks . . . Jan August opens at
CJasa Loma in McKeesport Manday
(5) for six days . . . George Jessel
engaged as principal speaker for
33d annual donor limcheon of
Pioneer Women-Pittsburgh Council
Feb. 8 at Penn-Sheraton Hotel . . .
Billy Daniels set for week of Feb.
2 at New Arena. Foih: Aces follow
him in for fortnight ... Local
entertainers Nick Jb Phil Covato,
who cluh-date extensively, are not
only brothers but they both work
for brokerage houses here in the
daytime. They’re the sons of Etxl
CovRto, longtime bandleader and
nitery owner who has been shelved
by illness the last few years . . .
Harry Clayton left on Caribbean
cruise after clubrdating all over
territoi^ during holidays and then
goes into Emerald Beach Hotel in
Nassau for two weeks.

Houston

After Jonathan.Winters finishes
two at the Tidelands Club, begin¬
ning New Year’s -Eve, Olsen 4c
Johnson’s layout domes in for a
pair of frames. Thrush Ann Hatha¬
way ■win be billed in with Winters
after his opening night . . . Larry
Storch' due at the Penthouse Club
Jan. 6 . . . Don Cornell and Fabu¬
lous Woodsons in for a week at the
International Club’s Continental
Room at the Shamrock Hilton be¬
ginning Dec. 25 . .. Robin Nelson’s
“Jamboree On Ice” completing
four weeks at Club Crescendo In
the second holdover in the club’s
history.

The Hilltoppers at Tidelands
Club through New Year’s Eve . . .
Don Adams and Cathy Carr are at
the Continental Room . . . Tommy
Christian opened the area’s newert
night spo^ Tommy Christian’s Jazz
Workshop . » .^Niua Moore hooked
into the new Jungle night spot on
Galveston’s Pleasure Pier. It’s on
the site of the former Gay ’90s
Club.

Detroit

Orch leaders Sammy .Dibert,
hack from two years in Miami, will
, manage entertainment programs
at Cliff Bell’s .. . Polynesian Mar^
tin.Denny quartet is at Baker’s
Keyboard Lounge . . . Kirby Stone
Four into the Roosteitail . , , Ar¬
thur Bragg’s “IdlewUd Revue,” fea¬
turing SO performers, begins a two-
Wktr at the Flamt Shoiie i

December 31^ 1958_

Iluide Stuf-Vaude

“Holiday bn Ice” helped sell, a lot of groceries for the Kroger super¬
market chain in. Toledo. The firm reserved the entire Sports Arena,
which seats more than 7,000 persons, for two performances. With a
purchase of $10 at Kroger, the 'customer obtained a certificate good
for one free ticket with the purchase of a regular price ticket cither
at the arena or downtown ticket office. All seats were reserved.

Mall from abroad for ice shows is giving the postoffice some head¬
aches this time of year when several of the frigid frolics are laying
off for the Christmas period. Many of the foreign performers hava
sent to their home a schedule of the towns they will hit. -This being
layoff week, relatives writing performers from abroad h^ve merely
put down “Vacation.” First of the mail received at one office in New
York was addressed to Herr Peter Voss, c/o “Ice Capades,” Vacation,
U.SA. ...

Razing Hub s Mechanics Bldg, in Jan.
To Pave Way for Huge Center, Hotel

Boston, Dec. 30. in about a month by Hoyle, Doran
Demolition of the 75-year-old & Berry, Boston architects. Final
Mechanics Bldg., home of Boston’s iplans are to be submitted within
industrial, sportsman and auto nine months from approval of pre-
shows, and which has . housed Um drawings.

bands, rock ’n' rollers, circuses, --—

boxing, wrestling and expositions, T If If *1

gets underway Jan. 8. “We are go- iOllliny Iu0r|[HIl iuElllOridl
ing to proceed directly with the Glasgow Dec 30

Tommy Morgan, vet Scot come-
1 wto died recently at age 60,

of PrndmUal, told the Boston Bo- jg

tary ciuo. consecutive summer seasons. It

The razing will leave the Hub was his favorite Stamping ground,
without an exposition hall for two At ceremony here, comedian’s
years, imtil the $12,000,000 city aud ashes were scattered over rooftop
is ready in the new structure. The of the theatre where he gave so
annual Sportsman’s Show has been much fun to so many over for so
cancelled, and its promoters say it long.

Boston, Dec. 30.

, Demolition of the 75-year-old
Mechanics Bldg., home of Boston’s
industrial, sportsman and auto
shows, and which has . housed
bands, rock ’n' rollers, circuses,
boxing, wrestling and expositions,
gets underway Jan. 8. “We are go¬
ing to proceed directly with the
work of building the new Pruden¬
tial Center,” Harold E. Dow, v.p.
of Prudential, told the Boston Ro¬
tary Club.

The razing will leave the Hub
without an exposition hall for two
years, imtil the $12,000,000 city aud
is ready in the new structure. The
annual Sportsman’s Show has been
cancelled, and its promoters say it
is doubtfql If one will ever again
be held here because there will be
no place big enough.

The Hotel Corp. of America,
based In Boston, will operate the
25-5tory, 1,100-room hotel that will
be a part of the huge centre In
the Back Bay. Roger P. Sonna-
bend, v.p. of HCA^ said It will be
of revolutionary design, part lux¬
ury apartments, part motor lodge,
resort Inn and convention head¬
quarters. It win be the town's first
new hotel in 32 years, and a $4,-
500,000 Investment.

The new centre will contain a
theatre, to be leased as a film
house; the civic aud, apartment
houses, and rooftop nitery restau¬
rant atop the hotel, plus shops and
stores. The Prudential will occupy
18 floors of the office building. The
remainder will be rented out.

OK on Prelim Plans

Boston, Dec. 30

Boston’s auditorium cdmmission j
gave the greenllght on preliminary
plans for the proposed civic con¬
vention hall hi the Back Bay Pru¬
dential Centre. Action followed
a state Supreme Court ruling ttat
public funds can be used to coh-
struct m aud that will be rented
to private and commercial groups
as well as being used for public
affairs.

Preliminary plans, based on final
changes recpmmended by commis¬
sion members, are to be completed

Sorear, the magico, who opened
recently at the Theatre Teheran,
Teheran, Iran, will tour the middla
east before returning to India.

<^THE COMEDIAN”

Th# Only RmI Monttily
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<W1 TEACH EMCEEING and COMEPY)
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In Person

AUDITORIUMS, lALLROOMS, ARENAS.
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Tho Famous

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Wednesdajy December 81, 195B

VACBEVfLLE

43

"Xmas in Korea’ Unit Just 'Good
Aets’ (No Names) Wbo Need Work

By DAVE JAMPEL

TokyOi Dec. 23.

Dos Angeles disk jockey
(KMPC) Johnny Grant, who has
trekked to Korea with shows for
the GIs 12 times and done the bit
in Europe, Alaska and the Carrib-
bean on six occasions, expressed
regrets that his current Christmas
package does not have a big name
as In previous years when it was
fronted by such as Debbie Reynolds,
Jane Russell, Piper Laurie, Mala
Powers, Rita Moreno and Terry
Moore.

Before taking off for the craggy
hills of Korea and 18 holiday shows
with his USO unit, Grant told
Vaiuety, “The big studios could
cooperate a little more. They used
to have a central clearing house
knovrii as a coordinating committee
They made financial contributions
to keep it going. It handled all
benefits, military included. It
served as a buffer, but -also got
names for worthy causes.’’,

“Now we have to go directly to
the stars/’ he sighed. “Sometimes
a .producer gets panicky over a
star he doesn’t need until after
the first of the year. I’m sure
there were big stars we could have
gotten,” he said.

■ Grant revealed that Kira Novak j
and Rhonda Fleming, were distinct
possibilities for this year’s show,
but had to cancel but because they
were called before the cameras.
Miss Novak, he said, was sincerely
Interested, and made every effort
to come, but had to go to New York
to work on a picture. Miss Flem¬
ing also had to cancel, although
she W'as hesitant after being erron¬
eously reported as going to Europe
with the‘ Grant show last year.

Aside from star value. Grant was
enliiusiastic about the quality of
vaude acts he has in this trip’s,
lineup. “I think it was a .lot easier
this year io get good entertaining
acts. ■ We’ve been touting it and
got a good play in the papers and
got started early. I think I prob¬
ably turned down 200 acts.”

On the lure of cuffo USO per¬
formances by entertainers: “They
are in search of good audiences.
There’s a lot of good .vaudeville
acts that' Aren’t working. This
gives them an outlet.' My problem
tod&y is cutting down the regula¬
tion acts from two hours and 45
minutes to one hour and 50 min¬
utes to niee^ plane schedules.”

J^isel Act

Heading current unit is ’Nisei
Miiko' Taka who starred oposite
Marlon Brando in “Sayonara.”
Considering the merits of bringing
an Orient^ to the Orient, Grant
said, *T need a name—to bring the
guys someone they know. The
idea , of Miss Taka st^ed as a joke
when I was riding m the car in
froi^ of her in the Thanksgiving
Eve Santa Claus Parade, But she
sings very weU. There’ll be some
jokes leading Into her act and
then she’ll sing ‘Bewitched’ and a
Japanese song. She has created
a tremendous amount of excite¬
ment every place we stopped.”

“Thanks to tv,” Grant continued,
‘every GI today is an authority
on entertainment. I think we’ve
brought ’em something they could
never see on a tv spectacular—
laughs, songs, dances and nine
lovely girls. There is more accent
on young girls this year.”

In ad^tion to Miss Taka, Grant
lineup includes actress Valerie
Allen, ja 22 man Scatman Crothers,
starlet and Miss Universe entrant
from I l li nois, Marianne Gaba;
dancer Betty Jo Houston, comic-
guitarlri; Jackie LeMaire, pianist-
composer George Miladin, actress-
performer (and former Miss Is¬
rael) Ziva Rodan, violinist Rima
Rudina, former Olympic swimmer
and stylet Beverly Scott, juggling
h^orist Val Setz, singer Connie
Stevens, bass player-arranger Ted
Stevens, acrobat-comic Pat Moran
and thrush Joan Burnham.

Regarding military cooperation.
Grant is pleased with this year’s
wd as compared with the apathy
he encountered when he toured
Europe last Christmas while a Bob
H(^ unit featuring Jayne Mans¬
field and • the Les Brown band
toured the Far East.

/‘The. mUitary cooperation that
I received last year , was compla-
cenV’ he said. “They didn’t seem.

to care whether the show got on
or not. I think that with certain
changes this year in Washington
with people who appreciate the
value of GI morale, it’s much im¬
proved. General I. . D. White
(Commander of Army-Pacific)
roUed out the carpet to greet us at
Hickara (AFB In Hawaii) with an
Air Force band. It makes the
kids feel like 'they’re wanted.
There were tlines in Europe last
year when the morale of our con¬
tingent was lower than that of the
guys sitting In the field.

“I don’t begrudge not having a
big star this year because I still
think I have what they want,”
Grant added. “But let’s be real¬
istic—it’s always good to have
name.”

‘Show’ Band (Garhnd’s)
As One Way to Pnl On
Bills for GIs in Orient

. Tokyo, Dec. 30.

Gabe Garland orch has solved
the problem of providing wide-
ranging entertainment for GI ap¬
petites by successfuly offering a
show within his hand that adds up
to over an hour of solid handwork,
hillbiUy numbers and vaude bits:

Current sixmonth Far East tour
of military installations xmder new
regulations allows Garland unit to
play both On Special Services and
club-date basis, doubling hack over
same areas to perform at different
locations. Under Special Services
banner, unit plays theatres and
service clubs, returning again to
play non-appropriated flmd spots
for pay.

Booked through Universal Pro¬
ductions, Tokyo, hand’s tbilr in¬
cludes sites in Japan, Korea, Oki¬
nawa, Formosa, the Philippines,
Guam and Hawaii. Garland band
successfully, applied forrafat for¬
mula during four months’ tour of
GI camps in Europe earlier this
year.

-Featuring vocalist Carelin Dar¬
den, ll-member band fast-paces
library from dixie to progressive
with hillbilly as a side order. Comic
numoers and Impersonations are
interjected, providing something
for all members of the diversified,
audiences.

Considering budget limitations
of locations, Garland is getting pay¬
off from having packaged band
with versatile musicians, all of
whom participate In the routines.

&ik Sands, Johnny Cash
. For Memphis Ahto Show

Memphis, Dec. SO.

Tommy Sands and Johnny Cash
have been Inked for Memphis’
first Auto Show in nearly a dec¬
ade. It’s skedded for the North and
South Hall Auditoriums Jan. 8-11.

Due to a previous commitment
San^ will appear the last three
days^ with Cash on hand from the
opening. They will do a matinee
and night turn daily.

Hex Making With
Talent Array
For Export in’59

Mexico City, Dec! 23.

Mexico will push a new export
aggressively in 1959—talent.

With wide acceptance of Mexi¬
can platters and television shorts
in Spanish-speaking areas, as well
as in Europe and the Orient,
junkets are being planned by tdp
names and orchestra groups.

Osar Guerra, Jorge de Madrid y
Campos, Manuel Resendis and
Joaquin Ancona are among artists’
representatives dickering for over¬
seas engagements. Plan Is to ex¬
ploit popular Mexican talent and
featuring. folklore music and
dance.

Among entertainers already
slated for appearances In South
America, Europe and the Orient
are: Columba Dominguez, (one of
the Mexican stars not averse to
full stripping before the cameras);
Rosaura Revueltas, controversial
figure who only a few weeks back
was appearing in one of this city’s
vaudeville houses as a line, girl
at 15 pesos (■$1.2a a performance);
singer Lola Beltran, Amailia Men¬
doza; Jose Venegas, Miguel Acevas
Mejia, Eduardo Solis, Los Cala¬
veras (The Skulls), the Reyes
Bros, Corona & Arau„ etc. Also
such locally famous mariachi
groups as the Mexico, NacionaT,
Jalisco.

The National Symphony Orches¬
tra, which had a click European
and U.Sv tour in 1958, plans a re¬
peat performance in 1950.

'Top film stars also have plans
for personal appearances and
night club engagements through¬
out the world.

A National Assn, of Actors
spokesm^ said that the artistic
trek outside of Mexico’s borders
Is also part of the plan to build
markets for Mexican filnw In Weak
European and Far Eastern areas.

FantainebleaD’s Names & Seat Setup
(SM) Fla. Pace-Setter; Polly s Preem

Paul Gkirmley

recapt lfc« tax iltaaftM vfwhvlt

Yank Talent and
Canada^s
Income Tax

•Mriitr Edftartol Ntttar a
lallMt

53d Anniver$ary JVnmber

of

OUT NEXT WEEK

FiloieBasenieiit loses
Its Shirts; Dory Snclair
1-GaI PeffloiitioD Corps

Boston, Dec. 30.

Dory Sinclair, singing comedi¬
enne current at the Bradford Roof
as the headliner, flabbergasted
salesgirls in FUene’s bargain base¬
ment just before Xmas (she opened
on the 23d> by charging the men’s
shirt bargain counter and coming
out laden down with seven dozen
men’^‘ shirts In all of sizes.

They weren’t for gifts—she uses
them in her act in a Johnnie Ray
carbon in which she tears ’em to
shreds, two a night. She says she
likes to get Jap*made shirts^they
tear easier.

“Where else ban you g6t shirts
for ripping for as little as 49c each,
except in Boston,” she quipped.

However, she pointed, out, the
seven dozen shirts' she picked up
here are of Yankeeland infg., and
she wasn’t , sure whether or not
they would tear as slickly as the
Jap ones she usually uses.

If they’re not earily tearable on
stage, she’ll slit them, in strategic
places with a razor blade first.

OHIO FAIR A LOSER

Columbus, Dec. 38.

The 1958 Ohio State Fair re¬
ported a loss of $29,375. Total ex¬
pense was $940,469, and r*.'celpts
were $911,094.

In addition, out of the receipts
from* the 1958 event,- the Feder^
Government is seeking $40,000 for
four years of retroactive taxes.

Fl<a» Top Yule Bills; Zin^ ^Zig ’; Tony
Bows Diplomat; Eden, Deauville in High

5 By LARY SOLLOWAY =

Miami Beach, Dec. 27.

The 800-seat Club Siam in this
biggery has undergone a complete
stage overhaul to house Lou Wal¬
ters’ Miami Beach edition of “Zieg-
feld Follies.” This is his fii^st shot
at a local hotel and the inherent
good taste and smooth staging of
the revue should help to mark it a
contender for healthy biz in the
fiercely competitive circuit this
season.

Walters has eschewed the gaudy
and the overdone trappings that
some revues bearing his name con¬
tained in other seasons .at indie
nitery ventures. The result Is for
the better. *1116 Ingredients blend
into a smooth flowing whole from
a theme opener which has a run¬
down of excerpts from the more
memorable. Ziegfeld shows and
serves to set the mood and pace.

Big item on production side Is
a reprise on “A Pretty Girl Is Like
A Melody”; It illustrates the ad?
herence to Ziegfeldian tradition,
witb-Australian import Darryl Ste¬
wart tenoring the ever^een; a
collection of showgal lookers (even
by Walters’ wellknown high stand¬
ards) parading in stunning white
costumes through the audience for
raise of the big buzz and mitts.
Ballerina Colleen Corkery does the
Marilyn Miller bit for the revue
and in this spot is a standout with
her toe work.

Stewart in his own spot sets
well. He’s a goodlooking lad, well-
versed tenor who serves up Ameri¬
can standards, adds an Australian
folksong, all with a warm projec¬
tion that earns him strong reac¬
tion. Lou Nelson carries, the com¬
edy load and turns in ail eiq>ert

job. His in^atiating approach suits
the nostalgia theme, with an “old-
Vaude tiun” interp containing the
right note of corn required, plus
some new stuff. He tops it with
an adept softshoe routine. Nelson’s
worth to the revue is accented in
its one blackout scene, a well-
written skit based on the misin-
terpretation angle. It fits snugly
as a middle production break.

5how. stealers are Elsa & Waldo.
Their Broad panto-dance routines
start the giggles coming and build
to howls at wind. Attractive Kathy
Barr handles the solo song spots

CarUlo]i9 Miami Beach

Lou Walters’ production of
*‘Ziegfeld Follies ^ of 1958,” with
Kathy Barr, Loti Nelson, Darryl
\^tewart, Elsa & Waldo, Gautier’s
Steeplechase, Colleen Corkery,
Trez Harden, Jacques Donnet
Orch; staged, by Jack 8c Marilyn
Nagle;^Max Selette, ossistont pro¬
ducer; $3-$3.50-$5 minimum.

assigned her with an enthusiasm
that carries to the auditors. Her
big segment is a rundown of hits
associated with the Ziegfeld name
in an arrangement that is tasking
but which, she handles in talented
fashion, ranging from throaty
tones to soprano trills.

Early click is Gautier’s Steeple¬
chase, who seem to.go wiUi a Wal¬
ters show. 'They^ve been seen
around here often, but per always,
the animals with their engaging
tricks spark rapid response from
the tablers.

. Sta^ng by Jack and Marilyn
Nagle is crisp'and inventive and

rates kudos. Jacques Donnet and
his orch hack the production In a
briRiant manner. It’s in for four
weeks, and-with options that can
nm it through the season.

Dlplemat, H^wood, Fla.

Hollywood, Fla., Dec. 23.
Tony Martin (with Al Sendry &
Co.) Tyhee & Brascia, Mai Malkin
■Orch;'%3 cover and $3fi0 beverage
minimum.

Tony Martin makes an intelli¬
gent choice to open the Miami
area’s newest plushery, the posh
Cafe Cristal of “this year’s faoteL”
In for a 17-day nm, he’s been pull¬
ing them from the Beach, 15 mile^
south, in goodly numbers, with
northerly Ft. Lauderdale and Palm
Beach supplying the additional pa¬
tronage.

The room is^ one of the hand¬
somest in the sector. Decor by
Franklyn Hughes (who also de¬
signed a full, highly serviceable
lighting array) is elegantly sub¬
dued. The lo.w-ceilinged effect is
designed to keep the layout inti¬
mate, although it is divided into a
250-seat supper club with rollaway
wall to open up accommodations
for 650. Policy is one-show night¬
ly during the week and two on
weekends and holdiays. Theory is
to draw the crowds from the more
populated tourist sectors during
the post-dinner hours by allowing
for travel time (actually only 20
minutes at most from the feeder'
communities.

Martin is, per always, the
(Continued on page 45)

Miami Beach, Dec. 30.
The trend to production shows,
sans names, that is prevalent
among botel-cafes here this winter
can be traced to the Fontaine¬
bleau’s enlargement of its La
Ronde Room from 450 to 800 ca¬
pacity. That plus tlie booking by
prexy Ben Novack of the cream of
available top names at their high
asking fees.

With the Edeii Roc and the Latin
Quarter skimming off t h o s e left
In that upperbracket roster, the
La Ronde still remains with the
most costly lineup of talent ever
booked by* a cafe for a winter sea¬
son in this resort’s high-paying
history.

Not only did Novack enlarge the
poshery’s capacity (the ringside pit
alone seati over 400) but he in¬
stalled a brand new stage in the
addition, complete to dressing
rooms and fly-loft, with theatre-
type lighting and sound booth ar¬
rangements.

The expensive rebuild (reported
costing close to $500,000) took
longer than originally planned, due
to some damp weather that held up
completion in final days, resulting
in an aborted five-day stay for the
lineup’s preem act, Polly Bergen.
She’ll be followed tomorrow (Wed.)
by Jack Carter and Della Reese;
then, in succeeding weeks, Shirley
Jones & Jack Cassidy, Red Skel¬
ton, Jack Benny with Gisele Mac-
Kenzie, Judy Garland, Frank Sin¬
atra. Bid-for toppers to fill out
the schedule are Harry Belafonte
and Milton Berle, among others.

The- La Ronde is now the'largest
one-section layout In the arei. The
Eden Roc cab accommodate 750
when its foldback wall at rear is
opened to add to its original 600.
The Americana ditto, from 450 to
900; the Carillon can set up for
600-750 while the Deauville holds
650. Of the indies, Copa City is a
60O-seater when jammed.

PoUy Bergen Socks Over
The La Ronde, without any
posts or pillars, is of amphitheatre
design with three tiers. In a room
of this vast size, a performer, tp
click, will have to be an authorita¬
tive one with an act that holds at¬
tention. In Miss Bergen's case, she
more than filled the demands. Her
“miniatxure” revue, with six male
aides, came off to appreciative
quiet by a jampacked aud in the
ballad segments; to rising reaction
in the upbeat and terp segments
and a sock finale, her Helen Mor¬
gan ' “story” reprise, while she
perched on an oldfashioned up¬
right.

It was the first time the new
stage was tested, and all of It
came off with a fluidity beli'eing
the fact that Miss Bergen had only
an hour or so of time for re-
hearsaL (They were still laying
the carpets three hours before
curtain.) The overall effect was '
one of sure, sound showmaking.

Drake ‘Aces’ BUI
Tossed on cold.to open the show,
Alan Drake rated kudos for' the
efficient, confident manner with
which he approached the difficult
spotting. He worked out his mate¬
rial in steady, well-timed and
punching manner, deig^te jnike
troubles and stUl-at-dlBner aiudi-
tors. He more than earned the
warm reception at his windup. The
guy has a slew of new and topical
waggery that garnered him growing
laugh returns. The enlarged Sa-
casas orch was conducted for Miss
Bergen by Luther Henderson Jr.
with skill. Lary.

Store a Cad, Pro Santa,

77, Complains to SCAD

Albany, D^c. 31.

A 77-year-oId professional Santa
Claus last week filed with the State
C^ommission Against Discrimina¬
tion here a complaint that a local
department store had not rehired
him this year, because of his age.

A new state law bars an employer
from discriminating against a job
applicant because ^ age, provided
the person is physically able to do
the work.

Commissioner J. Edward Con-
Way of SCAD Is investigating the
complaint of George Disser, a re¬
tired leather goods worker me¬
chanic who started to 'play Santa
in an Albany store six years ago.

44 WUtWWmn _WgJngtday, December 31, 1954

unevT CLUB reviews

45

Wednesday, Decemlicr 31, 1958

Riviera, N« Y«

Bill Miller presentation of harry
Steelers “Smart Affairs of 1959”
tpith. Larry Steele, Mauri Leighton,
“Jaye Monroe/* Wanderers (4),
Leonard Sc Leonard, Lon Fontaine,
Sir Lionel Beckels, Fouchee Dan¬
cers, Beige Beauts & Beaux, Choir
(6), Sy Oliver Orch, La Playa
Sextet; producer, Steele; choreog¬
rapher, Fontaine; costumes, Johnny
Allen, music Sc lyrics, Steele; $6,
16.50 minimurns.

A lot of years have passed since
Harlemania was a strong vogue
for Broadwayites. In the Prohibi¬
tion erajS^-a trip to the environs of
135th St. meant exciting entertain¬
ment. With good reason, too. Ethel
Waters, Florence Mills, “Snake-
hips” Tucker, Duke Ellington, Bill
Robinson, Cab CaUoway were
names that drew. In addition, ex¬
citing music from original scores
by Rube Bloom, Jimmy McHugh,
Ellington, Ted Koehler, et al, pro¬
duced tremendous hits.

Conversely, even with all these
attributes, Harlem entertainment
has always had a rough time break¬
ing through on Broadway. The Cot¬
ton Club tried it outhe present site
of the Latin Quarter, so did the
Kit Kat, so did Connie Immerman.
The nearest was the comparatively
long run of the Zanzibar. The Club
Savannah in the YiUage looks like
the sole exception.

Larry Steele’s venture on Broad¬
way at Bill Biller’s Riviera (nee the
illfated Lou Walters’ Cafe de Paris,
nee the Arcadia ballroom) which
preemed Friday (26) lacks lift of
exciting new talents and music, and
dazzling choreography. This show
has been a hit in Miami Beach,
Atlantic City and elsewhere. But
like many a show biz item that gets
raves out-of-town, Broadway is a
different matter. Steele, who has
been on Broadway at the old La
Conga, has apparently reckoned
contemporary tastes in terms of
more than a decade ago. The pres¬
ent show could be a nervous hit
If it were pruned dowi^ to running
length of about 70 minutes. At least
the pace would be zippy enough for
thfr patronage to overlook a lot of
Items.'

However, there are several at¬
tributes that indicate the BiU Mil¬
ler venture can be around for a
long time. For one thing. Miller
has himself a. pair of opulent part¬
ners who can afford to keep the
spot running, should they so desire.
Eor another thing, Lou Walters
who rehuUt this room, designed a
basically sound structure, altered
only slightly with the addition of
a bar at the far end. More than
that, a nitery can always come up
from under when headliners come
tn. What Miller does during the
hazardous post-holiday run will de¬
termine the future of this site.
Miller has Donald O’Connor in
reserve.

Indications of the power of the
regard the cafe crowd has for
MBler is seen by the fact that there
were more than 1,000 turned away
at the preem—a miracle consider¬
ing the newspaper blackout. ’They
packed in about 1,000 at a $12.50
prixe-fixe dhmer- opening night.
^In this layout, there are some
stars. The costuming for one, and
there were some production num¬
bers; is an old style to be sure,
that coihe off. Producer Steele’s
original songs have no listenability
and there were no outstanding acts.
What IS severely missing is a stand¬
out comedy session. WiUie Lewis
In chef costume, working from the
audience engages in lengthy ban-^
Steele. It lacked belly-

The acts seemingly haven’t a
chance in his melange. Mauri
Leighton, who has done well in
the Intimerles works against the
room for the greater part of her
turn. She reminds of Ethel Mer-
Her big number, “So Many
Beautiful Men,” didn’t come off too
V simple reason that she

had lost her audience long before
then. Overlength seemed to be the
fault of mo^ acts.

Leonard & Leonard in an old-
' interspliced gab

without sparkle. They might give
the show a faster start without the
encore. Another terp item is
Jaye Monroe,” a blonde Negro
stnpteuse, doesn’t work with
finesse nor does she . infuse the
» spirit of raucous fun in her shed¬
ding.

Fouchee Dancers in the West
Indies manner, comprise two boys
and a girl, backed by their own
conga drummer who, despite their-
artiness, could alter their routines
iomewhat to fit into a more com¬
mercial channel. MGM recording
Quartet, The Wanderers, seem to
set a bad deal in their situation,
t^mmg toward the close of the

I how, when everything seemed a
ost cause, they indicate a measure
of vocal ability in their closing mo¬
ments. -

• j There is one questionable pro-
®uction number that doesn’t con-
•tipte good cafe entertainipent.
_The Man With the Golden Jkrm"

addict, has choreographer Lon
Fontaine in the title role, and Sir
Lionel Bickels, with body in gilt
paint, portraying his souL It’s a
bitter thing, which could be a good
|i,contrast in a show with a lot of
comedy, but this layout is without
levity.

A well-drilled vocal group works
in the background, ana Sy Oliver
is a skilled batoner in tffls situa¬
tion. $lobert, famed ex-Versailles
maitre d’hotel, moved over from
Le Cupidon, helms tfie greeting
staff here. He’s always a big plus
to any establishment. Jose.

Hotel Plaza^ N. Y.

Carol Channing, with George
Bauer; Ted Straeter and Mark
Monte orchs; $3=-$4 cover.

•The Persian Room looks set not
only for a - bullish New Year’s eve
and holiday season business with
the return of Carol Channing but
win probably pan beaucoup $3 and
$4 cover charges between now and
Lilo’s advent into this Hotel Plaza
flagship room comes Jan. 28.
Comedienne peddles her zany hu¬
mor and special song wares to the
hilt, doing nearly an hour to solid
returns. On preem night a some¬
what “firstnight” aura punctuated
the proceedings,' outfronters in¬
cluded Anita Loos, who authored
her “CJentlemen Prefer Blondes”
click musical, and Jide Styne, pro¬
ducer-composer of same.

Miss Channing, for all her studi¬
ous gawkiness, makes her comedic
ungainly stance pay dividends. In
contrast, she has an excellent “hat
face” so that the sundry “charac¬
ter” chapeaux not only set the
motifs such as for her silent movie
siren, flapper-age, dumb-stripper
and kindred routines, but she looks
attractive therein.

Opening, night enthusiasm may
have influenced the somewhat
overlength running time although,
basically, the strip number could
be cut. Therein, incidentally, she
has an excellent assist in her per¬
sonal drummer, Sammy Goldstein
(introduced by her, . along with
George Bauer, personal pianist-
conductor, a reunion after ICl years
when she first came to attention
in Charles Gaynor’s “Lend An
Ear,” intimate revue from the
Coast).

Gaynor, too, took a bow preem
night, and. that ended that. Miss
Channing laughed-off the customer
intros as a corny Las Vegas habit,
but the little she did was under¬
standable.

Comedienne does her stuff with
the assist of a colored maid, who
brings on the glass diamonds for
the audience-participation bit, and
a portable screen for the costume
changes. She has also had large as¬
sist from the competent Ted
Straeter orch, sans the maestro
who is recuperating from an ill¬
ness, with Bauer (doubling from
NBC musical chores) as the
batonlst.

Her credits run the gamut from
a Sophie Tucker impression to an
upcoming George Bums tv guester
on Jan. 6. Her numbers include
some new ones, such as “Good Way
To Lose a Man”; the Spanish
claves musician; the silent screen
siren who couldn’t understand whs^
her peculiar whistling'-speech kay-
oed her for the talkers; and “Home¬
sick Blues,” a good lyric from
“Gents Prefer.” ’ Abel.

Hotel Roosevelt9 N. O.

New Orleans, Dec. 25-
Helen Traubel, Pete Pederson,
Janis Garber, Julio Maro, Jan Gar¬
ber Orch; $2.50 'minimum; $4 Sat¬
urday.

Helen Traubel, showcased .in
the plush Blue Room for two
weeks, exudes all the elegance of
her operatic background. Opening
on Christmas night, a capacity
audience was on hand^ to greet
fugitive from Metopera.

Miss Traubel maintains rapport
with her audience via an assort¬
ment of classics, standards and pops
that range from Puccini’s “La
Boheme” to a rousing version of
“St. Louis Blues.”

The diva employs no gimmicks,
letting her pipes do fullest justice
to. the wide variety of tunes. She
closes with a take off on Jimmy
Durante and a rowdy “Bill Bailey,
Won’t You Please Come Home.”
Has to beg off.

Pete Pederson, teeing off, is an
ingratiating and talented harmon¬
ica player who combines comedy
with music.

Pederson essays a wide variety
of tunes In a session that ranges
from numerous classics to “Ghost
Riders In The Sky.” While he
leans heavily on the longhair stuff,
he also does nostalgic tunes and
pops.

Jan Garber orch, longtime iaves
here. Is back for the winter sea^
son and pack the dance , floor with
ankle-benders, before and after the
show. His young vocalists, Janis

__ I Garber, his daughter, and Julio

depicting the pIlAt of a narcotics' Maro, also share in the applauscr

Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y.

Eariha Kitt (with Jerry Dolan),
Emil Coleman Sc Bela Babai
Orchs; cover.

The Empire Room of the Wal¬
dorf-Astoria, for the third year in
r row, will go into New Year’s Eve
with a Negro headliner. Preceding
the incumbmit Eartha Kitt during
the holiday seasons were Pearl
Bailey (1957) and Lena Horne
(1956),^ both of whom did brilliantly
at the b.o. and on the floor. Miss
Kitt seems equipped to continue
that trend for the time of year.

Miss Kitt, in with a diverse rep¬
ertory, and provocative couturier-
ing, overcame a horde of handicaps
to walk off a hit at this hospice.
With an obviously nervous mien,
and forced by necessity to attempt
to rise above an overly loud orch.
Miss Kitt and the musicrew ulti¬
mately settled, down and both
reached an accord.

Miss Kitt seems to accent her
entertainment values. The feline
mannerism, her trademarked stjde,
doesn’t come through as heavily as
previously. Her tunes encompass
a lot of territory. There’s a multi¬
tude of moods as expressed in “In-
, dependent,” “Burned as a Witch,”
both pf which, incidentally, were
marred because of orchestral inter¬
ference, and thence into an easier
item, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” where^
in she sheds on outer red silk coat
which comes off sectionally, to re¬
veal a bright red-beaded sheath.
This ultimately . comes off too,
around “Shimmy Like Sister Kate”
time, and she’s in a fringed skirt,
which comes in handy for that tune
as well as her Turkish “Uska Dara”
in which she emulates Nejla Ates—^
on a polite scale, befitting the
Waldorf,

Despite the wealth of new mate¬
rial, Miss Kitt scores heaviest
when reprising such of her disk
toppers as “I Want to Be Evil,”
“Santa Baby” and “C’est Si Bon.”:
Her feline “cat” seeps out and her
haut ecole French adds a delight¬
ful touch to these efferots. Her
topper is a song of the Negev, in¬
dicating a further interest in mat¬
ters Eastern.

The i&nil Coleman orch is con¬
ducted by Jerry Dolan, who did
his chores well once he found the
right volume. Bela Babai entices
a full quota of dancers dming the
relief, and Louis presides^ at the
tape with the accustomed class.

Jose,

V The Cloister, Chi

Chicago, Dec. 23.
Jacqueline Fontaine, Gary Mor¬
ton, Ramsey Lewis Trio; two-drink
minimum.

Ample of flgmre (in strapless
Lillian Russell-type creation) and
deep of voice, Jacqueline Fontaine
draws some ripples for some indigo
gags and a couple of special num¬
bers that show a heavy hand. A
Sophie Tucker carbon is fine for
its vocal fidelity, and her “BiU
Bailey,” sans mike midst tablers,
is a shrewd getaway- Rest of her
catalog is pretty standard, but her
“I Don’t Know Why” is flavored
with a good Cockney that, given
clever scripting, could shape as a
vital bit.

Gairy Morion has honed himself
into his finest funstering shape yet,
though he could afford to prune
some of the fop slants. Comic is
topical via Miami Beach and bed¬
room-minded bachelor vacationers,
and coUects nicely from the more
hip with quickies of famous paint¬
ings talking back. Ad lib situations
nail some of the best laughs, Mor¬
ton demonstrating quick and
pointed reflexes. He’s well-paced
and works with an ingrsdiating
sinoothness.

Ramsey Lewis threesome show-
stops in click style, plus firstrate
cool entr’acte jazz. Pit.

El Morocco, N. Y.

(FOLLOWUP)

The Champagne Room of El
Morocco is the non-dansapation re¬
treat for the soft lights and the
sweet music, latter supplied by the
perennial of the piano, Karl In-
wald, and his new violin accomp,
Fred Fassler, vice Michael Kent
and vice the late Andre Bodo. In-
wald & Bodo were the original
Steinway-Strad combo and they’ve
played for them aU; John Perona’s
joint gets ’em aU and invariably
most of them get away from the
hecticism of the main room, with
its marathon terp tunes.

YorkvUle in recently years “dis¬
covered” the schmaltzy appeal of
fiddles; Chez Vito is the biggest
casher-inner with that policy, oth¬
ers have tried and flopped, but the
Champagne Room’s very profes¬
sional Inwald-Fassler team whips
up a rdusical storm from Viennese
operettas to contemporaty. Ameri¬
can musicals, from both sides of
the Volga, Dahyb'e aid Rhine, and
a .potpourri of sentimental sure¬
fires that give this room .a special
charaqter. AbeL

Miami Beach Nitery Reviews

Contiitaed from page 43

ClarfUm, Miwi Beaeli

smooth, suave, always-ln-command
cafe performer. His demeanor be¬
speak the class with which he
purveys his cqUection of standards
and specials. The velvety intoning
hits aU aud members with equal
impact. He has two leggy lovelies
as aides in his treatment of a La¬
tino beat and for a smart original*
a toiigue-in-cheeker anent a, guy
grown older. It’s an encore
builder, and that latter segment of.
his act becomes a request sesh
that could have kept him on all
evening. As is, he had to beg,
Brascia & T^bee make for an
interesting teeoff turn. Their terp
patterns are inventive, eye-hold¬
ing and get the proceedings into a
warm reaction plateau in quick
fashion. Al Sendry is an adept ba-
toneer-accompanist for Martin,
while Mai Malkin and his musicrew
are solid showbackers. Due Jan. 7
is Henny Youngman.

Di^aaville, Miami Beaeh

Miami Beach, Dec. 26.
Buddy Hackett. Xavier Cugat &
Abbe Lane with Manibo Gents
(2), Natalie Sc Victoria, Lee Martin
Orch; $3,50-$7-50 minimum.

This Is the hotel which houses
the free-to-guests (of five inns) one-
nighter name series. Withal,
operator Morris Lansburgh decided
to keep in the cafe circuit conten¬
tion and has reopened the 650-seat
Club Casanova with this lineup.
It’s a potent one at the b.d. and
Was a sellout opening night at
both shows, this on a night when
three other spots preemed their
entries.

The act Xavier Cugat and wife
Abbe jLtane have brought in is
par for the Latino-accent course.
He works Over his fractured En¬
glish readings of lyrics, conducts
the able Lee Martin orch and twin¬
kle-eyes through the emcee chore
for hia segment of the show.

Miss Lane is a high-style-gowned
bundle of curves and sexy moves.
Her vocal approach has much im¬
proved since last appearance in
these parts a couple of seasons
back. Her book contains a couple
of effectively delivered standards;
a special with (Ihigie that makes
certain the patrons know of their
happily married status; a bit with
Natalie & Victorlo, flamenco dan¬
cers who do okay in their own
heel-stomp spot. The Mambo
Gents work up mambomania
frenzy in unison and later join Miss
Lane for a fast trip-twist turn.
She carries the first, half of the
show.

It takes Buddy Hackett to pull
the affair up to smash status. He
hits a howling high almost from
walkon and keeps the yocks com¬
ing with a mixture of his familiars
—the wife, garbage disposal blues
and legit theatre experiences. It’s
when he rambles into what is vfr-
tually an ad lib session that he
sparks even heartier returns. His
observations on the hotel man¬
agement, on local tailors, other ho¬
teliers i^nd sundry topical matters
are spun fast and furious. On for
35 minutes, he encores with his
trade-marked Chinese waiter. They
pounded for more. Just about set
for Jan. 7 opening are Los Chumm-
beles de Espana for a return two-
weeker.

Latin Quarter, M. R’ch

Miami Beach, Dec. 23.

Don Arden production of “Sky
High,** starring Sophie Tucker,
with Ted Shapiro; with Holger
Sc Dolores, Romano Bros., Del
Rubio Triplets, Don Dellair, Tom¬
my Wonder, “Legs** Diamond,
Line (21), John Julioano, Cuso
Mendoza, Jose Cortez Orch; $6
minimum.

This is the.-first of the load of
production shows ready to pre¬
miere for the winter season aroimd
Miami, and rightfully it’s at the
landmark for such stagings in this
area—the southern branch of
Gotham’s LQ, on Palm Island. Per
annual custom, the Donn Arden
concept is a lush, handsomely
mounted, big-cast revue that sets—
and sustains^a fast pace to con¬
tinued aud approval;

This is Miss Tucker’s first ap-’
pearance In these parts in three
seasons, and she’s ebullient, glitter-
gowned and spry as ever. Her
dynamics belle her three score and
ten, of which over . 50 years have
been spent around the ni^t clubs.
Per always, she has herself a
bright book of new material, daz¬
zling gowns by Eathym Kuhn and,
of course, Te<f Shapito to accon^,
indulge in gab roUtihes and, fii
oha spot, - to atlOiv for costume

change, smoothly handle a standup
chatter routine. He’s a plus to her
rhythqied-talk routines that entail
the wise—and funny—observations
on wayward husbands, the younger
^set in show biz; a straight “philos¬
ophy” segment in the nostalgia
mood that reprises the hits she’s
been associated with through the
half-century and finally, an aud-
participation in “Some Of These
Days” that turns into a serenade
to La. Soph by the patrons.

She has show-stop calypso top¬
per, complete unto gold-lame tight
pants, with strut aroimd stage
for the spur to continuing heavy
palm payoffs. And, in the finale,
she’s at home in a bright minstrel
show concept, with hoop skirt and
picture hat, to tie the whole into
a click.

Standouts among the support¬
ing acts are Holger & Dolores, a
begoff turn. This European dance
team is strictly class. The femme
is a scantily-clad slender, lissome,
seemingly boneless acro-dancer
manipulated by her partner, a
husky, professorial looking type
in tails, with a pate that is nearing
a Yul Brynner look. Her bends
and twists raise gasps and eon-'
stant mitting. The performance by
the duo is brought off with a con¬
fidence and aplomb that add to
impact.

Tommy Wonder is an agile
hoofer throughout, while the
Romano Bros, gamer howls and
mitts' in equal proportion with
their clowning and aero.

“Legs” Diamond an “import”
from the Minsky shows, grinds out
a writhing routine, on and off a
small table, to hold the eyes and
raise gasps among the femmes,
albeit she eschews doffing of
garments this side of nudity. The
anticipation she created suffices.

The Del Rubio Triplets make for
a capable femme singing act on
their own, and buttress the pro¬
duction numbers.

Alden girls are the best-looking
crop to play in this winter home
for showgals and dancers in many
a season. The costumes by Freddie
Wittop are ingenious in their
design; the flesh-expose is there,
but held to good taste In designs
of the skimpy outfits.

It’s Sophie Tucker, however,
that they are coming to see; at
wind she has to return after finale
for a series of bows and finally, a
thankyou bit during which she
manages to kudos the cast and
the producer. At show caught,
they wanted more. Lary.

Eden Roc, Miami Bench

Miami Beach, Dec. 26.
Anna Maria Alberghetti (with
Jerry Antes Sc Pepe DeChazza),
Paul Gray, Ballet et Florence Sc
Frederick, Jackie Heller, Walter
Nye Orch; $3.50-$7.50^tntmum.

Anna Maria Alberghetii takes to
the plush confines of the Cafe
Pompeii with an aplomb that be¬
speaks the fully rounded cafe per¬
former. Boasting a new act that
sets off facets of her personality
hitherto masked by a compara¬
tively straitlaced approach, idie
completely wins the audience in a
room noted as attracting tile “seen-
them-all” spenders who are tough
to crack.

With a pair of brisk-moving,
show-wise young male aides, Mi»
Alberghetti departs from her for¬
mer concertish concepts to serve
up a diverse blend of the operatic
and the upbeat, in which she shows
a fine knack for handling a driv¬
ing jazz arrangement. The new
touch is continued in two dance
routines with ace hoofers Jerry
Antes & Pepe DeChaza. They join
for a “Varsity Drag” revival that
is the more effective for the sur¬
prise element contained when she
reveals a trim pair of gams and
nimbly graceful ability to handle
the hoofing assignment.

Topper comes in still another
(modern-touched) staging of terps,
with a clever hat-and-hair ent^-
glement recurrence that casts a
warning spell on the tablers. The
c l im a xin g zinger comes when she
returns almost at once, in a com¬
plete change to Mme. Butterfly
costume, for show wrap-up peak-
note warbling of “Un bel di.’^ The
bowbff clamor was well earned.

Paul Gray is a last-minute book¬
ing to round out the layout, which
originally had just the Ballet et
Florence & Frederick from the
Paris Moulin Rouge as the oo-fea-
ture. Diminutive comic fits the
smarteiy*s surroundings admirably.

Ballet et Florence & Frederick
is an imaginatively costumed group
of three males and a dozen femmes
with artful stagings of diverse con-
^t. Strongest impact Is with a
Brazilian voodoo number^ Unit is
ripe for any top cafe, Lary,

46

uttvmuaw

P'.Siiefr

WtdnegJkr, Pecemher 81, 1958

Shows Out of Town

sal; llMhtinc. Ja liialzllMr; Incidajitsl
SSE* awocfcrte pro-

Abbott; by arranCMent
52? Caolion. Stars Claire BkHmu

Kgd Ste^w> Oscar Hbmo£ka> Akim Taml*
David Opato-

^^gjfttt'.'.'.'.v'.'.'.;.'/ %SSo«

^^aker .Oscar Homolka

BaM .. Hod Stelter

^*a«d . UneL Wniman

... Claire Bloom

Mott** ...Bntb WMte

..-.Freed

Perceptive casting, imagina^ve
direction and robust acting are
the assets that could spearhead
“Rashomon” into solid success,
although this story of “unhappy,
far-off things and jetties long ago’*^
Iv intrinsically specialized rather
than commercial entniainment.

followers of the motion picture
art theatres will recall the fine
Japanese picture that bad numer¬
ous key city showings and won
artistic and some boxoffice success.
Fay and Michael Kanin have taken
the same stories by Ryunosuke
Akufagawa and have woven them
into a generally striking if fre¬
quently barbaric stage play whose
setting is Kyoto, Japan, about 1,000
years ago. The substance of pic¬
ture and play are much alike. The
important question involved Is
whether “Rashomon** has enough
general audience appeal to sup¬
port It for a regular Broadway
run.

Most impressive of the assets of
the new David Susskind-Hardy
Smith production is the shrewd
casting. Combing several fields,
mostly Hollywood, the producers
and director Peter Glenville have
come up with a number of ap¬
parently In^ired choices.

Rod Steiger,^ for example, is, an
emphatic click as the predatory
bandit- wose sadistic methods are
so smoothly mixed with romantic
approach that he disrupts one sup-
posdly happy marriage. And Claire
Bloom, Who was in the" U.S, two
seasons ago with the Old Vic, is
equally impressive as the shrilly-
pro'testing, but actually thrilled
vrife.

Noel Willman is able ‘ as the
husband whose faith in his wife’s
love and loyalty takes a beating,
and there is a dignified and strik-1
ing performance by David Opa^
toshu as a priest. Two eminent
character actors. Akim Tamiroff
and Oscar Homolka, have been
recruited for the roles of the Wood¬
cutter and the Wigmaker, and they
deliver soimd and forceful por¬
trayals. I

The Kanins have kept the story
limited In time, the preem per¬
formance starting, about fi:15 and
nmning only a little over two
hours. The authors’ choice of ma¬
terial from among traditional Japa-r
nese stories seems appropriate and
sensible. Even so, the play might
seem somewhat vague and incon¬
sequential if it were not for the
fine performances, Grenville’s
well-paced and sensitive direction
and the exciting settings by OUver
Messel, given added effectiveness
by Jo Mielziner’s eloquent lighting.

"Rashomon” doesn’t fit into ary
of the regular or usual stage
grooves and it may be over the
heads of . average audiences, but
for some ^.playgoers it is exciting
entertaimpent. Waters.

liflteli im the Moeklag
Bird

Boston, Dec. 28.

Plarwriihts Co. prwenUtion «

•ct (Qto conwdy by Ed^rd

caioderbr* based on the AtnoW lUdtey
and Mary Catbeart play, ‘‘Tabitha.^ Di>
rectioa by the author; ass<^^e Moducer.
StLVl GettUeb; Scenery and Ughtiny,
Smr cnaUmes. G5w Kent. StMS Le
Billie Burke; features Una
Merkel, Biff McGuire, Clarence Derwent.
Francis Compton, Anthony -KMnble-
Gooper, Cava«la‘ Humphrey, Fe^ ^e-
bankTDonald Moffat. Angela TJiornton.
OfieiM Dec. Vt. ’Sa, at the Colonial Tbca-
ire. Boston; $5.30 top. , .

Chief Inspector.Francis Compton

Dfe^eeter Bruton ^ - Don^ Moffat
Coroner ....... Anthony Kembl«^Ceop«r

Servant . Shepp^

Fsltk Borrow. .Una Merkel

Mode Bess . • BiUle Burke

LarinlaPrendersast... Eva ^

Marthf McKendrlck.Kff. McGuire

COfflstable .„

Mr Fawcett. Fetlx Decbank

GenileAau Authority.. Clarei^ Derwent

Mary Trcainstdn . AnyelaTOornton

TxdOnston.Cavada Hamphxcy

Thljr slice of bickering life of
three old ladies who inadvertently
get mixed up with poison is a con-
gLomeration of labored comedy. It
indtidee philosophic spouting by
EvkX« Galllenne and palav^ by a
and commentator in the
"Wiraag for Godot” sort of ob-

TWe ecrambling of
hidAcr of the “Arsenic OM
Lace” type with a qrytic mrfundity
complex does not come off because

It moves at snail’s pace, and in
present form, creates little desire
to know the fimmick. The brunt
of the burden is carried ably by
the three old ladies portrayed by
Eva Be GaUienne, BDlie Burke and
Una MerkeL

The locale Is a squalid attic room
In an Fn glfah lodging house.. The
old gals are to be ousted on Christ¬
mas Eve by the cruel landlady who
bedevils them constantly and
poaches their holiday whiskey. A
mixup with the whiskey bottles
and poison crystals brings the
death of the landlady, and there is
amusing incongruity as the old bid¬
dies are apparently guilty of
murder.

For Miss Le Gallienne it is a
meaty part with latitude for com¬
edy, histrionics, and comedy play¬
ing. Una Merkel turns in a well
rounded performance. as a gentle
lady come upon evil days. Billie
Burke is cast as aii addlepate kit¬
ten-fancier, and she makes the
most of it. There are too many
characters and too much key action
outside of the central triumverate,
and few of these emerge as per-:
sonalities.

The device of having Clarence
Derwent as the Gentleman Author¬
ity and Anthony Kemble-Cooper as
the coroner ctnne on several times
behind a transparent cm*tain in
darkly lit shadows, in discussions
of the play, references -to drama
criticism and critics, etc., is clumsy
and false. In general, the play’s
theme seems heavy and the dialog
fairly trite.

Leo Kerz has done a nice job in
recreating a drab attic toom with
peeling paper and faded paint¬
work, and his lighting is highly
effective. The large cast nerforms
adequately, but only the Misses Le
Gallienne, Burke and Merkel are
able to void stock characterizations.

Incidentally, “Mocking Bird” has
been adapted from a British play,
“Tabitha,” which was presented
for a brief run in London during
the spring of 1956 by John Wild-
berg and Harold French. Guy.

Starward Ark

Washington, Dec. 26.

Eddie Dowling presentation of two-act
coTnedy-melodrama by T. Bell Sweeney.
Direction, Dowling: setting and lighting,
Ralph Alswang; costomes. Ballon; special
magical effects. Harry Blackstone. Opened
Dec; 20, '58, at the Shnbert Theatre,
Washln^on; $4.40 top.

Barker . Ron Starr

Magician ...Blackstone

Fire-Eater . Robeit Towner

Tomas . Jock Gaynor

Jonas .. Maxwell Graham

Dick . Richard Gardner

Haroun.James Wright

Koylan Khan .Kale Deel

... Sara Tal

Maria . Betty Brosmer.

Arabella ‘.Kim Smith.

DelUa .Dolores Dom-Heft

Berengarla 10th.Freddi Chandler

Adhara 6th . Greta Thyssert

Kazangian ftth.Seth Riggs

Plutonia 12th. Nina Varela

Canopus 27th. Nat Bums

“Starward Ark,” a play about
life in a rocket ship headed for the
planet Pollux, Is out of this world
In more ways than that. It’ll stay
that way.

The most to be said for this T.
Bell Sweeney play, presented and
directed by Eddie Dowling, is that
it’s ahead of its time. An attempt
at farce and also comedy and melo¬
drama, it is a threeway strikeout,
despite the evident knowledge and
imagination of the dialog.

Among the presumably plausible
scientific developments included
in the show are the non-fa^l Lreez-
ing of humans for 90 years, and
loss of gravity that sends players
sailing through the air. The story
is . about four physically perfect
couples sent to populate a fictitious
new planet.

Since the populating is to be by
the traditional manner,, the play
tmds to be crude, if . not vulgar, so
the subject is changed-to many
things, not alwaj^ sensibly. One
burst of dialog is even in the Ger¬
man language. Also in the rocket
ship with the partially dressed
lookers and their procreative part¬
ners are several super-braiUs (who
supply the coiriedy) and a notorious
Khan (symbolizing- the inevitable
evil political forces)>

On the positive side, “Starward
Ark” erffers the comedy talent of
Nina Varela and displays the com¬
ely face and figger of Greta Tbys-
sen, who is also a passable actress.

The single set and lighting by
Ralph Alswang are exceUent, bat
the costumes by Ballou are puz¬
zling. Some of the players are
dressed for a hard winter,, while
the four sex queens have only a
little chiff'- here and there.
Dowling staged it with unusual
touches of fantasy. Including the
use of Blackstone and his tricks,
of magic as the curtain ri^ and
falls. Carp.

(Closed last Saturday (27) af¬
ter three performances of a sched¬
uled four-week tryout tour.)

William Inge has a oue-act
drama, “The MalL*' in tiic January
Issue of Esquire mag.

Edward L> Bemays

rtew ef hli maHerrf

tee peMte re i e rf eea ceeweMor la

From ^Damaged
Goods* to Elsie
Ferguson

eae.ef the meay Etfterlel- Feoferet
la the

53d Anniversary Number

of

P^^RiEfr

OUT NCCT WEEK

Rrst Use of Kereetape
BackfrdiiBds Fk Pmin
Of Bnggiotti’s Balld

PalmBeach,. Dec. 26.

A new full-length American bal¬
let iS'necessarily a theatrical event,
but “The "Princess” is even niore of
an event because it was produced
and staged by a new baUet com¬
pany outside New York City. It
marks the debiit as a ballet entre-
peneur of Frank J. Hale, former

Ike Princess

Frank J, Hale and Paul Crabtree pres¬
entation <Sf tbxee-act Csevcn scenes) ballet

Iran DesebefE Mi}sic, Mario Braggiotti;
choreograpby, Jo . Anna: staged, Ted
Kneeland; costumes, Doha Faye Sokol;
sets, James M. Riley; recorded music by
Pro Arte Symphony Orchestra of London,
conducted. by Mario Braggiottl. Opened:
Dec, 2S, '58, at Royal Ponciana Playhouse;
$3.50 top 925 benefit opening).

vaudeville dancer who now heads
National Yeast. Co. and who in¬
vested a reported. $75,000 to make
'The Princess” possible.

Staged in Hale’s newly-completed
$1,500,000 Royal Ponciana Play¬
house, a jewel box of a theatre, the
ballet seems destined for popular¬
ity as a Christmas novelty com¬
parable to the N.Y. City Center
Ballet’s “Nutcracker Suite.”

Although “The Princess,” as a
ballet, is • by no means another
“Nutcracker Suite” either in music
or choreography, Braggiotti’s me¬
lodic score has charm and emotion
while Jo Ann’s libretto holds the
interest Qf the audience almost con¬
tinually. Fine performances by
Violette Verdy, Michael Maule and
Jp Anna confribute to the ballet’s
success and the performance of a
Palm Beach child Jtodigy, nine-
year-old Claudia; Cravey, stops the
show. She has all the presence of
an experienced performer and
gives piomise of a great futiu-e.

Unfortunately, “The Princess”
forces Jo Anna, the librettist, to
give too great a ta^ to Jo Anna,
the choreographer, and the result
is the introduction of scenes that
are pantomimed rather than danced
and an occasional recorded narra¬
tive chorus is entirely misused.
However, all of Miss Yerdy’s mo¬
ments orL the stage are brilliantly
choreographed and Miss Cravey
shares in this good fortune. Renata
Powers’ bird solo is also a high
spot.

Braggiotti’s music Is a treasury
of potential popular song hits.
“The Princess” achieves another
first in its use of recorded stereo¬
phonic tape for the musical accom¬
paniment.. Because no symphony
orrfiestra was available in the Palm
Beach area for the production,
Braggiotti recorded the score In
London, conducting personally the
Pro Arte Symphony Orch^tra. The
tapes were then flown to Palm
Beach and reproduced in the Play¬
house on specially desired stereo¬
phonic equipment The experiment
seemed entirely successful and may
mark the beginning of a new trend
in dance production.

“The Princess” is a fine begin¬
ning for a new ballet company and,
with polishing^ may wrfl become a
permanent part of the American
ballet repertoire as a Christmas
and kiddie matinee novelty.

Gin.

Strmwkot and Mudeat Tmd Afidmnadm

NED ARMSTRONG

racops llw ttafe of Hm Mrtea
fa am I lla Miaoi f f siery
•R.

Summer Th^re USA

!■ iIm

S3d Anniversary Number

at

OUT NEXT WKK

b^Stoi-Legit

Scott. Kirkpatrick manager of the National Theatre, WasWngtoiv
has reiterated his claim that the house is the oldest in
only for the presentation of entertainment H.e claims that the W^ut
Street, Philadelphia, although concededly older, has been used at times
as an office building and garage. As for the Dock Street Theatre,
Charleston, believed to be the oldest theatre in the country, it is »
restoration job, done with Ifockefeller money, Kirkpatrick aSsertSj

The National, which opened Dec. 7, 1835, with “The Man of tho
World,” has been closed tvricc and burned down once (pending recon¬
struction on the same site, a tempdrary hall was used for legit presen¬
tations. It has occasionally played films.

William Hofmann, who designed the sets for the off-Broadway pro¬
duction of “The Failures,” did so in his spare time as an ariny draft¬
ee. He's a P.F.C. stationed at Governor’s Island, N.Y.

Hofmann will be making his bow as a stage designer with the David
Ross-Lore Noto production, which opened last Monday (29) at the 4th
Street Theatre, N.Y. He has done book illustrations and poster and ad¬
vertising artwork for several films.

The Niagara Melody Fair, North Tonawanda, N.Y., is selling season
ti<^efs and certificates for next summer’s presentations as de¬
layed Christmas gifts. A colorful mailing piece sent out by the tent
operation includes a return, postage-paid ticket order envelope. The
1959 season is skedded to get underway June 9.

Shaws on Broadway

Ages

of Man

Jerry Lelder presentation On associa¬
tion with Tennent Productions Ltd.) of
John Gielgud in. a. one-man. reading based
on George Rylands* Shakespeare Anthol¬
ogy. Lighting, Ben Edwards; Associate
producers, Bret Adams & Sanford Leigh.
Opened Dec. 28. '58, at the 46th St.
Theatre. N.Y.; $5.75 top.

Shakespeare is having a field day
on Broadway. Britain’s Old Vic is
presenting a repertory of “Twelfth
Night,” “Henry V” and “Hamlet,”
and now John Gielgud is running
the gamut from Romeo to King
Lear in his one-man show, which
began a scheduled, four-week stand
last Sunday (28) at the 46th Street
Theatre.

Gielgud has arrived on Broadway
after a 13-week . Canadian-U.S.
tour, comprised essentially of one-
night college and imiversity stands,
and the concert-styled presenta¬
tion is better suited for student
trade than the commercial Main
Stem market. Gielgud’s irtistry in
depicting a wide range of Shake¬
spearean characters is compelling,
but he’s still giving a reading and
as such the entertainment value is
limited.

The first segment of the three-
part presentation, based on George
Rylands’ Shakespeare Anthology,
is the least effective. It deals with
youth, while the second phase in¬
volves manhood and the third old
age. Gielgud is "excellent as Rich¬
ard n and King Lear and his essay¬
ing of Hamlet’s graveyard solilo¬
quy and Romeo’s death scene are
also stimulating.

The British actor, dressed in a
tuxedo, employs only a table and
book for props. His performance
is not confined solely to character
delineation, but also Includes sev¬
eral of Shakespeare’s sonnets. 'The
poetry Is pretty, the charactw por¬
trayals vivid and the selected play
excerpts tasteful.

'There was considerable cough¬
ing at the opening night perform¬
ance, which could be interpreted
as restlessness on the part of some
of the audience. However, all was
quiet during, the more moving and
exciting portions of the program.

iess.

Henry V

(Rd Vic Tziui JAd. A Art# Council ef
Grent Britahi (under manasement ef ,S.
Harok> vreeeiitatioB ef Old Vic Co. re-
Yival of three-act drama hv William
Shakeipcarc. Direction, Michael Benthall;
decor and costumes. Audrey Cruddas;
backereond mnsiG, Frederfj^ MatahaU;
musical dh’ector, Arthur Lief. Opened
Dec. 25. '56. at the Broadw^ Tmatre.
N.Y.; $6 top.

Narratoc .. JosepR O’Conor

Henrr V ............. Laiirence Barrey

Duke of Exeter .. CBirer Neville

Earl of Westmoreland.John Bonney

Archbishop of Canterbury..JoM AcUand

Bishop ofEy .Robeit Alcar

Troma Ambassador..Roy Patrick

■ B a r do lp h ....Jamea Culllford

Nym .. Jeb Stewart

Platol .....Richard Wordsworth

Mlatresa Quicklr.....Margaret Conntdnay

Boy...Timothy Hariey

Katherine .. Judl Dench

Her Attendant. Jane Dowim

King of Franco ........ David Dowoead

Danpldn .. Peter Celller

ConaUbte of loanee........Robert Algar

Mootjoy ... John Humphry'

Duka of Orleans.Joaa Ackland

FlnelleB.... Dudley Jones

Gower ... David Gardner

Qovemor of Bhrfleur ...... Robert Algar-

Duke of Gloucester....Thomat Johnston

Duke of Bedford ..Mu^ael Culver

Sir Thoms Erphagham.:Jobn Gay

English Soldiers Peter Hodgson. James
CuUiford, Gerald Harper

Dukn ef Sallsburr----wmiam Young

Earl of Warwick.Dougla.s Harris

French Soldier.Crisplan Woedgate

ftigUalit Herald . Dydaan Lovell

Queen ef Francf... .Margaret Courtenay
Duke, of BergiXDdy- . JoaaAdriand

Others: Shnon Fraser, Timothy Harlow.
James Mellor, Peggy Butt, Jennie Goosens,
Barbaxs Lsigh-Huntf'Drsula Jenldns.

For the third and final produc¬
tion of its five-week repertory en¬
gagement at the Broadway 'Theatre,
; the did Vic Co. offered last Thurs¬
day night (25) an excellent revival
of “Henry V.” .This is not one of
Shakespeare’s better plays, how¬
ler, especially for U.S. presenta-
itfuff, and its chief-draw on Broad¬

way may be for audiences, who
want to catch up with an infre¬
quently-produced work (although
a sizable public presumably saw
the Laurence Olivier film, version,
of several years ago).

As presented .here, “Henry V” is
in three distinct and uneven parts.
The first portion, up to nearly th*
first intermission, is a talky exposi¬
tion, largely involving English his¬
tory, with a brief and apparently
irrelevant appearance of Katherine,
the French princess.

The second section Includes the
dramatic war scene.s as the almost
saintly Henry upsets the dope, by
beating the overconfident. French
army, and the brief final scene,-
almost as an afterthought, switches
mood for the romantic comedy
meeting of the victorious King
Harry and the demure French prin¬
cess.

The Old Vic’s production, as
with “Twelfth Night” and “Ham¬
let,” is unusually hght, obviously
suiting the budget to the touring
circumstances. In this . instance,
there are a few set pieces at the
sides to suggest battlements, and a
slightly variable center piece low¬
ered from the flies. The lighting
and costumes add immeasurably to
the atmosphere.

Laurence Haryey, playing his
only part in the repertory, is a
plausible and impressive Henry V,
conveying the strength, humility
and gentleness of the character, as
well as the pride and confidence of
a monarch. Oliver NeviUe is prop¬
erly forthright as the fierce Duk»
of Exeter, Judi Dench is amusing
and appealing in the small but at¬
tractive role of Katherine, and
there are effective supporting per¬
formances by Joseph O’Conor as
the N^rate ’ (billed as Chorus),
Richard Wordworth as Pistol,
James Culliford and Job Stewart
as Bardolph and Nym, Margaret
Courtenay doubling as Mistress
Quickly and the French Queen,
David Dodimead aS the King^
France and Peter Cellier as ths
Dauphin.

Michael Benthall has staged,
with, decor and costumes by Audrey
Cruddas. and the customary
tgmget-call bridges by Frederick'

Incidentally, the- “Henry '
opening was marred by the sain»
lack of co-ordination between
house manager and stage manager
as^urred at the preems of both
:“Twelfth Night” and "Hamlet”'
Again, a preliminary salvu of
trumpet calls fended to hurry late¬
comers to their seats^ hut then thr
house lights were blacked but
^ruptly and curtain was rais^
leaving many patrons In the aisle*
or ^o^g to their seats in th«
dark The mishandled curtain*
were^repeated, oiily with more dis¬
ruptive results because of the la<*
of preliminary trumpet calls, after
■both intermissions, Hobe.

I Jerry Whyte Dickeringf
‘SiannierNightfw BVay

Jerome Whyte, who returned. ^
last week from a quick trip to
England to make preliminary
preparations for a West End pro¬
duction- of “The Flower Dram'
»ng,” is negotiating for the U.S.
rights to “Hot Summer Night,’*
the Ted W illis drama about race
prejudice, currently at the New
Theatre, London.

Whyte, besides serving as a pro¬
duction aide on “Flower Drum,’^
has been looking around for a ahow
to present on his own, either on.
Broadway or in London. Emil*
Summer

Jfight m London, would presuim
^ ^ * N^ew York

edlnoii of the play.

Wednesday, Decemher 31, 1958

UMBrnMAlK

47

PARTY AGENTS ON THE PAN

Hub Now Having Lean Legit Times

By GUT LIVINGSTON

Boston, Dec. 30.

What’s happened to legit in Bos¬
ton? Once a city with five active
legit houses, it has shrunk to three,
the Colonial, Wilbur and Shubert.
But the town was still going strong
last season and opened promising¬
ly this season with all three houses
lighted.

However, the bottom suddenly
fell out last month with no book¬
ings. ’ For the first time in the
memory of local managers there
will he only one show on the
boards* for New Year’s Eve patrons,
the tryout of “Listen to the Mock¬
ing Bird,’’ which opened Satur¬
day (27) at the Colonial for two
weeks.

The Wilbur_ has been dark for
eight weeks. The Colonial had been
dark for two weeks, and the
Shubert since the Thanksgiving
night exit of “Flower Drum Song.”

The prospect for 1959 is spotty.
The Old Vic is hooked for the
Shubert for week of Jan. 12, and
new musical tryout, “Juno,” is
skedded for three weeks beginning
Feb. 3. The Colonial also has book¬
ings, but the Wilbur, which was
given up by the Shuberts two sea¬
sons back and operated by Mike
Kavahagh successfully last year.
Is imderstood to be available for
sale or lease. The house has no
bookings scheduled.

There were reports that several
stock company groups were nego¬
tiating for the Wilbur, both from
the Hub area and New York. In
the meantime, local repertory conv
panies are springing up. One
group, the Charles Playhouse, is
operating in a 300-seat reconverted
night club near the Shubert Thea¬
tre, has already presented “Iceman
Cometh’’ and opened “Hotel Para-
diso” last night (Mon.).

Egghead operations, are also be¬
ing formulated by several groups,
iach as the Cambridge Drama Festi¬
val, which centered its efforts in-
Harvard’s Sanders Theatre, but is
moving into a tent for next sum¬
mer for a series of artistic presen¬
tations.

In the meantirne however, legit
offerings on their way to Broad¬
way seem to be by-passing Boston.
Hub has. received fewer tryouts
this season than ever. Other cit¬
ies, such as Washington and Phila¬
delphia, are getting preference.

M-C Deal for ‘neecing’
Calls for $70,000 Down,
With $250,000 Ceiling

The pre-production sale of "The
Golden Fleecing” film rights to
Metro Involves a $70,000 down pay¬
ment and another $70,000 w'hen
the Lorenzo Semple Jr. play opens.
On the basis of the regular 60-40
apllf between the author and pro¬
duction that will give the latter
$50,400, after deduction of 10%
coinmlssions, as its share of the
basic film revenue.

If the Courtney Burr-Elliot
Nugent play continues. on Broad-
tvay for eight weeks, the film com¬
pany will then pay an additional
amount equal to 10% of the show’s
Main Stem gross for that period.
The ceiling on the entire deal is
$250,000. The production is also
to share in 10% of the profits on
film.

Hal March has been set for the
lead role in the production, which
is scheduled to begin a tryout tour
Jan. 28 In Atlantic City.

Pidochry Fest Troupe
Set for Canadian Tour

^ Ottawa, Dec. 30.

The Pitlochry- Festival Theatre
Co. win tour Canada next fall. Ken-
peth Ireland, artistic director of
the Scot company, was in Toronto
recently to make arrangements.

The group’s repertory will likely
toclude Oscar Wilde’s “The Ideal
Husband,” James Bridie’s “The
Switchback” and a new play.

Wrong Spouse-Casting

Music Corp. of America veep
Freddie Fields was incorrectly
Identified as Gisele • MacKen-
zie’s husband in last week’s
Variety story concerning the
singer’s withdrawal, because nf
pregnancy from her costarring
stint in the upcoming Broad¬
way production, of “First Im¬
pressions.” Miss MacKenzie’s
husband is Bob Slmttleworth,
her manager.^

Fields is the husband of Pol¬
ly Bergen, who’s been signed
to replace Miss MacKenzie in
musical version of Jane Aus¬
ten’s “Pride and Prejudice.”

Try Ma3 Boost
For‘Goldy,’‘Angel’

Direct mail promotion for
Broadway shows Is getting increas¬
ing play from producers in an at¬
tempt to holster Reclining busi¬
ness. In recent weeks, “Goldi¬
locks” ■ and “Look Homeward,
Angel” have sent out separate form
letters with the same basic pitch
for patronage.

The angle used by both produc¬
tions was that tickets were being
withheld from normal channels for
a limited period, so that the man¬
agements could give top priority to
mail order requests. In the case of
“Goldilocks,” the move was ob¬
viously made to offset the recent
end of the show’s heavy advance
sale. ■

Business for the musical, pro¬
duced by Robert Whitehead, has
dropped drastically in the past two
weeks from a virtual sellout pace
stemming primarily from a hefty
pre-opening mail order sale and
theatre party hookings. The de¬
cline for the Don Ameche imd
(Continued bn page 48)

By JESSE GROSS

Theatre party agents took a ver¬
bal beating last week in a series of
legit-slanted programs on WNTA-
TV.- Vituperative commits were
aired over the New Jersey station
by individuals connected with the
Broadway and off-Broadway the¬
atre. -

The agents were taken over the
coals during discussion sessions on
David Susskind's "Open End” stan¬
za Dec.-23 and a special off-Broad-
Way program last Friday (26), also
emceed by Susskind. The theatre
pwty angle didn’t come into play
on a third program Thursday (25)
devoted solely to downtown New
York’s Phoenix Theatre.

The spread of shows provided
much-needed publicity for a num¬
ber of productions in view of the
New York newspaper blackout. The
off-Broadw.^ session, which ran
from midnight until 2 a.m., com¬
bined conversation and promotion
through the spotlighting of scenes
and performers from various. off-
Broadway shows. A ^ster covering
a number of productions was prom-
(Continued on page 48)

DINERS CLUB SERVICE
EXTENDING TO LEGIT

The Diners Club, already offer¬
ing charge-it service for selected
films, is extending its coverage to
legit. The theatre service, to be
expanded to Broadway, Is being
launched with an out-of-town
break-in at the new 43d Street
Theatre, Philadelphia.

The PMlly house, set up along
the lines of an off-Broadway oper¬
ation, gets underway Jan. 12 with
a fortnight’s booking of “Potting
Shed.” Diners Club members will
be permitted to sign for tickets in
lieu of direct payment. The Club’s
ticket purchase plan also covers
•mail orders.

The “Shed” production, inci¬
dentally, will also be presented
Sundays by the Broadway Chapel
Players at the Broadway Congre¬
gational Church, N.Y.

Fbrry o( Folds Bo|is B’way, Road;
iplops m N.Y, $ Closings On Tour

Trollop Waiver*

Washington, Dec. 30.

The Opera Society of Wash¬
ington has met a major prob¬
lem head-on in casting “The
Rake’^s Progress.”

The Igor Stravinsky work
calls for a chorus of trollops
and “roaring hoys.”

Explained the local opera
group’s conductor, Paul Calla-.
way: “We are asking the ladies
to sign releases stating that
they will not object to being so
described in the program. The
’roaring boys’ are no problem.

I can get them dime a dozen.”

The opera will be performed
here Feb. 12, 13 and 15^

TaiH^-Cronph
‘Triple’ on B’way

“Triple Play,” the hill of one-
acters in which Jessica Tandy and
Hume, Cronyn costarred on the
strawhat circuit last summer, will
be brought to Broadway in the
spring by the Theatre Guild, in
partnership with Dore Schary. The
production is slated to go into* re¬
hearsal Feb. 9, play tuneup stands
March 2-7 at the Royal Poinciana
Playhouse, Palm Beach, and March
9-21 at the Cocoanut Grave Thea¬
tre, Miami, opening in New York
the week of March 30 for a limited
engagement at an unspecified
house.

There will be one major change
in the bill, the replacement of Benn
Levy drama, “The Island of Cipan-
go,” by a playlet to be selected.
The rest of the show, consisting of
Sean O’Casey’s “Bedtime Story”
and “Pound on Demand,” and the
Anton ChekoY monolog, “On the
Harmfulness of Tobacco,” will be
retained. Cronyn will direct, as he
did the strawhat version.

. The managements of the Palm
(Continued on page 48)

ON SALE NEXT WEEK!

The

53rd Anniversary

Edition

Of

NEW York 3$
154 W. 46tli it.

HOLLYWOOD 2t
6404 Smset Blvd.

PARIS, 28 rw* Hachett*

CHICAGO 11 LONDON. W. C. t

612 N. Michigaa Ave. • 8 St. Martin's Plac*

Trafalgar Sqncira

ROHE, Stampa Estera

Broadway and the road are hav¬
ing a rash of closings. There was
one Main Stem fold last Saturday
(27) and another is scheduled for
next Saturday (3). Two other shows
will . exit Broadway later this
month for hinterland treks. The
road, which had a tiyout casualty
last Saturday, loses four more en¬
tries at the end of this week and
anoUier next Tuesday (6).

The out-of-town closings, partic¬
ularly the upcoming collapse of
two regular touring productions,
“Sunrise at Campobello” and the
New York company of “Li’l Ab¬
ner,” continues to accentuate the
drastic decline in road activity.
“Sunrise,” which has been touring
since last October with Leif Erick¬
son as star, will call it quits next
Tuesday In Toledo, while “Abner,”
which went on the road last No¬
vember, following a Las Vegas ni-
tery stand, wraps up next Satur¬
day In Toronto.

The estimated loss on the road
company of “Sunrise,” financed by
the Theatre Guild and Dore
Schary from profits on the current
Broadway production of Schary’s
play will he nearly $150,000. That’s
based on heavy out-of-town operat¬
ing losses, plus production costs,
which totalled $68,807 in a Nov.
1 accounting. The washout of “Ab¬
ner,” produced by Norman Pana¬
ma, Melvin Frank and Michael
Kidd, isn’t figured as costly, since
it ran fewer weeks and didn’t in¬
volve establishing^ a second com¬
pany. ^

“Romanoff and Juliet,”’ starring
Peter Ustinov, also closes next Sat¬
urday in Chicago. But, that’s due
to a contractual commitment With
Ustinov and does not reflect poor
business. The David Merrick pro¬
duction has been one of the strong¬
er post-Broadway straight plays to
tour this season and has earned
a substantial profit on an $80,000
investment.

. Last Saturday’s tryout fold was
Eddie Dowling's production of T.
Bell Sweeney’s “Starward Ark.”
The play, capitalized at $75,1)00,
With provision for 20% overcall,
closed after three performances at
the Shubert Theatre, Washington.

Another tryout that’s capsizing
(Continued on page 52)

‘Dillon’ Reopens Jan. 12
At$3.60Top&llGNnt;
Is on Interim Booking

“Epitaph for George Dillon” will
reoperi Jan. 12 at Henry Miller’s
Theatre, N.Y., with the lowest scale
on Broadway. Tickets ior nlatinee
and evening perforinances will inin
from $2.30 to a .$3.60 top. The
weekly break-even is figured at
$11,000 and the potential capacity
^oss at the 946-seater will be
$ 20 , 000 .

The John Osborne-Anthony
Creighton play has been booked
into the theatre on an interim hASls
through Feb. 21. It has to vacate
the house at that time to make
way for the incoming “Look After
Lulu,” the Noel Coward play,
which the Playwrights Co. is pro¬
ducing with Lance Hamilton and
Charles Russell.

Norman Twain and Bernard Mil¬
ler, who acquired the rights to the
drama after its recent three-week
(Continued on page 48)

Skirl Conway Set For
Anstralian ‘Marne’ Tonr

Shirf Conway, who p!ayed the
title role in “Aimtie Marne” on tie
tent circuit last summer, will re¬
peat the assignment in Australia.
A six-month tour is scheduled to
start In mid-February at the Prin¬
cess Theatre, Melboiume. The
actress will leave the U.S. next
Monday (5).

The Australian edition of the
Jerome Lawrence-Rohert E. Lee
adaptation of the Patrick Dennis
novel will be produced by Garnet
Carroll and directed by Eddie
Baylis.

MuD Keepng Kone Service

Info and Reservation Setup Made 300 Sales For
$2)D60 in 6 Days of Press Strike

The telephone information nd ClibUTll^S Bi? B*0.

WeeTt'^T off Broaf MinneapoUs. Dec. 30. The union notiffed the ^cfor that ^rograk wito iBe'sides talking about the play, h^B

way theat?efas S proraoaon^^^ Although not scheduled until the name Bobby Short is already wL produc J-direcforg Car- mentioned and showed plat^dsi^^

ure^ duriS?the publSS“S?. Feb. 8/the Van Clibur^ register ed by a New York m ember. capalbo, Jose Quintero dicating the b.o. pm^^

down of New York’s major daffies with the Minneapolis Symphony . Gus Schirmer Jr., and playwright Box Theatre, w. mW

resulted in around 3,000 calls as of orchestra at a special concert "ot ^ , ^thur Laurents. Capalbo and. producLon is schedul P

last Simday night (28). The service included among the season’s senes Quintero have also been act^e <jn Jan. 27. cnecial deliv^

was started the previous Tuesday has gone clean. IflCrnCK UvlDE Broadway in the dmil capacity of Wed )^des^

afternoon (23). Season ticket holders and guar- the telecak^

Around 300 sales were made for antor had first crack at the fickets • currently repr^ented o;i-Brosidway ^ about 250 telephone caffs

one or more tickets with the tnbil and all of them bought, taking l_17f%dT III VltmilV by the production of lime of the were aiso aooui isau rvirtav

revenue hitting about $2,000. Rep- a good slice of the available 4,600 tljPSy 111 ^ about^le^new mailorders ^it about

resentatives of the 13 thektres were seats, before mail orders. r .‘West Side Stoj^» and has Md about^56 ^^^^^°7oo"telephon«

slated to meet yesterday afternon ____ TX •J m ■ > calls-Ed^

(’Tues.) to discuss their ad-publicity K^|||PC |lAc|l'y ou?nter^ ^werc ^mScuiSv Guesting on the stanza, besides

situation noyv that the newspapers ^DlllOll’ RSOBBRS UCOMICO 1/COli J lS)ut‘^rp£S^a^^ Styne, were Michael Benthaff jmd

are back on the stands- The group " -rv • 1 -u » v + ♦ tritHncr at tkp «spwn Tnaior Laurence Harvey, currently in New

Is Involved in certain month-long continned trom page 47 === Merrick, who s abwt to ^tting York with the Old Vic, as director-

deals, which started last week and „ put his production of- “Destry agents, without mentioni^ names, wuu luc » ’ .^potivelv

for which thev’ve alreadv allotted Golden Theatre, N.Y., Hides Again” into rehearsaLis also Capalbo .was .bitter in his estima- t o ine an/i^prform-

fo^which theyve already allotted scheduled it for an S aSad Sis LasoT with the tion of their ability to judge a play.

j.,. f j + 1 , ♦ « 41 , interim booking at the 54th Street presentation of the Ethel Merman Be also blamed the party agents ers Ben .

Theatre. The opening there was starrer, “Gypsy," to be done in for adding to the difficulty of Jet-
matters to be discuss^ was a sug- ^elaved because of the newspaper T^ar+nprcTiin T.«ianH Wavwarrt ting a ulay into production. den ,and Adolph Green jeuned

Bol^ Short Becotnet ^ ^ ^

.Paitr Hieiits «• w«""

Robert Short, jmvenile ,at the -—j—^sas^=s Coitfniied from pae* 47 s=====f*

Margo Jones 'Theatce here, has . anS fWre"were j starting time had been a half-hoM

adopted his fatber^s name, Lester gently ^ ran tmttt

Sbok for proforslonar- 1 .* The w^s eponsored

change was miade in compliance ® on behalf of his upcommg produ^

with the Actors Equity rule pro- Hnkati»d iiv the sta^ tion Of “Rashomon.” Susslond pur-

hibiting duplication of names ^dentally, was donated 1)y the bU- uonji

among its members; • ^ - the discussion each) at a cost of about $400.$500.

The union notiffed the actor th^ mogr^ with Suss- Besides talking about the play, h^e

Season ticket holders and guar¬
antor had first crack at the tickets

‘Dillon’ Reopens

Merrick Doing
'Cypsy in ^ring,
Besides Vestry’

; Continued from page 47 ;

4 « Ki on, ^ ^ Theatre. The opening there was Utarrer, “Gypsy," to

matters to be discussed was a sug- c^piovpd because of the newsnaper T,o,-+T,tt,.et,iT, T,rt4K t

SicHnrf delayed because of the newspaper partnership with Leland Hayward, ting a play into production. 4 11 on affpr ouSi

tie-up, which ended last weekend. Both shows will be fuff-scale musi- _C^albo used the term "Tcookie AAn

tied in with the teleifcone service, producers decided

at a small extra charge.

Off-B’way Bdtm B’way I wouiG nave naa lo remnquisn me [ trypsy - wouia propaoiy ue ae-i I need for actors to have some

M premises to “Legend of Lizzie,” f erred until autumn. I Vs stiff pos- scheduled to_ opm on where they can perform the

Kecoonieildaooiis Ol wMch was originally scheduled to sible that the latter musical may Broadway soon was in tte g^® ^

U J I U r °P®° there Jan. 26, bnt has since not leach Broadway until fall, as antt-agents cpiner, Indicating they ^^sms, umon promems

Modern LaMnane Group postponed its preem date to Feb. there’s talkof affate-spring tryout hadn’t reacteij too favorably to Jhe and the Method of

nff UnnaHHaitney Arthur-Nat Stevens in the east and then a summer run Fay md Micnael Ka^ adaptation _ _ among topics dis-

production of Reginald Lawrence’s on the Coast, under Edwin Lester’s on the pre^e toat it was arty, g ^ . S P

play will open the 54th Street Civic Light Opera. subscription which he stated. Is what l^e wants ^ function of theatre party'

fourinalistoft)roductlon3“highly X ^ X. . ^ it to be. However, he referred to

recommended-- by tbe Modem “^»trv» i, beta, financed et them »s “ladies.”

^.xd^diuu^ UACU luo Lcxm jk.uujsj.c o- ~r .■ -r X XU-

birds” in referring to the agents, timir own show at the Gidd-

while Quintero called them “har- Theatre, N. Y. .xe_^

switch to Miller’s because more Although “Destry” had already while Quintero called them “har- %uArmanent acting
I time is available there. been set for production durihg the Pies’’in asserting that they d^de ^^9^^ Ir&sh Tnd AmLicaf

At the 54th Street. “Epitaph" spring, it had been figured that which shows get produced. Suss- comgmes ^ntisn ^na ^

□uld have had to relinquish the “Gypsy" would^ ^obably d^ hi nTed Sis to have soS

would have had to relinquish the [

without an out-of-town tryout. .

attendlM orE^ *“■ <^osterred In “Epitaph” at ?325,000, w«b provision lor an as- CaP*n«.. incident^y, also has a
ilation’l Sull cMilL^e It ^tSe Golden under the production yet unspecified overcaff, probably Play. Wiffi^ M^chants Faster,
StatW HiCr Hotel ^ laS auspices of David Merrick and 10%. Theatre parties, are cur- Faste^’ which he’s plai^g for
to'k ieS wlll_.repeat. their renUy ^i^^Unednp for the show. Broatoy proteUon. md t^^^

Eileen Herlle and Robert Stev-

setup. However, he referred to

^‘Destry” is being financed at t^iem as "ladies.”

Friday-Monday (26-29). In * sec- ^osnua ^ogan, win repeat ineir
ondary list of just “recommended” ^oles In the Twam-Miller offering,
shows, the count \^as four on n ■

Broadway and two off-Broadway.

The “highly recommended” TandV-CriHIVB

shows on Broadway Included ■ oiMaJlil WllJM __

“Touch of the Poet,” “Two for the j^-r^ Continued from page 47 jcontract as femme star doesn’t re- His attitude was summed up In the a^nt

Seesaw,” “West Side Story” and +>,x., 4 v.oo «,nT k,, quire her to go on the road and she form of a question, to the others.

“J.B.” The off-Broadway entries in to remain in “Wouldn’t you like to operf with

that category Included “Ivanov" responsible for the physical pro- .lu xcxxxoxxx xxx .. .„ ^ -fit craamzattons to sponsor partiet

“Qi5are Felll^.’-4ucible.’’.“Salad The ?ome® Andy G^iffi will star in “Des- In rkpping Broadway, Laurents

Days” and “Power and the Gloiy.” try,” with Michael Kidd as director revealed that he hated the original

“LookHomewatd.Apgel.” musical. taSd oh Ito Brand’s wouldn't tdte direction, but that P™!f-

(The function of theatre purty
agents seems to be widely tnisun- .
derstood in legi% even arpong
those in the trade. Party agents
are all independent operators loith
various degrees or shades of. taste
and judgment. They are xtHke^

roles In the Twain Miller offering. _ / , T,v.n_ few oar

perial, N. Y., where Merrick’s pro- few party bookings. Laurents, who
duction of “Jamaica” is currently had some scornful remarks to make
on twofers in its 55th week, about Broadway, took the agents’
There’s little chance of “Jamaica” side from the economic standpoint

cessity of mafeing money.

{It is obviously to the self An*
terest of any party to arrange for -

unere's mue cnance ot -Jamaica' -uc^uxxxx^cccu^ ^

.going on tour, as Lena Horne’s £ the tteatre party b.o. cu^ tnWeucr shows that may. be

.Dcacu auu lYlittUil tUCALlCS Will UC * # A • s

responsible for the physieal pro- "Po^edly prefers .to remsm in
duction. which will be built In the ^

union shop at the former bouse. , *x 4

Because of that, the project is be-

for whatever shows that may-be -
acceptable. But' every agent .its
limited by the willingness of henf^*

The "recommended” Broadway
shows Included “Disenchanted,”
Old Vlc?s “Twelfth Night,” and

Cronyn and the Florida manage- fxne scene^. ine «px«^s ux«.

ments will share In the prospecUve ”“‘“*1', (A imasb musical comedy uith

profits of the venture. t*'”^ wa 30 >. stars will obviously-^Tiug

^ X , , James Stewart tnd Marlene Die- working with an inept olrector. v-A v-.„-x<;+

The Cronyns costarred on Bro^ -tricb as stars). wiU have songs by (The shmo-s star was Shirley Booth

ay earlier this season m “The tt-vwvu t ami +Jmx rffrerfor ♦of« HamTA rhir. chanty funds, .while, mu .

nciud€d“’Tls management of the Producers The- “Gypsy” based on Gypsy Ro^ Laurents'‘ opinion of the critics
Who?l” ^ ^tre. They could tour this next ab^t hef^oSi^. was reflected ^ that.

Avonp in- they d«T^_what co^Wes a In^sme ca?L

Broadway selections Included “ 'Tls w

31 "Pitv - A Whore** And They could toiur tuis next

a Fuy __&nes a yvnore ana

and in some cases could even
inin^r o Toss jor the sponsoring
group.

(Benefit organizations are thus

orudrSstactorsT^tto^agS. t??: b;'^.:rT^urents.l?ttnr^^^^ good7^o™7nd .7e

_ other Broadway appcMance this gtyg, lyrics by Stephen to distinguish separate facets of a “c sponsonng

I ■ - season and then, presumablyi tour sondheim. Jerome Robbins will production. There was a general nrnnmyftfinn* hts, vt,,,.

I r* i r II _ ^® next fall. double as director and choreogra- feeling that, most of the firststring- fiio tuno nmi -nto rmnn^

j LCJll Folio wop The couple just completed’a pher. The financial setup, for the ers, were tending to .by-i>asi off- ent I>oxofiice str^ath of the^^^s

taped tv production of “Moon and show hasn’t yet been worked out. Broadway this season. Schlrmer, ad- select for parties ^ The heads
A « Si*p®nce,” top-starring Laurence in preparation for the start of mitting that his production of “Di- ™

A Fmriy Witll Meity Olivier, and left yesterday (’Tue.s.) rehearsals, Miss Merman has come versions” has not received unani- wo^^^but welliS^^ld

Comdeit and {or a vacation^on cheir island In to New York from her home in mous critical approval, declared * , ample conne^^S^f

Adalph Crefsn « the British West Indies before Denver,"accompanied by her hus- that he would have preferred to they do intensive research

(JOHN G^StHEATBE.‘N.Y.) rehearsals for Triple band airline executive Robert Six. have entire firststrmg coverage, ^bout -t^ shows they are ofc?S

This enjoyable little show was \ - ’ and her two children. which the show did not get hear about on th^r own.

4 S 4 'NTnv in-aw on A of """ ’ — The Opening of the two new mu- The party agents were also at- (jt is obvious therefore that

first presented Nov. 1® ^ sicals will bring to six the number tacked by Broadway producer Jule party 'agents are' not the vUlains

a number T)f Monday mghte^r- j |ia!l RaAcI new ..shows Merrick will have styne on the “Open End” stanza of the sSmation, but mer^y middle-

tainm^ts rreSiwif* ^ iwldll DOOSl presented on Broadway this sea- -with the assertation that they con- rnen who gladiy arrange as many

^“ a^rCTilwef^by s= eonOnued from p>,. 47 - SS'n I?™ i?*®" P^ies <B possible, rfgardtess of

4 X 17 ^® n^ok«!) in a feature- : been the current ^a Plume de Ma about three who know anything type of show or identity of pro.

on Pa ire 2 In the Nov Hlaine Stntch costarrer is regarded Tmite,” done in .partnership with about the theatre. However, as was ducer.—Ed ) ^

There’S liWe as. ominous since the show is only Jack Hylton and Joseph Kipness; the case with the entire program, . __

to hA tTSat coverage, ex- P week at the Lunt-Fon- “The World of Suzie Wong,” with none of the topics discussed were i , n, j

cent that we show has been re- Theatre, N.Y. Joshua Logan, and the since-closed delved into with much clarity. That ASQItlOR ACtOF ptOuCS

titled as above, and is being pre- Angel,” produced by Kermit “Epitaph pr George Dillon,” also could possibly have been the result ^ i»,,i m • ■

sented by Theatre Guild for a Bloomgarden and Theatre 200, with Logan, and “Maria Golovin,” of having too many people In the fill Ijmft ThfiatTfi JAut

scheduled three-week run, IQC., isn t in as tough a spot. The with NBC^ discussion group since there have .

The m-igihal idea, when Gus dxama, which is in the black, has His holdover “Jamaica” and the been more effective “Open End" .. ,, Chicago, Dec. 30.

s^Ahrimer first presented the already racked up 56 weeks at the touring "“Romanoff and Juliet” and sessions with fewer guests. Witn the idea of obtaining em-

Smaen-Gmn team off-Broa.ilw>y toi^ore Theatre. N Y Business "Look Bade to Anger” opened last tj, program also marked the

A Fmriy Witli Betty oiivh

Comdeit and {or a

Adalph Cirefnt • {^® x,

(JOHN Gf^EN THEATRE, N.Y.)

This ehjoyable little show was
first presohted Nov. 10" as one of “
a number uf Monday night enter-
taihmeuts at the Cherry Lane The- .
atre, in a side street in Greenwich
YUlagei N. Y-, and was reviewed by =

starting rehearsals for

Try Mall Boosi

they select for parties. The heads
of these groups are not babes in
the woods, but well-informed

about -the: shows they are offered
'OT hear about on their own.

(It is obvious, ■ therefore, that

Ai^tioH Actor Stndes
On IMe Theatre Jobs

Chicago, Dec. 30.
With the idea of obtaining em¬
ployment for actor students of col¬
leges ^ and drama schools, the

Comden-Green team pff-Broaaway JJaurxj^xauxe meatre, in.i. jousmess -LiOOK iJacK m Anger " openea last oroeram also marlcAtl thA sLuaenis oi coi-

was for just;-two Monday nights, has been given a slight boost in season; as did the limited-engage- first time the proceedings got un- schools, the

but w« later extended and in recent weeks with the Inception of :£ent “Entertainer.” dSway at lolo p m Thf Educational Theatre

view of the show’s Broadway dick twofers. _ aerway at lu.ju p.m. me prior held auditions today for 100

it’s a cinch for an, extended m- _-r^ »-^---- ^1 applicants. Producers and directore

gagement, whatever tv guest dates ~ Tcnnent NoW By-PaSSeS Humomt from 30 little theatres and commu-

it’s a cinch for an, extended m-
gagemdit, whatever tv guest dates
the two author-performers may
care to accept, almost c^tai^ a
record album, plenty of cablet
offers and perhaps some sort ot
tour.

Such a captivating entertain¬
ment, with two such eng^g per¬
formers, is so rare as. to be virtu^-
ly unique, obviously too potent to
be limtttti to this off-the-cuff ptes-
entation^_ Hobe.

African Star In London

Ljmdon, Dec. 23.

Berdine Grunfewald, one
top Stan of the South African
stage, is spendhag- the Christmas j
holidays in Loiid6n:

' Sh^ytsltto*

ducer Roy Boulting.

Playwright-Produfvr

Dore Schary

wIm lot lived threaqli the labor
pales of at least eee Iroadway
SBiask qraphicoliy plepaiat*
the pelgeaecy of

Rehearsal

aeether Editorial Feotare
la the

53d Anniversary Number

of

OUT MBit WEEK: ?

Chorus Casting Agents

London, Dec<>30.

H. M. Tenncnt Ltd. has discon¬
tinued casting chorus performers
through agents. Artists must hence¬
forth apply direct to Honor Blair,
of the Tennent qrgaiuution.

Miss Blair, who has represented
the chorus on Equity for some
years, has fought for a long time
for the revis^ arrangements. She
' is convinced that some agents are
now handling chorus performers
simply because their upped sal¬
aries now make them profitable
clients, She believes; however, that
the agents have no real interest in
i^drr.^nft^e of ^ptps itapabffl- j

H. I. Phillips

tokos a qrioi-vlew of tlie altro-
raallwa ea tb# cirraat Broadway
scMM la bit treorisa ea

Theatre Nights to
Disrememher

* * *

eoa of the moay Editorial Footarei
lo Hm

53d Anniversary Number

of

■ 'o^nwwim

from 30 little theatres and commu-
ntty groups were present as ob¬
servers; as was Broadway producer
Irene M. Selznick. AudlSoneerf
were given two minutes each. Tho
sessions were held at the Eighth
Street Theatre.

The AETA, holding its annual
convention here with about 1,200
attendance, elected as president
John Wray Young, of the Shreve¬
port Little Theatre, suQceeding Ed¬
ward C. Cole, of Yale Univ. dra¬
ma schooL Others named were
Samuel Selden, of Carolina PL^-
makers, first, vice president: Not-
man Philhrick, of Stanford Univ.,
second v.p^ John A. Walker, of
Michigan State, executive-secre¬
ts, mad Delmar E. Soldm, of IQa
■ aim'Univ'., administrative v.p. ~ ‘

ITcdneaday, D^mher 81, 1958

P^SuEtf

LIMITED

ENGAGEMENT!

^ft 9 ak§ Guild

Thanks t6 the

who offered for

COMDEN and GREEN

BRmwAys

HmmsMAsnmn

BETTY

COMDEN

’‘•'forming thtir

own tom»iJy anti

ADOLPH

caeen

"'O'KOl numbnrt

with PETER HOWARD of th9 Piano

Produced by sptiial arrang§i AB origJ.nally produced by J. J. G.
menf^ond in association with Productions^ under the personal
townPRODUCTSONS, INC. supervision of GUS SCHIRMER, JR.

Associato Producer for ThtTheaif GuUd FRANK PERRY

Ivst. {Tg«». thru Sun. «l 1:45) $5.75, 4.*0, S.45, J.tO, 2.30.

Matt. (Sat. anri Sun. at 2:45) $4.05, 3.«0, 2;f0, 3.30, 1.75.

GOLDEN THEATRE

45 St. W of Broadway

A/Lintort, H. Y,

” *"“*<'• A «34

sfocWngi"**** *** **** fown's

* —Car.__ ..

PieraYDEuSi^l®^

Wo/f#,N. y

UECinMATB

Wednesday, December 31,

BVay Brightens; THioop-up’ $47,1
/ 43t Comden & Green $10,900 (6),
Tleasiire Record $36,812; Two’ 26G

Broadway, holding to form, re¬
covered last week from its tradi¬
tional pre-Christmas drop. Ee-
ceipte climbed substantially for
pracUcally all shows despite the
^^^cstion shutdown of the major

^oxoffice began to pick up
Christmas evd (Wed.) and con¬
tinued strong through the end of
tha week. The current frame is
ihaping up solidly and the hike in
Yearis Eve prices tonight
(Wed.) adds to the bullish pros¬
pects, Sellouts last week included
"Flower Drum Song,” “La Plume
da Ma Tante,” “Marriage-Go-
Eound,*' “Music Man,” “My Fair
Lady,” “Pleasure of His Company”
and “World of Suzie Wong.”

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Ecvue)^
MC (Musical-Comedy). MD (Musi¬
cal-Drama). O (Opera), OP (Op-
ttta).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices (where
two prices are given, the higher is
for Friday-Saturday nights and the
lotver for weeknights), number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal and
b% City tax, hut grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of taxes.

Bells Are Rinring, Alvin (MC)
(106th wk; 844 p) ($8.05; 1,453;
$58,000) (Judy Holliday). Under
$37,000 (Gross reported by man¬
agement was $38,764). Previous
week, nearly $22,000- (Management
reported $23,063).

Cold Wind and the Warm, Mor-
CSCO (D) (3d wk; 24 p) ($6.90; 946;
$37,500) (Eli Wallach, Maureen
Stapleton). Over $23,700. Previous
week, $23,000. •

Dark at the Top of the Stairs,

Music Box (D) (56th wk; 444 p)
($5.75-$6.90; 1,010; $33,000). Near¬
ly $20,800. Previous week, $11,-
000; Exits Jan. 17 to tour.

Disenchanted, Coronet (D) (4th
vTs$ 29 p) "($6.90; 1,101; $35,404)
(Jason Eobards, Jr., Eosemary
Harris). Over $22,200. Previous
week; 1^4,000.

Flower Drum Song, St. James
(MC) (4th wk; 32 p) ($8.05; 1,615;
$62,617). Over $62,600 again.

Gstthn, Lyceum (C) (3d wk; 19
p)" ($6.90; 995; $31,000) (Walter
Slezidc Jayne Meadows). Almost
$20,70^ Previous week, $15,000.

Girls in 599, Belasco <C) (11th
wk; 85' p) ($5.75-$e:90; 1,037; $33,-
000) (Peggy Wood, Imogene Coca).!
Nearly $12,160. Previooar week,^$9,-
200. Exits Jan. 24 to tour.

GaldBoeks, Lunt-Fontanne (MC)
(11th wk; 89 P) ($9.90; 1,402; $68,-^
843) (E^n Ameche, Elaine Stritch).
Almost $35,700. Previous week,
$3Lm.

Jamaka, Imperial (MC) (55th
wk; 436 p) ($8.35; 1,427; $63,000)
(Lena BEome, Eicardo Montalban).
Nesr]^ ^6,100 for seven perform- ;
ance* cpa twofers, (The Monday;
xdght (ZD performance was cait-l
celled when Miss Home was un¬
able to fQ on because of illness.)
Previous week, $28,400 on twofers.

JM. ANTA (D) (3d wk; 20 p)
($6.95; 1,185; $45,892). Almost'

$43,000. Previous week, $37,200.

La Plune de Ma Xante, Eo^'ale

(B) (7th wk; 55 p) ($7.50; 1,050;
$41,000) (Eobert Dhery). Almost
$42,409. Previous week, $41,200.

Look Homeward, Angti, Barry¬
more (D) (57th wk; 452 p) ($6.90;
1.076; $40,716) (Miriam Hopkins,
Ed Begley). Over $27,800 on two¬
fers. Previous . week, $17,000 on
twofers.

Make a Million, Playhouse (C)
(10th wk; 76 p) ($6.90; 996; $36.-
000) (Sam Levene). Over $23,000.
Previoirs week, $15,600.

Marriage-Go-Eoiind, Plymouth

(C) (9th wk; 69 p) ($6.90; 1,062;
$42,060) (Charles Boyer, Claudette
Colbert). Over $42,600. Previous
week, $41,600 with parties.

Mimie Man, Majestic (MC) (54th
wk; 428 p) ($8.05; 1,626; $68,658)
Almost $69,400. Previous week,
$69,100,

My Fair Lady, HeUinger (MC)
(146th wk; 1,163 p) ($805; 1,551;
$68,210) (Edward Mulharie, Sally
Ann Howes)*. Steady at $69,400.

Old Vic, Bzroadway (Rep) (3d wk;
24 p) ($6; 1,900; $59,000). Almost
$51,060 for two performances of
*T?wdfth Night” and six perform¬
ances of “Henry V.” Previous
week; ^1,606 for eight perform¬
ance*' of “Hamlet.” This week
split between “Night” Tuesday-
(29-2) and “Hamlet” Satur-
day-Soaday (3-4).

oSr MW* With FeeHng, Na¬

tional (C) (10th wk; 79 p) ($6.90;
1,162; $43,000) (Joseph Cotten,

Arlene Francis). Nearly $23,300.
Previous week, $24,000.

Party With Betty Comden and
Adolph Green, Golden (R) (1st wk;
6 p) ($5.75; 800; $25,152). Opened
Dec. 23 to unanimous raves (Aston,
World-Telegram; Atkinson, Times;
Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror;
Kerr, Herald Tribune; McClain,
Journal-American; Watts, Post);
Over $10,900 for first six perform¬
ances.

Pleasure of His Company, Lohg-
acfe (C) (10th wk; 77 p) ($6.90;
1,101; $36,800) (Cyril Ritchard,
Cornelia Otis Skinner, Charlie
Buggies, Walter Abel), House rec¬
ord at $36,812. Prhvious week,
$35,3{X) with parties.

Say Darling, Beck (MC) (39th
wk: ' 08 P) ($7.50; 1,280; $46,000)
(Eddie Albert, Vivian Blaine, John¬
ny Desmond). Over $24,700. Pre¬
vious week, $13,100.

Shadow of a Gunman. Bijou (D)
(etlfwk; 44 p) ($5.75-16.90; 599;
$20,400). Over $11,000. Previous
week^ $6,000.

Sunrise at Cunpohello, Cort (D)
(48th wk; 380 p) ($6JH); 1455; $37,-
500) (Ralph Bellamy). Over $35,-
900. Previaus week, $28,400.

Tench of the Poet. Hayes (D)
(13th Wk; 109 p) ($7.50; 1,139; $43,-
067) (Helen Hayes, Eric Portman,
Kim Stanley, Betty Field). - Over
$38,100. Previous w.eek, $36,000.

Two for the Seesaw. Booth {CD>
(50th wk; 396 p) ($6.90; 780; $31,-
700) (Dana Andrews,. Anne Ban¬
croft). Almost $26,000. Previous
week, $21,700.

West Side Story, Winter Garden
(MD) (66th wk; 524 p) ($8.05; 1,404;
$63,203), Nearly $52,600. Preri-
ous week, $33,300. '

Whoop-Up, Shubert (MC) (1st
wk; 8 p) ($8.05; 1,453; $58,101).
Almost $47,600 for first eight per¬
formances.

World of Susie Wong, Broad-
hurst (D) (11th wk; 87 p) ($6.90;
1,214; $46,500). Nearly $45,100
with parties. Previous week, $45,-
500 with parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

Power and the Glory, Phoenix

(D) (3d wk; 23 p) ($4.60; 1,150; $29,-
382). Almost $15,000. PreviouB:
week, $14,100. Continues indefi¬
nitely.

Closed Last Week

Cne iot Faarion, Miller^s (D) (5th
wk; 39 p) ($6.90; 946; $32,0001 (Dir
ana Wynyard, John Kerr). Almost
$8400. Previous week, $5,8Q0.
Closed, last Saturday (27) at an ap¬
proximate loss of its entire $88,000
capitalization (including 10% over-
call).

Opening This Week

Shakespeare's Ages of Man, 46th'
St. (DR) ($5,75; 1,297; $40,600)
(John Gielgud), Jerry Leider in
association with Tennent Produc¬
tions Ltd. presentation of Gielgud
in a one-man show based on
George Rylands’ Sb'ikespcare
Anthology; opened last ' Sunday;
night (28) to imanimouy raves
(Aston, World-Telegram; Atkin¬
son, Times; Chapman, News; Cole¬
man, Mirror; Kerr, Herald Trib¬
une; McClain, Journal-American;
Watts. Post).

Third Best Sport, Ambassador
(C) ($6.90; 1,155; $43,0001 (Celeste
Holm). Theatre Guild presentation
of a comedy by Eleanor and Leu
Bayeri opened last night (Tues;l.

Off-B’way Shows

B*y Friend, Cherry Lane (1-25-
58).

Crucible, Martinique (3-11-58).

Diversions, Dowoitown (11-7-58).

Hamlet of Stepney Greeu,
Cricket (11-13-58). .

Helolse, Gate (9-24-58). *

Ivanov, Renata (10-7-58).

Look Back in Anger, 41st St.
(11-7-58).

Man Who Never Died, Jan Kus
(11-21-58).

Of Mice Ss Hen, Provincetown
(12-4-58).

Playboy of the Western World,
Tara (5-8-58).

Qnare Fellow, Circle in Square
(11-27-58).

Salad Days^ Barbizon PlariL (11-
10*58).

Threepenny Opera, deLys (9-20^
55). "

Time of the Coekoo, Sheridan
Sq. (10-27-58); closes Feb. 8.

Tis a Pity She’s a Whore, Or-
pheum (12-5-58).

Mae Barnes went into the ‘Mon¬
day Nights at Nine”'spot at the
Cheny Lane Theatre, N*Y 4 lest
Monday (29).

Wilfrid Pell^er

Cana^M Approved
Art Subgidy Pays Off

aaetlier Iriflrt l d k *r r ul Feutart
fi th*

53d Aniuversary Number

•f

OUT'NDCT WEEK

Brfiuk Shows

(Figures denote opening dates)

LONDON

At Drop pr Hatr F«

a-S4-37>.

Auntl* MMMtAdtfpbl <*>10-98);

Bey Frlena# wyadfiasi's OS-l-Sa).
*Breath of Sprla*, Duke York's O-SS-SB).
Brouhaha, AMhirydi (S-ST-SS).
ChryaanthsMMa, Walea 01-13-96).
CIndralla, roHaanm 03-18-98).

Day In LMp Of, 00-1-98).

03-1338).
-- 1 ).

<T'16-98).

p'Oyly
Exprosi

FIva Flnoor__

For Adults Mr_

Fritnds a WaUkkaraVle. PSL 01-11-98).
Urau Is •rssaar, fk. Mart. 03-338).
Hook, Lina, Il aka r , Tlccadii^ 01-1*38).
Hot Sumiaar NiiM, i»air ai-3838).
Irma La Paaaa, Iiytte CT-17-a8).

Livins for PIdaaara Oanlek i7-l03B).
Lon* Oay^ i aar a a * / Oloka <»-M3S),

aaportery, OU Yie <*-lT389;' _

Moon ah galpkasr, nayal Ct. 03338).
Meusatraa, HiakMWlInrs ai393S>.

My Fair U*r, Usury Laaa (43038),

No Conconi, WeMataator a033BX
Net In tha Jtoak, Crltaxlau (4338);

Raar Lika a Dasa, VUaaalx (*-3S-07)ti
Salad Daya; VaadasUla (»3a4).

SImpfa Spymaa. Wsllakall (3-13-80.
*Tunnat at Lava, ApoUa (1333J).

Twa lar 8aaaasr,^n^m»kat 03-17-98).
Uaaapactad (8-1338).

Wkara't Clwrttv* Maaa 4S-»38).

Wast SIda Starfc MaJaaly'S 03-13-98).
Wha's Yaar Faniart, CliHdse 03-16-58).
•traiuferrad

SCNUOULID 0FENIN6S

Lent/ Sharf,- TatL Royal Ct. 0-7-59).

TMjriig Shows

(Dec, 28-Jan. 11) *

Auntia M a m a (Conxtanca Bennett)—
Erlanser, Ckl (3310).

Auntia MMaa (Srivla Sidney)—Moore,
Seattle (29-3)t lataraational Cinema, Van¬
couver (5-10}.

Canadian . Flayars —^And., KoUer. Wlx.
(4): College Aad.. Rau Claire, Wia. (5);
College Aud^ Btavena Point, Wij. (6-7);
CoUege, NMlarsvllla. HL (B)£ Univ., Madi¬
son. Wia. (930),

Crazy OcfaUar (tnaut) (Tallulak Bank-
head)- ^eary , SJ*.^ (383. cloaae) (Reviewed
In VARirrY, Oct, 19, ’5S\

LI'I Abner (baa-and-track>.-State Tair
Mualc Han. Dallas (383D; Munlci^ Aud..
Shreveport, La. (3>; MUr Aud.> Memphis
(5-7); Tenacasca Tkaatre, NaihviUe ^S);
AlumM Masaorlal And., KnoxvlUe, Tenn.
OO).

LFf AhiMr (N.Y. Co.>^R:6yaI-Alexandra,
Toronto (2*3, closes).

Listen ta tha Mbckinw Bird aryout)
(Rva. L» Gameane, Billie Burke—Colonial,
Bo^on'-(SB-10).

Leak Sack In Antar— Hanna, Cleve.
(S3-10). • >

Matar^ at Ona (tryout) (Cedric Hard-
wicke, Gertrude Berg>— Porreat, Philly
OO). . - .

Mmlc Man (Sd jCo J^Aud., Dcovar 003);
And., Omaha (9-10).

My Fair Lady (3d "to.y OUehaviL Ivaafc
Diane To<M>lAnbart, Chi-08-19).

R aM iamon (tryout) (CHaire Bloom, Rod
Steiger, Oscu* Homelka, Aklns: Tamlrotl)
—£Tlaasar„ Ftmiy OB-IO).

Redhead- (tryou* (Gwen VerdoD)—^Na-
tlanal. Wash. (»-10> (Reviewed, la YARI-
ETY, Dec. 24, *58),

^eaUltm for a Nun (tryoat) (Zacharr
Scott, Ruui Ford)-Skuhert, N.RL (7-10).

Ramandf r aad Julkrt (Peter Ustinov)—
Rlackstene, Chi Ci*-3,. closes).

Sunriso at Camp(^el}« (2d Co.) (LeU
Mckson)—Shubert. Det. 093); Para-
iffoont. Toledo (53, daaes).

Tali Stary (tryoaU—Uocust,. Phllly.
(B-tO).

Twa tor ttr# taasaw Od Ca) (Ruth
Roman, Jeffrey Lymi)—Todd, Chi (29-10).
Wans FanMawta (tryout) (JsUa Harris)

—AmeCleaii, St. L. (293): Victoria, K.C.
<53): Au d., Denver (8-lD (Reviewed in
VARIETY, Nov. 9. *58).

SCHEDULED N.Y, OPENINGS

(Theabres Set)

BROADWAY

•oar*a Dlllan, Miller’s a-1239).
■aMiamatt, Music Box (1-27-58).

Roaufom for a Nun, G^den (1-2838).
Tall Story, Belasco (1-3939).

Rodhoad, 46th St. (1-930).

Luh^ a* LIxMd, 94ih St. (2-939).
Malarity af Ona, Barrymore (2-1139).
Rfvolry, BIJott (2-13-99),

Juno, Winter Garden (3-36-59).

Laak- Aftar Lulu, MUIer's (3339).

First imprasslans, Alvin (3-12-59).

OFF-BROADWAY
King Lear Players, (1-2-99)'.

FaHurair 4th. St. a-M9!).

Sha Shall Haura Music, Actors a-6-59).
On the Town, Carne^ a-t5-59).

Enemy of Feap l a , Aet^ (2-4-59).
Cloarin* In Waadt, Sheridan Sq. (2-16-59.

From Afhans

Irene VeKssariou

dstalls Hm hoar emd th* why of

Old Greek Plays As A
Tourist Lure

* A * •

oRothor Editorial Fodtsro. Ir tho
iipcoMl*9

53d Anniversary Number

•f

P^SrIETt

OUT nail w«

Theatre Bally, But Private

Tho Erlanger snd Locust Theatres Sn Philadelphia, are getting t
sort of concentrated exploitation In the New York home
Caro, an executive of Ui* Theatr* Guild and the Council of the
Ing Theatri, The ballyhoo is in the form of s display hoard, apprim-
mately elght-by-five feet in size, contuning exterior ^d interior pho¬
tos of the theatres, plus floor plans, equipment specifications, aeating
charts, etc; The sign was specially wrapped and sent to Gmci as a
Christmas gift,, accompanied by a bottle of perfume for his wife, ac¬
tress Nancy Kelly. j rr

The gift was a gag gesture by ^roadway producer Alexander H,
Cohen, who doubles as New York booking representative for the two
Philly theatres. Cohen had the large sign made, and Ranged Jot it
to be placed on display in the Independent Booking Office, N.Y. When
Caro protested tiiat it constituted unfair competition for other thea¬
tres in Philly and elsewhere, Cohen agreed to have the sign removed,
but his deeifiion to hage it delivered to Caro’s home as a Christmai
present was an afterthought, at least as far as the Guild-CLT exec wai
concerned.

Road 0£.; ‘Redhead’ $54,400 in 9, N JI;
lusic’62iy^G,Sf.;‘Lady’$51,m
‘Sunrise’ $25,900, Del; ‘M D.C. Fold

- Road business whs generally

C l last week. The shows that
off during the early part of
the frame did well on holiday fi¬
nale.

There was one casualty, “Star-
ward Ark,”, which folded afters]
three f^out performances In Wash¬
ington. »

Estbnates for Last Week'

Parenthetic designations for oub
of-town shows are the same as for
Broadway, except that hyphenated
T with show classification indicates
tryout and RS indicates road show.
Also, prices on touring shoios in*
elude 10% Federal Tax and local
tax, if any, hut as on Bro^way
grosses are net; i.e, exclusive of
taxes. Engagements are for single
week unless otherwise noted.'
BOSTON

Listen to the Mocking Bird.

Colonial (C-T) ($4.95-$5.50; 1,590;
$43,000) (Eva Le Galllenne, Billie
Burke). Opened last Saturday (27),
following two paid previews, to six
raps (Doyle, American; Durgin;
Globe; Hughes, Herald; Haddocks,
Monitor; Maloney, Traveler; Nor¬
ton, Record).

TORONTO

LI’I Abner, Royal Alexandra
, (MC-RS, N. Y. Co.) (1st wk) ($5fi0;
|il,525; $43,000). Over $25,700

with Guild subscription. Previous
week, $22,000 at Her Majesty’s,
Montreal.

CHICAGO

Auntie Marne, Erlanger (ORS)
a7th wk) ($5.50-$6.60; 1,333; $45,-
187) (Constance Bennett). Over
$15,400 for three performances
Friday-Saturday (2fl-27). Previous
week, $10,000.

My Fair. Lady,. Shubert (MG-RS)
(OOtlL wk) ($7; 2400; $72,970)
(Miehairi: Evans, Diane Todd). Over
$51,100. Previous week, $42,500.

Bornsnsg and Jailed Blackijhme
(C-RS) (2d wk) ($4.95-$5.50; 1,450;
$38,000) (Peter Ustinov). Almost
^0,700 with Guild subscription.
Previous week, $31,800.

Two for the Seesaw, Todd (CD-
HS). ($5.50; 1,090; $26,600) (Ruth
Roman, Jeffrey Lynn). Opened last
Friday (26) to four approvals (Cas¬
sidy, Tribune; Dettmer, American;
Harris,^ Dally News;. Syse, Sun-
Times); almost $10,300 for three
performances witii Guild subscrip¬
tion. Previous week, $19,500 at the
Shubert, Cincinnati.

WASHINGTON

Look Back in Anger, National
[(D-RS) (2d wk) ($4.40-$4.95; 1,677;
$36,800). Over $19,600 with Guild
pufiecription. Previous week, $24,-
500.

i Starward Ark, Shubert (CD^f)

(«.30-$4;40; 1,541; $24,000). Opened
last Friday (26) to three pans (Car**
mody, Star; Coe, Post; Donnelly.
News); about $2,000 for three per^
formances and closed'" Saturday
(27).

DETROIT

Sunrise at Campobello, Shubert
(D-RS) (1st wk) ($4.40; 2,050; $41,-
000) (Leif Erickson). Almost $25,-
900 "with Guild subscription. Pre¬
vious week, $18,600 at the Royal
Alexandra, Toronto.

NEW HAVEN

Redhead, Shubert (MC-T) ($6;
1,650; $62,000) (Gwen Verdon). Al¬
most $54,400 for first nine perform¬
ances.

PHILADELPHIA
Third Best Sport, Locust (C-T)
{2d wk) ($4.50-$5; 1,418; $35,000)
(Celeste Holm). Almost $23,700
with Guild subscription. Previous
\Yeek, $27,700.

SAN FRANCISCO
Crazy October, Geary (C-T) (2d
wk) ($4.95-$5.50; 1,550; $42,000)
(Tallulah BanUiead). About $16,-
500. Previous week, $22,500.

Music Man, Curran (MC-RS)
doth wk) ($5.50-$6.40; 1,758; $59,-
000). Almost $62,500 with higher-
priced Simday night (21) perform¬
ance substituting for ’Wednesdsy
(24) matinee. Previous week, $59.-
500.

SEATTLE

Auntie Marne, Moore (C-RS) ($5-
$5.50; LWO; $7l',000) (Sylvia Sid¬
ney). Aroniid $22;800 for first five
pe rf o r mances 12:-performance

stand. Previous week, $14,100 for
rix-performance spilt.

ST. LOUIS

Warm Peninsula, American (CD-
T) ($4.95; 1,600; $36,000) (JuHe
Harris). Almost $7,900 with Guild
subscription for three perform¬
ances Friday-Saturday (26-27). Pre¬
vious week, $12,900 for four per¬
formances at the Hartman, Colum¬
bus.

/Nitcncker’ Pnlk Gross
To $64,622, City Cenler

Something of a target to 'shoot
at was hoisted by the New York
, City Center Ballet when seven per-
foiBumces of the fuU-length'“Nuf-
I cracker” and one performance of
Lregular. repertory piled up $64,622
^hi ticket sales for the Tuesday-
ifonday week ending Dec. 29.

^*Nutcracker” is presented an-
nuany and in its own terms is al¬
most as much of a family draw at
the Radio City Music Hall, NY.
House scales to $3.80 top.

I^hengrin

(MET OPERA, N.Y.)

The German department of th*
Met unshackled Dec. 26 to reviv*
Wagner’s “Lohengrin” in hand¬
some and satisfying style; Brian
Sullivan, a big man to be riding a
silver swan, and Lisa Della Casa,
a Latin type to be so far north!
were acimirably comfortable in the
taxmg leads.

Otto Edelmann’s king and Mar¬
garet Harshaw’s brooding Ortrud
were of high professionaUsm. as
was the tormented Telramund of.
Hermaim Uhde. Long before the
present science fiction cycle Wag¬
ner gave mighty Lohengrin th*
power to paralyze his foes just by
heetlmg h^ brows. Pretty frustrat-
mg for Telram^d.

1 Schippers, who always

Io<^ l^e a boy in the pit, held tha
musical score under tight com-

SSL’S? Kurt Adler’f chor”;
abetted to good effect.

the sm^rs at the end, unusual in
recent Wagnerian practice at this
L and.

Britain’s Old Vic company held
a three-in-one p^arty on the stege of
the Broadway Theatre, N.Y on its
^29) to ce&
orate Christmas, Boxmg Day (Dee
26) and New Year’s. The groun*
j which is appearing at the hoSe m
a repertome of Shake3)earean

WeSiL ifldby, Demlier SI, 195S

^ Yon meant etpecially all wlio participateil in tfiese and our many other Induttria.illiti of ’58» So thanki—^from tit— »
to you, the PEOPLE of the Theatre who helped prove that ^^There^t MORE Butlnete through^ SHOW Butinest^’

LEN BEDSOW - BIFF LIFF

SAMLEN

In dssoclatlon with

SALES COMMUNICATION, INC.

4$0 PARK AVENUE • NfW YORK 22, NEW YORK

52

lbcitimatb

CASTING NEWS ;i

t tl M I ♦ I »t » » M ♦♦♦♦»♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦

following ate available parts in upcoming Broadway, off-Broad'
industrial and television shows. All information has
oecTi. obtained directly by the Vartety Casting Department by tele-
been rechecked as of noori yesterday (Tues.).
‘ fltxulable roles will be repeated weekly until filled, and addi¬

tions to the list will be made only when information is secured from
TespcfMible^parUes. The intention is to service performer^ with leads
proinded by the managements of the shows involved rather than to
run a lengthy list' of blind items.

In addition to the available parts listed, the tabulation includes pro¬
ductions announced for later this season, but, for which, the manage¬
ments, as yet, aren’t holding open casting calls. Parenthetical designa-
i^ons are as follows: (C) Comedy, (D) Drama, (MC) Musical Comedy,
iMPy Musical Dram a, (Rep) Repertory, (DR) Dramatic Reading.

Y •, ’ pretty, restless, discoiitented wife;

JUSStt retired professor, old, but still

^ bright and alive; efficient, relaxed

-^- Government official, 40-45; two

BROADVAY [servants, either authentic, Indians

(Parts Available) or of American-Indian descent;

/r-nV sandy blonde eight-year-old girl,

liam ^ Wil- yigorous, bright; scholarly nine-

year-old boy. (Mail photo and
resume to production assistant
Jeanette Kamins, 234 W. 44th St,.
PaXtS*^ SBConci ixiSiG IcDG, 21*22 3p- Qnite 702)

'‘West Side Story” (MD). Pro-
height, nigged build, dark, hand- Queers, Robert Griffith & Harold

Prince. Auditions will be held

Gay Felons (C) — Producers, every Tuesday, 2 p.m., at the Win-
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey ter Garden Theatre, 1643 broadway,
Jones (38 CPS). Director, Shep- for replacements? of the Broadway
ard Traube, Available parts: and London companies. Apply for
male lead, 40-50, Frenchman, appointments, stage door at 2 p.m.
quiet, authoritative: male, 45-55, or 8 p.m,, to Ruth Mitchell or How-
short, stocky, loveable sot, hen- ard Jeffrey.

BROADVAY

(Parts Available)

“Faster, Fasteri^ (CD), by Wil¬
liam Marchant; prodiicer. Carmen
Capalbo; casting director. Chuck
Smith, JU 2-1596-1597. Available
parts: second male lead, 21-22 ap¬
pearance, over 6-feet, 10-inch
height, rugged build, dark, hand¬
some.

Gay Felons (C) — Producers.
H. Clay Blaney and Geoffrey
Jones (38 CPS). Director, Shep¬
ard Traube. Available parts:
male lead, 40-50, Frenchman,
quiet, authoritative: male, 45-55,
short, stocky, loveable sot, hen¬
pecked; about 12 assorted comics,
40-60; femme, 35-40, attractive,
quiet, warm, sensitive; male lead,
25 handsome, romantic. (Send photo
and resume! to producers^ Re¬
hearsals st^t Jan. 5.

“Gypsy” (MC). Producers, David
Merrick & inland Hayward, 246
W. 44fh St.; director, Jerome Rob¬
bins. Available parts: strippers,
male photo and resume to M‘ke
Mindlin or Eduard Fuller, c/o
producers. Also available: .teenage
boy and girl actor-singer-dancers;
auditions at Variety Arts Studios,
225' W. 46th St., Studio 302, today
(Wed.), 10 a.m.-l p.m. and 2-5 p.m.

New Faces of *59. Producer
Leonard Sillman Sc Fjrank-Produc¬
tions, 17 E. 79th St. Mail photo
and resume to producers. Don’t
phone.

“Raisin in the Sun” (D), Pro¬
ducers, Philip Rose & David J.
Cogan, 157 W. 57th St., Cl 5-2255;
director, Lloyd Richard. Available
part for imderstudy, male, negro,
aged 9-11, slight build.

Three Against Time (D)—produc¬
ers} Tad Danielewski & Morris
Feld. Available 'parts: cul¬
tured well-built American general;
General’s wife. 45. submissive,
quiet, dominated by husband;
young,energctic businessman and

TEMPORARY OFFICE JOBS |

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OFF-BROADWAY "

(Parts Available)

“Billy Budd” • (D). Producer,
Equity Library Theatre; director,
Edward Greenberg! Reheai*spls
Jan. 19-Feb. 14. Casting, ELT Loft,
11 W. 18th St., 2d fl., Jan. 5, 10
a.m.-4 p.m.; Jan. 6, 7 p.m.-lO p.m.;
Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (bring mem¬
bership cards) Parts available, all
virile types: male lead, 18-20, sea¬
man, psysicaUy-intellectually and
spiritually the essence of goodness
and innocence; second male leadj
50, officer, gentleman, sardonic,
thoughtful; secondary male lead,
40, cunning, evil, cruel; male,. 35,
gentleman, intelligent, fair-minded;
male, 40, bluff, humorous, impa¬
tient; male, 30, amiable but stub¬
born officer; male, cockney of im-.
certain age, fawning to his super¬
iors but cowardly and sadistic to
lower ranks; male, 25, affected,
vain; male, 25, violent, loyal; male,
30, tough Irishman, sense of hu¬
mor; male, 25. tough; male, 21,
diplomatic; male, 22, scared, sick
(doubles as next part); four bit
parts, 20-30, tough, experienced
sailors; male,' 35. ship’s surgeon;
a sentry; a messboy.

“Buffalo Skinner” (D). Produc¬
ers, Monte L. Frierson Sc F. Fitz¬
patrick White; author-director,
Lonny Chapmian; music by Joseph
Garvey. Available parts: femme
lead, early 20’s. sexy, from small-
town rich family; her father, 45-60,
powerful, fire and brimstone
preacher; male, 30’s, simple, easy¬
going, honky-tonk proprietor; hobo,
educated cynic; femme, early 20’s.
skinny would-be prostie, femme,
early 20‘s, simple, hymn singer;
femme, 30’s, sophisticated seduc¬
tive; lead’s mother 45 healthy ex-
trovert. Mail, photo and resume
to production secretary Clare Cot-
balis c/o Linda Productions 665
Fifth Ave. (Suite IHO); PL 3-6178.

“What Every Woman Knows”
(C). Producer, Equity Community
Theatre; director, Edwin. Gifford.
Available part for Harmonica
player, experienced; call PL 7-1710
(ELT). Need not be Equity mem¬
ber.

OUT OF TOWN

(Parts Available)

^‘Babes in Arms” (MC). Super-
vlring producer, Richard Rodgers;

PTooiSt

casting, director,, Eddie - Blum,. 488
Madison Ave. To be produced In
Florida in April; available parts
for singer-actors, 17-21. Mail photo
and resume. ■

“Magic Hoin,** chiidren’s show,
to tour. Producer,. Equity Library
Theatre; director, Lee Foley. Re¬
hearsals, Jan. 8-Feb. 6. Casting:
Equity members only (bring mem¬
bership cards), apply S-S’ p.m. and
7-10 pju., Jan. 6th, at Golfarbs Re¬
hearsal Studios, 1697 Broadway.
Parts available (children’s shows
and Shakespeare experience re¬
quired): Male, 5 ft. 6 in., about 15,
straight juvenile, handsome, some
fencing and dancing; male, 5 ft.
6 in.-5 ft. 9 in,, about 15, juvenile;
handsome, .petudent, spoiled, some
fencing and dancing, to play a
prince; male, 5 ft. 10 in.-6 ft., 50,
straight character actor, kind, ele¬
gant, regal.

BUFFALO

Melody Fair, musical tent. Office
at Wurlitzer Store, 674 Main St,
Buffalo. Pre-season auditions there
for singers,' Saturday, Jan. 3, from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applicants must
be at least 18 years old, prepared
to sing one of three musical com¬
edy selections of own choice, avail¬
able for contract throughout the
summer.

FUTJJRE SHOWS

Ariadne Sc the Concrete Duck

(C)—producer, Howard Erskine (56
W. 45th St., OX 7-9620).

Far Away the Train-Birds Cry
(CD'—producer, Louis d’Almeida
(480 Lexington Ave., JU 2-8115).

Gypsy (MC)—producers, David
Merrick & Leland Hayward (246 W.
44th St, LO 3-0830).

Let’s Go Steady (MC)—producer
Edward Padula (1501 Broabway,
LA 4r4860).

Madonna and Child (C)—^pro¬
ducer, Guthrie McClintic (1270
6th Ave., Cl 7-5152).

Rivalry (DR)—^producers, Cheryl
Crawford & Joel Schenker (49 W.
45th St., JU 2-3466), in association
with Actors Studio Inc.

The Poker Game (C)—^Producer,
Norman Forman (106 CPS)..

SHOWS IN REHEARSAL

BROADWAY

Jimo (M). Producers, Play¬
wrights Co. and Oliver Smith (745
Fifth Ave., PL 3-7500).

Majority of One (D). Producers,
Theatre Guild (27 W. 53d St.,
CO 5-6170) and Dore Schary..

Poker Game (C). Producer, Nor¬
man Forman, (106 CPS).

Reqmein for a: Nnn (D). Theatre
Guild (27 W. 53d St, CO 5-6170)
and Richard Myers,

Tall Story (C). Producers, Em¬
mett Rogers and Robert Weiner
(234 W. 44th St, LA ^-SOS?)-
OFF-BROADWAY

Failures (D). Producers, David
Ross Sc Lore Noto, 4tb St Theatre,
83 E. 4th St.

King Lear (D), Producer, Players
Theatre, 115 MacDorugal St

Lady’s Not For ..Burning (D).
Producer, Equity Library Theatre
(226 W. 47th St., PL 1-1710).

On the Town (MC). Producer,
Nancy Nugent Crawford (40 'W.
55th St., Cl 5-3815).

She Shall Have Music TMC). Pro¬
ducers, Stuart Bishop. Dede Meyer
and Edwin West (72 Perry St.,
CH 3-6728).

SIGNED

BROADWAY

Legend bf Lioie: Douglass Mont¬
gomery.

The Rivalry; Richard Boone,
Nancy Kelly.

. OFF-BROADWAY

Man'Who Never Dic'd: Barbara
Joyce (succeeding Beatrice Roth),
Frank . Scofield (succeeding John
Graham).

Wednesday, December 31, 195$

"Wliercvgr Hwy go pkinist - occompcmlst Peter Howard
OOgllt to go with them." GRQS, VaHtty. Nov. 12 . 1958.

Thank You Betty and Adolph and the Theatre Guild

PETER HOWARD

AT THE PIANO

"A Forty With Comden and Green," af the Golden Theatre
"A splendid pknist" • •. Chapman. News

COMING UP

Miisitd Dirccter-::-"ON THE TOWN"

Stowing HAROLD LANG and PAT CARROLL
Oponhig Jtuu 15, Carnegie Ployheiise, New York
Composer—Mvsied Score for Upcoming B'woy
ProdtHon of Peorl BkIcV "THREE AGAINST TIME"

^ ’ Moiioqoeioiit: ARTtSTS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS '
aS3 SOvMrii AvMo. Now York. N. Y./. : JUdsou 2-0240 /

Industrial

(Parts AvaiUible)

Cass Franklin Agency (N.Y.).
Looking for tbpnotch announcer
located in San Francisco for Sales
Show. . Contact . director Patrick
Faye at the Huntington Hotel, San
Francisco after Jan. 1.

Television

CBS-TV, S24 W. 57th St. Holding
a few auditions for variety and
'iramatic actors. Mall photo* and
ue. plus letter requesting ap¬
plication, to Nat Greenblatt
Camera Three, educational,
drama, CBS; producer, John Mc-
Giffert. Submit photo and resume
or consideration. Nat Greenblatt
524-W. 57tlf St.).

“Captain Kangaroo,” juvenile
tries rsix mornings a week on:
JBS-TV. AvaiHbie: running part

for young girl, engaging, whole¬
some, next-door-neighbor type, to
sing and play'piano well. Submit
photo and resume by mail only to
Robert Kee-shan Associates, 680
Fifth Ave.

Dela McCarthy Assoc., 515 Mad¬
ison Ave. Casting, Colin D’Arcy.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration.

Fuller, Smith & Ross ad agency,
230 Park Ave. Casting director,
Ronnie Schlueter. Mail photo and
resume.

Grey Advertising, 430 Park Ave.
Casting, Jim Kaye. Submit photo
and resume by mail only,

I, filmed on location—CBS; pro¬
ducer, Gilbert Ralston; casting
through Marc Merson; address by
mail only, Barbara Tuck, CBS, 524
W. 57th St. Available parts: un¬
usual types, interesting faces, good
physical conditions, will consider
applicants having had odd occupa¬
tions. Submit photo and resume.

Lamp Unto My Feet, religious
drama, CBS; producer, Don Keller-
man; director, James Mac Allen.
Submit photo and resume for con¬
sideration. Nat Greenblatt (524 W.
57th St.).

Lawrence* Welk show' (Plymouth.
Motors), ABC-TV — Seeking teen-'
age vocal and instrumental per¬
formers for guest appearances or
as permanent band members. Sub¬
mit disk or tape (home-recorded
acceptable) of wellknown pop or
standard numbers, plus recent
photo, short biographical summary.
Address Plymouth Show, ABC
Studio,' Hollywood, or 2623 Santa
Monica blvd., Santa Monica.

Look Up Sc Live, religious-
dramatic, CBS, Executive pro¬
ducer, Pamela lUott; producer.
Jack Kimey; casting, Marc Merson,
524 W. 57th .St. Casting from
files. Mail photo and resume.

National Screen Service, 1600
Broadway. Casting, Carl Carbone.
Submit photo and composite for
consideration.

“Nero Wolfe” CBS-TV, producer,
Gordon Duff. Casting for pilot.
Available: title role, Walter Slezak
type, has been played by Bret Mor¬
rison; his assistant, late 20’s-early
30’s, intelligent, eager. Mail photo
and resume to Robert Dale Martin,
c/o CBS-TV. 524 W. 57th St.

North Advertising, 6 E. 45th St.
Casting Frank Higgins. Cast from
files for the Toni commercials. Pre¬
fer models with good hair. Mail
photo and resume for considera¬
tion.

Raymond Spector Agency, 445

Park Ave.; assistant casting direc¬
tor, Dave Fein: Casts through file
and agents, for Hazel Bishop. Mail
photo and resume for considera¬
tion.

Reach, McClintion Sc Co., 505
Park Ave.; casting, Ted Okon.
Photo and resume, accepted via I
mail only for commercials; boys,
girls; middleaged and elderly men
and women; also young and mature
women for shampoo commercials,

Sarra, Inc., 200 E. 56th St.; cast¬
ing,. H^en Hecht. Seeking new
faces, personalties; casting from
files; mail photo and resume.

“Stakeout,” 36 half-hour films;
shooting starts ibout Jan. 19 in
Florida. Producer, Screen Gems,
711 Fifth Ave., 2d fl.; casting,
Nancy Littlefield. All leads, ex¬
perience required. Apply through
agents only. ,

The Verdict Is Yours, unre¬
hearsed courtroom dramas. CBS;
producer, Eugene Burr; direetpr,
Byron Paul; casting contact, Liam
Dunn, CBS, 524 W. 57th St. (do not
phone). No open casting; all done
from files. Submit photo and res^
ume for consideration.

WRCA-TV, , (30 RockefeUer
Plaza, N.Y. 20), accepting appli¬
cations for auditions for all gen¬
eral talent, except dramatic actors,
alternate Tuesdays. Apply by mail
to “Open Auditions.”

Films

“Parrish,” adaptation of Mildred
Savage noveL Producer, Warner
Bros.-Joshua Logan. Available; title
role, 18-22, about 6 ft., medium
build, handsome, an “unknown”
actor. Mail photo and resume to
'producer-director Logan, c/o War¬
ners, 666 Fifth Ave., N.Y.

Flsriy of Folds

Contanued from page 47 s=a

before reaching Broadway is the
Tallulah Bankhead-starrer, “Crazy
October.” The James Leo Her-
lihy comedy, produced by Walter
Starcke, shutters next Saturday
in San Francisco. The presentation
was capitalized at $100,000, with,
provision for 25%^ overcall,

Last week’s Broadway folderoo
was the Playwrights Co. and Fran-
chot Productions presentation of
Elmer Rice’s “Cue for Passion.”
The drama, which ran five weeks,
costarred Diana Wyny^d and*
John Kerr and is figured 4o have
dropped its entire banlxoll. The
production was capitalized at $80,-
000, with provision for 10% over-
call.„

Slated- to close next Saturday
after a seven-week run at the* Bi¬
jou,. Theatre, N.Y., is Sean
O’Casey’s “Shadow of a Gunman,”
produced by Cheryl Crawford and
Joel Schenker by arrangement
with The Actors Studio. The pro¬
duction is figured to have run
through most of its .$50,000 capi¬
talization.

The Alfred de Liagre Jr. produc¬
tion of Howard Teichmann’s “Girls
in 509,” currently in its 12th week
at the Belasco Theatre, N.Y., will
end its run at the house Jan. 24
and will launch a road tour two
days later on Theatre Guild sub¬
scription at the Han.ia Theatre,
Cleveland. The Broadway cast, in¬
cluding costars Peggy Wood and
Iraogene Coca, will make the hin¬
terland trek. Business for the
comedy, which was capitalized at
$100,000, with provision for^ 109o
overcall, has dropped sharply in
recent weeks. ‘

The Saint Subber-Elia Kazan
production of William Inge’s “Dark
at the Top of the Stairs,” currently
in its 56th week at the Music Box
Theatre, N.Y., wmds up there Jan,
17 and opens Jan. 20 at the Play¬
house, Wilmington. The drama
has earned a healthy profit thut
far on a $100,000 investment.

At present, “Girls” and “Dark”
; are the only new touring prospects
for the balance of the season. Re¬
garding “Sunrise” situation, plans
call for the Broadway company,
starring Ralph Bellamy, to tour
following the conclusion of its
New York run.

Susan Oliver, vacationing in Eu¬
rope, has visited London, Paris,
Zurich and the Austrian Alps, and
is now in Rome. She’s due back
about mid-January.

“ FOR SALE *

SHUBERT and COX THEATRES

la CiBeiaaotl, Ohio

BLACKSTONE THEATRE

and Imm of

GREAT NORTHERN THEATRE

la Ckicaqe, llllaeis
t* purchasau Intandlni Vo us« th«
proporty bought at Lagitimato
Thaatras.

Reply »o lox ¥-8058-59. Variety.
154 W. 46tJi St., New York 34

Jewel Box Revue

World-s Most Unusual Show
Just completed 3 smash weeks

LOE WS STATE, N.Y,

Now Ploying Return Engagement

HILLSI DE, JAMA ICA

Starts January 9, 1959

TOWN a COUNTRY

43RE. 149tfc St., BroM WY 3-1471

UTBKATI

Literati |

Walter BlUb’s New PMt

Walter E. Bli^ flO, from 1945-
1947 president and general manr
ager of WNBR, Syracuse, and who
earlier had been advertising direc¬
tor of the Syracuse Herald and of
the Syracuse Herald-Joxirnal and
Herald-American, takes over Jan. 1
as director of the State Division <rf
Safety. He was appointed to the
post, paying $16,000 annually, by
Governor-elect Nelson A. Eocke-
feller.

Bligh, a veteran of both world
wars and a retired Air Force col¬
onel, has been secretary of the
Republican State Committee since
1953.

Sarah Bernhardt Biog

Arthur William Row of East
Islip, L.I., has authored “Sarah
the Divine,” a biography of Sarah
Bernhardt. Row was for 50 years
a writer and actor who shared
confidences with her for more
than a decade.

Book is published by Comet
Press..

Esquire’s Travel Pitch

Bill Malone has- returned to
Esquire Magazine as travel man¬
ager. Previously he was ASTA
Allied vice chairman and super¬
visor of Esquire’s travel dept. Mag
is making strong pitch for travel
biz and its February issue will
reportedly contain largest number
of editorial pages ever devoted to
travel. •

Mag has also won Bock of honors
for its concentration on travel
pieces, notably for the writings of
Richard Joseph, Esquire’s travel
editor. Arnold Gingrich, Esquire’s
publisher, also is at work on the
May - issue which will be high¬
lighted 'by • Ihex^largest domestic
travel section to appear in the
book.

ZeUIin 'Sun-Tele’ Ed

Arnold Zeitlin, of the. Associated
Press office in Philadelphia, has
been named tv-editor trf the Pitts¬
burgh Sim-Telegraph, Hearst after¬
noon daily. His daUy and Sunday
column started last week.

Despite the fact the Sun-Tele is
half-owner'of Ch. 4 (WTAE), the
sheet has been without a tv pillar
since last summer" when Leonard
Mendlowitz did one for a while.
With Zeitlin’s appointment, Men- j
dlowitz will devote all his time to
the drama department as assistant
to Karl Krug, paper’s veteran
critic.

Conun’s Unfinished Autobiog

The late Bill Corum’s memoirs,
"Off and Running,” (working title),
is about half-finirtied;

Holt will publish. How it will
be postbmnously completed is cur-
r^tly being worked out.

Fancy Paperback Prices

Apparently the. $100,000 which
Gold Medal Books jsh^ed out for;
reprint rights to “JLiOlita” was not
a record payment as indicated in
last week’s YimiErr, Paperback
rights to “By Love Possessed” re¬
portedly went for $X00jm and Mai
Snulman got $101,000 for. his
‘Rally Round the Flag, Boys”
paperback rights.

‘‘Rally” has been a sensational
teller with 1,000,000 copies in print.
H is reportedly the best paper¬
back seller since “Peyton Place.”

T)cad Air* Obits

As per usual, they weren’t dead
until the N.Y. Times, Herald Trib¬
une, et al., did it in print. With
the New York papers back on the
same old stands after a 19-day shut¬
out on delivery, the customers
opened their morning gazettes
Monday (29) to discover, with
raised eyebrows, that a flock of
wellknowners had died without
prominent mention by the “substi¬
tute” press.

Rr dio and television gave little
attention to the obit department
-save for the most ultra persons;

ior the N.T. sheets the
^ddle^ed and lesser names i-
^ys fi^e as “good” copy for the
obit sections."

J. C. Trewin, the English prov¬
inces; Gabriel Fallon, Ireland;
Jean-Pierre Lenoir, Paris; Wenler
Zurbuch, Germany; Henrik Neiien-
dam, Denmark.

Autralia is assessed by John
Sumner; South Africa, by Brian
Brooke; India by Gerson da Cunha.
Among general articles, Sam Wan-
amaker writes of his sniccess with
Liverpool rep. Illustrations and
outsize format add toibook’s attrac¬
tiveness; but, as in previous vol¬
umes of series, “international” as^
pect is still limited. itodo.

McCall’s Printing S More
[ McCall Corp. ^has signed con-
[ tracts covering printing three more
magazines at its mammoth plant in
Dayton, O., and has placed an order
for another printing press^ which
will cost $1,100,00(1, announced
George Sheer, general manager,
laon. Modem Bride and Popular
Photography will add more than
1,000,000 copies a month to Mc¬
Call’s printing schedule, and bring
daily production to 3,00d,000 mags.
The plant now prints 48 publicahc
tions. Lions Club magazine has a
600,000 monthly circulation, while
Modern Bride and Popular Photog¬
raphy, published by Ziff-Davis, call
for a printing of 250,000 and 600,-
000 respectively. The former is a
bi-monthly and the latter a month¬
ly.

The new press, a Gbss “Unimag,”
is slated for Jime delivery. ^ It will
be a two-color high speed unit re¬
sembling a newspaper press and
capable of printing 64 pages.

CHATTER

' Grigsby'Publishing Co. Inc. au-
thori 2 id to conduct business in
New York.

. Perspective Publications Jnc.
formed to conduct a printing and;
publishing business in -New York.

Hart Publishing just brought out
another fun-in-bed, for the con¬
valescent, titled “So You’re Laid|
Up],” edited by Robert . C. MeEon. i

John Roeburt novelizing. the
screenplay of Allied Artists' "The
Capone Story” for a Pyramid
paperback.

Adam Henry Slesar (he’s copy
chief of an ad agency) has written
his first Whodunit, appropriately
titled "The Gr^ Flannel Shroud.”

“Suzie Wong” airthor Richard
Mason’s next book is Ibcaled in
India and Nepal, titled “The Fever
Tree,” to be published next sum¬
mer by World.

Glenn Trump, Omaha stringer
for Variety, elected Midwest Re¬
gional Vice-President of Turf
Publicists of America at the or^s
annual convention in San Fran-
. cisco. Trump is publicity chief'fwp-

Carolina Israelite editor^puh-
lisher Harry Golden’s followup
book to his current No. 1 bestseller,
“Only In America,” is titled “For
2c Plain,” more “crackerbarrel hu¬
mor/' slated for World Publishing
in mid-July.

Publisher Ian Bailantine hosted
a party at his home for actress-
au&or Milhcent Brower, whose
novel, “Ingenue,” will be published
Jan. 26. Book concerns a young
actress’ adventures in the New
York theatre, it will be brought
out simultaneously in hard cover
and soft cover editions.

. Deadline for ilth annual George
Polk Memorial Awards by Dept,
of Journalism of Long Island Unlv.,
is Feb. 1. Award categories this
time include - for^gn reporting,
national reporting, met^olitan
reporting, community service, mag¬
azine reporting, radio or tv report-
ip g and news photography- Jour--
nalism faculty of the university
will be the board of judges.

Simone De Beauvoir, Goncomt
prizewinning novelist (“The Man¬
darins”); touches on her first meet¬
ings with Jean-Paul Sartre and her
life at the Sorbonne and Left Bank
cafes in her "Memoirs of a Dutiful
Daughter” which World will pub¬
lish next May. Librarian Lawrence
Clazk Powell’s • “A Passion For
Books," also autobiographical, is
another World item due end-Janu-
ary.

Theatre Aminal

Intemahonal -Theatre Ann
3, ’ -edited by Harold Hobj
W)’ is another of Bi
^-published, American-releaJ
y®a^‘|(>oks becopMug standi
S. perusera. Sir Ra]

again attempts to
scope. New York
JJan Alan Smi

reports off-Broi
way. J. w. Lambert covers Londi

Global Pfich

Continued from pare ,4
Thompson Jr. (D-N.J.), to name
only a few.

But there could . be a major
obstacle in the way, in the person
of Rep. John J. Rooney (D-Brook-
lyn), who sits ’in the powerful posi¬
tion of chairman of the House Ap--
■propriations Subcom m i tt ee hand^:
ling all money for cultural ex¬
change programs and*other State

Department functions. Rooney has
in the past ceusisteatiy knifed ap-
propriaUons for cultural exchanges,
“■a well as for U.S. participatidn
luJthe World’s Fair at Brtssels.
There Is no indication in evidence
tfiat Rooney wtll change his at¬
titude.

“Congress can pass many bills
e^cpanding cultural exchanges,” one
member of Congress \ said, “but
it will do little good If Congress¬
man Rooney ties up money so they
can’t be carried out.”

Humphrey is ready to give the
first and heaviest push to globe¬
travelling culture when he com¬
pletes a report now in prepara¬
tion on the past, present and
future of U.S. cultural exchanges
with various nations. Working with
Humphrey on this is a new staff
aide for him, Julius . Cahn, long
associated with the Senate Foreign
"Relations Committee -and well
known as one of Capitol Hills most
devoted disciples of the arts as a
catalyst in world affairs.

Humphrey’s hope is to have the
report ready by Jan. 27, the first
anniver^y of the U.S.-USSR cul¬
tural exchange program. He could
miss the tm^et a few weeks, but
the document is expected to single
out the program as the brighest
light in the otherwise murky at¬
mosphere of‘relations between the
major EastrWest powers and to
propose. bigger, broader and bet-
,ter cultural exchanges.

It is expected to*'constitute the
framework from which lawmaking
eggheads and ethers interested in
culture as. an effective diplomatic
weapon can fashion legislation to
multiply what is now being -done
in trading artistic talent as well
as technical and educational ex¬
perts around the world.

In his first report on the show
biz phase of his eight hour visit
with Nikita Khrushchev, Humphrey
told VAiiiETY*the Russian boss had
a big beef about the Cinerama
process.

Khrushchev compained to Hum¬
phrey that Russia had sought to
obtain the Cinerama system
making films in the Soviet. . ;?
said he received a flat tumdA.>r .i.
The Red boss said that, as a n-
suit, Russia had to develop its oai;
system. Khrushchev complained
that the incident was "symbolic”
of what- always happens when the
USSR tries to deal with America,
that HtusU gets nowhere and has,
to put its own scientists and tech¬
nicians to work to duplicate the
American development.

Humphrey . expresses a strong
hope that the U.S. will include the
arts and culture in the U.S.-Russia
exchange of exhibits slated for
Moscow and New York in *59. The
Senator said he had heard reports
that a snag has developed in the ex¬
hibit exchange. He wiU check into
that ri^t away, Humphrey added.
And, he continued, he will strongly
urge the State Dept, to iaclude
more than impressive manufac¬
tured goods in the Moscow display.
Examples of American culture are
of great importance there, he said.

Humphrey Is an enthusiastic sup¬
porter of the U.S.-USSR film ex¬
change agreement, believing it will
make vast strides in expanding
Interest in and knowledge of the
U.S. inside Russia,

mAdColB

^ Contfiivea from 1

editorializing by tv stations. -NAB
estimated that about 26% of the
stations have- experimented with
this practice, and one-tifth of them
are taking stands'on public Issues
on a regular basis.

In news coverage, NAB saw en¬
couraging developments toward
gaining equal access for tv to court.
trials^and other public proceedings.

It noted the agreement by
American Bar Assn., longtime op¬
ponent to tv trial coverage, to
study latest techniques developed
to bring tv into the courtrooms in
a dignified and unobstrusive man¬
ner. Fellows’ comment was: “We
feel broadcasting can heighten, in¬
terest in good government and in
justice by increasing the audience
of all public proceedings.”

NAB further took note of its
survey during the past year show¬
ing that s^ons suteciibing to the
Television Code each year are do¬
nating nearly 900,000 public serv¬
ice spot announcements worth 65
million dollars."

Other 1958 dwelopments men¬
tioned inclnded NAB’s stand
•against use of actors to portray
physicians, dentists and nurses on
commercials.

ss

i SetJULY^ SCRAPBOOK |

- #4 By Frank Scidly V‘»»4 4 4 4 4 f4»»4 M 4 :

Hollyw’ood, Dec. 30.

Between N.Y. and LA.* and dovbtl^ many other areas of the world
which own a fftaiwtariam people are getting more hep to what a trip
to the moon involves. Bttt it doesn’t eost them anywhere nearly as
much to see such a show at a planetarium as it does when they have
to pick up the tab.as taxpayers on learning one more attempt at Cape
Canaveral, for real, has flopped.

At the planetarium In Griffith Park on a hill above the City of Ra¬
dioactive Angels, tourists can sUH share this lunar entertainment at
-bargain prices: 60c for adults, 30c fur kids. Parking space and side-
shows free. .

This lunar show has been running since 1935. They make changes
in the script from year to year, bat nothmg much has-happened in 23
years to make their basic format out of date, and they don’t think any¬
thing will for at least 100 years. Even westerns aren’t that sure of
themselves.

The Soviet and American projects to hit the moon, or come near it,
have upped biz at the Griffith Observatory, forcing extended runs of.
this year’s “Moon” picture.

Dr. Dinsmore Altar started the thing as a scientific fantasy in 1935.
When he left for Bericeley, Dr. Clarence H. Clemmingshaw took over
and stuck pretty well to the original fonhnla.

It is a delightful, civilized show. We had warned the kids that the
show wasn’t going to be funny, no lau^is, but they should have a good
time. We were wtohg. It had plenty of laughs. Kids howled with de¬
light. Moreen, 8. snuggled closer in the dark and said, “This is good!”

The show is in the planetarium of the observatory. It’s like a thea-
tre-in-the-round. The seats on the east and west sides are revolving
so that you can turn anmnd to see the sunrises and the sunsets. There
are headrests, somewhat like a dentist’s cha^ to lean your head on.
In the middle is a Zeiss j^rojeOtor with all kinds of gadgeik that proj¬
ect the moon and different planets independerifly from the stars. The
projector looks like a complicated pair of dumbells and it can move
seemingly In all directions, up and down. In and out, and projectors
on the side to project the most glorious sunrises and l^nsets. It cost a
lot. of money and now would-cost double-

Farmal Good Far 25,900 Years

'The city fathers had heard that the stars change constantly and
were worried lest they might have to fork up money for a mew t>ro-
jecton They checked to find out and were told, yes, they would need
a new projector—in about 25,000 years.

(3omfiiercial motion pictures dealing with outer space have seem¬
ingly not hurt planetarium bls^at All.

“Destination Moon,” which Robert Helnlein v/rote^or Geprge Pal
and which was a terrific success in 1950, is still considered by scien¬
tists as the best of the bunch, though a five-reeler in color, released
by Russia last year uid caUed ^’^ad to the Stars,” has been .consid¬
ered a top competitor for. the commercial kopek.

All of these plx, pro and am, follow an old kraut formula for reach¬
ing the moon in a rocket, which backs down on the dead 4sateUlte,
using jet blasts to brake its landing. They also go in for ^ace plat¬
forms, along the way—sort of gas stations beyond the utmost radioac-
i live rim.

But it’s much more relaxing for starry-eyed peasants like us to
. stretch off in a seat with a headrest and watch the process through
t-hfe.Zeiss Projector, an amaiing instrument which projects, oato a
domed ceiling, a realistic and miilti-dimensional facsimile of a starry
sky on a clear night in fhe desert, from which point you take -off for
the earth’s ^tellite.

j The cocnice of the planetarium Is a silhouette of the Los Angeles
saline. In the center of the auditortum is the weird-looking eo:i^ap-
tion wiiich lo<dcs soinewhat like a science-fiction Illustrator’s ooubep-
tion of a from Mazu. That’a the Zeiss Projector. The projector can
be so manipulated as to show the changing positions of stars and cem-
stellations during the n i gh t, as if one watched the sky all night long,
except that instead of spading 10 hours watching the changes^ the
process is stepped up to cover the changes in about 10 minutes;

Our lecturer gave.us some barieground -on the moon, and told us we
would take off from a small island in the- Pacific, almost direcUy on
the Equator. Because Of the tremendous centrifugal foibe generated
by the earth’s rapid rotafiou on Its axis. It tends to bulge :$U|htly at
the Equator, he explahied. and thus our “space ship”" can make use of
the extra speed to attain escape velocity.

Still looking at the won^torful starry sky, we are transported quick¬
ly to the Equator. On the way, we see Polaris sink into the Northern
horizon and the Soutbem Cross rise in the South, along with Alpha
Centauri, our nearest star ndghbqr^

The scene on the edling changes and we are inside a ^>ace ship
looking through an immense porthole. We shall make the journey in
-two stages.' Our rocket ship takes us to a space station orbiting the
earth at about 1;709 miles. Where we change to another rocket ship
which win bring us to the moon. *

^as* Are Craters

We see.the moon, torough our porthole, growing larger and large?
as we -speed toward it. Soon,* we can make out "the famous craters—
not reaUy seas, but vast fiat plains of darker color than the rest of -the
moon’s surface. They were called Marae by the; early astronomers.
Since that time, newer telescopes along with the invention of the
spectroscope have enabled astoonomers to analyze the surface of the
moon and to determine that It has Indeed no atmosidiere at all, and
tiius, no water. Although fhe moon is only one-fburth the diameter of
the earth Xaboid: 2,000 milesl its mountain ranges are’ as high as our
Himalayas, some Imidng an elevation of SQJWO feet
We are now very riose to the moon’s surface and our “space sMp”
cruises about the anriace, enalding us to see the famous craters—^
Plato, Copernicus and 'TyAo.

Our guide tells us that acientlste beUeve that the immense craters
of the moon have two origins. Host are caused by collision with mete¬
orites, similar to those which must have caused the huge indentations
in Arizona, Canada and Siberia. Some of the other craters, however,
seem to have been caused by Tolcanic activity from the moon’s in¬
terior when the planet coeded to become the dead, quiet world it is

We land on the moon and step out of the ship! AH around us is a
weird and sveteme paxmme of a harsh, yet beautiful, world. There
are no wlors. Eveiythlitg Is black, gray and white. We look iroward
toward the sky and^see an amazing change, for the glowing twinkling
stars we are used to at home now hang motionless in the s&r, burning
dots of nmny colors. . .r, «-***««♦

It is tme to return home <lt's an hour riiow and no time is available
tor pickmg up souvenirs) and we are switched into our "space shiD.**
^uiet world behind us a nd swing
towpd which grows larger and larger in our view until weean
^tmguish toe reas and coatiiients fhrough a fleecy belt of rionds. it
looks very beautiful and very nuicfa alive with color and movement
C 1 , An*

Soon we ^d ^«Ja ^ w eqnaiorial .Pacific island, and take a last
look at before heading back to Los aSSS^ ^

Our guide fdjs i» Hut U man cxploreis toe solar system, which win
probably come to pais in the next hundred years, he StoStw^
toe star^ Very pntoa^, AWu Centauri will, be toe first choice for
steUar observation hewuse, not only is it the M a ^

cBATHBm

Vcdncsday^ Pecem^f 195^

Broadway

Slogan for sWlcebound airlines:
'‘Pay now, fly later,”

, Bob TapUnger celebrated his
mother's 75th birthday over the
Xmas holidays In New York.

Gimbel topper Joe Eckhouse,
w,k. in show biz, nursing an ulcer
In Doctors Hospital.

Hildegarde made an honorary
colonel in the Air Force Heserve;
a pair of scrolls were presented to
her at Mitchell Air Force Base,\!
Hempstead, LX

Paris expatriate-playwright Pres¬
ton (“Strictly Dishonorable”) Stur-
gfes in town, huddling with Charles
Abramson of the Charles K. Feld¬
man office on a new play for Court¬
ney Burr.

Paul W. Benson to the Coast to
huddle with NBC and J. Walter
Thompson press departments on
publicity and exploitation for MiU
ton Berle's remaining stanzas of his
current Kraft series.

Betty Barker, treasurer of the
Broadhurst Theatre, reported the
theft of $13,725 in jewels from
her West 55th St. apartment while
away on a visit over the Weekend.
Missed by the thieves were a $5,-
000 ring and $7,000 in furs.

Jose Ferrer, as honorary fiesta
chairman of the San Juan Drama
Festival (actor-producer was bom
In Puerto BIco), hosting a bon voy¬
age Puerto Rican Rum*Fiesta at
Trader's Vic's in honor of the fes¬
tival stars- and casts.

Harold Clurmnn. Aaron Copland
an.d Jimmy Ernst 'will powwow on
• the university and the arts at
Hunter Playhouse, Jan. 13, under
auspices of Brandeis Univ. Clur-
man will deal with aspects of thea¬
tre, Copland with music and Ernst
on fine arts.

Bill Zeckendorf Jr. is now the
biggest innkeeper in Gotham with
over'7,000 rooms, among the just-
acquirtd Taft Hotel along with the
Astor, Manhattan, Commodore,
Drake and Chatham. The new
- Radio City hostelry will be called
the Zeckendorf - Rockefeller in
Honor of Rockefeller Center and
will have the latter's cooperation.
It will be keyed to the slogax'i,
“Bigger than the Waldorf.”

Lover” (Philips) led bestseBing
disk list in November.

Eva Bartok has female lead in
"Red Baroness,”-directed by Rudolf
Jugert here for Union release.

Famed “Don Cossack Choir” dl->
rected by Serge Jaroff will sing
Christmas carols at. Sportpalast
Dec. 20-21.

“The Girl Rosemarie,” German
NF release, reportedly
screened pic in 16 German key
cities last month.

Total of 623 pix offered on West
German market for current (’58-
*59) season. To date, 46% of pro¬
gram has been released..

Latest U.S. pix here Include
“Bonjour Tristesse” Col), “Rest¬
less Years” (U), “Vikings” (UA),
“Saga of Hemp Brown” (U).

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz

(28 rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)
Harry Novak on the mend and
expecting to return as Columbia
Continental manager early next
year.

Francoise Amoul to Israel with
her latest pic “The Cat,” about the
underground during occupation of
France.

Robert Lamoureux writing play
for Fernandel which will mark
comic's first legit appearance in
10 years. It is due next Sept.

Jean Bahllee, baUet dancer, does
first legit stint In Tennessee Wil¬
liams' “Orpheus Descending” next
March. Raymond Rouleau directs.

Reports have it that Brigitte
Bardot and Maurice Chevalier be¬
ing considered as leads in Stanley
Kubrick's pic version of Vladimir
Nabokov’s bestselling “Lolita.”

Juliette Greco weighing two pic
proposals: one is English, • “Gra-
ziella,” in which she would play an
Italian; other is American, “Nina,’*
in which she would play a gypsy.

Press here states that Charles
ChapUa got Russo offers to make
his next pic there. Pic would re¬
portedly feature famed tramp
character involved in sci-fi activi¬
ties.

Suzarme Flon joins Theatre Na¬
tional Poplaire as guest artist for
Alfred De Musset’s “One Does not
-Rv A P Scullv I Joke About Love.” It’s to be first

(’2100 Calle FcHda; FA 4 1828.) [ i^iJit staging stint by film director

(COVent. Garden 0135/6/7) ’

DarvaS & Julia off'to Estoril for
season at the Casino.

Anna Deere Wiman to Bermuda
for holidays.

John Harris in from Germany
and headed home for Los Angeles
v/ith prints of two coproductions.

Pamela Dennis, currently at
Stork Room, opens cabaret season
at the Society, Jan. 5.

Memorial service to late Sir
Arthur Jarratt to be held at a City
church, Jan. 7.

Sir Lewis Casson and Dame Sy¬
bil Thorndike celebrated, their
golden wedding anni last week.

. Herman Hmer, president of In¬
ternational Theatres of Rotterdaiii,
in for Opera H6m^e preem of pro¬
tege, Hans Kaart.

“The Brigbt One,” which marked
Kay Kendall’s West End starring
debut, folded at Winter Garden
after 10-day run.

Vittorio DeSica due for his role

i Sapphire vidpic 'series, “The
Four Just Men.” Dab Dailey ex¬
pected next week.

British - Film Institute joining
with UA in making “The Big Coun¬
try” preem tribute to William
Wyler. Screening is Jan. 8.

“Inn of the Sixth Happiness,”
(20th) contihuing its smash en¬
gagement at the Odeon, Leicester
Square, starts concurrent Rialto
run Jan. 7.

Frank Wells, son of H. G. Wells,
named executive officer of Chil¬
dren’s Film Foundation, succeed¬
ing Mary Field, who is going into
commercial tv.

.Faim Sprii^s

■Town can’t raise 15G for Rose
parade fioat. ^ ^

Eddie Cantor opened new $50,-
000 Boys Club.

"Fireproof” Club Cabazan

burned out for 600G loss.

Kirk Douglas planed east and
brought back his boys for the
holidays.

Jack and Jerry, sons of Horace
Heidt, now in full charge of Lone
Palm hotel biz.

Wolfie Gilbert entertained Scully.
Circus at the Beachcomber, and
rolled some rocks on rock ’n’ roll
In radio interview.

Rene Clair.

More than 200,000 copies of
Bo.'is Pasternak's “Doctor Zhiv^
ago sold by pub Gallimard, and
it now goes into its 11th printing.
Royalties are handed over to Italo
pub, Feltrinelii. who’s holding it
for Pasternak If funds ever be¬
come transferable.

Rome

By Robert F. Hawkliis

iStampa Estera; 675 906)

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer
flew in for brief stay.

Series of Hans Richter films will
be shown at Rome’s Museum of
Modern Art. *

Paul Anka set for two dates in
Rome, Jan. 2^25, part of his Eu¬
ropean swing.'‘

Italian tv audiences, in certain
north Italiaji areas, now tuning in
Swiss telecasts from new Lugano
video station.

Adolfo Salminci named new
prexy of CSnecitta Studios here.
.Tito Marconi is v.p., and Ettore
Margadpnna named to another top
portion in giant studio.

Charlton Heston. Ha3^ Harareet,
Marths Scott and Cathy O’Don¬
nell among last thesps still at work
on. Metro’s “Ben Hur” under Wil¬
liam Wyler’s direction. Pic shoiild
wind in early January. Crates al¬
ready prepped for shipping props,
etc., hack to coast.

Berfin

By

(760264)

Erwm Piscator observing bis
e5th birthday.

Teenage idol Horst Bucholz cele¬
brated his 25th birthday.

Metro releasing its classic,
•*Grand Hotel,” at 'Titanla Palast.

Bob Britsch, disk jockey at AFN-
Berlin, retnms to U.S. in March.

“Heroes” (Bavaria) will be Ger¬
many’s entry in forthcoming Oscar

^^B^y Vaughn's “Paloma” head¬
ing West German hit parade in
November. •

]WU Kortner rehearsing Schil¬
ler's “Robbers,” next prodijctipn
at Schiller Thea^

Sen^sunce Theatre preemed,
Sb?iW's ‘^peror'ef Am-rca” wjth
O, E. Haisse in lead. a, t

Doris Day's “Everybody LoVei a

Chide U.S. on USSR

ssss Cchtinned from page 5 siss
for the German film inaustry, and
point out that last year the U. S.
companies took about 57,000,000
marks out of Germany (about $16,-
000) as against the 400,000 marks
(about $100,000) that the German
producers earned in America.

Stated one producer, “We know
it is difficult because of the dif-
fere-ice of tastes of the 'movie pub¬
lic in America. But we feel that
MPEA could show.good will by
giving us a little help,”

He' suggested that MPEA give
just 1% of its German gross of
close to 100,000,000 Deutsche
marks to aid the German film
producers.

German producers are currently
campaigning for two objectives vis-
a-vis MPEA—they would like the
MPEA members to voluntarily re¬
strict the number of films now
brought into Germany; and they
would like MPEA members to guar-,
antee bringing about ten German
films to America per year, with
guaranteed price of about $25,000
per film.

“Isn’t the German marke
worthwhile for the Americans?
asked one producer. “It might be
dangerous for the Americans in
several years if they don’t protect
their interests in Germany.”

Threat often levied here is that
with the Germans heading for the
common market, America has two.
enemies—^France and Ita^. The
German audiences now: admittedly
prefer American films, but if there
is strong pressure from the other
partners in the commoh market,
Germany might be forced to take
more of their products at the
pense of U, S. films, the German
producers say.

But, admitted one' leading Ger¬
man film Industryite, too sharp a
restriction of the American films:
would be a bitter blow tathe G«-’
man exhibitors, who need thd
American product to bring up, their
boxoffice receipts.

Londoi

By Jerry Garhan

(319 N. 18fh St: Locust 4-4848)

Recording cxeca Sam Hodges
and Nick Busillo formed Wharton
Music Publishing Ck).

JoUy Joyce now handling -the
Three Stooges, Columbia Pictures
comics, and their^ “Ybck and Roll
Show.” ' .

Joe Donolo, former manager of
Old Original Bookbind^s. pur¬
chased Fortside Inn from Harold
Larzelere..

BiU Rodstein, turned his

Latimer Cafe mt'' a testimonial
for Frank Sinatra, attended L.A.
Baseball Writers Assn, dinner for
the “Voice” and got some personal
photos for his Sinatrama Room.

Dizzy Gillespie huddling with lo¬
cals, who knew him away back
when, including booker Nat SegaU,
C’est La Vie operator Harvey Lock-
man. and Frankie Fairfax, to. get
material for his autobiography,
“Dizzy Like a Fox.”

record run on Mribourne Tivoli

^^^Stain stores selling “My Fair
Lady” disks for 50c. Running time,
about five minutes.

Not now considered likely that
the government wiU okay twilight
racing on the major Sydney tracks
next year.

Harry Wren, Indie producer,
is offering to put stage shows in
nabe cinemas with pix to upbeat
trade fallpff.

Many exhibitors here hoping
government will give greenlight
for Sabbath shows next year de¬
spite strong union protests.

The Gregory Peclcs will reside
in plush Melbourne home during
production of Stanley Kramer’s
“On the Beach.”

Lisbon

By Lewis Garyo

Pianists Gino Gorini and Sergio
Lorenzl left Lisbon on concert tour
of Iberian Peninsula.

Jose Almeida Castro, general
manager- of Radio & TV Tupl qf
Rio de Janeiro, in to survey Por¬
tuguese and Spanish product.

Silva Dias, production director
of Portuguese Radio, off to Ger¬
many to visit German radio sta¬
tions and buy music programs.

English conductor Sir Malcolm
Sargent, directing Portuguese
Symphony Orch, opened official
concert season at San Carlos Opera
House.

Eden, S. Luiz, and Alvalade
cinemas doing SRO biz with “River
Kwai” (Col). It’s first time here
that three first-run houses have
shown same pic at same time.

Fado singer Amalia Rodriguez
appeared on Portuguese tv for the
first time at reported fee of $500,
more than 10 times maximum fee
paid by tv to other top performer^.

Roy Brewer arrived from N. Y,
for talks with Steve Broidy.

Bernard M. Kamber in from
Gotham.

Reub Kaufman and ^cquei
Grinieff sided' in from- N. i.
Charles Schlaifer here from NX

°^JamM^Stewarts to Honolulu for

^°G?egory Peck filmed Treasury
Dept. Savings Bond clip.

John J. Llpsto elected v.p. ot
Modern Teleseries Inc., effectiva

Wald ordered to remain,
home by his physician until;after

'^^Robert Ryan will toim Europj
to bally “God’s Little Acre and
‘Day of the Outlaw.”

Francis Lederer back pom
three-month “Diary of Ann#
Frank” tour. »

Darryl F. Zanuck fiew to Switzer¬
land for story huddles with Irwin.
Shaw on “De Luxe Tourl
Walter Lantz to Chicago and
Gotham for UI talks on his “Woody
Woodpecker” cartoon senes. ^
Frank Capra will bally his A
Hole in the Head” via p.a. toun
of U.S., Europe and Far East.

Tollnsion

; Contlnaed from paf* 7 ;

By Lea Rees

(2123 Freniont Are. So.;

FR 7 2609)

Edyth Bush Little Theatre cele¬
brating 19th anni.

“T h e Adding Machine” pre¬
sented at Walker Art Center.

Ike (Nat “King’s” brother) Cole
Trio held oyer at Herb’s nitery.

Hildegarde opens at Hotel Radis-
son Flame Room New Year’s Eve.

“Slappy” White revue with Jean
Turner and Tito Cavalaro into Key
Club.

Warbler Frank Cammarata Into
St. Paul’s Hotel Lowry ^Driftwood
Room.

Suburban Bloomington Civic
Theatre presented “Death Takes
a Holiday.”

Cuban-American pianist Jorge
Bolet guest artist with Minneapolis
Symphony.

“A Night With Sigmund Rom¬
berg” in third Week at Hotel Radis-
son liame Room.

Comedienne Molly Picon and
humorist Mort Freeman headlined
Chanukah Festival show.

Loop bank had Schiek's nitery
singing sextet in lobby providing
ehtertainment week before Christ¬
mas.

Local impresario Morris Chalfen
to take his “Holiday on Ice” shows
to Moscow and Leningrad and. In
return, to sponsor two Russian
attractions for Minneapolis and
MBwaukee appearances.

Australia

By Eric Gorrick

(Film House, Sydney)

Report is that major new.spapers
will raise ad rates early in 1959.

Unemployment creeping into
teevee set manufacturing as buy-
ees cool here.

More distributors expected to
pool resources in move to curb
overhead.

“South Pacific” (20th) debuted
at Mayfair, Sydney, Dec. 26 on
two-a-day for Hoyts.

.Fred jAstaire Jr. here on. th®
technical staff of Stanley Kramer’tf
“Pn-tile Beach’^ unit .

TOA and chairman of the Con¬
gress” toU-tv committee, “forced
out of his committee a recommen¬
dation embracing th6 TOA plan,
Rembusch feels that it’s obvious
that the Congress’ toll-tv group
plans to supersede the Joint Com¬
mittee on ToU-TV. He rsserts that
Kerasotes should have resigned
from the joint committee “before
attempting to scuttle the commit¬
tee by setting up its ACE counter¬
part.”

According to Rembusch. the pol¬
icy being followed by TOA and
the Congress “can well lead to
discrediting of all exhibition in
Washington as seeking selfish leg¬
islation and bring about pay-tv
taking over the free airwaves and
thereby eliminating expensive line
cests.”

Rembusch attributes the TOA
plan-—outlawing of all forms of
pay-tv—as stemming from panic
over the proposed plans of Tele¬
meter to wire apartment houses
In the NY. area “on a Bartlesville
basis . . .” The Indiana exhibitor
describes the TOA plan as “an ill-
advised attempt to protect one
small segment in New York against
wired pay-tv” and yet, at the
same time, holding on to closed-
circuit theatre tv. He raises tte
point that Bartlesville was proof
enough of the uneconomic aspects
of cable television.

On the broader aspects of the
American. Congress of Exhibitors,
Rembusch states that If the new
organization Is to suceed “aU par¬
ties must come in with, clean!
hands,” which, Rembusch adds, |
Harling and Kerdsotes haven’t done
on the toU-tv matter. He notes
that if they didn’t agree with the
policy of the Joint Committee on
Toll-TV, they should have resigned
so that the. committee could have
been disbanded. “Instead of that,”
Rembusch told Fabian, “they hold
on to their co-chairmanship and
committee positions, milking the
prestige of their positions which
stems from all exhibitor organiz¬
ations and in the meantime un¬
dermine the committee with a new
committee in ACE, launch an un¬
authorized dues drives Implying
monies collected are for the Joint
Committee on ToII-TV”

Rembusch warns that Fabian
“had better straighten out” the
toU-tv situation and “some other
power plays that are becoming
very visible” In the Congress com¬
mittee reports'If he is sincere in
wanting thfe Congress to represent
all exhibitor-groups. He concludes
that unless the founders of the
Congress subordinate their indi¬
vidual Interests ta the interests, of
ell ■ exhibitors, ■ the Congress '‘Is

Ireland

By Maxwell Sweeney

(Dublin: 68 4506)

Earl of Lonford resigned from
TV Commission.

Comedian Pascal Spellman to
N. Y. for series jf Irish concerts.

Warbler Michael Holliday on
one-nigHt stands in Irish terperies.

Brendan Behan’s “The Hostage”
set for Paris presentation next
spring. I

Jim Wall, formerly assistant¬
secretary of Odeon (Ireland),
upped to secretary.

Agnes Bemelle in from London
for lead In pantomime “Robinson
Crusoe” at Gaiety, Dublin.

Michael MacDonagh, p.r. spe¬
cialist, set to run anti-tax campaign
for I^h (3inema Assn.

Donegal warbler Bridie Galla-
gbere leaves for N. Y. next month
and date on Ed Sullivan.

Disney’s “Darby O’GUl & The
Little People” skedded for world
preem in Dublin on St. Patrick’s
Day. .

Capitol & 4^1Iied circuit shed one
of its small Dublin houses; tht
cinema, oldest in Dublin, becomes
factory site. Capitol and’Allied re¬
cently declared 4% interim divi¬
dend, same as last vear.

Pittsl'urgli

By Hal V. Cohen

(Atlantic 1-6100)

Del Ray, magician, back from
Puerto Rico and into Ankara.

Sally Starr Cary in Miami Beach
to spend holidays with her folks.

• The Joe Stampers (Baron Elliott
orch) celebrated their 22d wedding
anni.

Bill Blair, Nixon Theatre man¬
ager, at home in Cleveland until
house reopens.

weelEs from Naval Officers Train-
week from Naval Officers Train¬
ing at Newport, RJ.

Earnle Slessinger, Garrick H.S.
football coach,, cast for Playhouse’s
upcoming “Hole in the Head.”

Dolly Barr hung up the roller
skates to become typist-reception-
ist in Cleveland, her hometown.

Bess Kimberly tossed annual
cocktail party for Tech dramats In
N.Y. mA Behnont-Plaza, Dec. 28.

George Claire withdrew as
booker of Town House because of
association with Holiday House
nearby.

Frank Bollinger, ex-p.a. for
commumty theatre, in from New
York where he’s with Young &
Rubicam.

^^0 "Visit to a Small
Planet at Playhouse, replacing
Talborg, who's awaiting
motherhood.

By Matty Brescia

(61 S. Second St; Jackson 5-51801
RMph Flanagan and crew at
Peabody Hotel’s Sky^^^ay.

with “LIl
m' Auditorium.
Harnm-Morton Shrine Circus
skedded for Auditorium Feb. 7-13,
Johmon, Press - Scimitar

itci back at Ss

desk after vacash.

BiU ''“P

Jlamingo Hotel official l^ecter to
,tom vMtmg home fol£ ’

S5

Wfdnctdaj, Dcccilicr 31,

OBITUARIES

«incee for the 4abloi^ musicals at
Minneapolis* Schiele’s cafe. Prior
to that he had conducted orchestras
in various Minneapolis theatres.

■ His wife, son and daughter
survive.

EDWARD J. NOBLE

Edward J. Noble, 76, .founder of
the ABC network and chairman of
the finance committee of Ameri¬
can Broadcasting-Paramount Thea¬
tres, died Dec. 28 in Greenwich,
Conn.

Details in tv section.

DORIS HUMPHREY

Doris Humphrey, 63, dancer and
choreographer, died Dec. 29 in
New York after a long illness.

Born in Illinois, she left there
in 1917 for Los Angeles to study
at the Denlshawn School to pre¬
pare for a teaching career. How¬
ever, Ruth St. Denis recognized
her talent for the theatre and took
her into the. performing company
with which she danced on tours
of the U.S. and the Orient.

After leaving Denishawn, Miss
Humphrey and Charles Weidm,an
formed their own school and com¬
pany in N.Y. Their 16th St. studio
was the scene of regular Saturday
and Sunday night concerts. She
also' figimed in the musicomedy
field, creating dances for numerous
Broadway productions including
“Sing Out, Sweet Land” in 1945.
She retired in that year due to
Illness.

Miss Humphrey began to choreo-

IN MEMORY OP

HENRY KUR7ZMAN

THE children

graph long before she quit per¬
forming. Her works include
“Water Study,” “The Life of the
Bee,” “The Shakers” and ^Tn-.
quest.” She was director of the
dance program at the 92d St.
YMHA, and in 1951 she joined the
faculty of the newly formed dance
department at the Juilliard School
of Music* Four years later, she
organized the Juilliard Dance
Theatre. In the 1950s her numer¬
ous capacities Included that of
artistic director for Jose Limon's
company. In 1955 she joined the
advisory panel of the International
Exchange Program of the Amer¬
ican National Theatre & Academy.

She was married in 1932 to
Charles Francis Woodford. .They
had one son.

to the Philippines In 1929 as a
manufacturer’s representative.

. He helped found the islands’
first radio station, owned and ran
several others and was on the air,
working for NBC. when the Jap¬
anese bombed out his Manila sta¬
tion in early 1942.

Silen spent three years in Jap¬
anese Internment camps and re¬
turned to the air with this line;
"As I was saying when I was sd
rudely interrupted . . .” His
broadcast, first from the Philip¬
pines after the islands’ liberation
from the Japanese, won him a
HeadlinersV Award. He returned
to the U.S. in 1949 and several
years ago retired In Northern
California.

Wife, mother and three daugh¬
ters survive.

RUFUS A. SOMERBY
Rufus A “Al” Somerby, 75,
owner and manager of Boston’s
world famed Old Howard bur¬
lesque theatre for years, died Dec.
22 in Stoneham, Mass! after a long
illness’ He managed tiie Old How¬
ard in its heyday and was its
owner from 1939 to 1952, selling
out two years before the .city
banned burlesque and the house
closed down. He began work in
the theatre’s boxoffice in 1899.

Somerby was manager of the
Bowdoin Square Theatre and book-,
ing agent for the Old Howard at
18. After a long period as Old
Howard manage:^ he bought the
house in 1939. He sold it in 1952
and retired. Two years later, the
city refused to renew a permit for
strip shows, and the house closed.

Surviving are his wife, two sons
and three daughters. .

NICHOLAS BRObsZKY

Nicholas Brodszky, 53, one of
Hollywood’s top composers, died
after an illness of several months
in Hollywood Dec. 25. Five-times
nominated for Academy award, he
also wrote 20 operettas, and
worked foi* such studios as Mehro
and Warner Bros.

Born in Russia, Brodsky was a
piano player in Budapest in the
early ’20s before coming to Amer¬
ica. In addition to his film and
operetta work, he composed the
score for “Cidronation Revue,”
which played in London during
the Coronation of Queeii Elizabeth^
and “My Budapest,” which played
in N.Y. after the Hungarian uih

'EUGENE ADDISON
Eugene Addison, 58, symphony
violinist, died Dec. 25 In Chicago.
He was with the American and
Lyric (Chi) Opera companies and,
rdore recehtly, with the Miami*
Fla., - Symphony. He had also
served , as musical director of the
Chicago Bar Assn, annual revues.
Survived by his wife.

BILLY FIELDS

Billy Fields, 63, vet comedian,
died recently in Glasgow after a
long illness.

He was associated for years with
shows and pantomimes at the old
Queen’s Theatre, near Glasgow
Cross, md played with top Scot
artists'of vaude ahd concert haU.

CHARLES GROSS JR.

Charles Gross Jr., 46, film editor,
dic'd of a blood clot Dec. 17 in
Hollywood. Recently with Amer¬
ican International Pictures, he
previously was with Warner Bros/
for 12 years.

. His'wife survives.

. James H. Schwabacher, 77, a

founder'and director of the San
Francisco Civic Light Opera Com¬
pany, died Dec. 21 In San Fran¬
cisco.. Survivors Include a son,
James, Jr., San Francisco opera
singer, and a daughter, Mrs. Marie
Louise Rosenberg,, executive sec¬
retary with the CLO.

- Mother, 82, of classical Com¬
poser Alexander Tcherpnin (whose
fourth symphony was premiered
recently by the Boston Symphonyli
died Dec..' 19 In Chicago. Her
late husband, Nicolai, was maestro
of the Ballet Russe in the 1920s
and ’30s.

Harry Holts, 63, an engineer for
WOKO In Albany from 1931 until
his retirement several years ago,
died Dec. 23 in East Greenbush,
N.Y. Twa sons, three sisters and
a brother survive. .

Dave Miller, 65, who recently re¬
tired after heading Cleveland,
Buffalo and Albany exchange dis¬
tricts for Universal-Inteiiiational,
died of a heart ailment Dec. 25 in
Cleveland.

Sen^ 12, of John T. (BiUl Hickok.
deejay with WPTR, Albany, died
in that city Dec. 24 of injuries
sustained when struck by a truck
Vhilc riding a bicycle. *

GEORGE C. TILYOU
George C Tnyon, son and name¬
sake of the- founder' of • Steeple-

EDDIE SEILER

JANUAItr 1. 1K2

Memories Are Treasures no
One Can Steal.

Death Is a Heartache
Nothing Can Heal.

chase Park, Coney Island, was
buried yesterday (Tues.) from St.
Francis Xavier R. C. Church,
Brooklyn. He died Friday (26) at
his home in Brooklyn after a heart
attack.

Tilyou was born in Coney Island
five years after his father founded
the park in 1897, In a house one
block from the famed amusement
center. In 1907 his parents moved
to a house they buUt in Steeple¬
chase Park and there he lived with
his parents all year round until
1916 when the family moved to the
Prospect Park section of the
borough. They continued to live
m the house at Steeplechase Park
during the summer months for
eral years. The house in the park

PAT WILlfiUVlS

June I. 1888—Jan. I, l ?57

IA#3S4

was razed In 1953 to nuke wav
a parking lot. -

III addition to operating
amusement cen
jointly With his brother Frahk, i
his sister Marie, George C. THi
was a director of the Coney Isli
Ch^ber of Commerce.

. His wife, Adele, and fodr i
lus brotherVraiik i
sisters Mme and Mrs. Eflectt
you McAllister, survive.

Bertrand Sflen, 58. fanned H
radio correspondent in ifaftiiy j

^ the Philippiu
Altos,

^ i>f Marietta. O heM
Stanford

Surviving are a brother and
sister.

JIMMY NIXON

James H. Nixon, 57, Kansas City
theatre manager, legit hooker and
sports promoter, died of cancer
Dec. 21 in K.C. He began as 4
candy salesman at the old Shuhert
and Orpheum Theatres, rising to
become treasurer of the Shubert,
and later the Orpheum.

When the Municipal Auditorium
was opened in 1935, Nixon, was
named treasurer and also manager
of the Music HaU. In 1944 he left
the auditorium and with John
AntoneUo formed A. & N. Presen¬
tations. That partnership con¬
tinued about six years.

Survived by three daughters,
two sons and two brothers.

EDWARD B. NOASES

Edward B. Noakes, 55, v.p. and
management service director of
McCann-Erickson Inc., died Dec.
23 in Jamaica, L.I. Prior to join¬
ing McCann in 1954, he was chair¬
man of the executive committee of
the Cecil & Presbrey agency.

Born in New York, Noakes first
entered the agency field with Lord,
Thomas & Logan, predecessor of
Foote, Cone & Belding. While with
McC-E he directed the firm's ac¬
tivities in behalf of such accounts
as Nestle, Schenley and AUied'
Chemical.

Surviving are his wife, two sons,
two daughters and a sister.

FREDERICK c7 OTHHAN

Frederick C. Othman, 53, United
Feature Syndicate columnist and
former United Press Hollywood
correspondent, died Dec. 27 In
Washington, D.C.

Othnun gained wide friendship
and respect in show hiz while writ¬
ing the U.P.’s Hollywood column
from 1937 to 1942. With United.
Feature Syndicate since 1948, his
kumorona avtkleis iboot the Wash-
ingfam acene appeared in ever 150
jMQwra in the U.S. and Canada.

He is Bu rr l v e d by his wtfe, a
brother and stepson, Janotcs Roper,
Washington news editor for CBSL

CARiiXJOTtN^N,

Carl J. Johnson, 61, violinist and
orchestra leader, died Dec. 24 in
Minneapolis. For. ,the, past nme
y^ars^he hatf been bandleader. ftM.

. Sidney Si^n, 43, projectionist
for over 20 years died Dec. 26
in Philadelphia. Surviving are his
wife, two sons, mother and two
brothers.

Mother of Ray Rodgers, chief
engineer of KDKA-TV in Pitts¬
burgh, died Dec. 18 in Doylestown,
Pa.

Daughter, 7, of John Zeigler,
program director of WQED in
Pittsburgh, died recently of leuke^
mia in Pitt.

Father, 62, of Bill Walker, for¬
mer announcer with radio station
CKRM, Regina,' Sask., died Dec.
21 in that city.

Sir Edward Stevenson, 63, a di¬
rector of -Scottish Televislott Ltd.,
dlasgow, died Dec. 15 in Seton
House, East Lothian, ScotlancL

Sndolf .MMalt, 56,-conductor of
the Vienna State Opera, died of a
heart attack Dec. 18 in Vienna.

Mother of Toin Keefe, announcer
at WCAE in Pittsburgh, died Dec.
22 in that city. .

Mother of Jean Gargotta, of
KDKA radio staff in Pittsburgh,
died Dec. 9 in that city.

Nat Travers, 83, veteran British
comedian, died Dec. 22 in London.

Mother, 88, of trumpeter Mugsy
Spanier, died Dec. 19 in Chicago-

Bob Hope

ss CoatiAiiied from page t j

CasteUana Hilton press confer¬
ence Saturday night (20) for the

ndsrstrtdced comic. Hop* arrived
after the ayadkatpd distVfer gave
local newmen a candid eurfiil of
her .diatinettvo ahownews ap-
pcoadi. She donUe-lncrelled Chap¬
lin; Ulled IxMleHa aa “a^ftieiidly
eneiny,” and suminfd up Uaa Max¬
well la two.nnflatto^fig, nionbayl*
lahie palalwwa.

The- Christmas Show, lidt Torre-
jon merits a 21 -mis 5 ile "salute. It
kept the SAC- hangar Rocking,

LoUobrlfida’a tv atint far Mop« In-
terpriaes a half hoiuf banrt aplfed-
ulcd curtain right throw^ to tbo
break-off nbta three howsB heooce.

The Italian actresa, itartliii
hero In "Solomon and went

into her act with only a aiigle iw-
hearsal the night before In the fitt*
ton hotel lobby—comparal®# ta *
Gotham train termlnaL

While show director fJiA'
man had three cameras rolling to
lens Lollo in her first thiiishinf
stint for American yidaereenai
Hope took a long ogle at her She^
ban embellishments. Between bars
of “Non Dimenticar,” La Lollo
asked “Don’t you like my voice?”
and Hope quipped: "Of eoursel
Look where it comes from.” jILct
was encored and re-lensed dxiring
the show.

Seasoned troupers like MIsa
Hopper and Jerry Colonna shared
the spotlight With young tv and
I platter favorites. Maine Bunn’s
"Bojangles” was well-received.
Molly Bee’s * intimate deliv^
mingled with the audience and hter
•Okie potpourri scored. The Rani^
Sparks brand of hillbilly and
lypso brought applause. Les Stown
band turned ‘in a topflight per-'
formance.

• Hope, of course, excelled. ' He'
stampeded Air Forcers throu^out
the afternoon with all hues of
comedy^'*

Great t>he-Linera

I On Spain, Hope said, “Now that
I’ye seen this country. I'd lie
I know how Sinatra got that cannoai
over the mountain.” He defined a
1 duena as “an- .Iron Curtain with Sr
mantilla.” Playing it close to tiie
jet flyera, Hope called Torrejon
a strategic Air base-^“600 miles
from Russia and three from Ava
Gardner.” These and innumerable
references to Crosby, Benny, Jerry.
[Lee Lewis, bullfighting and assort
I ed topicals, brought uiUbated
howls from a grateful pAcked-to-
overflowing house.

Ambassador John Davis Lodge
and a “Solomon And con¬

tingent topped by producer Ted
Richmond, King Vidor, Marisa Pa-
yan and Hollywood vfet Ben Goetz,
joined spectators in observing
show’s single solemn moment as,
16th Air Force Commander-Janies^
Mooney awarded the comedian a
plaque "for letting people every-;
where know we stand prepared ip.
the four corners of the globe.”

Christmas cheer air caravan
hc^aded for the Zaragoza Air Base
on Mon^y but was forced back
to Torrejon by ceiling zero. Hope
and Lachman utilized the weather
curse to telefilm Alejandro "Vargo
and the flamenco group currently
featured at Pastor Imperious El
Duende.

Barnstormers then headed for
Naples, Vicenza, Frankfurt, Berlin
and Iceland-^eparting for home
and Hollywood on Dec. 28 to cui
tour footage for Hope’s Jan. 16
NBC hour tv spot.

More TV, Hadit

Continned from pase 1

within range of at least one tv sta¬
tion, and 75% have a choice of two
or more stations. About 85% of
American homes have at least one
tv set.

Standard r^dio stations now Dtum-
ber more than 3,400 with all hut
100 in operation. (Commercial FM
stations total nearly 690, with 570
of these on the air. About 160
education FM'ers are authorized, i
of which 150 are operating. 1

Doerfer said this “phenomenal
growth” poses problems in finding
spectrum space for new statioiis
and services, more economical use
of available frequencies and con¬
trolling interference.

Swiss Gnssars

Continued from paw* S

a combined playing time of JI9
weeks in the three German-speak¬
ing cities of Zurich, Basle and
Berne alone.

German films made their best
showing in years this aeasion, no-
conntiiig iop 40% nl the 10 top
grossezs with “Hofmarie” ^iIzdL
rrhe Trapp Family lai AflteOtaT
(fifth). Catering YalehW
“And Tonlgbt to the Scal^ triath)
and Marika

Night at the .Green'Parrot” Caev-
ent!i)j Bedde> Triefaeuri^**

France alao fpmbuUd, hi the
ninth and tentti position. Brittle
Bardot^^ean .Gabin' st^er
Case Of Accident” and tpy mellcr
t“La Chatte” (The J

MARRIAGES

^ Sany Walter to Dale McGlU,
Heno, Bee. 22. Bride la in promo¬
tion department of FrON-TV»
Friaco; he’s a iiewireel cameraman
with aame itation.

Miidred Scott to Buddy Coving¬
ton, Houston, recently. He’s a disk
jockey on staff of KNUZ In that
City.

Georgina Cameron to John Har-
r^on, Edinburgh. Dec. 22. He’s a
pianist-arranger.

^ Magda Mozdnya to Miguel Guar-
dia. Mexico City. Dea 23L Bride
is head of the University Ballet;
he’* prexy of the Mexican Theatre
Critics Group, and press ehi^ of
the Palace of Fine Arts.

Tonia Bern to Donald Cfempbell,
Liondon, Dec. 24. Bride Is a cabaret
and iv singer; Iie^s the world’s
water speed champion.

Winnie Lewis to Donald Bricker,
Pittsburgh. Dec. 19. Bride Is sec
to John Leban^. head of production
department at WCAE in Pitt.

ikleda H^er to Erwin Damsky,
New York, Dec. 27. Bride Is in
NBC Press DiS^Jt

Gray Leslie to Count Michel de
Beckifr, Edittburgh, Dec, 20.^ Bride
is a fhow^rL

MIeen Huntooa to Archie Got-
tler; Beveriy Hills, Cal., Dec. 26.
He’s a film writer.

Helen Dcafey to Jack Tyson,
Memphis, Dec. 2L Bride Is a re¬
ceptionist with WHBQ there.

Kay SimmiMis to Jim Bidwell,
Memphis* Dec, 27, He’s a WHBQ
salesman.

Louise Wplfson.to Ensign Jerry
Wanfhaizer, New Yort Dec. 27.
Bride is the daughter xO. Joe Wolf-
son of tlie William Morris Agency
television dept

Dorothea Lockard to Ben Ham¬
mer, Long Island, Dec. 21. He’s an
actor.

BIRTHS

Mr. and Mrs. Mel l^steln, son,
Santa Monica, Cal., Dec. .18. Mother
Is former actress Canpelita Lopezi
father’s a producer.

Afr. and Mrs. Rcay Calhoun,
daughter, Santa Monica, Cal., Dec.
25, Mother is actress Llta Baron;
father’s an actor.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Molloy; son,
Chicago, Dec. 25. Father Is tv edi¬
tor for Chicago Sun-Times.

Mr, and Mrs. Jay Lanin, son,
Dallas, Dec. 18. Father Is airactor.

Mr. and Mi's. Tommy; Roberts,
son, Philadelphia, Dec, 13. Father
is WCAU sportscaster.

Mr. and Mrs. Hy Ut, son, Phila¬
delphia, Dec. 23. Father is a WiBG
deejay; mother is Miriam Uniman,
former Miss Philadelphia.

Mr. and hfrs. Tom Donahue,
daughter, Philadelphia, Nov. 26.
Father is^host of 'WIBCl’s “Dance-,
land.”

Mr, and Mm. Robert Spodick,
son. New Haven, Dec. 19. Father
is co-operator ot Lincoln and Crown
artfilm houses there.

Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Harvey,
daughter, Cambridge, Mass., Dec.
28. Father is secretary-treasurer
of Janus Films.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Franke,
daughter, Bronxv^le, New York,
Dec. 23. Father Is Paramount Pic--
tures publicist in N.Y.

December at 1.0.

CMitiuned fron paf* t

switched from two-a-day to con¬
tinuous run and lower^ scale In
s(Hne spots but still failed to gen¬
erate much. “Anna Lucasfa” (UA),
also a newcomer, did nicely oh
some initial engagements.

“At War With Anny” (Indie) (re¬
issue) did well enough ta wind up
as a runner-up pie one week. “The
RObe” (20th), also brought back
for re-runs, did so well it topped
the *unner-up films one wedc.

“White Wilderness” (BY), though
finished irith most of its pUydates,
garnered some additionil, nice
money 4nring-‘£he mibnth. “Around
World in 80 Days” (UA), ehamplon
for mar^ months,* continued to do
boff trade on pitdonged engage¬
ments in L-A. and Chi.

“Blood of Vampire” (U) cfiipped
in with additional, sufpz&in^y
fine engagements. “Nice Little
Bank That Shoiild''WO Bobbed”
{20th).proved 4i nice picturt
that zahgod nukdY-from fair to
drab duziiig ffid pce-Cbristmas pe^
riod. “Ummed MoRict” (AA) was
mosOy mBd to asd. ^Mark of
Haakr (U) i> vdtb some

jiwd to me d e rtft j^iydalei,
“Itaawa' Beac M i eo df (Col> was
largely disappoinitsg hut get
some XPbd'Bries. ^Jder^ (AD
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